There is a meaningful reason why, for the first time in a long while, I’m not using a song as the title of a post. Wu Wei is one of the most important (if not the most important) tenets in Taoism; this Chinese expression can be loosely translated as “non action” or “non doing” – a mode of consciousness that seems perfectly suited to the yielding, transcendent nature of Pisces. Taoist philosophy recognizes that the Universe works harmoniously according to a natural order governed by unalterable laws; Wu Wei, which is not to be mistaken for inertia or passivity, is the art of effortlessly, graciously swimming with this current – ultimately becoming vessels of the Tao itself, thus responding to life in the most spontaneous way possible.
Infused with the fluid, transpersonal quality of Pisces, and with the added power of a Solar Eclipse to boot, the New Moon happening on March 9, at 18°55 of the sign, 1:54 AM UTC, is an invitation to ease into this fresh cosmic cycle with the same unfeigned, non-volitional aptitude – blending with the natural rhythm of the Universe, aligning with the part of ourselves that trusts the currents. Very often, while we strive to make progress through struggle and resistance, allowing the Ego-based attachment to the outcomes to drain our energy, we are only creating way bigger blockages and setbacks than the ones we think we’re fighting against; the wisdom of Tao, with its image of the Universe as a dynamic, balanced whole in perpetual, natural motion, teaches us that the natural order of things keeps unfolding, with our without our egoic compulsions.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon gets between the Sun and Earth; as her dark silouhette occults the bright Solar disk, her umbra is cast upon our planet. The usual New Moon symbolism as a time for emotional and spiritual reboot thus becomes even more cosmically charged, and more in sync with the Piscean gifts of intuition and surrender: our egoic urgencies and self-importance (the Sun) are blocked out of that sacred space in which we blend with life and rest in the silence of beingness. We’re free to ride the wave of inspiration and embrace the flow, instead of wasting our psychic energy questioning the direction. True, in the dark of a Pisces New Moon / Eclipse, forward momentum might be slow or even nonexistent – but staying centered in a state of heightened perception and non-empiric knowledge without the need of proof or reassurance is one of Pisces’ strength. As soon as we tap into our innate wisdom, allowing the cosmic balance to shine through us, there is no need to wait for tangible signs of progress – we just know.
Intentions seeded at this time should keep in spirit with the Piscean vibration, and come from a place of acceptance, faith and humility. This is a mystical, ouroboric New Moon that gathers artistic, spiritual, compassionate, divinely inspired thoughtforms and gently carries them into gestation. While this might sound too vague for some (that’s the nature of Pisces, after all), the rather dense narrative showcased by the New Moon chart in terms of aspects to other celestial bodies sheds further light on the additional layers of significance.
The New Moon / eclipse falls on the Chiron / South Node conjunction in Pisces, triggering a mutable T-Square that also includes Saturn in Sagittarius and Retrograde Jupiter in Virgo (on the North Node). The conjunction with Chiron and the South Node implies a confrontation with the most sensitive, sore areas of our Soul, in order to clear emotional wounds and restore our wholeness; the opposition to Jupiter and the North Node, on the other hand, seems to indicate that acknowledging our losses can set us up for future gains. The dissonant aspect to Saturn is a reminder that we’re tasked with working within existing limits, confronting our sense of deprivation in order to rise above it, and turning the current limitations to our agency in our own favour, as they can allow us to synchronize our timepiece with that of the Universe. Saturn represents those cosmic, immutable laws that orchestrate the flow of Tao; knowing and honouring them can be the most effective pathway to freedom and inner peace. Since our sensitivity might be off the charts, Saturn also reminds us of the need to set protective boundaries to avoid the “psychic sponge” effect: with so much receptive, Yin energy in the air, we’d all do well to ditch whatever circumstance or person makes us feel vulnerable, and make time for retreat. As the last sign of the Zodiac, Pisces invites us to go inward and just be: it’s in this inner, numinous place that we can allow its oceanic vibe to quiet us down in a contemplative state, and let our inner guidance emerge.
Those with personal planets, nodes and angles between 15 and 21 degrees of mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) and water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) signs will feel this energy more intensely.
Let the Piscean, mesmeric notes of this gut-wrenching, achingly beautiful piece awake your inner Muse: