Last Quarter Moon in Aquarius ☾ Apr 26, 2019

Original artwork by Ren E.T.

Friday, Apr 26 at 3.19pm PST

At the last quarter, the moon rises at midnight, peaks at dawn and sets at noon – and this is true all over the world, no matter your time zone. If you view the moon at midnight, the Sun will be positioned directly beneath your feet. Staring at the moon during this time will align you so that you are looking right out (approximately) along the forward path of Earth’s orbit around the Sun ^__^

The electric moon in Aquarius squares the Sun in Taurus. Quarter moons are crossroads or decision points. In astrology, squares prompt change. It is time to clear out in preparation for the new moon / new lunar cycle. On May 3, the moon moves into Taurus, marking the end of the quarter moon period and beginning of the new moon. Luna’s waning light gives way to gradual descent into darkness: a return to the womb.

A wild Aquarian festival is brewing in the sky. Taurus welcomes these airy travelers to her home, her roots, her garden, her patch of earth. Taurus gathers everyone into her arms to shower them with comfort and stability; Aquarius then teaches us to be adaptable and open-minded. Aquarius is the zodiac’s eccentric psychonaut, speeding through life with quicksilver legs. The water bearer is associated with knowledge or ideas so old they become new again, like yoga, or astrology! (No surprise, my career path [or Midheaven] falls in Aquarius.)

If you have the urge to go out and have fun, do it! Keep in mind that Aquarius is unexpected in nature. Nothing pans out the way we think it will. Neither good nor bad, it just is. This is the nature of the quarter moon in Aquarius: to upend our expectations, sometimes with a shock.

At this quarter moon last year, I had just moved into a new dwelling and was still getting acquainted with my new community. So I went out and attended an herbalism event, met some yoga studio owners and started teaching classes on the farm where I live. Aquarius rules not just community, but circulation of people and ideas. We can tap into Aquarian energy simply by learning and sharing. Any conversation where we share impersonal information is Aquarian in nature. Land and people, community and conversation. Let’s dance and stay up late into the night. And look around - fully in the present moment - feel the dirt beneath your bare feet.

The quarter moon in Aquarius offers new experiences to get us out of our comfort zones. This could involve travel, or extreme sports, but almost always it involves people. This is the true richness of Aquarius: learning how to see, appreciate and love other humans, wholly and genuinely. Aquarius guards humanity and keeps us safe from ignorance and injustice. And the wisdom of open-mindedness is only the first lesson; Aquarius is a spark in the frontal cortex, introducing novel ideas ad infinitum.

Even if you stay at home, some kind of jubilation will find you there. Nothing about Aquarius is mundane or quiet. It is time to be adventuresome in the true sense of the word: to journey beyond what we know. Remember how delicious it is to commune with others beneath the moonlight on a warm spring evening. Inhale the flowers, listen to the frogs. All the migratory animals are back now. It is time to say and do the things we have been dreaming about all winter. Amongst the fruits and flowers of Taurus’ garden, we find turquoise crystals opening to other dimensions. We nourish two needs at once: the need to be grounded (Taurus) and the need to expand intellectually and socially (Aquarius). On special evenings we get to do both, stamping our feet to the rhythm of the local band. People gather together to give thanks for the earth, for food, and for one another. Work hard, play hard. Introduce yourself to your neighbors. Invite them over, start the conversation.

Don’t forget: expect the unexpected. We’re on the road to find out, as Cat Stevens sings. No one knows what will happen next! There is always something new, something unforeseen, something just around the bend.

In meditation, focus on the root chakra. Wear blue or metallic tones. Invert your body with Aquarius Yoga. To find your personal moon sign, click here.

Mantra: ready for anything