CAPRICORN NEW MOON: The Mountain of Potential

The Sun and Moon meet this month in the sign of Capricorn.  It is the first new moon of the Gregorian calendar year, and as such carries a weighted social import in regards to new beginnings.  Although it seems counterintuitive to celebrate fresh starts in the dead of winter, there is a solar significance underlying this social construct.  The sign of Capricorn commences with the Northern hemisphere’s Winter Solstice.  On the archetypal wheel, this point sits at the top of the Cardinal cross, at the pinnacle of the wheel itself.  The solstices are still-points in the solar cycle.  The winter season is when the Sun tracks lowest in the sky, rising at the same point on the horizon for three days before initiating its ascent towards the Summer Solstice.  This can be likened to the phases of the Moon, with the Winter Solstice being the “new” phase, which waxes towards the Summer Solstice, the “full” phase.  In this manner, we see the ancient logic of the wheel, and how that has influenced our modern world.

Capricorn is the sign of the “sea-goat.”  It is an arcane symbol, and like Sagittarius before it, one that must be understood in each of its parts, as well as their integration.  Often the symbolism of this sign is shorthanded, with preference towards emphasizing the goat aspect.  This comes as no surprise, as the qualities of the goat lends themselves easily to the mythos of Capricorn--the hard working individual who seeks a purposeful life and achievement in the material world.  Aligned to the top of the archetypal wheel, the metaphor of a life’s journey as ascending a mountain dovetails nicely with the message of this sign.  Capricorn is eager to reach the top, but also understands it requires hard work, and thus the agility and perseverance of the mountain goat are indicated here.

But what of the “sea-goat,” whose backside is not legs furry and hoofed, but a tail scaled and finned?  What are we to make of this hybrid creature and its meaning?  We can look to the wheel to uncover the polarity being highlighted in this deliberate iconography.  With Capricorn at the pinnacle, we must look to the nadir of the wheel, where we find the sign of Cancer, guardian of the waters.  Here is the key to unlocking the meaning of this mysterious being--it is the stirrings from the depths of our soul that impel us to our greatest heights.  Capricorn is not simply a sign of material success, but of self-actualization.  With Cancer ruling the home and personal emotion, we begin to perceive a more holistic definition of achievement.  In this expanded view, our earthy goals are in fact generated by our watery desires, as we discover that self-actualization demands our shadow not be repressed, but integrated to create a healthy and wholesome individual.  In this manner, external accomplishments are bound by our internal integrity.  Success that neglects this principle cannot be maintained indefinitely.  

Capricorn is the Cardinal Earth sign of the zodiac, ruled by the planet Saturn.  In the body, Saturn rules the bones, the hardest tissue in the body, and the material upon which all the other systems in the body are built.  This skeletal structure can be likened to our principles, as both provide a framework for action.  Capricorn, specifically, is associated with the knees, which serve to stabilize the standing body, or to propel the body forward.  Symbolically, the knee represents how we stand and how we walk in this world, both of which contribute to how we author our role in society.  As the Cardinal Earth sign, Capricorn is the supreme energy of manifestation, where we learn to bring our ideas into form in a way that is both practical and enduring amid the complexities of the social sphere.

This new moon has a heavy emphasis on Capricorn, due to the fact that six of the ten astrological planets will be occupying the sign at the time of the Sun and Moon’s conjunction.  Mercury, which is never more than one sign away from the Sun, will be there, as well as Venus.  Saturn has recently ingressed into the sign, where he will stay for nearly three years time.  This alignment of Saturn with this sign of its rulership is definitely a heavy-hitting energy.  However, it may be lessons from Pluto that resonate most powerfully this new moon, as this planet has been residing in Capricorn since 2008 and will not be moving out until 2024.  Pluto is the planet of regeneration.  While Saturn in Capricorn cautions that any lasting success requires hard work, Pluto in Capricorn reveals how transformative the process of self-actualization truly is.  Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, we must first die to the old in order to become the new.  

