We begin the astrological new year with the Sun going into Aries at the Spring Equinox. Springtime is a season of renewal - new life bursts forth in Nature, sending up crocuses, tulips, daffodils and hyacinths and unfurling new leaves and blossoms on trees. It is a time of hope and optimism, of renewed confidence that life will go on with good times to come.first there must be the death of the old life so new life can grow.

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The Cosmic Story: Aries New Moon & Spring Equinox 2012

            Spring Equinox, the day the Sun crosses over the Equator into the Northern Hemisphere, occurs this leap year on Monday, March 19 at 10:15pm PDT and on Tuesday, March 20 at 1:15am EDT and 5:15 am GMT.   In the Southern Hemisphere, people are celebrating the Autumn Equinox and the harvest.

 

            Both the Spring and the Autumn Equinox bring us to a balance of day and night as the Sun sits on the Earth's equator.   Now the days will grow longer north of the equator, and shorter south of it.   Spring Equinox begins with the Sun's entry into the sign of Aries.   Our western, tropical astrology is earth-based and so we work with the symbolism of Aries starting the astrological year at Spring Equinox.    In sidereal astrology, based on the constellations, Spring Equinox changes with whatever constellation rises on Spring Equinox.   Right now the early degrees of Pisces are rising, due to the earth's wobble and the precession of the equinoxes.   Soon, the stars of the constellation of Aquarius will be rising at Spring Equinox, heralding the dawning Age of Aquarius.   The easiest way to think of the discrepancy is to understand that Pisces is the backdrop to our tropical zodiac.   There is a more Piscean flavor to our Arian warriors than back when Aries was rising at Spring Equinox.

            Spring Equinox is a rebirth of life and energy, and is often a time of religious celebrations, such as Easter and Passover.   Spring Equinox is the celebration of the return of Persephone from the Underworld.   Most of our religious celebrations are related to the changing position of the Sun as reflected in the Wheel of the Year: the solstices, equinoxes and cross-quarter holidays of Imbolc, Beltaine, Lammas and Samhain.     In Mexico, we can see one of the most beautiful examples of the return of the light at the famous main pyramid at Chichen Itza, where along the sides of the staircases, an enormous snake of sunlight appears to slither down the stairs at the precise moment of the equinox.

             We begin the astrological new year with the Sun going into Aries at the Spring Equinox.   Springtime is a season of renewal - new life bursts forth in Nature, sending up crocuses, tulips, daffodils and hyacinths and unfurling new leaves and blossoms on trees.   It is a time of hope and optimism, of renewed confidence that life will go on with good times to come.  

But first there must be the death of the old life so new life can grow.   Just as the outer Winter is about to end, so too your inner life wants to be renewed.   At the equinoxes, there's a reduction in the Earth's magnetic field, making it easier to release old patterns and awaken new ones.   It's a good time to clean out your energy body and allow new fertility and life in.  

For a Spring Equinox meditation to clear your chakras of the old you and open you to the energy of new possibilities of 2012, please go to:

http://wisdom-of-astrology.blogspot.com/

The Sun in Aries

            Just as Aries starts the astrological year, the energy of Aries is all about new beginnings and a new sense of identity.   Aries' energy is like the Sun's light in Spring: energizing, exciting, driven, self-confident, enthusiastic.    George Harrison's song, Here Comes the Sun, is definitely a Spring anthem.     Aries are the explorers, the pioneers, the scouts, and the leaders of the zodiac.   And this year, Aries carries a primal spark of lightning, because the Aries New Moon on Thursday joins with Uranus to bring us an awakened sense of ourselves, as if we've been hit by a lightning bolt.   Like George Malley, the ordinary man in the 1996 movie Phenomenon who becomes a genius, this year we're called to a new, expanded identity that makes use of all our capabilities.   This year become the hero/hera of your own story.

