New Moon in Aquarius, January 23, 2012 2:40 am EDT

New Moon in Aquarius, this is a time when we are looking to the future, and wondering how to make the best use of this New Year. It’s also the beginning of the Chinese New year, the year of the Dragon. Gong Xi Fa Ca! Wishing you prosperity! (In Mandarin). The dragon is a strong sign and those born under it are said to have abundant and lucky lives. We all could use a little of that!

Between now and the next lunation on February 21, we have Mars going retrograde tomorrow, and Saturn going retrograde February 8th. So we have the opportunity to settle into the energies of Aquarius (groups, an interest in others and the greater good, brilliance) and look at the ways in which we operate, our motivations and the unconscious drives that keep us in particular behaviors. Stemming from these behaviors, what keeps us stuck and prevents us from moving forward to join with others in creating a better outcome for ourselves, and our world? This is what we are going to be looking at in this report.

So first of all, Aquarius moon asks us to set intentions for the month based in ideas like, using innovation, looking underneath things to see how they work, long range planning, and creating a plan that is based in operating from a larger world view. So it’s time to shake out the sand and get involved with others to create something new. How do you connect to and create community? How to you participate in philanthropy, even in very small ways? Do you volunteer you time anywhere? What is the state of your friendships with others? What steps are you going to take to manifest your dreams, even in little ways? Take some time today to write up to 10 intentions for you self based on these ideas.

The chart for this lunation’s energy comes with this message – KEEP STRONG. We still have a slowing influence, which will feel a bit disconnected emotionally. Use your power of visualization, and positive thought to move things along. We have the energy available to heal depravational thinking, to transform ideas about financial insecurity. What makes you feel secure? How can you invest in your life so that you can feel more secure, and be able to take more risks? How are you going to feel more comfortable in a changing world? If you look at these things now, and take steps to address them, you will find it easier to deal with the change that awaits later in the year. So really take the time to do this now.

We also need to take a look at money and ideas of prosperity and abundance. I am going to focus on this topic for this entire year, as I think we all need the support to make gentle shifts, and sometimes radical, shifts in this area. Despite a lot of intermittent difficulties, this is going to be a good year. So let’s delve right into it.

After answering last month’s questions about questions about work and transforming the negatives into positives, what systems have you put in place? How does it feel to have an idea of what makes you tick around your connection to work and structure? We are still in that mode of structure, but this month it takes a focus on how to make those structures practical and enduring. Setting up savings accounts, even with $10 in it is one example of anticipating that you will be able to begin saving again. Writing down what you are spending so that you can construct a financial picture for yourself of how you use money is another example of this. Creating working spending plan and worksheets that record your spending habits is another thing you can do to make yourself more aware of your spending ideas. Sometimes our ideas of what we are spending are disconnected from the realities of our spending, so take a look. It will be educational.

To prepare us to take more control we are presented with the perfect chart to take a look at our relationship to money and security. Here are some questions to think about:

1. How does your concept of spirituality mesh with your ideas about money?
2. Where does money really come from? It’s time to explore your connection to the divine and whether or not you are trusting that source to provide for you
3. Do you trust the divine source at all? How have your concepts of the Divine shifted over the past year as the world has experienced much hardship?
4. How did we handle unexpected expenses and did we ask others for help?
5. Are we committed to looking deeply at our behaviors around success and progress, as well as what sabotages us, and take corrective measures?
6. What spiritual practice will you commit to this year that incorporates taking a spiritual look at money? Even the idea of blessing your bank account, as well as the bills you pay, is a spiritual act. How can you take this deeper?

The transcendental in our lives needs attention. As we take steps to address this, we will see that our spiritual practices will feed our spirit and open our hearts to abundance. We need only point our mind there and we will feel the shift.

Another thing to take a look at this month is building a strong support system.

• Who guides and supports you? Who do you turn to when you need to see the good in yourself and your situation? Having a core group of friends, mentors and advisors helps you go further than striking out alone.
• What kind of toolbox do you rely on to keep yourself strong? How to you keep yourself aligned with your higher self? Do you journal, write letters to God or pray on a regular basis? Add one or more to your day.
• Are you taking time for yourself to connect with nature? There are all kinds of messages out there when you take the time to connect to the earth. Just yesterday I saw a Coopers Hawk in my backyard…in Brooklyn. And the fresh snow in the ground was so nice to look at and reminded me to slow down. Taking note of the nature around you will keep you centered, grounded and in the flow of things, and is very easy to notice, even in the city.
• Are you too busy to have time for yourself to reflect? You want to build that time into your schedule so that you can keep yourself nourished and replenished; we really need that right now.

So folks, do the work now so that you can go with the flow that starts with the Spring Equinox. By work I mean, getting in touch with what you need to work on spiritually and structurally in your lives now, especially around the idea of opening to prosperity, will put you in the right place to receive that abundance when things shake loose later on in the year. Setting up structures in your business, or in your work will help, especially if it is learning a new technology. Streamlining is important, and the right technologies and apps are there for us to use. So look at what you can integrate.

Have a great month!