On the night of Monday the 27th, beginning the last week of March, a month dedicated to the ancient god of war, the first New Moon of the Spring occurs in the north. It is the New Moon of Aries, the first sign of the zodiacal wheel, ruled by the planet Mars, which represents vital impulse, enthusiasm and strength to undertake, fight, conquer and impose oneself.
At this time of the year, the Sun travels through Aries, the sign of the ram: a wool-covered, medium-sized adult male animal, characterized by its strength and daring, as well as by the pair of horns with which it fights and defends itself; a species used for breeding and slaughter. The ram symbolizes strength, fertility, vitality and fighting spirit.
The solar journey through Aries coincides with the religious celebration of Passover, both Jewish and Christian. For the Hebrew people, it commemorates its liberation from slavery via departure from Egypt, as narrated in the book of Exodus; for Christianity, it is the passage from death to life, through Christ’s resurrection after his passion and death; and, as a consequence, its freedom from slavery deriving from sin.
There is a synchronicity between the Easter celebration in the Judeo-Christian religious manifestations, and the passage from death to life that, in this annual period, represents the end of winter and the appearance of spring. That is why the solar transit through Aries also relates to traditional and religious symbols as a «transition» towards the vital impulsivity of spring as represented by the ram´s image.
While the Passover is celebrated on the 15th of Nisan (first month of the Jewish year), and the Christian Resurrection, on the first Sunday after the first post-equinoctial full moon, the first New Moon after the Equinox comes to represent the first day of the new astral year.
This last week of March constitutes actually the first week of the new year in the northern hemisphere, in spite of the Gregorian solar calendar having imposed January 1st (winter beginning in the north) as the opening date of the calendar year. Now, the solar cycle of one year is integrated with the lunar cycle of one month, in this post-equinoctial first lunation. It is at this moment when the planetary energy contains all the strength to begin and undertake, in the best style of Aries.
During this first week of the sidereal year, there is a high concentration of astral forces in Aries. Up to five of the ten main sidereal bodies, are attuned with the Sign of the Ram: our luminaries —Sun and Moon— travel in conjunction with Venus Retrograde in the first decanate, and the Mercury-Uranus pair does likewise in the last section of the sign. Such a cluster of cosmic current in that zodiacal zone is an indication of the energy surplus of these days, and its projection throughout the year.
Throughout the week, the New Moon will be connecting directly with most of the planets in the area, including its ruler Mars, which now passes through Taurus. Between Monday the 27th and Thursday the 30th, our satellite will successively come into conjunction with Venus, Sun, Uranus, Mercury and Mars; but, on the night of Tuesday the 28th , it will also become part of a high voltage triangulation with the opposition that has arisen between Uranus and Jupiter in strong tension with Pluto.
All the planetary aspects described before are sufficing indicators of the levels of energy intensity prevailing in the first days of the week, and serve in turn as a signal of how the cosmic forces will manifest themselves throughout the astral year.
It is no coincidence that during these first two days of the week, a heated discussion will be held, regarding the Venezuelan case, within the Organization of American States. The astral conditions of high concentration of Aries energy are indicative of the levels of tension and confrontation that could be generated on this subject at the seat of that continental multilateral organization.
With the first spring New Moon of this new year, the cards have been cast. The arrangement of the planets in the outer sphere, their energy flows and the connections between them are being activated and re-potentiated with the passage of the Moon by Aries. The earthly events of this week will act as a representative sample of the events that will unfold and develop over the next thirteen lunations.
Translated by Jorge Pardo Febres-Cordero, Certified Public Translator (Spanish-English-Spanish) – [email protected]
Photo Credits: Stephen Rahn