                Just as Spring is the most exuberant season of the year, Aries is the most exuberant of the three fire signs of the zodiac.   When my Aries' son was 2 - years old, we moved to Zurich, Switzerland.   A few days after we moved into our apartment, he stood next to me on our balcony and saw children out on the playground.   He turned to me and with great enthusiasm told me he was going out to play.   Then he asked me, "Should I speak English or Swiss?"   When I told him he didn't know Swiss yet, he said something that sounded vaguely Swiss German and smiled at me, daring me to contradict him.   I watched as he went out, ran down the hill howling like Tarzan and started "talking' to the kids.   They didn't know what he was saying but he had a great time.   There was a new world to explore and conquer!   I was watching an Aries in action.   He's all grown up now and still goes on adventures.

            Aries is the great "I Am" of the zodiac along with the Sun (which symbolizes our sense of identity and purpose).   Like the Ram which is Aries' symbol, Aries energy is an irresistible force which wants to move and shake the world.     Aries is the hero/hera who goes out to conquer the world and set up his/her private kingdom.     Aries, ruled by the planet Mars, is a warrior and a leader, driven to excel.   Aries is always on the move forward.   The past holds no interest for an Aries.   It's all about what lies ahead.  

            But did you know that the spiritual Aries is also the Logos, the owner of a logical mind.   Just as Aries rules the head in astrology, many Aries have reached the stage in their development where they work consciously with the Logos, the principle of order and knowledge.   This makes Aries a conscious seeker, who has developed and disciplined his intellect to control and focus his Mars energy.   Mars is the planet of desire and Eros, the energy which grapples with life to achieve our goals.   When we use our higher Aries' consciousness, we can step back from our immediate situation and reflect on how best to achieve our goals.  

Channeling our Mars energy into our projects is what Aries does best.   Since we all have Aries in our chart, there is a strong possibility that you'll be exploring new shores this year.   Find out where Aries lies in your chart.   That's where you begin.

Aries New Moon

            The Aries New Moon occurs on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 7:38am PDT, 10:38am EDT and 2:38pm GMT.  

            The Sabian symbol for the Sun and Moon at 3* Aries is: The cameo profile of a man, suggesting the shape of his country.   This symbolizes people who want to help shape their society.   There is a resonance between our personal goals and the needs of our society.   While most of us will try to work out the details of our larger visions, we'll also see the emergence of new leadership from among "we the people'.   Watch what the Occupy Movement does.

For many astrologers, the real beginning of the year occurs at the Aries New Moon.   Since this year both Spring Equinox and the Aries New Moon fall within days of each other, this week will be very powerful.   Watch for surprising developments on Saturday, March 24^th when the Sun joins radical Uranus in Aries.   Expect the unexpected.  

This Aries New Moon packs a lot of power.   Joining the Moon and Sun are Mercury and Uranus.   Mercury is that Logos aspect of Aries I was talking about.   Having Mercury's energy added to this new Moon can help us strategize.   So let your logical mind guide you as Hermes guided the heroes of Greece.   Mercury/Hermes is the divine Messenger, the logos who drives the chariot of our instinctual life.   With Mercury retrograde focusing our attention on the inner world of our hopes and fears, pay attention to your dreams this week to actively seek a clue to the next step in your personal evolution.    

The Sabian symbol for Mercury retrograde at 1* Aries is: A woman just risen from the sea.   A seal is embracing her.   This symbolizes a new birth, the emergence of new forms and the potential for greater consciousness.   Life is opening up for us if we look at it from a cosmic perspective.   What new life wants to be born within you?   Listen to your dreams for an answer.

This first new Moon of the year acts like a catalyst for the first upcoming Uranus/Pluto square in June.   How will you carry forward the energies of evolution and revolution this year?   As I mentioned, the Sun joins Uranus on Saturday, March 24^th.   Go out and explore your world and see what happens.

The Sabian symbol for Uranus at 5* Aries is:   A triangle with wings.   This symbolizes the possibility of transcending our old self and bringing in a new dimension of being.   The triangle is an ancient symbol of the divine Feminine principle, since the Goddess was the original trinity -- Maiden, Mother and Crone.   It also describes the vulva as the source of birth.   It's time to give wing to the Divine Feminine within you.   Listen to your creative imagination -- let it take wing within you.

