Astrology

This New Moon lunar cycle starts with the fireworks of our first eclipse of 2023. Yes, we’re heading into eclipse season, which means the Full Moon in this cycle is also an eclipse.

Let’s talk about navigating eclipse seasons.

Eclipses have captured the attention of all beings since earth began. Perhaps the creatures of ancient oceans didn’t notice eclipses in their shadowy depths, but birds and animals of all kinds, and peoples all over the globe, certainly do.

In the eerie darkness of a solar eclipse, or the spectacle of a Full Moon turning slowly red, what is usually seen is obscured. We sometimes catch sight of what is hidden.

Last year’s eclipses were on the Taurus–Scorpio axis. This year’s are transitional. Our first pair will be in Aries and Scorpio. The pair later this year will be in Libra and Taurus. The nodes of the Moon have reached the earliest degrees of Taurus (North) and Scorpio (South). They will shift into Aries (North) and Libra (South) on July 17.

Eclipses are times out of ordinary time when we can expect the unexpected. They are always significant in world events, but vary in their personal impact.

This lunar cycle is a great time to keep an eye on your birth chart. Will either eclipse aspect your chart? If not, you may not notice much. If yes, pay attention to what comes up. Whatever emerges offers clues about the influence of the eclipse in your life. Changes will unfold over the next six months, or more.

Another note: Eclipses are not good times for setting intentions, manifestation work, or most other rituals you might do during a New or Full Moon.

This is because the forces at play during an eclipse are strong and unusual. Any actions we take will have unpredictable consequences. It would be like trying to catch a fish in a whirlpool, or find one particular leaf in a windstorm.

Our best move is to pay attention. What draws your eye? What do you find yourself thinking about? Feeling? Noticing? Consider these as potential oracles without diving into interpretation too quickly.

The energy of an eclipse feels unpredictable, chaotic, and fast. This will be especially true of the first eclipse at the New Moon in Aries on April 20. Yet this lunar cycle also includes events that will slow us down.

During this cycle, we’ll experience 2023’s first Mercury retrograde. Mercury has already entered the retrograde shadow, moving more slowly than its average speed.

Mercury stations retrograde on April 21 at 15º37’ Taurus while conjunct the Moon. Mercury reaches cazimi (Cazimi is an astrological term that refers to a planet transiting between 0-1 degrees from the sun, or "the heart of the sun.") on May 1 and station direct on May 12. Our minds will move more slowly than usual. This could be grounding, a good thing in a chaotic time, or we might feel we’re struggling to keep up. Plan accordingly.

Pluto’s entry into Aquarius can also slow down our energy as planets enter fixed signs or air signs. Pluto draws us into the depths, where perceptions are shadowy. Life can feel intense.

The Sun enters Taurus soon after the April 20 New Moon to square Pluto. On May 1, the same day Mercury reaches the Sun, Pluto stations retrograde at 0º21’ Aquarius, intensifying its focus in the first degree of Aquarius.

New Moon in Aries to Full Moon in Scorpio: Paired Eclipses

The New Moon solar eclipse in Aries on April 20 is a rare hybrid eclipse. It will appear as a total solar eclipse in some regions, a partial eclipse in others, or at the edges of its range, an annular solar eclipse. Hybrid eclipses happen about once every ten years.

Visible in regions in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, people in western Australia, East Timor, and eastern Indonesia will see some version of this eclipse.

The New Moon occurs at 29º50’ Aries, the final, intense degree of the sign.

There is a belief in some circles that planets close to the end of one sign or the beginning of another are “cuspy,” that is, they blend together characteristics of both signs. It’s actually the opposite.

Look at any adjacent signs. You will see their characteristics are not similar at all. It’s as if each sign addresses the blind spots and deficiencies of the one before it. So the final degree of a sign acts more as the edge of a steep cliff than a mushy blend.

This is a North Node eclipse, increasing its desirous nature and quick movement. Other intensifiers include separating conjunctions with Jupiter and Eris, and an applying square to Pluto.

This eclipse will feel like looking into the Sun (metaphorically — doing this for real can damage your eyesight). We’ll gaze into the heart of our own desires, the molten core of what we want. The applying square to Pluto might also offer clues to what Pluto’s time in Aquarius will mean for us personally.

Four hours after the New Moon, the Sun enters Taurus. Most years, this shift from fiery Aries into calm Taurus invites us to relax into the wonders of spring. This year, the square to Pluto opens a chasm under our feet. On the heels of the eclipse, we may wonder where to find solid ground.