dsearls, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

New Moon @ 20 degrees 40' Sagittarius

November 12, 2023

3:32 PM PST

6:32 PM EST

December's New Moon in tropical Sagittarius occurs alongside Mercury's retrograde station. The Sagittarius archetype's fiery and often faith-based enthusiasm is slightly dampened by the decreased momentum, detours, glitches, and hesitations that tend to magnify alongside Mercury stations. Rather than a powerful ignition point, this lunation acts more like a crossroads, but it does bring forth a potent spark of inspiration that can be mindfully directed.

Mars' wide conjunction with the New Moon also adds to the paradoxical nature of this lunation moment, where the desire to assert, charge ahead, and take a proactive approach might clash with various obstacles and uncertainty. Mercury's retrograde station in Capricorn especially highlights the need to take a step back to restrategize and make revisions to a larger goal, objective, and game plan over the following few weeks.

However, the need for greater clarity or retreat might be obscure in the heat of the moment, especially where excitement for a new opportunity or pathway can be considerably powerful. Additionally, Neptune's square to this New Moon is another indication for caution with impulsively leaping into uncharted territory or seeking especially to dominate others with ideas, perceptions, and beliefs.

Rather, this New Moon invites us to embrace some humility and suggests taking extra time to contemplate and rework new directions, plans of action, and emergent ideas and points of view. The following weeks are more of an invitation to slow down the pace, reflect, and look inward to better grasp the next steps and endpoints. However, the New Moon's trine to the North Node suggests that we will glide more gracefully into our greater purpose with less ego, urgency, and hubris.

As a potentially helpful image for this New Moon, fully embrace whatever vision, inspiration, or exciting impulse emerges but take your time in fully directing it toward its ideal application or objective. Consider also that potentially hidden or unacknowledged directions, ideas, or pragmatic solutions have yet to be revealed, and by willingly embracing the detours, they will gradually come into focus.