It Begins: The Changing of the Guard - New Moon in Pisces February 20, 2023 at 1:05 a.m.

By Carrie Gane

This is an interesting new moon on February 20, 2023 as it is demonstrating Pisces' Law of Life, Death and Rebirth. We can see six planets straddling a death-rebirth threshold. On one side of the threshold, we have three planets wrapping up the final lessons of the zodiac sign they are in. Their energy will die soon to a new energy signature. On the other side of the threshold, we have three planets newly immersed in a new zodiac sign. These planets are carrying a new energy signature, just reborn in a new sign.

On the dying side of the threshold (28-29 degrees), we have Venus, Pluto and Saturn, symbolizing a death. On the birthing side of the threshold (0-1 degrees), we have the new Moon, Sun and Earth in the first degree, symbolizing a birth.

Why is this important to us? We are beginning to experience a very significant astrological event. Two heavy-hitting planets, Pluto and Saturn, are beginning a changing of the guard. Pluto affects us at global levels. Saturn affects us at societal and global levels. As Venus, Pluto and Saturn help us to complete cycles, the new Moon, Sun and Earth are helping us to birth a new cycle. We are in the in-between this month, straddling death-rebirth. Our attention to this moment helps us understand the undercurrents of change we are all feeling.

Pluto has held court in Capricorn since 2008. From March 24, 2023 until mid-June 2023, Pluto will take its first step into Aquarius. Pluto was last in Aquarius from 1778-1798. During this time, history reveals a revolutionary period where we transformed our world. It is during this time period that the U.S. Constitution was ratified. This brought states together to form a union. The Bill of Right was also passed during this time.

When Pluto shifts signs, we will be called to shift our power dynamics. I believe we will experience Pluto's shift into Aquarius in the same way Caroline Myss describes true empowerment- “Moving from the love of power to the power of Love”. Aquarius will bring a greater awareness of our need for more humanitarian reform were there is oppression now. Aquarius' ruler Uranus will also assist in this, as Uranus carries the vibration of Pure Love. While we get a taste of Pluto in Aquarius next month, it will be brief for now. Pluto will return to Capricorn during its retrograde period (lasting until mid-January 2024).

Saturn will also experience a changing of the guard during this month in Pisces. Saturn has not been in the sign of Pisces since 1993-1996. Saturn will move into Pisces on March 8, 2023. When Saturn moves into Pisces, we will be impulsed to build new foundations based on a sense of Oneness. We will be called to experience a deeper awareness of our intuitive nature. We will be asked to further embrace our Holy nature. We will see where we are out of balance between our feminine, creative energy and our logical, masculine energy. We will be prompted to experience each other as sacred above all else (nationality, race, gender, social status, attractiveness, religious affiliation, sexual identity).

These inner changes will assist us in building systems in our world based on our Divinity. What could this look like? A world where we all live within a foundation of knowing that animals are sacred, our oceans are sacred, our natural resources are sacred, Mother Earth is sacred, we are sacred. Sacredness breeds a sharing mentality, not a scarcity mentality.

These changes are coming. We can see and feel them through the astrological vibrations this month. It is helpful to understand where we are heading and that it is good and benevolent. Because as we experience this changing of the guard (in Pluto and Saturn), we will see and experience disruptions. We will continue to see the old patterns of life that no longer serve us fall away, which often looks very scary to our human eyes.

However, it is actually symbolic of the dead leaves of winter falling from the Tree of Life. New growth is ready to come forward and blossom. Pisces asks us to remember this and look at our transitioning world through the eyes of our heart.

Venus, who affects us on a more personal level, changes signs every few months. At the moment of the new moon, Venus will be in the final degree of Pisces (29 degrees) and about to be reborn in Aries. With Venus' rebirth, our focus on love and values will move from the Universal (Pisces) back to our personal awareness of Self (Aries). Venus in Aries will help us explore our sense of I AM.

