Happy New Moon in Aquarius!

The Sun and Moon have just conjoined in the sign of Aquarius and our second moon cycle of the new year is now underway. Meanwhile the Sun and Mars are separating from their square, and Venus is past the conjunction to Pluto..that’s two more stressful and dynamic aspects that are now fading. So what do we have to look forward to in the coming weeks?

1. Venus is applying to a trine with Jupiter, who is still very close to the north node of the Moon (true node)

2. Through Jupiter’s retrograde and Saturn’s direct movement the two are coming close to being square to one another again for the first time since August

3. During the later part of this Moon cycle Mercury will move back into his square with Mars (a square he’s made a few times recently)

4. Finally, moving beyond this Moon cycle this month we’ll start previewing the somewhat ominous sign based conjunction of Saturn and Mars, the two malefics, as they both are turning retrograde back to back later this Spring
For now, here’s what to watch for in the upcoming weeks…

* As this Moon cycle begins with a square to Mars in Scorpio we should watch for ideological conflicts to set the tone for the month ahead, particularly those that feature groups of people or entire cultures that are in direct conflict or that don’t see or understand one another fully…zealousness, self righteousness, militaristic attitudes, and fighting for just causes all come to mind

* Meanwhile, with Venus applying to a trine with Jupiter we might see the benefits of certain strategic friendships or alliances stepping in to help us out with something at a critical moment, or we might generally see a certain amount of growth and prosperity within our relationships or between the young and the old or the experienced and the relatively inexperienced. We may also find that certain conservative or disciplined and well organized practices or strategies lead to rapid success or growth.

* As the Jupiter/Saturn square grows tighter the subject of old age versus youth will come into the picture again very strongly, especially as it involves beliefs, dogma, and visions of the future. The idea of a new order, a progressive vision of the future, of faith, hope, and optimism, versus the presence of seriousness, old age, conservative or inflexible beliefs will come to the forefront. However, the two themes will also flip flop in tricky ways. What appears young is really old at times, and what appears old is really young. In many ways this particular Saturn/Jupiter transit has to do with young people or youthful naivete learning the art of practical implementation and conservative and patient progress, spiritually and psychologically coming of age, while this same transit may also feature a fair amount of the typical stuffiness of old age or the status quo being renewed or faith being restored because of tangible progressive achievements. We’re also looking at the idea of the death or weakness or martyrdom of the old on behalf of the young or the young on behalf of the old. This because the Jupiter/Saturn square will also engage with Neptune, bringing in both delusions of grandeur, a theme of spiritual warfare or crusading, and potentially the themes of martyrdom and an unhealthy tendency toward victimization.

As both Saturn and Mars turn retrograde in Sagittarius this spring the contentiousness around beliefs, political standoffs, and religiously fueled aggression, perhaps especially between the young and the old, should reach a fever pitch….more on that later.