Chodesh Nisan 5785:In Like a Lion,Out Like a Big Game Hunter on Safari

CHODESH NISAN 5785

(March 30 - April 27, 2025)

The astronomical New Moon in Aries and a Partial Solar Eclipse usher in Rosh Chodesh Nissan, not exactly like a lamb!

Aries the Lamb, from the Michael Mahzor, illuminated parchment manuscript, Germany, 1258

A year ago we had “The Great American Eclipse”, a Total Solar Eclipse at 19 Aries, in April 2024. This year, we have a Partial Solar Eclipse at 9 Aries; both on Erev Rosh Chodesh Nissan. This doubling of the Solar Eclipses reminds us that the Jewish People, symbolized by the Moon, are currently under the global dominion of the non-Jewish Nations, symbolized by the Sun.

As the Talmud tells us, though Solar Eclipses are bad omens for the non-Jewish nations, the Jews suffer nonetheless as the Nations blame them for their woes. Is there any doubt the Jewish people, in Israel, world-wide. and in North America, have been blamed for the woes of this world.

We’re reminded that “doubling” in the Bible is a literary device to take note of. Joseph tells Pharaoh that his dreams were doubled as a sign that they were prophetic and true. Yet there’s another side to these symbolic, energetic archetypes which are alive and well and embodied in our world. For instance, regarding Aries:

Neptune/Rahav enters Aries on Rosh Chodesh Nissan. The last time Neptune was in Aries was from 1861 to 1875, during the American Civil War (will one day we call it the First American Civil War?).

Neptune is an Epochal Planet, describing a period in time through his watery, distorted lens. Neptune can romanticize and glamorize or distort to an extraordinary extent. Neptune enters Aries on March 30th, 2025 and stays in Aries until October 22, 2025, when it briefly retrogrades back into Pisces before returning to Aries on January 26, 2026, and remains there until March 2039.

Our New Moon / Partial Solar Eclipse at 9 degrees Aries occurs on Shabbat HaChodesh, Parshat Pekudei, Saturday March 29, which is Erev Rosh Chodesh Nissan.

The next set of eclipses come in September; a Lunar Eclipse at the Full Moon of Chodesh Elul (Sun in Virgo, Moon in Pisces), and a partial Solar Eclipse at 29 degrees Virgo - the ultimate degree of any sign! - as both the Sun and Moon enter Libra on September 22, Tekufah Tishrei, the Autumnal Equinox and Erev Rosh HaShanah.

To everything (turn, turn, turn) there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.

Mercury Retrograde enters Pisces and conjuncts Neptune, right before Neptune enters Aries. He’s a slippery fish; don’t believe anything he says. If you don't hear a huge number of outright lies on this day, you're spending the day napping!

But wake up, my friends. The energy now makes it hard to ignore what's going on. Don't sleep through the future! Saturn sextiles Uranus on April 4; the First Quarter Moon in Cancer arrives on Shabbos Vayikra, with Mars sextile Uranus and trine Saturn. SO much energy devoted to radical disruptions of the status quo; it's almost as if some people believe they can bring back the "old normal", which is now as far away from us as east is from west. A better tactic would be creating a tolerable enough new normal!

Here comes a week full of action: The Sun sextiles Jupiter and Retrograde Venus trines Mars April 6. Retrograde Venus conjuncts Saturn, and Mercury stations Direct April 7.

Pluto sextiles Neptune on April 8 (which is 10 Nissan, time to take a lamb….). When we throw ourselves into preparing for Pesach, and put loving care into the details, we counterbalance and correct all the distorted priorities of "this world". This is the week to show "this world" who is really Boss!

The Sun conjuncts "Wounded Healer" Chiron in Aries on Erev Pesach. The verse from Zechariah 13:6 comes to mind:

"And one shall say unto him: What are these wounds between your hands? Then he shall answer: Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends."

ואמר אליו מה המכות האלה בין ידיך ואמר אשר הכיתי בית מאהבי

Nothing hurts like the hurt inflicted by a friend. When you burn your chametz on Erev Pesach, recall these verses and examine your own woundedness, and/or/both how you've wounded others who are friends. This is the day to do teshuva for this very thing.

Teshuva brings forgiveness. Forgiveness enables grace. Venus, which has been Retrograde since March 2, stations Direct on the First Day of Passover, with the Full Moon in Libra. Pesach is the time for reconciliation.

Next up: Sefirot HaOmer, beginning the second night of Passover. The ball is rolling, and oh so quickly!

Mercury Direct re-enters Aries April 16, Tiferet Sh’b’Chesed. No more beating around the bush or trying to make something better than it actually is. Though there is a call for generosity and grace April 15 when

Mercury conjuncts Neptune during Netzach Sh’b’Chesed, Mars enters Leo 18 April, Hod Sh’b’Chesed. Without respect, nothing else matters.

The Sun enters Taurus, and Mars in Leo trines Neptune in Aries on Malchut Sh’b’Chesed. So much fiery inspiration and so much possible manifestation!

Mercury in Leo sextiles Pluto in Aquarius, the Taurus Sun squares Mars in Leo at the Last Quarter Moon in Aquarius on Chesed Sh’b’Gevurah. SO much Fixed energy (Aquarius, Taurus, Leo) - "somethings gotta give" but nobody is giving an inch!

The Sun squares Neptune April 23 and Venus conjuncts Saturn April 25, Hod Sh’b’Gevurah.

Mercury returns to his original Retrograde point on Shabbos Shemini, at which time we can say definitively "Mercury Retrograde is actually really over" - until next time.

Chodesh Nisan came in like a lion with the eclipse, and is going out like the lion's only natural predator: the hunter. The hunter is the most dangerous predator on earth, and the most potentially explosive time of the month comes when Mars in Leo is opposite Pluto in Aquarius on Malchut Sh’b’Gevurah (April 26/27). If you take nothing else away from this overview of Chodesh Nisan, take away this: when overweening pride meets addiction to power disguised as "what is best for 'the people'", violence shortly follows. Let us pray for wisdom, discernment, and the power of G*d to show itself with strength and righteousness!