Genevieve writes a horoscope designed for your Moon sign for Planet Waves called Moonshine. We run them twice per month, for each Full and New Moon. You can read them as part of the Planet Waves premium service that features Eric’s horoscopes and astrology articles. — Amanda
Next Monday the Moon and Sun meet up for the Pisces New Moon at 3:51 pm EDT, bringing us into contact with what it means to love ourselves in a genuine, authentic and nurturing way. The sky right now is full of Pisces, and it will continue to be a very busy place in the sign of the fish over the New Moon.
This New Moon takes place conjunct Venus, which is exalted in Pisces. Isabel Hickey writes of Venus in Pisces, “Venus rules personal affection. … It is exalted in the sign Pisces because it has come to understand that only through love can we know the freedom of the spirit.”
From our position on Earth, the sky over a New Moon appears as a moonless night, like there is a black void where the Moon should be. New Moons are anything but empty events; rather they are fertile moments and openings, marked by the potential we feel before something forms or manifests. Think of that black void as space held open for us to step in and begin something new.
With the Pisces New Moon in an exact alignment with Venus we’re being invited to try out, as Hickey terms it, “love for love’s sake.” Something new is pushing to the surface from within us in the form of compassion and acceptance for ourselves and those around us.
This Pisces New Moon comes with some tension. Planets in both Sagittarius and Gemini are applying steady pressure in the form of square aspects to the Moon. This forms what is called a T-square because it looks like a ‘T’. Making the crossbar of the ‘T’ are Pholus and Ixion in Sagittarius opposing Black Moon Lilith and Ceres in Gemini. At the base of the ‘T’ in Pisces is the New Moon (the Sun and Moon) conjunct Venus.
Squares are internal dynamics. They imply something is stuck within us. The pressure or tension often felt with squares is that dynamic working itself out to help us get unstuck. Think of a square as a knot in a rope slowly been worked apart. There’s an internal push for action and resolution — enough applied pressure to make it difficult to ignore.
Pholus and Ixion in Sagittarius and Black Moon Lilith and Ceres in Gemini are the two ends of the rope and the New Moon is the force applying the energy to work out the knot. It may not be a comfortable process, but ultimately can be a healing and beneficial one.
On one side with Black Moon Lilith and Ceres, we’re being called to work out what it takes to be authentic. Black Moon Lilith can be thought of as the crisis of being real. Often claiming our space takes a push back against what we have been conforming to.
Those around us, used to the previous role we have been playing in their lives, might push back against us. Ultimately, Black Moon Lilith and Ceres together are bringing us the message that as we work out the crisis of being real and connect with a deeper acceptance of who we are, it’s up to us to nurture and care for ourselves — to take over the role of mother to ourselves.
From the other side of the T-square, Pholus and Ixion are adding a push to resolve any guilt or shame or fear that makes it hard for us to be real. In Sagittarius, these planets are speaking of the negative impact on us of ideology and institutions, particularly those of a religious nature.
Lately in the news we’ve been seeing much of this material addressed on the world stage with the resignation of the former Pope Benedict XVI, and attention to the abuse and corruption cases brought against him. The Catholic Church and many other religions have put a lot of energy and time into spreading guilt, shame and fear, especially toward sex and women. It does not take much of these ideas in our heritage and current communities to have a large impact on our ability to feel good about who we are.
The astrology over the Pisces New Moon has the feeling of a point of no return. We are being called over this New Moon to live from a place of integrity, through honoring our real selves and providing that self with love and acceptance.
Genevieve Hathaway is an astrologer, Planet Waves contributor and photojournalist. Genevieve is available for astrology readings. You can contact her at genevieve@venusinblue.com.
Chiming in on Pisces New Moon day with thanks for the post and comments. I’ve always understood the ‘release’ , so to speak, of energies created by a Tsquare lies in the open direction. For this Gem/Sag/Pisces Tsquare, the direction is toward Virgo. Today would be a good day to consider how best to channel, express, guide, direct those energies based on the location of Virgo (and any natal planets in the sign) in our charts.
