Cupped between ruler Saturn and Pluto, the New Moon partial solar eclipse occurs at 15 Capricorn 24, Sun and Moon first coming to the same degree and minute just before 5:27 PM Pacific time. The eclipse forms only two aspects other than those wide conjunctions to Saturn and Pluto, a sextile to Neptune and semi-square to Venus, making both the atmosphere brought forward by other aspects, and those lonely contacts to the Old Man, the Creative, and the King of the Underworld (plus a sideswipe from Love and/ or Money), much more important than they might otherwise be, especially since Saturn is ruler of the solar event itself. A New Moon is an inception point, a beginning, even when we can’t see it as such; an eclipse is a wipe-out, a clean slate in some form. Here the event falls in Capricorn, signaling that there’s something new about the Establishment or brewing in established methods, ways, or rituals, some authority altered, rule changed, restriction broken, or safety net removed. On large, societal terms this might apply to the new congress in the United States, where an unprecedented turnover sees more women and individuals of color, not to mention many young and more Progressive members, taking their seats than ever before.

In personal terms this event speaks of serious transformation that either frees up the creative energy or leads one to accept a delusion or misconception as the Truth. Whichever direction one goes, it will be because there’s some payoff, benefit, or promise of reward, or even of affection, that is driving the acceptance of illusion or the re-making of what’s established into something closer to the ideal. The need for Love or Money will shape our response to the solar eclipse, probably quite subtly, but it’s in channeling the creative and holding to the ideal that we gain some agency over what changes, and so make the best of things, rather than succumbing to moments of confusion or chaos.

One interesting thing is that we may meet the effects of Time at this point; its passage figures in to potentials not just for change but for destruction. If the eclipse removes something from the life at this time, you can be sure not just that its time is over, but that there’s a need for something new to take its place.

Side currents may be generated by the passing through of Vesta in Aquarius conjoined the Black Moon Lilith point, Venus trine Chiron and quincunx Uranus, and Mercury square Hygeia. These may describe surface matters that overlay (and sometimes obscure) the more intense and likely permanent changes prompted by the solar event that will be happening mostly below consciousness, or possibly out of sight altogether. Anger, especially at injustices, may commandeer the attention and so make us look away from the deeper changes in progress. To some extent, we’ll see events test the viability of our highest values, and if there’s anything wounding in our relationships, we’ll be more than aware of it. Thinking will likely run contrary to what we know to be healthy–and this may be the strongest sign of all that the solar eclipse will be forcing change and challenging assumptions–so do your best to work with the prevailing energies, rather than fighting them.

The Sabian symbol for the eclipse is, ‘School Grounds Filled With Boys And Girls In Gymnasium Suits’. This may emphasize the ‘learning’ nature of the eclipse events, and we see this echoed in the activity of Mercury, Uranus, Aquarius (ancient ruler of which is Saturn), but, in the case of Physical Education class, a learning about or through physical experience–so perhaps pointing us in the direction of the material manifestations of Capricorn and the physical systems that provide security, support, and restriction. Too, this image is one of individuals organized into a single entity, a class–and that could suggest that what changes for one individual may change for many others who hold similar positions.

Do we have command of what will change, with this eclipse? Not really–the best we can do is find creative outlets and use them, knowing that not all changes will be in our hands, nor will shifts in responsibility, restrictions, or requirements in venues where we play a part be totally under control, ours or anyone else’s. Roll with it, and allow this first New Moon of the New Year to reveal itself as it will, without too much resistance on our part.

See the pre-eclipse forecast here–