To jump right into it: this New Moon and the lunar cycle stemming from this is going to lay bare whatever illusions we’ve been living under. Make sure you have a working plan you can stick to for the next few months. Keep your head on. Let’s get to it.
The New Moon Itself
The New Moon peaks at 26 Gem 43’25” on June 17th, 2023 9:37:05 PM PDT / June 18th 4:37:05 AM UTC. Now, this New Moon is in Mercury-ruled Gemini, so the base influence will be in our communications and our day-to-day travels. It is also in the third decan of Gemini, which has an Aquarian Saturn-Uranus vibe. Electronic communications and social media should be kept in mind for this lunar cycle beginning around this time.
The primary aspect of Sun conjunct Moon serves as an indicator of a time of setting intentions, new beginnings, and starting new cycles. New ventures, new projects, or starting on tasks long-shelved are highlighted now. Given the other aspects and changes happening right before and after this New Moon, however, it won’t be easy.
Shifts Occurring Around This New Moon and Lunar Cycle
Saturn Retrograde Begins
Saturn Retrograde Begins in Pisces at 10:27:16 AM PDT, before the New Moon’s peak period. The taskmaster and disciplinarian of our starsystem reverses course in Neptune’s domain, forcing us to take a step back and make sure our plans and dreams are realistic right now.
With Pisces being the 12th sign, issues regarding involuntary confinement and institutions (such as hospitals, prisons, etc.) will become highlighted. This also deals with our fears and worries, a different sort of prison. It is a cycle where we’re confronting our inadequacies and feel like we’re not doing enough. It’d be very easy to relapse into bad habits with this as well if we’re not watching ourselves, especially substance abuse. Stress management will be essential.
Venus Pre-Retrograde Shadow Begins
Venus pre-retrograde shadow begins June 19th, 2023 at 12:18:02 AM PDT. From this point on, Venus in Leo will be slowing down until it goes retrograde on July 22nd, in the next lunar cycle (after the Cancer New Moon in July). Money, relationships, stability, all will be turned on their head somewhat until October 7th when Venus leaves the post-retrograde shadow period.
For this lunar cycle, we’ll need to finish off or make revisions where we need to in regard to our passion projects and other recreational activities. Short-term flings may serve to be more problematic than hoped. I would even argue affairs have a good chance of being discovered.
Neptune Retrograde Begins
Neptune retrograde begins in Pisces June 30th, 2023 at 2:06:37 PM PDT. The planet of illusion shifting direction during this lunar cycle adds to the intensity and pressure we’re already feeling. With this shift occurring in third decan Pisces, there’s a Scorpionic Pluto-Mars feel to this shift.
With Saturn also in Pisces, obligations and debts weighing down on us will make themselves known, in some shape or form. Most likely it will be in some back-of-the-mind nagging feeling, or it’ll come as reminders being sent.
Occult matters, spiritual visitations, perhaps even alien encounters are possibilities under this influence during this lunar cycle as well. These will add to the subtext in daily activities for the second part of the lunar cycle, after the Full Moon in Capricorn a few days after this shift.
Other Aspects to the New Moon
Confronting Illusions and Delusions
New Moon Gemini square Neptune in Pisces adds to the mental uncertainty and intensity we’re already feeling going into this lunar cycle. It will prove difficult for some of us to say what we’re feeling when we’re not sure ourselves.
Some of us will find our fears and uncertainties ramped up during this lunar cycle. Others may struggle with addictions. There is help available, so do keep that in mind.
Dream visions and nightmares will prove to be informative under this influence. Try to recollect and keep a track of your nighttime visions as much as you can.
Other Noteworthy Aspects During the New Moon
Refocusing Our Efforts
Jupiter in Taurus sextile Saturn retrograde in Pisces is one of the more positive aspects during this New Moon. Jupiter is expansion and optimism, while Saturn is discipline and putting in the work. The sextile gives us some hope in following our more intuitive visions and making something good come of them. Side hustles and creative projects can benefit from this aspect, which is thankfully a little more long-lived than some of the more volatile aspects.
Jupiter square Venus in Leo, however, could have us struggle to profit from some of these visions. The two beneficial planets squaring off could have us chasing phantoms and going off on wild goose chases. Another possibility would be letting go of getting the goose, only to find that it was the one that lays golden eggs.
Read the Fine Print!
Mercury in Gemini square Saturn retrograde in Pisces also adds to some of the uncertainties and the need to refocus. Mercury is amplified being in one of its home signs, so how we communicate and making sure agreements are ironclad and beneficial is very important. If you’re signing contracts regarding one of your passion projects, make sure you read the entire thing and strike out any predatory terms, or it will bite you in the ass, hard.
Mercury sextile Mars and Venus in Leo indicates some reasonable terms can be agreed to. Watch for the devil in the details as Mars conjuncts Black Moon Lilith now, and Mars is beginning its square to Uranus now as well. Again, go over legal agreements very carefully! Employment contracts and agreements count here too! It’s too easy to gloss over something to get started quickly, only to find you signed away your life in a way.
If you’re job hunting right now, make sure you can get good terms. Given the other aspects happening and other uncertainties in the alignments now, the best possible agreements may not be as likely. This also applies to collective bargaining negotiations.
Changing Paths
Pluto retrograde back in late Capricorn sextile Neptune in Pisces allows for reaching into our intuition to see what’s no longer working for us. Deep down, we’ll realize where some problems that have escaped our notice are hindering us. We can use these realizations to plan a course of attack and get these taken care of.
However, Pluto square the Nodes is a concern. With North Node still in Taurus, and South Node still in Scorpio, we’ve got a long-term cycle in play where we need to make some hard choices. We’re seeing opportunities but also potential problems in our stability and money. How we’ve approached problems and issues in the past are rearing their ugly head right now too.
We have a choice: We can continue trying to fix problems the way we’ve been going about things. Or, we can make some serious changes and start changing how we’ve been approaching our obstacles now.
Have you been making good progress lately? Figure out how you can improve on it. Not getting anywhere near the desired results? Time to throw the book out and start writing a new one, because you’re just going to keep hitting your head against the wall otherwise. It’s make or break, starting this lunar cycle. “Every day is exactly the same” will not work. Change it up.
Resolving Hidden Issues
Finally, Chiron in Aries trine Black Moon Lilith in Leo shows an opportunity to resolve issues we didn’t even know were affecting us. Chiron is the wounded healer, of course, and in Aries we’re seeing where our own identity is impacted.
Black Moon Lilith in Leo calls on us to dig deep into our creativity to come up with innovative solutions to how we’ve been hurting ourselves. How are we holding ourselves back? That’s the question we need to ask ourselves.
Use the overall energies and start healing the wounds.
To Sum It Up
In short, we’ve been chasing phantoms leading up to this lunar cycle, and now we need to confront those illusions that have been leading us astray. We’ve got some major shifts coming, and we have a couple choices stemming from this uncomfortable realization. We can continue doing what we’ve done to try to resolve our issues before, or we can try a new way.
Still chasing a career you hate? Consider changing that career. Don’t like your neighborhood? Chart a path to get to a place that suits you better. Stuck in a crap relationship? See what you can do to fix it if able, and if you really want to stay with this person… or take the steps to sever links and restore your own peace.
What doesn’t work needs to go this lunar cycle. Or it may be done for us by the force of the cosmos. Just plodding along isn’t advised. Grow. It’s time to transform into a better circumstance and the next stage of life.
Or stay idle, and drift down the river all the way over the waterfall. Your choice. Free will, after all, but the influences will still push you one way or another. There’s no standing idle.
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