Mars and Uranus are locked in a challenging square at the moment, and even though Mars transits usually last just a day or so the energy of this square is locked into the New Moon chart so the effect will be pronounced over the next few days.  Mars is energy, enthusiasm, motivation, anger and rage – Uranus is radical thinking, revolutionary behavior, a disdain for the staid and conventional.  You can see where the combination of these two promotes recklessness and irritability.

This somewhat disruptive influence leads us to the Sagittarius New Moon on December 5.  Uranus turns direct on the very day of the New Moon, so it is even more of a powerful player in the New Moon alignments.  The New Moon is the beginning of a new lunar cycle and offers an opportunity for a fresh new beginning in a new sign of the zodiac, with a new focus and energy.  In Sagittarius the soul seeks experiences which extend our reach and satisfy our search for adventure and meaning, and the Sagittarius New Moon seeks optimism, confidence, and the development of an inner trust and faith in life itself.

With Uranus shining a laser beam of radical intensity into this New Moon, the soul seeks change and liberation from restrictions.  However, the Sun and Moon are both in a harmonious sextile to Saturn, suggesting that as we expand beyond our restrictions through the Sagittarian effect and liberate ourselves under Uranus, we also build a new structure (Saturn) within which to explore these new ways of living in the world, thereby providing us with an an increased sense of balance.

Still, with a conjunction of Mercury to Pluto in the New Moon chart there is a need to think (Mercury) deeply (Pluto) and we may find ourselves becoming stuck in obsessive thoughts.  This kind of need for control that is a hallmark of the Pluto influence can interfere with the expansive quality of this New Moon but it can also help us to focus our Will so that we can achieve the kind of transformation needed at this time.

December is a good time to begin to realign our intentions for the New Year, and the combination of planetary events in this New Moon can help us to make powerful changes.  The Sagittarius influence gives us a broader scope and worldview that helps us to embrace ideas that we may not have otherwise believed possible.  The power of Uranus can help us to let go of the past and open our eyes to a radical adjustment in our expectations if we can move beyond our fears of change.  With Mars in a challenging square to Uranus we must be careful that we don’t get carried away, but this same planetary combination can also be the impetus to break through barriers and blockages that have been holding us back.  And finally, the Mercury/Pluto combination helps us to create powerful ideas and plans that will serve us in the future.

Mars will shift into Capricorn on the 6th, the day following the New Moon, bringing us back down to earth with a more pragmatic approach that will help us to ground the New Moon ideas into practical action.

Remember please that Mercury is now in its shadow period as it slows down in preparation for its retrograde turn next week!  This means that our New Moon plans may take a while to get off the ground.