We begin 2019 with a New Moon in Capricorn and a partial solar eclipse at 15° Capricorn on January 5 2019 at 5:28PM PT, 8:28PM ET and January 6 at 1:28AM Greenwich Time, 8:28PM SGT.
Welcome to our first New Moon of 2019! A New Moon in Capricorn and partial solar eclipse. What a way to begin this new cycle. Step through the portal and into realm of divine responsibility.
Capricorn is the last of the earth signs. Ruled by what some people may see as a stern teacher – Saturn, this sign’s bad rep may conjure up the workaholics, goal-driven, stodgy, perfectionist, dull, boring, and, here it is, responsible. These are the grown ups of the zodiacs, even when they are young.
Now, if you look at some famous Sun-in-Capricorn folks you’ll see a whole bunch of high achievers, and people far from boring. Elvis, David Bowie, Sade, Patti Smith, Janis Joplin, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Martin Luther King, Muhammed Ali, LeBron James, Edgar Allen Poe, Jr., J.R.R. Tolkien, Michelle Obama, Stephen Hawkings, Jim Carrey, Kate Moss, Marlene Dietrich, Ava Gardner, and yes, Betty White.
Time to revise our traditional views? The outdated and bounded aspects of how we see ourselves and others?
The Sun in Astrology represents the Self – our basic ID, our vitality and energy, and even the “adult” who can as we all know control, criticize, and censor our “inner child.” As the Sun is being eclipsed (as least in part), this solar eclipse is an opportunity for us to take a pause in how we do things, and see if it’s the whole truth of who we are. Are we putting on energy on aspects of a mis-identity? Let’s include our “inner child” 2019’s trinity energy to find our true north direction and expand into the full expression of who we are.
This New Moon in Capricorn of 2019 is potent. With five planets and the South Node in Capricorn, talk about oomph. The South Node illumines the past – old habits and patterns. Astrologer Wendy Cicchetti of Twixt Earth & Sky reminds me it’s a stellium – when three + planets (not Sun, Mercury and Venus) gather in one sign. With a stellium – in this case, Moon, Saturn, and Pluto, we get a laser-like focus, according to the late Donna Cunningham whom she references. It’s also like “a house filled with unruly, hormonally driven teenagers.” [source]
Then there’s the partial solar eclipse, Mars already in home sign of Aries, Jupiter in its home sign of Sagittarius until the end of the year, Uranus going direct. Powerful, intense, though not entirely comfortable. Well, it’s all perspective, right?
First of five eclipses in 2019, this one is part of Saros Cycle 122, the last solar eclipse in this cycle being 4° Capricorn on December 25, 2000. Saros cycles, first discovered by the Babylonians, can give some structure to understanding eclipses, which can be wild cards. Saros series 122 is approximately 1,244.08 years, with 70 solar eclipses. [source]
Each Saros Series is a tree in the forest and each individual eclipse is a leaf from a particular tree.
Bernadette Brady [source]
What were you doing in 2000? Personally I had just moved to Bermuda to finish up my articling with Ernst & Young. Talk about Capricorn! There’s a whole Capricorn/Saturnian story here. To remember the path that led me to being a Charted Accountant all those years ago is a good reminder this New Moon in Capricorn to seed the next 18 years with awareness, going beyond what we deem our outer limits while respecting the power of good boundaries.
Saros Cycles and solar eclipses come in 18-year-cycles so this New Moon is a great time for setting intentions for this lunar cycle, this month of January, this year of 2019, and a longer timeline of 18 years. Longterm goals – the long game, a very Capricorn thing.
It is also a powerful reminder that while vocation is an expression of who we are, it does not define us. Capricorn is about career, work, time… and instead of shirking or running away from structure and responsibility, it’s time to review our personal definition of success and what our role is in the larger scheme of things.
How can we contribute to our own lives, as well as to the global community through what we do? What are our beliefs about work, our career, aspirations, our potential? Are we using structure constructively or do we strain against it? Do we see “responsibility” as a trap? We often forget that the word really means our ability to respond. Do we react reflexively, triggered by hidden programming or do we respond with great awareness? From the power of choice. Let’s not forget that Saturn is also about wit and humour.
According to numerology, 2019 is a 12/3 year. We can take some clues from the 3rd and 12th Major Arcana cards – The Empress and the Hanged Man. The message here is taking a pause. You don’t have to hang upside down, though that’s a great practice for surrendering. This “inverted” view can give you that new perspective that comes from letting go, to become the Empress – self-confident, expressive, abundant, and all that comes with the archetype of Mother Earth.
Have you seen those amazing mountain goats? I remember the first time I saw them in the Atlas Mountains and I was like, “what?” How do they not slide down that cliff face or not drop from the trees? Capricorn is the sign of the goat. Determination. Endurance. Preserverance. Practical. Grounded.
Actually the glyph of Capricorn represents the hoof of a goat and the tail of a fish. Yep, they can go deep into the watery imaginative realms. Let’s not forget to bring in our creative force to boost our productivity!
Looking at the goat, we see that that’s their thing. We’ve all got our own thing. Isn’t that the key? Find out how you do your best work and offer that in the world. Our divine responsibility is to show up fully, learn whatever lessons we’ve signed up for or asked for, and to share the light of who we are.
New Moons are an amazing time to set intentions so plant the seeds of your highest calling. For this New Moon in Capricorn, we can ground into our bones and illuminate all the parts of our structures that, rather support us, limit us. This light can dissolve incongruity. Our body is a vehicle, our temple. Talk a walk in nature. Sit on the earth and feel the support beneath our feet. Know we are always supported and in this knowing, we can muster the discipline to follow through on our visions. Knowing when to play and when to labour allows us to stay in our own flow and like the goat, summit our own mountains.
