Religion has done love a great service by making it a sin. Anatole France
It was from the rind of one apple tasted that the knowledge of good and evil as two twins cleaving together leaped forth into the world. John Milton
This desire to govern a woman–it lies very deep, and men and women must fight it together before they shall enter the garden. E. M. Forster
Forbidden fruit is sweet. Traditional Proverb
Adam was human; he didn’t want the apple for the apple’s sake; he wanted it because it was forbidden. Mark Twain
Adam and Eve had many advantages, but the principal one was that they escaped teething. Mark Twain
There are several good protections against temptation, but the most popular is cowardice. Mark Twain
Do not bite at the bait of pleasure until you know that there is no hook. Thomas Jefferson
The Aries new Moon is quite an explosive, passionate and deeply intense one with some very interesting themes that can ignite, inspire and feed our impulses while, at the same time, teach us some interesting things about our selves and our lives and what it means to be human. Occurring on April 3 in the United States and April 4 in Australia, it's one heck of a doozy of an Aries new Moon with Mars, Lilith, Uranus, the Sun, the Moon, Jupiter and Mercury all in Aries. Many would see this combination of planets all lining up in Aries as explosive. Combining that together with the Sabian Symbols, I would go a step further and call it incendiary.
The Sabian Symbol for the new Moon is Aries 14: A Serpent Coiling Near A Man And A Woman. This symbolizes the story of the “temptation” of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The ‘Serpent’ offered Adam and Eve the gift of self-knowledge. However, this “knowledge” also revealed to them that they were naked and that this was sinful. The ‘Serpent’ was said to have brought them both knowledge and guilt. The “snake” can be symbolic of anything that induces fear or negativity into a situation. On the other hand, what the “snake” symbolizes can bring a healing and a profound sense of, or need for, self-knowledge. This Symbol can show the celebration of the physical body and the enjoyment of another through all of the senses.
Something or someone may be coming between people. ‘A Serpent’ is shown ‘Coiling Near a Man and a Woman’; this can be a third person or some kind of threat. It can bring jealousy, resentment, distrust or separation. What comes between people may be an idea or a belief system, such as the fear of God. It may be some insight or knowledge that has come to light; it may be another person or a lover. Temptation, fear and passion can all too easily get in the way of any relationship, old or new. It can sometimes be difficult to tell exactly what’s coming between people; it could be an emotion, psychological condition or memory. The ‘Serpent’ in this situation is not necessarily in a threatening pose, yet it can still induce a sense of fear or tension because of assumptions and prejudice. Snakes by their very nature don’t have to do anything to be intimidating—they arouse fear, uneasiness and other, more extreme, reactions by their mere presence. Maybe one needs to let go of inhibitions in order to find new depths and ways of relating. If the fear of the “snake” were to disappear, would you then be able to return to your own “Garden of Eden”? Alone, or as a couple?
Keywords: Enticement. Allurement. Revealing archetypal knowledge that may not be “socially acceptable”. Temptations. The Adam and Eve story. Jealousy. Sexual instincts. Life and death issues. Relating based on control. Kundalini energy. Realizing polarity. Individuation. Eating the Apple. The “knowledge of good and evil”. Having one’s eyes opened. Marking one’s territory.
The Caution: Feeling guilty. Being afraid to express one’s feelings. Basic instincts and sexual energy. The fear of knowledge, secret or otherwise. Using sexuality as a control device. Disgust or distrust of the body. Sexually transmitted diseases. Hiding nudity or sexuality. Being thrown out of paradise.
The 'Karmic Condition' (the degree before) this new Moon is where Jupiter has just spent several days throughout the period of major concern about the nuclear reactors, etc, in Japan. The Symbol is Aries 13: A Bomb Which Failed To Explode Is Now Safely Hidden From Discovery. Although the Symbol implies it will be 'safely hidden', there is no guarantee of it as the degree can surely show bombs igniting as much as it can show bombs being defused.
The following are a few quotes from my book to illustrate this degree:
Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten. Buddha
How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it. Marcus Aurelius
“I lose my temper, but it’s all over in a minute,” said the student. “So is the hydrogen bomb,” I replied. “But think of the damage it produces!” George Sweeting
I do not like this word “bomb.” It is not a bomb. It is a device that is exploding. Jacques le Blanc—French ambassador to New Zealand on Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior bombing.
Keywords: Pressure valves. Getting away with something. Tantrums and frustration. Tempers that simmer. Explosive behavior. Bombs, explosions. Sudden and forceful events. Intelligence organizations, CIA, FBI, ASIO, etc. Valuable lessons of self-restraint. Relief from problems. Discharging nervous energy. Security checks. Last minute escapes.
The Caution: Suppressing stress or illness. Doing inappropriate things and thinking the secret safe. Repressing emotions. Undefined anger. Pressure cooker energy that needs to be released slowly. Explosions damaging more than expected. Activists. Deception behind one’s back. Clash of ideals. Terrorism.
So, there's likely to be a lot of repressed anger, passions and emotions around. The situation in Japan with the nuclear reactors can certainly be seen by Jupiter and the Sun and the Moon passing over the 'bomb' degree. It will be interesting to see what will happen when Mars passes over Aries 13 – the 'bomb degree' in a few week's time.
Adding to the 'tension' of this new Moon is Mars, Lilith (the female energy that's very much involved in the Adam and Eve story) and Uranus all conjunct (on the same degree). We may find that using humor and endeavouring to spread good cheer may be an antidote to the wound-up energy coursing through this new Moon. The Symbol is Aries 2: A Comedian Entertaining A Group Of Friends.
