On Monday, December 14th (8:16 am PST and 11:16 am EST) the Moon kicks off a new cycle in the fiery, resilient, and adventure seeking sign of Sagittarius. The sign that is here to expand beyond the familiar, is filled with a large dose of optimism, and is wired to seek out every type of new experience that catches her attention. She is the sign that thrives off of taking risks, believes anything is possible, relies on freedom, and seeks for truth. When she’s functioning at her best she wants to experience all that life has to offer. Her shadow appears when she focuses only on life’s grandness and forgets that life can also be fragile. It could also appear when she gets wrapped up in claiming that what she knows is the “right” and only path that exists.

So what does this mean for this New Moon? 

Well, first I’d like to mention that this is not an ordinary New Moon; we’re also experiencing a Total Solar Eclipse. It will be visible to those in the Southern parts of South America with Chile and Argentina being the countries that experience the path of totality. It will also be seen in some of the Western sections of South Africa. While the rest of us might not be able to see it, we will all feel it in one-way or another. Eclipses are unique. They stir up the intensity and they amplify whatever needs that extra touch. In case you’re wondering, an eclipse means that the moon is positioned in such a way that it will be blocking the Sun. 

Eclipses are thought to be more powerful and while New Moons usually start the beginning of a four -week cycle, the energy that occurs during an eclipse tends to carry forward for about six months. Additionally, this New Moon Total Solar Eclipse happens a week before Saturn and Jupiter make their powerful alignment in Aquarius on December 21st. This also happens to be Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (the day we experience the least amount of light). I think we would all agree that 2020 has been an intense year that has come with many challenges, changes, restrictions, deaths, and an overall feeling of “what the #*^% is going to happen next?” The good news is that the shift that’s coming leads us into territory that helps us re-imagine our lives. That sounds hopeful, doesn’t it?!

This change won’t happen overnight of course, but astrologically speaking it does seem the heavy energy is starting to lift. The Saturn and Pluto alignment that’s been hitting us hard with challenges will start to dwindle, and will continue to do so through the end of next year. Like I said, this is not a magical reset button, but this energy is allowing us to see that we can create something new. Think of it as more like a time to pivot from where we think we’ve needed to go into a new path that contains an uncharted future. Please keep in mind that with Saturn still deeply involved in this re-imagining process that he is also asking us to WORK hard to create this path forward. So this is not the time to bask in the sunlight, it’s time to work hard to bring your vision to life. The good news is that Mars, the god of war, the planet associated with assertion and aggression is also making a helpful alignment to this New Moon. He’s giving us a little bit of oomph so we can make things happen.

To put it another way, this New Moon in Sagittarius is really asking us to seek after the bigger picture, to believe beyond our own understanding, to have faith, hope, and to trust that everything we’ve been through is tied to some “greater” purpose and meaning. You may even want to think back to the Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse we had on June 5, 2020. What did you need to surrender or release? What have you created or nurtured in “its” place? Whatever it was, this is now a time for you to plant more seeds and dream into what you’d like to grow.

Mercury, the planet associated with communication, makes a helpful alignment to this New Moon/Total Solar Eclipse and suggests that ideas, information, conversations, thoughts, and perspectives connected to the past will be on center stage right now. I wonder what would happen if you let your old beliefs fall away? What would happen if you could see your world through a new lens? I wonder if you could open yourself up to let your truths be challenged and changed?

Maybe take some time and reflect on this last year: Where have you felt the most challenged? Where have you experienced the most growth? Where have you devoted your time, energy, and mind this year? And while you’re at it pay attention to who, what, and where you’ve been giving your attention and focus. You may even want to look back on the year and look for the gold that was hidden in the shadows. Side note: There is always gold, sometimes you just have to dig really deep for it – but the greater the depth to that search, the greater the beauty you’ll discover in that reflection.

I do want to add that Neptune, the ego less and mystical planet, is making a challenging alignment to this New Moon, so things might still feel a little hazy or confusing. Be careful you don’t fall into illusions or miss some critical piece to the puzzle, and do keep your eyes peeled for any dogmatic beliefs or fanaticism that might try to take over. On a personal level, know that the choice is yours: drift into a place of escape and possibly fall into the role of victim, OR you use can use the blurriness to dream into the magic that is fueled by your imagination. Then you might be able to see everything that is possible within and around you.

Sagittarius is here to help you expand your horizons and to move you beyond the walls of what you’ve always known. It likes to play big and if you lean into its energy you might find that you believe anything is possible right now. So dream those dreams, test your old beliefs to see if they still hold true, and follow the arrow in flight that knows it’s on a mission, but is still unsure about where it will land.

While we all might feel pulled during this New Moon to expand our horizons, we will all experience this lunar energy differently depending on where Sagittarius is located in your chart or if you have a natal planet associated with it. If you would like a more personalized reading, I’d love to set up a session with you.

>>>play on<<<

[*Note* The ABOVE contains a personification of the sign Sagittarius. The sign is not gendered and the SHE could just as easily be used as HE.]