New Moon /Solstice: A Pause ~ then we begin again
Note: This is long. Make yourself a cup of tea... (I post shorter daily updates on Facebook)
Here we are again at the turning point of the year , another turning of the wheel. The longest night, the shortest day. It all feels rather exciting, yet also daunting ~ because no one really knows what is to come (yep, even astrologers haven't got a clue and if they say they do, they are probably faking it lol). What we all agree on is that majour change is in the air, yet it's hard to see down the road right now (thank you Neptune). Big changes are in store for 2026 ~ things are accelerating as all outer planets change signs (or already have ) ... this is quite rare to happen all at once, shifting the tone and tenor significantly and making the promise of the next few years quite remarkable in ways yet to be seen.
As we enter this last stretch of the calendar year, we first encounter the Dark of the Moon (when the Moon is so close to the Sun we cannot see it. The lunar light has disappeared and days are at their darkest. But fear not ~ there is light on the horizon (and hopefully not of an oncoming train... lol). Jupiter, planet of joy and good luck, rules today's New Moon; there is something to celebrate. Life is to be celebrated.
A New Moon in Sagittarius occurs later today, Friday Dec 19th, to be followed in a few days by the Winter Solstice (Dec 21st) Both are highly significant and impactful this year, signifying massive opportunities for rebirth, reset and renewal. This weekend on its own contains the chance to vision forward and set new trajectories for the coming year. This is certainly a time of creativity and manifestation, evn with the usual challenges and obstacles (hello Saturn).
We plant new seeds on a New Moon, and plan new routes forward, new ways of thinking, new perspectives, new ways of doing... this recurs every month, yet this one is a doozy.
A "doozy" (or "doozie") in slang means something extraordinary or exceptional, often referring to something surprisingly large, impressive, or difficult, which can be either very good or very bad, depending on the context, like "a doozy of a storm" (bad) or "a doozy of a shot" (good). It's an informal American term that highlights something remarkable or outstanding.
“In this period of cosmic reset, a new cycle (New Moon) is being initiated at the year's darkest point (Solstice) and on what is called the 'world axis'. This is an energetic point linking to he Aries Point the beginning of the zodiac wheel... affecting the the whole world. In February 2026, this point will see the joining of Saturn (matter) and Neptune (spirit)... an occurrence that has never been documented before on planet earth. More on that in my New Year post - the point being that these are extraordinary times.
This New Moon is a time for new beginnings, for planting seeds of intention ~ containing the potential for acceleration and expansion ~ yet at the same time honoring the need for deep rest and inward reflection.
Solstice is a time to pause.
So we are visioning forward while we are standing still. Seed planting is just the beginning. Once planted, those seeds must germinate and grow before we see results. Yet it is a crucial stage ~without the seeds nothing would grow.
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it;
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
Goethe
To plant our garden, we will need to clear away the weeds. Look at what has been holding us back... including relationships that are not working. This is both a time of cord cutting (letting go of what doesn't support our growth) and seed planting ~ with a powerful push to claim our authentic path." We are forging newpathways and dreamingnew dreams.
“This is a time for aligning personal desires with universal cycles.”
As above so below.
I will to will thy will.
Solstice literally means ‘Sun stands still’ - and in fact the Sun actually appears to pause in the same low spot for 3 days ~ then on Dec 25th (Christmas) it will start ever so gradually to slowly rise up again, and the days will begin to lengthen.
Then halfway through the year (on June 21st ) when we celebrate the Summer Solstice ~ the Sun will again stands still for three days ~ this time at its highest point marking the longest day (s) of the year.
And so it goes, in and out, round and round, up and down we go on the carousel of time.
“We go round and round and round in the circle game”
The winter solstice brings the victory of light. The time of darkness is past. As we sit in the dark of the Moon, it is a period of incubation ~ a time to turn inward. We are giving birth to a new cycle... and we need to "strengthen the beginning with rest."
"Everything comes of itself at the appointed time," one should not attempt to hasten anything artificially. By allowing energy to renew itself in stillness, one ensures that the return leads to a full flowering and success. “
“Movement not brought about by force.”
“In winter the life energy, symbolized by thunder, the Arousing, is still underground. Movement is just at its beginning; therefore it must be strengthened by rest, so that it will not be dissipated by being used prematurely. This principle, i.e., of allowing energy that is renewing itself to be reinforced by rest, applies to all similar situations. The return of health after illness, the return of understanding after an estrangement: everything must be treated tenderly and with care at the beginning, so that the return may lead to a flowering.”
