Aries New Moon – FIRESTARTER

The balance has tipped. Whichever hemisphere you live in light and dark slip out of balanced stillness, and continue their dance of ebb and flow. The Aries New Moon falls a few days after the Equinox (March 24th, 9:28 GMT) and heralds a significant change in mood. The past is past, the future is not yet known or come, we look to the now – the gift that is the present.

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The energy feels clean and less complicated. What do you want to do/ be/ say/ achieve? You can do that now. And perhaps gather some co-conspirators along the way. Dance around the fire with your tribe.

“Each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can’t strike them all by ourselves”
― Laura Esquivel

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

The new moons closest to the equinoxes and solstices are a good time to check in with your goals/ dreams/ plans. Each is a new start point, even more so than a usual new moon. Use this time to see if your plans are still relevant. Make adjustments if necessary. Be bold.
*What spark glimmers in me now?
*How can I fan the flame?
*What guard rails need to be in place?

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*Good time for a knees up/ ritual with likeminded souls. Have a fire or a representation of.
*candle magic. Place the thing (in written/ sigil form) you are bringing into being under the candle, and/ or carve it into the wax. Light the way for it to come to you.

 

Third Quarter Sagittarius Moon – BEAUTY IN DECAY

So much inner work has happened over the past month and a half, and we are almost out of the current tunnel. The third quarter moon falls in Sagittarius (March 16th, 9:34 GMT) with Mercury direct (but still in shadow). This is the outbreath. Hopefully things that are, in new age terms, no longer serving us, have been cut away, and the energy feels clearer. The possibility of something new can be smelled on the air.

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Everything dies. And that is good. Our inner and outer lives have seasons as real and tangible as the seasons and the rhythms of nature. We can try and hold on to the beauty, put those roses in a vase, or dry them, or press them, but ultimately what we are doing is stagnant. It is richer to return the (metaphorical and literal) beautiful dead to the earth so that new life can be nourished.

“In many ways, women are death’s natural companions. Every time a woman gives birth, she is creating not only a life, but a death. Samuel Beckett wrote that women “give birth astride of a grave.” Mother Nature is indeed a real mother, creating and destroying in a constant loop.”
― Caitlin Doughty

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*Where am I in my current cycle?
*What message do I need to hear?
*What does my current death contribute to?
*What might grow from my soil?

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*Do you have a set of womanrunes? They are gentle and beautiful and trithful and sometimes harsh. It doesn’t need to be them, but any form of divination that you trust will serve you well now. Ask the hard questions.
*Carve out a little time and space to create something beautiful, a eulogy to the part(s) of yourself you are laying/ have laid to rest. It might be a physical space/ shrine, or a journal page/ artwork/ crocheted shawl, you get the idea. We honour the dead with love.

 

Full Virgo Supermoon – HEAL (OR FESTER)

The energy is building into a Virgo Supermoon (March 9th, 17:48 GMT), and it may feel like there is a lot at stake right now. Emotions are running high and any worries/issues that have been successfully swept under the carpet (perhaps for years) come tumbling out. And that is good. It is time to cleanse, to deal with, to (finally) heal. What is the point of all this hard-won Mercury Retrograde in Pisces inner knowing if we are not able to act upon that knowledge?

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There is a clear choice illuminated by this larger than usual moon. Heal, or don’t. Thrive, or fester.

“Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason.”
― Novalis

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*What has run its course?
*Where do I need healing?
*What can support me to let go?
*Where do I (metaphorically) cut?

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*if you have a ritual knife it might come in handy just now for drawing/ renewing your boundaries, make a clean line between what is in and what is out.
*etheric cord cutting perhaps, if that is in your practice

If the cutting metaphor I have used in this post is triggering I am truly sorry. I wondered about softening and changing it, but self-harm is one of the past (or current) hurts/ harms that may be brought into focus at this time, so I felt it was more truthful, and maybe more helpful, not to look away. Ultimately this is a time for recognition of past harms, and for healing.

 

First Quarter Moon in Gemini – INNER/ OUTER

With Mercury still retrograde, the moon swells to first quarter stage (March 2nd, 19:57 GMT), appearing to us as half dark and half light. It is the mirror, or precursor, of the coming equinox in the solar cycle later this month. How does that half/ half appear to you? Is it a state of perfect balance? A harmony of opposite energies/forces? And/ or a tipping point into … what?

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It can be scary to move from something known but not fulfilling, to something unknown and wonderful/ awful?/ worse?/ Blessed? Are these risks scarier on the inside or the outside? It is choose your own adventure time.

“I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible;
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance,
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom,
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.”
― Dawna Markova

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*How am I?
*What is kindling in my inner world?
*What is snuffing in my outer world?
*What happens next?

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*no magic just now, instead journalling and contemplation

 

New Pisces Moon – THE OTHER

The moon unites secretly, unseen, with the sun in Pisces on February 23rd, 15:32 GMT. The conscious and the unconscious are one, and the veil between them can be crossed easily at this time. Insights bubble up from the deep and new ways of doing things and solving problems may become suddenly obvious.

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Though, with Mercury Retrograde, it may well be that these communications from your subconscious do not take a straightforward form. It may feel like taking with Yoda. Take extra care with your words and thoughts (about yourself too).

“She had no time for sleep, with the weight of the world upon her shoulders. And she feared to dream. Sleep is a little death, dreams the whisperings of the Other, who would drag us all into his eternal night.”

― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*What is/am me (currently)?
*What is/am not me (currently)? THE OTHER
*Where do I (or can I, if you’re feeling adventurous) blend?
*Where do I draw a line?

