A New Moon of the Transformation of the Material


Posted on January 14, 2018 by Henry Seltzer of ASTROGRAPH.COM
 

Tuesday’s Capricorn New Moon focuses a great deal of earth energy, with a Capricorn line-up of six planets, including Saturn, Sun, Moon and Pluto. The outer planet aspects are also quite telling, with the New Moon in semi-square to Neptune, and in square to Uranus, with Mars in partile (or same-degree) aspect to Uranus as well, while Jupiter makes an extremely close sextile to Pluto. The outer planets take us right out of our narrow view of life in the physical, so that we will want to be alert for this now and over the next thirty days. Uranus, the Trickster, and the Awakener, by a process of surprise enlightenment and meaningful synchronicity opens us up to other-dimensional realities. Neptune allows us to drift away from the material plane entirely, functioning through dreams, poetry, and music to bring these other and more hidden realms to active presence within our very souls, while Pluto in Capricorn nudges us toward total transformation in our lives including our involvement with the mundane world of “getting and spending,” as poet William Wordsworth put it years ago, when the dawning of the nineteenth century highlighted the drama of our over-inundation with the material world.



In considering the deeper meaning of Pluto in Capricorn we might want to harken back to the 2008 timing of Pluto’s entrance into Capricorn, coinciding with the collapse of the over-inflated housing market and the beginning of the great financial depression of the end of that first decade of the 2000’s. The death and rebirth represented by Pluto emerging into the sign of cardinal Earth energy, quintessentially the hard-and-fast substance and rewards of the physical world, was at that time quite profound. So, too, now, as we contemplate the inherent limitations of an entirely physical approach to life. One of the ways that this concept of going beyond the physical manifesting in recent times is the #MeToo movement; the demands of the flesh can be transcended only by an appeal to a higher moral order, and this has to come from a sudden increase in consciousness (Uranus) plus careful and heartfelt awareness of fundamental spiritual considerations (Neptune). The result is a thoroughgoing transformation of the society itself, as symbolized by prominent Pluto in Capricorn.



There is another way to look at the connections between Mars and Uranus on the one hand, and Jupiter and Pluto on the other, with both of these action-oriented planets residing in Pluto’s sign of Scorpio; namely the effect of these outer planet energies upon the personal planets. We must note too, that Venus in Capricorn is less than two degrees away from this New Moon, and therefore must be considered prominent also. Mars with Uranus brings unexpected actions – taking off on a wild hair at a moment’s notice. These must be evaluated for sometimes enlightenment follows, or at least the joy of breaking free of previous limitations, thinking and acting “outside the box.” With Venus prominent and under the effects of her recent conjunction with Pluto, there is the potential for unusual relationship activity leading to profound realizations. Also, with Jupiter being influenced by Pluto, as well as the other way around, there are challenges and changes to be expected in our most basic personal beliefs, including those concerning relationships.



The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is, as always, of great interest. We find, for the twenty-seventh degree of Capricorn, “A mountain pilgrimage.” This brings up the association of mountaintops with spiritual progress, since they are quite literally far away from the placid pastures of the horizontal earth. Marc Edmund Jones references, “inner spiritual realizations” and “the ideals and values developed by [mankind].” He goes on to state that, “the individual is encouraged to hold unswervingly to the ultimate course… total reconciliation of mind and heart in unquestioned devotion [and perseverance] to the worth-while task at hand.” Indeed, when we face the trials of impending disaster and looming personal transformation, the only way up is through, and the only thing to do is to keep on keeping on. Fortunately, when we stay firmly in alignment with our deepest ideals, it is enough.