Capricorn New Moon Cycle begins January 8, 2008

New Moon, 17 Cap 33
January 8, 6:37 am EST
Capricorn is the 10th sign, and 10 in numerology reduces to 1. So does 2008 (8 + 2 + 10), and the same happens when one adds and reduces the entire date: 1 (for January) + 8 = 9, 9 + 10 = 19 and then 1 + 9 = 10 again, which brings us back to 1. So, though every New Year and every New Moon is a new beginning, could this mean that the Number 1/new beginning theme is especially strong now?

Certainly a sense of new beginning is "in the air" in the United States, as the political scene heats up for the first critical primaries of a presidental election that is wide open, with no incumbent and opinions varying daily as to who's ahead in either party. Since I live in New Hampshire, scene of the first primary, I'm definitely not allowed to forget the political scene these days. Several times each and every day I'm getting phone calls from the various campaigns and pollsters. So, one effect I can expect from New Moon (besides an end to suspense about the election outcome) is a return to peace, as the pollsters rush off to barrage the next state. Can't help but wonder, though, what might be reflected by the fact that Moon is void the entire time that polls are open on January 8. Yes, Moon in Capricorn is void-of-course as of 6:37 am EST, with the conjunction of Moon to the Sun—New Moon.

Personal and Practical Magic for New Moon in Capricorn

To read some things about void-of-course Moon, one could think that there's little one can successfully begin during the void, except perhaps continue with activities already begun or rest. While this could be the case for mundane work (I'll admit it sometimes seems so), I don't think it applies when the activity one initiates is primarily for spiritual purpose. I've worked many rituals during void-of-course Moon that went very well. But Capricorn is an earthy sign, said to be practical and conservative. So, if you prefer the convential astrological approach to void-of-course Moon, there is the choice of timing your magical working for the time after the Moon is on course again. Moon enters Aquarius on January 9 at 6:13 am and will still be within New Moon phase until Crescent.

With the strength of the Number 1/new beginning theme of this New Moon phase, I'll suggest that it's an excellent time to fuse strong magical intent into a New Year's resolution—the single most important resolution you can make. Maybe you know right away what that one big, most important thing is, but if you have multiple things in mind, the first task in this working is to choose just one of them.

Maybe you know right away what your main, all important, primary resolution is, and if so, good for you! You can skip this step.

But if you're like me, with often too many "irons in the fire," it's not so easy to be clear on just what NUMBER ONE is. Let's do the hard work first, by centering, taking three very deep breaths and then sitting down with a pad of paper, pencil and work it out. Write down all you think you want to accomplish. Then see if you can connect things that are really all part of the same core purpose. You'll begin to see what is not relevant. Cross that out. Discard it. Work until you have on your list only that which clearly connects to one central intent. Now define that intent with one word or short phrase that embodies the one thing you most want to accomplish this year. It makes sense that the clearer we can be about our primary focus, and keep it central, the more likely we are stay on target with our primary goal, and avoid being derailed by other things that come up.

Once your goal is firmly set, then design your ritual around it. Candle magic can work for most purposes, so for this, choose a large candle, incense, oil, a sharp object with which to carve on the candle, a firm holder for the candle and other ritual tools you may want to use in colors and correspondences that fit your particular intent. Include other tangible symbols of your intent—photographs, if the actual "tools of the trade" are not immediately available or can't be moved to your ritual area. Plan for uninterrupted time, and perhaps appropriate music to both help you center and mask unwanted background sounds. The word or phrase that you've chosen for your intent can be made into a chant:

(word/phrase) I choose
(word/phrase) I see
(word/phrase) I know
Will come to be
Clearly! Now! Within this year!
My goal is reached, and blessed be!

Create sacred space around you and your tools. Bless and charge your tools. Combine fire and air into burning incense, symbols of God and salt and water into earth/water, symbols of Goddess. Ask for the blessings of God/Goddess within. Center and meditate, focusing on your candle as representing Number One, your focal goal. Maintaining your focus, carve the candle with symbols of your goal. Cleanse it with salted water and pass it through the incense smoke. Annoint it with oil, as you chant your chosen intent. When you feel ready, light the candle and continue to meditate, gazing into its flame and visualize your goal as if already attained, and feel as you would then feel. Hold these thoughts for a time that feels right for you, then thank God/Goddess, extinguish the candle and close your ritual circle.

This is a large candle. Relight it for a short time every day, perhaps first thing in the morning, or just before you sleep, as works best for you. Repeat the chant as a mantra.

Crescent Moon, 6 Pisces 25, January 12 at 1:21 am EST
Venus squares Uranus today, closely followed by Moon conjunct Uranus, then square Venus. That could be fun if you're wise enough to gracefully accept a greater degree of freedom and space in relationships. Artists might be inspired. I think I'll plan to spend the day painting.

First Quarter Moon, 25 Aries 02, January 15 at 2:46 pm EST
This action phase is given extra push from fiery Aries, and a string of nice aspects that should support accomplishment, perhaps fed by some creative Venus-Neptune inspiration.

Gibbous Moon, 13 Gemini 29, January 18 at 11:47 pm EST
Mixed signals from the planets could be reflected in some tension within self, or with interactions with others through the 19th. If you feel it building, lighten up & avoid saying something you may later regret. Flow is gentler with Moon in Cancer Sunday and Monday, as Moon waxes toward full.

