The Moon relates to our instincts, our emotions, our needs for security, and our unconscious mind. She also relates to mother, to family, and to our bodies. The moon’s goal is to nurture us; to send us messages in the dream world; to help us feel safe and loved. She can’t always do all the things she wants to do in every sign of the zodiac. Some signs color her braver than she usually is. That’s what Aries does. Aries is the first month of spring; thus, Aries relates to new beginnings, to taking initiative, to confidence that abundance is on the way and that the darkness of winter is past. Aries is what’s known as a Cardinal sign in Astrology, meaning the first sign of a season. Any sign that is the beginning of the season is a Cardinal sign. The others are Cancer, the beginning of summer, Libra, the beginning of fall, and Capricorn, the beginning of winter. They all have the same quality of taking leadership, of starting new undertakings, and of taking on great feats, all in their own elemental style.
Aries is a fire sign. Fire is passion. Fire is hot and bright and will get your bum moving if its under you. Fire is always under Aries, urging him to tread onward before he burns up. The element of fire gives Aries an extra sense of urgency to begin new things, right here and right now. They usually have little patience to wait and can thus sometimes be impulsive. Individuals with their Moon in the sign of Aries can function very similarly. They can be impatient and impulsive, wanting to get started on their goals immediately, feeling like they just can’t wait. This can function both positively and negatively. On the positive side, this sign is ruled by the planet Mars, the god of War, and can thus take a much braver stance than the other signs. Hesitancy and fear will not hold this sign back. Aries plunges forth, tackling problems and chasing desires head first and headstrong. On the negative side, this energy can heed over-confidence, impulsive decisions made too quickly, or even bring conflict, as a warrior is wrought to want. There’s a childlike eagerness associated with the sign of Aries, and with the Moon here, an eagerness that is very instinctual and habitual to just do; to simply act. Now! This month, we can all experience a taste of what having a Moon in Aries is like.
Full Moons are not times to create intentions or start new projects. New Moons are the times for planting seeds. Full Moons are times for culminations; to finish up projects; to come to completion. They are the height of activity and should be the pinnacle of the month, with things beginning to wind down after. They are like getting to the top of a mountain, where the only way forward is the descent. This is a bit contradictory to the nature of Aries, which is to eagerly start something new. So, what could this New Moon be about? Simply put, think about the ways in which you are spreading yourself thin, working yourself to the bone, so vigorously and ardently invested in a goal or project. Think about where you’re putting enormous amounts of your energy; the energy of a warrior. Perhaps it’s time to let go a little and drink some water to cool that fire. The two weeks following the full moon are about rest and recuperation and with Aries at the peak, it’s been a marathon. Also think about the relationships in your life. We had a New Moon in Libra two weeks prior with lots of planets transiting through the sign of Libra. Aries is the sign of the self and Libra is the sign of the other. Where are you needing more independence? More time in solitude? Or perhaps, on the flipside, where are you needing support in partnership? Sometimes we’re not meant to go at it alone. The Aries/Libra axes is about “Me” versus “We”. This month’s cycle is just as much about the balance of connecting with others without losing yourself in the relationship as it is about letting go of the need to be a warrior.