Streams of Consciousness: February 2020’s New Moon in Pisces

On Sunday, February 23rd, 2020, at around 10:31 AM EST, we will have a New Moon at 4’28 degrees of the spiritual and sensitive sign of Pisces. Here’s what to expect.

What is a New Moon?

A New Moon represents the beginning of the lunar cycle when the moon is conjunct the sun and invisible to the human eye. New Moons are a good time for fresh starts and new beginnings. It is a good time to start a new project or make a radical change. It's also a good time to find clarity on what you want, and release what no longer serves you. The effects of a New Moon generally last for about two weeks, up until the next Full Moon.

With the New Moon in Pisces, we can expect new beginnings related to our connection to the divine, dreams, imagination, emotion, and our sense of oneness with others.

It may be helpful to think back to what was going on in your life during the Full Moon in Leo or the Full Moon in Pisces six months ago, for certain themes may be repeating themselves.

Whatever intentions you set now should come into fruition by the time of the Full Moon in Virgo on March 9th.

Those with any personal planets or angles between 0 to 10 degrees of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) will most especially be affected by this New Moon.

New Moon in Pisces February 2020

Pisces is the 12th and last sign of the zodiac, historically depicted as a pair of fishes swimming in opposite directions joined by a cord, usually by the mouth or the tail. It is a mutable water sign traditionally ruled by Jupiter and in modern astrology ruled by Neptune.

In ancient times, the two fish were associated with the Greek goddess, Aphrodite (whose Roman counterpart is Venus, the planet of Pisces' exaltation) and her son, Eros, who transformed themselves into koi fish and jumped into the Euphrates River to escape Typhon, the 100-headed dragon monster who tried to overthrow Zeus' place as ruler of the cosmos. Perhaps, this is where Pisces' association with escapism comes from. Pisces is known for it's tendency to swim away from conflict. It is not known to be a fighter but is known for it's desire to save others. In another myth, Aphrodite was said to have been born from an egg that fell into the Euphrates River and rolled out onto the shore by fish. Aphrodite then put the fish into the night sky as a sign of gratitude, and that's how the sign of Pisces was born. The sign's connection with Aphrodite gives it a very visceral connection to beauty and romanticism, often longing for its' soulmate or its home in the spiritual realm. Pisces is a dreamer and an idealist, often an artist or musician, preferring the beauty of their imaginations to the harshness of everyday earthly existence.

Pisces later came to be associated with Christianity, with the fish being an early symbol adorning churches and worn by priests. Jesus is often said to represent archetypal Piscean qualities of compassion, humility, sacrifice, universal love and connection to the divine. He baptized by water, and his twelve apostles were called upon to be "fishers of men." In addition to being a sign known for its compassion and empathy for all beings, Pisces is known to be a symbol of martyrdom, sacrificing itself for the well-being of others.

Pisces has a long history of being associated with emotion and spirituality. Fishes are generally seen as peaceful, vulnerable, ocean-dwelling creatures. The ocean, often regarded as a realm of mystery, is the birthplace of all life on earth, and symbolic of the emotional and spiritual realm that lies beyond material earthly existence. It is representative of all that is mysterious and esoteric.

In it's lower manifestation, Pisces can be oversensitive and self-deprecating. Because the two fish are swimming away from each other, the sign can be marked by lots of internal conflict, dueling and contradictory feelings. In it's worst form, Pisces can be lost and confused. They easily absorb the energies of their environment but they can have trouble navigating their own feelings.

February 23rd's New Moon in Pisces is widely conjunct Mercury in Retrograde at 9'24 degrees. As I write in my article on the subject, Mercury Retrograde in Pisces while potentially causing problems in our verbal communication and logical thinking skills, will strengthen our nonverbal communication skills and our intuitive abilities, even causing telepathy and psychic experiences. The New Moon in Pisces might further highlight the strange coincidences and fated synchronicities, as well as the tension between feeling and reason, brought on by the Mercury in Retrograde. It's important to pay attention to our dreams.

The New Moon in Pisces also makes trine to the North Node at 6'50 degrees, Cancer. The North Node is a point of karma and destiny, representing our live's purpose and what we need to acquire in order to grow and evolve. The transiting North Node in Cancer asks us to step away from the influence of a society that values profits over people to care for and nurture the things that actually have meaning for us, the things that give us emotional security, our relationships with our families and the people we love. The New Moon trine the North Node could likely bring fated events that aid us in our spiritual evolution. It is a good time to go within and reflect on where you're at in terms of spiritual development. Do what you can to connect with God...or the Divine, Spirit, the Universe, Source, whatever you want to call it.

The New Moon is also making a sextile to Uranus at 3’27 Taurus and another sextile to Mars at 4’56 Capricorn. The New Moon's sextile to Uranus is liberating, and freeing, bringing us flashes of insight and exciting surprises. Meanwhile, the sextile to Mars boosts our strength, confidence, and drive to succeed but Mars conjunction to the South Node, our drive for material success and the fight to attain status is something we should be moving away from.

Furthermore, the New Moon in Pisces will coincide with a square between Venus at 18’17 degrees Aries and Jupiter at 18’20 degrees Capricorn. Both of the benefic planets are in uncomfortable signs - their detriment and fall respectively. Jupiter expands everything it touches and with Jupiter square Venus our need for love could increase, as well as our desire for material things. This transit could bring out a selfish, demanding and needy kind of love, and a gluttonous and greedy attitude. There could also be a conflict between our desires (Venus), and moral philosophies or our consciences (Jupiter).

It's interesting too because Venus is the sign of Pisces' exaltation (remember what I said about Aphrodite?) and Jupiter is sign of Pisces' domicile/ruler-ship. Perhaps, Pisces more romantic side is at odds with it's more spiritual side.

Conclusion

To sum things up, Pisces is a very spiritual and romantic sign, and the New Moon in Pisces is a good time for connecting with the Divine. The trine to the North Node in Cancer could bring fated experiences that aid us in our spiritual path, while the conjunction Mercury Retrograde could bring psychic experiences and telepathic communication. Uranus in Taurus will bring flashes of insight, while Mars in Capricorn gives us confidence and strength to put these insights into action. Meanwhile, the square between Pisces' ruling planets, its' exalting ruler Venus and it's domicile ruler Jupiter, indicates a conflict between our consciences and our desires.