CAPRICORN NEW MOON - 26 December 2019

Exact at 5.12am GMT, 12.12am EST

This is a crucial and critical time as we are now entering Eclipse season, which also coincides with the impending Saturn Pluto conjunction. Eclipses represent a time of significant endings and new beginnings, whereby we start a new chapter of some kind. A Solar Eclipse is a super-charged New Moon that has further reaching effects. It is linked to the Solar Eclipse that occurred on 25 December 2000, so there may be some kind of common theme or link to whatever was happening back then. Eclipse season is an important and powerful time when we experience a shift in consciousness and can potentially make a leap forward on our journey if we are willing and able to do the work that is being asked of us. You get back what you put in! This Eclipse involves the Sun and Moon activating the South Node of the Moon, so we may find ourselves being confronted by some of our more “familiar” patterns and tendencies so that we can see them more clearly and hopefully find some way of overcoming them and stepping up to the next level of growth.

With Jupiter very much involved in the picture, the potential for growth is great, especially if we are willing to be accountable and take responsibility for whatever comes up. We have an opportunity to leave our more undesirable traits and sabotaging patterns behind in the dark of the Moon and move forward with a lighter step. We will all be dealing with our own personal South Node and the specific tendencies that are symbolised by the sign and house it is in during this Eclipse. However, we will also be dealing with the more undesirable energy of the sign that the South Node is currently in, which is Capricorn. Capricorn has a tendency to prefer to keep everything under control, including emotions. It is the part of us that may tend to withdraw or withhold when the going gets tough, becoming cold, cut-off, austere and/or rigid. Capricorn is the part of us that finds it very hard to open up and ask for help, or to admit that we are hurting. It is the king of the stiff upper lip! We can very easily find ourselves putting up walls and shutting people out rather than allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and show how we are actually feeling. This is the gift of the Cancer North Node.

There is a huge emphasis on Capricorn at the moment, with a total of 7 asteroids, luminaries and planets in this serious and responsible sign. That is a lot! Capricorn has many incredibly positive traits, such as a sense of responsibility and duty, the capacity to be accountable for ourselves and our actions, as well as the ability to set and achieve our goals. It is also the part of us that is capable of being self-reflective, self-controlled and self-disciplined. It helps us to grow up and mature, preferably with grace and dignity! It is the wise sage, the hermit who is able to spend time alone without feeling lonely. Capricorn creates structure and boundaries and helps us to have integrity and act on our principles. It helps us to know the difference between right and wrong. It represents government, rules and regulations and parental and societal authority. Without some kind of structure and definition, our world would be a bit of a mess!

However, like all of the signs, Capricorn has a shadow side, and that is what is being highlighted at the moment with the South Node, Saturn and Pluto all residing in this unyielding sign. Issues around power and hard control are rife at the moment and we see evidence of the dark side of government and authority all around us, with their tendency towards a “divide and rule” approach. There is such a huge emphasis on status and we are seeing such a massive chasm between the rich and poor that is truly horrifying and unnecessary. This time of year highlights this divide, with many people spending obscene amounts of money on utterly frivolous things, while some families are living together in one room with barely enough to eat, let alone buy presents. Another shadow side of Capricorn is consumerism, as people feel that they need to have “the latest” status symbol. Another is loneliness and even grief; a sense of being alone and cut off and feeling that we have to swallow or suppress our emotions. If we allow this part to win we may find ourselves holding our loved ones at an arm’s length or shutting them out.

However, the Cancer North Node asks us to find another way, finding the courage to express our true feelings instead of stonewalling our loved ones. Instead of blocking them or withdrawing, we include them in our process and simply tell them how we are feeling. This isn’t as hard as it may seem, as it simply involves making a decision to do so and acting on it. On a collective level the North Node in Cancer is beckoning us forward, encouraging a more inclusive approach, whereby we focus on our inner life, nurturing ourselves and those around us. While the dark side of Capricorn builds walls and focuses on wealth, status and “keeping up with the Jones”, Cancer helps us to soften and focus on family values, developing a sense of belonging and really taking care of one other. Cancer shows us that we can really make a difference at a grass-roots level. Charity begins at home, says Cancer! Indeed, we are currently being encouraged to find our home and our tribe, wherever and whoever they may be.

