New Moon in Aries Newsletter🔥
Hello, & happy New Moon in Aries!
The Aries Moon Cycle is officially upon us, and it’s such an exciting opportunity to start fresh in our lives, to move forward boldly with new projects, and to focus on ourselves for the next four weeks. Who do you want to be? What would you like to change? Lunar Aries Season is here to support us with all of that! It’s also the first day of April, a powerful bridge month between Ostara and Beltane (and it’s my personal belief that when a New Moon falls on the first of a new moonth, it’s extra magickal!)
Two Week Astrology Report~
Friday, April 1st: Happy April Fool’s Day*! The New Moon conjuncts the sun at 11 degrees of Aries (which, while not necessarily astrologically significant, is cool!) and harmonizes with War God Mars and Rule-Maker Saturn in Aquarius, allowing us to move forward boldly and take charge with confidence while also tempering our decision-making with a sense of maturity, self-awareness, wisdom, nuance and poise. It’s a powerful moment for a personal rebirth and while every New Moon brings an opportunity to set intentions for the following four-week cycle, this one delivers an extra burst of energy and excitement to any desires formed under it’s bold, audacious influence. It’s also a good time to set our big intentions for the next 12-month cycle (since Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, this is the most important New Moon of the year for setting intentions around initiating new beginnings) and because Aries is the sign of the self, it’s a great time to embrace personal change whether physically, mentally or even spiritually. Cultivating new routines and clarifying how we’d like to get to where we want to be by shifting our own energy is an excellent way to engage with the potential of the day (maybe, for example, you crack down on your tapping practice or begin a new routine of morning stretches and meditation — for insight, look to the house of your birth chart containing 11 degrees of Aries. More than likely, you’ll feel the urge to start a new beginning or revolutionize that area of life!) For extra fire-energy oomph, mark the moment with a physical reminder or affirmation like a bold lipstick color or new hair look (it’s not shallow, it’s a spell — the first house is strongly governed by physical appearance and aesthetic self-expression.) Work lunar magick today to energize literally any intention, to fuel a fresh start or conduct a spell for confidence, self-assurance or personal autonomy. The color red is extra powerful today, and so is the number “1” (it’s the first of the month and the New Moon occurs at 11 degrees of the FIRST sign of the zodiac!)
Saturday, April 2nd: Mercury and Chiron align to the sun which is absolutely brilliant and builds on the momentum of yesterday’s dynamic New Moon. At the individual level, we can expect clarity or illumination via helpful communication and affirmations easefully breezing in and more broadly, it’s great astrology for pioneering tech advancement and groundbreaking new discoveries. Anything conjunct the sun is lucky but when that planet is Mercury, we’re all prone to sudden moments of ingenuity, dazzling diplomacy and solution-oriented thinking and in the sign of Aries, we individuate and boss up via our quick-thinking and suddenly-awesome people skills. Chiron’s involvement brings the opportunity to become aware of a gift or area of life we’ve mastered (and possibly, an invitation to use this genius in a way that can help someone else) but if there’s a warning here, it’s to be careful about being so identified with our belief systems that casual disagreement feels like a personal insult.
Monday, April 4th: Mars and Saturn conjunct in Aquarius, a fairly rare event which occurs only once every two years and favors long-haul victories and well-earned successes over immediate micro-wins and instant gratification. The week’s optimal battle strategy is biding one’s time and hiding out until the terrain becomes favorable — premeditation and calculation and conserving one’s energy will tend to yield the best results rather than responding to conflict with a kind of hyper-aggro, sword-drawn mentality, and endurance challenges and anything which requires a sense of self-control and accurate pacing are blessed and energized by this transit. It’s a great time to shift the focus toward long-term goals, formulating specific strategies or implementing small measures which can be taken today to reach the finish line within the allotted time frame. The only downside of this transit is that it can tip us slightly into a state of pessimism (even if it’s grounded in practicality and realism) but should this occur, solar crystals like pyrite and citrine are uplifting and lighten the mood.
