New Moon in Capricorn

A very dear friend brought it to my attention that I did not explain the New Moon energetic ritual pattern very well. So here’s the skinny: New Moons are beginning energy, so they are the best times to initiate intentions and ritual. By shaping your rituals and intentions to the astrological energies currently in play, you amplify the energy available to you… moving with the current so to speak. So what I am suggesting here is to create a ritual/intention for every New Moon and then when the Full Moon arrives next in that same sign you can judge for yourself the efficacy of these types of practices. Remember we’re not talking about the “next” Full Moon, but the next time the Full Moon lands in the same sign as the New Moon for the ritual/intention you practiced (so for example: Aries New Moon to Aries Full Moon).

My hope is to post on every Full Moon, so that you have a couple weeks to think about and gather what you might need for your ritual on the upcoming New Moon. You can do your ritual or set your intention exactly on the day of the New Moon (strongest) or a few days after. If you want to notch up your amperage even more, you can continue to formalize your intention everyday with practices, reminders or prayers right up to the next upcoming Full Moon (so for about 2 weeks). Then it is time to rest and let the energy do its thing. No one likes to have someone driving from the back seat, right? Same goes for your angels!

If you want to follow along and not lose track, a good practice is to keep a little Moon journal where you can write down reminders to yourself of what you did and what came up for you regarding those intentions, you can track your own journey with it and when you get to that Full Moon you will be able to see what has shifted. What worked and what didn’t. It will also clue you into what sign energies you align best with and which ones are more difficult for you to to connect to.

Always if you have questions, just send them along to me at evolvingastrologer@gmail.com. Happy to help where I can. If you would like me to email you a reminder when i post, i am happy to do that as well, just shoot me an email.

Capricorn New Moon January 13, 2021:

Ok, the New Moon coming on the 13^th of January 2021 (here Down Under) is landing in Capricorn. We modern folk think of Capricorn as the goat, but in ancient times he was the sea-goat. A mythical beast with the head of a goat and the body of a sea serpent who roamed the wildest parts of the sea. Perhaps because Capricorn energy is above all known for its endurance – whether it be to helpful paths or unhelpful ones. Capricorn is cardinal earth energy. The cardinal side initiates – Capricorn energy is the first one to pick up the shovel and start digging the well, or the one that is up at first light to put its foot on the trail up the mountain. In these examples we begin to get a feeling for the earth side of things. Earth is tangible and visible. It builds. As cardinal earth, Capricorn energy wants to lay solid lasting foundations. It does not cut corners nor shirk duty. It is very ‘fact’ oriented. Steven Forrest, a beautiful Capricorn says of himself “I never met a fact I didn’t like.” This exemplifies Capricorn's willingness to face hard and uncomfortable truths. Capricorn is a slow moving energy because it wants to do a thorough job. It can be a somewhat plain and confrontational energy because one of the words that best describes Capricorn is ‘integrity’. Now that word has come to suggest a lot of ‘good’ things, but basically what it means is that something has internal strength and cohesion. For this energy it means that all the planes – heart, body, mind, spirit – are in alignment. This is where that legendary endurance comes from. Like I said though, Capricorn energy can be just as easily wedded to climbing the wrong mountain. It might even ignore all the signs and keep going right to the very top, because it likes to finish what it starts before it picks another mountain. Earth element is prone to stagnation, getting stuck or being stubborn - that is the nature of cohesion, of accumulation, of grounding. Everything has its high and low vibration, this energy is no different. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn who in astrological tradition governs structure, limits, discipline, authority, time and duty. We can see with this why Capricorn also governs the 10^th astrological house of reputation and career, and also why these energies are considered ‘elder’ energies (as in Father Time or hard earned wisdom). Saturn is associated with Binah, the 3^rd Sephirah on the Kabbalah Tree of Life. In Hebrew Binah means ‘understanding’. Feel how 'understanding' gives a sense of solidifying knowing in a more concrete way. Interestingly Binah is associated with the Divine Mother whose symbols in that tradition include not just the womb, but also the sea (as in sea goat?). Capricorn energy wants not simply to give birth, it wants to build (earth) the foundations (cardinal) for a lasting legacy (Saturn). So Capricorn energy is very aware of the limitations of time and its Saturn association along with its own integrity lends this energy a kind of gravitas. Capricorn energy therefore really quite good at delegation and very much the leader when it comes to being able to do without and whittling things down to the bare essentials.

