New Moon in Purva Ashada; Mercury & Jupiter Retrograde

We have the New Moon this Saturday, January 9th at 3:30 pm Hawaii Time in the nakshatra of Purva Ashada in the sign of Sagittarius. Sagittarius is the masculine, fiery nature of Jupiter, where we go out into the world to discover our Beliefs and to share them with others. The Sun has been in Sagittarius for about 3 weeks now and will be moving into Capricorn on January 14th, and all this time it is receiving dristhi, and energetic glance, from its ruler Jupiter, who is in Leo. This configuration has probably offered us a lot of inspiration, with our Soul Power and our Highest Beliefs exchanging signs, and the desire to share our beliefs with others. Now, we have Jupiter retrograde, as of January 7th, and we may need to reflect on what it is that truly inspires us and what teachings and teachers really feel aligned for us and our Spiritual path.  The tendency with Jupiter in Leo and the Sun in Sagittarius is to stand on a pulpit and rise above the frivolities of everyday problems people might encounter.  While this may be inspiring, it can also be unrealistic and lacking compassion for others' struggles. Jupiter will be retrograde until May 9th, so we will have plenty of time to marinate on our truths and convictions and question what ideologies we are following.

 Meanwhile, Mercury has also just began its retrograde motion early on January 5th, providing us even more opportunity for reflection and contemplation, as we pull inside our minds for a few weeks and ponder what information we take in and put out. Mercury, as the planet of our Communication, is well-known for its retrograde motion because in our modern, technological world, we need Mercury's grace to get stuff done….We often need to output so much information, that we don't have a lot of time to think about what we are hearing/reading and saying. So, this is a beautiful time to take a "technology fast" or to have already backed up your computer….this is a good time for sitting and mulling over the words you speak before speaking them, or perhaps choosing not to speak them at all until you really know what you are talking about. This is not a good time to sign major contracts, or buy expensive electronic devices or cars.  This is a great time to learn patience:) With Mercury grounded in the practical, earth sign of Capricorn, we will be even more prudent and hesitant in our speech, but also less open and expansive in what information we choose to take in.

The New Moon is happening in the specific star cluster of Sagittarius called Purva Ashada, "Earlier Victory". This is a star where we are planting the seeds of our inspiration and giving them the tender loving care they need in order to grow. Perhaps we begin to see a little growth sprouting life above the surface of our own lives and we continue to nurture this life so that we can have the "Later Victory" in the next nakshatra, Uttara Ashada. Ruled by the sensual planet Venus, Purva Ashada offers us harmony and popularity with others and is presided over by Apas, the deity of the Cosmic Waters. The combination of the Fire sign of Sagittarius and the Water of Apas, gives us the both emotional resonance and the power to burn away anything that is not aligned with our beliefs. This can look like devotion, or this can look like dogmatism, depending on where you stand. The Retrograde cycle of Jupiter, as well as Mercury will hopefully give us a much needed break from putting out, so we can really evaluate where we stand and why.

We still have Venus joined Saturn in Scorpio and at the time of the New Moon, Venus will have just passed Saturn by 1 degree, so the pressure may be on in our relationships, but will slowly begin easing up. Saturn gives us a sense of responsibility, and a willingness to do the work necessary to fulfill our duties, but it also gives us the feeling of constriction and fear. Scorpio is where we are diving in deep to face our inner emotional turmoil and with Venus in Mars' sign and Mars in Venus' sign of Libra, we may find ourselves more interested in strengthening others than ourselves.

Finally, by the end of the month, the lunar nodes will have completed their shift in axis from Pisces/Virgo to Aquarius/Leo (the nodes of the moon travel backwards), shifting our world view into a more power-centric one where governments and leaders step into their roles as we pull away from a more humanitarian vision where we want to expand our boundaries and frontiers.  This will happen to each one of us as well, in our own lives, especially in the houses that Leo and Aquarius fall in your natal chart. I will discuss this change in more depth in the Full Moon report in two weeks, but this is a great time to have your chart read, as the shifts that will be occurring this year will be dramatic and have quite an effect on the area of life that are being transited.

As always, the New Moon is a time for slowing down your external flow and going inside to reflect and meditate. Plant any seeds in thought or action that you really want to harvest this year and remember to give them the nurturance they need to grow! Blessings on the new year and your changes and transformations to come! Hare Ohm

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