December 1 12:21 AM EST
This is a significant transitionary time, where we can refocus our updated vision and make necessary adjustments to our course. Sagittarius is the sign of the archer, the half man half centaur who moves quickly and confidently and yet shoots its arrow with precision at its chosen target. Sagittarius is said to be “lucky” thanks to its connection with Jupiter, the planet of abundance and generosity.
During this new moon we are all as the archer, getting our bearings as we move through our present life situations, and bringing our awareness of our trajectory back into focus: where are we now, where do we want to be, and where is the clean, clear direct line between those two.
This is an interesting new moon because we have several outer planets coming out of retrograde, meanwhile several inner planets are going retrograde. Saturn and Neptune, both currently transiting Pisces, are resuming forward motion. Saturn went direct in mid-November and Neptune goes direct within days of the new moon. This indicates that we have been getting lots of “mysterious” (Piscean) intuitive information and perhaps even experiencing profound subconscious shifts recently. And now it is time to get clear on those messages and what they mean for our path forward.
Saturn in Pisces is a three year transit and we are smack in the middle of it. It is about realigning us to our soul path, upgrading our energetic infrastructure, and making sure we are operating in harmony with the divine laws of metaphysics. Lessons we have learned, or experiences we have had, since Saturn went retrograde in late June are especially valuable to us as we reflect on what feels ‘pure’ and divinely guided for us now. And where we may feel like we are still operating in lower-vibrational Saturn, trying to force, control or over-strategize our way through situations. With Saturn square the new moon, we are feeling “squeezed” where things are not quite in alignment and freer where they are. The more we align to what feels light and harmonious, the lighter and more harmonious we will feel.
That is also a lesson of spiritual Neptune now going direct, also in Pisces. We have access to higher wisdom. Our own higher wisdom and the higher wisdom of the universe, of different vibrational realities and support systems. When we choose to engage with this wisdom and perspective consciously, we have the capacity to see the choices and situations in front of us from a higher perspective than perhaps we would have if we merely remain focused on the steady stream of news, distractions, and events of our lives and the world. This busy mundane level of reality is connected to the inner planets (Mercury, Venus and Mars) and our needs, desires, goals as we move through the world in an immediate way. But if we only participate in ‘that level’ of reality, then we may not be seeing the bigger picture or getting the broader messages that are available to us.
Neptune stationing and about to do direct, at 27 degrees Pisces, during this new moon is a reminder to pause and RECEIVE the wisdom that both Saturn and Neptune Rx in Pisces have been accruing for us over the past several months. That will be invaluable in helping us ‘shoot our arrow’ more deliberately, decisively, and accurately towards what we desire as we re-position ourselves in that direction. The messages may not be totally clear and straightforward, they may likely even have come in the form of dreams/visions/journeys- but they are highly valuable nonetheless.
When, exactly, we take aim and ‘shoot our shot’ remains to be seen however. Also within days of the new moon, Mars- the planet of action- goes retrograde. Mercury, the messenger planet of communication, began one of its periodic 3 week retrogrades just before the new moon.
So we could say now is NOT necessarily time to make a bold new move. Projects and situations that are *already* on a certain course or trajectory, can (and should) continue to be tended to, but it is not the time to push ourselves into new terrain or make aggressive bids for something that feels very new, unknown, or cutting edge for us. We may be confused (Saturn/Neptune) about our path, our communication may be muddled (Mercury), and the benefits and ramifications of our actions (Mars) may be obscured.
It is wise then to take more of the path of the ‘tracker’ in the wild, rather than the aggressive ‘hunter’. The tracker is observant, following the signs, carefully noticing the settings and dynamics at play, allowing each step to organically point the way towards the next one. The hunter, by contrast, is overly focused on their end goal and can be blind to the signals in their environment that might alert them to back off, or try a different approach. They may both ultimately reach the final goal of locating their “prey”, or reaching their target, but the process is different. And tracking is a more helpful mindset for us now. But remember that the tracker too knows when to take it’s shot, and does so.
Mars is at 5 degrees Leo during the new moon, and turns retrograde at 6 degrees on December 6. Whatever house Leo rules in your chart is the area where you are most due for an “upgrade” over the course of the next month. Mars Rx there will help us see what actions we need to take, or ways we need to reorganize our efforts, in order to maximize our positive results.
On January 6, Mars will retrograde back into Cancer. And between January 6 and February 24, Mars Rx in Cancer, is asking us to do a deep revision and upgrade in the Cancer part of our chart (I personally use “whole sign houses” so each sign has full effect in a single house in the chart). That is a hearty 6 week timeframe to fully get the message about what from the past, even potentially projects or relationships, wants to re-emerge now in a different way. It can help us see that even small tweaks of approach or effort, can have big payoffs.
Mars goes direct on February 24 at 17 Cancer, yet it will not re-enter Leo until April 18th. So the window between February 24 and April 18th is a highly potent time to realize and bring into fruition some of the upgraded plans are trajectories that are ALREADY on course (whether we are consciously aware of this or not). After all, Mars is re-treading the territory it was in over this past autumn as it was in these final 13 degrees of Cancer from October 5th through November 4th. So we can think of things that were coming up in our lives during that time as significant and continuing to develop and transform straight through the Spring of 2025.
