Readers of last year's updates from around this time may recall that, as I mentioned then "I like the Moon and I feel like its phases and positions relative to the background constellations and planets has some importance or significance." Therefore, what I do for each month is I use the planetarium software Stellarium to show me what the Moon is up to for the month ahead; I note down the phases and on which day it passes through each sign of the zodiac.

This month began with the Moon in Pisces and yesterday morning it passed by Aries.

Christianity arose [following the birth of Jesus which is now celebrated at Christmas] around the time astrologers associate with the Age of Pisces, a sign linked to faith, compassion, and spiritual surrender. Pisces’ fish motif resonates with the Christian fish symbol, the Ichthys, while its water element aligns with the Moon’s rulership of water, emotions, and tides—echoing themes of baptism, spiritual flow, and inner reflection.***

Most “astrology columns,” as were traditionally found in newspapers, begin with Aries. The history behind this apparently dates back to between 2000 and 100 BCE, when the apparent path of the Sun across the sky placed this constellation at the vernal equinox (the point in time marking the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere). This point has since crossed into the constellation of Pisces (100 BCE-1 CE) due to the westward precession of the equinoxes (caused by the slow wobble of Earth’s axis).

Aries as a constellation is somewhat indistinct though. Its brightest star, Hamal (the name, directly from Arabic, means "the lamb," rather obviously standing in for the whole constellation of the Ram*), has an apparent magnitude of only 2.0, but as Wikipedia notes, citing The Ever-Changing Sky by the late James B. Kaler,** that although Aries is faint, it has remained in mind as a bright star near what was apparently an important place when people first studied the night sky.

*http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/hamal.html a page by the late James B. Kaler.

Kaler’s website can still be found here: http://stars.astro.illinois.edu

Somewhat more visually appealing, at least according to Stellarium, is the Moon passing through the Pleiades of Taurus at 10pm today:

Realistically it will not look like this because due to the Moon being almost full it will blot out the stars around it, even if any clouds haven't done that for it.

The Full Moon in Taurus shines a light on stability, values, and what truly matters, but with Uranus nearby, expect a spark of unpredictability. Sudden shifts or surprising insights may challenge old routines and attachments, encouraging innovation and fresh perspectives. While the desire for comfort and grounding remains, this is a moment to embrace change where it serves growth, release what no longer fits, and find new ways to strengthen foundations in life and community. - ChatGPT

***I whittled that paragraph out with the help of ChatGPT. Image c/o freepik.com

Anyway, I've somehow ended up writing about not what I intended...