Dear Chronogram Reader:
Sunday, the Moon and Sun form their once-per-year conjunction in Aquarius—the Aquarius New Moon. The New and Full moons are the core heartbeat of the astrological cycles, the running pulse where the next event is dependably showing up soon. Aquarius is the sign of groups, tribes, social networks and to some extent families—though as an adult, Aquarius is about one's family of choice.
Meanwhile, there is plenty going on in Pisces, serving as a kind of antidote to what's happening in Aquarius—I'll come to that in a moment.
Among the unusual properties of this New Moon is its resemblance to a solar eclipse—that is, a significant turning point. Though the next actual eclipses are not for another three months, this New Moon is halfway between the eclipses of last autumn and the ones of spring. It's a tipping point, one that touches on some sensitive themes involving social acceptance and cultural trends.
This one seems to involve what it's safe to talk about. The New Moon is conjunct the centaur planet Nessus, discovered orbiting our Sun in 1993. This is a planet about taboo or unspeakable events and taking personal responsibility in the ways that karma runs in cycles. Two weeks ago Mars was conjunct Nessus; last weekend Mercury was conjunct Nessus; now the Sun and Moon will be there. Then Venus will be there on Feb. 22.
This is putting a lot of focus on a planet that so dependably brings up taboo material, including one's own sense of psychological wounding. In Aquarius, this involves the ways in which group values have influenced us (starting with the family of origin). Group dynamics may become strangely transparent. You may notice how you're influenced—and figure out the ways to get yourself free from these patterns, or at least decide that you want to.
Meanwhile, as planets pass by Nessus in late Aquarius, they enter early Pisces. Over the next few days, both Mercury and Mars are conjunct Chiron in Pisces. Chiron was the first centaur planet (discovered in 1977), and it's about standing out from the crowd—just the thing we need, with so much Aquarius going on.
Centaurs are slow-moving planets, so Chiron is a longterm visitor to Pisces—it'll be there until 2019 and is still a new presence there. When the visceral, close-in personal planets make contact with Chiron (or any slow-mover) you can feel them more directly.
Mars-Chiron aspects favor the underdog in any given situation. They are about a return to a prime or primal state of mind—back to an elemental way of living, thriving or fighting. Mars-Chiron is hunter/gatherer-type living rather than agriculture. It's shamanism rather than religion, learning from experience rather than through education.
Mercury-Chiron is about healing your mind: recognizing and using your own intelligence, and letting go of any self-image that you have of 'not being smart enough'. There is a study in Pisces of the relationship between intuition and factual knowledge. Both are factors to consider, both contribute to actual intelligence and useful information—which in the style of Chiron is designed to be applied. That is, with Mercury-Chiron, the name of the game is use what you know.
On the topic of the centaurs—I've interviewed Melanie Reinhart, one of the world's most respected authors on Chiron, in this week's edition of Planet Waves FM. People fly to Bali, London, and Sidney to see Melanie speak; you're invited to listen to us having our latest conversation about how to use the newly discovered planets. No prior knowledge of astrology necessary—anybody smart and sensitive will like this discussion.
Click here for more of Eric Francis Coppolino's Planet Waves.
