Happy Equinox! The Equinox (Spring in the Northern Hemisphere; Autumn in the Southern) becomes exact today, on Monday, March 20 at 5:24 PM New York time (21:24 GMT).
The Equinox marks midway between the Solstices, and the time when daylight and nighttime are of approximately equal length everywhere on the planet. It is also the moment when the sun moves into the cardinal sign of Aries—the first sign of the Zodiac Wheel, thus marking the Astrological New Year.
The energetic template of this day is all about balance--including balance between the feminine and masculine energies (the yin and the yang), the inner and outer experiences, as well as the right and left brains.
Ask yourself how balance fits into your life at the current moment and what you need to do to become more balanced in all ways. Where are you over-focused and where are you under-focused? In what moments of your life do you feel most balanced?
How could you apply that feeling, that centeredness, to other aspects of your life?
Ostara is the Pagan festival that celebrates the Spring Equinox. It is likely derived from an Anglo-Saxon goddess named Eostre. Easter is almost certainly derived from Ostara, as the symbology is similar.
In Ostara, the hare and the egg are most prominent; the hare is a symbol for the moon, and the egg is a symbol for fertility, birth, growth and abundance. The moon is said to die every morning and be reborn each night, thus being a symbol for immortality. So, the energies of Ostara have to do with health, wealth, abundance, birth and rebirth.
The Spring Equinox also marks the beginning of Aries season, which is the Astrological New Year. In a way, it is really the true New Year, as the beginning of spring is when Mother Nature begins a new cycle. When the snow melted in my yard the other day, I was thrilled to see pretty purple flowers peeking through the ground! Mother Nature holds the true calendar; and Tropical Astrology is predicated on the flow of the seasons.
The sign of Aries is the first sign, and the initiator, of the Zodiac Wheel. It is a cardinal (initiating) fire sign, and it is masculine. It is the essence of the beginning of spring!
If by chance you’re one of many who had a really optimistic outlook and set of goals for your 2023, but you feel like the first quarter of the year hasn’t gone the way you wanted it to, you have a brand new opportunity to start anew with this Astrological New Year and Super New Moon in Aries. It would definitely be wise to make a list of personal intentions for the next year.
The Super New Moon in Aries becomes exact at 1:22 PM New York time (17:22 GMT) on Tuesday, March 21. It is a Super New Moon, because the moon is physically closer to the earth than usual, thus amplifying its effects.
We currently have a stellium of planets in Aries, with the sun, moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Chiron all within this cardinal fire sign. So the Aries energies are extra potent right now! With the snow and cold on its last legs in most parts of the United States, it really seems like spring is finally here!
Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac and the ruler of the First House--the House of Self. This house is associated with the Rising Sign (your Rising Sign is the cusp of your First House) and is in charge of our personality—how we appear and present ourself to the world.
The ruler of Aries is Mars, the most masculine and aggressive planet. Aries’s glyph is a Ram. A Ram is aggressive, masculine and relentless. Aries carries a phallic energetic quality to it; it is the spark the starts the fire that carries a manifestation around the Zodiac Wheel until it ‘dematerializes’ in Pisces and becomes ether or spirit. Aries takes the potential energy of the ethereal Pisces and materializes it.
Are you ready to kick-start your destiny? I know that may sound like a paradox, but what if your destiny is waiting for you and just needs for you to turn the ignition key, so to speak? This is what Aries is all about: as the first sign of the Zodiac, it is the igniter, the starter. It's the Ace of Wands, if you are familiar with the tarot. So many of us are really meant to make big leaps and bounds this year in business/career/finances, wellness, relationships, and more. With the worldwide pandemic crisis seemingly finally on its last legs, the roadblocks are clearing for so many of us to find that success we've been yearning for.
This Aries New Moon is kindling the fire of springtime, providing the perfect energetic gateway to get moving on new projects that could end up providing long-term support and benefits for both us and our fellow humans. We are still in a very special time period when all planets are moving in Direct motion (through April 19), meaning it's 'all-systems-go' for manifestation and forward progress. This Aries season is all about manifestation! It’s time to take all the dreams and projects that you’ve left sitting on the sidelines for awhile and put them into reality! Make a solid decision that you’re going to make something a success, and then go for it with all of your effort and energy! Aries is the motivational speaker of the Zodiac. Speaking of motivational speaking, with Mercury in the mix of this Aries stellium, use your voice to create your dreams and destiny during this time! Speak and write honestly, fearlessly and courageously. Here are some journaling prompts to align you with this intense Aries energy:
Where do I want to be with my career, finances and physical health by the end of the astrological year in March of 2024?
