Today is the Pisces New Moon at 3:51 pm EDT. This is the last New Moon of the astrological cycle of the year; Pisces is the last sign and the New Moon is a kind of concluding event. As we’ve been mentioning over and over in this space, Pisces is a full house, and will continue to be so even after Mars leaves for Aries just after tomorrow begins.
That move will foreshadow the Aries equinox, which occurs when the Sun ingresses Aries in about a week and a half. But before we get to that new beginning, we have a very rich New Moon to experience.
Much of that richness stems from the full slate of major planets occupying Pisces (Mercury, which stations direct on March 17, as well as Venus, the Sun, Mars, Chiron and Neptune — just in case you’d forgotten somehow over the weekend). But there are also some minor planets present in the sign of the two fish (as noted in this post from last week).
Plus, a number of minor planets in the other mutable signs are making aspects to the New Moon. Within just two degrees of this event, there are 14 points in the mutable signs. That’s a lot going on, and you may very well be feeling the energy surging — especially if any planets or angles in your own birth chart are making contact with this New Moon.
The closest is a conjunction of the asteroid Arachne and centaur planet Pholus in Sagittarius, which the New Moon squares. That is, the New Moon is exactly 90 degrees from this conjunction. (Genevieve Hathaway looked at centaurs Pholus and Ixion opposite Black Moon Lilith and Ceres forming a T-square to the New Moon last Friday; let’s see what emerges if we consider Pholus and Arachne.)
The Pholus-Arachne conjunction points to a mystery factor, a source of energy that is about to be released. This could feel a few different ways: one is like things are about to go out of control. The mutable signs work a little like that — there can be a long buildup, apparently without results, and then suddenly the battery discharges. The flip side is that it can also translate into the sensation that something is about to happen, like a static charge building up.
The energy source is Pholus and the mystery source is Arachne. Arachne also suggests that there is a network involved. That is, what is developing can spread its energy around. Asteroid Pandora is right there, too; that’s also hinting at the fear that things could run wild.
This may not feel like the kind of thing you have control over, but you do have influence. The main influence you have is to keep your awareness on, rather than being lulled back to sleep. Consider, also, how you link in to various networks in your life if you need a reminder of how much outward influence you have. The influence over your own decisions and perceptions is the most important, but every once in a while it’s good to remember how subtly or unknowingly our choices affect the decisions of others.
Finally, let’s look at Mars changing signs for a moment. It’s the first planet of the current Pisces stellium to leave, which it does at 2:26 am EDT Tuesday (overnight tonight).
At the time of the New Moon, Mars is in a conjunction with the asteroid Photographica. Not all the asteroids have such literal manifestations as that one, but perhaps apropos of the concept it represents, this particular asteroid is ridiculously literal. When you add Mars to it, there’s an assertive, active visioning process. You can play with putting the concepts together in a sentence: photograph of desire, photo of what you want, how you perceive your image, and what you want your image to be.
Making this especially interesting is that the conjunction is in the last degree of Pisces, that is, the last degree of the zodiac. This is the one that has the Sabian symbol about the boy who sees the profile of an old man in a mountain, and takes that as a model or as an ideal; as he grows up his face gradually takes the shape of the profile.
The message is about having a model, a mentor or an ideal to which you aspire. There are two clear signs that this is about a visual approach, partly at least: Photographica and that Sabian symbol about the boy and the mountain.
Exemplars are important for growth. We don’t need to imitate them exactly, but rather know which of their attributes we want to adopt. It’s also critical that you notice the examples that you don’t want — and choose consciously not to be like them. Work both sides of the process: being aware of what you don’t want, and then place a little more emphasis on what you decide you do want, and who embodies those qualities.
Then, find them in yourself, and bring them into being.
A very happy birthday Eric and an excellent solar revolution 2013 under a new moon with all planets in PISCES the wish you the most magical and fantastic
Thank you again, Eric, and Happy Birthday.
As I settled into the dark womb of the Pisces New Moon, I take stock of all the messages from the planets gathered to send us Pisces off into our magnificent year.
Photographia set me up with a great photographer for beautiful new business photos. I am getting how some changes I want to make can only come by deciding and acting from a place of It IS DONE vision, not my past, or what I see around me, or the voices in my head. I’ve discovered that I can’t celebrate with alchohol, not with this energy anyway. Even one glass of prosecco is too much, because it dims the light and makes me tired. There is even a dangerous attraction that has don’t touch signs plastered all over, and of course, that’s the kind I like best.
