Life takes courage. Courage to live it. Courage to embrace it. Courage to co-create it.
It takes courage to get to know ourselves, our desires, our hopes, our dreams and our talents, because once we do it’s devastatingly difficult not to be true to them. It takes courage to stand up to internal and external naysayers and exclaim our greatest joy. But, in the long run, it can be more difficult not to, as our greatest duty is to make manifest our talent in the world.
It takes courage to be in a process of becoming. There is no security when we are growing for we do not know what shape we will ultimately take. Our lives must be big enough, roomy enough, bendy, stretchy and flexible enough to hold our evolving selves.
Becoming is a process. One that is never over. One that is always daunting, delicious and decisively ours to do. No one can tell us who or what we are.
They may try to though.
They may cry with confusion. Why aren’t we acting our part? Our gender? Our race? Our class? Our lot in life? Our “ability”? Why aren’t we towing the societal line? The family line? Why won’t we keep the secrets? Keep up the facade?
In the face of societal, peer and familial pressure it takes courage to believe that giving up security for the sake of our deeper yearnings is our sure path to wealth. Spiritual wealth. Emotional wealth. Psychological health. The kind of wealth and health that we posses when we live lives of meaning and depth.
Not many will tell us that our main job in this life is to follow our internal knowing with every ounce of energy that we’ve been given. But no matter who has or who has not, one thing is for sure, this is our job to do.
And all we need ask for is the courage to do so, the discipline it takes to apply our enthusiasm consistently and the wisdom to know when to act, when to hold back and when to take direction.
The new moon in Aries on Saturday, April 18th, at 2:56 PM EST has that kind of pluck. Pluck enough to get us to move our minds and then our behinds to embrace a bold new way.
Aries enthusiastically cracks open the next phase of living. Aries gladly initiates us into the next phase of facing our fears. Aries cannot sit and wait for something or someone to come along and save the day. Aries cannot wait for permission.
Aries cannot wait period.
Aries is impulsive, impetuous, impatient and up for a challenge. Pushing through the inertia of the dead cold of winter, Aries is first to rush in reminding us that there is always another chance at life. Aries bears the spirit and signature of renewal. Sometimes butting heads like its symbol the ram, Aries needs to engage with what is challenging, what is stressful, what has never been done before. Aries wants to be first and needs the freedom to break out and lead the pack.
Spring has sprung and this new moon is the official start to the lunar year. The spring equinox on March 20th was the official start of the solar year, so this new moon is like a secondary opener. We need new moons to release the energy contained in each sign. By sign this new moon is conjunct Uranus, encouraging us to break with tradition and innovate our activities.
We can use this new moon to begin something new in our lives with courage, with enthusiasm, and with a belief in our ability to follow the golden threads that lay before us. Golden threads come in the form of hunches, inclination and signs. Golden threads are like pathways laid down before we got here by our souls. Hidden tracks strewn with rewards. Trails to our tender hearts’ greatest desires.
This is often a different way of moving through the world than following the map of our egos. This path may not have any foreseen praise attached to it. This path is creative. This path is not cut from the same cloth as anyone else’s. This path requires our attention, our energy and our cooperation. We cannot sleepwalk down this path.
Mars, the ruler of Aries and therefore the “ruler” of this new moon, is the planet of war, aggression, energy and passion. Looking at its sign and aspect can give us a deeper understanding of the quality of this new moon.
Mars is now in Taurus, the sign of its detriment. Mars has a difficult time in the steadfast, security-driven sign of Taurus because its need for freedom is tempered. Mars in Taurus is bound in a paradox: it wants to express its anger/desire/energy but in a sign that works at creating a state of stasis, control and fixed security through stable productivity. Slow and steady gets the job done, but our projects might take longer than we’d like creating frustration we don’t give into the wisdom of Taurus, which is to take ones time. Restoration and rejuvenation are key to highly creative lives.
At the time of the new moon Mars will be squaring Jupiter. This is a signature of more. Appetites and impulsive actions are exaggerated under this influence but so too is our ability to move mountains. Mars in Taurus makes us want to apply ourselves in slow but steady ways. Add in a square from Jupiter in Leo and we have a definite need to engage with actions that lead us into expansive new territory for self expression. As long as we keep the competitive spirit collegial and the need to dominate in check, this square can bode well for spurring us into long-range action that really adds up.
And so can the new moon. Whatever you can begin, begin it now. Mercury will be retrograde soon enough.
*If you want to make the most of this Saturday’s new moon and need a little guidance please join me for The Courage to Create: New Moon in Aries Intention Setting. I will lead us through an intention setting process to help overcome the fear that can sometimes block us from accessing the courage we need to live happy, productive, meaningful lives. .
New moon blessings!
C