What are my priorities? (Make a list.)
What are the barriers/obstacles that I will need to overcome in order to manifest what I want over the next year?
How will I overcome these obstacles? Where will I get the energy to do so from?
These prevalent energies may be asking for you to take some calculated risks. I say calculated, because one of the shadow aspects of Aries is the propensity to take unnecessary or unwise risks. The difference between taking a calculated risk that pays massive dividends and an unnecessary risk that either doesn't pay off or even sets you back is often predicated on how adept you are at utilizing your intuition. This type of Aries energy is really asking you to trust your intuition--rather than to capitulate to old fears. With Venus conjunct the North Node on this aggressive, initiating Super New Moon in Aries, it is an auspicious time for romantic connections. If you are already in a romantic partnership that is aligned with your Higher Purpose/Direction, you will likely feel very close and aligned with your partner at this time.
If you aren’t partnered, you may actually meet a ‘soul connection’ over the next 28 days. Be optimistic and take initiative if you are single and looking to meet someone.
The moon makes an out-of-sign sextile to Pluto on this Super New Moon--as Pluto is on its last legs in Capricorn. This is a harmonious aspect that will make us feel our emotions deeply and passionately over the next 28 days. It’s a great time to be as honest as possible with yourself and endeavor to heal whatever emotional baggage may still be present in your field—especially those wounds that may be rooted in the masculine energies (more on this later).
First, let’s discuss Pluto’s grand entrance into Aquarius.
PLUTO ENTERS AQUARIUS: A MOMENTOUS OCCASION
Pluto—the outermost planet in astrology—but one the one that has the biggest influence on the collective—moves into the fixed air sign of Aquarius on Thursday, March 23. This a momentous astrological occasion, as Pluto has been in the cardinal earth sign of Capricorn since 2008.
Pluto, the ruling planet of Scorpio, is associated with the 8th House (which involves sex, death, and transformation). It is the planet that creates transformation on a collective scale.
With this week’s Pluto entrance into Aquarius, it is essentially a preview of the type of collective transformation that is likely due to occur between the years of 2024 and 2043.
This transformation will likely occur in the arenas of economics, geopolitics, social structures and technology (especially AI). During this time, we will likely see a major shift in how nation-states are drawn out and how people are governed; most humans will likely integrate further with AI; and we will likely experience official First Contact with extraterrestrials. No one knows for sure what will happen, but most astrologers and seers concur that major change is in store for the planet at large.
We are already seeing a precarious economic situation unfolding here in the United States--and across the globe. We have had two major banks in the U.S. collapse over the past 10 days; a recent study showed that 186 other U.S. banks are at high risk of collapse. If American banks continue to go under, it will absolutely have a ripple effect across the world.
It is interesting to observe how the Pluto in Capricorn period is bookended by banking and financial crises (remember the 2008 Banking Crisis/Great Recession?) This makes perfect sense, as one of the things that Capricorn rules over is the legacy financial systems.
So the entrance of Pluto into Aquarius may very well kick-start a domino effect that could lead to a long-overdue recession.
It’s important to note that although Pluto enters into Aquarius this week, it is only a brief ‘toe-dip’, as it will begin a Retrograde period on May 1, and head back into Capricorn on June 11 for the remainder of 2023. Then, it will re-enter Aquarius permanently on January 22.
It feels as if Pluto is making a benevolent and optimistic entrance into Aquarius--as while doing so it sextiles the exalted sun in Aries (in the first degree of its sign of exaltation).
There is definitely an anxious energy about in its entrance as well--as it makes a difficult quincunx (150 degree aspect) to Mars in Gemini. There is certainly an anxious energy about in the U.S., as the former president is likely to be arrested this week.
I believe that many very progressive ideas will seriously enter the public discourse during the rest of 2023—especially around moving to more sustainable energy sources. I also believe there will be a lot of nasty political mudslinging during this time.
When Pluto moves back into Capricorn the second half of this year, it will likely really chip away at the stubborn legacy structures of the planet; and when it moves back into Aquarius in January, we will start to see the implementation of new structures come about slowly over time, as Pluto moves deeper into the sign.
