New Moon in Sagittarius

The Sagittarius New Moon is coming on the 15^th of December (here in Australia – that will shift a bit depending on where you are on the planet). This one is extra special as its also going to be a total solar eclipse. We’ll talk about the twist that eclipses can bring a bit later but first let’s explore a bit what Sagittarian New Moon might have to inspire you…

Remember that things begun on a New Moon – particularly things done with conscious intention - have extra energy to come to fruition. If you want to test this, just try one of the suggestions below and notice the results at the next Full Moon in the same sign.

Sagittarius is a fire sign in the mutable mode. Fire in the alchemical tradition works on the level of the spirit. It is what motivates and activates. It’s the dynamic energy that transforms, acting as a catalyst. The mutable mode is the just what it sounds like – it mutates, changes and shifts. It is not stagnant, but moving. And this very much describes Sagittarian energy. Its a very ‘awake’ energy. Sagittarian is bright and vibrant. Ruled by Jupiter – the largest gas planet, it is also considered the energy of the teacher or the guru, the traveler and the student. Sag wants us to expand our horizons, to stretch ourselves outward and have faith that there is more to everything than meets the eye. It governs our beliefs and our philosophies. As one would expect of a Jupiter ruled energy, Sagittarius is comfortable with extremes, it does not need to have the whole picture to take big leaps. Sagittarian energy is always searching. Caroline Casey calls Sag the ‘cosmic collage artist’ searching far and wide for any bit of truth which it happily simply tears out from where ever it finds it. Sag gathers what sparkles to itself, leaving the dross behind, creating a new and bright mosaic of possibility. Sag energy is above all about inspiration. It is bored with tame, tired of familiar, it challenges you to grow and leap and reach and above all to have Faith – yes, with a capital “F”.

For sure Sagittarian energy can seem to go around off half cocked, forgetting the most practical and obvious (factual) things, or it can be so in love with discovering new ideas and thoughts that it never does anything real or tangible with them, or seem to be always caught up in its own drama and journey, that it forgets you might have some thoughts and interests of your own as well and yes, in its ugliest expression is rife with self-righteous and dogmatic perceptions of reality. Every energy has low vibrations and so its good to know about them to keep us honest, but Sag can also take the grim hard and ugly truths and find a way to live with them beautifully and effortlessly. It does this not by turning away, dumbing things down or telling lies, but by simply making its container larger. Ruled by Jupiter it has amazing access to limitless, benevolent love. Love is the great ‘expander’– it somehow can make room for everything. In the Kabbalist tradition Jupiter is associated with Chesed the 4^th Sephirah on the Tree of Life. Chesed in Hebrew relates to mercy, love and service to others. High vibrations of Sagittarian energy embodies those principals, lifting us up, keeping us interested, curious, inspired and in a state of expanding benevolent love.

So if you want to move with the cosmic winds, use this upcoming New Moon to reach out and embody those Sagittarian principals – pick up something and start learning. Dust off that online course you signed up for that has moved to the bottom of your list. There’s lots of webinars out there that will allow you to go even deeper into something you might already have learned a bit about. Depth learning is emphasized with Sag rather than the quick study of Gemini, so go for it and take the plunge. Maybe you need a break from studying… so go somewhere you’ve not been before. Try something you’ve never tried before. Reach out beyond your comfort zone and invite possibility in. Be undaunted and remain curious. Maybe you want to access more of the spirit and faith side of Sagittarius? Go attend a service at a church of a faith you might be unfamiliar with. If ‘God’ is a complicated topic for you, Star Breathing Meditation is a lovely embodiment of Sagittarian principals. Its easy and can be practiced anywhere: On your inhalations, just imagine breathing in bright star light – right into your heart. Deep inhales that fill up your heart with star light. On your exhalations using your internal force push the feeling of love out from your heart. Really feel it, send it out. If you want, you can direct it towards something or someone – even yourself or a painful part of yourself (physical or emotional), but most in line with Sag would be to just to send it in every direction, with every out-breath. You can do this as for as long as you like. This simple breathing meditation has amazing efficacy to shift both internal and external energies with just a few deep and focused breaths.

Sagittarian intention setting would fall along similar lines… decide for next few weeks to say yes at least three times as often as you say no. Decide to trust in serendipity and let the universe guide you down new paths. Or decide instead to pay attention and notice the ways you undermine your own faith in yourself… Listen for that part of you that goes on and on with the same negative self-talk you’ve been hearing for years, when you notice it just laugh and turn away. Say out loud “BOOOORIING!” Remember: If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll just keep getting what you’ve got. Time to shift gears and leap into the unknown – it might not be better, but at least it will be different and for Sag energy, that is a great starting place. Or simply practice doing the opposite of what you would normally do, like walk on the other side of the street from your regular chosen route. Just notice what happens – notice what you notice and where that takes you. Noticing patterns, studying them and playing with them is very Sagittarian.

