New Moon in Sagittarius

The fire of Sagittarius stokes movement, kindles inspiration, and catalyzes transition from one state to another. Fire is the element that rises to the celestial summit, ascending to the greatest heights as the element of divine inspiration and spirit. Rarified and electric, fire moves us with direct heat as well as subtle luminosity. When we are struck by the brilliant radiance of the fire element we can feel propelled toward growth and greater vitality with enterprising enthusiasm that is focused and ready for action. While the fire element is extremely activated by the New Moon in Sagittarius on December 1, due to the combination of Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius and Mars stationing retrograde in Leo the surrounding astrology will support adjusting and regenerating our relationship with our inner fire more so than impulsively leaping forward. There is powerful potential for inner visioning of possibilities that can then be brought into the realistic next steps available within present circumstances.

Sagittarius is the fiery domicile of Jupiter that ignites our capacity to lift spirits in the darkest hour, when everything counts. Yet while the uplifting enthusiasm of Sagittarius is one side of the the Centaur’s expression, the far ranging vision of Sagittarius also has a more sober and serious side that can venture far into dark places. The deep gravity of the Archer’s gaze will be palpable due to the Sagittarius New Moon applying closely to a harsh square aspect with Saturn in Pisces. The tension between Saturn and the lunation has the potential to dampen the enthusiastic heat of the Sagittarius New Moon, but whatever limits or obstacles we must face on account of Saturn can also serve as potent catalysts for creative problem solving as well as bringing pragmatic realism to any inspired visions at risk of becoming too ungrounded.

However, there is much greater complexity involved in the aspects of the Sagittarius New Moon than a simple square aspect with Saturn. Not only is the Sagittarius Moon applying to a square aspect with Saturn, it is also applying to an opposition with Jupiter retrograde in Gemini and a conjunction with Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius. This means that Mercury will be reanimated and regenerated by the Sun a few days after the lunation on December 5, shepherding us through an inner process of death, rebirth, and the seeding of new ideas. Even more importantly, it also means that the Sagittarius New Moon is directly configured to the waxing square aspect forming between Jupiter in Gemini and Saturn in Pisces. The waxing square between Jupiter and Saturn is rooted in their great conjunction in 2020 at the first degree of Aquarius, and so we will be receiving revelations concerning our own personal processes of growth that have occurred since 2020 as well as how our own growth is intersecting with the much larger societal changes that have erupted around the world since 2020.

There’s a lot of talk in astrology about how we are in an era of Air symbolized by the fact that all of the conjunctions between Saturn and Jupiter will occur in air signs until 2159. Our full entrance into the age of Air has coincided with rapid changes in technology as well as in the volatile power dynamics of the world. Indeed, the windy force of the air element creates movement and breaks up what had been formerly solid. However, the element of fire and our relationship with our inner fire will be a massive theme for the years ahead, especially in the transition from 2024 into 2025. In the next six months, Mars will activate the fire of Leo by stationing retrograde and forming two oppositions with Pluto in Aquarius, Neptune and Saturn will activate the fire of Aries by entering the sign of the Ram, and there will also be a Solar Eclipse, Mercury retrograde phase, and Venus retrograde phase all occurring in Aries. As we come to the end of 2024, not only is the Moon in Sagittarius being reanimated by the Sun in the fiery sign of Sagittarius, but Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius is applying to a fiery conjunction with the Sun, and the Sagittarius Moon is separating from a trine with Mars in the fiery sign of Leo.

Most dramatically, however, the Sagittarius New Moon is initiating us into the burning fire of Mars retrograde in Leo, the fiery home of the Sun. The Sagittarius New Moon is separating from a flowing trine with Mars, while Mars is simultaneously at a standstill due to stationing retrograde. Mars will station retrograde less than a week after the Sagittarius New Moon on 6 December, volatilizing the fiery terrain of Leo. With Mars slowing down to a standstill there can be frustration over not making forward progress, yet simultaneously there can be a burning inner fire calling us to make changes or move in new directions. Fire requires movement and expression as well as material to consume in order to keep the flame burning. As a result, it will be vital to tend to your inner fire of creativity, passion, and inspiration, paying attention to the physical and mental material you are consuming and how it impacts both your physical energy levels as well as our mental health. What is deadening you, depressing you, distracting you, or leading to greater anxiety? What is inspiring you and stoking the flames of your inner creativity and passion? Combined with Mercury’s retrograde phase, it will be an ideal time for purging and letting go of whatever has been contributing to stagnation or lethargy.