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*super potent divination time, do some longer range readings now
*most occult endeavours will be powerful and lasting at this time, whether that means you want to go ahead or not (especially with Mercury Retrograde) is up to you

 

Third Quarter Moon in Scorpio – HOMEWORK

The day before Mars joins the pile up of planets in earthy Capricorn (and two days before Mercury turns retrograde) the moon reaches the third quarter point, in Scorpio, (Feb 15th, 22:17 GMT). There is a lot going on beneath the surface, and you may find that the focus of your activity becomes more private and home-based at this time.

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Getting things straight and doing all those little annoying jobs that are easy to put off and ignore, but which, when done, help life run more smoothly is the order of the day. Make a list and pick things off in manageable chunks. I find when I do this that it is easier to allow myself to spend time doing things that are not “productive” in that sense that so many people think is the only important way to be in the world, but which bring me joy and raise me up. Procrastination, on the other hand, often causes me to feel guilty for neglecting the things I know need attention. I know which I prefer to feel.

“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.”

– Jean Shinoda Bolen

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*I am putting off …
*I desire more of …..
*I deserve….

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*spring clean your finances, particularly joint accounts and insurances (though you might want to wait until after mercury turns direct again in March if you’re planning to swap to new companies/ suppliers etc.)
*banishing (bad habits/ dirt/ people)

 

Full Leo Moon – DREAM & SHINE

The full moon this month is in Leo (opposite the sun in Aquarius) on the 9th at 7:33 GMT. In my last post I asked you to look at foundations and create new firmer footings. This full moon is a beautiful chance to glimpse, and dream into being, those kinds of supporting and supportive relationships that previously would have remained firmly in the imagination only.

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These relationships may (probably) be out of the realm of what feels usual or comfortable. Growth often requires us to move outside of our comfort zones. If that sounds scary, it is possible that this growth can take place at a distance, through dream work, or even via internet connections. Communication is changing. We are changing.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

― Anais Nin

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*Which area of my life needs to change/be renewed?
*Where am I scared to go?
*What do I dare to dream?
*How can I shine?

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*dreaming will likely be more potent, keep a record if you can
*join in a group ritual/ healing/ communion that you might have said no to before. See how it feels.

 

First Quarter Taurus Moon & Candlemas/ Imbolc – TAKE CARE

For a short month (though not as short as often, as it is a leap year this year) there is a lot happening in February. Right at the start of the month, on the 2nd 1:42 GMT, the moon reaches the first quarter point, in Taurus. This moon is in opposition to the Scorpio ascendent, and, with Uranus sitting fairly close to it too, I feel like some disruption to our sense of security (collective and personal) is likely. This might be in the form of health scares or financial instability, or both.

Our relationships with other people become especially important now. It would be pertinent to pay attention to the foundations relationships are built on, and how that impacts the dynamics in that relationship. Underlying issues might rear their heads now. That is a good thing, though it might not feel like it at the time. More secure and loving footings are needed.

“Highly sensitive people are too often perceived as weaklings or damaged goods. To feel intensely is not a symptom of weakness, it is the trademark of the truly alive and compassionate. It is not the empath who is broken, it is society that has become dysfunctional and emotionally disabled. There is no shame in expressing your authentic feelings. Those who are at times described as being a ‘hot mess’ or having ‘too many issues’ are the very fabric of what keeps the dream alive for a more caring, humane world. Never be ashamed to let your tears shine a light in this world.”
― Anthon St. Maarten

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*The foundation my life is currently built on ….
*Some of my core beliefs about life that are changing now are …(3 cards)
*I can receive support from …
*I support…

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*clear out of physical space/ spring/ autumn cleaning
*protection magic, renew wards etc.

 

New Aquarius Moon – GROUPTHINK?

The new moon lands in Aquarius (Jan 24th, 21:42 GMT) joined by the Sun (obviously) and Mercury. The planets are shifting signs and the pressure is starting to ease. Change is still the main theme, as it has been all month, but it is starting to feel more doable, more acceptable.

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This would be a good time to find the others. But not at the expense of (your) truth. That is probably not an oxymoron.

“A group experience takes place on a lower level of consciousness than the experience of an individual. This is due to the fact that, when many people gather together to share one common emotion, the total psyche emerging from the group is below the level of the individual psyche. If it is a very large group, the collective psyche will be more like the psyche of an animal, which is the reason why the ethical attitude of large organizations is always doubtful. The psychology of a large crowd inevitably sinks to the level of mob psychology. If, therefore, I have a so-called collective experience as a member of a group, it takes place on a lower level of consciousness than if I had the experience by myself alone.”
― C.G. Jung, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*I can control…
*I cannot control …
*I believe in …
* I need others for …
*I need myself for …

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*clearing/ cleansing
*protection magic (more the planning than the executing, for now)

 

Last Quarter Moon in Libra – EXPIRE

The last quarter point this month is in Libra (Jan 17th, 12:58 GMT). Libra is ruled by Venus, who is rising higher and brighter as the month goes on. Is it too cheesy (and/ or star-warsy) to suggest A New Hope!

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Life is different than it has been. There are teething problems. But there is also so much possibility and potential.

Usually the waning moon calls for release, but with there being so much (forced) release energy unfolding through this whole month (and year, sorry) this shift may feel like a welcome out-breath, and a glimpse of the wonderful possibilities and potential ahead.

Breathe

Inhale

take in your surroundings.

Inside,

mix them with your hopes, your dreams

your practical wisdom.

Pause.

Enjoy.

But don’t forget to breathe out.

It is only with expiration (and oftentimes perspiration),

that dreams are made real.

Jessica M Starr

Divination/ Journaling Prompts

*I breathe in …
*I breath out…

Ritual/ EveryDayMagic/ Spellwork Suggestions

*breathwork (of course). Tylluan Penry has a great book on this.
*Elemental magic with air
*singing/ chanting/ making music