Welcome to the New Moon in Aquarius which wanes at 4:44 pm. The Moon, representing our emotional nature, the female archetype, our inner selves, dreams, intuitions, psychic abilities, etc., in the sign of Aquarius, the Water Bearer. Although the Water Bearer is typically a feminine symbol, Aquarius is masculine, fixed air. It is the “I know” of the zodiac and represents stability. Ruled by the Greek sky god, Uranus, Aquarius is unconventional, and dances to the beat of its’ own drummer, and never bound by tradition, unless by choice. With 7th house energies over seeing this New Moon, she focuses on friends, and relationships as a source of strength.
Aspecting this Full Moon is the conjunction with the Sun, and Mercury, and the square with Uranus.
The conjunction is an aspect of intense unification, so the Sun and the Moon stand together as one total unit. Our emotions, and outer personalities working together. The Sun, representing our basic character, conscious personality, and who we are at heart, in Aquarius is open minded, and progressive, and the social life is on the forefront.
Mercury is the planet of mental activity, and intellect, and sits in unification with the Sun, and the Moon, and brings its’ impartiality into the mix with its’ original ideas, and its’ ability to see the world as a whole. Mercury in Aquarius is idealistic, and with 7th house energies with Mercury, communication becomes a great love.
The square occurs when planets are at 90 degrees and is considered a position of tension in order to stimulate movement. Uranus is the planet of change and ingenuity, and although the square brings a bit of tension, Uranus’ unconventionality fits right in with the Aquarius New Moon, and may only need to add a bit of nudging to get things moving in the right direction… like that twang of concern or maybe even a little guilt when we don’t call and check up on a friend that we may be upset with, but still care about, or that chore around the house that needs tending, and just seeing it in the corner of your eye bothers you enough to get you moving. Or perhaps, we’ve been in our closets during the winter months thus far, but the days are starting to get longer, and we’re beginning to creep back out into the world again, and may need to catch up with the outside world. Whatever this New Moon is nudging you to do, wherever it falls in your individual charts, take the opportunity to do what’s been nagging at you so you can get on with something new and exciting, now that the issue can be put away, once and for all.
Tomorrow, January 25th, marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year into the YEar of the Rat. The rat is considered the yang of the yin/yang energy, and represents the beginning of a new day, just as the New Moon marks the beginning of a new cycle. The rat is considered sensitive to the emotions of others, but stubborn, and are able to turn some unlucky events into fortunate ones.
Today in the Hebrew is the Rosh Chodesh or New Moon for the month of Shevat. In the Torah portion for today, Moshe convened the people and began a review of the Torah; every now and then we need a reminder of what the rules are. I’m 62 now, and sometimes, I still have to remind myself that I have great faith; sometimes it starts to dwindle. It’s often easy to see how faith can work for someone else when they are going through issues, but now and then, I need a reminder to myself that things do always work out, despite how they sometimes look at the moment, and I fall apart. But then along comes someone else who, at that moment, has great faith, and they’re there to just be a simple reminder, when you’re at a low point. Just to show you how the Universe can work sometimes, at that low point, at that very moment, it might be a lot of someones at the same time, there to remind you. I remember a story back when I used to follow Joyce Meyer, and she said once that the more spiritual she tried to be, the more she knew God was there to support her. We will have good days, but we can’t expect them all to be good days, because then how would we thus know they were good days, if that was all we had to judge by? They would just be days, neither good nor bad.
Livekabbalah.org provides as follows:
“According to the Zohar, each permutation is encoded as the initials of a certain verse from the bible. The permutation for Shevat is היו”ה (Hei Yod Vav Hei) and it is coded in the in the initials of the verse – “המר ימירנו והיה הוא” (“…and if he converts it at all, then both it and that for which it is converted to shall be holy…” – Leviticus 27,33) which indicates the powers of Shevat to make transformations and have changes in our life.”
