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And now, for the busy, packed, perhaps slightly overwhelming New Moon in Capricorn.
The New Moon arrives at 28* of Capricorn on Sunday, January 18th at 2:51pm Eastern.
I like Capricorn energy. I like New Moon energy. And it makes sense that I do: natally, I’m a Capricorn sun with a New Moon phase Capricorn moon.
But even I have been wiped this week. Crashed out on the couch wiped. Sleeping badly wiped. Cranky, irritable, tired. Partly, it’s the news. Partly, it’s the dreary weather here in New York City, all cold and miserable and grey. Partly, the fact that my mood is predictably low when the moon is darkest, as it is in this final hour before Luna is birthed anew. This is to say, my personal lived experience of this last week does not really match the get up and go Capricorn energy that, on the surface, this lunation seems to bring.
When I feel such dissonance between my own body and the lunation, I pay attention. My body knows things my conscious mind doesn’t yet, after all. And so I have wondered: this coming moon is so busy, so packed, that perhaps I needed to rest for a few days to store up my reserves. Or, just as likely, perhaps this New Moon is moving less at the pace of Sha’Carri Richardson hurtling across a finish line and more at the pace of… well, a mountain climber.
Some New Moons, energetic as they are (and this one is!), still have a methodical start.
A mountain climber doesn’t rush impulsively. They plan and prepare assiduously. (Sometimes for years.)
A mountain climber paces themselves, prioritizing a marathoner’s sustainability over a sprinter’s powerful burst. And they practice on smaller mountains before attempting the giants.
A mountain climber pays attention to the external factors — weather, altitude — and to the environment’s impact on their body. They do not single-mindedly assume they can reach the top in any and all conditions by virtue of sheer mindset.
Such is the energy of that which we are beginning.
Why I’ve been saying that this New Moon is busy: the moon is conjunct Mercury, Venus, and Mars, all piled up in the last degrees of Capricorn — and so the energy around starting or committing to something that has to do with the written word or art and creativity more generally is profound. The moon sextiles both Saturn and Neptune, who are back in the final degrees of Pisces wrapping up their stories, and so this moon is also seeding things deeply informed by what both Saturn and Neptune in Pisces have taught you. And the moon also trines Uranus, retrograde in the last degrees of Taurus, offering one last disruption or unexpected surprise to the lessons of these last years.
Which is to say: this lunation involves almost every other planet in our galaxy. (The only two planets not talking to the moon today are Jupiter and Pluto.)
Like I said, it’s a lot.
Like I also said, mountain climbing is not a sprint. And just because we aren’t sprinting doesn’t mean that we haven’t started. Do not confuse velocity with power; they are not automatically the same thing.
Today, take stock of where you are in your creative process, honestly and with compassion. If you feel stuck or frustrated by how things have been going, honor that, but also consider the power of small efforts consistently practiced over time. This week, you are planting seeds in the ground, the fruits of which you may not see for months or even years. But that doesn’t mean they’re not there, and it doesn’t mean they’re not growing.
You can’t see the summit while you’re still climbing. You just have to put one foot in front of the other and trust the path before you.
Writing Prompts for the New Moon in Capricorn
How are you feeling today? Physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. What is a small thing you could do for yourself to offer comfort or purpose, alleviation of pressure or an outlet for joy?
Rarely do we know when something momentous in life has officially “begun.” Reflect on the choices and changes you’ve made, or intended to make, in recent weeks; reflect, too, on what small, sustainable steps might help you better implement and commit. You might also think back to a time in life when you began something you didn’t realize you were beginning.