An important thing to keep in mind with this particular New Moon is that it is also tightly conjunct Pluto. That’s no small detail. If you have any planets near 23 degrees Capricorn, Aries, Cancer or Libra, this New Moon will probably be extra potent for you. Pluto is going to put a real deep dive spin on this New Moon. He always intensifies things. He is the cosmic plumber of the zodiac, getting down into the foul stuck crap that is blocking our growth and dredging it all up to the surface be acknowledged and cleared. This combination coming as it does as the first New Moon after the ingress into this new 200 year cycle of Air, suggests that here is lord Pluto sweeping up the remains, giving the last scrub out of that old Earth cycle before the February New Moon in Air. He is here to really help us step fully into this new paradigm. All of us are coming from an entire life of having our 'large container' understanding of the world and ourselves from an earth element perspective. This transition is going to ask new things from all of us. We are going to have to change how we think and perceive, perhaps radically so. Any place where we are stuck in our own willful ignorance is going to be a hindrance to this new paradigm. Pluto is always about making conscious what has been unconscious. He tears away our falsehoods, leaving us naked and shivering. Terrifying? Yes, but ultimately clear of what no longer serves us. When we engage Pluto willingly it is far less painful than when we don’t, so while I give a lot of seemingly mundane suggestions below, what takes it to the next level is for you to engage your own deeper process with them. Notice what triggers you, where you react, what you might ignore, forget, slide away from or shrug off. Go to those places. Get curious. Dig deeper. Or better yet, use my suggestions as a jumping off place to really engage where you are stuck or where you cringe. There is a saying in astrology, that if you don’t work the energies, they work you – and well, Pluto is not gentle. He cares very little for our comfort and certainly laughs wickedly at what we think we are ready to handle. He is literally so far away from the Sun (conscious understanding), that what we ‘think’ has actually little relevance to him. As an outer (or transpersonal) planet, his goal is not simply our little personal evolution, but that of the collective. He is really really far away and thus sees a much bigger perspective than we can probably even imagine.

So this New Moon is about commitment and walking your talk, but its far more than that. Its about taking a hard and honest look around us and the life we have created for ourselves. The Pluto element is asking us to look at how we live our lives moment by moment and commit to changes that stop ignoring that big scary confusing mess and instead wade into the muck of it  and start attending to whatever parts we can grab hold of. The Capricorn energy means its about taking stock of what is actually sustainable and what isn’t. Its time to get real practical and real honest with this earth energy. Pluto means not just in terms of time and energy, but emotional and psychological resources as well as the monetary ones. Its ok to decide that something we thought we were going to love or something we thought was good for us, we have realized along the way we aren’t really that excited about or its more effort than its worth. Low vibration Capricorn would just plow through anyway, but high vibration Cap would just be honest and face the truth. However hard. This energy is here to help you pick the right mountain. Capricorn energy says “Put your energy where it will lay the strongest and most lasting foundation. Your own integrity demands it. We live on the earth plane. That means there are limitations – time, money, health, environment, breaths – you name it. Don’t whinge about it, get off your ass and just deal with it. Don’t waste any of these precious resources. Get behind what you do and make it count.”

A good Capricorn thing to do during this time? Make a budget, really sit down and make a solid plan; figure out how to get out of debt or how to realistically finance what is important to you. Ouch! That’s no fun, you say? Sorry, Sag (governed by Jupiter) is the one known for a good time, Capricorn is governed by Saturn remember? What about brushing up your resume, putting a new face on that old website? These are things that work that career/reputation angle. Similarly you can think about foundational practices that are body focused – like getting enough rest, eating a well balanced diet, so doing without that additional Netflix episode or that extra snack. Learning to hone your awareness of where ‘enough’ really actually sits. Spoiler alert: Its rarely where we have come to think it is. If you want to bring in more of that Pluto energy, take a good look at your consumption habits and your carbon footprint (Pluto rules 'waste' of all sorts). Its all good and well to want the government to commit to drastic environmental action, but change starts with each of us individually. Everyone knows that we vote with every dollar we spend. Its on us. Use this New Moon to commit to learning to shift your psychological mindset when it comes to your own concepts of “need” or what you “deserve” or what is your “right”. Take back your power and begin to question everything that capitalism has taught you to believe. Or how about simply spending the next two weeks practicing not biting off more than you can chew. A gentler practice would be to spend more time with your elders – LISTENING to them, really hearing what they have to say and taking it in to digest. Asking about their stories, honoring what they have learned through their experiences – allow it to inform your own choices and understanding.