Tuesday, April 5th: Get ready for romance because Venus enters watery Pisces until May where the Goddess of Love functions especially well, allowing us to more easefully connect to our own Venusian vibe. We all crave deeper intimacy, vulnerability and profound spiritual connection during this transit, and casual hookups and surface-level flings are much less likely to satisfy our needs or offer the kind of transcendental, gooey intimacy without which we’re suddenly left feeling deprived. It’s a great transit from within which to cultivate a more effective vulnerability practice or facilitate deeper connection and intimacy within existing relationships, and regardless of relationship status, there’s no better Venus transit for a heart-chakra opening and/or cleansing spell to open oneself to new love and rid the heart chakra of previous toxicity, trauma or upset still residing from old relationships wounds. It’s also an excellent Venus transit for promoting creative self-expression, artistry and inspiration, which we can channel most effectively by embracing solitude, journaling and writing down our dreams. We can heal ourselves over the next month via fashion, art, the water element, forgiveness rituals and anything which allows us to escape from the harshness of reality (rest, play, spirituality, etc.) Also occurring today is a tense fixed square between Mars and the Nodes so something happens to either propel us forward or revert us to an old pattern — it’s subtle and likely non-dramatic, but the choice is ours and it might not be immediately clear or obvious in the moment which direction is truly more aligned. If we can direct ourselves forward with integrity and authority, we find ourselves experiencing a newfound sense of alignment with our purpose, while the other choice could revive an ancient frustration or present us with familiar-feeling conflict (it’s an annoyance and a definite missed opportunity, but certainly nothing we can’t rebound from.)
Thursday, April 7th: Mercury and Saturn synergize; it’s a subtle but pleasant influence and an invitation to mature or evolve a perspective, mindset or communication strategy (and especially with Saturn in Aquarius, applying a new mental discipline and cultivating an openness to offbeat concepts or perspectives can be hugely beneficial.) If there’s a conversation you’ve been wanting to have but the timing hasn’t felt right, attempt it today — the communicative vibe is open-minded, breezy, mature and intuitive.
Friday, April 8th: Jupiter harmonizes with the Nodes, and Mars and Mercury synergize. Today’s vibe is innately lucky, and we can generally activate it by adapting Jupiter attributes like optimism, faith, and fortifying hope for and within others via compliments, generosity and/or emotional support (or note the house and sign occupied by Jupiter in your chart and emphasize that area of your life or aspect of your nature for optimal fortune.) The moment’s affinity between Mars and Mercury is also good, balancing out the sensitivity of today’s waxing Cancer moon and allowing us to communicate our emotional needs with levity, confidence and assertion.
Saturday, April 9th: Today’s second quarter Cancer moon, square Mercury in Aries and opposite Pluto in Capricorn, activates emotional intensity as our thoughts and feelings seem to conflict with one another and any built-up resentment from last month’s Cancer Moon (or longer!) surfaces to be examined and resolved via practices like tapping, meditation, journaling or tarot. Treat it as an emotional and energetic reset and welcome any intense feelings or inner conflict as information, but should it become too intense, self-nurture the Cancerian way via food, emotional intimacy, blankets or childhood comforts or lean into the day’s more harmonious astro: Jupiter and Neptune sextile the moon so Piscean/Jupiter pleasures like bubble baths, solitude, beauty, art, animals, novelty, personal expansion and being outside are all potential antidotes. Magickally, it’s a good day for a house blessing or home-finding spell or ritual.
Sunday, April 10th: Mercury forms a cardinal square to Pluto in Capricorn just before leaving the sign of Aries and entering earthy Taurus where he remains until the end of the month (though he’ll retrograde right back into the zodiac’s fixed earth sign later in the spring.) At worst, Mercury square Pluto — a vibe that’s been growing in strength since earlier in the weekend — introduces an unpleasant level of intensity into both our internal and interpersonal dialogue. It’s the kind of astro under which even the most cool and collected of us can tend to catch ourselves seething, doom-spiraling, or giving into unwanted feelings of anxiety, paranoia, or intrusive thoughts, and the vibe on the street is such that any harmless comment can inadvertently graze someone’s primal turf or instigate an unsolicited and surprising level of impact or emotional charge. But any Plutonic unpleasantries this transit could provoke are immediately squelched when we lean into the intensity of the moment rather than trying to evade it. Mercury square Pluto is fantastic for mental stamina and perseverance, extreme focus and heightened analytical/investigative/problem-solving abilities, and we can reap the benefits of our sudden emotional intensity and probing mental faculties by doing a deep-dive into our own psyche and our usually-untapped (but highly influential) inner depths (talk-therapy or mental excavation practices such as tapping or hypnosis are especially useful tools for navigating this energy.) It’s a powerful moment to collect research, analyze existing data, solve a mystery, or to transform one’s belief systems, thought patterns or perspective on a particular issue. And Mercury in Taurus over the next few weeks is grounding and stabilizing, encouraging a certain level of tact and caution with communication and allowing us to more easily translate our ideas (Mercury) into reality (Taurus), supporting our Equinox intentions.
