New Moon in Sagittarius

This New Moon takes place at 11:10 PM on November 24th here in the Mountain Time Zone. A few hours earlier in the day Mercury goes retrograde and about ten minutes after the New Moon time there is a partial Solar Eclipse. And there's plenty of Sagittarius to go around. Besides the Sun and the Moon, Venus and Mercury share it.

The chart for this time has a lot going for it. There is a Grand Trine in Earth signs (Jupiter, Mars and Pluto) and I like the look of that, both for the harmony it brings and its grounding potential. The intense times we're in could use a good dose of both. There's some high-flying energy in that combination of planets (expansion, action and intensity) so best the aspects are the positive, harmonizing type. The Mercury retrograde will turn our thoughts inward until the 15th of December. Let's hope there's not too much mis-directed mail.

Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius, is also in trine aspect to Mercury and Venus, which encourages positive thinking and energy directed in the "love and money" department. Yes, in astrology those two are always entwined. If you are born with Jupiter trine Venus it is considered a boon when it comes to both, the explanation given that you have, in past lives, grown a loving and generous Soul that you bring with you. On that point alone I would say tomorrow night would be a good time to be born.

So let's talk of things Sagittarius. It's one of the three Fire signs (with Leo and Aries) so operates, like them, from a spontaneous and instinctual place. This type decides a lot of things from an intuitive place. They prefer action to words, gut feelings to intellect. Of the three, Sagittarius is the most flexible and kindly and has the most trusting and optimistic view of life. There is a connection between the wild outdoors and spirituality for those with personal planets in Sagittarius, a kind of mysticism that perceives the sacred in the natural world.

The only downside I've ever noticed in this sign's general orientation is that it's extremely restless and can be overly focused on future actions and goals. It's a very freedom-loving energy and those with a concentration of Sagittarius can feel scattered and unfocused to others. However in our New Moon chart any lack of focus is balanced by the Grand Trine in Earth mentioned before.

For my Sagittarius collage I focused on the alignment of this energy with nature, especially with birds, which are a symbol of the invisible, superconscious world, the presence of the Divine immanent in all creation. The figure is one of many ancient bird Goddesses. She is from the Minoan culture (1400 - 1200 BC). On her head there are two doves and two horns. The horns were a common symbol in the time for the creative life-force (the bull's seed of renewal). Her gesture of raised arms was also associated with birds, similar to wings, and carried into the art of early Egypt, again connecting the Divine and the human, the Soul aspect of the human.

The lighter branches and blue sky in the background came from a photo I took of a large tree next to my house taken at around this same time of year, but last year. The tree was a meeting place, at the time, for a large group of ravens. I hope you can see one on a branch in the lower left part of the rectangle. It feels like if the Bird Goddess could she would turn around and hug that large-limbed tree behind her.

For intentions this moon cycle I would suggest, reflecting the positive energy of Sagittarius, we focus on affirming our trust in the Divine aspect of ourselves, our inner knowing. This Jupiter energy is the opposite of cynicism (a view that assumes the worst in humans/others). Instead we have the ideal that human life is meaningful despite its challenges. It's the cup half full, not the cup half empty. I suggest we take the slow road and allow for appreciation and gratitude for the daily miracles happening in the natural world around us.