Capricorn New Moon: December 23
Loyalties and Legacies
Before sharing insights on this last New Moon of the year, I wanted to take a moment to wish you and your family a very Happy Holidays. May your weeks be filled with gifts of all types. Know that your reading my writing and being part of my community is a true gift to me.
xxStephanie
The Capricorn New Moon offers us a great opportunity to consider our responsibilities, seeing where we may want to further step up to the proverbial plate. We may also realize realms in which we overstep and assume responsibility that should remain in another’s domain.
It’s a time to also inventory how we spend our resources. Aligned activities may include reviewing our bank account, surveying investments, and/or considering an aspect of financial planning we’ve yet to fully explore.
Remember, though, our personal economy of resources is not just limited to our money but also includes our time, energy, and skills/talents, all of which comprise the capital that we can use to create a richer life. Whether we are allocating these efficiently—and whether they are generating additional assets or incurring liabilities for us—can be very prudent topics to survey during this New Moon. The answers can help us to create a stronger foundation upon which we can build our future.
Loyalty and commitment may also be important themes during this New Moon. What we may find ourselves looking at isn’t so much the concept of being dutiful but rather whether the people and institutions to which we have granted our allegiance are those that are worthy of it. Readjustments in relationships—involving how much we give and how much we allow ourselves to expect in return—may occur.
It’s a time not only to work hard, but to work smart. In doing so, we’re not only thinking of the present but what we are building for our future. To this aim, we can also look to those in the past whose legacies we admire for inspiration on how we want to architect our own.
Unique Features of the Current Capricorn New Moon
Messenger Mercury is quite highlighted during this year’s Capricorn New Moon time, informing what may be on our minds as well as how we want to share our thoughts and feelings. As it makes a sweet sextile to Neptune, we may find that turning to our intuition can allow us to further access solutions. Playing music, reading poetry, and reflecting on our dreams feels quite aligned. And while a modicum of mind wandering may be in store, also ensure you are being consciousness with your communication. After all, Mercury also makes a semi-sextile to Saturn, which encourages rewards when we consider a matter from a rational and disciplined perspective.
Calendar Connections
I find it interesting to track whether a planet will reside in or connect to the zodiacal position of the month’s New Moon as this can often reflect opportunities for further sparking the creative potential of what was generated. For this lunar month, that spot is 1 degree Capricorn.
January 3: Jupiter will pass through 1 degree Aries, a point exactly square the New Moon. Opportunities for further growing your New Moon intentions may present themselves. You could find yourself with an expanded sense of what is possible and additional ways that you can assert yourself in pursuit of your aim. That said, it’s important to consider efficiency, sustainability, and the notion of natural limits when it comes to taking steps to move your desires forward.
Stellar Reflection Questions
Here are some prompts for journaling and/or meditative inquiry that align with this Capricorn New Moon:
How do I define success?
What would I like my legacy to be?
What in my life can be streamlined?
Capricorn New Moon Self-Care Suggestions
Capricorn is associated with the bones, joints, knees, and skin. Pay attention to these parts of the body and areas of health around the time of this New Moon. Here is a suggestion for both an elixir and an activity that may help inspire your well-being around the time of the Capricorn New Moon.
Elixir: Oak Flower Essence
Capricorn energy encourages us to work hard and be productive. And yet, this could lead to an urge to become a master of burning the candle at both ends, leading to the possibility of burning out. While you should set your signts high on what you want to achieve for yourself and those you love, remember that, in fact, one person is only capable of doing so much. Oak flower essence can help you to surrender to your limits and seek assistance from others, all the while feeling good that you are being responsible and productive. It can be a great stress reliever during these times, as it aids in reducing that Capricornian tendency to place unrelenting demands on yourself.
Activity: Skincare
The Capricorn New Moon provides a great opportunity to pay special attention to our skin. Get a dry brush or scrub mitt so that you can commit to—or re/commit to—a regular exfoliating routine. If you don’t have a regular moisturizing ritual, build one into your morning regimen. Consider a simple body moisturizer like coconut or almond oil; they are chemical-free, don’t contain additives or preservatives, and less expensive than many other options (something that’s always appreciated during Capricorn season, a time of the year when we focus on our finances). Another idea is to treat your face to a nourishing and hydrating facial mask; you can either find them in apothecaries or beauty stores, or consider making your own from ingredients such as avocados, honey, aloe vera, yogurt, and other nurturing food-based ingredients.
This Month’s Moon Mapping
Each month’s New Moon is thought to be an opportune moment for crafting intentions, envisioning what you want to bring to form over the subsequent four weeks. By following an approach called Moon Mapping, you can align your actions and orientation throughout the month so as to more readily manifest your intentions.
For an overview on the opportunities that each of the eight lunar phases offers, see this article I wrote, which I adapted from my book, The Complete Guide to Living by the Moon.
For ideas on what to focus your New Moon intention setting upon this month, consider aligning with it motifs associated with Capricorn. This includes topics such as success, responsibility, career goals, legacy, foundation building, and creating structures. Or you could look to see where 1 degree of Capricorn (the location of the New Moon) falls in your astrology chart—which house and/or whether it connects to a planet or pivotal point—and use that information to help you hone your intention. (If you don’t have a copy of your chart, you can cast one for free here on the website of So Divine!, the podcast I co-host with Megan Skinner.)
Here is a calendar of the eight phases for this current lunar cycle, which you can use along with the Moon Mapping information on my website. Note that each phase lasts about 3.7 days. I’ve included the date/time of the subsequent New Moon so that you will know how long the last phase, the Balsamic Moon, lasts.
Capricorn New Moon: December 23, 2022 - 5:16 am EST
Crescent Moon: December 26, 2022 - 9:54 am EST
First Quarter Moon: December 29, 2022 - 8:20 pm EST
Gibbous Moon: January 2, 2023 - 4:15 pm EST
Full Moon: January 6, 2023 - 6:04 pm EST
Disseminating Moon: January 10, 2023 - 9:26 pm EST
Last Quarter Moon: January 14, 2023 - 9:09 pm EST
Balsamic Moon: January 17, 2023 - 4:49 pm EST
Aquarius New Moon: January 21, 2023 - 3:53 pm EST
Photos: Maria Teneva, Joel Filipe, and John McArthur, all via Unsplash