New Moon in Aquarius - Moon Wobble & The Black Water Snake

Chinese Year of the Black Snake 10th February 2013 Gong Xi Fa Ca!
Self-reliant Snakes are complex. They have charisma and confidence and can appear to shed adversity like growing another skin because they endure and recover well. They are bon viveurs and have good taste.

On the 10th February, 2013 we celebrate the start of the Chinese New Year of the Black Water Snake and also notice that the Moon moves out of it’s dark Balsamic phase and starts afresh. It is time to renew, re-invigorate, ‘have another go’, pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and charge up the motor. In the week or so before we may have been just going with the flow, allowing things to drift along and perhaps letting go of what needed to be released. We could have waved ‘goodbye’ and said hello to what we thought was lost but now found or even renewed. There would have been a general sense of resting, waiting but an increased awareness, a quiet sensing of the direction the breeze may blow and a feeling that there is something brewing, hidden, just out of sight. 
In fact something has been growing, building and gestating. We may not know exactly what it is because the time for revelation is a few weeks away yet, when the light becomes brighter with the Full Moon. Right now we are prompted and primed to prepare for a change. This is just the start of this moon dance.
                                             
Boxing's 'The Greatest' Muhammed Ali is Moon in Aquarius/Chinese Snake
The signal that something is changing reveals itself as a shimmer, the merest glimmer of moonlight, magical but barely discernable. This glimmer of a shift in our awareness is the seeding of change that occurs with the monthly New Moon. It is an initiating time when we can pick up and tune into the haunting and subtle whispers of change promised by La Luna’s rhythms. We are much more sensitive now to the tiny filaments of alteration, the gossamer thin shifts in direction and the momentary re-adjustments of momentum. It is all there to be sensed and is as slim and subtle as the New Moons light beaming down to the earth. This month the New Moon seeds at 21 degrees of Aquarius. Aquarius the Human Water Bearer, Aquarius the Humanitarian, Aquarius the Air sign of potential genius. This is the flavour of the energy being stirred into wakefulness. 

Transylvanian Composer/Pianist Bela Bartok is Moon in Aquarius/Chinese Snake

The Aquarian qualities of being fair minded, the wilful pursuit of change and betterment for everyone and a broadening of our wave bands of interests and a widening of our circles of friendships, groups and acquaintances. An outright oddness may emerge as we throw our intentions behind effecting these changes. We may feel that we must now address issues that have an effect on everyone not just ourselves or our own clans. We must widen our range and go on ever further forward. We must try to experiment and explore and try to detach from the small minded and set our telescopes to focus into the far reaches of space. We must set something in motion now that may yet provide us with more of sense of who we really are outside of the confines that define us and may not really be ours but belong to ghosts, ancestral memory or present time authorities or authority figures. 

Founder of House of Gucci, Florence Guccio Gucci is Moon in Aquarius/Chinese Snake
(Gucci Atelier, Florence 1953)

We may feel more authentic and free someway further down the road. We might not see the finished results now but that lighthouse that contains the architect’s plans may well show itself later on in our journey when we can see its full beaming light, as it comes into the spotlight during the Full Moon time in a few weeks.

This month Lady Moon is again holding hands with the Sun Lord in Aquarius. This brand New Moon also sets off with a Moon Wobble, a term first used by astrologer Carl Payne Tobey. It involves the Sun in a dance with the Moon's Nodes by square or conjunction and right now the lunar nodal axis is Scorpio/Taurus 

Axis of Power & Possessions - Scorpio/Taurus. The Moon Wobble can essentially be a time when things can get a bit odd and with Aquarius, a sign already famed for weirdness it may prove quite a combination. Aquarius just loves to wake up the neighbours, it has a taste for the shocking and throwing in the odd spanner or ten into the works and relishes and revels in the unusual. Aquarius season is already in full swing but things may now take some further twists and rather strange turns and perhaps there is no way to make ourselves ready to greet the unexpected except by trying to avoid unnecessary drama.