Venus sits close to the new moon, and her pleasant nature will soften the harder lessons of Saturn and Pluto, as well as the hard angle Uranus makes to this moon.  A tight sextile between Jupiter and Pluto will bring new inspiration to power, and empower our inner visionary.  With the influence of Venus, this conversation cannot be had without also assessing how we prioritize our values.  There is much opportunity to be had here at the first new moon following the calendar New Year, but the path to external success and esteemed social status starts within.  Pluto holds the secrets of our deepest soul desires, the fuel the feeds our personal power.  By employing Saturn’s structure and honoring our Venusian values, we create healthy boundaries that serve to channel each individual’s energy into a meaningful vocation.  In this manner we each engage in an essential reciprocity with our community to create its form, as our work shores up and safeguards our social structures to ensure they remain upright and moving towards progress.

All of the planets are linked to this new moon, and all planets are in direct motion!  The outer planets are shifting from fire into earth signs, shifting the celestial energies from inspiration to fruition.  With Saturn as the moon’s ruler, however, we may be faced with our fears, and further concede that it is best not to avoid the good work of living in integrity.  As the butterfly requires the restriction of the cocoon to strengthen its wings for flight, so do the rings of Saturn serve to test our tenacity.  The process of self-actualization demands time and commitment, but it yields the greatest treasure of this material world--knowledge of self and one’s place in the world.  In the darkness of the new moon, should the celestial energies become too heavy to bear, turn to Venus and remember what it is you value.  As you rise to claim authority of your role in this world, remember to have compassion for yourself, and that each obstacle we encounter is an opportunity for transformation.  Tap into your inner well of self-love to sustain you as you climb the mountain of your soul’s potential.  

SAGITTARIUS NEW MOON: Steady, Aim, Fire!

The final new moon of 2017 is in the sign of Sagittarius.  For the Northern hemisphere, this occurs just prior to the winter solstice.  On the astrological wheel, the winter solstice is the point at the pinnacle.  Currently, Saturn is sitting on this metaphorical mountaintop.  Having spent over two years in the sign, the planet is lingering in Sagittarius for a few more days before shifting into the sign it rules, Capricorn, only one day ahead of the Sun.  This new moon phase brings the Sun and the Moon together within a few degrees of Saturn, near the zenith of the archetypal wheel. 

The symbol for Sagittarius is the Archer, and this is echoed by its glyph.  While many glyphs are cryptic in nature, this one is stark in its simplicity, an image of an upward pointing arrow.  This symbol’s meaning is further deepened, however, by its representation as a centaur.  The centaur is a mythic creature that is half-man, half horse.  This two-part being represents the dual natures of man.  On one hand, we are driven by the tenacious, animalistic force informed by our primal instincts.  On the other, we are compelled to construct a civic order by employing mental abilities to manipulate these basic drives.  The Archer, therefore, represents passion and focus.  Passion, here, arises organically from an interaction with and appreciation of our surroundings.  Focus harnesses the impulse of our passion with the organizational abilities of our intellect in such a way that we may act effectively towards our realizing our inspiration.  

Thus, a keyword for Sagittarius is temperance, a word rich in meaning.  At its root, temper refers to a state of being influenced by our emotions, akin to the part of the centaur that is horse.  Temperance refers to the moderation of these feelings, akin to the part of the centaur that is human.  To temper is also a process which utilizes fire, by which two constituents are joined to create a new, stronger form.  This process defines the way of Sagittarius.

This inner alchemy is reflected in its status as the Mutable Fire sign of the zodiac.  The term “mutable” means changeable, and, as one of the three astrological modalities, is assigned to the signs that come at the end of each of the four seasons, as one solar phase shifts into the next.  The mutable signs are associated with qualities of adaptability and wisdom, as the integration of each season’s lessons inspire the movement into the next stage.  Sagittarius, specifically, embodies the spirit of the quest.  Expounding on the symbolism of the Archer, this marksman is not a warrior, like its fellow fire sign Mars, but the Seeker who through his experience becomes the Sage.  While the Martian fire is directed externally, that of Sagittarius lies within. Here, the heat of the fire is contained by focus to temper ones emotions to purify oneself on the path to self-actualization.

