Aries New Moon Eclipse

Aries New Moon Eclipse - Evolutionary Threshold

"When faced with a radical crisis, when the old way of being in the world, of interacting with each other and with the realm of nature doesn't work anymore, when survival is threatened by seemingly insurmountable problems, an individual life-form -- or a species -- will either die or become extinct or rise above the limitations of its condition through an evolutionary leap."

— Eckhart Tolle

We stand on nothing less than an evolutionary threshold this week under Wednesday's momentously powerful Aries New Moon Eclipse (9:12 PM PDT 29° Aries), which is in a tight square to Pluto as it stations on the cusp of Aquarius. The New Moon occurs on the last degree of Aries — the Aries/Taurus cusp — while squaring Pluto on the first degree of Aquarius — the Capricorn/Aquarius cusp. These cusp influences highlight the threshold qualities of this week's atmosphere. The Aries/Taurus cusp points to the need for growth initiatives (Aries) to become grounded and stabilized (Taurus) in order to achieve lasting progress. The Capricorn/Aquarius cusp, focused by Pluto's stationary position, has us questioning how well established structures serve the greater good and the benefit of all of us. The 'square' aspect shows us the tension between these two cusp imperatives. We also find the involvement of the lunar nodes (nearing the Taurus/Aries and Scorpio/Libra cusps) in this Aries New Moon Eclipse. Pluto's square to the nodes is where we find the evolutionary qualities of the threshold that we approach, incorporating themes of fate and loss while guiding us towards our future. Essentially, this is a powerful opportunity to set new intentions for new growth and development while honoring the lessons of the past without remaining bound to old and outmoded structures of that past. With the Sun's arrival in Taurus, one day after the Aries New Moon, we begin to shift our focus from the driving initiatives of Aries towards the Taurus focus on consolidation, stability, and possibly even entrenchment. The Taurus imperatives are further emphasized by Mercury's station to go retrograde (in Taurus) on Friday. Mercury's review process concentrates our efforts on consolidating our resources. We need to develop a more complete picture of how we can apply those resources towards achieving our overall vision. There is more fluidity in this environment than we may recognize. The intensity that we are likely to feel may cloud our ability to see the broad array of options and opportunities that we actually have at our disposal. We may feel that we need to adopt some kind of protective stance. In fact, opportunities abound but we will need to stay open to new information and creative inspiration, while allowing our intuition to guide us. Setting and following through on clear intentions is always valuable under any New Moon but this Aries New Moon creates an especially potent atmosphere. The retrograding Mercury has a special connection to Venus in Gemini — a mutual reception — which encourages us to apply new ideas and creative thinking in determining how to use our available resources to follow through on our intentions. Shortly after Mercury turns direct on May 14th, Jupiter will leave Aries, arriving in Taurus on May 17th. We will find ourselves more and more determined to follow through on our increasingly determined intentions as the focus shifts from Aries to Taurus. It is most important that we set our intentions carefully and consider our options methodically over the course of the next few weeks.The retrograding Mercury, within this powerful lunar cycle, will provide a great deal of assistance with the process of determining exactly how we cross the threshold that lays before us.

Sunday's energy and inspiration is difficult to manage and we struggle to create a coherent message. Patience is required in order to maintain our overall vision. Monday brings some potential for delusion or unrealistic expectations and idealism. We need to apply innovation without falling into the trap of unrealistic goals. Despite more activity on Tuesday, we aren't able find many 'hooks' to hang our efforts on. Impatience may lead to irresponsibility. Wednesday's Aries New Moon Eclipse is extremely intense, suggesting an evolutionary threshold. Themes of fate and loss are woven into the transformational power. There are important opportunities to set new, innovative intentions for future growth. The Sun arrives in Taurus on Thursday which may produce a rather heavy sense of restriction. However, some will experience the atmosphere is stabilizing. Positions may seem to become more entrenched. Mercury turns retrograde on Friday, pointing to an ongoing process of consolidation of resources. Creative new opportunities to move forward may be missed if we are too focused on taking a protective or defensive position. Optimism begins to surface on Saturday, easing some of this week's tension. We have a chance to take a step back in order to reconsider our position and the value of the resources that we hold.