This week the planets are increasing their emphasis on Capricorn, on our way to the Capricorn New Moon Jan. 1, 2014 (exact at 6:14 am EST). Astrology does not always line up so well with the civil calendar, but this year we have a very impressive cluster of major planets on the cardinal cross (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) — the axis that’s all about taking initiative (and lately, change).
The setup is perfect for giving some real legs to your New Year’s resolutions, though those legs might take surprising form, and your “resolutions” might feel more like solid responses to unexpected developments.
The element of change with relation to these cardinal signs is particularly strong thanks to the ongoing presence of the Uranus-Pluto square.
This is the multi-contact, multi-year aspect of the generation lending its energy to all of the dynamic, dramatic upheaval and transformation we’re seeing around us in the world, and within us.
The Capricorn New Moon, which is a conjunction of the Sun (representing our consciousness) and the Moon (representing our unconscious), is aligned with the Uranus-Pluto square.
Also tightly aligned with the Sun, Moon, Uranus and Pluto will be Mercury (which ingressed Capricorn Dec. 24); Mars (in early Libra and aligned with Uranus and Pluto now); and Jupiter (in mid-Cancer). That’s a lot of energy — and a lot of potential to feel overwhelmed or like life is rumbling by at an astonishing, incomprehensible pace. As Eric wrote a few weeks ago, “Pay attention and you will find your opening. Don’t judge your role — just live it out.”
Doing so could prove a tad tricky this week, as first Mars and then Mercury are in aspect to Uranus (and more loosely, Pluto). Layered on top of the family stress, social obligation and financial pressure common for many during the holidays, any strong emotional reactions you expressed or witnessed the last couple days might have seemed par for the course. It also possible that underlying themes of individual assertion versus relationship desires/goals have deeper roots asking to be tapped.
Mercury, newly in Capricorn, squares Uranus on Sunday. At that point its energy joins with the Moon in Sagittarius to make tact in speaking hard to come by. There’s a lot of intuition and independent thinking (Mercury) and feeling (Moon) that can be done, you just might have to work a little harder at getting your brilliant point across in a way that does not completely alienate the person you’re speaking to.
It’s one thing to gear up for the start the of New Year and its bold, initiative-taking New Moon by getting the ball rolling; it’s another thing to be careless and thoughtless toward those you care about. Not everyone is going to support your discovery of your radically authentic new path in life. However, those who would offer support and love to you will have an easier time if they feel heard and seen for who they are as well. It’s a two-way street.
Eric recently wrote of Uranus-Pluto and the Capricorn New Moon that, “There is always a mix of creative and destructive in these aspects; and there is often a choice what side of that equation to choose.”
Sometimes it’s not so easy to tell which side is which, since making room for creating something new generally necessitates the destruction, or at least the release, of something old. Capricorn has strong ties to the past, old ways of doing things, established structures and institutions. With a New Moon, which is the beginning of a new lunar cycle, approaching in the sign of the old and the established, the creative/destructive duality is in full play. It may be a matter of perspective, framing or semantics, but a choice is approaching, and only you can decide for yourself how to answer.
Thanks Amanda, and thanks for supplying the January 1 New Moon chart too. Tonight I took some time to study it’s effect on the President’s chart as well as the Health Care Reform (Obamacare) or the Affordable Care Act (ACA) chart of March 23, 2010. In the ACA chart, Uranus is at 26+ Pisces which conjuncts the President’s natal Pallas-Athene at 25+ Pisces. The New Moon chart’s Venus at 26+ Capricorn retrograde is sextile both of them and she also conjunct’s the President’s natal Saturn at 25+ Capricorn retrograde.
Because the Cap New Moon’s Venus doesn’t tightly aspect any other major planet in the NM chart she might not get a lot of coverage in astrology news, but because she stationed retrograde at the same time as the winter solstice (12/21/13) her impact will be noteworthy on the whole season (if not the whole year) because she was so powerful then. Of course, these charts (new moons, solstices) affect all people and all countries and they will manifest in different ways. But for the ACA and President Obama, her presence at this time in their charts performs a unique service as of January 1st.
