This New Moon will occur in Capricorn, the cold, earthen realm of Saturn, on Thursday, January 7th, at 6:57am Eastern time, at 20 degrees of Capricorn.

New moons indicate new beginnings in astrology. As the moon courses through the twelve signs of the zodiac, she becomes full of energies and spirits which pass through her and down to the earth to effect change on the world. Now, filled with their light, the Moon is ready for rebirth in the fires of the Sun.

Just as the moon is reborn in the fires of the Sun and the celestial cycle is reset, so too do we all have an opportunity for rebirth and renewal at this point in the monthly lunar cycle. As the moon purges and cleanses herself of the energies and tendencies of the previous lunar cycle, we can all be reborn as well.

For this reason, wise people throughout all ages have used new moons as a time for purifying the psyche of unwanted old habits, setting new, uplifting intentions for the next cycle, and reinvigorating ourselves with enthusiasm for life. The optimism and excitement of new beginnings can permeate our entire being so long as we let it.

This New Moon occurs in the grounded, hardworking, rather dour sign of Capricorn. Traditional astrologers associate Capricorn with limits, negation, contraction, and asceticism, as well as the greatness and material success that can be achieved through self-denial and sacrifice.

In the cycle of the year, the Sun occupies Capricorn for the winter solstice, at the very beginning of winter. They days are dark. The wind is cool. There’s no light, no flowers, and no food. It’s humdrum and miserable. Nevertheless, the days are starting to brighten little by little, day by day. We are slowly marching up the mountain to the peak of the summer solstice, even if we have only just started the journey. We are moving forward. Things will get better; we just have a ways to go before we get there.

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, the God of death, loss, darkness, and time. Known in Astrology as the greater malefic, Saturn creates obstacles, challenges, and struggles that assail us as we pursue our purpose in life. While these difficulties ultimately exist to temper our souls, the ego-death that he facilitates and the reflectivity he cultivates are by no means pleasant experiences.

Ye through Saturn’s stern rulership and harsh tutelage, Capricorn achieves the greatness it seeks. Pushing through the dead of winter, compelled to sacrifice joy and pleasure for the sake of the future, Capricorn can create incredibly grounded, long-term success. While Capricorn faces a tough slog to achieve the mastery it desires, nothing can take away the fruits of its labor once Capricorn’s work is completed. Capricorn builds a kingdom that lasts, because Capricorn knows what it takes to accomplish such a feat, and does it.

Clearly, this is not the most comfortable placement for the Moon, who is in detriment in Capricorn. The Moon, as the celestial mother of the heavens, desires to meet our needs and wants; less goal goal-oriented and outcome-oriented than Capricorn, the Moon’s intelligence lies instead in its capacity to adapt to the circumstances of the present moment and flow with the needs of the immediate. In Capricorn, this capacity is severely stifled.

Whenever the New Moon occurs in Capricorn, we are asked to table the satisfaction of our own immediate desires for the sake of long-term reward. We are asked to make sacrifices in order to enact the vision we have for our lives. Self-control, denial, and going without all become the norm in service to the greater goals that we have for ourselves.

But underneath all this depressive, uninspired melancholy lurks a great deal of grit, realism, and a can-do attitude about tasks set before us. You will see your vision more clearly, and be given the energy you need to pursue this vision for your life to the fullest. You will be called to sacrifice and do without comforts and pleasures in order to move forward unencumbered toward your long-term goals for your life.

Ultimately, the heavy, Saturnine character of this new moon can help you to move mountains and change your world…so long as you are willing to do the work that is asked of you. You have the opportunity this month to do so much of the work that the rest of the year will require of you. If you start out on the right foot, the rest of the year is so much easier.

You may feel at times like you are in a crucible - as if you are being tested and pushed to your limits. Think of this as a compulsory upgrade to your entire system. If you lean into it, you will end up with more stamina, more drive, and more discipline. You will be a stronger, more stable, more grounded human being.

We have two aspects coming in to color this new moon. Our first aspect proper this new moon comes via a trine from Jupiter in Taurus. Jupiter will help to counteract a lot of the self-deprecation and heaviness of this season. In a positive aspect like this, Jupiter promises support and aid from allies to help you. You will find you have the inner resources and confidence you need to succeed. You will still have to push yourself and work hard, but you will find a lot of grace and support for your labors.

Our second comes from the whole-sign conjunction with Mars. Mars can create more aggravation and irritation with other people. Problems can suddenly arise to create tension and frustration. You may find you have a shorter fuse. However, Mars is exalted in this sign, and so there is greater potential to channel the fire Mars brings to more constructive endeavors.

Examine the house placement in which this occurs to get a better sense of what to expect in your own life. If you are a Libra Rising, it will occur in your 4th house of home. Something in your home and living situation will have to die so that you can move forward with this resolve to do what you need to. If you are Aries rising, look to the 10th house - some big shifts will be happening with your career.

Take this as an opportunity to begin new practices - especially the daily kind - that are hard, that you would rather not do, but that are very good for you. Cut out sugar. Stop drinking. Take cold showers. Begin that meditation practice you’ve been meaning to.

I can think of two gemstones that will be helpful for this: red calcite and red obsidian. Both of these stones will bring you a great deal of grounding and a healthy dose of realism. However, both of them also bring you the strength that you need to make real, stable changes in your life.

For physical practices, I personally love doing lots of sun salutations during Capricorn season. They ground me, stabilize me, and connect me to the power that I have to push through and make the changes that I need to make in life.

If you lean into the transformation that this period can bring, you will find that you have made hard decisions and set rewarding habits that dramatically improved the rest of your life ever since. You can make meaningful, lasting change which will pay off forever.

You just have to do the work.

-Merlin