Shevat is left column energy; the desire to receive, and has strong currents for that purpose. The Hebrew letter for the month of Shevat is the Tzadik, which is likened to the one who desires and seeks knowledge. Knowledge is power and is the basis for true freedom. The sages believe that redemption (messiah) will come when we are all Tzadikim (righteous) and convert our desires into receiving only for the purpose of sharing with others.
Traditionally in the study of Kabbalah, the letter Tzadi was related to the Star in the Tarot. However, Aleister Crowley, posed this was in error and related the Tzadi to the Emperor. Since his tarot is the deck we use for the purpose of these studies, we will stick with his direction, plus it works here. The Emperor represents the red tincture and the Empress represents the white tincture. Students of the Tree of Life are taught that we must first find the white tincture and unite it with the red tincture in order to complete the great work, which is also represented in the “rays of the six pointed star,” the triangles coming together, the merging with the Holy Guardian Angel, or in some belief systems, god manifest in man. At this New Moon, we sort of have a representation of such a merger as with the two sides of our personality being unified under one sign, and purpose. In the television series, “Joan of Arcadia,” the character, Joan, had a distinct relationship with God, as he would give her quests, and challenges which directly placed her in line to be a source of light or direction for others, as he said was her nature to be, and to do. Just as the historical character of Joan of Arc communicated with God which led her to lead the war for France in their revolution with England. I say this to say, I have met someone that talked to God, and he believed that God directed each and every part of his life, except the parts he wanted to control for himself, but in most instances he referred to God leading him. I’m not going to say it baffled me because we’ve been used to such people as Sylvia Browne, Theresa Caputo, Kim Russo, and such, and have some frame of reference with people who communicate with something outside of themselves that helps them along in whatever their quest or their purpose is, but their gifts they’ve shared with others in a way that brings peace, and a greater understanding to those they have helped.
The rule to keep silent isn’t to keep us from sharing, but more to discern with whom to share what with, and when. For instance, have you ever needed to know something, and you found out what you needed to know just at the right moment? That is converting to holiness. But had you found out sooner than that, you wouldn’t have received it properly? That’s casting your pearls before swine.
The Emperor is symbolic of the great father figure, or the male aspect of god, which I’ve always seen as keeping the rules, the disciplinarian with the female archetype being the loving understanding mother figure. One rule that has always been important to me is to follow and trust my instincts; that little voice inside that says go here, don’t go there… and I’ve always said as long as I listened, things were fine, but I have to say that we may sometimes also get led down a path that we think is bad, but one that becomes an opportunity for us to see how the universe moves on our behalf, because we have to appreciate that even things that we see as bad can be for our benefit.
The letter Tzadi, and the Emperor represent the 28th Path on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, which connects the sephira of Netzhach with the sephira of Yesod. The sephira of Netzhach is connected to the planet Venus in your chart and oversees peace, diplomacy. The sephira of Yesod is said to contain all the secrets and subconscious power of the universe and is connected to the law of attraction that operates in your life whether you are aware of it or not. It is related to the Moon in your chart and exposes your inner reflexes and how you instinctively react to various situations.
Correspondences
—Sphere of Yesod — —
We commence our journey in the Sphere of Yesod, the foundation.
The Hebrew Divine Name is Shaddai el Chai, the Almighty Living God.
The Archangel of the Sphere is Gabriel, Prince of Change and Alteration.
The Choir of Angels is the Kerubim, the Strong.
The Planetary correspondence is the Moon.
The symbols are perfumes and sandals.
The color is violet.
The element is air, the Astral Light, or Akashic Fluid.
The number is 9.
The Tarot card correspondences are the four Nines.
The corresponding body parts are the reproductive organs.
The chakra is the Sacral Center, located just below the navel.
The corresponding gland is the spleen.
The stones are crystal, pearl, or clear quartz.
The metal is silver.
Plants are gardenia, jasmine, and heliotrope.
The musical note is “C.”
Symbols are the horn and the cup.
The magical image is a very strong, beautiful, naked man.
The mythological correspondences are the Greek Goddess Artemis, the Roman Pan, the Norse Loki and the Wiccan God and Goddess, Cernunnos and Selena.