As for a witchy practice? This is a great time to build a fire and howl at the moon! Make some noise, let the universe hear you, don’t be shy. Take up space – it’s ok. Let your freak flag fly! The Truth is too big for any one person to carry, we all just have to hold up our end of it as best we can… SO HOLD IT UP! Shout it out! In the beloved words of Marianne Williamson:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Allow yourself to expand, even to the far edges of your capacity. A beautiful and simple fire ritual from the Andean tradition in line with Sagittarian energy is to take a small stick and a long piece of brightly colored string (preferably of natural fiber). As you sit with your stick and string in hand, take a moment to center and consider what needs transformation in your life. Choose something that you are willing to see from new and broader perspective. Choose something sticky. Choose something that makes you feel pinched and tight, small or powerless. When you have chosen your ‘thing’ tie the string around the stick holding that ‘thing’ firmly in your mind. As you wind the ends of your string around the stick, allow all your questions and heartache, all your concerns and fears, all your angers and ideas – allow everything to flow through you as you wind your string. If you can’t think of one ‘thing’, don’t sweat it. Tie your string and allow your mind to ponder and very slowly wind your string. Notice your emotions and when you feel a bit of a squeeze or tension, tie a knot. Take a deep breath and continue doing the same. In either option, when you get to the end (leaving enough to tie the final knot) say a prayer and simply ask for expansion or transformation. Ask to grow your container. As you tie the knot to secure the string, push some love into it – whatever you have access to at that moment. Burn your stick in your ceremonial fire and remember to give thanks for this opportunity to grow. As you throw your stick, howl out your noise. A whoop of joy, a scream of defiance, a growl of rage, a cry of anguish. Whatever it is, sound it out and allow yourself to be loud about it. If you are doing this ritual with others they can echo your sound and put their energy behind yours to help it along.

Now, before you go off in a Sagittarian rush, let’s consider the eclipse….

There are a lot of theories in astrology and ritual practices that use astrology when it comes to eclipses. Many suggest that ‘magic’ is rather uncontrollable at these times and advise caution. This should make perfect sense if we just follow the ancient law that governs astrology: As above, so below – as inside, so outside. For a total solar eclipse, the Moon positions itself between the Earth and the Sun, blocking out not only the Sun’s light, but also interrupting the flow of “space weather’ (x-rays, radiation etc) that normally bombard our planet. In astrological translation, this means the Moon – the sub-rational, intuitive energies intervene, thwarting the solar ones – the conscious, logical, rational energies. Yin will be stronger than Yang. Objectivity will be eclipsed by subjectivity. If you need a lot of control, this can be a ‘dangerous’ time. Subconscious influences will put its own spin on things. I personally am of the mind (and practice) that those who preach control over magic are missing the most basic principal. Real magic is an energetic conversation.

For the last 200 years, we have been in an astrological cycle of earth. This cycle is fast coming to a close. One short week after this eclipse, we will embark on a new 200 year cycle of air. It bears thinking about for this eclipse sets the stage and offers itself as the threshold – a foyer if you will, into this new era. And what a doorway! The galactic center of our universe is at 26 degrees 10 minutes Sagittarius. This eclipse is falling at 23 degrees 8 minutes Sagittarius. In other words this eclipse is in conjunction with our galactic center. For those of you who don’t know, the galactic center is not simply the rotational center of our own Milky Way, but also what’s known as a “supermassive black hole”. (Go nerd out on Wikipedia to wet your whistle). Make no mistake, this is a very auspicious time. Going back to the 200 year cycle - earth energy (the cycle that we are completing) works on the physical level, it’s about building and accumulating – in other words, “control” is an earth principal. It is easy enough to look around and see how ‘earth bound’ we are. Air energy (the upcoming new cycle) on the other hand works on the intellectual and mental levels; it is more about movement and change, attention and connection. Earth can stagnate, Air can liberate. All of us are here at this time. We all have a part in NOW... and so similarly part of everyone’s lesson/gift - on some basic level – is to relinquish control (earth) and expand into a greater possibility of attentive wholeness (air). It bears remembering too, that when Sag energy seeks to control it moves into dogmatism – its ugliest face. High Sag is grounded in the principal of Love. The energetic axis of Sagittarius uses humility as its fulcrum. Without humility, Sag energy falls into believing it KNOWS best, sees the farthest, fully comprehends the complexities of any given situation. With humility, Sag energy grasps that however far it travels, whatever depths it’s plumbed – there is always more out there… Truth is too big for any one person to hold. Knowing this, understanding truly that it will always fall short, Sag has no choice but to embody both Love and Faith. When Love is your bottom line, you can let go and let the universe guide you. So real magic is not about controlling energy to ‘do your bidding’, its about really being clear on what your bottom line is and gluing yourself there. If you have that fundamental principal sorted, everything else is a conversation, an exploration, a learning process. That’s pure Sag through and through. When partaking in ritual during an eclipse will there be unexpected happenings as a result – yes, for sure. Know this going into it. It’s kinda like being a midwife. Wow… imagine what possibilities we might be able to help welcome into being using the tools of ritual at this very special time?!