Keywords: Seeing the funny side. Having insights. Always being on the ‘go’ mentally. Putting on a show for others. Having presence and charisma. Being the life of the party. Banter. Cracking up with laughter. Ragging each other. Humorous interplay. Saying what the group wants to hear. Jokes. The buffoon. Inside jokes. The jester.
The Caution: Being silly or trivial to avoid reality and gain acceptance. Feeling separate because of different views. Not seeing the light side. Being a bore with many irrelevant things said. Being flippant and insincere. Not being amused. Demanding the spotlight. Feeling responsible for how others feel. Not knowing when to stop. Not having good boundaries.
Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious. Anon
In the end, everything is a gag. Charlie Chaplin
The ultimate test of whether you possess a sense of humor is your reaction when someone tells you you don't. Frank Tyger
Adding to the tension is the current Jupiter/Saturn opposition which is playing right into this new Moon. Saturn is on Libra 14: In The Heat Of The Noon, A Man Takes A Siesta. This speaks of the need to take time out, to rest. It can show sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, midday rushes, long lunch hours, tiredness and yawning, hot and demanding days leading to inertia or exhaustion. It can be, especially as Saturn is on this degree, working so hard that one is forced to take a break or to rest.
So, Saturn seems to be saying not to overdo things, however, that may be a hard ask as there could be so much to do. Thankfully, Jupiter is on the 'helping' degree. It's on Aries 16: Brightly Clad Brownies Dancing In The Warm Dying Light. I particularly appreciate this degree and see it as being a divine intervention, especially if one believes in 'the brownies' (nature spirits that come to help).
Keywords: Reveling in nature. Believing in guides. Fairies and nature spirits. The wonder and awe of nature. The setting sun. Last minute preparations before evening. The psychic magic of dusk. Light that dances. Unseen guardians. Receiving guidance and help. Seeing the invisible. Help at the last minute. Fairy godmothers. Questions of: what is the “real” world?
The Caution: Self-delusions. Missing the true picture of what’s happening in the “real-world”. Losing the plot. Relying on others, including angels, nature spirits, etc., instead of yourself. Neglecting responsibilities. Crying wolf. Using people.
The message of Venus can be seen as adding fuel to the fire of having to do things, to get them done, to succeed, to be first. The Symbol is Pisces 9: The Race Begins: Intent On Outdistancing His Rivals, A Jockey Spurs His Horse To Great Speed.
Keywords: Competitiveness and high ambitions. Wanting to win, sometimes against the odds. Losing and gaining weight. Weightlessness. Racing to be first at things. Demanding quick flight. Bolting out of the gate. Aggressive desires. Exhilaration. Wanting to better oneself. Being on the home run. Speed and the need for it. Facing forward with great intensity. Rivals and competitors. The value of training. Horsemanship. Discipline. Energy poured into the drive to succeed. Starting whistles, pistols or lights.
The Caution: Galloping at full speed prematurely. Being too ambitious. Ruthless measures. Jumping the gun. Doing anything to win or succeed. Being pushy or single minded. Running out of steam before the finish line. Weight dropping off too quickly. Sabotage or blocking other’s efforts. Reigning in energy at the last moment.
Mercury is doing his little backwards dance (is retrograde) at this new Moon, asking us to renew, redo, revise, reconsider and all those things that Mercury retrograde can demand of us. The Symbol is Aries 24: An Open Window And A Net Curtain Blowing Into The Shape Of A Cornucopia.
Keywords: Imagination. Keeping your options open. The promise of fruition. The breath of life filled with inspiration. Realizing that in everyday life, one has it all. Windows of opportunity. Gain, abundance, riches. Spiritual energies pouring in. Concentrated energy. Seeing desires taking shape. Curtains and windows.
The Caution: Relying on spiritual ideas to provide material sustenance. Dreaming of things dropping into one’s lap. Hoping that good luck will just ‘blow in’. Shutting windows, keeping light and life out. Drawing curtains and withdrawing. Promises, promises.
Mercury, over the next few weeks, will be going retrograde over all these degree Symbols and passing over all these planets in Aries, repeating and bringing up these issues again. It goes direct on April 23 on Aries 13 – the unexploded (or exploded!) bomb degree.
Something major that we may draw on for inspiration is the Moon's north node currently on the Galactic Center. The Symbol is Sagittarius 27: A Sculptor's Vision Is Taking Form.
The universe is one of God's thoughts. Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller
It may be that our role on this planet is not to workshop God but to create him. Arthur C. Clarke
We must become the change we want to see. Mahatma Gandhi
Keywords: Concrete creative manifestation. The Godhead. The Galactic Center. Creating the ‘Vision’. Evolution. Things going from crude beginnings all the way up to concrete outcomes. Sculptors and sculptures. Molding shapes and forms. Seeing and visualizing things ahead of their time. Sticking with the creation.
The Caution: Disregard of others’ needs. Unnatural focus on the goal. Being one-eyed about the outcome. Watching a situation, or one’s life “crystallize” into unbending shapes. Having one’s designs set in stone. Sitting back and thinking that things will just magically happen without any effort being made. Others believing they know what you should do or be
This new Moon is extraordinary in its energy, especially with so many planets being in Pisces just recently. It seems to me that we are being asked to 'hurry up and slow down'… finding that balance is going to be quite the challenge as is taking a bite of that apple.
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