Recently, a friend wrote that he’d pulled this card. We often joke about our etheric connection (beginning with our shared birthday) – but this one really made me smile, because I keep The High Priestess (from the Rider-Waite mini deck) on my dresser wherever I am.
The High Priestess, seated between light and dark in front of the Veil of Knowledge, moon at her feet, is perfect for the new moon, which arrives in Los Angeles Tuesday at 5:15am. Why? She symbolizes inward reflection, listening to your intuitive guide, and not taking action. That’s right: don’t force it. That “I should feel reinvigorated because it’s the New Year!” that you’re just not feeling? Resolutions are made, and kept, when you’re in the right place, not a calendar date. We know what happens when you’re overwhelmed by choice. The High Priestess tells us to stop, look, and listen: at your intuition and signs around you. The answer and action will come in time, not because January first happened on the calendar. So stop beating yourself up for resolutions (never a good idea), let go of any lingering guilt over – what does it matter? It won’t help. We’ve just come from our Wolf Moon, which is a great way to start the year. I hope you howled it all out, and now you’re ready to head into the den. Peek outside (not through the window – open the door!) to view the first sliver “clear of the brush,” as the legend goes, for that little bit o’luck that Alfred Doolittle loved.
This month.
So here comes our High Priestess and her New Moon of the first month of 2015: take no action. That’s right.
With Mercury going retrograde in Aquarius the very next day, it’s a good mantra for the month. (Merc goes direct on February 11th. I’m not going to Mercury Rx bash; yes, we know not to sign, purchase, and expect delays -in short, “communication breakdown,” but the plus side means a good time for inner reflection, intuition, and research.) We’ve got Mercury’s stress on interaction coinciding with non-action time perfectly. This doesn’t mean laziness or indecision. The wisdom – intellectual, emotional, spiritual – that you’ll gain in a period of enforced non-action is more beneficial than that forced “go, go, go” mentality that comes with the new year. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know – think back on times when you just stopped and what happened. Culturally, of course, not doing something in our workaholic world is often misunderstood. Think of this time as a brief soul-siesta and let the decisions be made without you. They’ll be made anyway. Step back, breathe, observe, and you’ll be grateful for it in the coming months. Your inner voice will keep you on track and guide you to those hidden parts of yourself that need care. Pay attention to those little synchronicities – they’re all around if you slow down a bit. There’s a chance of remembering something suddenly, as in those snap-finger-moments of “How could I have forgotten that? It was so important!”
For some, this slight turning down the volume on the logical/critical/ side of the brain seems difficult. It’s not about switching from one side of the brain to the other: it’s only a one-percent move. Keep asking yourself what mindset you’re living in: the fifty-one or the forty-nine. Taking the small action to shift to the fifty-one will make a world of difference. Make the slight move, relax, and wait.
For a great, in-depth look at Mercury Retrogrades, please see Dark Star Astrology.
Need a moon calendar? Check the trusty Farmer’s Almanac.
