Ozys (Capricorn) in the twelve painting cycle Zodiakas (Zodiac);
by Mikalojus Konstantinas Clurlionis, 1907.

New Moon @ 19 Capricorn 13'
January 9, 2016
8:30 PM Eastern
5:30 PM Pacific

On Jan. 9 the current lunar cycle renews in the tropical sign of Capricorn. A New Moon can be a time of lower energy, a time to turn inward and recharge, but especially occurring in Capricorn and alongside Mercury recently stationing retrograde, a call inward toward solitude or some focused activity is supported. The New Moon’s wide conjunction to Pluto tends to add some seriousness and density to this lunation, which can prompt you to set priorities and discriminate between various activities you may be juggling. Capricorn is an archetype of focused determination and the mastery of the will over the “primal” impulses of the human psyche.

That doesn’t mean that Capricorn is all work and no play, or that it’s a sign devoid of pleasure; it merely represents the much needed braking mechanism within the psyche that channels primal energies into consciously directed activities of a more complex or sophisticated nature. Capricorn is a symbol of the triumph of willpower over appetite. Of course, when allowed too much expression, Capricorn can manifest as power tripping or an attempt to control to the point of limiting creative spontaneity and chance. The New Moon’s vicinity with Pluto highlights the “shadow” of Capricorn, especially on a collective level.

The dark side of conservatism is a resistance to progressive change and innovation. The dark side of too much structure is an inability to have commerce with trickster—the one who frees and liberates humanity from soul-deadening systems. Mercury just recently moved back into Capricorn, and thus it appears to be highlighting the need to break free of time-serving tendencies, to renovate your routines and to find new, progressive ways to alter your daily life. Jupiter, which recently turned retrograde, also makes a trine (120 degrees aspect) from Virgo while aligned with the North Node of the Moon.

Jupiter points us to an opportunity to seek new experiences or adventures; or conversely, a need to retreat to recharge one’s soul inwardly. Thus, this New Moon correlates with a sense of changing direction in some capacity, whether big or small. Pluto directs consciousness to the bottom line: your soul’s purpose for incarnation, and the unavoidable reality of death, decay, and entropy of everything that you create or achieve in life. And Capricorn’s higher message is that to see anything substantial manifest in the world, you must learn to cultivate self-discipline and determination.

This New Moon may prompt you to get on with something, or to address some serious, pressing matters relating to the need to move beyond stagnation. It’s likely that if you look closely, there’s something that you’re doing robotically, without passion, emotion or excitation. You may need to shift your attention or your direction entirely if you are to change anything. But that requires taking an honest look at yourself and your life to peer through the holes in the system you’ve set up for yourself. I don’t personally think that we’ve come here to become automatons. And I don’t think you have either.

The great part of Capricorn energy is that it’s excellent at devising a game plan. Use this lunar cycle to conjure an effective strategy that will lead you to change. There may be some things you’ll have to sacrifice to get there, and there may be some desires or impulses you’ll have to hold back, but in the end, it might just be worth it. This lunar cycle may feel a little serious, but remember that Mercury, the trickster, is retrograde. It will help you along if you can release your grip and open yourself to the possibility of chance encounters. You never know what you might stumble upon and how it might significantly alter your strategy.