New Moon, New Year.

Moon in Krsna Paksha (waning) until the New Moon on 1.01.14 when it begins its Sukla Paksha phase (waxing). Moon transits Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius this week.

New Moon is on 1.01.14 at 05:14 am CST while in Sagittarius—in exact conjunction with Sun and in very close conjunction with Mercury- both in Sagittarius as well. All three will be in PurvaAshada nakshatra—ruled by the water goddess Apas and the planet Venus. The symbols here are the tusk of an elephant, winnowing basket, and a fan- hinting at change, movement and separating the savory and unsavory parts from each other. A time for sewing good seeds, letting the unnecessary and unhelpful parts fall away while feeling and searching- moving towards renewal and change.

This New Moon is obviously exciting because it marks the “new year” for the Gregorian calendar—used by the majority of the world. In this vein, collective consciousness is identifying this as a time of “newness”, ushering in a fresh start with a new year. Coincidentally this New Year celebration will also offer a New Moon as well as excellent symbolism. However, unlike the Tropical astrological approach which states the New Moon will be in Capricorn with retrograde Venus at this time, the Sidereal approach (Vedic) system gives a New Moon in Sagittarius. These speak to different experiences, yet some overlap occurs due to Venus’s ownership of PurvaAshada nakshatra.

Venus as ruler of PurvaAshada nakshatra, currently transiting Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) gives concentration, structure and a “work hard” attitude. Work hard, play hard—but don’t over do it. As Venus is retrograde currently, it makes us let go of the reigns, moves us towards inevitable rewind, retrospection and ultimately renewal on the flip side. Read last week’s horoscopes for more on retrograde Venus.

The themes that come to us for the coming weeks will have to do with learning through communication and letting the ego get a few lessons as a result. These communication lessons can be on the level of speech, but more importantly in the way we communicate through and with creativity, the creation process, fertility, energetic exchanges—mentally, monetarily, and through relationships. Watch for an increased business focus as well with regard to relationships, agendas and finances.

Moon in Sagittarius in tight conjunction with Mercury and Sun can give a focused edge, acute goal setting and clarity.

However, there is simultaneously drishti from Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. This gives a certain exactness and passion for the process of expansion, however, the need for balance is essential with the stop/go, yes/no, now/wait energies. Don’t get derailed, burned out, or set your Self up for failure in the coming weeks. You may come on strong with goals (New Years resolutions) and fizzle out if you don’t prepare properly.

It is essential to set small, doable goals with attainable “by-whens” for completion, while simultaneously setting up a supportive infrastructure and relationships that help you succeed. Get others on board with your actions. Celebrate small victories. Don’t put the cart before the horse.

As Sagittarius is a sign permanently poised and ready to take action, yet not always great at follow through, being able to take action steps (especially small ones) and seeing how the little pieces add up (eventually), will be the best way to hit the target over the long haul. Essentially, the big dreams and desires are attainable, but may pan out more slowly than you’d like.

The overall essence of this New Moon and what it says about our weeks to come is directly connected to how you decide to maximize this period of focused, goal centered clarity. The planets are offering us a window of support, and a bit of drive to accomplish the tasks we want to tackle, but channel this energy effectively for a longer, more sustainable outcome. (Bottle it and parcel it out slowly in other words).

For now, make your to-do lists, give your goals a tangible date of accomplishment, then step forward with action. Pull your arrow back and let it fly! Find support in the process and look for nourishment, rejuvenation and a bit of perspiration with your process. Routine and mindful eating are important right now. Find moderation, balance and power in a “less is more” attitude. The winds of change are blowing right now—expansion and momentum are inevitable now as we move into the rest of winter and then into spring. Use your time and energy wisely right now.

For a jyotish Moon-centered approach to your day, follow my daily Moon Mind posts via Face Book.

Utilize my jyoti/creative arts activities as a healing & awareness tool for your week. You can find all of my posts from 2013 here.

*Horoscopes are based on your Vedic rising sign. You can also check your Moon and Sun signs for further insight. Do the same with your Navamsa signs for further clarity. Do not use these horoscopes with your “Western Sign” as there is likely no correlation. These horoscopes are meant to be used as a broad overview of the current transits and obviously do not address the specifics of an individual’s unique chart.

Aries: A less is more attitude and approach to life is really going to serve you right now as well as in the long run. See what you can get away with by scaling way back on obligations, work details and relationships. In a way, you are being offered a time of re-negotiation with life. Find any and all opportunities for working smarter, not harder. It’s time for assistance, extra help, a new support network in place. Find your deservability button and press it. Your health and well being will thank you for months to come.

Taurus: Your depths are speaking to you, are you listening? There’s learning and growth to be had right now if you silence the outer chatter and distractions. Healing, growth and a new sense of personal power will reveal themselves in time, but you must crawl through the darkness and the mire in the meantime. The portal to your past is open—haunts and emotional wounds may feel gaping and overwhelming. Trust in this process of rawness and stand in your fire. You are in a purification process. Meditate and devote your energy to healing and being healed.

