April 2022: Tarot spread for the new moon in Aries

Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast and an exploration of the the Sabian symbol for the April 2022 new moon in Aries.

The April 2022 new moon falls in the sign of Aries. The Aries archetype is known for its bold – often rash – action, for going where angels fear to tread. As the first sign of the zodiac, it represents the active core of our spiritual journey on earth, and teaches us to act in accordance with our ideals. The Aries archetype teaches us to be unafraid to march to our own drumbeat, to assert our willpower towards the attainment of our desires, and to embrace beginner’s mind and the innate trust and explosive power {conviction + action} that is needed to start something new.

Spiritually, the Aries archetype teaches us about action. And as most of us know, it’s easier to talk about the things we want to do than to put in the work and actually do the thing! Aries teaches us that courage is the key to unlocking the full potential of this spiritual principle. And that comes from connecting your head to your heart, focusing your will, and taking consistent action towards your dreams.

This new moon is also a powerful time to set some goals — especially those related to your professional career or personal calling. It’s a good time to think about the ways in which you contribute to society, and to remember that each small action counts. Contributions don’t have to be big and bold to create an impact. In fact, it’s the small actions, the quiet deeds, the little steps that snowball into something bigger.

This is also a good time to take a closer look at your personal calling, and to see if you are in right relationship with it. To ask yourself what you want to focus on and to determine what role it plays in your life.

Astro tarot forecast for the April 2022 new moon in Aries

To throw some more light on the April new moon astrology, let’s take a look at the astro-tarot influences of this lunation. The Aries full moon falls in Decan 2, which is ruled by the 3 of Wands. This is to be seen in conjunction with The Emperor, which is associated with Aries.

The Aries new moon marks the start of a new lunar cycle. There’s a creative, initiatory energy to this new moon, which offers us the opportunity to think about what new seeds we wish to plant, to determine in which direction we want to grow.

The figure on the 3 of Wands is ready to embark on this journey. He looks out at the horizon; destination known, perhaps; but just like with any travel, there’s never any certainty that things will go to plan. The car may break down, the flight may be missed, there may have been some miscommunication when booking the hotel room, the holiday may not go exactly to plan. And yet, we roll with it. No one ever said, “right, that holiday was shit. I’m never going on vacation again.” But at the first sign on failure, of goals being missed, we hang up our boots and think “never again”.

But the hero’s journey isn’t a one and done thing. We are constantly learning, growing, trying things, failing, and trying again.

In Tarot for Change, Jessica Dore writes, “Here is an image of the liminal stage of initiation into a mythic hero’s quest, the path of someone whose dream doesn’t align with the framework they’re in or have been given, and who must therefore venture into the “dark forest…of original experience.” This is a path toward something that is not yet cohesive, where you must do your own transcribing and arranging, and where, as Joseph Campbell said, “you’ve got to work out your life for yourself.”

I love that line — “you’ve got to work out your life for yourself.” Live life on your own terms. Question the “normal” path. It may be just what you want — the job, the marriage, the kids, the house with the white picket fence. But if you never stop to question, to consult your inner navigation system, you can easily have everything you want and not realise it. Or you can get caught up in chasing everything that’s expected of you, achieve it, and feel empty inside.

And that’s where The Emperor steps in with his medicine — personal power and stability. But what does personal power mean? How do we know that we are standing in our own power? In Tarot for Change, Jessica Dore offers us a way of practicing our power: “the next time you feel overwhelmed with a feeling or thought pattern that’s telling you to do something that will betray your own interests, you can be still. Even if it’s just for five minutes. That’s how you practice power.”

In that stillness, the overwhelm recedes; practice it often enough, and in that stillness, the answers will come.

Sabian Symbol for the April 2022 new moon

The Sabian Symbol for Aries 11 degrees is A Flock of Wild Geese.

I’ve always been fascinated by the migratory patterns of birds. They arrive at their migratory spots during a fairly consistent period of time, which means they somehow know just when to being their journey to warmer climates. They always migrate to the same area, which means they have an internal navigation system that never leads them astray. It’s hardwired into them. And the geese, they fly in formation — that famous V-shape which helps these heavy birds to fly in the slipstream of the bird in front of them. When the goose that’s flying at the head of the formation gets tired, it moves back, and another one steps forward to take its place.

There’s so much richness here related to seasons and cycles; to following your own internal compass; to leadership; hard work and rest.

There’s an interesting article on the migratory patterns of geese on The Conversation. Take a look, if you’re interested, and see what parallels and symbolism you can draw from that.

Tarot spread for the April 2022 new moon in Aries

Here’s a tarot spread to tap into the energy of the new moon.

1. Initiation: What call are you answering? This represents a new beginning.

2. Map: How will you heed that call? What steps will you take towards your quest? Draw 2 cards – these help you determine action steps

3. Gift: What will keep you on course? This represents your inner navigation system. The inner reserves of energy that will keep you on your course.

4. Message from mamma moon: This is meant to be a message of encouragement

If you share your spreads on Instagram, please use the hashtag #moontarotstories or tag me @moderngypsy.in so we can connect with each other.

Journaling questions for the Aries new moon

Not a cardslinger? No problem! Here are some questions to reflect on instead:

1. If you set some goals at the start of the year, take some time to re-evaluate then. Which ones still light you up? Which ones no longer feel interesting? Do you need to change or add some goals?

2. Narrow your goal list down to the ones you want to focus on in the next 12 months. Choose no more than 3.

3. Make an actionable plan to achieve those goals. What action steps will you take? How will you measure the outcome? Write it all down.

4. What will help you stay the course while following your goals? Think: setting boundaries, clearing out your schedule, eliminating time wasters. Brainstorm + make a list

Resources to support you during this new moon

Tracking the moon – Some notes on tracking the moon + a peek into my very first moon journal

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