In the ACA chart, the New Moon Venus lands in the 8th house of shared resources while the ACA natal Uranus (whom NM Venus sextiles) in is the 10th house, and this Uranus conjuncts the ACA Sun at 2+ Aries. During December transiting Venus has already sextiled the ACA chart’s Uranus (and the President’s Pallas-Athene) once and her effect has been to improve the enrollment numbers (8th house) of the plan. Because the ACA Uranus rules the 9th house (Aquarius on the cusp) of networking and increased understanding, we really must give trans. Venus credit for making enrollment via the computer (Uranus) more “attractive” to potential subscribers. Expect more of the same when Venus sextiles the ACA Uranus again in retro motion (New Moon) in early January, and again in early March when she will sextile the ACA Uranus in direct motion.
In President Obama’s chart the New Moon Cappy Venus is in the 12th house (what happens behind closed doors) and conjunct his natal Saturn. They both sextile his natal Pisces Pallas-Athene (the strategist) in his 2nd house (resources, values) who just happens to conjunct the ACA Uranus (breakthroughs). This alone would make the NM Venus a transiting blessing, but because the President has a Yod made up of his sextile between Saturn and Pallas-Athene and the planet they both quincunx (agitate in order to adjust), his natal Uranus in Leo, she doubles her value to him. The President’s natal Uranus is conjunct his natal Leo north node (path to progress), which of course is opposite his natal Aquarius south node ( that which we are already good at) and it conjuncts the U.S. Sibly Moon and Pallas-Athene (again Pallas-Athene!). Pallas-Athene also symbolizes a talent for weaving patterns, which is pretty obvious based on what we see in the President’s chart, the ACA chart and the full moon chart for January 1st.
But wait, there’s more! The Full Moon at 10+ Capricorn (+ Pluto + Mercury) is square the President’s natal Eris at 10+ Aries, also in his 2nd house of resources and values. This puts the President’s Eris at loggerheads with the full moon Mars in Libra and Uranus in Aries too. Nothing comes easy to this President, but then he is bucking systems that have been in place for decades or even centuries. So here’s one more ace he has up his sleeve. . . Pres. Obama has natal Vesta (what we “invest” in) at 25+ Taurus which the New Moon Venus in Capricorn trines. Not only that, but the President’s Mars in Virgo trines his Vesta. . . AND his Saturn which New Moon Venus is conjunct. So, pulling the whole pattern (Pallas-Athene thank you) together, the President’s Mars (part of his grand trine in earth signs) is conjunct the U.S. Sibly Neptune who is all about hospitals and care for the masses, especially when in Virgo!
Yes, yes, the New Moon Nessus is conjunct the U.S. Sibly Moon/Pallas-Athene in Aquarius, but we already knew that. Hasn’t he been raising awareness in his own special way for quite a while now? Hasn’t that same transiting Nessus been wrecking havoc for the President’s 1st house south node too? Well, he is also conjunct the ACA chart’s Neptune at 27+ Aquarius who is not only about hospitals but also about confusion! But here’s one last advantage regarding the NM Venus, she not only semi-sextile’s the NM Nessus (and the U.S. Moon/Pallas-Athene, and the President’s south node and the ACA Neptune) but she also conjuncts the ACA chart’s Asclepius (the healer) at 26+ Capricorn (along with the Pres.’s Saturn) in the ACA chart’s 8th house of shared resources.
E-books will be written about this time in history and we all will bear witness to it. Just so you know, the ACA chart’s Pallas-Athene (strategist, weaver, all ’round champion) is at 22+ Scorpio, where transiting Saturn will be in late January through early February, carving it into stone.
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I’ve been away from Planet Waves for a little while so I’m still getting caught up. Thanks Amanda, for this article. My “resolutions” really are solid responses to unexpected developments. The main one, that I learned two nights ago at 3 in the morning as I was crying over a romantic entanglement, was to forgive myself for having hidden from relationships (romantic ones) for 11 years. I realized from my partner, who also has been a long time between relationships (8 years in his case), and who is so panic stricken that we have decided to dump the romantic part and keep the friendship part, that being frightened and hiding from this pain is in itself painful. And I decided if I’m going to hurt anyway, I might as well hurt for a reason like trying and failing, rather than just hiding and hurting. It hurts me to see him so frightened and torn up, as torn up as I am, actually. But hiding and thinking I’m “being smart” is painful too, just a slower kind of pain. This current pain is quite sharp and urgent, but it does pass from time to time.
Very helpful, Amanda. Thank you.