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Pisces New Moon: Sadness and Wonder

By Simone Butler

In the thought-provoking new film Nomadland, someone refers to people like Fern, the character played by Frances McDormand, as homeless. “Not homeless,” she counters, “just houseless. It’s not the same thing.” Ousted from her long-time home after the company town she lived in went belly-up, the scrappy widow has taken to the road in her converted van, working seasonal jobs to support herself. And she takes fierce pride in this independent lifestyle, despite its inevitable hardships.

Thanks to Chloe Zhao’s masterful writing and directing and McDormand’s transcendent performance, we get a peek behind the curtain of the nomadic existence, with all its pain and glory. The folks Fern befriends are played by real-life nomads, many of them past retirement age. Through them, we get to contemplate life’s fragility. We feel the tension between the settled and unsettled life, between what they’ve found and what they’ve had to leave behind. As one reviewer put it, “Fern and her friends are united as much by the experience of loss as by the spirit of adventure. So many of the stories they share are tinged with grief. It’s hard to describe the mixture of sadness, wonder and gratitude that you feel in their company.”

These feelings are the hallmark of Pisces and its ruler, Neptune. Associated with the depths of the sea, Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac and the essence of mutability, flow and endings. It reminds us of the next realm, the Otherworld that parallels our earthy existence. This energy, which has been building like a wave all week, crests at the Pisces New Moon (March 13, 2:21 a.m. PST). It opens the floodgates of love and loss, as well as magic and the bittersweet nature of life in a body.  Venus and Neptune are conjunct in Pisces at the New Moon, adding to the swell of oceanic energy that washes away the past and brings inspiration. Thanks to Venus, exalted in Pisces, wild, romantic vibes are in the air – magnifying the need to love and be loved.  Falling for fantasies may be tempting. This much emotional Pisces energy can also feel overwhelming or exhausting. Especially if you’re an empath, you can expect to receive an influx of impulses, impressions, dreams and desires. Not all of them need to be acted upon, however.

With four Pisces planets squaring the Nodes in mutable Gemini and Sagittarius, you may feel an urge to throw caution to the wind and make a big lifestyle change. You might even be tempted (especially after seeing Nomadland, available on Hulu) to follow the risky lure of the open road. Just be sure to reflect and research to determine whether whatever you desire (especially the nomad’s life) is right for you. Things should be clearer after the March 20 Spring Equinox, when the Aries Sun burns off Pisces’ fog.

Meanwhile, if you’re mourning a loss or feeling down at this poignant New Moon, I send you a hug. It’s all part of the healing process. Toward the end of Nomadland, Fern visits the ocean (the ultimate Neptune/Pisces symbol), after releasing the burden of her past. And soon thereafter she’s reminded that there really is no final goodbye. Merely, “I’ll see you down the road.”

Filed under: Home New Moon Featured Article

About Simone Butler

Simone Butler is the author of Moon Power: Lunar Rituals for Connecting with your Inner Goddess. She's been a professional astrologer for 30 years. In addition to a worldwide consulting practice on astrology and Astro Feng Shui, Simone offers New Moon collage classes, and writes for The Mountain Astrologer. She also wrote for and edited the Starscroll for many years. Simone’s book Astro Feng Shui: Making Magic in Your Home and Life fuses Western astrology and Western feng shui into one unique, transformative system. Sign up to receive her entertaining, informative bi-monthly blogs and learn about her monthly rituals and tips.

Comments

  1. Fi says

    Mar 12, 2021 at 1:23 am

    What a beautiful poignant article. I love your sentence- “there’s no final goodbye. Just see you down the road”

    Reply
    • Simone Butler says

      Mar 12, 2021 at 8:41 am

      That comes straight from the movie, Fi! I hope you get a chance to see it. Many blessings and happy new moon to you…

      Reply
  2. Renell Hardtmayer says

    Mar 11, 2021 at 5:50 pm

    Thank you for this article…I will certainly look for Nomadland..on Hulu. I very much enjoy your perspective on MoonCircles and have had readings with Dana for 30 years!

    Reply
    • Simone Butler says

      Mar 11, 2021 at 7:04 pm

      New Moon blessings to you, Renell!

      Reply
  3. John R Wooton says

    Mar 11, 2021 at 3:58 pm

    I was just talking to my brother about wanting to hit the road like you wrote here, but I have a good deal going on right now and I’ll see what happens after this… . Thank you for this awesome article. There is another sector for my birth chart as I have Saturn, Jupiter, Mars & Mercury in Aquarius. So my logic is keeping my emotions in check. Be the Zen.

