New Moon | January 21 , 2023 | 1 Aquarius 33’
Is this the dawning of the Age of Aquarius? Pluto, which has been in Capricorn for almost 15 years, will be entering Aquarius on March 23, 2023. This New Moon is a sneak peak of what is to come. It is still conjunct Pluto which is 28 Capricorn 20’. Venus, planet of love, attraction, and money is also conjunct Saturn (setter of boundaries and what seems like barriers). Some people might feel as if Saturn is putting a damper on what they want, including love and money. However, this aspect can also help us move toward proficiency in these areas.
I have been reckoning with the idea of “stuff” in my life (inspired by the Netflix documentary on minimalism). I notice that when I have money, I look for ways to spend it. This exposes an unconscious belief that I can have at least temporary satisfaction by adding things to my life experience that, I couldn’t previously. As I understand it, the concept of minimalism aims to cut down on stuff so that there is more energy available to seek meaning. One message in The Minimalists: Less is Now is what we really seek is community.
Minimalism is a Saturn word, and it happens that in the documentary, both men who undertake the minimalist lifestyle and I had strong transiting Saturn aspects in our natal charts when the concept of minimalism entered our lives. They were also in their Saturn returns, around the age of 30, when people often straighten up and get serious.
The program also made me look more deeply into the assumptions that we should use our metaphysics primarily to figure out how to get the house and the car and the stuff. Even with the feeling that I don’t want to make my goals about amassing a fortune, I find it difficult to frame what I want in ways that are not linked to money.
The word “community” strikes a chord with me. Do I want a relationship with things or with people and God? Do I want to commune with things or nature?
I desire a functioning community that has its priorities straight— a community that could work together to solve the hard problems, like homelessness and affordable housing. If I am stretched and stressed to take care of basic necessities for myself and family, how can I help others?
Perhaps the New Moon in Aquarius conjunct Pluto suggests that we are preparing to transcend the “world” that is limited to sense-based evidence (reflected in things) and move into a world that is more open and solution oriented: “Harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust abounding, no more falsehoods or derisions, golden living dreams of visions, mystic crystal revelation and the mind’s true liberation” (from the Broadway production, Hair (“Let the Sunshine In”).
Practicum
Want to experiment with minimalism? Take the “Less is More Challenge,” below. You might watch “The Minimalists: Less is Now,” on Netflix for more information or you can check out the website, minimalists.com.
• Partner with someone, friend, family, co-worker.
• Let go of 1 thing on day 1, 2 things on day 2, 3 things on day 3, etc. for 30 days.
• Donate, Sell, Recycle.
• If you would like, share your progress, #LESSISNOW.
_____________________ * The Community Murals initiative in Philadelphia. PA is deeply rooted in Mural Arts’ beginnings as a grassroots platform for the voices of everyday citizens. We collaborate with community members to imagine and lead projects that build social capital, develop a sense of communal ownership over space, represent diversity, and empower people to make change in their city.