Capricorn Season arrived on Winter Solstice and within days multiple cosmic bodies turned direct including Chiron in Aries, Jupiter in Taurus and Mercury Retrograde (which finished its scramble on New Year’s Day). Only ONE planet remains Rx: outlier Uranus in Taurus, soon forward January 27th. All systems appear to be “go” in the January Capricorn Season side of things. Seemingly a clean calendar slate… or is it?
Unfortunately, we’re bringing consequences into the New Year instead. And we have the choice to integrate lessons or avoid them.
The pandemic’s unchill ouroboros of bad decision-making strikes yet again! Health and wealth wishes seem a stark pipedream compared to post-Holidaze debt and illness as COVID’s sharp increase of infection in the 4th Winter of contagion is not only a dour disappointment to the Gregorian reset but a maddening repeat that shows we as a collective aren’t willing to sacrifice some cheer to foster mindful safety measures. And yet here we are, circling back in the office, school, business-as-usual AND trying to decide on “goals for the New Year” ahead.
Déjà vu *COULD HAVE, WOULD HAVE* woes point to how little we seem to want to put in the WORK for actual change… the modus operandi of Capricorn.
While 2024 astrologically looks better than previous years, the nitty gritty must be carefully considered and no better time to do so than Capricorn Season.
Blessed to experience an “8 year” -associated with the Strength card in tarot and numerology- themes of “inner strength, courage, confidence, compassion” will hopefully be present for all of us. The Strength card of the Major Arcana is doubly utilized to notice challenges around control and ego, power and dominance. Many New Year’s hopes posted by the spiritual girlies and abolitionist queers have shown a natural desire for personal appreciation and respect, though framed in a “my way or the highway” manner, leaning on capitalistic defense mechanisms that do not foster whole community care.
As an Astro Archetype, Capricorn is too often portrayed as the self-centered “girl boss”: she gets what she wants, is a financially fit branding business wiz, and doesn’t take anyone’s shit. There IS something to the Sea-Goat’s reputation for organizational zest, preservation, pace and determination, but I personally do not view Capricorn as the in-charge cold-bitch caricature the meme world mimics. Capricorn’s devotion is deep-rooted around unions, relations and the public. Their Zodiac legacy as a protector of life and nurturer of abundance is one to be shared, not hoarded, and definitely not to be abused as petty punishment or an arrogant pedestal.
An aligned Capricorn is not just a loving leader but a considerate collaborator who makes moves with attention to the structure we stand on and want to build, carefully surveying each step-by-step.
Unfortunately, Capricorn’s pragmatism also involves being able to accept -and not avoid- pain. To partake in helping and healing, one must allow vulnerability, a praxis that not only develops a well-rounded sense of strength to stand on but also allows us to be intimate and close to others. Sure, exercises of evaluation, implementation and planning get us to some level of power but this only means so much in comparison to how these actions affect our support systems. We cannot only see for ourselves; we have to engage in empathy to see others’ experiences and perspectives.
Capricorn knows that the aim to only deal with pleasantries, or more selfishly aim for a life being worshipped, is grotesque and completely detached from reality. We are humans living through trauma, hardship and horrid global grief. We will not evolve by continuing a sick cycle of power imbalance, oppression and starvation, literally or metaphorically, in the macro or the micro (sorry not sorry to the “love and light only” avoidants).
WHAT: Capricorn New Moon
WHEN: Thursday January 11th, 2024 6:57 AM EST
THEME: Balance between Heart and Head, Intention and Ambition, Giving and Taking
Capricorn’s sense of structure is lovely to consider in the Season; we all want to be “back on track” after the high-key social activity and indulgence of Sagittarius Season. Goals are dandy and the diplomatic Daddy of the Zodiac can surely solidify us with wise advice. However, wandering onto the less beaten path of the Cardinal Earth mountain trek reveals Capricorn’s little-explored cavernous lake. Diving into the unknown can at times immerse us in warm inner-knowing. The soul-searching half-fish isn’t satisfied with the icy peaks of outward bravado and steely success alone.