(I Ching #24 The Return, Wilhelm Banes edition)
On the longest darkest night, we sit still and turn within. We carry the Light insideof us.
As we pause on the threshold, we encounter “an unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath, the door of a vanished house left ajar… “ Margaret Atwood
And this year this last New Moon of the year in the sign of Sagittarius is aligned with the , the core of our universe ~ making our visions and intentions even powerful.
“At the center of our galaxy lies a supermassive black hole (SMBH), millions to billions of times the Sun's mass, surrounded by dense collections of stars, gas (millions of degrees hot), neutron stars, and radio emissions, forming a bright, chaotic core called the Galactic Center. Our Milky Way's SMBH is called Sagittarius A , and its immense gravity shapes the orbits of nearby stars and fuels intense energy”
The Galactic Center has a radio signal that beams out a message, many astrologers say its frequency contains "cosmic energy that represents a point of higher consciousness, awakening a call to our soul purpose.” A New Moon on this powerful point suggest this is an important time of intention that contains an equally important message/question:
'Who are you ~ and why are you here?'
When the Sun and Moon are ‘Conjunctio’ ~ their sacred marriage represents a seed time where what we send out as intention can manifest. As we plant our seeds in the darkness and wait for them to germinate, blossom, and grow, they are being activated by the cosmic forces of our galaxy. We are reprogramming our old self ~ stepping out of old paradigms and planting the seeds of New earth. We will impact the future now by what we put out into the world.
Collage image by Raven Art
Venus (feminine) and Mars (masculine) sit on either side of the Sun ~ who links them another sacred marriage, adding to the theme of potency and manifestation.
Venus is the goddess of love. Mars is god of war. Venus has ascendency (applying) ... so Love Wins.
Make love not war.
Sagittarius is the seeker, wanderer traveler: one who searches for world for the higher meaning of life. Venus presence here is infusing the New Moon with special meaning. Love is the answer. Not our ego driven, personal small self loves and attachments (sweet though they may be); this is about higher love. Soul Love. Fill your own cup love. To thine own self be true love.
All things Sagittarius are in focus: adventurous & free-spirited: born to expand and explore, loves to travel and learn and follows thier heart in spiritual pursuits. They are famous for being ‘bluntly honest’: valuing truth above all else, and can be know-it-alls - they do love to show off what they know. Sagittarius is the teacher, the wise one, the guru. Forever playful and optimistic, with a buoyant sense of humor that seeks fun. “ They are perpetual seekers, always asking "why" to understand the bigger picture of life”
Sagittarius, and this New Moon ~ is ruled by Jupiter, the planet of abundance and luck. Being the biggest planet in our solar system, Jupiter expands us. The sign of Sagittarius is an Archer and a Centaur bridging our animal instincts and higher human wisdom. Sagittarius calls us to aim for the stars.
A fascinating cosmic event occurring along with this New Moon is the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas visiting our solar system ~ it happens to be closest to Earth on Dec 19th, just as the Sun and Moon join together. Syncronicity or random occurance?
“3I/Atlas is a rare interstellar comet discovered on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey telescope in Chile. It is only the third confirmed interstellar object known to enter our solar system, following 1I/ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019).”
The comet is making headlines because it reaches its closest approach to Earth on December 19, 2025, and has sparked significant debate due to unusual features like its "anti-tail" (a tail pointing toward the Sun) and non-gravitational acceleration. While NASA and most scientists believe it is a natural comet, these anomalies have led to speculative theories about artificial origins.” (AI Public domain)
This visitor, said to be millions, possibly billions of years old ~ is seen by some to be bringing new energy, and new frequencies to planet earth. It approached our galaxy from the Sagittarius constellation ~ thus aligning with the messages of this New Moon on the Galactic core. Astrologer Pam Gregory calls it the “Slingshot of Eternity” and suggest it is bringing some kind of activation/awakening (either symbolically or energetically) . Everything is astrology contains archetypes within the symbolism, these are energetic frequencies that are part of the sacred geometry of the 'Universe' (one verse, one source) ; the ‘music of the spheres’.
Sagittarius as soul traveller, and seeker of truth, represents our soul wisdom and the call to ‘Know thyself”
What messages might this visitor from our galactic core have for us? Just after AI/Atlas passed by the Sun there was intense Solar activity, and some believe this interstellar visitor may be upgrading our DNA as part of a majour shift in consciousness. Time will tell.
Whatever this comet is doing ~ it keeps changing colour from red to green to now gold ~ it is getting our attention and broadening our scope just by being here. And that is the main theme of both the New Moon and the Winter Solstice. Open your eyes. See what you have been missing. Seek and ye shall find.