Romanian Opera Prima donna 'Draculette' Angela Gheorghiu is Moon in Aquarius/Chinese Snake
'sings with the power of a hurricane...I'm waiting for a modern opera..I can put on all the blue jeans in the world. I can be sexy, I can be everything. But give me a reason.'

This is also a time when our emotions can be whipped up along the path ahead and we may feel as if we are treading on shards of glass rather than tufts of grass as we make our way forward. Our impatience and recklessness could peak and erupt in outbursts or behaviours that prove to be even more ill advised and that we will no doubt regret. We may feel like we are just churning up the lawn, gouging out the tufts and thumping out great divits in the dirt in our desire to instigate change. We may be blinded and overtaken by a sense of justice and fairness which seems right at the time but which from an objective viewpoint becomes neither just nor fair for a great many other people. Best advice is to keep cool, calm and collected, and try to detach yourself from the swirling emotions. Give yourself time to think, some air space, because a solution will come to you if you allow it time and an entry point. Whether it is yours or other peoples, let the head of steam cool down and evaporate.
The fixed star Deneb Algedi at 23 degrees Aquarius, is a binary star, together with Nashira, the Two Bending Stars lie in the split tail of the celestial Seagoat, in Capricornus like the tongue of the Black Snake they represent both good and bad fortune. The current contact with the Aquarian Sun and the Moon on a wobble highlights the need to use moral codes and ethics but not as weapons, at the expense of others and certainly don't 'bend' them in order to make good our own positions.

Ex French Prime Minister Dominique le Villepin is Moon in Aquarius/Snake
Came under the international spotlight with a passionate speech to the United Nations against the Iraq War, acquitted in the Clearstream smear campaign against Sarkozy plus R&C (Relais & Chateaux) fraud scandal.

New Moons ignite, they start stuff off, they sow the seeds and often in unseen and invisible ways. The light from the Moon is still just new, just a sliver and it is hiding more than it is showing. New Moons are those times when there are often sparks of novelty and bursts of freshness. We want to start again and begin new projects and undertakings. Our hope and optimism surges, we feel a ‘well why not’ attitude welling up inside us and begin to notice it in other people. The few days around the New Moon are excellent for trying out new things. Whether it is experimenting with new styles trying out new tastes or generating ideas this is a time for experimentation and play. Activating in the air sign of Aquarius, much of this testing out could take place with regard to social, cultural or group matters. We can use the energy in our favour by taking steps to re-build, re-design or strip back something back to its bare necessities and start afresh. Honour the Aquarian spirit by being a bit experimental, a bit ‘out-there’ and boost your vitality levels by expressing your inner weirdness. Aquarius is group orientated in that fact that it wants to give everyone, regardless of class, creed, race or sexuality a fair and level playing-field chance to be themselves. A birth-right to be free to live life in ways which honour not only our own inner being but also being mindful of bringing others needs to be who they are into the mix.

Existential Philosopher/Writer Jean Paul Sartre is Moon in Aquarius/Chinese Snake
'As far as men go, it's not what they are that interest me but what they can become'

Over the next few days of this New Moon time we have an opportunity to use this Aquarian energy to shake things up, come at life from a different angle and ignite our own spark of genius. Bring to mind some of your future projects, plans and schemes and perhaps think about them from another angle, its in your hands, you have the skill to direct any stream of knowledge into any dry desert waiting for irrigation. Plant the seed in a garden which allows for bio-diversity and where a weed can be be hailed as a wonderful flower. Don’t expect everyone to gather round and join in with you all of the time, they will have their own stuff to get on with now. The chance for gathering will come later, in a few weeks time, at the Full Moon. Keep a cool head, look to the future and dare to re-design your own life no matter how strange things get for a while.
             
Fashion Designer Christian Dior & Rapper Kanye West both are Moon in Aquarius/Chinese Snake
credits:financial times & idlers journal & the observor 

posted by pippa ponton & jphibbs

Full Moon in Leo - A Wolf in Snow Moon Clothing

Th Holocaust Remembrance Day 28th January, 2013.
The world remembers the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp at the same time as over 65 bodies so far, of young men and teenagers, hands tied behind their backs, gunshot wounds to the head, all summarily executed, were being dragged out of a ditch in Aleppo, northern Syria.

Known as the North Moon, the Ice Moon, the Cold Moon and the Snow Moon, on the 26th/27th January 2012 the Full Moon was in the fixed fire sign of Leo right opposite the cool, scientific and freedom loving Sun in Aquarius. How was it for you? Full Moons are traditionally a time of fulfilment and harvest, a London time of scooping up in our arms all the ripe fruits and bounty fallen at our feet as a result of the seeds sown under the previous New Moon. (New Moon in Capricorn - Serious Changes Germinating). This Full Moon is also known by Native Americans as the Wolf Moon when in the past packs of wolves, during this cold, lean winter time were hungry and howling at the moon. Wolves are predators that inhabit the night time and appear to function well under the moonlight. The image of the 'Big Bad Wolf' is dangerous, deceptive and destructive in folklore. It has also shape-shifted and mutated under the moon into the 'Werwolf', both a supernatural power and a curse. The Leo Full Moon no doubt would have been comfortable taking centre stage with the potential for this kind of drama.

Pioneering Film Director D. W. Griffiths has Sun in Aquarius/Moon in Leo
Best known for the The Birth of a Nation but also causing controversy over his positive portrayal of slavery and the Ku Klux Klan and negative presentation of African Americans.

All sounds well and good but what if the seeds that were sown were from a duff batch, or just good seeds, planted with the best of intentions but left untended, neglected and deprived of vital nutrients. If so, then we would have been staring at an empty and rather disappointing basket of goodies right now and scratching our heads in dulled bemusement, at best and frustrated anger, at worst. For about 5 days on and around this Full Moon time we should be able to gauge whether the ideas, projects or situations we instigated or experimented with at the last New Moon, a few weeks earlier, are worth pursuing or simply releasing. This is one of the Moon's gifts, if we watch her and take note, she could point towards and subtly illuminate our future path. Over these few days check the signs, stare at your basket, make sure that you appreciate the plump, juicy fruits of your labour and be ready to discard those that became dry and withered on the vine and not to your design.

Hollywood Costume Designer Helen Rose has Sun in Aquarius/Moon in Leo
Also famous for designing wedding dresses namely for Grace Kelly and Liz Taylor.
'I..... saw in huge headlines that an atrocious, senseless murder had been committed. I almost fainted when I saw the picture of Babe and of a fellow he had introduced me to as 'his best friend.'They had been accused of murdering a young boy. I was sure that some mistake.... To connect my friend with such a crime was just ridiculous, he was the last person in the world we would suspect capable of such a thing. Though we called him 'Babe' his full name was Nathan Leopold, Jr. and his friend was Richard Loeb'
(students Leopold & Loeb tried to commit 'the perfect crime' depicted in Hitchcock's Rope

The ‘Great Mirror In The Sky', the astrological map, reflects an image and sometimes what is reflected back at us may be difficult to accept in the full glare of the light of day. Yet avoiding looking at the mirror reflections of us will definitely not make anything go away. These shadows and ghosts come out to haunt us at night, anyway. They will not leave us in peace if we ignore them so we may as well accept them as parts of ourselves that need attention and use their whispers and hunches - come the daylight we can often be pleasantly surprised by what we find, hmm, not so bad after all. There may even be days where we say ‘Looking good’ and for all you Leo Moon's you can double that number. The few days that lead up to the Full Moon is the Gibbous period, a time to forage for information and learn by getting our facts stockpiled and being better informed in order to be able to move forward. Moonshine is just another way of looking at sunshine after all and a chance of learning to see things differently.

Actress Nora Gregor has Sun in Aquarius/Moon in Leo
Her most famous role was in Jean Renoir's  La Regle de jeu (The Rules of the Game) and its use of
 'deep focus', where the background action is as important as the foreground, maybe more so sometimes.

Full Moons are an astronomical opposition between the Sun and Moon. For astrologers, oppositions bring the potential for both hyper-awareness and a contradictions that need resolution. A balance must be found. Well the attention-grabbing and passionate Leo Moon faced a wake-up call from the dispassionate and fair-minded Aquarian Sun, 'look at me' hollered Luna Leo, 'no, check yourself, before you wreck yourself, reign it in and be aware of others' , finger wags the Solar Aquarian. 

Superstar Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has Sun in Aquarius/Moon in Leo
The most expensive player in football history

The monthly board meeting of the ‘Full Moon Corps’ necessitated and convened by the Sun and Moon assembled with a few other key representatives present. Mercury, Master of Trade and Communications, Jupiter Master of Sales and Marketing, Saturn Master of Working Constraints & Limitations and Uranus Master of Surprise.

Mercury – The IT Geek from the Department of Aquarius, was dressed in a matching colour to the Sun with the addition of flashes of electric blue and aquamarine. A geek maybe but dressed as a hipster and it seems plugged into the mainframe of information. This Geek chic apparently knows everyone and was absolutely everybody's friend, arriving in unisex clothing, of indeterminate age and flying around, rushed off its winged feet. This Mercury had the Sun's ear, in fact they seem in cahoots about something. 

Motto: Be futuristic and be clever.

Artist & Singer for the band Incubus Brandon Boyd has Sun in Aquarius/Moon in Leo & Mercury in Aquarius
'I have always idolised eccentric people'

Saturn – The Senior Accountant up from the bowels of the organisation, the Department of Scorpio was dressed in a traditional suit cut from an expensive cloth. Traditionally known for being dour and craggy but here in Scorpio he had a roguish glint in his eye. He may be holding on to a secret that only he knows and which seems to give him immense pleasure. Saturn is the elder statesman of the company and also it’s longest serving employee. He rose to the top slowly, diligently working his way up but is now a loyal and valued member of the firm. He knows the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the company and is often called in when things get too out of hand or when the company has over-reached or becomes over-stretched. Saturn is called in to reset the boundaries and to impose the necessary limits. When Saturn enters the room everyone expects to hear the dreaded words ‘austerity’ ‘restrict’ and ‘necessary’. Every one is slightly twitchy and trawling back through their minds to check whether they may well be hauled over the coals or called to account. This month, Saturn is called in again, this time to serve a restraining order on the collective-minded Sun and Mercury, who are both in accordance saying ‘let everyone benefit from the spoils, be even handed and let us share the profits equally’. ‘Now, now’ chastens Saturn, we all love the sentiment but very soon the coffers will dry up and we could have a mutiny on hands’. Saturn also scowls at the drama queen La Luna Leo, whose does not seem to be concentrating on the job at all. In fact, she is acting like it is her divine right to submit expenses for her extra holidays, money for pampering and for various extravagant social events. Saturn is obliged to step in and cut the budget completely and had his eye on the door waiting for La Luna's more restrained, trimmer replacement to appear. Motto: Be responsible and be cautious.

Actor Jack Lemmon has Sun in Aquarius/Moon in Leo & Saturn in Scorpio
'It's hard enough to write a good drama, it's much harder to write a good comedy and it's hardest of all to write a drama with comedy. Which is what life is.'

Uranus – Head of Research & Development up from the Aries research facility was dressed in a bright red boiler suit. Always surprising, outlandish and odd, he was unmistakably even more brash, youthful and pioneering and appeared to be on the brink of a breakthrough and quite unable to contain his excitement. He appeared frustrated to be called in to such a meeting when there is so much excitement going on elsewhere. His job was to provide back up and bring in further new ideas. He was expected to interject flashes of innovation and bright, exciting news of the latest developments. 'Let's think of a new way around this old problems’, lets think outside the box, go where we have never previously dared. Motto: Be brave and be edgy.

Singer James Brown has Uranus in Aries/Leo Moon
'The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing'

Jupiter – Head of Sales and Marketing, from Gemini/Gemini, is dressed in a ‘bang on trend’ clothes and ready to be very direct. Usually one for wild gesticulations and big gestures but for a while seemed distracted by a torrent of emails, texts and phone calls. His attention is scattered and hardly focused on the job in hand which looks like a bit of a clean-up operation. None the less, much like his buddy of the moment, Uranus, he had been called in to provide support by bringing tales of new and exciting horizons within touching distance. Motto: Be sharp and be informed.