What is the use of lofty endeavors if the heart is hardened in its quest?
Though the first major Moon of 2024 is shrouded in Darkness, we are asked to find our inner light and tap into our moral compass to see through to the other side of the inky night and into a new dawn.
Honoring the Sea-Goat’s full nature as not just the climber but also the diver is highly advised this Capricorn New Moon. A soft approach to goal setting could help us be less hard on ourselves and others, including steps to find more joy and gentleness. Aiming for a beautiful balance between matters of the heart and the mind is ALWAYS a worthy expedition, but as we approach the Capricorn New Moon, whatever wishes we have in the material world or attention spectacle may be seen as surface level after review. Weighing what can sustain us for the long-haul is ideal right now.
When we move through goals without humility and gratitude, we are doing everyone a disservice, including ourselves. Even though related Capricorn concepts like achievement and position are important, we have a chance to go into the New Year and New Moon taking heed that plowing forward without learning our lessons will not benefit us or the greater good. Is capitalism, false security, and ego whispering in our ear while we make moves?
Considerations for the Capricorn New Moon:
Pursuing what we believe will make us feel good versus having the difficult conversations that create equal ground to stand on and grow from is a pitfall I often see in this time of year. Praise and power games are NOT the basis for growth, though it’s natural for humans to chase dopamine, fantasy, and whatever looks shiny and empowering, only to find they are still hollow and unfulfilled months down the road.
What do our theoretical wants tell us about our inner needs? What appears attractive and fulfilling on the surface might give clues to different but much deeper alignments that can sustain us authentically. An honest review of the true source of our yearnings can clue us into what healing work we truly need to consider. Wanting external validation is okay, but working on self-worth is even better and lasts a lot longer.
So, what do we REALLY want and what path can we take to get there? As the Capricorn Sun and Moon trines Uranus in Taurus and Mars in Capricorn trines Jupiter in Taurus, we are supportively held in grounded Earth energy all around to safely explore how we can rebel against societal standards re: value and still meet our material needs.
Be weary of weaponizing boundaries. A big New Year’s resolution for MANY and for good reason, we must take care to define what “boundaries” actually are. If you’re creating barriers, distance or unwillingness while pretending to exercise healthy boundaries, it’s best to fess up and communicate that you no longer want to compromise, negotiate or consider the other person or parties’ needs or feelings instead of playing games. Misusing therapy-speak to control, manipulate, silence or neglect others is not ethical. Are we creating access of flow or simply setting up a new way to JUST take or receive in our “boundaries”?
Advocation with opposite action is hypocrisy. Though intentions are great to have, being stagnant on an issue, or worse contributing to the harm itself through some action, will not encourage healthy connections with ourselves, in our relationships and in our communities. Capricorn is a class act in accountability that leads with Love. Furthermore, we highly recommend considering an alternate to Genocide Joe for the 2024 Presidential elections. Check out a recently organized voter’s strike here.
A Capricorn New Moon Mantra. “If you are serious about growth, be serious about accountability. If you are serious about abundance, be serious about gratitude. If you are serious about intimacy, be serious about vulnerability. If you are serious about discipline, be serious about delayed gratification.” - Source Unknown
It’s okay if this doesn’t feel like a New Beginning. Offering a very heartful and genuine “no worries” to those who don’t feel like January is the best for a real reset! We’re in the dead of Winter and S.A.D, some of us are sick and many of us are stressed. The start of the Zodiac Year begins with Aries Season on the Spring Equinox and is a GORGEOUS opportunity for another symbolic New Year if you prefer. Use this Capricorn New Moon to re-align and re-design before bounding into a new beginning!
2024 will feature 2 Capricorn Full Moons and be bookended by a final Capricorn New Moon so we’ll have THREE more opportunities return to the Sea-Goat’s Moon Magick in the year.
All images by Cho Gi-Seok