From February 27th to March 6th, Venus will be close enough to hold hands with Jupiter. This is a sweet, juicy energy to treat yourself to a reward, a gift or a fun time doing something you love. Venus will also move to hold hands with Chiron from March 1st to March 5th. While Venus holds hands with both Jupiter and Chiron (between March 1st through March 6th ), be aware of how you are feeling loved, being love, receiving love, withholding love. It will be a week of great assistance in bringing a loving energy of healing to ourselves. Venus can help us to fall in love with the new One that we are becoming.

Saturn in Aquarius, now at 28 degrees, will be holding hands with the new Moon and Sun in the 1st degree of the next sign, Pisces. This helps provide some stability in the process of moving through cycles of life, death and rebirth this month. Things are being released from within us (cleared), we are completing cycles and we are finding a way to incorporate a sense of wisdom and completion by honoring the sacredness of situations and events we have participated in.

Pisces itself is the last sign of the zodiac. Pisces is a wise, old sign, one who has collected many lessons and life experiences. Pisces' guidance is to take what we have learned through our trials and tribulations and find the sacredness in it. Look under our "daily living" of life to feel the heartbeat of Source. Pisces is an energy that asks us to let go and reach down to touch the Divine Feminine. To feel her creative undercurrents of Life moving us forward.

I would like to mention the Sabian symbols for the month here. The new Moon and Sun in 1 degree and 22 minutes in Pisces express the symbol “A squirrel hiding from hunters”. Squirrels are symbolic of activity and being prepared. They are observant and social and spend much of their time gathering and storing nutrients for the winter. They are vocal and playful, reminding us to have a balance between activity and non-activity, work and play. This symbol seems to suggest taking refugee from the chaos of the outer world by retreating into our connection to Spirit within. It asks us to use good common sense, bring awareness to chaotic situations and make some preparations to ensure our well-being in our outer world.

The new Moon and Sun's opposing partner of Earth carries the symbol of “A large white cross upraised”. This can point to a crossroads decision. We can see this crossroads in the timing we are at during the new Moon. We are at a “critical moment”, as the 29 degree in astrology is called. The critical moment asks “Have I learned and incorporated this lesson?” If I have, I now have the wisdom to expand into a new cycle. If I have not, I will go round and round again, repeating the cycle because I have not gained the wisdom. We all know the quote “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”.

This is where we are as a human collective right now. We are at a crossroads time in history. Will we use our wisdom to bring our human and Spirit self into a balance, into a cross to be upraised? Or will we continue to repeat a history of denying our Spirit-Soul self and only feed our human wants and desires?

The shared motifs of these two Sabian symbols is an “elevated sense of choice” and a “good sense and discriminating awareness”.

Mars is still in Gemini (air sign), where it has been since August 2022. It will leave Gemini in late March 2023, after spending an exceptionally long time there. This has allowed us to really work on using our discernment (Gemini) to choose how to take action and move forward. Mars is a fiery, action-oriented energy that helps us feel passionate and gives us the energetic drive to take action. In Gemini, it is all about making choices and gathering information. Which choices bring our heart and head into union? Which choices bring us a sense of joy and healing, of playfulness? We always have choices, even if the choice is simply to accept what we cannot change or to choose to bring an awareness to ourselves of what we can change. Maybe our choice is to let our heart speak first, before our head chimes in.

Mercury is in Aquarius right now, also an air sign. Mercury is bringing enlightened ideas and ah-has to us. Mercury asks us to not just think broader and more uniquely, but to speak it. To speak of our insights, our ah-has, our humanitarian ideas or views. It also lets us know that everyone's voice is needed in our world. We need to be listening and learning from everyone that we find at our table- whether it is a family table, a political table, a social table, etc.

We each bring a sense of wholeness to the group. We each carry a unique vibration and wisdom. If we take the time to listen to everyone, we may find the person who rarely talks carries a great deal of wisdom and guidance we all need. We need to find it in our hearts and in our temperament to be good listeners to the people in our world.