If you’re waiting for a leader – look in the mirror
New Moons are always times of new beginnings and new intentions and on April 12 we have a real high energy New Moon in the sign of Aries. With four planets in Aries – Sun, Moon, Venus and Mercury - as well as Chiron (woundings and healing), Ceres (Goddess of the Harvest) and Eris (Goddess of discord and strife), this is either a big bunch of warriors, an angry mob or a group with their own agenda or ideology. Venus leads the fray so pay attention to relationships and finances.
Positives first - we are beginning to see some action type energy rather than ‘stuck’ energy as we had with the line up we had in Capricorn. It bodes well for those who have a cause to fight, who want to lead a charge into battle and who want to display their courage and leadership abilities. Such a potential for inventive, creative energy too. The negatives - there could be much anger, pent up energy, frustration and an urge to disrupt, particularly if there are no clear goals set. And with Mars (the ruler of Aries) sitting in a tight square to Neptune it may be difficult to truly get to the end goal you are seeking. Goals now may be deceptive, intended to deceive or constantly shifting. Luckily Mercury (planet of the mind and communication) sits just far away enough from the Sun to not be blinded.
Events will likely be fast moving now so it’s important that any action we take is designed to hit the target. It’s also vital that everything we do at this time really comes from our higher consciousness, from our heart, from our ‘God’ source. Actions from this intention are much more likely to be successful.
All the personal planets, together with Jupiter and Saturn – that’s seven planets - are in Fire (vision, imagination, intuition) and Air (thought processes, thinking, the mind) – there’s nothing passive about this lot. Additionally, we are approaching eclipse time in May and June – eclipse periods always tend to be more highly charged and more unpredictable. So how do we handle this high-energy period? Firstly we must remember that Aries is both speed obsessed and self-obsessed. Aries wants what he wants and he wants it now, but it’s the very desire for speed and self-gratification that could trip him up!! So we must counteract that by consciously taking time to ensure that our actions are heart-centered rather than re-active.
This is warrior energy - but it’s no good sitting back and waiting for the person who is going to lead us out of this mess. As I heard Rachel Elnaugh saying earlier, if you are waiting for a leader, look in the mirror! If there is action to be taken – and there surely is – then it is up to you to take it. Don’t wait for the cavalry – it’s not coming! The cavalry lies within you and your ability to go within to find the connection to Source in whichever way you find best – that may be meditation, or it may be yoga or just being in Nature. As a friend reminded me today, we are spiritual beings having a human experience (as opposed to human beings having a spiritual experience) so when things are at their toughest we have to re-connect with who we really are at essence – spiritual beings. For that we must go within ourselves to re-connect.
As I was puzzling what to write I thought of my friend Julian Hitch. He is a master Sifu of one of the most ancient of martial arts – Wing Tsun - and co-author of a book called ‘Winning not Fighting’.[1] The mainstays of Wing Tsun are positivity and proactive action as opposed to reactive behaviour. Julian teaches that Wing Tsun contains skills that are transferrable to every facet of our lives. Indeed the book was written to demonstrate how these skills are helpful in achieving all the goals we need for success. It is not about defence, because approaching any given situation from an attitude of self-defence already suggests a negative stance. And a negative action struggles to achieve a positive result. So Wing Tsun is based on taking positive action - not necessarily aggressive action though. The wisdom of Wing Tsun teaches the individual to put trust in themselves and their decisions, and to believe in themselves – this is central to success.
Wing Tsun focuses on self-development through wisdom, generosity and loving kindness. It teaches the individual to look for opportunities to win rather than asking fear-based questions. In a fear state the strategic thinking area of the brain cannot function. In a fear state the body is primed for fight or flight and actions tend to be much more reactive and much less likely to be focused on clear goals.
As I said, the basis of Wing Tsun is belief and trust in the self. First of all become who you are - not what you are not, says Julian. And this is where we link on an astrological level. Astrologically we would say be authentic and follow your Soul’s path. Understand what presses your buttons – understand your astrological birth map so that you can work towards its highest and most positive energy. Know who you are, because otherwise all that anger and aggression is turned inwards in terms of internal tension and internal conflict. Know who you are and develop self-trust and self-belief.
Know who you are because ‘there is nothing more intimidating than a person who knows themselves’. Julian reminds his readers that attackers attack because of the energy their chosen victim gives off. Authenticity, however, creates a magnetic radiance. It transcends self-belief and self-confidence. People are attracted by your presence. Winning starts with self-knowledge and authenticity is equivalent to power and influence.
