The New Moon on January 18 occurs at 11:01 pm EST in the last degrees of Capricorn. The New Moon is a time of beginnings, when the Sun and Moon are conjunct and begin a new lunation cycle. The new beginning at the end of a sign has a special symbolism: the beginning of the ending. The initiation of the completion of that sign. This is the fifth new moon in the last degrees of a sign, and we will have two more before we’re done.

In Capricorn we are called on to achieve, to make our mark on the world, to be responsible. This is a reminder that it’s not enough to be spiritual, it’s not enough to love. We also need to take responsibility for ourselves and be a contributing member of the planet. But with four planets in Aquarius including an exact Venus/Neptune conjunction, we are lit up with innovative (Aquarius) and creative (Venus/Neptune) ideas. With Venus (love) conjunct Neptune (transcendence), meditation and a focus on love will help to integrate these dynamics, facilitating the new beginning that is offered here. This New Moon is clearing the debris as we break up our old structures (Capricorn) and prepare for a new illumination.

This New Moon incorporates the square of Jupiter to Uranus which suggests a struggle between the need for discipline and structure of Capricorn and the urge for freedom of the Jupiter/Uranus cycle. The always creative JM has this to say about Jupiter/Uranus:

The planet Uranus represents that which does not go with the prevailing direction. Only Pluto occasionally joins Uranus in its eccentricity. And yet Uranus remains part of the system, reminding the others of the successful alternative. Jupiter expands, and these two entities are going to spin together for most of the year, a symbol of events on earth.

Jupiter and Saturn represent government by authorities, and Uranus is associated with collective rule. We the People. A form of rebellion is now in motion as the conflict abroad has come home, and the citizens of this country are clashing with the executive branch of its government. I don’t think I’ve ever heard the phrase, “It’s what the people want” spoken more than it was last week. Not that the people will actually get all of what they want. No one really does. But the urge for independence and self determination is expanding, both in the individual realm and in the collective. And as always with Uranus, things are bound to take surprising turns.

Jupiter will join Pluto in hierarchical Sagittarius soon, trine Saturn, but will be jostled continously by Uranus, a clever one, good with angles. The will of the weakening rulers will be jabbed by that of the people and their newfound mission. The interesting part is the North Node joining Uranus with the people indicating a potential for a moment of synthesis somewhere in this process of societal division that has been going on for some time. The South Node in Virgo shows a problem with the armed forces that can’t be fixed right now. This dynamic will gain more attention as it develops, and Neptune comes in to oppose the Saturn, fueling the Uranus and North Node in Pisces. An alternate route is indicated.

The people of this planet are part of an organism that thrives in ways we normally can’t perceive. The planet Earth is in turn part of a larger system, and on and on it goes. The mundane events exist in a sequence we can’t control. The negative events are necessary. They are not an end in themselves, and not caused by anybody in particular, but part of a progression. Some people with great powers of observation can glean this inner working and even see the value of events in retrospect.