Plus an astro-tarot forecast, journaling questions and an exploration of the Sabian symbol for the new moon in Pisces.
The March 2024 new moon falls in the sign of Pisces. The Pisces archetype is highly intuitive and very open to the flow of creative imagination. This is the sign of creative dreamers and mystics and visionaries, which makes this full moon an excellent time to flex your intuitive and creative muscles.
Spiritually, the Pisces archetype teaches the principle of unity, of recognizing the divinity within you. One way to understand this principle is by looking at creation – the creator {God, Universe, Source, however you wish to name it} created this earth, the rivers and seas, the trees, birds, insects, animals, man. Similarly, man has the ability to create – and to create consciously. It is this ability that points to the spiritual truth of Pisces, that we are spiritual beings having a human experience {with the emphasis on our humanness in all its frailty and beauty}. It is by accepting responsibility for consciously creating – which isn’t always easy – that you connect most deeply with the creator. Needless to say, empathy and compassion are the cornerstones of the Pisces archetype.
Plus an astro-tarot forecast, a personal values exercise and an exploration of the Sabian symbol for the new moon in Aquarius.
The February 2024 new moon falls in the sign of Aquarius. The independent, free-thinking Aquarius archetype encourages us to examine our inner wild self and celebrate everything that makes us unique. It is the archetype of the reformer, the idealist who strives for tolerance, unity, and a better and brighter society. And despite these rather lofty ideals, the Aquarius archetype isn’t afraid to get in there and get its hands dirty.
Spiritually, the Aquarius archetype teaches us how to be true to our own voice, to listen to and follow the calling of our own heart and soul. By learning how to tune in rather than out, by being true to the things that make us unique, we undertake the journey to individuation.
This new moon also highlights our sense of self-worth and self-esteem, which are intrinsically tied to our finances, our emotions, and the things we value. This Aquarius moon encourages us to reflect on our tangible and intangible possessions (our feelings and emotions, as well as our inner selves, needs and wants) and our values — specifically on the ways in which our material possessions are either harming or supporting us.
Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast and an exploration of the Sabian symbol for the new moon in Virgo.
The September 2023 new moon falls in the sign of Virgo. The Virgo archetype is logical and practical, with an eye for detail and the steadfastness to go after their goals. This is a sign that thrives on meticulous planning, on honing skills to perfection and gaining mastery over their chosen vocation.
Spiritually, the Virgo archetype teaches the principle of devotion. One way to understand this principle is by looking at it through the lens of one’s devotion to their craft. While all the buzz seems to point towards profiting from your passion, there are numerous examples of famous writers and artists who held down a day job for most of their lives. Franz Kafka was an insurance clerk, Harper Lee was an airline ticketing agent, Mark Rothko was an elementary school teacher and Paul Gauguin was a stockbroker. They could all have given in to the dull drudgery of making a living, but they didn’t – and the world is much richer for their devotion to their craft.
This new moon also marks a time of endings and new beginnings. It can bring up old issues, patterns, or blocks for another go-around or a final resolution. Healing work — be it therapy or self-healing techniques — will be helpful during this time. Spend some time to review where you have been focusing your attention and decide where you want to go from there.
Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast and an exploration of the the Sabian symbol for the November 2022 new moon in Sagittarius.
The November 2022 new moon falls in the sign of Sagittarius. The freedom loving Sagittarius archetype is in a constant search for inspiration, new avenues of exploration, and adventure. This is a sign that gets bored of the status quo easily, and needs the rush of a new quest to keep them on their toes.
Spiritually, the Sagittarius archetype teaches us to cultivate our own personal relationship with the divine. Contrary to what most religions and a lot of spiritual teachers say, you don’t need an intermediary between you and Source/God/the Universe. You have that connection available to you at all times. Learning to tune in and trust that connection is where a lot of us seem to stumble, though.
Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast and an exploration of the the Sabian symbol for the April/May 2022 new moon + solar eclipse in Taurus.
The April/May 2022 new moon falls in the sign of Taurus. The Taurus archetype is grounded and steadfast, calm and composed, firm and also somewhat stubborn. This is a sign that is practical and earthy, and is associated with material pleasures, desires, luxuriousness, and abundance.
Spiritually, the Taurus archetype teaches the principle of belonging through presence…our presence as sacred human beings…honoring the body temple…honoring the flow of life. This can be difficult given the society we live in, which praises the hustle over reverence and treats time as money rather than a finite resource that should be used wisely in the pursuit of the things that give us meaning.
Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast, exploration of the the Sabian symbol, mini ritual, and additional resources for the February 2022 new moon in Aquarius.
The February 2022 new moon falls in the sign of Aquarius. The independent, free-thinking Aquarius archetype encourages us to examine our inner wild self and celebrate everything that makes us unique. It is the archetype of the reformer, the idealist who strives for tolerance, unity, and a better and brighter society. And despite these rather lofty ideals, the Aquarius archetype isn’t afraid to get in there and get its hands dirty.
Spiritually, the Aquarius archetype teaches us how to be true to our own voice, to listen to and follow the calling of our own heart and soul. By learning how to tune in rather than out, by being true to the things that make us unique, we undertake the journey to individuation.
I had heard a lot about Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, and so while browsing around at the bookstore some months ago, I picked up the entire series. It’s a compulsive thing — if I have one book that is part of a series, I need to have them all!
The first book — Twilight — didn’t impress me much. The writing seemed labored and the style and grammar (I’m an editor, what did you expect?!) left much to be desired. But somewhere along the way, I started to enjoy the story — a bit. I like witches and wizards (think Harry Potter) and vampires (think The Historian and Bram Stroker’s Dracula), and Myer’s take on the latter was interesting. They sparkle in the sun instead of burn, have strong piercing teeth not fangs, can drink both animal as well as human blood, and are indestructible and lightning fast. And one of them falls in love with one of us! Interesting!
But since the style of writing left a lot to desire, the rest of the books were languishing on my bookshelf. That is, until I finished reading Ben Okri’s Starbook (very interesting, but rather heavy!) and wanted some light reading next. While going over my stash of unread books, I came across New Moon, the second novel in the Twilight series, and thought, why not?
This one hooked me from page 1, and I finished reading it in two days flat. This doesn’t mean that New Moon was much better than Twilight; it just means that I’ve read some pretty heavy fiction these last two months (see my Reading list) and needed a really, really light read!
The plot (spoiler alert!), with its twists and turns and the introduction of warewolves, had me hooked to the book, as I raced to find out what would happen next.
On Bella’s 18th birthday, Edward and his family throw her a birthday party, where, clumsy as she is, she gets a paper cut. This drives Edward’s brother Jasper out of control, but Edward saves her. To protect her, Edward ends their relationship and the Cullens move away from Forks. This leaves Bella heart-broken, though she goes through the motions in a “zombie-like” state for the sake of her father. That is, until she realizes that thrill-seeking activities allow her to “hear” Edward’s voice in her head. That’s when she purchases two old motorcycles and renews her friendship with Jacob Black, whose sunny disposition eases her pain over losing Edward.
But things aren’t that straightforward, as Jacob is in love with her, and Bella isn’t sure if it will be fair on her part to reciprocate those feelings. She also learns that Jacob and some of the other Quileute tribe members are warewolves, arch enemies of vampires. They protect her from Laurent and also Victoria, who is seeking revenge for her mate James, whom the Cullens killed in Twilight.
There’s still another twist in the plot — through a series of miscommunications, Edward believes that Bella has killed herself. Distraught, he goes to Volterra, Italy, to provoke the Volturi, vampire royalty, who are capable of killing him if he exposes himself as a vampire in their city. Alice (Edward’s sister, who can see the future) and Bella race to Italy to try to save Edward; of course, they arrive just in time to stop him from stepping out into the sun, where his skin would shimmer like a thousand diamonds. The Volturi don’t let them off easily, though. They think that Bella, a human, knows too much about vampires and must be killed or transformed into one herself. Using her gift of foresight, Alice convinces the Volturi that Bella will turn into one of them, and the trio returns to Forks, where Edward and Bella resume their relationship, but not before Bella convinces the Cullens to turn her into one of them after she graduates. And of course, with the return of Edward, Jacob exits Bella’s life, though she’s determined to “win her best friend back.”
The book did drag a bit in the middle, but it was pretty fast paced nonetheless. I also found the writing style much better than the first novel, plus I liked the fact that Myer didn’t dwell overtly on Bella’s clumsiness and Edward’s awesomeness. That was a real pain in Twilight, which was very Mills n Boon-ish. The introduction of warewolves kept the novel interesting, and now I’m intrigued to find out if Myers developed the dynamics between vampires and warewolves in the other two novels.
I’m not sure I would recommend the series to my friends; plus this really isn’t the kind of fiction I generally enjoy. I guess if you’re a teen or pre-teen you’ll like the book. If you want a light read, you just might enjoy New Moon.
