The Aquarian New Moon and the Year of the Dragon

As we spoke about last week, we had the beginning of a Mars retrograde time period  (Jan 24th - April 14th) as the red planet is making an apparent slip backwards against the backdrop of the stars.  We also had a New Moon in Aquarius.  The Sun, the planet (not really) signifying our goals and purpose, unites with the Moon, the vehicle for expressing that purpose, and we get a monthly new beginning in the house or department of life in your chart ruled by Aquarius.  Aquarius is the sign ruled in part by Uranus, the planet that innovates, liberates, awakens us.  He was discovered in 1781 in time to influence our country's founding and the French Revolution.  Both events can be remembered as times of great chaos when the new was birthing with the old still holding on.

At this time we have both the sense that something new wants to be born in us, but as Mars is not on our side but creating headwinds that push against us the going seems to be tough.  One might say that the new beginning will have to be about going back to something we have done before, something we started last fall and have to redo or just a general lack of drive, courage and assertion.

But there is hope as this week also began the Chinese New Year and it is the Year of the Water Dragon.  I am not familiar with Chinese astrology but in my readings this week I am very impressed with the propitiousness of the Dragon.  He is the most fortunate of all the Chinese signs and bringer of great good fortune.  The Dragon brings four blessings: wealth, virtue, harmony and longevity, as he is mystical rather than earthy.  2012 is a Water year and will be the year that many dreams will come true at long last.

As we come to the end of the Mayan calendar (December 21st), we have also come to the end of a very long and very unfavorable 60 year cycle in Chinese astrology when luck was hard to come by.  Instead of stagnation, in this Water year ideas will flow, creativity abound, economies and love blossom, new leaders chosen and new choices made. There will be a huge serge in personal Chi or Qi with of course many upheavals, natural disasters and political and cultural developments.  But we have the opportunity to choose new leaders, as the way forward (after Mars is at our back), seems to be in reforming what community, nation and leadership look like.

source for the Chinese astrology:  www.ProAstro.com