Monday, April 11th: There’s a lot of doom-and-gloom surrounding Saturnine astrology but in my opinion, The Karmic Lawmaker squaring the Nodes today is a cool influence though does add a weighty feeling of significance to the day, even if we can’t quite place why. It’s impossible to ignore some aspect of our upbringing, personal foundation or formative years today, and even if we try to trudge along unencumbered we’re promptly reminded of something inherited or rooted within our past which, for better or worse, we realize is still heavily informing our present. If it’s destructive or oppressive (as in the case of inherited trauma, fear or limiting belief systems) it’s an opportunity to reconcile our past, present and future selves to gain a broader understanding of our ever-unfolding personal narrative. Best case scenario? It trips something within us to permanently inspire a more purposeful approach to living and a heightened sense of maturity, wisdom and self-awareness. Worst case? We can’t seem to shake a looming sense of our own inadequacy, rooted in insecurity or painful past experiences.
Tuesday, April 12th: Today, one of the biggest astrological influences of 2022 is exact: Jupiter and Neptune align, an energy we’ve been feeling since late December of last year when the largest planet in the galaxy re-entered the sign of the fish (where he’ll remain for a majority of the year, briefly retrograding back into Aquarius from May 11th to October 28th.) Jupiter only aligns with oceanic Neptune once every twelve years and in Pisces, they share a particular affinity (Jupiter was actually the ruler of Pisces prior to Neptune’s discovery in 1846) and because this is such a rare event involving two generational planets, it really informs the vibe and mood of the entire month of April (but does factor most pressingly this week and next.) Big-picture trends or collective shifts can be expected to come to an important climax, particularly those regarding Piscean themes (one might, for example, anticipate the emergence of new spiritual fads, hallucinatory drugs, artistic movements or emotional healing techniques), but this is still an energy we can work with and harness at the individual level. Those with Sag or Pisces as either their sun, moon or rising will especially experience this moment as a boost of energy and inspiration, but it’s a helpful influence more broadly for artists, creatives, writers, travelers, visionaries, scholars, dreamers, witches, shamans and essentially all intellectuals, explorers, magicians and/or makers of things. If there’s a caveat, it’s that Jupiter bigs up everything he touches, sometimes to a destructive or problematic extent (and Neptune’s oceanic nature, especially in Pisces, is already vast, profound and in no need of enlargement.) Firming up boundaries with addictive personalities or low-vibe Neptunian people or habits prior to this transit is recommended, and anything which even remotely smacks of religious or cult-like fanaticism, new or unfamiliar mind/mood altering substances, glamorous but suspicious, too-good-to-be-true-seeming offers or even hubris-fueled gambling/self-indulgence spirals should be avoided. Work with it to generate opportunities, inspire creation, fuel hope and activate luck, but like any astro (or really, anything!) it should be approached with a healthy dose of self-awareness and emotional intelligence and experienced through the lens of one’s own critical thinking skills (which, thankfully, are currently refined by the moment’s Sun-Saturn synergy, in play all month but also exact today.) To work with it at the more personal level, identity where 23 degrees of Pisces falls in your birth chart and lay the groundwork for artistry, magick, and/or prosperity to gradually infuse that realm over the next weeks.