We can all witness how much has already changing in the world recently, and we know that the astrology of 2025 has the symbolism of an even greater acceleration of change coming. Due to systemic structures falling apart and numerous corrupt leaders at the helm of major power structures, it will be more important than ever to claim more of your own authority and capacity to create the change you want to live and embody. Fortunately, within the volatile mixture of astrological factors in the Sagittarius New Moon, there is a flowing, emancipatory trine between Venus in Capricorn and Uranus retrograde in Taurus, the earthy domicile of Venus. The invigorating trine between Venus and Uranus brings opportunities for reforging your relationship with the liberating force of Promethean Fire and lifting your vision beyond present difficulties and despair to finding inventive solutions to present predicaments or greater purpose that can be found within visions for future growth. Venus in Capricorn combined with Uranus can not only envision breakthrough ideas and plans, but discern the pragmatic steps needed to be taken. This adds to the potential of utilizing the tension between the Sagittarius New Moon with Saturn to breakdown larger visions of change into practical steps that can be taken in the here and now with available resources.

The Sagittarius New Moon is also close to the degree of the royal star Antares, the heart of the Scorpion. The red star Antares like Mars is a powerhouse for kindling courage and determination. The close proximity between the degree of Antares and the Sagittarius New Moon can help in claiming the courage needed to go through an underworld journey and processes of purification and regeneration that will be further encouraged by the combination of Mercury retrograde and Mars retrograde in fire signs. We can have no greater ally than Antares in embodying the resiliency needed to face fears and deepen into whatever processes of death and rebirth are necessary to bring you more passionately alive and ready to meet the challenges coming in the new year.

However, the placement of Antares near the New Moon does warn of obsession – and this is further magnified by Mars stationing retrograde while opposing Pluto. There will be a need for healthy balance between becoming fixated with focus on endeavors versus becoming overly obsessed to the point of burnout. This is especially the case with conflict – this is not a time to engage in fights unless you want to risk being dragged down into strife that will dissipate your energy. It will be necessary to determine when it is necessary to engage in conflict for defense and protection, versus when it will be better to let go of reacting and provoking needless arguments. The presence of Antares with the Sagittarius New Moon will amplify the atmosphere of increased strife already signified by Mars stationing retrograde, and so while there will be numerous global conflicts erupting that will be out of your control, you will be able to stand in your own integrity and authority and draw a line between yourself and needless conflicts with others.

Mercury’s Re-Visioning

Mercury stationed retrograde on 25 November 2024, embarking upon a twenty day journey of backtracking from 22°40’ to 6°24’ Sagittarius where the star of Hermes will station direct on 15 December. As Mercury retraces the zodiacal terrain from six to twenty-three degrees of Sagittarius, Mercury will excavate material that we need to deepen our engagement with, returning our perception to issues we need to release, rework, or reintegrate. Yet the retrograde of Mercury is not limited to review and redo, as the star of Hermes will deepen development in areas of focus as well as reseed vital ideas and inspiration to develop in the season ahead. After passing through a phase of putrefaction and purification, we will experience renewal on the other side once Mercury has returned to visibility and direct motion in the morning sky. Mercury first crossed 6°24’ Sagittarius on 7 November and will not move beyond 22°40’ Sagittarius until 2 January 2025, creating almost two months of mercurial focus in this range of your natal chart.

Within the darkness of the Sagittarius New Moon, the star of Hermes will have set into its invisible, psychopomp phase of digging up inner material to purge and release. There may be old memories resurrected to face and come into new relationship with or let go of. There may be new ideas and intimations gestating at the same time we realize old beliefs and thought forms need to be shed. A few days after the Sagittarius New Moon on December 5 or 6, depending upon your time zone, Mercury will be reanimated by its conjunction with the Sun at 14°27’ Sagittarius. The regeneration of Mercury occurs as it aligns in between the Earth and Sun by zodiacal degree, as close to us in orbit as possible for Mercury within its cycle. Known as the inferior conjunction of Mercury, it’s a moment of clarifying rebirth that can enhance realization and seed new ideas for the Mercury cycle ahead in which it will transition into becoming a visible morning star. It’s the cyclical moment when Mercury enters what Demetra George has named the “sanctum sanctorum,” or “the innermost holy chamber of the mystery initiations” found within “the protected space at the heart of the Sun.”

