Reacquaint yourself with your inner wisdom and wilderness.

by Alisha Palmer aka @Cosmic.Ali 

The second installment of our Spring eclipse series is underway, with the Sun and Moon aligning in Aries on April 8, 11:20 am PT at 19 degrees of this cardinal fire sign. This isn’t your typical New Moon by any means, coded with a fated charge. 

Eclipses are potent periods of karmic unfoldings, revelations, and path redirections. Rather than practicing manifestation under this powerful influence, seek surrender to any realignments and adjust accordingly. Let pieces land before setting intentions. 

This is the debut New Moon of the Astrological Year, and to be launched into this cycle accompanied by a Solar Eclipse is a strong statement by the stars. 

Welcome To Eclipse Season (The Sequel) 

To get caught up from where we left off during the last lunation, check out the Libra Full Moon Lunar Eclipse blog post here.

Picking back up on this developing storyline, we now find the Sun and Moon nestled near the North Node (Rahu) in Aries. The opposite end of this nodal axis is up for ecliptic activation — the last Full Moon was focused on the South Node (Ketu), highlighting a portal of release, asking us to address anything holding us back, playing it small, or keeping us stagnant within a comfort zone. And now, the next step of this series brings us to the current eclipse shining upon Rahu, stretching us to expand and grow beyond our edges. 

Both ends of the spectrum might have us feeling a bit shock-waved, or even energetically displaced in a way through this time of transformation. Eclipses are super-charged cosmic events that majorly shift and shake things up, seeking to balance light and shadow through an eternal, karmic dance woven into our reality. 

New Moons normally symbolize the beginning of a cycle, the planting of a seed. With the touch of this Solar Eclipse, the cosmos are creating a massive catalyst before us, magnifying the start of something new. 

Breathe into these beginnings. Loosen the grip on any endings. 

Reflect back to the last Full Moon in this sign on September 29, 2023. What have you let go of and released over the last six month lunar passage, specifically in the Aries-ruled areas of your natal chart? It’s time to close that chapter and move ahead. 

Note, that this will be the only Aries eclipse of the year. Although the lunar nodes remain in the Aries/Libra axis through January, the autumnal series of luminary activations will take place in Pisces as a preview of the upcoming nodal shift in 2025. 

Courageous Embodiment 

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, representing the beginning of the soul’s Earthly embodiment. This is the ego, the personalized nature of our human identities. 

The “ego” has been dimmed down into a more negatively-nuanced term in many spiritual communities, which is a bummer, as this portion of our beings is within us for a reason. At its core, the ego is here to individuate us from the rest, functioning to offer self protection and serve as an inner warrior against any threats or danger. 

While our world has evolved and we may not have the same hardships as our ancestors, much of the population still operates out of survival mode. It is a heroic act to harness the energy of the ego, rerouting and regulating so the ego works with us and for us, rather than against us. It is a heroic act to step into our self-power. 

If the ego has been shamed, this may cause it to overreact or hide away entirely. If the ego has been met with acceptance and is able to express vulnerably, this is synonymous to medicine for the spirit. 

It is an act of self love to allow this very human part of you to take up space and exist! 

Trust Your Instincts 

Archetypally, Aries reminds us of and reconnects us to the primal nature of our existence here on Earth, inhabiting these brilliant bodies. There is a deep, terrestrial consciousness that is encoded within each of our beings that is as imperative to our life here on this planet as gravity is, keeping us grounded, alert, and responsive to our surroundings. Intuition is to the spirit as instincts are to the physical form. 

If you tune into your subtle body, you’ll notice sensations that course throughout you, communicating information about our environments and surroundings. When was the last time you truly paused to listen and feel into these tangible messages? There is a reason another term for an intuitive hit is a “gut feeling”, because we feel it viscerally. 

This New Moon invites us to re-ignite our relationships to our inner senses, taking intentional initiative to interpret the language our Earthly temples speak and preserve our somatic presence. 

Sensitive Activations 

Chiron is one of the major stars of the show for this Solar Eclipse, lining up exactly with our luminaries down to not only 19 degrees of Aries, but within one astrological minute (meaning, this is about as close as you can get)! This celestial body is an asteroid that points to and works with deep pains, wounds, and traumas on a soul level, but also acts as a key to finding healing through facing these hurts and triggers. 