In conclusion, Pluto’s time in Aquarius will likely bring about the necessary changes on the planet that will create the Golden Age of Aquarius on Planet Earth.
Since Aries season is the essence of the Divine Masculine, let’s discuss the Divine Masculine traits.
THE DIVINE MASCULINE TRAITS
Strength: Clients often say to me that Ascension shouldn't have to be so difficult. Well, if Ascension was meant to be easy, why would we bother traveling halfway across the galaxy (or even from another galaxy!) to take part in it?
Some of us on this Ascension journey have gone through multiple tribulations in this lifetime alone where we had to gather all of our inner strength simply to survive. Even if you haven't had extreme difficulties like that, everyone can think of an instance where they had to be strong just to make it through.
When creating a Life Plan, the soul always includes situations in which the character incarnated will need to access their inner strength in order to proceed through the intended lesson. Some souls have created more situations requiring this than others. If you feel like your soul has created a lot of difficult situations for you to go through, know that it is because your soul believed you would survive each--and learn valuable lessons in doing so. You are meant to make it through all of your tough times.
If you’re going through tough times now, know that your soul is not trying to destroy you; it just might be challenging you in an extreme way. We could say that one's tenor and resolve while navigating difficult situations is an extremely important virtue to learn while in a human body. Those who have accomplished great things in life all had to overcome significant obstacles in order to so.
Another aspect of strength is literal physical strength. Regardless of your sex or gender, working on your physical vessel--whether it is through exercise or using weights--is healthy for body, mind and spirit.
Even if you're not a gym rat (I'm certainly not), there's always something you can do on a daily basis to move your body, whether it's dancing, walking, jumping on a trampoline, yard work, lifting weights, calisthenics, sports, etc. With Mars squaring the sun on this New Moon, there’s a lot of anxious energy in the air; moving your body is one of the best ways to move through this anxiety.
Here are some questions to consider when pondering the role of strength in your life.
In what situations do I feel the strength of the Spiritual Warrior within me? How could I bring that feeling into other aspects of my life in order to increase my productivity, success and self-esteem?
Am I able to cite situations in my life where I used strength to persevere through difficult situations? Was I able to take wisdom from those experiences and use that wisdom to help or motivate others?
Do I feel strong in my physical body? If not, could I work on increasing my strength just a bit?
How could garnering more strength improve certain situations in my life that are going on right now?
What would ten percent more strength in my life look like? What would it feel like?
Courage: This Divine Masculine trait is similar to strength, but with its own unique flair. Courage requires strength, though not necessarily physical strength. Courage most often shows up in our life when we are being asked to take a risk or are being initiated into a novel, unfamiliar and/or uncomfortable experience. We all can think of situations in our life where we took a risk and it paid off. Perhaps you followed a hunch and found yourself rewarded; or perhaps you said 'screw it' and did something fun that was a bit out-of-the-box. Maybe you decided to take a new job in a field that was very different than your previous experience and your whole life came together beautifully! Oftentimes, a soul will write into the Life Plan one or several 'big' situations where courage is one of the intended lessons to be learned. You might be presented with a big opportunity, however perhaps it might require moving out of your comfort zone. If you take the risk, it might mean you pass that particular lesson (not that it will likely be your last lesson in courage); while if you decide to play it safe, it likely means you'll get another opportunity to show off your inner courage down the line. Do you ever get that feeling that you should just take a leap of faith and go for it? Those are the exact instances where you will find inner courage paying off handsomely. Here are some questions to consider when pondering the role of courage in your life:
What situations can I recall where I acted on the courage of the Spiritual Warrior within me? Does this mean that I can access this courage any time I need to?
Is there a situation in my life right now where I feel the Universe is asking for me to take a risk?
How could taking more risks in my life lead to a greater sense of fulfillment within me?
Am I showing the courage to speak my truth?
What would ten percent more courage in my life look like? What would it feel like?
Perseverance:Perseverance: If you listen to any successful athlete, entertainer or business leader speak about their career, they will inevitably talk about perseverance. The ability to persevere through obstacles is what usually separates those who become successful in a certain field or talent from those who don't.
No one has an easy ride to the top. Nearly every elite-level athlete, actor, and musical artist has been told at one time or another that they wouldn't make it to the top. Nearly all of them were rejected at one time or another by someone who didn't think they'd cut it.