New Moon was a day of ideal work, the kind that energizes, and helps change a life or two. Helps me see my direction, and that I am on my path.
Eyes on the prize, eliminate distractions (thanks trine Saturn, and rock steady Chiron), and Acti with determination, confidence and belief (thanks square Jupiter–with your it’s yours for the taking, come get it aspect) yes, choosing a role model or two of highest integrity and achievement in the areas I want to go. And loving myself first. Venus is within, not out there. I feel like an open book in these reports. No place to hide, and my hiding days are over! As long as I get plenty of rest.
Eric, these readings really do feel like navigation charts over this deep and swelling Piscean Ocean.
Amanda,
I hate it when that happens. . being “blind”sided. Eric said it was about a “visual approach” so I’m glad that getting a little in”sight” helped regain balance in this case. Sina made a good point regarding so many planets in Pisces making us feel unbalanced, but that could happen in any sign I imagine. It’s the Pisces (and Neptune conjunctions) that make us feel down-right dizzy though!
be
Happy New Moon! And Happy Birthday to Eric and all the Pisceans who get to put out their wishes today for the next 12 months.
Reading Rick DiClimente’s monthly astrology newsletter, he notes that there are 7 of the 11 main planets in Pisces at this New Moon, and while it brings a sense of grace to have all this deeply spiritual energy radiate and touch us all, it can also be very unbalancing and overwhelming to have so much in one sign. But as it is happening, it’s great it’s happening in the all-inclusive sign of unconditional love, Pisces. We have huge potential at this time, more than any other time, to open our hearts and develop our spirits in a positive, inclusive, accepting, unconditional loving way, without boundaries, boxes and fear.
Everything that has been written and shared here on Planet Waves is directing all of us in that way to finding and loving our authentic selves.
Personally, I have five planets in Virgo, and I’m trying to ride the massive waves that are washing over and through me in so many facets of life, to pare back to my true authentic self. The night terrors don’t help. Neither does pretending it’s all ok. But I can’t help but feel the immense loving energy that is pervading everything to help us. And there are also beautiful, enlightening dreams too. The Piscean energy is giving us, with it’s blessing, the path of least resistance to find and love our true, authentic selves.
After always seeming to pick the hardest road, I’m finally giving myself permission to go with the flow, release with love what needs to be released, and embrace and love me, nurturing or mothering ourselves, as Genevieve pointed out Ceres is teaching, standing up for ourselves if need be, without having to demand or fight for our dignity or right to be. Like Paola blogged on Genevieve’s New Moon article, we just have to say it, simply and honestly.
Imagine your highest potential for yourselves, the highest good for your community, and the highest vision for our planet, and put them out to the Universe today…..they may not come true today, or tomorrow, but I bet they manifest eventually. That’s the magic and power of Pisces right now!
Highest blessings to all of Planetwaves Community,
Sina
be —
to paraphrase some of what you’ve offered:
small thing blown out of proportion; discontent, needing space; ignoring a 2nd chance (or just being bad)… all playing against the emotional lack of boundries represented by the Pisces New Moon…
this is sounding very familiar today. thanks for using the phrases you did in this combination; they’re offering a little insight on a thread in my day… i think i’m more used to full moons having the tension and polarization, nit the new moons. so even though i’ve been involved in writing and proofreading everything we’ve been posting on PW about it in the last week, somehow i managed to get a little blindsided — beginning late saturday night and continuing to develop today.
rather fascinating, when i can take a breath and let some defenses down…
here’s a nice 3 min music piece depicting “La fontana di Trevi al meriggio” heralding news of a triumphant victory by Neptune. Happy New Moon!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqSbT61pmic
The etymology of “photograph” reveals a rich story:
The noun photograph, “picture obtained by photography,” was coined in 1839 by Sir John Herschel (1792 – 1871), an English mathematician, astronomer, chemist, and experimental photographer/inventor. He was the son of William Herschel (1738 – 1822), the German-born British astronomer who became famous for his discovery of the planet Uranus in 1781.
John Herschel made numerous important contributions to photography. He made improvements in photographic processes, particularly in inventing the cyanotype process and variations (such as the chrysotype), the precursors of the modern blueprint process. He experimented with color reproduction, noting that rays of different parts of the spectrum tended to impart their own color to a photographic paper. He collaborated in the early 1840s with Henry Collen, portrait painter to Queen Victoria.
Herschel originally discovered the platinum process on the basis of the light sensitivity of platinum salts, later developed by William Willis. Herschel discovered sodium thiosulfate to be a solvent of silver halides in 1819, and informed Talbot and Daguerre of his discovery that this “hyposulphite of soda” (“hypo”) could be used as a photographic fixer, to “fix” pictures and make them permanent, after experimentally applying it thus in early 1839.