So again, this is a transitionary time, one where our plans, visions, strategies and dreams continue to be subtly (so sometimes not so subtly) shifted, upgraded and re-imagined. Where our target/s come into focus not through sheer ambition and willpower, but through patience, clever strategy, and observation. We can, indeed, have more than one target- but I would advise not to focus on more than 3 core areas where we desire improvement on big goals. That does not mean that things will not be “happening” in other areas of our lives, but merely that if we really want to “push the needle” with certain things, we have an opportunity now- though it could be on an unexpected path than the one we had originally forseen.
So although we are talking about the Sagittarius new moon here- our attention is really being drawn to Leo and Cancer, and more specifically the houses those signs rule, as prime areas of consideration for our big goals and focus for the next 4/5 months (until April 18). Another strong area of focus (perhaps our 3rd “big goal” area?) is the realm of Gemini, and the house that Gemini rules in our chart.
Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius, and thus the ruler of this new moon, is at 17 degrees Gemini, still retrograde. The one year transit of Jupiter in Gemini began this spring in May and continues until June 2025. It has been bringing Jupiter’s signature sense of abundance and opportunity into the Geminian realm of communication, ideas, connections, and possibilities. This is truly a “more is more” kind of energy! Which can feel indulgent and fun, but also confusing, disorienting, and overwhelming. Especially since we also have the Saturn/Neptune in Pisces influence which is nebulous and indirect. So it is no surprise that we find ourselves energetically “needing” a Mars retrograde moment to refocus, reprioritize and get our head screwed back on in the ‘right’ direction of where we actually want to be going.
But Jupiter in Gemini, although it can be “a lot”, is also bringing us many blessings. It is helping us with those tracker perceptions. It is helping us see the hidden connections and make bridges between things that we may not have noticed before. It is opening our eyes to not just what is right in front of us but what is to every side, above, and below. This is invaluable in re-defining and re-articulating our dreams, goals, desires and “targets”.
Jupiter makes its second (of three) exact squares to Saturn during this lunar month, on Christmas Eve, when Jupiter is at 14 Gemini and Saturn is at 14 Pisces. We are wise to pay attention to the messages we are getting this entire month as this aspect approaches since Saturn will be helping us eliminate choices and possibilities that may have seemed intriguing but are ultimately ‘dead ends’. Saturn’s effect is to restrict, constrict, tighten, oppress, or slow down. So we can look for areas, projects, relationships or situations that may have this ‘oppressive’ quality about them, as being areas where we either need to improve things, or we can eliminate and get rid of them altogether. Mercury retrograde will help us have necessary conversations if they need to be had.
Mercury is retrograde at 20 degrees Sagittarius during the new moon, opposing Jupiter Rx at 17 Gemini. And the two planets are square to Neptune and also to Saturn at 12 Pisces. If things feel too undefined, noncommittal, or downright delusional (Neptune) we might be wise to back away. Likewise, when we feel that constriction or “wrongness” of Saturn, it is now easier for us to “pull the plug”. Having the necessary conversation, moving on or re-directing is more clear to us than it was when both Saturn and Neptune were retrograde and continuing to ‘stir the pot’ of indecision or confusion in our subconscious. They were also, of course, assisting us in very meaningful ways- but their guidance is only now becoming clear as both resume their forward motion. And they relay their observations to us through this strong mutable T-square.
Venus, at 22 degrees of pragmatic Capricorn, is also helping us with high discernment. Sometimes Venus is self-indulgent and lazy. She can be prone to extravagance or indolence. But in Capricorn she is unsentimental and shrewd. She can decipher the “true value” of what is before her. And indeed that is what we are looking for, lest we remain confused by Jupiter in Gemini’s multiplicity of options, or Saturn and Neptune’s cryptic messages. Venus in Capricorn cuts to the chase and removes all that is detritis and keeps what is valuable. We can trust her judgment, even if it is not what we “expect”. Just like we may have ‘thought’ we were going down a certain path, shooting for a certain target, we could be being redirected to something slightly different now.
Venus in Capricorn is trine to Uranus at 24 degrees Taurus. Uranus had a major role to play during the most recent full moon in Taurus as it was nearly exactly conjunct the full moon. This may have been catalytic in certain relationships or emotional situations in our lives, helping us ‘break free’ of old thought patterns or emotional ruts. We are still in this energy as we approach the Sagittarius new moon. As we redirect “our arrow” so we can hit the best, highest target for ourselves, we are being continuously moved away from what is unnecessary, outdated and restrictive. Uranus wants simplificantion and liberation. Avoid the urge to cling as things continue to shed and fall away. Instead, keep your focus on what is emerging- just as flower petals that fall reveal the freshness below.
Pluto is now at 0 degrees of Aquarius. It has touched this degree before, several times over the course of the past 2 years. But what is different now is that it will not back-track again into Capricorn. As of November 19th, it has fully moved on from a certain “era” in the past. An era that began in 2008 and is now complete. We too need no longer re-tread certain parts of our past. If there are things for us to see and address, they will come up. But we need not “beat the dead horse”. We would be wise to use the high level of intelligence and wisdom of Sagittarius to recognize that our tendency to maintain this prodding, backwards focus is merely a HABIT. And that it is possible to change our habits. Indeed, Mercury retrograde and soon-to-be Mars retrograde, are urging us to do just that. There is a vast new world coming into focus around us and we are better served spending our time and effort and emotional resources going in that direction. That is where our highest path, goals and targets will come into focus. And into fruition.
*artist unknown
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