Overnight Saturday, the New Moon in Sagittarius arrives. This fiery New Moon lights us up with a big idea, a mission, a quest. We’re launching into December, the final month of this intense and crazy year with a restless energy that has us on edge.
The Grand Fire Trine I’ve been posting about is here, starting to move out of focus but still strong.
At one angle, we see the Sun and Moon at 09º 32’ Sagittarius, looking for bold action. This New Moon will grab the fastest vehicle available to rush to put a fire out–or start one.
This Moon is out of bounds, meaning, she’s moved outside the Sun’s limits. Our emotions are running high. We’re ready to turn a night out into the ultimate quest.
At another angle, the North Node holds its position at 04º 27’ Aries. This mouth of the dragon is ready to burn anything down that gets between it and its goal. There’s a strong drive here to go after whatever we want.
At the third angle, Mars at 05º 57’ Leo prepares to station retrograde. Although Mars won’t turn retrograde until December 6, he’s already in position and will only move about half a degree between now and then. This makes Mars, already in fixed Fire, even more fixed. This is a royal and determined Mars, who won’t hesitate to push anyone else away from the throne he wants to claim.
There’s a lot of energy, focus, and drive in this Grand Trine. Harnessed to an important goal, it could lift us up and take us right there. But if we’re not clear what the goal is or how to get there, if we’re not sure we’re ready for a quest at all, this Fire could burn out in restless anxiety, or difficulty sleeping, leaving us feeling like we’re spinning our wheels.
Notice your energy levels and what you want and need to manage them. If you’re feeling burnt out, running on empty, channel this Fire into the warmth of self care. If you know exactly what you need to do, then do it.
If, on the other hand, you are restless, wanting to do something without knowing what that something is, the rest of the chart has more to tell.
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Mercury is retrograde at 20º 20’ Sagittarius opposite Jupiter also retrograde at 17º 09’ Gemini. This opposition has been in place for a while, with these two in mutual reception, meaning they’re in each other’s signs.
Mercury is not at their best in Sag. Nor is Jupiter totally comfortable in Gemini. But they have each other on speed dial, so if they need something, they have help.
Notice that Jupiter is just close enough by degree to oppose the New Moon as well as Mercury. He’s talking to all three, not too challenging for Jupiter in Gemini.
Still, this Jupiter is trying to balance different polarities without knowing exactly how to pull it off. Where does this apply in our lives? Where are we trying to work through opposites, or things that don’t match? Where do we feel pulled in different directions?
Mercury in Sag is juggling a lot too. Here we have a thought process that can get tangled up in trying to integrate emotional commitments with facts, or strong feelings with calm analysis.
This Mercury–Jupiter opposition highlights our struggles with priorities and plans. Where we would love to have clarity, but don’t.
This is where the retrogrades come in, both Jupiter and Mercury. During the relatively brief Mercury Rx and the much longer Jupiter one, we’re asked to look within. Issues of our core philosophy, of standing up for what we believe in, of sourcing reliable and valid information can all come up at this time.
Remember, retrogrades are about reflection, review, and returning to the past. Notice what comes up. For example, I’m finding myself thinking about my days as an environmental activist in my 20’s. I’ve been reflecting on what I did then, how it gave me a sense of larger purpose, and what we accomplished.
Revisiting the past can happen through hearing from old friends and colleagues, or reaching out to them ourselves. We can revisit the past in dreams, nighttime ones or waking meditations, in which we reconnect with earlier, younger versions of ourselves.
What goals and commitments are being awakened for you at this time? Clearly, events in the world call us to action. With retrogrades, though, we need to be aware that inner dreams and visions are also important. The call might be coming from inside the house.
Saturn at 12º 54’ Pisces squares the New Moon and also Mercury. A Saturn square usually brings a challenge. This is where knowing our purpose becomes important.
Thinking about Saturn reminds us this is a New Moon. We have no light from the Moon right now. We’re not meant to have total clarity on what our quest looks like. It’s OK to have questions and spend time sorting them out.
This Saturn in mystical Pisces reminds me of the Grail Quest, specifically, of Parsifal and his part in the quest. Parsifal, a young knight, visits the land of the wounded Fisher King. That night at dinner, he sees a strange procession in which a beautiful lady carries a golden cup, but Parsifal fails to ask any questions, and especially, the key question, which is, “Whom does the Grail serve?”
As a result, the Grail is not recovered and passes out of sight.
Parsifal, being young and untried, did not want to put himself forward by asking a question that could be seen as intrusive or rude. How does Saturn want us to think about this?
Saturn is generally in favor of polite and respectful behavior. Ultimately, though, Saturn calls on each of us to grow up and grasp our fate.
Our charts and our lives can help us see what Saturn is asking. Where do we need to become responsible for our own destinies? To what are we responsible? What quest or task lies before us? Where can we get answers to our questions?
Part of the answer might come from checking in with Venus and Uranus, who trine each other.
Uranus is retrograde at 24º 39’ Taurus, and so is ruled by Venus. Venus is out of bounds at 23º 02’ Capricorn, ruled by that mystical Saturn.
This Venus–Uranus pairing leans into grounded but unconventional solutions. Both are in Earth signs, so feet on the ground. Yet Uranus is always ready to turn things upside down, while Venus out of bounds can take the best-laid plans and turn them into something completely different.
This New Moon brings us fiery energy that might feel like too much. Or maybe we just don’t know what to do with it.
The Mercury, Jupiter, and impending Mars retrogrades invite us to revisit our philosophies, ideas, and actions. What are our guiding principles? What dreams or visions invite us into new adventures?
Saturn wants us to be prepared. He wants us to take responsibility for our goals and to understand both ourselves and the challenges before us.
Venus and Uranus stand ready to get things done. What is our quest? What is the goal we most want to accomplish? Once we have the fundamentals sorted out, Venus and Uranus open up bold new paths to get us where we want to go.
This is the opening of the New Moon in Sagittarius. How far along on our quest will be be by the Full Moon?
