Although the New Moon in Mercury-ruled Gemini is always a good time to work on our communication skills, this particular one focuses more attention than usual on the fastest-moving planet.

As of the New Moon, Mercury is still retrograde in Taurus but is less than a week from stationing direct. Those of us who prefer to take our time with the decision-making process are far less likely to be frustrated than the serious multi-tasker who depends on a variety of fancy technological devices to connect with their peers. Keep in mind that slow can be good and far less stressful.

Mercury is squaring the triple conjunction of Chiron, Jupiter, and Neptune in Aquarius. What this configuration says to me is pay special attention not only to what you are saying, but also to your listening skills. Jupiter and Neptune together can be idealistic to the point of insanity, and it is very easy to put our personal spin on what we hear and conveniently forget the rest of the message — you know, the part where Chiron tells us how much it’s going to hurt when the bandage is ripped off. This square also highlights the differences between our personal values (Taurus) and the dreams of the collective (Aquarius), thus opening the door to reconciling those conflicting goals, but this will take serious effort.

The bright spot for Mercury is the sextile with Uranus in Pisces, supporting compassionate and original thinking. This is the second pass of a three-part sextile. The first happened at the New Moon in Taurus on April 24, while the third and final pass will occur on June 9, just after the Full Moon in Sagittarius. The final sextile will coincide with Mercury’s return to the degree at which it went retrograde, and we will have an opportunity to start applying our ideas at that time.

Pluto in Capricorn is inconjunct this New Moon, presenting an interesting set of challenges. Gemini and Capricorn really don’t have much common ground, to put it mildly. Gemini loves to dart around collecting bits and pieces of information to play with, while Saturn-ruled Capricorn wants its data organized, with an emphasis on practical application. This aspect reinforces the same differences between the personal and the collective as Mercury in Taurus square Neptune & Co., and in a dissonant way. As much as we would like to ignore the larger universe at times, I doubt if we will be allowed to.

Venus and Mars are both still in Aries but are no longer traveling quite so close together. The only aspect Venus makes is another of those pesky inconjuncts to Saturn in Virgo, and I can hear the whining already. Just about the time Venus thinks she’s going to able to go and have some fun, Saturn will nag her about taking care of unfinished business first.

Mars in sextile to Neptune & Co. is easier to deal with, as it provides energy and enthusiasm to follow your dreams. Interestingly, Mars falls on the midpoint of the sextile between Mercury and Uranus, helping fuel manifestation of your brilliant ideas. Keep in mind the need for practicality, though.

The Sabian symbol for the New Moon at 4 Gemini is, “Holly and mistletoe reawaken old memories of Christmas,” with the keyword RITUALIZATION. This represents a gentler way of looking at the richness of traditions (Capricorn) with a childlike delight (Gemini) in them. Perhaps we all need to take a moment to view our lives with a childlike sense of wonder.

As a Libra person, I am very aware of maintaining a sense of balance and proportion, so I feel it is very important to make reality checks a part of our lives now. The triple conjunction of Neptune & Co. can bring new and delightful possibilities, but my gut instinct says double-check all the facts before signing up for the magical mystery tour. If it looks too good to be true, it is. This is the perfect time to practice forgiving ourselves and others, too.

posted by Neith . . .

Of course, today is the day to write your New Moon abundance checks! Here’s how.