Wendy Cicchetti
This Capricorn New Moon eclipse is unusually striking since the Sun and Moon are surrounded by Mercury, Saturn, and Pluto. We term the gathering of three or more planets in one sign a stellium — written about eloquently and in depth by the late Donna Cunningham. In The Stellium Handbook, she describes this configuration as having a “laser-like focus” on the traits or areas of life it touches on; she also says it’s like a house filled with unruly, hormonally driven teenagers! This Capricorn stellium has the added potency of including the Moon’s South Node, making old patterns of behavior more pronounced.
Cunningham’s rule of thumb says that, to qualify as a stellium, two of the planets involved must be other than the Sun, Mercury, and Venus because those are often close together, due to their relatively similar travel speeds. Clearly, the Moon, Saturn, and Pluto meet this criterion. They are also celestial bodies of complex and contrasting qualities. The Moon is often experienced as a deeply personal part of our being, yet also symbolizes instincts and memories shared in common. These reach universally across human boundaries, including the collective unconscious — a kind of cosmic data bank we can all draw upon, through dreams, meditation, and spiritual connection.
Saturn, the planet of boundaries, clarifies rules and limits that cannot be ignored without incurring consequences. Pluto links to power issues and extremes, to obsession and oblivion — we may be either happier in the thick of things or more at peace in a void, depending on our specific needs. With these mixed energies, this is anything but a straightforward New Moon, even if well-ordered Capricorn might want it that way!
Arguably, the light, creativity, and rationale of the Sun and Mercury are in the background, with Saturn and Pluto’s heavier energies dominating and the sensitive Moon grappling with this mixed bag. One common thread is the Capricorn understanding of the importance of the long game, bringing patience to bear on any situation. Capricorn relates to executive ability and the strength to stand tall and robust, despite how trying matters may be. Saturn has the most strength of all the planets in this sign because it is in its celestial home, so we can hope for true mastery.
For some of us, this mastery will be reflected through someone else whom we feel that we can trust and follow. There may be a mentor or teacher to look up to, and whether this figure is living or not, the real point is the inspiration he or she continues to provide. We can draw great strength from examples shown by such individuals. For others, mastery must come from within and, typically, could relate to work trials, relationship issues, economic struggles, or health challenges. Whatever the area, we can tap into the laser-like focus of the stellium’s planetary mix and apply it towards our efforts. It is important to remember that mastery is not given, but is achieved through practice and hard work.
Like an Olympic athlete pursuing a shiny medal, our will to reach the goal helps us commit to the path, which may involve staying on task when we do not feel like it, such as going out in extreme weather or getting up early for an important event. Mastery may require breaking habits that have become “norms,” giving up routines that have bound us in some form of addiction or are affecting our well-being. Perhaps we have been relying too much on something to make us feel okay in the moment, when a shakeup of routine could lift us to feeling much better overall! As the saying goes, “No pain, no gain”; we may have to crack open a shell that had kept us feeling safe and warm, and allow ourselves to become exposed and vulnerable. Yet the process of growth will carry us through to a new stage, where we can find wings and achieve greater things.
The New Moon and Saturn sextile outer planet Neptune, which hints at both healing and inspiration. If we can open ourselves up to be inspired, persevere at applying some rules, and persist with aiming at self-mastery, there is so much that could be put right in our world. Almost anything negative can be turned around under such a potent solar eclipse!
This article is from the Mountain Astrologer, written by Diana Collis.
PLAN YOUR OWN NEW MOON CEREMONY. Give yourself some quiet time in meditation to see where you need to seed new ways of becoming. List these areas within your life you want to change. What areas do you want to break free from the norm and become more productive and discerning? The NEW MOON is the time to manifest the personal attributes you want to cultivate as well as the tangible things you want to bring to you. Possible phrasing: I now manifest ____ into my life. I am now _______ . Remember, think, envision and feel with as much emotion as possible, as though you already have what you want. Thoughts are things and the brain manifests exactly what you show it in the form of thoughts, visuals and emotions. The Buddha said, and I am paraphrasing, “We are the sum total of our thoughts up to today. ” If we want to be different then we must change our thoughts. “If you always do what you’ve always done then you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” CONSCIOUS CHANGE is the key.