The planetary ruler of Sagittarius is Jupiter, also known as “the Guru.”  This planet is the teacher that guides the quest.  It is the planet of expansion, as well as that of fortune, and in both aspects, there may be positive or negative results of this influence.  What expands under the light of Jupiter, and our reactions to it, reveals where we have placed our focus.  Yet Jupiter also rules religion, philosophy, social institutions, and places of higher learning.  Jupiter brings order externally to the structure of our civil lives and internally to the organization of our intelligence.  Thus, we find the goal of the Seeker’s journey, the search for the mythic ideals of Beauty, Truth, and Love--the Grand Target of the Archer’s arrow. The result of these long distance wanderings is to not only realize the incredible expanse of the outer world,  with its vast geography and diverse cultures, but also the expansion of one’s inner landscape of mind.  Ruled by Jupiter, the planet of faith, a spiritual thread connects these experiences on the path to illumination.

This new moon asks us to examine what lies in our scope, what is our target, and where is our focus.  Until these align, all our arrows will miss their mark.  With a harmonious aspect from Uranus, passions left dormant may be awakened.  The ruler of this moon, Jupiter, in harmonious connection with Neptune, will bring vision to our dreamscapes. This is a potent place for discovering the self-sabotaging traps that we hide in our subconscious, obstacles which are often merely debris from old emotions waiting to be released.  This internal communication strengthens our external efforts by unifying our “animalistic” (subconscious) and “humanistic” (conscious) selves. The moon’s conjunction with Saturn will bring stability, but also a stern reminder that each of us bears the responsibility for the manifestations we bring into this world.  As Saturn and then the Sun move into earth sign of Capricorn, the goals that we strive to actualize will be born more easily into our common reality. We may take this time in Sagittarius to burn away the inhibiting detritus that deforms our efforts, to distill our passions to their purest form, and bring them forth more responsibly.

The word solstice translates to “sun standing still.”  At the winter solstice, as the arc of the luminary across the sky and the days are both at their shortest, the Sun rises in the same place on the horizon for three days.  It is a pause in the solar cycle, a sacred stillness celebrated by our ancestors.  This historical reverence has been handed down in countless traditions across the world.  As the darkness descends around us, may we find our inner luminescence, and allow that light to guide us on our quest and illuminate our target.  As the Sun reaches the pinnacle of the wheel and the days become longer, focus your light, focus your efforts, and shoot for your dreams.  Steady, aim, fire!

SCORPIO NEW MOON: The Magic in Letting Go

This new moon is cloaked in the mysterious and seductive qualities of Scorpio.  In the Northern hemisphere, Scorpio season aligns with the descent into the darker, colder winter months. It is a time of slowing down, taking stock, and turning inward.  By consciously withdrawing from the world of external stimulation, we prepare the body and mind for the austerity of the winter season.  The colder temperatures are mitigated by turning instead towards the inner flame of our passions.  The darker skies, once dreaded, are instead honored by investigating the our shadow sides.  It is a vital time to viscerally experience the Hermetic Principle of Correspondences--As above, so below--and understand that the Great Mystery of Life which surrounds us, also pulses within us.

The variety of representations of this sign reflects the depth of its canon of expression.  Among these, Scorpio has a unique trinity of symbolism--Scorpion, Eagle, and Phoenix.  Starting at the fundamental level with the Scorpion, we find themes of relating to the subconscious mind and ancient instincts.  Next is the Eagle, representing the sublimation of these internal forces towards a higher purpose--the animal which once lived underground (in the subconscious) has now transformed into one able to take flight (the inspired mind).  The third in this set is the Phoenix, which symbolizes the transformative force itself, the process of allowing “ego death” to unveil one’s inner divinity.  

