Not Your Typical Aquarius New Moon

By Amanda Painter

Tomorrow is the Aquarius New Moon, exact at 4:42 pm EST (21:41:52 UTC). Aquarius is a curious sign, at its best when blending the structuring abilities of Saturn with the liberating impulses of Uranus.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

In that sense, it seems a perfect sign to host the first lunation after the Jan. 10 eclipse: eclipse periods generally feature a process of liberating oneself from some facet of the past, in order to take greater authority in directing the next steps forward.

The slowly separating Saturn-Pluto conjunction underscores these themes, connecting them to long-term processes. Whatever ‘new start’ Friday’s New Moon represents for you should be familiar, perhaps even expected.

Chances are you’ve been involved with some form of drawing something to a close this week, or resolving one phase of a process. Today and the first part of tomorrow still carry that signature.

Yet life is not simply ‘business as usual’ right now, thanks to a couple of factors. The first is that the Aquarius Sun is square Uranus in Taurus, exact today.

Have you been the bearer of unexpected news, or the recipient of someone else’s bombshell this week? Are you feeling restless? Are disruptions causing chaos in your life, or do you find yourself eager to shuffle your routines?

The more agency you have in these dynamics, the easier it’s likely to feel for you. Yet there’s still a reminder to take some responsibility for how your need for freedom might impact others. No, you cannot predict or control how others will feel and react. But you can be as thoughtful in your honesty as possible. It’s like opening a window in a shared office because you’re too hot, rather than smashing it with a hammer.

The other ‘not orderly’ factor in the New Moon chart is Venus conjunct Neptune in Pisces (joined by the Moon on Monday) square Mars in Sagittarius. That’s a lot of sexual, emotional and psychic energy combining to create possible tension, an urge to take action, and potentially distorted perception.

Although the individual players in this configuration don’t make their exact contacts until Sunday through Tuesday, it’s all in effect now. Mars aspects tend to get revved up prior to being exact. Neptune has a notoriously wide and squishy orb of influence. I suspect the inward-looking focus of the waning and New Moon could further compromise the ability to read the interpersonal landscape clearly.

In other words, how you’re feeling and thinking is only part of the picture. The reality of how others are feeling, their intentions, and other important details also matter, but could be difficult to discern. Eric has described this as ‘rose-colored glasses’ astrology.

The sexual-emotional stakes are on the high side because of this. Venus-Mars squares describe increased sexual energy. It could manifest as a lot of love and lust just looking for a healthy outlet — and it may find such, depending on your personal circumstances.

However, this aspect can also come through as a lack of discrimination about sexual partners. That’s even before adding in Neptune, which amplifies the potential for delusion, illusions, too-high expectations, eventual disillusionment, and intentional deception, all by several orders of magnitude.

Venus-Mars squares also have the potential for discord and friction (if not outright antagonism). This is most likely in relationships where there are unspoken tensions and frustrations. If you find yourself engaging in arguments or being mean even though unprovoked, ask yourself what that’s really about.

Are you conflicted about your desires, or chafing against dishonesty (your own or that of others)? What’s going unsaid between you and the other person? Are you confronting the consequences of past actions and having difficulty owning them? Are you projecting inner strife onto someone else, or do they seem to be doing so to you?

The more honest you can be with yourself about these dynamics (if present), the greater ability you have to act with compassion and kindness. Venus and Neptune in combination have gorgeous potential to describe a spiritual, unselfish kind of love. If you feel like that’s what you’re offering or receiving, remember: it comes with zero strings attached.

From Friday through Sunday the Moon will be in cooler, clear-headed Aquarius. There’s a level of impersonality here, compared to some other Moon signs. That could be helpful in treating questionable liaisons with the circumspection required. It’s also a reminder not to be cavalier with another person’s emotions if your chemistry with them gets catalyzed.

There’s still a lot of Capricorn in the air, lending stability and practicality. Who knows? Maybe the sexual energy of Venus-Mars-Neptune — which is, at heart, creative energy — is just what we need to spur on some radical new beginnings. If nothing else, Uranus suggests access to fresh ideas about how you can be who you are in this rapidly changing world. The planet needs you, awake and aware and alive to the possibilities.