Your ego, Julian says, is just an image created by what you have been told by others – and by yourself – about who you should be. But it isn’t necessarily you. What you like about others is what you like about yourself – and vice versa.
Let’s just look to nature for a bit of guidance. In a pride of lions the lion doesn’t try to be a lioness and vice versa. Animals know their role within their society. In a divisive society though we have been pushed to lose so many of our connections and particularly our connection to nature.
In ‘Winning not Fighting’, Julian says that positivity allows the individual to harness the mind and build trust and self belief – it takes off self imposed limits and provides possibilities rather than negativities. Julian teaches the art of not taking action purely for the sake of it. If there’s no target then don’t strike and this is what we must remember at this New Moon. Rather than force a situation where there is no clear goal then take a step back. By not forcing, others can’t see your intentions, he says, plus forcing drains time and energy that can be better used in a different way.
This New Moon chart also shows a level of intensity, coercion, power and control – and that includes the power that wealth provides. We must question who is the leader of our leaders. And we must re-connect with ‘Source’ – that true essence of life. It’s possible to be alive in terms of having a pulse and taking breaths. But to connect with the essence of life and being alive is subtly different. It is recognizable within the spirit, the connection to our daemon who drives our Soul. It is about the ‘chi’ – the vital force or life energy. You can’t see chi but you can ‘feel’ and sense when it’s there. The cultivation of the chi or life energy underpins all martial arts and indeed underpins life as we know it.
Many of those who work with energy are beginning to report some subtle changes they are seeing on this level. Could it be that certain interventions (Pluto) have the power to change the essence of our Soul and Spirit (Sun and Moon) on an energetic level in a way that threatens to undermine us (Mars square Neptune) and leave us powerless (Pluto)? Mars is the ruler of all the planets in Aries. Mars is our energy and our driving force. Neptune at its base level is energy that both deceives and undermines.
As soon as we begin to treat the body as though it is a piece of software that can be plugged in for the latest software update, as one big Pharma chief stated recently, we know we are in troubled times. The fact that we may soon be able to do ‘just a few tweaks’ and hallelujah we have cures for cancers and other diseases will likely be greeted with huge gratitude and cheering. But the fork in the road that humanity as a whole has arrived at could just as easily herald the dawn of our entry into a new era of what it means to be human or rather trans human. And if we become trans human that is likely the point where that mysterious essence of ‘chi’ begins to elude us. Chi is the magical essence that makes us what it means to be human – change that and you may still have life but it becomes life without its essence.
A knowledge of astrology teaches us to work with the energy that surrounds us at a given time rather than fight against it. Once again we see the energy of Wing-Tsun – don’t force, instead empower one’s own sense of self-trust and self-belief. Wars now come with new weapons – the internet, the media, the cancel culture for instance. We have a polarized and divided society but if we attack those with different views we are already coming from a negative stance and that is a complete waste of energy. Instead it is far more powerful to demonstrate beliefs via behaviour and action. Rise above the raw feelings of anger and frustration.
We have choices – our Souls are still ours. With Pluto squaring the Sun, Moon and Venus at this New Moon you can choose to hand over control and power to others. Or you can stand in your own sovereignty and cultivate your own self-belief and self-trust. You can choose to be the authentic you. Standing tall in your own sovereignty intimidates those who stand in the Dark. With self-trust and self-belief you can let go and know that you will not fall. With Mars (drive and energy) squaring Neptune you can choose to have that drive and energy dissipated in some way; you may be deceived or just be unable to see your way clearly. Or you can seek transcendence to Source, to the divine to the instinctive and intuitive forces that are naturally employed by the world of nature. The New Moon links with the Fixed Star Baten Koitus in the belly of Cetus, the whale. There’s a relationship here with the prophet Jonah who was swallowed by a whale during a shipwreck. He prayed for salvation and after three days was vomited out from the whale’s belly. The moral within the story is that the way through difficulties that seem dire and unsolvable is to trust in a higher source.
So here is the fork in the road – one way leads to the Light and the other to the Dark. One road may seem to be the right one, but the Devil is good at deception. Look at the clues from the Universe. And remember the message from Wing Tsun - ‘there is nothing more intimidating than a person who knows themselves’. Authenticity creates a magnetic radiance that has the power to affect and infect others. Right now you have to be your own leader because the cavalry isn’t coming. The strength is within you – it lies in connecting with something bigger than us that allows us to work with the intangibles of our intuitive self and our essence, our ‘chi’. Slow, go within and take action that is intended to positive rather than reactive.
[1] Winning Not Fighting, John Vincent and Julian Hitch, Penguin Random House UK, 2019