Today, January 5, 2019 at 8:28 PM (EST), we’ll experience our first Eclipse of the year—a Solar Eclipse occurring in the sign of Capricorn. A Capricorn Solar Eclipse is the perfect way to start the New Year, representing a new beginning in the realm of career and a call to rejuvenate our social status or enhance our public image in some way.
Capricorn thinks in the long term but aren’t exactly “dreamers,” yet whatever they may lack in wool-gathery day-dreaming they certainly make up for in hard work and dedication. Commitment is the cornerstone of real, lasting Change, and Caps are blessed with the genius of instinctively knowing that commitment is key to bringing any meaningful goal to fruition, be it personal or professional. Thus this Eclipse marks a powerful fresh start when it comes to setting long-term, achievable goals.
Like the upcoming Lunar Eclipse on the 21st, this one is part of the Saros Series “2 South,” which Astrologer Bernadette Brady states is “concerned with unusual groups and individual involvement with these groups,” and representing a cycle “when one suddenly notices or desires to find a group concerned with healing or the arts or that expresses a love for humanity” (Predictive Astrology, p. 311). The awakening of a desire for involvement with a group describes the individual’s realization of the value of the group or community over the power of the individual.
While Caps are typically concerned primarily with the bottom line in most situations, they’re also wise enough to realize the importance of community and involvement with others in getting wherever it is they want to go. Yet already the inherent tension is revealed between commitment to work vs. time invested in the people and communities who support us. Just like in the story of The Tortoise and The Hare, if we race toward the finish line and neglect our support systems and communities in the process, we’re sure to lose the race. But if we can take a lesson from the Tortoise and manage to work hard while taking time to nurture ourselves and those who support us, our likelihood of “winning,” for lack of a better term, will increase our chances of success exponentially.
Eclipse Aspects
This Eclipse occurs at 15°25’ of Capricorn and involves a stellium (more than 3 planets) in this sign involving Mercury, Saturn, the Sun, Moon and Pluto. Yep, that’s a lot of Capricorn. Plus Saturn and Pluto surround this New Moon in Capricorn, with Saturn in approaching conjunction to the Moon and the Sun in approaching conjunction to Pluto.
The Moon-Saturn conjunction is particularly challenging, as Saturn is strengthened in its ruling sign of Capricorn while the Moon is in its Detriment in Capricorn, indicating a weakening or dampening of the emotional or “feeling” element. As a result, whatever plans we set in motion will be extra-practical in their focus, possibly to the point of overestimating our ability to follow that supposedly “straight and narrow” path to success or steam-rolling over others in our mad dash to the finish line.
Saturn symbolizes rules, discipline and the ability to exercise self-control to the point of self-denial. Capricorns are in general reserved, receptive types and are thus sensitive to their environment and the people in it. Productivity is a prominent theme of this Eclipse, as Caps possess an uncanny ability to compartmentalize personal feelings in order to get the job done. Caps tend to be “doers” in the sense that they don’t like (read: can’t stand) any job where they just sit around, and aren’t the type to waste time. This trait draws them to friends and career paths that carry at least some degree of prestige, even if only in the “Look at me doing that Martyr thing I sometimes do” kind of way (Jesus Christ was a Cap, so go figure).
Haste Makes Waste (Or, We All Know Who Won That Race)
Either way, patience is certainly a virtue and Caps possess it in spades. On Today’s Eclipse, however, with the Capricorn Sun approaching a conjunction to Pluto in addition to Mars in an early degree of Aries, let’s just say that not only will our ambitious side will be awakened, but we’ll want (expect?) results—fast. Pluto amplifies and intensifies, which ups the ambition of this New Moon yet clashes with the Moon-Saturn message to make progress at a slow and steady pace. Mars in Aries is strong now, and further amplifies the preoccupation (obsession) with goal setting and achievement now (very apropos for the Resolution Makers out there).
It’s worthwhile to note that Mars in Aries (Hare) is tightly square Mercury in Capricorn (Tortoise) at the time of the Eclipse as well, further emphasizing the old adage of “haste making waste.” Mars square Mercury in any chart suggests impatience or frustration with rules, bureaucracy, and does not like lengthy discussions of any kind, especially in the signs of Aries and Capricorn. With Mercury in Capricorn, our thinking is long-term and methodical (Tortoise); Mars in Aries wants what it wants and it wants it now (Hare). With this aspect there’s bound to be some tension related to work matters, whether it’s a spat with a colleague, a laborious onboarding process, frustrating hoops to jump through, or impatience in our communications in general.
Thus with Pluto loosely conjunct the New Moon in addition to Mars’ strengthened position in Aries, here again is that frustrating “stop-go” message. The problem initially may not be that our goals are too lofty, but simply that there’s an instinct to take on too much work at once in the early fever pitch of this Eclipse. But the emphasis on new beginnings on the career front are frankly too strong to deny, and the impulse to commit to a long-term goal, project, partnership, or even an entirely new career direction feels natural now.
Other significant aspects for this Eclipse chart center around Venus in Scorpio, as this planet aspects both the North Node in Cancer and Uranus in Aries in this chart. Venus, though doesn’t function very well in Scorpio, expressing love and affection sometimes too ardently and possessively in this sign. In addition, Venus happens to be at an exact inconjunct (150° angle) to Uranus, both at 28° of Scorpio and Aries, respectively. Venus inconjunct Uranus indicates impulsivity driving romantic and social connections made at this time, which is why Astrologer Robert Pelletier describes this aspect as a need “to exercise caution when others make demands on us, advising that we first test others by making demands of them if we feel taken advantage of” (Planets in Aspect, p. 254). With this in mind, it’s important to remember that Scorpio and Aries can both be quite selfish, so it could be that you feel put upon by loved ones’ expressions of feeling now. Or, with all the Capricorn-Aries vibes, it could be you that’s sucking up all the oxygen.
(How To) “Be The Tortoise” (and Other Such Thoughts)
For me the most beautiful aspect of this Eclipse chart is Venus’ trine to the North Node in Water signs Scorpio and Cancer, gently reminding us that no matter how hard we work, it’s our relationships—our support system—that ultimately creates the feeling (yes I said feeling) of emotional security that allows us to connect with (and hopefully go for) our highest career goals and ambitions. And when you get down to it, our feelings and the people that stir them are the ultimate factors that motivate us to take action or to do better in one way or another.
So by all means, when it comes to moving forward with a new career opportunity, job change, a project or promotion you’ve wanted to but may’ve hesitated to ask for: Now’s the time to go for it. Just keep patience about you, realize it does take a village, that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and make sure to keep those home fires lit. Because despite the somewhat selfish energy of this Eclipse, it’s ultimately a much needed boost that will help us get going with a practical mindset, allowing us to block out unnecessary distractions to reach our goals. A rare opportunity indeed.