December 30 5:27 PM EST
We are in new territory for Capricorn, the sign of the sea-goat. Since 2008, Pluto has been in this sign stirring up it’s signature blend of dramatic transformation, catharsis and eventual renewal. At a macro level we have seen this with profound shifts in the Capricornian realms of government, big business, patriarchy, and bureaucracy. In our own personal lives, we have undoubtedly had profound changes in the area of our lives, or house in our birth chart, that is governed by Capricorn.
I personally use the whole sign house system, so that puts Capricorn’s consolidated influence in one distinct area. However, whatever house system you use is resonant for you, and that may involve Capricorn’s influence in two houses. I would also encourage *everyone* to consider the house ruled by Capricorn for your sun sign. For example: for all sun sign Cancers, Capricorn is associated with the 7th house of relationships- regardless of the ascendant. It is an underlying influence.
So most of us have felt Pluto in Capricorn’s iron fist in several distinct parts of our life. And now with this new moon in Capricorn, the first since Pluto has fully moved on into Aquarius in mid-November, we are poised for a true fresh start.
At 9 degrees of Capricorn, the sun and moon are united, and forming a very supportive sextile to Capricorn’s ruler, stable Saturn. Saturn, currently in mid-Pisces, has been helping us subtly tweak and shift our inner, energetic alignment so that our internal ‘operating system’ is optimally functioning for this next chapter in our lives. It has been helping us listen more closely, and follow guidance more directly, from our inner higher knowing. And now Saturn is assisting us in this “re-set” of the Capricorn parts of our life, after their long and deep Plutonian transformation.
So this is an extra potent time to set new intentions (yes, even before New Years) because we have in some senses some fresh ‘virgin soil’ in the Capricorn parts of our life. We are ready to sow seeds of upgraded experience and able to apply everything we have learned.
Things are definitely still shifting in general, however. We have Mars retrograde in early Leo opposing Pluto, now at 1 degree Aquarius. This means we may still be unsure of our steps in this fresh territory. We may need to pivot and adjust some things that are popping up on our new path. We have all be ‘testing the waters’ in some new projects, relationships, or trajectories in our lives, at least since April 2023 when we began having eclipses in the sign of new beginnings, Aries.
And now is a crucial turning point in some of those new endeavors or paths. We have a chance to continue the work of liberating ourselves from old outdated ways of being (Mars opposite Pluto) so that we can truly grow the future that we desire. Capricorn is pragmatic and realistic. It knows that cutting corners only creates more problems in the long term. So we are wise to follow this steady and strategic path as well.
Saturn in mid-Pisces is still involved in an ongoing square with Jupiter in Gemini, and is also currently square to Mercury in Sagittarius. Mercury has been zooming forwards and backwards in Sagittarius this late autumn and is now direct as of December 15th. But this mutable T-square with Mercury/Saturn/Jupiter can create confusion, mixed messages and travel issues. Gemini and Sagittarius are both connected to travel, so we are wise to do some extra work confirming appointments and making sure our plans are steady.
“Work” is another Capricorn word. What are we willing to put work into in our lives? In our relationships? How can we “commit” (another Saturn/Capricorn word) to these goals for ourselves? What does work and commitment look like to us now, after 16 years of Pluto in Capricorn “re-worked” our cultural and personal definitions of some of these terms? The more time we spend with these questions now, the better able we are to tune out any confusing distractions being presented by the Mercury/Jupiter/Saturn T-square, and use the Mars/Pluto opposition to our benefit- to actively adjust and revitalize our purpose/drive/motivation (Mars) in the direction of our longterm Capricornian dreams and ambitions.
Saturn in Pisces helps us intuitively pivot and course correct in the most efficient way as we go. This makes it less necessary for there to be dramatic shakeups to catch our attention. But the opposition of Pluto and Mars retrograde (exact on January 3rd) can indeed create drama so it’s also wise to keep our eye on our temper and distance ourselves from any kind of volatile situations throughout the duration of this lunar month, which extends all the way until the Aquarius new moon on January 29th. Likewise, alluring Venus is currently in late Aquarius square to Uranus which can create shakeups in both romantic and financial situations.
Reminding ourselves, in a very Capricornian way, that what we most desire is what has longevity and integrity- will serve us well. That way we can be philosophical and more easily release whatever cracks under the pressure now or cannot withstand the changes that are underway. Clinging to the old will merely mean that the same issues need to be re-addressed down the line (possibly around the 3rd and final Mars/Pluto opposition on April 26th).
In contemporary astrology we often focus on the ambitious and high-climbing goat archetype with Capricorn. But we undervalue (or sometimes even forget) that the actual glyph and symbol for Capricorn is the sea-goat: half fish, half goat. This is highly significant as it indicates that the true ambitions of the aligned Capricorn are not egoically motivated but *spiritually* motivated (the fishy Piscean waters of the deep spiritual unconscious). Because, as a culture, we are divorced from (or ignorant of) our spiritual core, we focus only on the external visible climb up the mountain, rather than focusing equally on the spiritual motivations beneath the surface.
We have now, with this new moon, an exciting opportunity to “re-claim” our full Capricornian expression. After the deep healing and cleansing and transformation of the Pluto transit, as discussed, we are more ready than ever for a fresh start in certain parts of our life. And with Saturn in Pisces re-strengthening our connection to our spiritual core and true karmic/dharmic path, we can elevate our Capricornian expression in an extraordinary way. We can allow our fishy tail to propel us even faster up the mountaintop of our desires. The Sagittarius new moon that preceeded this Capricorn new moon, helped us zoom out and re-direct our focus. Now we can re-narrow our focus in the direction of our true dreams: the mountaintop that we are truly willing to scale and wanting to put the hard work into. When we do that, in alignment with our spiritual strength and true purpose, we may be surprised at how quickly certain things re-align and how much we can enjoy our journey up the mountain.
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