The spiritual experience is a vision of the machinery of the universe.
— Sphere of Netzach —
The Sphere of Destination is Netzach, Victory.
The Hebrew Divine name is Jehovah Tzabaoth.
The Archangel is Haniel, Prince of Love and Harmony.
The Order of Angels is the Elohim.
The corresponding planet is Venus.
The number is 7.
The Tarot correspondences are the four Seven’s.
The symbols of Netzach are the girdle, the rose and the lamp.
The stones are emerald and turquoise.
The metal is copper.
The color is green.
The corresponding body parts are the loins, hips and legs.
The corresponding chakra is the Solar Plexus Center.
The living beings are the dove, the sparrow and the swan.
The symbolic creature is the lynx.
The musical note is an “E.”
The scent is rose.
Herbs are blackberry, cherry tree, dwarf elder and golden seal.
The magical image is a beautiful, naked woman.
Mythical correspondences are the Greek Goddess Aphrodite, the Roman Venus and Diana and the Norse Goddess Freya. All are Goddesses of love and of nature.
The spiritual experience is a vision of beauty triumphant.
Now close your eyes, and lay your mandala aside.
— 28th Path —
The 28th Path is known as the Natural Intelligence, so-called because through it is consummated and perfected the Nature of every existing thing beneath the Sun.
The Hebrew letter for the Path is Tzaddi, meaning “fish hook.”
The meaning of the simple form of the letter is imagination.
The corresponding astrological sign is Aquarius.
The planet is Saturn.
The element is Air.
The metal is lead.
The Path corresponds to the Tarot Major Arcanum card The Star.
The symbols are the urn, the censor and the morning and evening star.
The stone is artificial glass.
The scent is galbanum.
Herbs are absinthe, fennel and buttercup.
The color is violet.
The musical note is “A#.”
The magical weapon is the censor.
Living beings representative are the eagle, the peacock and man.
Goddess Isis
Areas the 28th Path will help you:
Meditation and the ability to “still” the mind.
Opening the Sacral Center and freeing your energy.
Energizing yourself and others.
Recognizing the physical reality you live in.
Applying yourself to your studies.
Developing intuition in Astrological or other technical work.
Career planning and finding suitable work.
Problem solving.
Development of physical ability and martial arts skills.
Enhancement of dreams and understanding dream symbols.
Recognizing vampirism and your own inherent strength to resist it.
Learning to become a “pane of glass” that lets disharmony “pass through” you.
Learning to deal with your astral fears, visions, and worries by withdrawing your attention from them, by centering yourself through deep breathing.
Becoming more secure in dealing with your problems. Recognizing that there is always an answer.
Gaining knowledge of what is needed for you to move toward your own perfection.
Applying your Will toward your own evolution.
The ability to know who you really are, and to see others as they truly are.
Understanding that everything and everyone about you is a reflection of yourself.
Understanding the power of the group mind.
Being able to both nurture and receive nurturance.
Strengthening your connection to your Higher Self.
Improving your higher intuition and “knowingness.”
The ability to protect yourself psychically as well as physically.
Finding inner peace.
Opening the Solar Plexus Center.
Increasing creativity.
Increasing your ability to detach.
Chic Cicero writes of the 28th path:
The Twenty-eighth Path connects the emotive mirad in Netzach with the astral foundation in Yesod. It is therefore a path of deep meditation and contemplation. This is focused meditation, a higher form of meditation than that found on the previous path. The process of focused meditation involves concentrating on certain symbols that act as portals to inner knowledge of the cosmos. Through meditation, one consciously participates in the expansion of universal understanding.
Path Symbol: symbol of Aquarius
Meditations:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RwnfL5lW6yMQZ7Ed3amaem0tBIBir6NV
Guided Meditation: Path of Tsadi
https://drive.google.com/open?id=16k6JwQt2Z2jL5ocPqKKpDKpCbnyhBWm7
Meditation Closing:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0ay-QXTp36kNWZhdGJESVdaYlk
Marika's Moon Rituals 