Mars, the ruler of Aries, is still retrograding in Virgo.   This could help us focus our energy on the details of what we want to accomplish this year.   We have to hone our warrior energy and embody the sacred Masculine, not the patriarchal masculine.   A sacred warrior defends the Truth and serves the whole.   It's time to be bold and take a stand.     The Sabian symbol for Mars retrograde at 7* Virgo is: A Harem.   One meaning of this symbol concerns our ability to put to good use the emptiness of waiting.   We are all in this together, waiting for our purpose to become clear as events out of our control begin to manifest.   Take the time to hone your skills.

Venus and Jupiter are still close to each other in Taurus, and still forming a grand trine (triangle) to Pluto in Capricorn and Mars in Virgo.   This is earth manifestation energy but we have to tune into it.   See the March 13^th blog on this grand trine in Earth signs at: http://wisdom-of-astrology.blogspot.com/  

There is also a mutable grand cross with the lunar nodes in Gemini/Sagittarius and Chiron/Neptune in Pisces and Mars retrograde in Virgo.   The lunar nodes ask us all to question the facts (South Node in Gemini) and look for a new perspective (North Node in Sagittarius) on what's going on in the world.   We really need to know what we believe if we're going to be the hero/hera of our new story.   The Sabian symbol for the North Node (our collective new direction) for 8* Sagittarius is: Within the depths of the Earth, new elements are being formed.    It seems forces are at work within the depths of the collective unconscious that can lead to a new awareness of life.   The past 25 years have been a time a psychic gestation and now we will begin to see what has been cooking!

Chiron and Neptune in Pisces open us to the pain and suffering of the world and demand that we use our Mars to start grappling with the real issues that are facing us.   The truth is we're all in this together.   It's time to work together to change the world.   2012 is finally begun.

Saturn is still in Libra, demanding we take responsibility for injustice in our society as well as in our personal lives.   Saturn in Libra values diplomacy.   If only the world's politicians valued peace as much as they value war.   It's time for the people to take a stand for peace. (Pandora is just playing Lennon's Give Peace a Chance.   I love synchronicities!)   Saturn is opposite the dwarf planet Ceres, the great Mother Goddess of the grains.   We're going to have to figure out how to feed each other fairly.

I know I've said it before, but it bears repeating. Please pay attention to your dreams this week!   The Aries New Moon opposes the Super Galactic Center at 3* Libra, opening us to our cosmic instructions.   The Sabian symbol for 3* Libra is:   The dawn of a new day reveals everything changed.    The heavens are with us.   We just have to believe it.

Bright Blessings on us all this Spring Equinox as the Light grows stronger both within and without.

Cathy

Authors Website: http://www.cathypagano.com

Authors Bio:

Cathy Pagano is a spiritual advisor and Jungian psychotherapist, storyteller, author and teacher.

She is the author of a book on the return of the Goddess, "Wisdom's Daughters: How Women Can Change the World".

Cathy trained at the C. G. Jung Institut-Zurich in dream interpretation, has an M.A. in Counseling Psychology in Feminine Spirituality, and is a certified Life Coach.

As an astrologer and storyteller, she weaves the Cosmic Stories written in the stars. From The Bard's Grove, she writes about emerging archetypal themes in movies and books.

Cathy works with the tools of the imagination - dreams, alchemy, myths, astrology, symbolic language, storytelling, ritual - to awaken the Soul's wisdom.



I believe that Americans are called to a higher consciousness at this point in our history. We are called on to live up to our ideals and create the country our forefathers imagined. Inner consciousness needs to be acted upon for social justice.



Cathy believes that our writers and artists must take up our responsibility to create art that inspires, teaches and heals our humanity.



Cathy writes about political, psychological/spiritual, and cultural issues.