Sagittarius New Moon December 1
My favorite New Moon sign of the year. Sagittarius. Ruled by Jupiter, the Sagittarius vibe reminds us of the big picture, our destiny, our beliefs, our truth, and authenticity - and asks us to expand the current version of ourselves.
We are prompted to take risks and make choices that guide us toward our true north.
Mercury is retrograde now - how does this affect the new moon?
I believe this retrograde is a blessing during the Sagittarius new moon. This is because Sagittarius asks us to have a grand vision, not to get wrapped up in all of the tiny details - not yet.
Now is our time to dare to dream - and Mercury retrograde can’t touch that part of our deep soul. Mercury retrograde affects the details, the logical thinking brain. While we do need this part of our logical mind to put dreams into action, Mercury retrograde here asks us to sit in our dreams for a bit. Send them out into the universe, feel them, believe them. Fantasize. Hope. Grow in faith.
But there’s another retrograde in full swing - and that’s Jupiter itself. Jupiter goes retrograde every year - for four months. Nature has this beautiful balance - 8 months of expansion, and four months of review. This is a powerful time. While Mercury Retrograde brings communication snags, problems with technology and information sharing, Jupiter retrograde does not have the same negative effects. We are given grace and time to make necessary adjustments before the direct period begins again - this time in early February 2025.
Jupiter’s retrograde is Oct 9 to Feb. 4, 2025. During this time, we reflect on our spiritual beliefs, our morals, and personal philosophy - this is ‘going inward’ of Jupiter’s energy. It doesn’t mean we won’t be dreaming and growing, but it does mean we may look deeper into ourselves as we go through that journey. We may feel drawn more to meditation or journaling, or analyzing our childhood - how we were brought up regarding spiritual beliefs and values. How are we different and how are we changing?
This doesn’t mean life stops or that you stop growing and living! Rather we’re granted energetic space to take some pause and check in with ourselves, our beliefs, and our life vision.
Where are you headed?
Is anything going off track that needs adjustment?
How would you like 2025 to feel different?
Can you invest more time now in your spiritual well-being - filling up your energetic tank?
This is a re-fueling time for Jupiter’s forward motion in later winter.
The Sagittarius New Moon is the grand opening to the holiday season, blessing us with some fire energy (a welcome change from the watery, emotional energy of Scorpio) and helps us move forward. Think of the Archer, the symbol and archetype of Sagittarius. Always aiming forward.
Jupiter asks us to expand our curiosity and desire to learn, grow and evolve.
Jupiter can also help expand our waistline! Yes, Jupiter expands everything it touches, and we may tend to overdo, overeat and overspend! Funny how that always hits us during the holiday season! The less we overdo, the less we have to over-correct in Capricorn season, post-Christmas.
Too much growth too fast can exhaust our nervous system. Too much travel, too much eating, too much of anything - is often just - too much! So even though Jupiter is expansive, it can be exhausting if we are un-anchored, un-grounded, or expanding too quickly (relationships, businesses, etc)
The retrograde gives us time to be present, to enjoy what and who is with us now. This New Moon ushers in Sagittarius energy - this is about 3-4 weeks of fun, bigger vision, some bigger spending - (we’re buying gifts right now, hello!)- generosity of spirit and joy. Everything has its season, so revel in the fun, food, and festivities. Just give yourself time to be alone, to be quiet, and to reflect. Maybe it’s time to pay more attention to your spiritual practice and spiritual gifts or to think about what you value most in life, where your time and energy are being spent - and what this holiday season means to you.
In the midst of it all, remember to dream and envision your next chapters. It won’t be long before we’re the New Year and the magic we want to manifest in 2025.
Nodes of Destiny: Claiming Space
‘ There was a new voice, which you slowly recognized as your own…’ - Mary Oliver.
For the next 18 months - we have an opportunity. - a window during which the universe supports us in remembering our identity and our calling.