Going through major stuff here and after a few days of intense emotional pain I am feeling some ease … as I read your line about resolving squares, Genevieve, I thought of the process I’m going through now and the story my best friend was telling me about passing a teeny-tiny kidney stone. There I was thinking this was a happy time – beach blanket bingo party … maybe that’s the full moon?
mm
Higeya and others at work:
starting March 11, only cruelty-free cosmetics will be produced and sold in Europe. Stop to the experiemnts on animals related to cosmetics.
Wow!
Great, Paola! Thanks for sharing that.
Len, that’s lovely, I so agree.
Genevieve: Thank you so very much. This piece today brings to mind the title of your twice-monthly subscriber feature, “Moonshine Horoscopes”, in that (like moonshine) there is both clarity and potency in the product of your skillful distillation.
Typo: my arms couldn’t reach!
Thank you for this article, Genevieve, very enlightening.
Ceres is sitting right on the cusp of my 7th house right now, and this theme of taking over the role of mother to ourselves speaks a lot to me. And that’s good!
And – Lizzy, your dream about Obama made me think of the dream I had two nights ago. There was a man who liked me, ‘loved’ me, wanted to be with me. He was big, and hugging him my arms could reach all around!
But after a while I just said: “I am sorry, but I don’t love you”.
And it felt sooo liberating… Sorry, I just don’t love you.
How simple this is?
When I woke up I recalled the times, especially when I was a teenager but later as well, when I felt ‘obligated’ to like and love somebody only because he liked me.
I’ll make it short, because this can be connected to many things and people.
it’s so simple, and not only regarding people: sorry, but I just don’t like this. Period.
Thank you for your great suggestion, sweet gumbybug!
Genevieve,
Thank you for this, and for all your Moonshine writing. I appreciate the points you hit and that you hit them very directly!
I’m fascinated by the fact that the Sun will have touched all the other planets hovering in Pisces then lastly joins with Venus and the Moon for this new beginning.
And well, then there’s Mars – hanging out at the beginning/end point (Pisces/Aries). Is he the caboose or the engine? Both carry fire.
Thanks for discussing Lilith and Ceres, Pholus and Ixion and this very potent moment.
“Black Moon Lilith and Ceres together are bringing us the message that as we work out the crisis of being real and connect with a deeper acceptance of who we are, it’s up to us to nurture and care for ourselves — to take over the role of mother to ourselves.”
Thank you Genevieve for the great article.
Daniel–I too have been experiencing what you mentioned in your comment and feel like “it’s about time for this to be happening.”
Lizzy–As I read your comment about your mother and how you wished you could share yesterday’s lovely evening with her, I thought that was so touching. Then I wondered if you thought about maybe getting a journal for just those things you’d like to share with your mother and write it all down. Your love and energy could be transmitted via the words on paper and to her heart (even if the phone isn’t the best transmitter at this time.)
Thanks again to all of you and your comments, thoughts, and energy. Means a lot.
Thanks Geneviève for your article on the new very Neptunian Moon fish and good Weekend to you 🙂
Thanks so much for that lovely hug, dear Daniel!
And thank you Vince!
“You know, you’re not as deep as you appear to be.”
OH LIzzy that’s just beautiful !
Thank you Genevieve for this wonderful closer look! I have been feeling these themes now for several weeks, all playing with one another, poking around, pushing, etc. Lots of amazing healing energy, lots of tears, lots of joyful release. I look forward to more, and the NM! Something to be harvested. I step into it consciously, and on purpose.
Lizzy! Just sending you a long distance (((hug!))).
Interesting dream last night – too. I met Obama! (hadn’t read be’s great comment yet!), we were chatting very affably, but at a certain point I said to him, “You know, you’re not as deep as you appear to be”. If that’s not about authenticity…!
Thank you for this stunning piece, Genevieve,so very helpful. “Black Moon Lilith can be thought of as the crisis of being real” – yes, think this is what’s happening for me right now. Also interesting that you brought up nurturing and the mother. This morning I experienced an outpouring of grief about my mother whose dementia is now severe, and she hardly ever comes to the phone to talk to me now. I had a lovely evening yesterday and thought how much my mother would have enjoyed hearing about it – and was suddenly gripped by the pain of loss. But it’s good to bring it out in the open, to let those feelings be.