Although the inferior conjunction of Mercury is typically felt within hidden, interior spaces of inner fire, the regenerative conjunction between Mercury with the Sun on 6 December will occur in a period of amplified heat and intensified fire due to Mars stationing retrograde in Leo at the same time. The simultaneous stationing of Mars could coincide with anger, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm concerning external events and feeling like we cannot make solid progress forward. With Mercury retrograde simultaneously forming an opposition with Jupiter retrograde in Gemini on 4 December and a square aspect with Saturn in Pisces on 6 December, we could also be at risk of mental overwhelm with spinning thoughts lacking focus on our priorities. As a result, it will be vital to create boundaries and make space for protected contemplation that can penetrate into the heart of matters and clarify whatever issues are present. Moreover, the mutual reception between Mercury and Jupiter suggests that insights can ultimately be uncovered, or help and support found through resonant allies.

Most importantly, since the inferior conjunction of Mercury is configured directly to the waxing square formed between Jupiter and Saturn, the rebirth of Mercury will provide critical insight concerning our role within the much larger societal changes rapidly accelerating. For a detailed breakdown of the different phases within the Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius period, including how there are additional alignments between Mercury with the fixed stars Ras Alhague and Ras Algethi, watch the following video I created about this current retrograde phase of Mercury:

Mars Retrograde in Leo

The star of Ares will take center stage in the week following the Sagittarius New Moon. Mars will station retrograde on 6 December 2024 at 06°10′ Leo and will station direct on 23 February 2025 at 17°01′ Cancer. Ultimately Mars will move back and forth from seventeen degrees of Cancer to seven degrees of Leo from 4 October 2024 until 1 May 2025, creating seven months of Mars intensifying this degree range. However, the stretch of time from the stationing retrograde of Mars in December until the stationing direct of Mars in February is distinctly different than the other two periods of time that Mars traverses these degrees. The burning heat of Mars puts us in touch with our instinctual drive and how our desires align with our purpose, yet when Mars stations retrograde there is increased potential to feel frustrated or confused. Since Mars will be applying toward an opposition with Pluto in Aquarius after stationing retrograde that will become exact on 2 January 2025, the final month of 2024 will be the first stage of a liminal trial by fire we will undergo with Mars until Mars eventually turns around and completes his final opposition with Pluto on 26 April 2025.

As a result, the month of December will be dominated by an intensification of Mars, stressing the importance of coming into relationship with the volatility, change, and the relentless passion that can overcome us when working hard and taking action as well as the ensuing burnout. Mars brings awareness of instinctual drive, emerging desires, and how they align with our purpose through action and making things happen. Mars wants freedom of movement and expression, and when it is moving direct it enjoys the hunt of going after goals and competing for whatever we view as the treasured prize. Yet when Mars stations to shift retrograde it isn’t moving, and so there is increased potential to feel agitated or blocked.

As Mars stations retrograde it slowly turns the separating and dividing function of Mars inward, stoking our inner flames and initiating a process of realignment with our most deeply felt desire and purpose. This will especially be the case with Mars retrograde forming an opposition with Pluto in Aquarius at the beginning of 2025. By embracing the corresponding constriction upon external martial flow and the magnification of inner fire, during Mars retrograde we can make breakthroughs instead of suffering breakdowns. Like telling our stories to one another around a great collective bonfire, we enter a liminal phase of changing the way we tell our own life narrative, shifting the trajectory of cyclic patterns at work. You may begin to notice the meaning of past experiences transfiguring in the flames, releasing you from ways you have been restricting or confining yourself to a particular story about yourself.