Aries will be the north node, and offers this invitation:
“Come with me, I’ll help you find your voice again. I’ll help you be authentic, and to remember who you are. I’ll give you courage. I’ll show you where you’ve been out of balance and exhausting yourself worrying about what others may need, think, or require of you. I want to help you get focused on what the universe has in store for you.”
On July 17, the lunar nodes change signs from Taurus/Scorpio to Aries/ Libra - a combination we haven’t experienced since 2004.
The nodes change every 18 months. During that period, the eclipses are in those signs, and those are the overarching themes in our lives.
What are the lunar nodes?
The lunar nodes (nodes of destiny or nodes of fate) are not an actual planetary body - they are a point in space. It is the point or intersection where the Sun and Moon cross paths - and also determines the signs of the eclipses for 18 months.
The north node represents where we’re going. Who we’re becoming.
The south node represents where we’ve been, our karmic past.
Understanding the North and South Nodes
North Node:
Represents the future, growth, and aspirations
Points to areas of personal development and life lessons
South Node:
Represents the past, familiarity, and comfort zones
Reflects patterns and behaviors from previous lifetimes
Goal: Balance of the nodes and their energies
We also have a north node placement in our charts. The symbol looks like this:(☊) The South Node like this: (☋) Find it on your natal chart HERE.
Our North Node is our Life purpose point. It is what we’re always moving toward, who we are becoming. We are trying to leave our south node behind - not to forget it, but to give it second place instead of first. Transits to our North and South Nodes will inspire change and evolution.
For this 18-month season, we will integrate the energies of Aries & Libra:
Aries: Independent. ‘The Self’ - it rules the first house in the natal chart, and is a springtime energy that likes to act before it thinks. It loves competition, has a ‘me first’ attitude, and is ruled by Mars - the warrior. It is courage and bravery - the pioneering spirit that is able to shut out all of the other voices and claim space and time.
Libra: Interdependent. The Other - how we collaborate and compromise with others. Balancing, peacemaker. Justice. An ability to see and understand others’ points of view. It is ruled by Venus, the affectionate lover of beauty and harmony. It’s all about relationships - personal, family, work - all of it!
Libra energy, when over-expressed, can lead to over-compromise, people-pleasing, and the silencing of our own voice and needs to make others feel better. But we need Libra energy. It is kind and graceful, and its goal is to create peace and harmony. But when we take that energy too far in our own lives, we can over-give to the point of losing ourselves.
Our north node is the New Place for us - where we are going. It is unfamiliar and maybe a little scary. The south node represents our past, our past lives, and our karmic journey. The goal is to not get stuck in the energy of our south node, repeating the same patterns over and over throughout our lifetime. The goal is to step into the unchartered waters of our north node and embrace change. It’s like showing up to a place that’s totally new for you, and you don’t know anyone there, but after you get over the initial discomfort, you unlock the blessings and soul fulfillment of gently traveling toward a more evolved you. It’s a lifetime journey.
As the nodes move to the Aries/Libra polarity, these questions will arise:
Who am I?
What do I want?
Who do I want to partner with?
Where, when or with whom am I not being true to myself?
Where do I need to have more courage?
Where, when or with whom am I over-compromising?
Some relationships may start to feel heavy, or as if they ‘aren’t working’ or you may start to notice things about the other person that aren’t a fit for you. Should they end? Maybe some. But remember, this is about getting in touch with your needs and values, and communicating them clearly and compassionately. You may just need a ‘relationship adjustment’.
Same in business and career. You may have offers of collaborations, or you may be in partnerships or organizations where you will be more aware of what is and isn’t working.
We will enter a re-balancing phase. Re-balancing our needs in relation to others - how we fit in with partnerships and what we need for ourselves. We begin to realize if we haven’t already, that we have to focus on and take care of our own emotional needs if we are going to be at our best in relationships and at work.
We are flowing into the spotlight of these themes of self and other, and how we fit in, and how the pieces of the puzzle all relate to each other.