    Reply
    • Simone Butler says

      Mar 12, 2021 at 8:44 am

      Ha ha yes – and we still have Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius, perhaps that helps! Glad you enjoyed the essay, John, and many blessings to you…

      Reply
  4. Jacinta says

    Mar 11, 2021 at 3:45 pm

    Beautiful piece of writing, thankyou.

    Reply
    • Simone Butler says

      Mar 12, 2021 at 8:46 am

      Thanks, Jacinta! Happy New Moon!

      Reply
  5. Rose says

    Mar 11, 2021 at 3:38 pm

    Hi Dana, this is SO timely. Thank you! Today, Thursday, the Moon is hitting my Saturn and will soon trine my Cancer Moon. I miss my husband who passed Oct 2019 and I see closed businesses today and I just feel so SAD for the whole world! Just like this article says. I might just have to ride out the feeling until the Moon moves on! Thank god it will! All the very best, Rose

    Reply
    • Simone Butler says

      Mar 12, 2021 at 8:48 am

      Glad my essay resonated with you, Rose. So sorry for your loss…but this is definitely the time to grieve!

      Reply

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The Moon is in its
Full Phase

in the
Sign of Scorpio


Today's Lunar Aspects (Greenwich Mean Time)
(subtract: PST -8 hours, PDT -7 hours, EST -5 hours, EDT -4 hours)

  • Moon opposite Uranus, 2:35am  May 13 2025
  • Moon trine Saturn, 6:37am  May 13 2025
  • Moon trine Neptune, 11:29am  May 13 2025
  • Moon sextile Pluto, 4:11pm  May 13 2025

Venus is currently
The Morning Star

in the sign of Aries


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Astrologers use a variety of house systems, or methods of dividing up the sky into twelve sections. I use the Porphyry house system; another popular house system is Placidus (this is the default on https://astro.com). If the chart I send you looks different from what you are used to seeing, then likely a system other than Porphyry was used. Whole signs, Equal House, Regiomantus, and Campanus are examples of other systems. If you find all of this confusing, do not worry. It is likely not critical to your report.

m  Conjunction:  Like peas in a pod, planets in conjunction tend to come from the same place. They act together, but it’s also hard to tell them apart. This aspect can increase talent, focus, and intensity (“two are better than one”). Or one planet can disappear as the other dominates. Their connection feels so natural, it’s easy to think everyone blends these planetary energies just as you do—but mostly, they don’t!.

p  Sextile:  Planets in sextile are compatible, though without any fireworks. This aspect doesn’t demand your attention. It quietly presents an opportunity. You can join these archetypal forces. Donna Cunningham has called this the “Oh, that!” aspect, because that’s generally what her clients say when she describes their benefits.  To get the most from sextiles you need to actively work them.

q  Square:  Squares are wild and wonderful—but difficult too. The power struggle between these planets was likely defined in your youth, when they were impossibly challenging. People are usually aware of their squares. They force the issues that make you to grow. And that’s their gift. They ensure you learn your lessons. When you rise to the occasion, they bless you with energy, action, and success.

r  Trine:  Michael Munkasey has dubbed this the “goddess aspect” because it’s so lovely. Identifying talents you may have perfected in a previous life, trines can bring you joy. There’s a nice flow of energy between planets in trine. They support and reinforce each another. But without any struggle, you might take them for granted—neither using nor developing their gifts. An unattended trine can sometimes trick you into negative behaviors.

t  Inconjunct/Quincunx:  Your quincunx planets are innately incompatible. Bringing them into harmonious expression requires constant adjustments. This can be stressful, also motivating. You’ve got to keep changing your process, opinions or attitude—which promotes highly creative solutions.

u  Opposition:  They say opposites attract—and planets in opposition are never far from each other, though they’re constantly bickering. You may be triggered into awareness of this aspect by other people who seem to resist or undermine you.  An opposition can make you feel uncertain, insecure, or discontent, until you can accept and see yourself in both energies. Typically people find it easier to identify with one side and project the other onto unsuspecting others in the outer world.

First House: Personality, physical body, beginnings. Includes the Ascendant and rules physical appearance, the image you project to others, your general outlook on life, how you start things; may describe your role in your family system, often guides your first impression of immediate environment.

Second House: Money and personal finances, sense of self-worth and basic values, personal possessions, talents.

Third House: Communication, thoughts, language skills like writing and speaking, early schooling, siblings and neighbors, short trips, coming and going around town.

Fourth House: Your home, psychological foundations and roots, family, parents, domestic life, instinctive behavior, ancestry, your connection with the past, sense of security, domestic life, real estate. conditions at the end of life.

Fifth House: Children, creativity, romance; pleasure, entertainment, self-expression; all forms of “play”, speculation, gambling, and attitude towards taking risks; hobbies, attitude towards romance, lovers as opposed to partners, attitude towards having fun.

