We are now just two or three days short of the New Moon and inevitably this is leading to a state of raised nervous tension and anxiety.

As a result moods and emotions will display more zest than of late with an increase in general apprehension with subtle fears and concerns along with a sense of growing insecurity. Similarly there may be a poor sense of concentration making it difficult to focus on the task in hand with restless moods and feelings that will not easily be settled.

Under these circumstances it may feel harder to get going as there may be so many competing influences that may all come together to produce a state of mental confusion or stagnation.

As with any immediate New Moon setting there may be increased aggression and belligerence with the likelihood of volatile moods and expression together with dissatisfaction that will be all the more apparent where there is the consumption of alcohol. Indeed the effects of both caffeine and alcohol will be magnified at this time, and in the case of alcohol this may lead to unpleasant scenes or the expression of particularly strong and forthright opinions.

Feelings of resentment or animosity may also be further increased by the continuing opposition of Mars and Jupiter. These so called ‘planets of war’ have a reputation for bringing conflict and turmoil and even just a cursory glance at news headlines at this time will show how true this has become. Indeed there have been serious riots and unrest in both Pakistan and Kenya, and the continuing instability in the Balkans appears to have been stoked up a gear with renewed tension over the status of Kosovo. These are typical manifestations of Mars/Jupiter alignments that on a more personal level are capable of creating significant tensions within the family setting.

The above mentioned stresses will be further increased by the continuing long term opposition between Uranus and Saturn. For some months now this has been contributing to a strangely polarised atmosphere that can swiftly alternate between hard edged ambition and ruthlessness, with elements of cruel indifference, to a mood of more depressive and hesitant traits with reduced enthusiasm and poor self confidence.

The immediate days ahead may be filled with tension and anxiety with a strongly aggressive element producing very forceful emotions or moods that may have the potential to reach extremes. As such this calls for restraint and tolerance and some allowance should be made for the behaviour of others who may not be as understanding as we might like.

All in all this may be a turbulent few days ahead, but like all mood situations of strictly limited duration.

Alert is 8. Moon 9% illuminated.