The noun and verb “photograph”, as well as the noun “photography”, are first found in English in a paper detailing Herschel’s ground-breaking research. The paper was read before the Royal Society in London on March 14, 1839.
Herschel was unaware that Hércules Florence (1804 – 1879), a French-Brazilian painter and inventor, had studied ways of permanently fixing camera obscura images, and in 1833 had settled on silver nitrate on paper, in a process very similar to that developed by Niépce and Daguerre. Florence referred to the process as “photographia” in 1834. Unfortunately, partly because he never published the invention adequately, partly because he was an obscure inventor living in a remote and underveloped province, Florence was never recognized internationally as one of the inventors of photography.
Happy Birthday, E. Thx for all you give.
xo
Today on The View, there was a discussion of how the paparazzi (Photographica) harrasses (Mars) the famous in order to get a film clip they can sell. Specifically they were referring to the recent incident(s) involving Justin B, and his volatile (Mars) reaction.
I can see how that would then involve Pholus (small thing blown out of proportion), Arachne (new outlets network), Black Moon Lilith (discontent, needing space) squaring the New Moon. Not so obvious to me is Ceres; maybe it’s about having privacy stolen, or Ixion, perhaps ignoring a 2nd chance (or just being bad). In any case, they all play against the emotional lack of boundries represented by the Pisces New Moon. Then there’s the other centaur Amycus, also squaring the new Moon who is about gaining notarity.
Hope you had a nice birthday Eric.
be
Yes, and thank you for the great article, Eric.
“I look forward to the backside of this New Moon and the Martian shift tomorrow!” Me too, Chief Niwots, me too! – am feeling pretty engulfed by those waves right now.
I would add a thought that crosses my mind that March associated with the two asteroids in conjunction Photographica and Hygiea goddess of health makes me think a radio in medicine or scanner or even imaging that could become larger with this triple go global
Thanks Eric for taking this even deeper. Amazing.
Chief Niwots Son, I don’t know if I’m reading your comment right but just wanted to offer a hug and a reassurance that, however things turn out, there is a blessing in it. For me, it’s usually about learning to value myself and self esteem. I wish you much love and safety.
Speaking of mentors and images to embody, I had a dream last night where this man I work with brought his 7 year old son to a gathering. He’s a great guy, 8 years older than me, and wonderful to work with. Him and his son where wearing the exact same fancy suit, it was hilarious. His son was such a treat and such a soft spoken little guy and his father watched over him with a nice detached protectiveness. But his wife (or rather ex-wife) was not there and I could see he was sad about that. I wondered who could possibly have difficulty with this man. As I asked this question, the only answer that came was that he could possibly be a very emotionally withdrawn man who had difficulty expressing how he felt. A closed box. With all that Leo warmth he has, it’s a shame that he couldn’t let someone inside that amazing heart – and I saw that realization on his face. Then I woke up and realized my own journey these past years and my own closed off emotions.
I really liked your approach on the asteroid Photographica Eric and his meeting with March was an opportunity to see me offer a digital camera and especially to have snapshots of me much better than ordinary. I don’t have mobile phone so apart from the web difficult to picture cam.
I like very much this asteroid, I find that these conjunctions with planets are interesting to see my two articles on my blog
I explained that the conjunction of Mars and Photographica is the sextile my MC and Jupiter and trigone in natal and in progress on my Venus and interest accruing for the photo currently
Good cycle of the Moon at all
When the Sun moved into Pisces there was a sense of peace moving into my life after many months of loss and health issues. My natal Venus is at 20 degrees Pisces with an exact conjunction of the Sun today and Venus at 16 degrees along with all the other Pisces energy. It is a time of new beginnings for me on many fronts. I welcome spring and all that it brings!
Great article, thank you Eric.
The past few days have felt for me like walking on the shifting sands of the desert. Jupiter just rolled over my Gemini Sun, this New Moon squares my mid-heaven Mercury in Gemini- suddenly the conversations about work projects that have been going on for a while are totally different, people now telling me “this, not that!” A new friendship suddenly shifts, the mysterious conversation is scheduled for this morning (“there’s something I need to tell you” the email said), that dredge up old emotional patterns about the early life need/desire for love and safety. Not much ground to be found with all these energies on the Piscean stage, and Mercury gone internal on top of it all. Water, water everywhere.
I look forward to the backside of this New Moon and the Martian shift tomorrow!