Sixth House: Work and job (as opposed to career), daily life, attitude towards service and coworkers, helpfulness, pets, attitude towards routine and organization, how you refine and perfect your skills.

Seventh House: Partnerships, one-to-one relationships, marriage, the first marriage, the “significant other”, business partnerships, competitors, open enemies, lawyers, mediators, counselors, contracts, negotiations, agreements. clients/the public.

Eighth House: Transformations and crisis, your ability to meet and rebound from crisis and change, sexuality; sex, death and rebirth, rituals and personal growth, your partner’s resources, addictions, psychology, other people’s money, taxes, divorce/alimony, inheritance.

Ninth House: Attitude toward expanding horizons, religious beliefs and personal philosophy, higher education, long-distance travel, morals, foreign languages and cultures, personal truths, publishing, commerce, advertising, your sense of adventure.

Tenth House: Career and profession, your contribution to society, social status, public reputation, material success, how you carve out a public identity for yourself; attitude toward authority figures, parents, caregivers, bosses, governments, attitude towards responsibility, desire for achievement.

Eleventh House: Friends, groups, organizations; hopes, wishes, aspirations, personal goals; your philanthropic attitude, concern for the collective, humanity; like tenth, can bring recognition and honors for fulfilling hopes and dreams.

Twelfth House: What’s hidden beneath the surface, karmic dustbin, limiting childhood/past-life messages, self-undoing, hidden enemies, hidden weaknesses, dreams, secret affairs, lost items, hospitals and prisons, hidden strengths, spiritual studies and soul growth.

A  Sun: Our vitality and magnetism; self-identity, ego.
Roles: The Self, the Hero, the Performer, the King.

B  Moon: Intuition, emotion, nurture.
Roles: The Mother, the High Priestess, the Child.

C  Mercury: Mind; physical dexterity and mental agility.
Roles: The Thinker, the Communicator, the Student, the Trickster, the Merchant, the Thief.

D  Venus: Our capacity for pleasure, receptivity, creativity, and social connection. Also indicates our relationships, self esteem, and financial abundance.
Roles: The Lover, the Seductress, the Artist.

E  Mars: Desire, initiative, anger.
Roles: The Protector, the Athlete, the Warrior.

F  Jupiter: Luck, opportunity, expansion, higher learning, religion.
Roles: The Scholar, the Gypsy, the Traveler, the Monk, the Professor.

G  Saturn: Hard work, commitment, focus, inadequacy, leadership, suffering, loss.
Roles: The Task Master, the Grim Reaper, the Wise Old Man, the Builder, the Cynic, the Boss.

H  Uranus: Change, breakthroughs, upsets, discoveries.
Roles: The Revolutionary, the Humanitarian, the Visionary, the Snob.

I  Neptune: Imagination, spirituality, idealism, addictions, deception, compassion.
Roles: The Artist, the Romantic, the Guru, the Addict, the Martyr, the Victim.

J  Pluto: Transformation, power, psychological dynamics, helplessness.
Roles: The Terrorist, the Detective, the Psychotherapist, the Dictator, shady people.

a  Aries: Pioneering, competitive, selfish, impatient, courageous, reckless, independent, dynamic, domineering, “Me first!”

b  Taurus: Patient, stable, lazy, dependable, practical, sensual, stubborn, artistic, possessive, greedy, gentle, loyal.

c  Gemini: Intelligent, curious, adaptable, quick-witted, restless, clever, scatterbrained, lacking follow-through.

d  Cancer: Nourishing, intuitive, protective, moody, sensitive, maternal, domestic, childish, cautious, creative.

e  Leo: Proud, dignified, vain, expressive, romantic, generous, childish, overbearing, self-assured, creative.

f  Virgo: Perfection-seeking, practical, methodical, petty, critical, studious, discriminating, cautious, never satisfied.

g  Libra: Charming, sociable, peace-loving, refined, diplomatic, artistic, indecisive, apathetic, easily deterred.

h  Scorpio: Passionate, secretive, penetrating, resourceful, suspicious, manipulative, jealous, sarcastic, intolerant, determined, aware.

i  Sagittarius: Freedom-loving, philosophical, optimistic, enthusiastic, careless, impatient, talkative, a know-it-all, broadminded, athletic, honest.

j  Capricorn: Serious, responsible, practical, hardworking, stubborn, brooding, inhibited, status-conscious, domineering, unforgiving.

k  Aquarius: Progressive, individualistic, unpredictable, cold, intellectual, artistic, eccentric, shy, impersonal, scientific.

l  Pisces: Compassionate, intuitive, ungrounded, romantic, impractical, self-sacrificing, seductive, musical, artistic.