The New Moon in Aquarius occurs at 2:39 AM on January 23rd on the East Coast of the US & at 11:39 PM on the West Coast of the US (7:39 AM UT). In Chinese Astrology the New Moon in Aquarius marks the start of the Chinese New Year, this year being the Year of the Dragon.

The Dragon is the only mythological beast of the 12 zodiacal signs in Chinese Astrology whose motto is “I reign”. In Chinese culture Dragons are revered for their power, in the West dragons are seen as evil beasts to be slain. Dragons are symbolic of the Energies of the earth, it is the waking dragon that creates earthquakes, tidal waves and all manner of natural disaster. Dragons symbolize our connection to the planet. During the last 2,000 years of patriarchal dominance we have been told that there is separation between spirit and flesh. This has caused us to see that which is earthly as evil & what is ‘not of the earth’ as good. This has caused a split in our psyche, separating our mental bodies from our feeling bodies, our mind from our heart. The dragon stirs within us to remind us that we are children of both earth and sky, of mind and heart, of God and Goddess.

The Sun/Moon at 3 degrees of Aquarius, the sign of universal brotherhood, of equality makes a opportunistic sextile to Uranus in Aries. Uranus is the modern ruler of Aquarius and holds a lot of sway in this chart. Uranus in Aries is the revolutionary energy, the
drive “to be” unencumbered by restrictions. The drive to be free of restraint felt on an instinctual level is very strong on this New Moon, yet the planetary ruler of Aries, Mars is virtually at a standstill at 24 degrees of Virgo just hours before it turns retrograde. So forward motion will be frustrated.

This combination of wanting to be free of restrictions and not being able to move forward can be a very frustrating and explosive energy, especially for those who are ‘unawakened’. Unawakened to what you may ask? That there can be no change on the outside, without first changing the inside. With Mars just about to go retrograde on this New Moon that is about connecting to our ability to have dominion over our own lives, it is the process of self analysis (Mars in Virgo) that is the key to being free. What we see as restricting us on the outside, is merely what we believe about ourselves. Issues of victimization will rise up, like the
sleeping dragon beneath the earth. What is our relationship to our own power. Releasing the need to be a victim or victimizer is what brings true freedom. To use the potent energy of the dragon to face our demons and free ourselves of them is the true power of this time.

There is also a stressful aspect between the Sun and Jupiter, the two largest bodies in our solar system. This square aspect creates a crisis in action & thought around our resources (Jupiter in Taurus) and the fair and equitable distribution of them (Sun/Moon Aquarius). Changing our thinking about these issues and acting so that everyone gets to share the resources of the planet we SHARE while keeping in mind how our actions or inactions effect our Mother Earth is the more universal message of this New Moon. This is further stressed by the opposition between Jupiter in Taurus and Saturn in Libra. Both Taurus & Libra are ruled by the planet Venus which is the planet of our inner and outer essential needs. What do we truly need, how much is enough? If we can truly look at our lives from the inside out, instead of letting society dictate what is important or what we need, shifting outer authority to inner authority we can connect to what is most vital for our health, happiness, and peace of mind.

And lastly Venus, now in Pisces the sign of transcendence, forgiveness and reconnection to God/Goddess or Source energy conjoin to Neptune in Aquarius & Chiron in Pisces, reminds us that we are all in this together, for what happens to the least of our brothers and sisters does indeed happen to us all. Let this New Moon plant seeds of self acceptance, equality and fairness for all so that we can ‘reign’ in our own lives and create a more equitable and verdant future for all inhabitants of this beautiful planet we call Home.