It’s said that in every ending there’s a new beginning, but we’re in a strange lunar cycle in which the beginning is likely to come first.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. Endings can be extremely painful, all the more so when the new beginning isn’t yet in sight. Most of us have experienced this anguish in the context of relationships. When your heart is broken, it’s hard to imagine the new person who might come along in a month or a year or maybe never. Sometimes the pain is so bad that we swear off relationships entirely, however temporary the sentiment may be.

I think it’s safe to say that most of us, when faced with the likelihood of an ending, wish that the new beginning would appear first, providing a safety net. Sometimes it does, but often it doesn’t. When that happens, it’s usually a sign that you are being asked to let go and jump – the proverbial leap of faith. Overcoming fear is powerful magic. It’s my personal belief that the Universe always rewards courage.

I’ve known people who needed to end a dysfunctional relationship but were so afraid of being alone that they stayed in it while looking for someone new. Once they found that someone, they delivered the news to their partner, with no room for discussion. This is the opposite of courage, and while it may have worked out for them in the near term, they created karma that will need to be rebalanced, whether in this lifetime or another incarnation.

Another common experience is the loss of a job without any firm prospects for a new one. Or, we know it’s time to leave a job, in which case we would prefer to have a firm offer before giving notice, no matter how unbearable the current situation is. Usually it’s advisable to line up something else first, but sometimes the Universe asks us to take a leap of faith here, too – again, to push us to overcome fear.

In any case, it’s usually the endings we fear, not the new beginnings. We tend to have more control over beginnings. After all, a new relationship isn’t going to start without your knowledge and consent, and a new job is usually by choice. However, in this strange and unfamiliar space we’re in, it could be the beginnings that pop up out of nowhere before we’re ready.

Astrologically, the underlying reason for this temporary flip is the lunar cycle that began with the New Moon eclipse on March 20, at the very last degree and minute of the solar year. The ending was written, but the big new beginning came so fast that something was started before the old was gone. Likewise, this Saturday’s New Moon in Aries occurs in the sign of bold new beginnings, but very close to the end. The window of opportunity will be short, and there will be a lot of pressure to make a fast decision.

That said, there might be a hint at the beginning of the week. On Monday evening (the wee hours of Tuesday morning in the Eastern Hemisphere), Mercury crosses the degree of the New Moon, giving a sort of “advance notice.” Keep your antennae up and trust your intuition. Messages can come in many forms: thoughts, dreams, something in magazine or online article, something a friend says, and so forth.

On Tuesday, Mercury enters Taurus. Public attention turns to financial matters and practical, material concerns. Venus in Gemini reinforces the emphasis on financial negotiations and contracts. Watch for news headlines about interest rates and other significant financial developments.

Late Tuesday, the Moon in Pisces squares Venus in Gemini and Saturn in Sagittarius, right before they form an opposition. Difficult Venus-Saturn aspects can bring a sense of obligation in relationships, both personal and professional. Perhaps you owe someone a big favor, and they call it in just as you are heading out for a lunch date. Promises must be honored, regardless of how inconvenient. If you’re doing something for a loved one and it’s not particularly enjoyable, keep reminding yourself how much you love that person, how much they add to your life, and how happy you are to be able to provide something they need .

On Thursday, Pluto turns retrograde. As an outer planet with a long orbit around the Sun, Pluto is retrograde for several months every year. Further, the outer planets manifest more on the collective level in world events than in our personal lives. There may be a replay of recent international conflicts as Pluto is stationed and still in a close square with Uranus. If we feel it at all individually, it’s likely to be more along the lines of a vague sense of unease and stress. The exception is if you have a personal planet (Sun through Mars) at 14-16 degrees Capricorn or Cancer, in which case the areas of life represented by that planet may be particularly intense. For example, if your Moon is in the mid degrees of Capricorn, you likely have been feeling open and raw emotionally for several weeks, and the feelings could boil over this week. Try to find positive ways to let off steam, because there’s a danger of agitated behavior and harsh words to people who don’t deserve it.

The tendency to overreact is heightened by Friday’s square between Mars in Taurus and Jupiter in Leo. And remember, “overreacting” includes sulking in a corner, giving someone the silent treatment, and stubbornly refusing to discuss matters that need to be addressed. Friday and Saturday aren’t the best days for difficult conversations, so putting it off isn’t necessarily a bad idea. However, there are respectful ways to do it and passive-aggressive ways. For that matter, the Mars-Jupiter square doesn’t have to be belligerent at all and can useful for activities that require sustained physical exertion, such as moving, hiking long distances, or dance and theater rehearsals.

Saturday is the New Moon, at 28°25′ Aries. Although Aries normally is a directed, high-energy influence, the late degree suggests energy that is nearly spent (there are 30 degrees in a sign). Nevertheless, Mars, the ruler of this New Moon, is still in aspect with Jupiter in fiery Leo. This is the weekend, so new career developments likely already will have taken place on Thursday or Friday. Or, they might be delayed until Monday. Now is your time to act and set the wheels of change in motion. New beginnings in relationships are more likely over the weekend. Just don’t go running off to Vegas to get married.

On Sunday, Neptune gets a positive sextile from Mercury and a confusing square from Venus. Because Mercury and Venus are in each other’s signs (a relationship called “mutual reception”) it’s possible that these two aspects will cancel each other out and pass by without much notice. Dreams may be more plentiful, and they shouldn’t be too hard to analyze. Symbolism will be classic. Use the images in the Tarot as a reference.

Speaking of new beginnings, Hillary Clinton finally declared she was running for president in 2016. Her candidacy was a given, to the point that some in the media have called it an anointing. But while the announcement wasn’t news, the way she did it was unusual. Rather than making a public appearance, she posted a video to her Web site and announced it on Twitter. The video features “ordinary people” talking about starting new phases in their lives and ends with Clinton saying she’s starting something new, too. I’ll have more on this next week.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

© Pat Paquette, RealAstrologers.com, 2014.