Aquarius New Moon: The Upside of Being Sick

Last week, I had the flu. One of the new dreaded strains going around. One minute I felt fine — just coughing a bit — and the next I was suffering from fever, chills, intense muscle aches, a migraine, a deep painful cough …  and, as if that wasn’t enough, depression. All my negative thoughts and beliefs joined together to form the infamous “itty bitty shitty committee,” which insisted that my life has been a series of failures and bad decisions, and that I am, pretty much, doomed.

The feeling of relief, as I started to get well, was overwhelming (in a good way). I felt grateful to simply be able to sleep at night without breaking into a cold sweat and needing to change my pajamas ten times while hacking up a lung. My cats, who are used to me sleeping through the night, stared at me as I paced (more like, limped) around the apartment at 2 am because I could not even sleep upright.

Sometimes, we need an unexpected or disruptive event to shake things up in our lives and get us moving in a better direction. As I continue to regain my energy each day, I feel a sense of renewal, gratitude, and hope — and those are some of words we can use to describe the Zodiac sign, Aquarius.

Tomorrow, Saturday January 20th, the New Moon will be in Aquarius (3:53 pm EST), a sign that represents renewal, forward thinking, progress, friendships, groups, and working for a cause that betters humanity and the world (to name a few things).

Getting sick exacerbated some of the issues I have been facing in my life because I was in a weakened and vulnerable state. It felt like a warning — a signal to deal with and bring into balances certain aspects of my life to create more security and stability (Taurus North Node) before it’s too late, and to pave the way for my future (Aquarius). The South Node of the Moon in Scorpio (until July 2023) points to deep fears and old patterns, or stuck energy, that hold us back. Taurus, the sign the North Node currently resides in, wants us to build something practical in the “real world” (e.g., a business, a career, a home, a family) that will ensure future security and stability. With this in mind, as of of January 22nd, all planets in the sky will be in direct motion through April 21st, making it a potentially fruitful period for progress and forward momentum. Since Aquarius represents friendships, groups/community, and working for ‘the greater good,’ progress in life may involve any of these themes. The Chinese New Year is also on January 22nd, beginning the year of the water rabbit, which is said to have the potential to turn around unfavorable circumstances and can bring a feeling of peace. 

As if feeling depressed while I had the flu wasn’t difficult enough, I was also restless and on edge; you know that feeling when you no longer want to be where you are? This was alarming (lots of strong feelings at once) since I just moved to a new state last August. Being cooped up in my apartment for several days was undoubtedly at the root of this feeling, and the feeling has, indeed, since lessened, however there is something within the feeling to pay attention to: the seed to break through stagnation. The 10th house of my Natal Chart, the area that symbolizes career and social standing, is where I need to open the windows and let in fresh air. The Aquarius New Moon lands in my 3rd house, the area of the chart that reflects communication, and so this is also a part of the picture for me. Aquarius season can trigger feelings of restlessness and a strong desire to move on from what is not working in your life. It may not be possible or practical to make a change immediately, but working toward it can help to alleviate the unsettled or “on edge” feeling. If you don’t know where the Aquarius New Moon will be in your Natal Chart, you can create your Transit Chart with Astro Charts. 

So, what is it in your life that could use innovation?

You can start small by, say, reading an article or taking an online class that focuses on the themes you want to work on. Aquarius wants you to break free of old patterns to align with a sense of freedom and independence in the area of life being highlighted. And sometimes, an event or set of circumstances shows up that is unwanted and feels bad, like getting the flu, but has the potential to re-inspire you.