New Moon in Aquarius

This is tonight, the 4th February, at about 9 pm GMT.

The sun, moon and Mercury are conjunct in Aquarius, a sign which is about progressive ideals, group dynamics and lightning cognitive breakthroughs. It's an oddball, brilliant, electrical sign, and this new moon is an oddball, brilliant, electrical new beginning. Time to get out your freak flag and wave it with pride - and connect with your fellow oddballs.

This new moon builds on the theme of last month's lunar eclipse in Leo in that it's all about being true to yourself, expressing yourself, and doing your own thing, regardless of how weird it may look to the collective. Odds are, it won't look so weird at all - these are freaky times, and we are all freaks at heart. You may actually find it easier to connect with others these days on the grounds of your common freakiness.

The new moon has some high-powered backup via beneficial aspects from Mars in Aries and Jupiter in Sagittarius, both planets in their home signs. Mars is also conjunct rebel planet Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius, hence dispositor of the new moon. And Uranus is at the end degrees of Aries, where it's all about being true to yourself.

You put it all together, and it's clear as day: this is a time for breaking free! You'll have physical energy (Mars) and enthusiasm (Jupiter) at your disposal, as well as the mental clarity and emotional detachment of Aquarius.

If you're unable to break free of something that's keeping you stuck at this time, you can blame it on your ego, your stubbornness and your dogged desire to stay stuck. You certainly can't blame it on the sky, because this sky promotes freedom. It wants for you to get unstuck and it will do everything it can to help you out in this.Use it for all it's worth.

New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aquarius

Eugenia Loli

This is on the 15th February, about 9 pm UTC.

Happy Chinese New Year!

This new moon is a partial solar eclipse. It follows the full moon lunar eclipse in Leo two weeks ago and will be the second and final eclipse this eclipse season.

Eclipse season comes around every six months, as the sun and moon line up with points in the earth's orbit called the lunar nodes. Eclipses are supposed to mark periods of accelerated change, and this new moon is certainly about change -  it's in Aquarius, a sign associated with revolution. And freaky rebel planet Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius, aspects the new moon beneficially. This looks pretty zingy, in a good way  – you can expect some kind of bolt from the blue or jolt with this, but one that is ultimately beneficial and liberating.

As this new moon is conjunct messenger planet Mercury, the jolt is likely to come in the form of new information, thought or communication that blows your mind open and offers you a radically new perspective. The road ahead may look very different to anything you'd previously imagined.

Changes and disruptions are a big theme this year. Uranus will shift signs in May, moving into solid, steady, habitual Taurus – and this denotes unpredictable shocks to our basic sense of stability. Taurus hates change, but change is coming. Our lives are not going to be continuing along the same old ruts this year, like it or not. And this eclipse is a prelude to the shake-ups ahead – whatever weird shit is happening to you right now, it should give you a good sense of the themes of the rest of the year, and the kind of changes you'll be called upon to make.

So I'd say, pay attention! And be ready to roll with the changes instead of resisting them. This is a perfect time for innovation and new ideas, and you're going to need these things further down the line – so use this eclipse energy to get yourself unstuck. And if something is being taken away from you, try to shift your perspective so that you can see how you're actually being liberated from it.

There are some caveats to this otherwise brilliant eclipse: be sure the information you receive is correct before acting on it, look before you leap, curb your enthusiasm, keep a clear head. Aquarius is very prone to ideological extremism, a form of intellectual delusion. That's definitely in play here: the new moon is squared by Jupiter in Scorpio, which can be very polarising and extreme. Also, Mars in ideological Sagittarius squares Neptune, meaning the risk of self-delusion and self-defeating action is high.

This risk of going overboard and losing your head will be intensified over the next couple of weeks as a load of planets move into Pisces ahead of the full moon in Virgo on the 2nd March. It looks like a lovely full moon, but whenever you get this much stuff going on in Pisces, the risk of delusion is heightened. I'll write more about it closer to the time.

But for now, enjoy this eclipse and the month ahead – overall it looks very positive and exciting! A lot of new ideas will be opening up; revolution is in the air. Just try to keep your feet on the ground while your mind is busy being blown.

Full Moon Eclipse in Leo

This is on the 31st January, 1:27 pm UTC.

The moon in Leo will be conjunct the north node, making this a total lunar eclipse – or blood moon. It's also a supermoon – the moon will be at its closest point to earth in its orbit, so it'll appear larger than usual.

It's also the second full moon in January, making it a “blue moon”. As in “once in a blue moon”. Blue moons are not astrologically significant, but the symbolism of something extraordinary and rare fits here, because this eclipse is pretty zingy: a bolt from the blue. You can expect surprising revelations under a sky like this – and lightning inspiration, and shocks and electrical instability in general.

Leo is about drama, showmanship, creativity, joy, self-expression. Feeling special, being in the spotlight, being the star of your own show.

This showy, individualistic moon is facing off against the sun and Venus in cool, theoretical, collectivist Aquarius.

So if conflicts come up for you under this eclipse, they're likely to have to do with emotional engagement vs. detachment and evasion. Or stepping out in authentic self-expression vs. fitting in with the group.

It doesn't have to be a conflict though! Aquarius is an oddball, zany sign, and Venus in Aquarius values anything new or strange – so you can let your freak flag fly, publicly and proudly. In fact, you should. And if you're stuck on worrying about what other people will think, this is your chance to figure out where that's coming from and get over it.

Mercury will shift signs – from stolid, taciturn Capricorn to freaky, brilliant Aquarius – at the exact time of the eclipse. This is pretty significant. It means communication will loosen up very suddenly – shockingly illuminating things may be said or thought under this eclipse. Or maybe just shocking. If you find yourself caught up in Leo-style drama, use Aquarian rationality and emotional detachment to calm things down.

This eclipse is the culmination of the cycle opened two weeks ago at the new moon in Capricorn. That new moon was about starting a new chapter – one that would require hard work and a willingness to see and do things in a radically new way. There was a breakaway feeling to it, for women especially.

This eclipse continues that theme and amps it up to 11. This is where the new path asserts itself, where you break out and start expressing yourself fearlessly, from the heart - because there's really nothing to lose anymore.