To account for the discovery of the outer planets (which were as yet unseen at the time the archetypal wheel was first established), three signs have two planetary rulers--one “traditional” and one “modern.”  Scorpio is among this group, with its two rulers being Mars and Pluto, respectively.  The rulership by Mars speaks to the primal and dynamic aspects of Scorpio, while that of Pluto indicates the powerful yet cryptic nature of the sign.  Taurus, its opposing sign, represents the fertility, abundance, and beauty of the surface world that captivate our senses.  On its end of the polarity, Scorpio represents the richness and fecundity hidden from our direct sight.  It is the decaying compost that feeds the plants, the oil and minerals we mine to create our technologies, and the secret desires within us that drive us to follow our passion.  Fittingly, Scorpio rules the sex organs in the body, and therefore is aligned to the sexual nature of the human being--the compelling, creative force within each individual that is at once taboo in our society, and essential to our survival.  Existing within this paradox contributes to the intensity characteristic of this sign.  

Scorpio season aligns with the ancient celebration of Samhain, a pagan holiday of Gaelic origins.  Translating to “summer’s end,” Samhain is the midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere.  The modern Halloween tradition takes its spirit from Samhain, which is mirrored also in other celebrations in different parts of the globe.  There is a stark truth, a Scorpionic paradox, which underlies these traditions--the recognition of death as a part of life.  The celebration of this transition, avoided by many modern societies, affords a holistic perspective to the internal psyche.  The celebration of our ancestors creates connection of consciousness through the generations, and suggests humility to the individual ego in the realization that each life reaches back to before its birth, as each of us is linked in the chain of our personal lineage within the web of cultural history.  Each individual emerges from the love and trials of our ancestors, who deserve that we honor their efforts by paying it forward. By dignifying death, we engage with the Mystery in a way that is personally meaningful and socially cohesive.  

Scorpio is more than mystery, however.  Scorpio is magic.  Magic is actively engaging with the mystery through directing our willpower.  Scorpio’s motto is I desire.  Both the realization of our desires and the practice of magic require actively participating in co-creative effort by properly applying energy (Mars) and resources (Pluto).  In the process of harnessing and yielding power with the natural and social forces surrounding us, some things die, some are born, and some transformed.  Thus the engine of evolution moves ever onward.

Scorpio is big news this year, and this is because the biggest planet in our solar system--Jupiter--has recently transitioned into this sign.  Jupiter, as the planet of expansion, amplifies the energy of the sign it occupies.  At the time of the new moon, the two most benevolent planets--Venus and Jupiter--will also be in Scorpio, having met in conjunction a few days prior. Venus and Mars, meanwhile, are in mutual reception.  This means that each planet is in a sign the others rules, lending its attributes to the other in a hidden, yet harmonious way.  Themes of love and desire are heightened this moon, as are those of power and control.  A note of caution, the two rulers of Scorpio (Mars and Pluto) will be squared, a potentially explosive--or worse, violent--combination.  This disharmonious aspect indicates a tension in regards to how we hold and wield our power in relationships, whether that relationship is between self and other, or simply the surface and shadow sides of the single individual.

At this time of year, the veil between the realms is thin.  The trees losing their leaves is symbolic of the stripping away of the masks of our ego.  Aligning our personal efforts with the Universal Will allows us to perform the magic of manifesting our desires.  This cannot happen until we first find an inner transparency, and are honest with ourselves about how we are internally aligning our intentions and externally directing our actions.  Through this practice, we discover that progress on our path moves more easily when we are coming from a place of vulnerability and humility, allowing some parts of ourselves to die, so that others may be born and/or transformed.  This new moon, find the magic in letting go of that which is not meant for you, so you may be free, like the Phoenix, to follow your heart's truest desire.