Restriction & Resistance: January 2021's New Moon in Capricorn

On Wednesday, January 13th, 2021, there will be a New Moon at 23'13 degrees of the controlling, protective and paternal earth sign, Capricorn. Here's what to expect.

What is a New Moon?

A New Moon represents the beginning of the lunar cycle when the moon is conjunct the sun and invisible to the human eye. New Moons are a good time for fresh starts and new beginnings. It is a good time to start a new project or make a radical change. It's also a good time to find clarity on what you want, and release what no longer serves you. The effects of a New Moon generally last for about two weeks, up until the next Full Moon.

With the New Moon in Capricorn, we can expect new beginnings related to work, status, recognition, purpose and possibly even government.

It may be helpful to think back to what was going on in your life during the Full Moon in Cancer or the Full Moon in Capricorn six months ago, for certain themes may be repeating themselves.

Whatever intentions you set now should come into fruition by the time of the Full Moon in Leo on January 28th.

Those with any personal planets or angles between 18 and 28 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) will be most especially affected by this New Moon.

New Moon in Capricorn January 2021

Capricorn is a cardinal earth sign ruled by the planet Saturn. Represented by the figure of a goat, it is a symbol of worldly success and ambition. Individuals born under the sign of Capricorn are usually grounded and stable, skilled at planning and setting goals. There are many myths believed to be tied to Capricorn, in some way or other, but the one I found to best highlight the nature of the sign involves a goat named Pricus was an immortal sea-goat, created by Kronos, Father of Time (and the Greek equivalent of Saturn) and had the power to manipulate time, just like him. Pricus lived in the sea and had many children, who were just as intelligent as he was, with the ability to speak and think. However, his children were powerfully drawn to the land, and would use their front legs to crawl up onto the beach. The more time they spent on land, their fish tails would eventually turn into hind legs and they would lose their ability to speak and think, becoming just like regular goats. Protective father that he is, Pricus would turn back time so that he could warn his children what would become of them if they didn't resist the urge to move towards the shore, but no matter how many times he tries, they always find their way to land and Pricus winds up alone. Unable to bear his solitude any longer, he begs Kronos to let him die. Instead, Kronos immortalizes him as the constellation, Capricorn, where from the stars he can watch over his children and let them live out their own destiny, even if they'd rather climb mountains than swim. This myth illustrates Capricorn's anxious desire to gain control of the uncontrollable, as well as it's protective and paternal-like nature.

The upcoming New Moon in Capricorn will not line up with any major fixed stars but does line up with small stars in the constellation of Aquila, the pet eagle of Zeus that was said to carry Ganymede, the water-bearer (Aquarius), up to Heaven. However, that's not the only myth associated with the constellation: Aquila was the eagle who continuously attacked Prometheus as punishment for giving fire to humanity. According to Ptolemy, this constellation is of the nature of Mars & Jupiter, and gives imagination, passion, a strong will, a dominating character, a clairvoyant mind, and ability for chemical research. According to Astrology King, Aquila is associated with the U.S.A, space exploration, bombs and missiles. I can't find any other sources but if that indeed be the case, we may see developments in space technology as well as in war.

The New Moon in Capricorn's most major aspect is it's conjunction Pluto at 24'35 degrees. Pluto is the Roman counterpart to Hades, God of the Underworld. It is associated with death and destruction, the underbelly of humanity. Due to this association, the New Moon may trigger loss or pain in our lives. On a personal level, it may help us to let go of things that have been causing us pain. For example, addictions or obsessions. Painful secrets or memories may rise up to the surface, but like a phoenix rising from the ashes, whatever 'death' or loss we experience will lead to a rebirth or transformation. We must let go of the things that are dark within us in order to become the beings of light that we wish to be. If we focus now, we may be able to direct our will power towards which we desire.

On a wider, more political level, Pluto is associated with power and authority, particularly secrets in our government, and in Capricorn especially, Pluto's conjunction to the New Moon may help to expose corruption in government or the upper-upper classes. Since Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, there may be feelings of restriction on part of those in power. Various forces may be fighting for control over different elements in society.

Capricorn's Ruler, Saturn, Father of Time, is at 3'02 degrees Aquarius, the sign which it also rules, conjunct Jupiter(5'36 degrees) and Mercury (7'39) as well. This helps give us a balanced outlook, one based on both open-minded optimism and pragmatic realism. In addition to Pluto's conjunction to New Moon, this helps us direct our focus towards manifesting the reality we want. Similarly, certain political movements may rise, gaining power in media, working towards a common goal, trying to make their ideology into a concrete reality. This is a good aspect for communication as well, making our words simpler and easier to understand.

Meanwhile, Mars (2'57) conjunct Uranus (6'53) in Taurus is an angry, aggressive and revolutionary energy. But Taurus is a sign that is very stuck in it's way, and with that in mind, the square to planets in Aquarius makes me think that this may be a rebellion against the progress initiated by Aquarius. This shift in focus towards the "greater good," may make some people feel like their individualism is under attack, and they may react in self-preservation. This might, for example, have something to do with vaccines. While vaccines are an invention of medical technology meant to help humanity and make our lives easier (Jupiter, Saturn & Mercury in Aquarius) some people believe that it is a threat to our individual freedom (Mars & Uranus in Taurus). It's possible that there will be a campaign to enforce a mandatory vaccination which people will undoubtedly fight and protest.

On the other hand, Mars & Uranus make a trine to Venus at 5'42 degrees Capricorn. Since Venus is Taurus' ruler, I would say this is a very pleasant energy for those who are rebelling. They may even get what they want, so let's hope it's a more worthwhile cause like economic equality. In any case, this aspect can also bring freedom and excitement into our love lives. It's a good aspect for dating and meeting new people.

Conclusion

Overall, this New Moon in Capricorn is very much about the battle of wills, and the will to power. Capricorn is a sign very much about restriction and order. With Pluto involved, there may be some corruption by those in power. Although Saturn conjunct Jupiter and Mercury in Aquarius suggests to some extent that this "restriction," is at least intended for the greater good. Mars conjunct Uranus in Taurus shows that whatever this is will provoke backlash on part of those who feel like it's a threat to their freedoms. On an individual level, the New Moon's conjunction to Pluto shows pain and purging but also rebirth and transformation, as it helps us uncover secrets and let go of the things that were hurting us, whether this be an addiction, an obsession, or simply an unhealthy pattern of thinking.