New Moon in Aquarius
It’s the first New Moon of 2023, in the Air sign of Aquarius.
As the Water Bearer, Aquarius is often confused for a water sign, but it’s an Air sign, ever focused on thinking and dreaming up new, original ideas. The “water” being poured out by Aquarians is truth - or at least, their version of it. They like to dispense their truth freely, whether or not you want to hear it. And be warned if you challenge them, this stubborn fixed air sign will lash out when disagreed with or challenged. Due to their distrust of emotions and focus on the bigger picture, Aquarians can come off as aloof and unsympathetic, paradoxically wanting to be with people but unable to connect with them.
The New Moon or Dark Moon occurs when the moon is positioned exactly between the sun and the earth, invisible to us because it is positioned directly in front of the sun. For this reason, the New Moon is always in the same sign as the Sun. New Moons offer a blank slate, a new beginning as the moon begins to grow again, a death initiating a new cycle of birth. As Sarah Faith Gottesdiener says in The Moon Book, “darkness is where germination takes place.” It’s where seeds that we’ve planted begin to take root and grow. This is why New Moons are a time when we set intentions and plant the seeds of plans we will act upon in the coming days and weeks.
As this is the first New Moon of the year under the forward-thinking sign of Aquarius, this is a wonderful time for dreaming big, especially about your future. What do you want to manifest, to bring into being this year? In five years? 10? Close your eyes and take 20 minutes to meditate on these questions. Listen to soothing instrumental music (I like this Spotify playlist) or a guided visualization (like this one from Aluna Moon on Insight Timer, my favorite meditation app). See what comes to mind for you. How do you want to feel? What do you want to be doing? Who do you want to be spending your time with? Where do you want to be? Try to call to mind as specific images or feelings as you can. What are you wearing? What can you smell, feel, and taste? After meditating, journal what you saw and felt, then think about small steps you can begin to take today, tomorrow, in the next week to bring those feelings and actions to life in the nearer future. Because one year, five years, ten… will be here and gone before you know it.
During this New Moon under Aquarian energy, you may also be called to examine your thoughts and firmly held beliefs. Have you been judging others or yourself too harshly? Is it time to change your mind about something that isn’t really as you believe it to be?
Aquarius New Moon Affirmations:
I have a bright future ahead of me.
I can make a difference in the world.
I trust my intuition, and I open my mind to the truths of others.
Aquarius New Moon Self-Care Rituals:
Start a dream journal. Pay attention to symbols or things that keep recurring in your dreams.
Try the above prompts of another guided meditation to visualize your future, then journal it.
Practice divination. Use tarot cards, fire gazing, tea leaf reading, runes, or a crystal ball or pendulum… whatever method calls to you.
Spend time with a group of people who inspire you or challenge you to think outside the box and be more open-minded.
See which house Aquarius falls in within your birth chart, and create your own self-care rituals around this aspect of your life.
*Take a look at where Aquarius falls in your birth chart. If you don’t have one, you can create a free one at astro.com or astro-charts.com. It’s best if you know your exact birth time and location to create the most accurate chart based on your rising (aka “ascendant”) sign - the sign that was on the horizon at the moment of your birth - which changes every two hours. A birth chart based on your rising sign is much more specific to you, and will show you which planets and signs are in which houses. Look to which house Aquarius is in and try to show some love to those aspects of your life. For example, as a Scorpio Rising, Aquarius rules over my 4th house, the House of Home, Sense of Security, Mothering, Early & Late Life, Nurturance and Self-Care. Some good self-care rituals for me might involve cleaning or decorating my home or taking care of my physical home (my body), meditating and clearing my root chakra, finding ways to nurture myself or spending time with mother figures or others who are nurturing toward me.
Take care, moonbeams ~
🌙 Sami