Thursday, April 14th: Mars enters into Pisces, joining the Neptune, Jupiter and Venus configuration and remaining in the sign of the fish for the next several weeks. In this ethereal mutable water sign, action-oriented and goal-obsessed Mars can much more easily flow with the moment’s vibe rather than forcefully asserting himself upon a situation, and ideally, we too can channel a much more graceful, sensitive and easeful approach to personal advancement and self-actualization. But it isn’t the most motivating Mars-vibe, and we might find that the go-to battle strategies and war tactics typically effective when trying to best a literal opponent or imaginary competitor, tackle a challenge or succeed in the face of adversarial conditions or hostile terrain are proving suddenly ineffective against something unique about this environment. The solution? Abandon our usual formula and flow with what we intuitively sense the evolving moment requires. In situations where the initial temptation is to communicate a direct threat to an opponent over the next few weeks or lead with overt aggression, we’re better advised to charm or beguile our way out of escalating tension not out of weakness or dishonesty, but in favor of remaining elusive. Identifying oneself overtly as an enemy isn’t the moment’s optimal battle strategy with regard to workplace power-plays or business competition— instead, collect allies and admirers via grace, charm, or weaving a good word-spell (not that this is ethical advice to apply to our more intimate, connection-based relationships — only those where self-preservation/winning is the goal.)
*While April 1st isn’t usually regarded as astrologically or magickally significant, it’s the Day of the Fool and has affiliations with the Tarot’s Fool (literally, card 0) — this combined with the New Moon in Aries indicates that the moment is optimal for fresh starts and new beginnings!
Tarot Card for the Aries Moon Cycle: The Five of Swords! ⚡
I was actually surprised that the Five of Swords* emerged as our Tarot Card for the Aries Moon Cycle, and along with the other fives (which always represent moments of contraction within the greater context of their respective suit) it’s not one of those cards that we’re usually particularly thrilled to see. But despite what some hyper-simplistic interpretations might have you believe, this really isn’t a particularly bad place to be within the Tarot’s narrative. While it’s hard to condense the significance of any Tarot Card into simply one interpretation, I think it’s fair to say that the Five of Swords usually represents a moment where we’re feeling some level of regret or disappointment with ourselves, which is one of the most painful emotional experiences we can think ourselves into (yet at once, it’s also extremely human.) Lindsay Mack accurately describes this card as something of a mini-Devil; while the Devil Card represents an experience of deep shame, of feeling as though something is fundamentally wrong with us and if other people knew this about us, we’d be considered un-loveable, the Five of Swords more accurately captures the embarrassment and regret which accompanies a feeling of having done something wrong, or otherwise made a decision from a place of self-sabotage or mental activation rather than authenticity and integrity. Part of the magick of the spikier cards of the Tarot is that they’re beautiful reminders and affirmations that contrary to what the ego brain would often have us believe, even our most specific, painful and memorable wounding is not ours alone, and while we tend to assume that our problems or difficulties are extremely unique to us (and of course, to some extent they are!) we all experience the archetypal expressions of trauma, trouble and disarray represented by and depicted within the Tarot’s ever-unfolding narrative, and absolutely no one is exempt from the full spectrum of human experience (which is ultimately the story of the Tarot.) All of this is to say, regret and self-directed disappointment is extremely human: it’s something that we all experience, no matter how self-composed, morally righteous or mentally centered we usually are. The wisdom and medicine of the Five of Swords is therefore two-fold: the first message it brings is to give ourselves a little bit of a pass. In the metaphysical space in particular, we tend to hold ourselves to extremely high standards of behavior and conduct and while it’s healthy to hold oneself in high regard and embody integrity, it’s crucial to our mental health that we also allow ourselves the occasional moment of imperfection. No matter how “evolved” we might also be, we aren’t immune to speaking out of turn, saying something hurtful, catching ourselves contributing to catty or unkind chatter, or otherwise engaging in behaviors which are inadvertently destructive toward ourselves or other people, requiring us to reflect, re-center and come back into alignment (and depending on the nature of the offence, we may also need to administer some apologies and course-correct in any way we can.) But always, the first step before attempting to make external amends is to get right with oneself, and to re-align with who we know we are. From there, it’s intuitive to behave in a way that reflects our authentic truth and honors our values with the understanding that whether others choose to forgive us or not, or might perceive us differently moving forward is not in our control, but how we choose to express our humility and acknowledge a mistake very much is. But of course, the Five of Swords is not a cosmic permission slip to behave poorly, and the second piece of wisdom it offers is that this is not the best energy from within which to make big decisions, initiate significant conversations, go on first dates or place ourselves in potentially high-energy situations. It’s when we’re feeling mentally out-of-alignment (as we often do when this card arises) that we catch ourselves failing to meet the standards of character that we have in place for ourselves, or even devolving into words or actions which we are plain and simply not proud of. Throughout the Aries Moon cycle, we’re advised to bring intention to any impulses that come through when we’re in this state and rather than giving into them, aligning to our authentic nature and seeing how that action feels is the best way to move forward. We can do this solitarily with whatever practices we use to regroup (like pulling Tarot Cards, meditating, taking a nap or tapping) or by confiding in a trusted friend and asking them to contribute their perspective. However we choose to deal, the Five of Swords wants us to move forward this Aries Season in a way that will make us proud and feel good down the line; if we have any doubt about our ability to do that, we should pause and regroup before proceeding. In the event that we step off track or find ourselves acting out of character, it’s okay — often, these actions and their consequences are not as permanent or destructive as they feel. When we gracefully accept that we aren’t perfect and are indeed capable of human error, we can alleviate our role in any conflict with ease and empowerment and move into the fiery expansion which wants to come through.
