new moon Archives - Astrology Booth

Gemini, the sign of the twins, hosts the New Moon once each spring (between May 21 and June 21, approximately) when the Moon passes by the Sun. This year, their pairing comes early in the sign, at 2°, on May 22. The ruling planet of Gemini, Mercury, is also in this sign, teaming up with Venus at the exact same degree, 20° Gemini. That’s a lot of 2s in 2020!

Two is the archetype of duality: two sides to a story or a question, two poles at either end of a spectrum. It’s also the number of partnering, combining, moving past solo to a twosome, from single to married. When we double the two, as in 2020, we get 4 energy, which is stabilizing and provides structure and guidelines. Four is the number of manifestation and the material world. Thus 2020 is a great year for laying a foundation for cooperation. It’s a little difficult to imagine that something good will come of the current pandemic, but I believe it will set us on a new path of less competition (“1” energy) and more teamwork. We all affect one another and depend on one another.

The Moon-Sun dyad is one-third of the sky away from (“trine”) Saturn, the primary planet of form and matter. This helpful connection keeps us grounded, which is good considering half the planets are now in the Air element (the four in Gemini plus Saturn in Aquarius). Communication is emphasized with a prominent Air influence and Saturn’s participation gives us goals and a focus. We’re not just all talk; we want a purpose.

Venus is the planet of values and resources, which are both bound to be topics of discussion: what’s most important to do, in what order, with the resources at hand. This is a concern for individuals as well as the collective. Venus is in her backward Retrograde trajectory, so we may be re-visiting prior discussions and reconnecting with people we’ve drifted apart from. Gemini is the sign of siblings, neighbors and school chums, so it’s a good time to be in touch with these folks.

Mercury and Venus traveling together usually is a favorable indicator, aiding in harmonious communication, flattery, negotiations and reaching agreement. They’re having some trouble, though, because they’re in a friction position (90° “square”) relative to Neptune, a planet of cloudiness or confusion, sometimes even of deception. We have to look carefully, and probably twice, at situations to see the truth or to get the whole picture. Neptune is also related to compassion, and these are times that reveal who has it and who doesn’t. Neptune is in Pisces (the sign it “rules” or is most strongly associated with), where we also find Mars only a degree away from Ceres. Mars spurs action and is most tender in Pisces. Ceres offers Great Mother nurturing energy. Their blend calls to us to take steps to help those in need. These two are about a sign behind (in a harmonious “semisextile” with) Chiron, the “repairman,” offering innovation, solutions and improvements. One sign further along in the zodiac (also in a cooperative link with Mars, Ceres and Chiron) is Uranus, which likes to sound the alarm and contributes unpredictability as well as inventiveness. Things get shaken up but could end up in better condition. So much depends on outlook and expectations. Mercury and Neptune are the two most potent planets at this new moon: all the planets’ sign location’s rulers trace back to either Mercury or Neptune. Since Mercury and Neptune are square, getting a clear picture is very difficult, and while the power of positive visualization would be a constructive use of this duo, it’s hard work to bring out their best. It’s a important time to pay attention to symbols and signs; they will speak volumes. So will dreams.

The distribution of the planets around the zodiac is very lopsided now; they’re all occupying only one half of the circle. This usually intensifies a certain sector of a chart. Beyond the edges of the planetary cluster, forming a boundary, are the Moon’s Nodes, the North Node and (always opposite, by definition) the South Node. The Moon travels fully around the circle in a month, but for about three months now, all the other planets have stayed on one side of the Nodal axis. Such a condition is described as presenting “dense” energy, and isn’t it interesting that the virus transmission has been worst in dense population situations? Perhaps we’ll see a decrease in new cases as this condition shifts in the coming weeks when Mercury and then the Sun move into the empty half, on May 28 and June 19, respectively.

The North Node of the Moon is now at 0° Cancer. Since the Nodes move from higher to lower degrees of each sign, the North Node is ending its approximately one-and-a-half-years visit to Cancer, with the South Node ending its time in the opposite sign, Capricorn. They’re heading into Gemini and Sagittarius, respectively, and that’s where eclipses will occur beginning with the June 5 Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius. The Nodes signal trends in how we connect with one another to work out our karma. The Cancer-Capricorn axis oriented us to deal with needs and duties, how we take care of one another or have power over one another. The Gemini-Sagittarius pair puts the spotlight on communication, knowledge, news, truth and transparency, the big picture and the pieces of the puzzle.

The North Node’s 0° Cancer position at this Gemini New Moon is where the next New Moon will be in a month, foreshadowing developments to come. That New Moon is an eclipse on June 21, the Summer Solstice, which is rare and powerful! The Full Moon of that cycle will also be an eclipse. These are the last eclipses in Cancer and Capricorn for seven years. The Full Moon Lunar Eclipse is right at the USA’s birthday – holy-Uncle Sam-moley! A crescendo is building in America and Independence Day will have quite a display of fireworks. More on that next time.

The earth is so old we don’t know when it was “born.” Obviously, it has no real “birthday” but you could think of Earth Day as Mother Earth’s birthday. It always occurs at the beginning of the Sun’s annual month-long visit to Taurus, a sign of the earth element. Appropriately enough for this year’s golden celebration, the Moon is also in Taurus; by evening of April 22, it passes the Sun, the defining moment of a New Moon. There hasn’t been a New Moon on Earth Day since 1974 and there won’t be another until 2058, with two more in this century, in 2077 and 2096.

This year on Earth Day, conditions on Mother Earth are very different than they have been for decades – as a result of a virus of a type termed “novel corona.” Using keywords, “novel” means “new” and “corona” denotes a “crown,” specifically the “Sun’s crown” or “aura.” This correlates with a new Sun sign, highlighted by a new Moon cycle.

With less road traffic, fewer air flights and industrial operations curtailed, air pollution has declined significantly and rapidly. Waters are clearer, too. Mother Earth is likely happy about this! With no visitors to America’s National Parks, animals are reclaiming their natural habitat instead of sharing it with humans. People have been less violent to one another since the virus has forced them to stay home; crime rates are down. So is energy consumption, and oil currently costs less than hand sanitizer! When life returns to “normal” (or the “new normal,” whatever that might be), will we be more conscientious about humanity’s impact on the planet we share? Let’s hope so!

Meanwhile, Mother Earth’s children are suffering terribly. Beyond the immediate loss of life of victims of this “invisible enemy,” this pandemic has not only exposed (once again) but exaggerated the disparity between “haves” and “have-nots.” The economically disadvantaged have experienced a higher rate of infection. Hunger and the need for human services and financial assistance have skyrocketed, and the economic landscape has been altered for years to come. If a more equitable sharing of resources and opportunities is the outcome in the long run, at least we will benefit in that regard.

Following the first Earth Day, President Nixon signed an executive order to create the Environmental Protection Agency. Clean-up of the nation’s air and waterways was already underway, and proceeded and succeeded. Air and water quality improved. But regulations were a thorn in the side of the energy-producing industries, who lobbied to roll back protections, which has been enacted in the most recent and the current Republican administrations. We risk returning to more unhealthy conditions and for what? More profit for an economic sector that has already accumulated massive wealth at taxpayers’ expense, health be damned?

Public health is now front and center, and with it, the need for better health care for huge numbers of Americans has become painfully obvious. Improvements in the environment and health care could be positive outcomes of the enormous sacrifices we are making in the wake of Covid-19. That would indeed be a good gift for Mother Earth.

New Moon in Gemini 2020

50th Anniversary of Earth Day

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