Aquarius New Moon 2011: The Freedom Express

"Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom." Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." Nelson Mandela (1918 - )

New Moon cycle begins on Wednesday, February 2nd in Hawaii at 4:41 pm (6:41 PST, 9:41 EST, Feb 3, 2:41 am GMT, 11:41 am JST). The Moon conjoins the Sun at 14 degrees Aquarius signaling an intense two week Aquarian journey into the realms of freedom, social justice and activism, and revolutionary fervor. Aquarius says "think big", which in the current vibration translates into "intensely big".

This New Moon also signals the beginning of the Chinese Year of the Metal Rabbit, and coincidentally occurs at the Imbolc, the Irish festival anticipating Spring. This rite marks the cross quarter or halfway point between the Winter Solstice and Vernal Equinox (can Spring be far away???). It reminds us beneath the snow and frozen ground there is a stirring of life, anticipating the potent surge of Spring and new expression.

Here's a 5 minute video we recorded here on Big Island, Hawaii summarizing this New Moon energy:

New Moon chart:

Fueling this Moon dynamic is a very close conjunction to the Sun/Moon (1) by the asteroid Ceres (2) (archetype for what nurtures you/others) and assertive, Aries driven Mars (3). Anytime a planetary energy is very close to the Sun point, it's considered "combust", or hidden within the Sun's intensity. Ceres and Mars both combust the Sun points to a deepening of intensity around a desire to feel nurtured, as well as how to be successful in your initiatives.

This Aquarius-fest also includes Chiron and Neptune (4) at the very end degrees of Aquarius. Aquarius in-part points to the higher chakras; an elevation of energy into the higher realms of vibration and love. In our polarity, sometimes the focus can be directed toward one end of the scale, especially the denser or darker side. Yet, regardless of where the focus is placed, both sides of the polarity are equally in play - light and darkness always in balance.

Mars Retrograde revisited: One particular and important aspect to this New Moon energy concerns Mars recently triggering its first opposition phase since its potent retrograde cycle of December 2009 to March 2010. At that time, Mars retrograded in the sign of Leo from 20 degrees to 0 degrees. I encourage you to reread my blog about that retrograde, especially in light of all that has transpired over the past year. This opposition creates a period of "pause" or gut-check reflection, examining what has changed in your life since early last year. Are you in tune with your heart's desire (Leo question)? Are you experiencing a freedom of choice to express that desire in your creative expression and career? If not, what needs to change in your life to more deeply embrace and express that desire?

On the initiation front, Mars (ruler of Aries) has been moving through Aquarius since Jan 15th. The Sun caught up to Mars on the 20th, and now moves in lock-step with the Red Planet until February 19th when the Sun enters Pisces.

This combo, thanks to Mars, now provides an intense dose of Aries fuel into the Sun's freedom loving Aquarius expression. Add optimistic Jupiter in fiery Aries to the mix and a great deal of courage and idealism become accessible to the masses.

As a matter of reference, the same day Jupiter moved back into Aries, the Tunisia government was overthrown. Same "overthrow" vibe now moves with an optimistic intensity through Egypt and Jordan. Courage is now rampant where just a month ago despondency reigned. Thanks to Aquarian driven social sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, this potent vibration now gets infused throughout the consciousness in a rather rapid fashion, serving as an organizing force to keep protesters informed and focused.

Further, Saturn in Libra now creates a trine with this Aquarius grouping. Since late 2009, Saturn's mission in Libra  has been to restructure all relationships in your life. This focus is particularly evident around this New Moon energy, evidenced by new alliances forming on the fly in the midst of pent-up social unrest around the world.

Other Dynamics at Play: Venus (1), meanwhile, nears the end degrees of Sagittarius, traversing the Galactic Center point. At this location, it creates a square with Uranus (2) in Pisces adding quite a bit of emotional fervor and unpredictable quick shifts to the mix. Venus in Sag is fearless and relentless in pursuing the truth. Uranus rules Aquarius in unpredictable and surprising ways. Quite a combo.

Adding more cosmic logs to the fire, Jupiter (3) in Aries now moves closer to a direct square with Pluto (4) in Capricorn on the 25th. In short, this unpredictable (Uranus) and transformational (Pluto) vibration fuels a desire to know the truth (Sagittarius) for the betterment of the global community (Pisces). It also serves as a sounding bell for new intensity (Aries) against established institutions (Capricorn) out of touch with global social shifts.

The above dynamics sets a very intense stage for the coming Leo Full Moon on February 17th. This Moon will be very close to its perigee point making it one of the most potent Full Moons of 2011. Effective strategy for the next two weeks in preparation for the coming Full Moon encourages you to "think big", create new initiatives, focus on your social connections and activism, and create reflection time to nurture self and explore your heart's desires.

On the BIG front: Two colossal storms now move across the planet. In North America, an epic Winter storm system over 2,000 miles long is working its way across the winter weary northern and northeast United States bringing blizzard conditions in places, ice and torrential rain. Meanwhile, one of the largest recorded cyclones in Australia's history (wind gusts exceeding 180 mph (290 kph) is moving ashore in Queensland.This region of Australia experienced record rainfall and flooding earlier in January. Jupiter in Aries adds quite a potent vibe to the ethers on all levels. Add the "big perspective" intensity of Aquarius and anything is possible. Be prepared for more intense storms etc. over the next two weeks.

Astrology in the News: Not too long ago, a rather innocuous interview with an astronomer in Minnesota literally went viral in a matter of hours via the various social sites. The headlines blared "Astrology now 13 signs, your Sun sign has changed". For the record, this on-going, spurious argument by astronomers is designed to diminish or belittle astrology by creating doubt and confusion.

Yet, this highly misguided argument recited by Astronomers and other scientist over the past 350 years or so has now unexpectedly (nice touch, Uranus) brought the topic of Astrology into sharper focus. In that spotlight, more conscious conversations can now occur about Astrology's value and contribution to our evolving human experience, and how we can benefit from its rich exploration of the human psyche and related myths and archetypes.

Further, as a stark contrast to what I call the "horror-scope" astrology blurbs found in newspapers and magazines, noted Astrologer and Psychologist Richard Tarnas refers to Astrology's rich, archetypal exploration of the 12 zodiac signs "as a powerful way to be conversant with the great depth of mystery inherent in the Cosmos". So relax...enjoy your life-long Sun sign, and perhaps choose to delve deeper into the remarkable themes and life journey inherent in your natal astrological chart. There you'll find a wonderful window to your inner world that adds direction and understanding about your spiritual essence and the gift you are to the world at large. 

Next Blog - Leo Full Moon on February 17th.

Aloha from Big Island, Hawaii
Starman, Joseph Mina
February 1, 2011
Gemini Awakening 2011©, all rights reserved

Astrology Chart Illustrations
- chart generating software - Time Cycles Research Software
- chart annotations - ScreenSteps by Blue Mango Learning Systems