Full Moon, 1 Leo 54, January 22 at 8:35 am EST
Winter Full Moons here in New Hampshire are wondrously beautiful. I love to watch Full Moon in the night, whether through the windows or by walking out into the snow. The light often casts shadows of trees onto the snow like fine pen & ink drawings, every small branch in sharp definitition. The moonlight is so bright in the cold night air that it's almost like daylight. At last Full Moon I went outdoors very early in the morning, and tramped though the new fallen snow to take some photos. This Full Moon in Leo will come to perfection in the morning, so if not the night before, you might make it a ritual to walk out in the morning before the Sun rises too high, to stand beneath the Full Moon and draw down her energy.

I took the photo here during last Full Moon, at just a little earlier than the time of the morning as this one will occur. The Full Moon, still very bright in the sky, is setting, as the sun was rising behind me.

Ritual for the Full Moon in Leo
Stand where you can see the Moon. Look up at her, take a deep breath and stretch your arms up toward her. Let your eyes go just slightly out of focus, and you should then begin to see beams of light shining down toward you. Bring your outstretches hands inward and loosely cup them around the Moon. As you gaze intently, in a moment it will seem as if there are two Moons. Cup your hands more closely around one of htem and close your eyes, as you bring the Moon down, turning your palms toward your head and then slowly down over your body, not quite touching. Feel the strong, lunar flow of energy pass over you and though you. Continue the flow as you pass the energy all the way down to your toes, bending as you go. Now sense Earth energy beneath you, gather some of that, and blending it with your own energy within, move slowly back up through your body and then once again stretch your arms back up toward the Moon, as you release energy back toward her, while keeping what you need for yourself. Stand and just be, for a few more moments, at peace with yourself and your world and honoring the Goddess within.

This, alone, is a wonderful way to honor and celebrate the Full Moon alone, whether or not you will also do Full Moon ritual with a group, or work for a specific magical intent. If you have a specific desire, embodied in an an object, symbolic or otherwise, you can also use this basic process to bless it and infuse it with lunar energy, and with magical intent and purpose.

Disseminating Moon, 20 Virgo 36, January 25 at 11:43 pm EST
This day is the big, long-anticipated and much discussed by astrologers day when Pluto enters the sign of Capricorn, at 10:44 pm EST. It happens at the tail end of Full Moon phase. But just a scant hour later, Disseminating Phase begins. This is the phase within the total 8-fold cycle when we demonstrate, communicate and share what we've learned. Interesting. It may be some time before we can assimilate to what extent slow-moving Pluto will correspond to all the changes that are anticipated by this change of signs. But's it's more than likely that a lot of astrological writing and speaking will appear that further expounds on what is anticipated by this long term transit. Pluto

On January 28, at 3:31 pm EST, Mercury turns retrograde and will remain so until February 19. Mercury tends to be blamed for problems unjustly, I think. Probably some of them result from such things as rushing to send things out, get new software installed, or sign papers without thoroughly reading them in order to avoid that retrograde. So don't rush. Take your time, double-check your work, and then proceed with what you need to do. I don't believe Mercury retrograde is nearly as difficult as its reputation—after all, many of us were born with it!

Last Quarter Moon, 9 Scorpio 40, January 30 at 12:03 am EST
Moon half-light and half-dark reaches the "crisis of consciousness" time when light is waning, often a time of reflection and revisioning. Ideally, short-term projects are brought to completion, so thoughts can begin to turn to "what's next?" It's especially encouraging to our forward thinking that this is the day that Mars, planet of action, retrograde since mid-November, turns to direct motion again. But Moon squares Neptune and then Mercury, as her final two aspects in Scorpio, so the revisioning may be diffused. Might be best to flow with that and not expect too much in terms of action right away. We could be feeling more upbeat tomorrow and on into preparation for the weekend Sabbat festivities with Moon in Sag. Even though Imbolc is on February 4, by true astrological cross-quarter, my guess is that most Circles, including mine, will celebrate this closest Saturday, Feb. 2. (And this is also the official calendar day when the Groundhog will let us know whether or not we have 6 more weeks of winter.)

Balsamic Moon, 28 Sagittarius 50, Feb. 3, 2008, at 2:36 am EST
In the wee hours of the morning, Balsamic Moon begins. If you can manage to wake up early, before the first light of sunrise and if the sky is reasonably clear, you can expect to be rewarded by the beautiful sight of Crone's Moon. I've been watching her through the winter, clear and sharply defined against the dark, dark blue of the early morning sky, peeking between the trees before sunrise breaks across the horizon. As black sky slowly turns to dark blue, then lighter, there's often just enough light that each branch of the trees can be seen not just by black against the blue, but also by a thin, white line of snow.

This is the time to honor what is passing away, to let it go, and be thankful for what it has been to you, or taught you. It's a good time to cut back on all the things you think you must do. Be with Nature, allow your mind to wander a bit, dream, and listen...to what? Spirit, maybe, just listen and look, both around you and within.

Imbolc, Sun at 15 Aquarius 00, February 4, 2008, 6:00am EST

This is the Sabbat when the new light of waxing Sun that was born at Yule is seen as visibly increasing in light. In this it can be seen as a "crescent phase" of the solar year. We become aware of lengthening days, and small signs of spring begin to appear...

Click here for my article on the Lore of Imbolc

Click below for a personal Imbolc ritual honoring Brighid, the Celtic fire Goddess who is often the focus for rituals of this season. Indeed, this Sabbat is often called "Brighid." This festival of the emerging light of the solar year is variously called Candlemas, Brighid, Imbolc or Oimelc, as the article will tell you...

Click here for an Imbolc ritual