There may be some relationships that will end, and some that will begin again after the hiatus of the north node in Taurus and Scorpio (endings) - this is all part of reaching towards that north node - the new, the needs for self.
Don’t forget to mine the gold from the south node of Libra. Afterall, nothing ever works when it’s only ‘me-first’ and the needs of everyone else are ignored. But Aries wants you to remember, that conversely, there can be great losses to self and happiness if our own needs continually get second or last place.
This nodal shift is also happening during the New Moon in Cancer. What a kick-off. This moon, in a place it loves to be in, is sentimental, nurturing, emotional, but also a cardinal energy that is strong, with a flavor of leadership and action.
What do you want for the next 18 months? Where are you headed? This cycle holds - for all of us - a chance to find more balance.
Maybe you need the Aries vibes to break out of your shell and find more bravery. Maybe you need it to speak the truths you’ve been holding back, for fear of hurting someone or being judged. Maybe you sense the imbalances in your personal or work life, and you’re ready to correct some of those places that need shifted.
Remember at the end of the day, our relationships are vital to our wellbeing - and in the end, your most important cheerleader will always be you. We need other people, and we really need to honor ourselves. We can have both.
Are you hoping to kick-off your new 18-month cycle with clarity and courage? Sometimes all you need is the wisdom and direction of your chart, and support to help you get there. If you’re ready to stop spinning and see results, let’s talk!
I’m ready!
Do you feel at Home? New Moon in Cancer 2022
New Moon in Cancer - Home, Intuition, Ancestry
The New Moon in Cancer today on June 28th symbolizes our relationship with Home and Family. With the Sun now in Cancer, along with the moon, the month ahead will prove to highlight these topics in our lives no matter what sign you are.
We find ourselves presented with questions around what brings us security, how we need to be nurtured (our love language) and our relationships with family, our familial and ancestral values, and how we agree or disagree with them. Now is the time to “feather your nest”. It's a beautiful time to create Sacred Space on your property - within your home or in a corner of a room - a space where you can nurture your spirit and come home to yourself. If that space has already been created, clean it, re-arrange it, and add new magical objects that are powerful for you now. It’s time to refresh!
We may look back into our histories and be saddened by some memories and comforted by others. It's up to us to decide what traditions and what values we want to bring forward into our own family unit in the present.
As with any new moon, it is time to set intentions. This life review around family and home can give us a place to start - what do we want to create for ourselves? How do we want our home to feel when people come inside our doors?
Our home is our sacred space, and speaks to our inner landscape, personality, and what we hold most sacred in our lives.
The sign of Cancer also highlights our intuition, as it is a feminine sign, ruled by the moon and the symbolic Mother archetype.
We may reflect on how we have been mothered and nurtured - the blessings and the traumas related to both. Again, how do we want to be loved and how are we doing with loving others? If we attempt to love from a place of fear or lack, unfortunately we may fail and make many mistakes we wish we could take back. But we may have been mothered with fear. So now is the time to reflect upon and heal this ancestral mother wound many of us have. The best way to do this is to nurture ourselves. Speak to ourselves with love. Have self-compassion if we make a mistake. The more lovingly we care for our own bodies, heart and spirit, the more love we radiate. “There is no fear in love”.
Pay attention to your dreams and intuition. Your gut will be more activated now. The sign of Cancer also rules the stomach - ‘gut’ feelings will be more present, and we will feel things in the center of our belly if they are not right for us.
My own family and sense of home is going through several transitions. Greg, my husband and I, moved to his home in September of last year, and 9 months later, (the last box was unpacked yesterday!), have moved back to our farm (my ancestral home) in Ohio. Three out of our four children are in transition between homes, apartments, other parents’ homes, and other cities out of state. My son came to me the other day saying he felt ‘so ungrounded’. We had a long talk around what home means and how everything can feel out of sorts when the definition of home is in transition-either geographically or within ourselves.
