So much has previously been written about this New Year you probably know this by now, but just in case you missed it – this New Year’s Day coincided with a very intense New Moon in Capricorn and a dynamic Grand Cross involving the Sun, Moon, Pluto, Mercury, Mars and Uranus. This is great stuff! Not fluffy – but profound. And powerful. Yes, the New Moon is past, but the energy present at the New Year lays the foundation for the energy for the next 12 months. 

A New Moon in Capricorn happens on New Year’s Day once every 19 years, and 2014 just happens to be one of those very special years. A New Moon signifies New Beginnings – exactly the same as a New Year.

So much newness! So much potential. So much anticipation!

My best advice for this portal into 2014? Maintain the excitement if you can (there’s definitely that kind of energy to tap)… but more importantly, hunker down and get to work. Intensify your efforts. Use your mind to its deepest capacity and express your depths. Look internally to find your compass for the future and then plan your goals meticulously – but expect the unexpected. Ride that initial high energy wave with pointed self-direction and resolve – but also with an open mind and an open heart. Instead of giving your temper the lead, harness that rebellious energy to make the changes that you’ve needed to make for a long time. This is that year. It’s about harnessing the excitement and giving it a realistic platform upon which to thrive. 

This particular New Moon pulls in the energy not only of both the Sun and Moon in Capricorn (ruled by the authoritative, ambitious, pragmatic high achiever Saturn), but also that of Mercury and Pluto (also in Capricorn), Uranus (in Aries) and Mars (in Libra), and a Retrograde Jupiter (in Cancer). All Cardinal signs (in other words initiating, intrepid, get things done signs!) Via a Grand Cross (lots of game-changing tension between all those energies.) Just… wow! There is an incredible amount of dynamic tension here propelling you to think about your core desires, your deepest needs, and then to set goals based on them. All this, while you’re feeling tense pulls to push forward and do something out of the box and beyond your comfort zone – but strive to balance those needs with deliberation and practicality – and intensity of feeling. You’re meant to find your path from the inside out (Jupiter Retrograde) and find the middle ground within all of these creative and powerful drives, and actually achieve what you start. Resolve to create and to achieve your resolutions. Once again, this is that year.

Go deep, use your brain, make a plan, work hard, express yourself, keep your energy up however you can, expect to be surprised, go for it and… achieve!

For a little insight, look back to the New Year of 1995 – that’s the last time there was a New Moon on New Year’s day in Capricorn. Can you remember anything about how you created your life that year? Let those memories inform your actions this year… either on how you did it well 19 years ago, or not so much. 🙂

Most recent New Years with New Moons in Capricorn are just below. Click on the links to see what happened in the news in those years – truly fascinating!
1995  (Oklahoma City Bombing)
1976  (Steve Jobs created Apple! US Supreme Court rules the death penalty is not cruel or unusual and is acceptable punishment.)
1957  (Russia launches Sputnik – the Space Age begins!)
1938  (Hitler marches into Austria. Up to 30,00 sent to concentration camps. Orson Welles broadcasts War of the Worlds wreaking havoc.)
1919  (1919’s New Moon missed being on Jan. 1 by just over 2 hours, occurring instead on Jan. 2 at 2:24 AM ET)

It’s extremely helpful to know WHERE the New Moon and this New Year’s Grand Cross involving all the planets listed above impact your birthchart. The houses that are involved tell you what areas of your life are being most heavily impacted. The aspects (geometric distance) that they make to the locations of the planets in your birthchart give us deep and meaningful information on how you can use these energies – or conversely, if you aren’t conscious – how they can use you. 

For the astrology buffs among us:

THE KEY PLAYERS IN THIS PHENOMENAL NEW YEAR’S ALIGNMENT ARE:

SATURN (Ruler of Capricorn)
20°24′ Scorpio
Saturn is included here because he is the Ruler of the 5 planets in Capricorn at the New Moon – and because of the trine (120° distance apart) he makes to Jupiter who is opposing ALL the Capricorn stuff and is also part of the Grand Cross (at least 4 planets in square and opposition to each other creating a “cross” alignment signifying enormous dynamic tension that necessitates the need for breakthroughs and change.)
Keywords: resolve, persistence, self-discipline, pragmatism, achievement, integrity, authority, goals, commitment, work, career, more work – did I mention work? – time, karma, boundaries, obstacles

THE SUN
10°57′ Capricorn in exact conjunction (0° distance apart) with the Moon
Keywords: heart, Self, the Golden Child, who you’re becoming, where you want to shine, you core, your purpose

THE MOON
10°57′ Capricorn in exact conjunction (0° distance apart) with the Sun
Keywords: emotional self, instincts, immediate response to life, mother, nurture, home, tradition, the past, women, family, Soul needs

PLUTO
11°16′ Capricorn, in very close conjunction (0° distance apart) with the New Moon.
Keywords: death, transformation, rebirth, intensity, emotional depth, alchemy, magic, Soul healing, purging, rejuvenation after collapse, destruction, taboo subjects, sex, the dark, fear, extremes

MERCURY
12°50′ Capricorn in very close conjunction (0° distance apart) with the New Moon
Keywords: the mind, processing information, expressing knowledge, talking, thinking, connecting, technology

MARS
11°51′ Libra in a square aspect (90° distance apart) to the New Moon, Pluto, and Mercury, and in opposition (180° distance apart) to Uranus
Keywords: assertion, testosterone, taking affirmative action, aggression, self-oriented, desire nature, daring, the Hero, will power, risk, anger, rage, the Destroyer

URANUS
8°41′ Aries in a square aspect (90° distance apart) to the New Moon, Pluto, and Mercury, and in opposition (180° distance apart) to Mars
Keywords: sudden unexpected change, revolution, independence, rebellion, breaking down the status quo, erratic energy, electricity, brilliance, genious, ah ha moments, technology and science, the New Age, enlightenment, unique, outside accepted mores, catalyst

JUPITER (Retrograde)
16°03′ Cancer in opposition (180° distance apart) to the New Moon, Pluto, Mercury and Venus; and square to (90° distance apart) Mars and Uranus
Keywords: future, vision, wisdom, seeking, teaching, optimism, trust in life, quest for meaning, gypsy mentality, morality, religious fervor, self-righteousness, belief system

A great way to learn how to bring the meanings of all the different energies that collide when several different planets align is to play with the keywords. Spend some time creating sentences and phrases with different keywords from the different planets… it’s fun to see what you come up with and can really broaden your perspective on the kinds of energies that are available for you to tap into! 

(By the way, VENUS is also in the sign of Capricorn and Retrograde at 26°42′. She’s not technically part of the New Moon conjunction or the Grand Cross – but she’s there in the same sign, in the mix, and important to the New Year energies, especially through her wide square to the North and South Nodes of the Moon. Fodder for another discussion…)

Here’s an image of the New Moon Chart on Jan 1, 2014 at 6:14 AM from the perspective of Atlanta, GA. I’ve very poorly drawn black lines in the center of the chart to show the Grand Cross.