Our petty thoughts and worries can seem insignificant in light of the bigger picture, and Sagittarius is all about the bigger picture.
Yet another wake up call….?
"We shall not cease from exploration ~ And the end of all our exploring… Will be to arrive where we started ~ And know the place for the first time. (TS Eliot)
It is time to reconnect ~ to self, to source~ to each other. We may feel alone yet in truth we are all connected and we are all on this journey through life wondering what the heck are we doing here and where the heck are we going?
These are the bIG questions.
At this time of transformation and personal growth , as we hover on the bridge between the Piscean age and the Age of Aquarius, everything feels uncertain, up in the air, around the bend. In Evolutionary Astrology it is said that when planets are at right angles to the Nodes of the Moon ~ called the Collective Destiny Points~ they are said to be at the 'bending'. Mercury (how we think and communicate) is currently in Sagittarius, exactly at the bending. Sagittarius rules our beleifs. It is time to think for ourselves ~ time to step out of old conditioning, old assumptions. Not so easy to let go of old thought patterns and belief systems ~ it often takes a shake up to get us to wake up. Time to take a giant step outside your mind.
Mercury in Sag says Expand our consciousness. Think Big. Feel big. Get out of your head and into our heart (Venus). Know who you are! Follow your dreams!
Yet big expectations can also lead to big disappointments.
"No actingneedy. No lusting after outcomes. Learn how to ask. Learn how to wait. Learn how to go solidary into this world." (book of Runes)
imes of transition can be fraught with chaos and confusion; like a birth ~ where something new is struggling to take form, and we hope to make a safe transition. At the beginning of a new era, it can be hard to get our bearings. Everything feels different yet its hard to put your finger on it. Ever since the karmic reckoning of covid (Saturn/Pluto) the old is done, yet the new as barely started. This in-between time can feel dark and dangerous ~ its not so easy right now to be here on planet earth.
Yet there is always light… even in the darkness. Somewhere on earth, the Sun is always rising. (thanks to Prem Rawat for that insight)
We are shedding a skin (or two) old beliefs, ancestral patterns, old karma etc and we have the power to create something new and magnificent… with this being a perfect moment and turning point to plant the seeds, the vision ~ then wait patiently until the way forward becomes clear. This doesnt mean there won't be dark times, but Jupiter brings good fortune and a glimmer of light can guide our way. Fan that spark into a flame into a fire
One last thing: (yes Im almost done lol) On the day of the Solstice, the Sun moves into the pragmatic sign of Capricorn. Hope for the best (Sag) , prepare for the worst (Cap).
If not us who? If not now~ when?
Some of us are social justice warriors, some of us are healers, some are the chronicallers, some are the artists, and some rebels, many are here to help anchor the light. Find you own way ~ the one you know by the feeling of being whole. This may include some shadow work as we peel away the old dead skin. Some of it happens while sitting in the darkness.
I had a powerful dream a long time ago that I never forgot: It was pretty epic : I witnessed the end of the world and birth of a new one. And I was given this message:
“The darkness cannot exist, the darkness will go away”
Deep breath in! Deep breath out.
This breathing exercise helps to anchor into the light, into the centre, into the breath. The gift that keeps on giving. No breath, no life.
Breath deeply as you visualize your breath as a spiral wrapping around and around the centre in your belly button.
Pause there for three seconds (count 1,2,3) ~
then breath out back along the same spiral shape ~
and at the top of the outbreath, pause again for the count of 3.
Repeat this spiral breath three times.
Breathe deeply yet gently.
Remember the optimism of Sagittarius: ruled by Jupiter the planet of joy and expansion. All is well.
“All shall be well. All manner of things shall be well.”
Julian of Norwich.
Set an intention and make it so.
You know you want to!
Summary:
“New Moon in Sagittarius (December 19), a powerful time for big picture vision, expansion, and optimistic new beginnings, aligning perfectly with the approaching New Moon in Sagittarius sparks a desire for exploration, optimism, and broadening horizons, both mentally and physically.
Winter Solstice (December 21st), symbolizing deep inner rebirth, turning inward for wisdom, and planting seeds for the solar year ahead, focusing on personal truth, faith, and freedom amidst themes of cosmic reset and potential eclipses (like those in Sept 2025) reminding us of profound shifts. “
Release, release. release
I am free. I am free. I am free.
And so be it.
ps Sorry this was so long. Sagittarius can be rather long winded lol (and I haven't the energy left to edit it all down).
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