The Simpsons creator, Matt Groening has Sun in Aquarius/Moon in Leo & Jupiter in Gemini
'I judge my life by how miserable it used to be. If I could pay my rent I was deliriously happy. Now I'm deliriously happy all the time..I love the idea that we put in jokes the kids don't get and that later, when they grow up, read a few books, go to college and watch the show again, they can get it on a completely different level'

The Ego orientated Leo Full Moon and the Everyman Sun in Aquarius does point towards issues of flagrant self interest versus universal charity that we could be faced with in spades in the coming days. 

General Douglas MacArthur has Sun in Aquarius/Moon in Leo

'The American Caesar' ,his son Arthur MacArthur changed his name and 'went missing in action' 

to avoid his father's 'relentless love' and of course the expected West Point military route.

We could also feel an inrush of faith and hope as a result of the Jupiter effect, or experience a sizzling sense of breakthrough with the Uranus effect, and obviously the balancing, doubting, cautious voice, warning us against over reaching will come with the Saturn effect. A mixture of boundless ideas and hope with the tinge of cautious realism well actually that may be a great cocktail, let's have a double. There does appear to be quite a bit more emphasis on the expansive, illuminating and experimental right now, so lets go with our ideas, give them room and air to breathe, lets dare to dream and try the what ifs and why nots and embrace the novel and the new. Have little fear because Saturn will restrain our more 'pie in the sky ideas' whilst providing practical support for the more workable ones. Looks like a 'win/win' put that way. However, it is also true that many people will either unconsciously or wittingly pass through this week with little or no noticeable change in their day to day lives. Daily life and it’s rituals will ebb and flow as per usual, both inner and outer events could seamlessly blur into our usual repetitive routines. Hopefully, a significant number of us will register the alterations and will be affected by, the shifting currents of change mirrored in the skies. Maybe we can capitalize on the changes, tack favourably with the trade winds, surf on that jet streams, if only in our minds and introduce the changes or at least the costume changes.

Forerunner of burlesque Gypsy Rose Lee has Sun in Aquarius/Moon in Leo
'I wasn't naked I was completely covered by a blue spotlight'

This Full Moon was also at 7 degrees of Leo, in the middle of the constellation of the Crab. Here lies the nest of Praecipe, known as The Beehive, or Crib, this is a cluster of stars that brings to mind the industrious bee and draws on this adventurous energy. Tapping into and relating to this energy can feed our spirits and nurture our nascent dreams. It also has a repution for reckless adventure and a driven nature so we may feel that we must press on and go about our 'busy-bee-ness’ but it can get a little carried away and invite overindulgence, a love of stimulants and narcotics.

Actor Oliver Reed has Sun in Aquarius/Moon in Leo
Known for his 'excessive binge bouts, macho image and bellicose demeanour he went for a combination, drinking 106 pints of beer on a two-day bender, during an arm-wrestling competition in Guernsey.

The choice is always ours. Calm down our mawing egos and yet find ways in which to show-off our unique individuality. Cater for our own needs whilst not impinging on others. Respecting the call of our inner natures as well as allowing for the variety of different calls of others.  Drive ahead with our vision, be brave, pioneering and risk taking whilst also heeding due care and caution. Be informed, clever, smart, objective and experimental. Yet, don’t lose focus or get too scattered and find ways to stay connected to other things besides simple facts, such as emotions, the unknowable, the irrational and the intuitive. Phew! time for those those stimulants.

We will have gathered more energy to forge ahead but then again so will everyone else around us. The need to respect and listen to what others have to say may just save us and those around us, an exhausting, draining and needless confrontation.