When we feel ungrounded and out of sorts, and have not created a space for ourselves that feels like home, it can shift and affect every decision in life we have to make.
Greg and I are intentionally creating space and moments to help ourselves and our children feel more at home, when home - or the definition of home - is shifting.
The sense of home is an alive and evolving thing. And growing and maturing and learning how to create a sense of home within ourselves is a lifelong path with many lessons learned along the way. What kind of home brings us the most Joy? Who do we want to live with? Do we want to live alone? What about my home of origin? How important is it to me? What values and ways of life will I take with me when I create my new space? Where is home?
We can never underestimate the power of home. It is the foundation from which we launch into every relationship and decision in life.
I am wishing all of you the comforts of home, the gift of being loved how you need to be loved, and the ability to create a loving and joyful environment for yourself and others - no matter where you are.
New Moon Vibes
The new moon is a mixed bag. It's a powerful time for intentions, spoken and written spells, and new energy for the month ahead. Every time a new moon rolls around we take notice, we know it's a powerful time to set our intentions. However, it's often also a time of lower energy. The Moon is dark with no reflection from the Sun, and even the body registers this “going in"; an ebb of our physical strength and possibly even our emotional fortitude. We may even feel a little under the weather, or like we're getting sick. It is often just the body's way of telling us it is a time for rest and reflection before the higher energy phases of the moon approach.
But it is meant to be this way. When a delicate and tiny Seed is planted into the ground, the hot energy of the Sun, the overwhelming brightness of light, is too much for the seed. It needs darkness, quiet and calm and the absence of fiery energy. The tiny seed planted into the soil is misleading. It looks as if nothing is happening-it looks powerless and small. but inside it is merely waiting for the dark fertile soil to feed it. As soon as it knows the conditions are right, it begins the miraculous path of growth.
If there is no other phase that you're paying attention to during the month, the new moon is the most important. It may seem that the full moon would be that powerful time - and yes, it is powerful as well. But the full moon is the fullness of the intention, the ripening, the reflection of where you were and where you are now.
The mystery and the potential lies in the darkness of the new moon. It is not necessary to set your intentions at the exact new moon. Even up to 3 days before and a couple days after, the energy of the new moon is with us. Because energy is lower physically you may feel there isn't much power behind your words, but now they are at their greatest potential. Within days, as the moon begins to wax, you'll start seeing the tiny little evidence of your intentions. And by the first quarter moon you will also begin to face your first roadblocks to growth.
In nature, as the seed begins its fragile growth from outside the soil, reaching towards the Sun, the elements begin to affect the tiny growth. Predators seek out the tender leaves to consume or destroy. It is the same with our intentions. Often the predator does not come from outside that wants to steal your dreams - it is often our own challenges that might keep us from them. Sometimes the predator is time - we may allow outside forces to steal time from us - from the seed/the dream. Or sometimes our own fear or insecurities begin to thwart our progress. This self-awareness is powerful. Simply remind yourself that the seed and the baby plant are fragile but powerful things that are meant to thrive. You need to protect it as best you can, to feed it, to nourish it, to give it space and priority. As the plant grows and matures you will find that its roots deepen and your intentions manifest.
Intentions can be set at any time, at any moment, at any phase of the moon. The spoken and written word sent into the universe with belief and faith are powerful at any time. Never feel like you have to wait for a new moon to set a new dream. Working with the new moon is simply an added tool, a magnification of your intentions. A time set by Nature, with the energy that supports newness. This alignment adds power to your dreams.
Moongiant.com and timeanddate.com are great online resources to check the current moon phase and there are many apps to use for the moon cycle; just do a search in your app store! I have two moon phase calendars in my sanctuary that I constantly access. Call me old-fashioned, I just love to see the moon images on the wall.
Rest up during the new moon. Allow yourself to soak in a bath, to retreat, to do less. Align with the moon by going inward into the darkness.