With the Saturn Pluto conjunction building in strength, we may find the proverbial shit hitting the fan in whatever area of life the conjunction sits in our charts. This is especially so for anyone who has planets between 20 and 24 degrees of a sign, especially Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. This a time of reckoning that could signify a reality check of epic proportions, whereby we are forced to face some rather uncomfortable material that may usually be well and truly swept under the carpet. Not anymore!  This conjunction could make it so glaringly obvious that there is no hiding from it!

On a personal level we may find ourselves having to confront issues around power, control and having a long, hard look at the reality of whatever we are facing. This energy is not easy, but there are amazing gifts that can come from it. If we are willing to look at ourselves honestly and without a filter and to take full responsibility for whatever we find, we can make great strides. This Moon in particular could bring up a lot for us, because not only is it at a very sensitive time of year, but it is also activating the Nodal axis, hence the Eclipse. Eclipses are gateways for new development, whereby we have the opportunity for some big and powerful shifts.

Uranus is helping this Moon along, bringing the potential for change and somehow “waking up”. It’s great to have Uranus on our side during an eclipse, because it helps us to shift and to let go of the past, releasing ourselves from anything that might be hindering our growth. This is the planet that helps us to liberate ourselves from stagnant energy and to recognise what might need to shift or change. It also brings the gift of objectivity and detachment, giving us the capacity to take a step back and see things from a different perspective. This could be very helpful, given the more challenging energy that we may be facing during this time. Indeed, this could help us to embrace the excitement that change brings, rather than coming from a place of fear. This is an incredibly liberating influence, helping us to free ourselves from all that Capricorn conditioning and possibly bringing the odd epiphany or two!

Chiron the Wounded Healer, however, is challenging the Sun and Moon. This could signify some kind of healing crisis, whereby we are forced to face some painful material. It is possible that we could find ourselves being triggered during this Moon, as someone or something “rubs salt on our wounds” either inadvertently or on purpose. We may experience some sadness or feel hyper-sensitive during this Moon, but if we are able to be open and honest with ourselves and others about the source of our pain then this could be an incredibly healing time. Sometimes it is when we feel our most tender, vulnerable and exposed that we have no choice but to drop the walls and allow in a deeper intimacy and the potential for healing.  Chiron in Aries is not necessarily the most tactful energy and so things could be said or done in quite a direct manner that is quite hurtful, but it could help bring things out into the open to be aired. The key is not to be reactive, but rather to acknowledge whatever comes up in an open honest way.

We are being asked to really step up to the plate and be completely accountable for ourselves right now. We are only responsible for ourselves and our own actions and reactions, and so it is important to be as mindful as possible during Eclipse season. Capricorn represents our parents and our conditioning, while Cancer represents our family, childhood and inner child. As such, we currently have a chance to free ourselves from some old, entrenched patterns during this Eclipse, clearing some old family karma, but it is important to remain self-aware, self-reflective, non-reactive and to be prepared to do the inner work. The Sabian symbol for this Moon is very interesting, at 5° Capricorn: “Indians on the warpath. While some men row a well-filled canoe, others in it perform a war dance.” There is a sense that while some of us  may just want to get on with it, working together, others may feel the need to intimidate or act aggressively and assert their boundaries. This Moon certainly has the potential for some challenging material to come up at a very sensitive time of year. It is very important to act with integrity, which is truly one of the greatest and best gifts of Capricorn. If we all remember to do the right thing then we can’t go wrong. Do as you would be done by!

Wishing you a truly amazing 2020!

Much Love

Amy

xoxo

Painting: Solar Eclipse by Celestial Images

My website: www.amybirdartandastrology.com