New Moon in Aquarius,
with Mercury and Chiron

This New Moon is about understanding the pain of human life, the apparent separation from our source, and finding its solution on Earth through sharing our truth with each other. The solutions are about taking responsibility for being part of our communities, while maintaining our independence. This month can help us to see that our reactions to the other group members are not really relevant to those people, because they are not about them, they are about us. Our reactions are our own to deal with, and when we own them kindly, and don’t let them get in the way of relating to others, we are helping to bring in the Aquarian age smoothly, minimising the sense of loss and isolation that accompanies becoming individual.

Personal responsibility brings freedom (Venus in Capricorn sextile Uranus, ruler of Aquarius))

Human beings are emotional creatures; the emotional field of vibration is the link, or bridge, between the mental and physical fields. I like to think that emotions are what life’s energy creates as it slows down from soul impulse and mental ideas towards physical manifestation. So our emotionally reactive nature is not bad of itself – correctly used, it enables us to manifest our hearts’ desires. We need to be aware of our reactions and responses, and let them be what they are, without disowning them or wishing they would be different. Emotion is an energy flowing through us, and is our connection to the present moment, like being with the flow of a river.

It’s important not to try and change the emotions directly. If my thoughts are blaming or critical, I am likely to feel angry. If I try to feel ‘loving and allowing’ instead, the judgement I’m making becomes fixed and leaves me stuck in righteous superiority. Owning up to my anger, I am open to seeing the mistake I’m making in my judgement, and my anger flows away because it has no mental hook to keep regenerating it.

Safety

Negative mental and emotional reactions show tension. The more I can remain relaxed and open, the less my reactions hang around. A wave of anger flows quickly through like a passing sigh. and a thought of criticism or blame is followed by further thoughts that can bring understanding, The more we grow relaxed at a deeper level in ourselves, the less our negative reactions operate us like puppets.

It’s hard to relax when you feel unsafe. Our experience of the world outside us is always changing, which keeps us on our toes. We need to find safety inside ourselves, finding the still place which is unchanging. That deep safety is on the spiritual level which is at the core of all life. (‘Spirit’ here is my word to describe that oneness that even scientific thinking is searching to define.) I need to remember that spirit is the foundation, and being, of everything in life. Then I can trust that my experiences in the world are following a correct flow, even if I have no idea what is really happening, nor where it is leading me.

Transformation manifested

Pluto has just entered the section of sky we call Capricorn. It has been travelling through Sagittarius since the beginning of 1995, with a little return to Scorpio during that summer. This time, it is in Capricorn from early 2008, with a little return to Sagittarius during June to November, until it reaches Aquarius in March 2023. Sagittarius for 13 years, Capricorn for 15 years – Pluto is definitely slowing down, but it still has a long way to go (it takes 33 years to transit Taurus!).

1995 was the year I decided to be homeless in order to spend 6 months a year in Hawaii – that was Sagittarius travelling! This year, I’m not sure what’s happening. And I guess that’s the way with Pluto. Things tend to get revealed in the area in our charts that he transits. Jupiter in Capricorn has been initiating changes on a practical level – we’ve started clearing the decks, only to see the truth that has been hidden underneath. Now we can see that what we have been throwing away often represented an illusory way of life that we can’t go back to. Many people feel as though they are staggering, moving from one supportive idea to another, as each one suddenly become history. As long as we accept what we find and keep moving forward, life will unfold our path inexorably. If we hang back, we are likely to have to catch up later, and that is never a smooth way to go.

Remembering to connect with reality

Because Pluto has an apparent backward motion for a part of every year, we do get a respite from June to November 08, where we may have another chance to adjust our attitudes to suit the changes that are inevitable. Someone said: ‘There is no bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.’ In terms of the transformation of a way of life - Pluto’s territory - there are no bad changes, only unsuitable attitudes.

That which never changes is our true ground, and we can find it by becoming awake and aware in moments throughout the day. Capricorn is an earth sign, so it would be natural to focus on relating in everyday ways: make the phone call to ask how someone is; smile when a person touches your heart; reach out and touch the flowers that colour your way; enjoy the texture and taste of food as you eat; feel the clothes on your skin as you dress. This is engaging with life, being here now. Perhaps all the Capricorn change and transformation is to bring us into the present/presence through physical experience.