Beginnings and Astrology

(originally from the January 2015 monthly newsletter)

With the start of a new year coming, we all think about the things we hope to do with a new year. We look back on what we didn’t do, and we think about how we can make this new year better. Astrologically, beginnings are associated with the Sun, 1st house, and new moons. When you have a planet positively aspecting your 1st house cusp, ruler, or Sun, this is a time for you to begin something, where the conditions are in your favor and you‘re in the mood for it. Harsh aspects to your 1st house cusp, ruler, or Sun are times where you can encounter many obstacles and delays when you try something new, or you aren’t comfortable with beginning anything.

When a planet is transiting your 1st house, this can help or hinder. Saturn in the 1st house is traditionally a difficult time for new beginnings, and you’re required to put in much more work; Neptune in the 1st house will make it hard for you to make up your mind and see everything you need to see, but is good for creative or spiritual ventures; Pluto in the 1st house can make you obsessed with the ventures you begin; Uranus in the 1st house makes you begin unexpectedly, pursue ventures that are unusual or different from usual, and you don’t think too much before you jump; and Jupiter in the 1st house makes new beginnings easier for you, presents opportunities to begin something to you, and things go in your favor.

The faster planets give you a surge of energy when in your 1st house or making aspects, especially Mars. Mars in your 1st house or aspecting the cusp, ruler, or Sun makes you want to begin something NOW. The urgency you feel makes it hard for you to ignore the energy.
A new moon in the 1st house is great for new beginnings in general; if you want to do something specifically, a new moon in the house ruling it is a good time, especially if that new moon also makes positive aspects to your planets.

The worst time to start something new is usually during a retrograde, especially in your 1st house, or in the house associated with what you want to begin. You’ll usually find that you can’t follow through, or have to go back to the drawing board. Unless, of course, you were born with that planet retrograde - then it might be the best time for you to begin!