Full Moons are a time of high tides and surging seas as we have seen quite literally.(Taurus full Moon - Shelter From Hurricane Sandy). They can also be a time of dazzling insights, brave ideas and optimism. We want to surge forward with our dreams and visions. Now we also want to be brave, informed, clever and a tad cautious. We really needed that Leo Full Moon to have cast light to some darker corners of our life and like a follow-spot shine the blessings of the universe on our path. Maybe we all will not have the idea of taking centre stage. Ok, so some of us can all also feel a bit like we are stumbling around in the dark, a little on the lost side for a while, relying only on instinct and yes, just howling at the moon occasionally.

Actor & Singer for Brooklyn's TV on the Radio, Tunde Adebimpe has Sun in Aquarius/Moon in Leo
credits: spain-football.culturespain.com & urania & wikepedia & hollywoodphoshop & ibtimes & flickriver & celebs101 & pinterest 
posted by pippa ponton & jphibbs

New Moon In Capricorn - Serious Changes Germinating

Just weeks after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Connecticut, the National Rifle Association (NRA) president Wayne LaPierre said 'Look, I get it a bunch of kids died, and it’s really fucking sad or whatnot, and blah blah blah, but it’s not the end of the world here, people..the beat goes on..LaPierre wants armed officers in American schools 'the only answer to death by guns is flood the country with more guns and stand ready for the shootout' The media response is that the NRA president appears to blame everyone and everything except the guns. There are also various conspiracy theories as the identified shooter, 20 year old Adam Lanza's father Peter, claimed his son's body from the morgue also receiving death threats along with his other son Ryan also mourning the loss of his mother.
Adam Lanza's had Moon in Capricorn and the Moon was also in Capricorn at the time of the shooting.
Venus in Sagittarius - Faith in the Future

On 10th January, 2013 the Moon moves out of it’s dark Balsamic phase and starts afresh. In the week or so before this date we may have been appearing to be just going with the flow perhaps allowing things to drift along where they will and hopefully, letting go of what needed to be released and saying a few ‘goodbyes’. We may even have said a couple of hello's to what we thought was lost but now appears re-found or renewed. There has been a general sense of resting, of waiting and anticipating. It could feel like there is something hidden and brewing just out of sight. Something that has been growing, building and gestating. We may not know be able to actually pin down exactly what it is, the time for revelation is a few weeks away yet but we are prompted and primed to prepare for the changes waiting in the wings, ready or not.

Executive Director, Gun Owners of America, Libertarian, Larry Pratt has Moon in Capricorn
'Gun control supporters have the blood of little children on their hands...laws combined to insure that no teacher, no administrator, no adult had a gun...
Of course there are other opinions..the debates continue.

The signal of change is just the merest glimmer of sharp, silvery moonlight. This merest shift in our awareness is the seeding or initiating of transformation and occurs with the monthly New Moon. This is the time we can pick up on and tune into the haunting and subtle whispering murmurs of adjustment promised by the powerful Lunar rhythms. We are more sensitive at this time to the tiny filaments of alteration, the gossamer thin shifts in direction and the momentary realignment of momentum. It is there to be sensed and responded to and is as subtle as the New Moon's light flickering like candlelight over the surface of the earth.

India started a very serious the New Year 2013 with candlelit protest vigils
Mars in Aquarius - Idealistic Battles & Contradictions

This month the New Moon seeds at 21 degrees of Capricorn. Capricorn, the mountain goat or sea goat, Capricorn, the Achiever, Capricorn, the wise Cardinal Earth sign, this is the powerhouse energy being stirred into wakefulness just now. Capricorn qualities of ambition, grit and determination will emerge as we throw our intentions behind the practicalities of ‘getting the really important stuff done’. We will feel that we must now face the new glare of reality and adjust to changing things with a fair chance of some even tougher times ahead. We will feel an urgency to set something in motion right now that could provide us with more authority, some tangible signs of security or more control, further down the road. We may not see the finished results for a while but that lighthouse that we have the architect’s plans for in front of us will show itself to be useful later in our journey when we most need it's full beaming light. Quite possibly at the time of the Full Moon in a few weeks time. 

