Note: how Astrology individually affects us depends on the placement of planets in our birth chart. To learn about your specific chart, I encourage you to book a session with me. Also, this article was written for the Northern Hemisphere.

2019 is off to a bold start with much activity happening the sky! This week brings a Solar Eclipse/New Moon in Capricorn, occurring January 5^th at 8:29 p.m. EST.

When the Moon is new, it’s in the same position as the Sun in the sky. This means it’s in the same astrological sign the Sun’s in now: Capricorn. Capricorn is the pragmatist and doer of the zodiac, the CEO. All the Earth signs are grounded, but Capricorn is the best at taking an idea and bringing it to Earth. Consequently, this can be a powerful time to work on goals, not only in vision but on a practical level: how can we actually make these things happen? This is one of the best times of the year to strategize action steps to help ourselves move forward with our goals. This is also a potent time to look at what we’ve tried to accomplish in the past and recognize what didn’t work then. Otherwise, we can look at ourselves in a pragmatic way too: how are we showing up in our life? Is there anything about how we’re living that’s not working and we’d like to change? Capricorn Season (~Dec 21-Jan 21) is a potent time for becoming aware of what our limitations are and finding a way to make things work for us in light of them, of making the best of what opportunities we have.

The Solar Eclipse gives us a boost in these initiatives that can be felt for months after, so this is a wave to ride if you can. Solar Eclipses are potent opportunities for initiating change and starting anew, as Capricorn Season is in general, and finding an actual path for those changes and beginnings. That said, Solar Eclipses can also be times when we feel weak and inclined to withdraw inward, which is then followed by a new dawning within ourselves.

Sun and Moon conjunct Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, Mars in Aries conjunct Chiron in Pisces

Amidst all this (mostly) good-sounding pragmatic assistance is some difficult additional Astrology that can make this an extremely unsettling time for many of us emotionally, particularly those of us who are sensitive or have planets in our birth chart in the mix of what’s happening with the Sun. The Sun is sitting in between Saturn and Pluto (and the Moon will meet it there when it’s new), which roughly means that the part of us that makes us soberingly aware of our limitations and areas for growth is partnering with the part of us that seeks transformation and truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. Pluto inclines us to explore our shadow, shed our skins, and compost our experiences, and Saturn makes us acutely aware of what needs to be shed, both of which can be emotionally troubling and even turbulent. 

This is paired with Mars in Aries conjunct Chiron in Pisces, a configuration that can surface our deepest wounding in an aggressive way, placing it in the fore of our emotions (and we may have no idea why we feel like this, the deep feelings just flow up). Consequently, it’s common to feel raw, unsteady, or even shaken during this time for people most affected by these transits. For those of us experiencing the harshness of this configuration, extra self-care is called for. There’s a lot of energy here to get things done and figure out where to move in our process of healing and self-transformation, but we can also feel terrible along the way. Please be compassionate with yourself and restful if you can.

Four Planets at Home

Once we ride out this challenging wave (the Mars/Chiron cools considerably after the 9th, Saturn the 13th, and Pluto the 22nd), there’s ample supportive Astrological energy to look forward to. Four planets are sitting in the signs they rule, and after January 6^th, nothing is retrograde until Mercury goes retrograde on March 5^th. These four planets are Mars in Aries, Jupiter in Sagittarius, Saturn in Capricorn, and Neptune in Pisces. When a planet is in the sign it rules, it has the purest flow of energy available to it, like water directly from a spring or sunlight through a crystal clear magnifying glass. It’s able to get the most done it can in the most efficient ways. Sometimes this benefits us, like when riding the expansive energy of Jupiter in Sagittarius to engage in adventurous travel or philosophizing. Other times, it can be difficult, like having a shorter fuse than usual or greater explosions of anger while Mars is in Aries. Overall though, there’s an exceptionally supportive flow here to move forward, make progress, and get things done, and much can be accomplished as these planets “work from home” in a direct fashion.

What can this mean practically? You want to do something and have: the dream and vision (Neptune in Pisces), faith and gumption (Jupiter in Sagittarius), practical know how and strategy (Saturn in Capricorn), and raw energy and self-confidence (Mars in Aries) to do it.

I pulled a Tarot card for this time and drew the Three of Swords, reversed. This can mean that a heartbreak or wound is in the process of healing, but it’s not there yet. The daggers are being pulled out, which is good, but there’s inevitably pain involved in that. This is unsurprising given what’s happening with the aforementioned transits of Pluto, Saturn, Chiron, and Mars. For a wound to heal properly, any debris within it must be removed. This card can help us take comfort in knowing that the difficulties we’re experiencing are for the greater good of our healing. Though it’s easier said than done, this is a time to trust the process.