Aries New Moon Solar Eclipse: Stepping Up

Not long ago, singer Julia Price was getting some exercise, running along her usual path down a Chicago street, when she heard an older man yelling – loudly enough for her to hear through her headphones – “Sexy lady, hey hey hey sexy lady!” He kept screaming it, but she ignored him and continued to run.

The well-dressed man, who appeared to be on his lunch break from an office job, was angered by Price’s lack of response. So he stepped up the abuse, yelling after her, “Eff you, dumb B****!” That was Julia’s trigger point. She ripped off her headphones, faced her attacker and prepared to let him have it.

But just then, something unexpected occurred. A little boy who was walking alongside his mother and baby sister turned to the guy and declared, “Hey! That is not nice to say to her and she didn’t like you yelling at her. You shouldn’t do that because she is a nice girl, and I don’t let anyone say mean things to people. She’s a girl like my sister and I will protect her.”

Dumbfounded, the man scrambled to gather his lunch and leave. Price then asked the boy’s mother if she could hug her protector, whose name she learned was James. She told him how grateful she was for his intervention. He just shrugged and replied, “Well I just wanted to make sure your heart was okay.”

According to his mother, this is typical of James. And that gives me hope for the future of mankind. As the patriarchy continues to act out in hateful and destructive ways, it’s heartening to know that there are kind, courageous young men out there who are peacefully but firmly putting a stop to bad behavior.

We’re in Aries season now, calling forth the brave young warrior within us all. On March 20, Spring bursts forth in the Northern Hemisphere as the all-powerful zero Aries point is triggered. Thus begins the astrological New Year, a time of fresh starts, when life begins anew. Yet this Aries season is somewhat complicated, with both Mercury and Venus being retrograde in the warrior’s sign. The urge to fight and grow is stimulated, but progress may be a bit slow. Sometimes we have to review the past and do some soul-searching – in both our personal and collective lives – before we can enact the change we want. 

Neptune will also enter Aries on March 30 for the first time since April 12, 1861 – when the Civil War began. Neptune rules dreams and fantasies; Aries is very independent. Back then, people were battling their neighbors over the right to own slaves and maintain their rich lifestyles. Will Neptune in Aries bring a 21^st Century version of this terrible conflict? Hopefully not, yet there are already signs of it, as many people still idolize power, fame and wealth at the expense of others’ rights and needs. Yet surely the vast majority of us want everyone to be cared for. Neptune will be in Aries for the next 14 years. When it exactly conjuncts decisive Saturn at fresh start zero Aries next Feb., a turning point should be reached.

Next up, we have a New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aries (March 29, 3:58 a.m. PT). Though not a total eclipse, this New Moon at 9 Aries still packs a punch – especially as it happens within hours of Neptune’s ingress into the sign of the warrior. Also, retrograde Mercury will be at the zero Aries world axis point, bringing crucial messages from the past that we all need to hear. Mars, still cranky in Cancer after its recent retrograde, rules this lunation. Peaceful, caring warriors (not hot-headed ones) will rule the day. The Sun’s light being temporarily eclipsed may prove to be disheartening in some way. Yet Mars’ trine to Saturn in Pisces reminds us that patience will pay off, and that enforcing laws will protect the people.

Aries season in general, and the Aries New Moon in particular, urge us to crawl out of our comfort zones and take some thoughtful action. As we feel the life force rising within, it becomes easier to remember what’s worth fighting for. Step up for yourself and others from a place of love. But give things till at least mid-April to start picking up speed, once Mercury and Venus are direct and progress becomes attainable.

And remember James, the young warrior who used the power of his words to defend a woman he didn’t even know. Julia Price called it one of the most moving moments of her life, and said she considers him a symbol of hope for us all. “I think there’s a part of him we all have in ourselves,” Price said in a post. “The compassion and courage to stand up for others fearlessly, no matter what that looks like. We can look to James as an inspiration the next time we have an opportunity to be brave and help someone else.”