               
We may well have to slug and tough it out as we step into the ring and prepare for a wave or force of energy coming our way. Depending on what is triggered in our chart by 21 degrees Capricorn we could all use a technique which allows us to withstand and weather a few hurtful blows, or any accusations or criticism. Those born around 9th/13th January of any year have their Sun shining eternally on this point and can relate easily to the wisdom of standing firm and toughing it out. They have learnt to construct a protective shield around their vulnerable inner core. People like boxers George Foreman and Joe Frazier have included this ability in their career choices. Others like Richard Nixon, Heather Mills, Rod Stewart and David Bowie have learnt to stand firm and endure, some creating personas and alter egos which provide a buffer any swings and blows that may come their way.

David Bowie Sun,Mars and Mercury in Capricorn 'comeback' after a decade his 66th birthday 8th January, 2013 and looks back at life and Berlin 24 years after reunification..ch-ch-ch-changes and face the strain..
We may all benefit from this ability to protect and shield and to be able to stand firm. We may have to perfect our block and put on a brave face but we will triumph in the end in our own unique way. Sometimes, as is the case at the moment in New South Wales, Australia, people are facing the blasts of fiery winds scorching destruction upon the earth - for them abandoning an unwinnable fight may be the greatest defence. Controlled fire ravaged earth will encourage new growth, as the phoenix rises from the ashes so do new shoots but there are also obvious losses. Survival and adaptation is an unique hallmark of Australian native flora. Their ability to handle fires, however, really sets them apart from the rest of the world because not only do some species adapt, some depend on the fires to exist. Some plants have the capacity to sprout new growth from groups of little dormant buds under the bark that are only broken by the heat of fire others like Acorn Banskia need to bake their seeds and Wooly Bush seeds are just fire resistant, in fact the chemicals contained in the smoke can actually trigger germination. Protective shields and various personaes apparently exist in the plant world as well.

New Moons ignite, they start stuff off, they sow the seeds and often act in unseen and invisible ways. After all the light from the Moon is still just a sliver it is hiding more than it is showing. All New Moons bring times when there is often a spark of novelty and a freshness as we start again or begin new projects and undertakings. Our hope and optimism will get a surge, we may feel more of a ‘well why not’ attitude welling up inside us and we may also notice it in other people. The few days around the New Moon are excellent for trying out new things, experimenting with different styles trying new tastes or generating ideas even if some of them feel radical. 

Self-styled Guru Asaram Bapu has Moon in Capricorn. He has created a furore in India by holding the Delhi gang-rape victim, Jyoti Singh responsible for her brutal attack and subsequent death from her injuries suggesting that she could have saved herself by deferring to her attackers with 'Bhaiya' a Hindi word meaning 'big brother'. He then called his critics 'barking dogs'

This is the time for experimentation and trying things out. Activating the earth sign of Capricorn with this New Moon, much of this testing out could take place with more practical, structural and systemic matters. We can use this energy in our favour by taking steps to rebuild, redesign or strip back something to the bare necessities, reevaluate and start afresh. Be a bit more responsible now and be the authority, make the tough call because the 'buck stops here'. With Capricorn, somebody is finally responsible and with Capricorn's ruling planet in Scorpio the issues are being brought to light. Saturn in Scorpio - Snake Charmer Karma

'The death of the student who was gang-raped on a Delhi bus has prompted anguished soul-searching about the place of women in Indian society..25-50 million women in India are 'missing'..as well as infanticide and foeticide girls can die of neglect..adult women also die early..Ultrasound for sex determination in India is illegal but remains widespread' A womens place in modern India

Over the next few days of this New Moon time use this re-structuring, re-assuring, wise Capricorn energy to establish your new position or place in the world...Yes, that is how big the plan may be. 
Think about future projects and apply new energy to any plans and schemes you may have had on the back-burner. Obviously, think realistically about how you want things to actually manifest. Don’t expect everyone to gather round and join in with your schemes, they will have their own stuff to get on with. The time for gathering will come soon enough with the Full Moon. One Billion Rising

                 
credits: drmartinsurvey2 & bellenews & BBC news &  
posted by pippa ponton & jphibbs