by Dana Gerhardt
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Mercury goes retrograde this New Moon, which means you’ll be able to see it in the evening sky only for a few days, until it disappears at twilight. From January 1 to January 20, you can see four other planets, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, stretching in a long line across the early morning sky. This means getting out of bed one to two hours before sunrise, which is easier since the winter sunrise is later… but then again, beds are much cozier in winter too. I’ve asked the planets to shimmer for me in my dreams! By the end of the month, a now direct Mercury will join the planets in the morning sky, just as Saturn officially becomes an evening planet, rising three hours before sunset, to disappear three hours before sunrise. What does all this mean? That our earth is spinning through space, as are the other planets, and that our lives are spinning and changing too. Enjoy the dance! |
Think of a solitary mountain goat, deftly leaping from stone to stone, in the high altitudes, while below, lies the vast snowy theater of the world. This month you’re the goat. And your life is the breath-taking, intricate, and treacherous mountain. Your focus? Keeping your balance, of course! According to the Austrian philosopher-clairvoyant Rudolf Steiner, balance is the psycho-physical sense we must develop in Capricorn. When we steady ourselves, we steady the world. If we slip and free fall, the world goes spinning. What you do this cycle may determine your footing for the entire year.
Capricorn is a climber, inspired by high goals. But nothing is gained without first achieving balance on the immediate terrain. This may be the underlying origin of New Year’s resolutions—though it’s easy to hate this tradition. Too often resolutions result from a quick slurp of Capricorn’s draught. Made hastily, emotionally, preposterously, they’re often the set-up for failure and disappointment. I’ve heard the most successful resolutions are not made on New Year’s Eve. Rather they evolve over time, developing from a commitment that’s strong on the inside and well-planned on the outside. This Capricorn Moon cycle favors the process of regaining your balance, not just a one-time declaration.
This New Moon, ask yourself: What do I need to do? What do I need to un-do? Where do I need to go? How can I best steady myself for accomplishment this whole year? With the New Moon conjunct Chiron, experiences of wounding may prompt a greater awareness of where you’re out of balance. Chiron in Capricorn promises genius – but playing like a victim will ruin its magic!
Look to the house of your birth chart where the New Moon falls: here’s your personal seed bed. This is the place you usually “do Capricorn” and where each year at this time, you need to re-invigorate your Capricorn mission. With the students currently enrolled in my Twelve Moons Workshop, we’re looking at how Zeus’ story is played out in this house – how we’ve been threatened by Cronus, nourished by a magical goat, and inspired to stand up to our destiny when the goat’s horn breaks off in our hands. If you’d like to explore your personal version of this myth with us, check out the information on my seasonal/new moon workshop, Twelve Moons.
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- New Moon Meditation, with Pythia: In Your Patience Is Your Soul...
- Capricorn: Your Annual Appointment with the Inner Coach, with Dana...
- Join us for a Full Moon ritual on January 18.
"For while we may feel inspired to rush forward to put our dreams and New
Year's resolutions into action, the heavens tell us that the next several
weeks are a time for reflection and contemplation. Indeed, if we can resist
the forward pull of everyday life, we can realize within our consciousness
the esoteric teachings embodied in the sign of Capricorn: the wisdom that
comes with patiently abiding the ever-moving, ever-changing cycles of time..."
(New Moon Meditations)
"Capricorn is the most industrious sign of the zodiac, but its business shouldn’t be confused with mere 'busy-ness.' It strips itself to essentials, like the winter itself. It goes without now, to make more later. It stands alone, to commune with the seeds of greatness in itself. With Capricorn we commit to big works, efforts that can be useful to a larger world...."
Season Teachings