Gemini: Relationships appear to be causing you the most room for growth right now. They are really pushing you and helping you create a new reality for your Self. Some of these lessons are really old and bring up emotional wounds from the past. Use this time to get clear on boundaries. What is helpful and what is not? Who is supportive and sustainable for you and your life and who needs to be cut once and for all? You will only get something new and better if you are willing to make some changes to your old ways. You’ve been handed this lesson on a silver platter. Now what?

Cancer: If you’re paying attention, you’ve probably noticed some of your old patterns creeping in. This can be a great time to nip it in the bud and finally move forward with a different set of action steps—specifically in regard to relationships. Bad habits are coming up around your needs for comfort and support; being careful of who and what you attract is essential. Are you acting from a place of desperation? Old woundologies? Childhood fears and haunts? Or just being lazy with boundaries? Alone time will serve you right now Cancer. Don’t be afraid of your Self.

Leo: Decisions, choices, momentum and moving forward may feel unclear and unfocused. Too many irons in the fire? Lack of clear goals and time frames? Thinking too big and/or too small? For now, hold the visions and the desires. Write them down, get clear on goals and objectives, but don’t expect them to make sense right now—or even feel doable. There’s too much energy in your 5th house of decision making for the clarity to be available to you at the moment. For you right now, best practice is not seeking clarity (yet) but making your intentions known to the Universe. The rest will fall into place when the smoke clears. Trust the process.

Virgo: Your heart is in a tug of war and confusion seems to be mounting. What is right and what is wrong? The root cause of this turmoil is your need for support and comfort. The only problem is, you are looking to others for finding this nourishment, rather than resourcing your own strengths and power. If you choose to, now can be a time of Self expansion, spiritual growth and increased self confidence. The only catch? You have to boldly go where you have not yet gone. You must step out of your comfort zone in order to find a more lasting, pure comfort- sourced deep within your Self. Start small if you have to.

Libra: Be mindful of what you put into your Self- whether it is food, ideas, thoughts, relationships or environments. It’s too easy right now to get derailed, get out of focus, lose the big picture. Relationships are probably bringing some woes- anger, lack of support and feelings of betrayal may be up right now. These are all lessons in your self-reliance and self-love. When you are ready to put your own Self needs first, your boundaries will get a lot clearer. Yes, it’s a time of boundaries, finding new feelings of emotional safety, and the courage within your Self to do so. You have the permission now.

Scorpio: The lack of clarity and momentum is due to your need for support, sustenance and nourishment and wondering if you really can have it all. You may be stuck in a binary thinking pattern- the either/or mentality that keeps you paralyzed from moving forward and finding solutions. You want the expansion, but only “if” and “when” X, Y, Z happens. This type of action/inaction will ultimately end in your old patterns of self-deprecation. Let’s prevent some of this now by moving forward with some clear action steps. Goals, intentions, and desires need to be written out and given due dates. You are going through great transformations as well and need to let your Self off the hook a bit. Don’t judge your future by what is happening for you right now. Avoid the rabbit hole.

Sagittarius: The cravings for a “new year, new you” are strong for you Sagittarius, yet there may be confusion about how to go about this desire for big change. What direction to go? How to get there? What to do once you arrive? Slow down and hit the pause button. Super tiny steps are going to be your best option. Celebrating small victories will help encourage momentum. Goal setting is uber important for you. You will need a support team in place to help cheer you on when the going gets tough. The momentum is here now, ride this wave and move your Self forward while it lasts. The tricky part will be sustaining this energy in the months to come.

Capricorn: Passion, courage, creativity all seem to be in rewind. There may be confusion about relationships vs. spending precious alone time with your Self; going on retreat vs. working hard at new endeavors. Feeling pulled in too many directions? Goals and by-whens are essential right now. Use a Sharpie and make sure you have time for your Self written in bold, black ink on your calendar. You will find that your greatest creativity and “work time” comes with this sacred space. You are in need of healing and some restructuring of the heart- don’t let this desire get lost in the busy shuffle of life.

Aquarius: There is great craving around income right now and perhaps confusion about how to increase it while doing what you love. Is it possible to do both? Right now, it may feel as though you’re having to take a few steps in reverse in order to make that happen. Use this time for some intentional alone time and meditation. You may find the answers come to you unexpectedly. Relationships with older siblings and friends bring lessons and some old gripes. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, here it is: these are lessons, your mirror and some old reminders that can bring great growth. Don’t push them aside or become reactive. Instead, find the golden wisdom in these relationship experiences.

Pisces: Too many irons in the fire? You are an example of having too many options and plenty of ideas bubbling forth! Career focus is taking precedence right now and there is much energy to harness here. Be diligent with your focus in order to achieve results. Relationships however may be causing friction still. Feeling like you are being held back or accosted by others? There is opportunity here for you to re-evaluate how you “do your business”. Essentially, what is not best practice. Our biggest teachers are often the ones who show us what not to do. In the meantime, charge forth with your visions and planning and don’t get distracted by the mosquitoes.

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Editor: Catherine Monkman