*This card was pulled from The Everyday Witch Tarot by Deborah Blake and Elisabeth Alba. I forgot to give credit for the card I pulled in the last newsletter, which was the Nine of Cups from The Modern Witch Tarot by Lisa Sterle.
Aries New Moon Crystal Recs~
Hematite*. The crystal ruled by the Cosmic War God Mars, work with it to immediately connect to your own warrior energy if you need to assert yourself, conjure motivation and energy, or channel your more organizational, firm, boundary-holding masculine self. It’s also used in spell-work or carried as a talisman to manifest favorable outcomes in courtrooms or other battles.
Carnelian*. Also known as fire agate (and sometimes sold as such, depending on the amount of nodules on it’s surface), either stone refers to a type of fiery orange crypto-crystalline chalcedony which is basically like a little shot of energetic espresso. Carry Carnelian if you need a boost of physical energy and vitality, to amplify creative energy or connect to your own inner fire (it’s also my favorite crystal to slip into my water bottle during cold and flu season or if I’m already starting to feel a little off, as a lot of crystal healers use to to boost the immune system, ward off illness and speed up convalescence!)
Garnet.* A stone of passion, motivation and vitality, work with garnet to boost self-confidence, speed the flow of qi in the body and evoke excitement, enthusiasm and joy (it’s also a powerful talisman for attracting erotic love and can also promote fertility!)
Ruby.* In color magick, ruby is the most powerful stone for working with the red ray, helping an individual access self-assertion, confidence, leadership and courage (slip one in your pocket and pair it with a cruelty-free bold red lip for the ultimate magickal confidence boost and to channel your inner Aries.)
Sunstone.* The stone of leadership and confidence, Sunstone is also a powerful mood-booster, dispelling depression and alleviating SAD.
*All of these crystals are available through me individually and together comprise my Aries Season Crystal Spell Pouch! They’ll come lovingly tucked in an organza bag with dried herbs and oils and description cards.
Things I Love💜
🌺Good medical solutions and news! ✨Having a BRAND new motor for my dishwasher 💦The limited-edition astrology Billie razor sets, and the fact that mine is on the way! (pro astrology hack: buy the one for your Venus sign, not your sun sign, since that’s a much more accurate read of your cosmetic/self-care vibe!) 💪Working a lot, making tons of money and saving up for big, juicy purchases later! 🌷The fact that spring is on the way (even though it doesn’t necessarily feel like it yet) ☀Having my windows open ☕Really good skin days 💲Peaking at my 401K and feeling like a badass bitch! 🔮Keeping my days off few and far between, but really making the most of them 🌟Getting compliments from other women and reveling in the vibe of juicy female fellowship 💧Drinking lots of clean, cold water and feeling like a hydrated goddess 🙏Strawberry Downeast — it’s delish! 💜Waking up in bed with my man and my cats! 🎁Sweet phone calls from my boyfriend 🌿Lunches with my mom! 🌈Having blue hair! 💅Taking a break from getting my nails done, saving cash and letting my little nails and cuticles breathe 💰All the fun, sneaky ways abundance can show up! 🎁Preparing for my Aries fella’s birthday next week — he has no idea what’s comin’!
Enjoy the Aries New Moon! I will be back in your inbox with more magick soon!
-Ali
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