The New Moon this week is a powerful solar eclipse, so it would be a very good idea to pay close attention to the area of your chart it illuminates. At 25°01′ Capricorn, this lunation will take place late Thursday night in the western United States and on Friday on the East Coast and Europe.

The Sabian symbol for 26 Capricorn, “a nature spirit dancing in the iridescent mist of a waterfall,” is evocative of Venus in Capricorn closely conjoining the Sun and Moon. It reminds us that Capricorn is a feminine earth sign with deep ties to the natural world. This is a subtle beauty, easily overlooked in our fast-paced world.

A lovely sextile from the Sun, Moon, and Venus to Uranus in Pisces can open the doors for creative ventures and inspiration. This is a wonderful time to lay the groundwork for making changes, but keep in mind we are still talking Capricorn here, and be prepared to do your homework and have a workable plan in place.

In addition to the Sun, Moon and Venus, both Mercury and Pluto are in Capricorn square Saturn in Libra, weighing this New Moon heavily to Saturn’s point of view. Forget about taking shortcuts and making excuses, because they will not fly.

Any new enterprise started under the aegis of this lunation needs to be well thought-out and clearly viable. That being said, the period following this New Moon is pretty darn good for laying the groundwork for your next major project. Just be aware as long as Mars is retrograde to allow for a slow unfolding.

Speaking of Mars in Leo, it is sitting this one out, as it makes no major aspects to the other planets. It comes back into play on the Full Moon in Leo on January 29-30, conjoining the Moon!

Venus in Capricorn and Saturn in Libra are in mutual reception, since Venus is Libra’s ruler and Saturn, Capricorn’s. This combination is very supportive for understanding how much plain old practice goes into perfecting any type of creative skill. Writers need to write, painters paint, and musicians practice their chosen instrument in order to shine in the end. Talent is lovely to have, but without the boring practice, practice, practice behind the scenes, all the talent in the world will come to naught.

Pat covered the series of planets changing sign and direction in her weekly forecast for January 11 quite well. I do want to point out that both Mercury and Saturn are retrograde on this lunation, suggesting the pace will continue to be deliberate, so plan accordingly. No speedy resolutions in sight yet!

It is also worth noting the tight semi-sextile between Neptune in Aquarius and the New Moon-Venus stellium in Capricorn. This is a good reminder that we are dealing with influences that will affect the collective in subtle ways. Venus and Neptune both work to soften the sometimes harsh edges of Capricorn, allowing for opportunities to express kindness and compassion for ourselves and others.

This really is an excellent time to learn more about the contribution that well-organized Capricorn types make. If you are heading to job interviews, dress appropriately and please, please resist the urge to show off or oversell yourself. Be scrupulously honest too – anything else is likely to come back and bite you in the backside. Good manners go over well and are never out of style, either.

The feeling of a profound shift taking place continues, and it may well turn out that this particular solar eclipse will mark a major turning point in many of our lives. Please remember to practice kindness and tolerance, as always. Be well.

posted by Diane . . .
Of course, today is the day to write your New Moon abundance checks! Here’s how.

Image: A photographer for REUTERS in China captured this amazing image of the eclipse on July 22, 2009. The statue is Houyi, a Chinese hero who, according to legend, shot down nine suns with his bow and arrow. The path of the Moon’s shadow began in India and crossed through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China.