Pisces New Moon: Navigating Overwhelm

During a particularly harsh Arctic winter in December 1984, native folks near the Bering Sea spotted over 2,000 beluga whales trapped by thick ice. Masses of frozen water were rapidly closing in on the mammals, squeezing them tightly together. For weeks, rescuers patiently hacked through the ice as best as they could, feeding the belugas with frozen fish. And thankfully, they survived for more than a month.

Finally, word of the trapped whales’ plight reached Russian authorities, who sent an icebreaker vessel to rescue them. The whole world followed news reports of “Operation Belukha.” Guided by spotter planes, the giant ship carved out large areas where the highly sensitive, exhausted cetaceans could catch their breath and regain their strength. But they would be doomed if they remained stuck in shallow waters.

Russian sailors tried to lure the gentle giants into the open sea, but the ship’s enormous, noisy propellers proved too scary and the whales wouldn’t follow. Finally, after days of fruitless efforts, someone recalled that marine mammals often respond to music. Quickly, various tunes began to pour off the top deck. Classical music hit the right chord; at last, the whales began following the ship to safety. By late February, all the trapped belugas had miraculously escaped back into the open sea.

This dramatic tale of entrapment, suffering and rescue happened as heroic Mars was slogging through underseas Pisces. And to me, the sense of overwhelm many of us felt while watching the saga unfold resonates with the current Mars retrograde in watery Cancer, in which many people worldwide are feeling trapped by circumstances, thrashing about like those unfortunate creatures. Thankfully, Mars finally turns direct on Feb. 23^rd, bringing slow but sure momentum – though we’ll still need plenty of patience.

Since last October, Mars has spent most of his time in Cancer, the sign of his fall.  This has been a testy period, to say the least. Anyone ruled by Mars or with planets in Cancer or early Leo has really been feeling the pinch. Once Mars turns forward, we should start to feel a sense of release. Yet we won’t be fully back into action until Mars leaves Cancer and returns to Leo in mid-April (where it turned retrograde in early Dec.) Many things should be getting straightened out by then.

Meanwhile, we have a powerhouse Pisces New Moon (Feb. 27, 4:45 p.m. PT) featuring five planets and the North Node in subterranean Pisces. These include the Sun and Moon at 9 degrees, Saturn and Mercury at 20-24 degrees, and the North Node and Neptune at 28 degrees. All of them are egged on by a square from Jupiter, newly direct in busy Gemini. Especially if you have Pisces planets, this could be a glamorous (or potentially delusional) time. Even without planets in the sign of the fish, this New Moon can enhance the feeling of overwhelm that many of us are feeling. But it may also bring a call to fulfill a long-held dream (Neptune-Node), a prompting to embark upon a rescue mission (Sun-Moon) or, the need to set strong, necessary boundaries (Mercury-Saturn) to protect yourself and/or others.

Healing and unity can be cultivated and overwhelm reduced by tuning into music, a profound Piscean medium. Surround yourself with your favorite tunes, as well as inspiring people and animals. As the beluga rescuers discovered, music has a power that all creatures can feel and quite literally be moved by. It helps melt away fear, bring us together in common cause, and create a space in which we can heal and rejuvenate. Venus is stationary at 10 Aries at this New Moon, about to turn retrograde, where she will join Mercury to dance a sultry backwards tango thru mid-April. More on that – and the provocative eclipses of March – in my next essay. Meanwhile, may this New Moon bless you, help you stay calm and carry on.