Welcome to the first New Moon of the new astrological year. It rolls in on Friday 17 April at exactly 9:51pm AEST. As the Sun makes its movements through the last few degrees of Aries, the Moon also lands in this Fire sign, offering us the chance to make a big impact. Keep your intention clear and at the front of your mind. Here's what you need to know.

What to expect astrologically from the New Moon in Aries

From an astrological perspective, the New Moon is considered the energetic low point of the Moon Cycle. If we imagine the Moon Cycle as a wave of energy, the Full Moon is the crest, but the New Moon is the trough. In a way, it's a mental cleanse. A chance to free yourself from the themes that no longer serve you, and take a moment to pause, reflect and reset. As the energy around you winds down, you can take the space you need to recalibrate, and understand what you need to put aside in order to move forward with a clean slate.

New Moons are widely considered the best time across the Moon Cycle to engage in manifestations and to work with the energy of the universe so you can plant your seeds of intention in fertile ground. But as this New Moon falls in Aries, it may be an even more potent time to manifest for the future.

With Aries lighting up not just the Sun and the Moon, but Mercury, Mars, Saturn and Neptune, this moment of reset will offer you a healthy dose of confidence you can choose to take into the rest of the month. So many Aries placements can ordinarily feel intense, but as they arrive during the cleansing New Moon, the combination is instead buoyant. Almost like a blanket of assurance that inspires us to keep going down the paths we've set for ourselves.

This will be the perfect time to start a new project. If you've been toying with the idea of starting a side hustle, a podcast, joining a club, taking up painting, writing a book, this is the moment to take the first step. With Neptune in Aries emboldening us to turn our dreams and fantasies into action.

On the other side, be mindful that the heavy concentration of Aries placements can lead to imbalance. In particular, with Mercury in Aries favouring direct communication and Mars in Aries adding a layer of aggressiveness, be conscious of the conversations you choose to open up at this time. The energies that emerge around the New Moon can follow you through the rest of the Moon Cycle, so be conscious of what you engage in, and how you do it. Positive and fruitful actions should be prioritised at this moment, for your own sake. Difficult discussions can wait.

Why is this New Moon such a potent time for manifestations

As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries season is considered the start of the astrological year – which begins officially on the March Equinox. Aries is a sign of passion, ambition and action. It is forward-facing, preferring to start walking rather than uming and ahing over the direction. During Aries season and especially during an Aries Moon, we favour directness, big ideas and can be more open to taking a risk that could lead to bigger and better things. It's a particularly auspicious combination that can allow us to put more intensity and boldness into our dreams for the future.

Here, we're given the cosmic guidance not to be shy. If there is something you want from life, ask for it. Grab the proverbial bull – or should we say ram – by the horns and set your eyes firmly on your desires for the future. Remember that like calls to like and manifesting is all about embodying the energy and mindset of someone who already has the life that you crave. Act as though you're living your dreams and you might find that they end up falling into your lap.

Image: Bernd 📷 Dittrich on Unsplash