One of the biggest misconceptions out there in the spiritual community (among many) is that if something is difficult it's not meant for you. Yes, it is a beautiful thing to step into 'the flow' in your life where things start to come with grace and ease—however there is usually a period of hard work and perseverance required before you can step into that period where things flow with grace and ease. And once you do step into the flow, it doesn't mean you still won't have obstacles! Oftentimes when obstacles arise, it's because our soul is challenging us to see if we can overcome those obstacles, because what's waiting for us on the other side is what's meant for us! I wish for all of you to access the perseverance of your own inner Spiritual Warrior within. I hope that you decide that the things you want most in your life are too important to not persevere through the frustration of temporarily not getting what you want. You're worth it and you deserve to manifest your dream life! Here are some questions to consider when pondering the role of perseverance in your life:
Do I tend to give up too easily? Am I easily dissuaded?
Do I truly feel like I am worthy of my dream life? If not, what beliefs am I holding onto inside me that are preventing me from feeling worthy?
Are there some situations in my life currently where I intuitively feel like I should persevere through the obstacles and frustrations?
What would ten percent more perseverance in my life look like? What would it feel like?
Discipline: The famous quote “You are what you repeatedly do...” (which has been misattributed to Aristotle) is certainly true. Your daily habits become your reality. Many people want to live a better life, whatever that means to them. Maybe they want more money, a bigger house, or a new or better relationship. Maybe they want to be fitter or to have a career they enjoy.
It's easy to want stuff, but are you willing to put in the work to get what you want?
If you want to get good at anything in your life, it requires discipline. If you want to be a good psychic, life coach, artist, athlete, welder, etc., it takes the discipline to practice your art. If you want to become more relaxed and at peace, then it would certainly help to incorporate daily meditation time into your schedule.
When you dabble in something, you can only go so far. But when you spend time developing a skill or working on something every single day, you're going to become a master at it.
Prioritizing your schedule goes hand-in-hand with establishing discipline. Many people have their hands in too many jars at once, and because of that they don't progress as quickly in their career. You've got to be able to prioritize what is the most important thing in your life at any given time.
With Mars squaring Neptune (in its domicile in Pisces) on this New Moon, we are more likely than usual to get distracted—and even to slip into addictions—if we’re not taking enough care to self-discipline.
Here are some questions to consider when pondering the role of discipline in your life:
If I were to be more disciplined with my spiritual practices, what positive changes might I see in my life?
What are the types of activities or time-wasters I would need to cut out of my life in order to have more time to have disciplined practices?
Would I be willing and ready to cut out some of these time-wasters, or not yet?
What could having more discipline do for my career or my art?
What could having more discipline do for my physical body?
What would showing ten percent more discipline in my life look like? What would it feel like?
HEALING THE FATHER WOUNDS WITHIN
Chiron is a comet that is also known as a minor planet in astronomy. It is known as ‘The Wounded Healer’ in astrology. Chiron represents our deepest wounds—especially those wounds that come from childhood. Chiron spends almost 8 years in Aries, and during that time, the father/masculine wounds come to the forefront.
With this five-planet stellium occurring in Aries on this New Moon (including Jupiter conjunct Chiron)—and Pluto, the transformer, changing signs--this is a perfect time to work on healing any wounds within that originate from the masculine energies.
Consider in what ways the masculine aspects in you are out of balance. Do you try to control things (or people) too much? Did your father (or father figure) do this? Could this need to control be rooted in fear? In what ways did masculinity, or aggression, harm you? What do you fear about the masculine aspects of life? Were you manipulated or made to fear something or someone so you could be controlled? Journal on these questions of self-inquiry if you’d like.
More literally—think about what was lacking in your father (or father figure) when you were a child, and how you have been harmed by men—or the masculine aspect—throughout your life, especially when you were younger. How do these things still affect you to this day?
After taking stock of the Chiron ‘stuff’ that lies within, let’s talk solutions. With Chiron conjunct Jupiter (and in the same sign as Mercury), the solution at this juncture lies in talking about, journaling about, and intentionally addressing these wounds. Now would be a great time to reach out to trusted friends and family members (that are good listeners), or to trusted healers like myself.
Wishing you a Blessed Equinox and Ostara; and an exciting. happy and productive New Moon in Aries!
With Love,
Matthew John
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