January 5th ~ 12th

And when the fog’s over and the stars and the moon come out at night it’ll be a beautiful sight. ~ Jack Kerouac

It might have seemed to many that for the past month we have been swimming through a fog. Standing in this liminal space without boundaries, we were distilling the essence from the past, while at a loss to see where it will all take us. Not only was Mercury in its retrograde phase until New Year’s Day, but it was also square nebulous Neptune for much of that time. The only solution for Neptune weather is to remain in the present, neither regretting the past, nor worrying about the future. The only recourse is to focus on what is in front of us, right now. 

The problem with not being able to see your way forward through the fog, is that it is almost impossible to make plans, set time lines, or see things clearly. And although Mercury has danced back into its direct phase, and what we would normally associate with ‘normal’, it will make a 3rd and final square to Neptune on January 8th. So it is with a certain heart felt gratitude, that we are welcoming in the New Moon in Capricorn on January 11th, allowing the fog to roll off, revealing with greater clarity, what lies beneath. It’s the certainty that we are craving right now 

For the next few days we will continue to feel our way blindly through the mist, only to finally come out on the other side by Thursday. Like a beacon light guiding us forward, no-nonsense and practical Capricorn is beckoning us on. But know that up until the New Moon, many will still be plagued by uncertainty and doubt. 

This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath, the door of a vanished house left ajar. ~ Margaret Atwood (Eating Fire: Selected Poetry)

The New Moon at 20º Capricorn 44’ falls on January 11th at 6:58 am Eastern Time, 3:58 am Pacific, and 11:58 am Greenwich Time. The New Moon is semi-square Saturn, Old Father Time, in Pisces, the last sign of the zodiac, representing the past, and the dreams we once clung to. It is also trine visionary Uranus, looking boldly to the future. Betwixt and between the past and the future, the New Moon also happens to be at the Bending of the Nodes, creating a t-square with the True Nodes of the Moon: The place of caught breath… that Margaret Atwood refers to in her poem. This is the true New Year, ripe with the potential gathered from the leaves of the past, and what once was. Now with the New Moon we can finally take that first step out into the future that awaits.

It could feel a bit like our lives are overlapping between an old order and a new one that is about to unfold. There is a sense of excitement for the new life and the promises it holds. But we are still feeling obligated to, or attached to the dreams of the past. Despite any reservations or conflicts, at some point we will find it necessary to let go of the old in order to move into new and better spaces that will help to accommodate what the new year is bringing us. 

This New Moon is part of a series of New Moons that have been, and will be, in aspect to the planet Uranus. This month’s New Moon in Capricorn is trine Uranus. The series will end with the New Moon in Taurus, in May, which will be conjunct Uranus in Taurus. Positively Uranus is setting the stage for some sort of evolutionary growth. As a result there are likely to be even more changes to help support that growth. 

Capricorn is a sign that is excellent for setting goals and creating plans. This week the planet Mars is well positioned for us to start taking some sort of action that will help us to fulfill those goals. Saturn, the ruling planet of Capricorn is now closely sextile Jupiter, a planet that symbolizes our vision for the future. And Mars, the planet of action, now exalted in the sign of Capricorn, is sextile Saturn while simultaneously trine expansive Jupiter. If ever you were thinking of implementing a plan, taking on a new challenge, or creating a road map for the future, this would be it. As soon as the fog lifts from that Mercury/Neptune square, get out your planners, compasses, graph paper and rulers, it’s time to map out your future. And Mars is here to bring us the courage and the initiative to do so. 

What the New Moon in Capricorn is really good for: 

• Creating a plan. Make it concise. Make it specific, and realistically achievable. 

• Beginning things, or taking on a project that requires a little extra discipline and foresight. 

• Organizing things. Whether in your calendar, your environment or those drawers that got out of hand. 

• Looking for positive ways to manage your time. Create a realistic and manageable schedule. Use an on-line calendar with reminders. Find a 2024 date book that appeals to you. 

• Seeking advice, either from people you respect, are experienced, or are older, wiser and have been there and done that already.

Cultivating more Capricorn in our lives:

• In what ways can you be more disciplined, self-reliant and self-sufficient? 

• What promises and commitments do you want to follow through with over the year ahead?

• What are the things that would make you feel most accomplished? 

• What would self-respect look like for you?

• How can you show greater respect to those you consider to be your elders, or those whom you look up to and admire?

• What can you learn from them?

If you wish to make intentions with the New Moon in Capricorn, do so during the New Moon phase, which begins with the New Moon on January 11th (6:58 am Eastern; 3:58 am Pacific and 11:58 am Greenwich) and ends with the waxing Crescent Moon on January 14th. But perhaps the most powerful day would be after the New Moon on the 11th, up until when the Moon makes its conjunction to Pluto on the 11th at 9:33 pm Eastern, 6:33 pm Pacific, 2:33 am on the 12th Greenwich time. 

Some good affirmations or intentions for this month might be: 

• I lead best when I lead by example.

• The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. ~ Leo Tolstoy

• I have been matured by time, which has given me the capacity to endure. 

• May I recognize and follow the path that is best for me.

• I honor Experience and Memory as the basis of Wisdom.

• Respect for myself guides my morals, respect for others guide my manners. ~ Laurence Sterne

• “Character ~ the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life ~ is the source from which self respect springs.” ~ Joan Didion

For the New Moon for your Sun sign or Rising sign, click below:

HOROSCOPES