Capricorn intentions would fall along the same lines – the goal would be to focus on harnessing heart, mind, body and spirit under one banner. These are not pipe dreams we are aiming for, but rather very practical, duty oriented intentions. Make an intention to do those tedious tasks without grumbling or procrastination. In fact, why not just decide to not grumble or procrastinate for the next two weeks. Or how about just taking some time to take stock of all the irons you’ve got in the fire and getting very Capricorn about them. Choosing the bare essentials and deciding to put the full force of your attention behind those few and letting the rest go. If they are meant to be, they will hang around until you have space and time, if not, someone else will pickup that muse. And on the subject of work – a very Capricorn thing – how about setting an intention to really focus on your work when you are at work. Integrity remember? Don’t check your personal emails or whatever data feed your subscribe to. Be at work. Do your work. Do what you promised to do. Have a high amount of integrity. Notice what shifts. Notice what doesn’t. Discover something about yourself. Another intention that is in line with Capricorn (and Pluto) is simply to set a limitation for yourself on something, could be an addictive behavior, but these don’t have to be the usual food, drugs or alcohol. It could be the internet. It could be how much you sigh. It could be that negative self-talk that goes round and round between your ears or derogatory comments you might make out loud or silently about others. One easy mundane limit would be to focus on how fast you drive, or eat – remember Capricorn is slow moving. Capricorn might be ‘no fun’ but it really is about raising the bar and then doing what it takes to clear it. This is why Capricorn is said to be most concerned with proving itself, to itself.

As for witchy practice – most any meditation is great. Putting the full force of your attention into the present moment. Have integrity with "now". Slow steady breathing. Both are big winners on the Capricorn front. For something more active - go plant a tree. Do your Capricorn fact gathering research and pick the right one for the environment you are planting it into, but plant something lasting. Keep this in mind as you work and say a prayer to the effect that this tree will flourish long after you are gone. If you want to call in Pluto, imagine yourself as bones and this tree standing tall and green over you, holding space for you as you feed it, slowly turn back into dirt. Feel how good that feels – how right. Another very good Capricorn ritual would be to take a hike somewhere with a view. Pick up stones along the way (or find them at the top) and build a little cairn. If the stones that fit into your pocket don’t stack very well, place them in a spiral instead to symbolize the true nature of time and energy. With each stone you place, seed your intention into it, make them promises. When you leave, take a small stone with you as a reminder to carry around in your pocket or keep in a special place at home. Stones have very very long memories. They will hold you to your promises – so make sure they are practical ones that you can keep. I did not say ‘easy’ ones – that is not fitting for Capricorn, but ones that are within your capacity. Often folks choose to work with addictions because Capricorn energy can be super helpful on these fronts as he governs self-discipline and limitations (Pluto is an added bonus assist here as he governs suppressed trauma), but remember addictions would not be thus if we could just drop them and be done. The key to remember is that you don’t need to set yourself up for possible failure here. Capricorn governs time, so if you are wanting to work with addictions go for it, but give yourself a reasonable and doable period of time to enforce limits. Push yourself – yes, that IS Capricorn, but ALWAYS ground any healing work in love. Give yourself room to be the learning, growing, evolving human that you are. If you don’t know what reasonable limits are – go ask someone. Find an elder who might be able to guide you from their own experiences. If you have no one available, then why not take it one slow and practical Capricornian step at a time. We aren’t talking weeks, or even days… how about just right now. And right now. And right now. Use the practice to learn about and own yourself each moment of right now just as you truly are. A big part of this New Moon is about dropping our pretenses and false ideals and to just GET REAL. We all have a super-hero version of ourselves. That version always negates or denies our small ugly sides. In this way it keeps us at odds with ourselves and does not allow for wholeness. This New Moon is a great time to do a ritual to say good-bye to that ‘split personality’ and just practice being completely you.