Keep in mind as we move through this strong current of Chiron energy, that we may be feeling extra emotionally heightened or energetically sensitive. Carry compassion, understanding, and grace for yourself and others, for we are all going through our own life chapters and circumstances. Facing these deep, deep energetic bruises takes extreme bravery and vulnerability. We are all doing the best with what we have. 

Ultimately, tending to our triggers is a practice of taking personal responsibility for our own healing. While this doesn’t necessarily always feel fair, it is a part of developing through our soul’s journey. Along the way, may we find wisdom within our wounds and transcendence through our traumas, soothing any spiritual hardships from this timeline and beyond. We all deserve freedom from what has caused us pain. 

In Aries, the ego may feel tangled up in this theme of sensitivity. Speak loving words over yourself and affirm that you have your back as you feel through all that arises. 

Ruled by The God of War 

This red hot eclipse is ruled by Mars, the planet of action, temperament, assertion, and aggression. Looking more deeply into the location of the lunation ruler shares more of the flavor to the vibes at play.

Currently passing through Pisces and closing in on an exact conjunction to Saturn, this is a transit that has us feeling the heat. The two Malefics are meeting in the sky, which may be causing a friction, tension, or conflict of sorts. A conjunction refers to the blending of archetypal energies — here we have the Martian mixing with the planet of reality checks, consequences, maturation, and boundaries, concocting a combination that brings about loud and challenging circumstances that despite any discomforts, create opportunities for growth. The Red Planet is being faced with a pressure point; serving as a call to be there differently for ourselves, to take a course of action that reflects our willingness to learn and take self-responsibility. 

Happening in a double-bodied, mutable water sign that wraps up the zodiac, Mars crosses Saturn as it’s about to close out its planetary cycle and begin anew. This timing is significant, as the planet that represents our energy is essentially dying and rebirthing. Simultaneously, hit with an authoritative, sobering Saturnian presence. 

This astral activity only takes place once every two years or so. When this alignment occurs, it seems like everyone is going through it in some way, shape, or form, in their own ways. Lean in. Show up. Elevate. Expand. Pisces reminds us to traverse whatever we may be experiencing with compassion for ourselves and others, rooting into love at our cores and taking motivated movement from this space. 

Mark your calendars, this aspect goes exact on April 10 at 14 degrees Pisces. 

Celestial Conditions Of The New Moon Chart 

Let’s talk about the line-up of planetary powerhouses all arranged in Aries at the moment — we have Venus, who has freshly ingressed into this space beginning her journey around the wheel. Rahu, who is about halfway through its travels through this sign. The Sun and Moon, who are uniting in darkness to be purified by the flames of this fiery element. Chiron, here to activate an opportunity to work through deep wound healing. And last but certainly not least, we see Mercury retrograde in the mix. 

The most stand-out signature seen in our current celestial line up is the EXACT alignment between the Sun, Moon, and Chiron. The influence of the asteroid also known as “The Wounded Healer” here is heavy, as we covered earlier in this post. This Solar Eclipse is likely touching on a sore spot within us, seeking attention, acknowledgment, and acceptance. 

Mercury Retrograde may feel like an extra obstacle during this peaked period of intensity, throwing us for a loop and causing a confusing cloudiness during a time where we are likely very much seeking a sense of clarity and clear direction. Allow me to use this opportunity to remind you to tune into your internal instincts for any guidance you may be craving at this time. This transital timing may not feel ideal but it serves a purpose, to instigate that connection to our earthly, bodily experience.

Immediately after aligning with our Solar Star, our Lunar Light moves on to meet both Chiron and Mercury Retrograde, trailing these themes through for further illumination. 

Next door in Taurus, Jupiter is getting quite close to its upcoming conjunction to Uranus, which might be contributing to the wobbliness and shocks to our systems. 

The entire month of April is so lit up by amplified astrological happenings — breathe through any buzzy energy, ensuring to ground into your body if feeling overwhelmed.