The combination of Mercury retrograde and Mars retrograde in fire signs during the waxing half of the forthcoming lunar cycle will stress the importance of regenerating our relationship with our inner fire, letting old patterns and identities melt down while paying attention to the new forms beginning to emerge. After Mercury stations direct at the same time as the upcoming Full Moon in Gemini, Mercury will begin to slowly move forward and by the end of December will form another square aspect with Saturn and opposition with Jupiter on 26 December. Thus while Mercury’s inner process of helping us adjust to the much larger societal shifts of Jupiter and Saturn will come to a conclusion by the end of December, we will only be at the very beginning of adjusting to the larger changes brought by Mars retrograde.

Although the opening phase of Mars retrograde in particular can be frustrating, it’s also important to keep in mind that Mars retrograde periods often lead to breakthrough changes that can ultimately lead us into positive and productive growth by the time the long back and forth movement of Mars comes to an end. For now, engage the fiery inner process of transmutation brought by the intensification of marital heat, and experiment with new ways of creatively working with the emerging desires erupting from within like volcanic fire.

Sagittarius 1 Decan

The New Moon in Sagittarius is in the first decan of Sagittarius, associated with the Eight of Wands arcanum illustrated above by Pamela Colman Smith. The image of eight staffs sailing swiftly across the sky above a flowing river evokes a focus on fast movement that is fitting for the Sagittarius New Moon and its forthcoming waxing phase. However, with Mercury retrograde and Mars stationing retrograde, the swift movement of the wands may be felt more within the realm of inner visioning than external movement. Mercury is the ruler of the first face of Sagittarius, revealing the necessity of managing and mediating a multiplicity of developments while applying the speed of thought to passionate goals. T. Susan Chang in 36 Secrets described the Eight of Wands as signifying the movement of goods, thoughts, and ideas as well as taking quick action on insightful revelations. Change wrote that the speed of Mercury combines with the “great range to shrink distances and shorten times” of Sagittarius to enable fast action that can be deadly accurate. As a result, the fast moving powers of the first decan of Sagittarius stress the importance of creating the internal space necessary to ensure we are acting from our own integrity and are aware of then consequences of our actions. 

In Henrich Cornelius Agrippa’s The Celestial World, the swift directness of the image for the Eight of Wands is directed toward warriorship: “In the first face of Sagittarius rises the form of a strong man armed with a coat of mail, holding a naked sword in his hand: the operation of this is for boldness, militancy, and freedom.” Austin Coppick in 36 Faces combined the militancy of Agrippa’s image with the velocity of the Eight of Wands image into the symbol of “The Poisoned Arrow” for the first decan of Sagittarius. Coppock described “the speed of an idea or vision, the velocity of imagination” as being the chief meaning of the first face of Sagittarius, writing that “the essence of this decan entails the swift emergence of a motivating vision and the attainment of a vehicle to move one toward the pictured goal.” Yet Coppock also stressed the importance of realizing how our thoughts can be manipulated by external sources, noting that the Hellenistic text 36 Airs ascribed the daimons of plague to the first face of Sagittarius. Coppock noted that “the secrets of propaganda” and other viruses that can “infect the psyche” and hijack our bodies are also amongst the spirits of the first face of Sagittarius. Coppock elaborated that since the “energy patterning of this decan is linear and ruthless,” that manipulative propaganda can strike like an arrow show with violent precision at a target.

As we live in a time period in which so many people attached to their phones and other devices of Internet streaming also means that more people than ever are vulnerable to manipulative propaganda, the Sagittarius New Moon is a call for remembering our essential integrity and how our mind, body, and emotions are vulnerable to infections from external sources. For the first face of Sagittarius not only contains the perils of spirited propaganda, it also provides habitation for the spirit of our own inviolable soul. Indeed, Austin Coppock stated that while we can become infected by the enthusiasm of external propaganda within this face, we can also encounter “the ideal self, the half divine hero . . . composed entirely of spirit fire” and from whom “a story unfolds – a quest, a target, a driven myth.” The risk of contamination from external propaganda and manipulative information will be intensified due to Mars stationing retrograde in Leo opposing Pluto, but so does the potential emerge for our own empowerment in the face of external power structures. May the fertile darkness of the Sagittarius New Moon lead you to encounter the mystery of the essential myth most aligned with your core purpose and sense of creative destiny. 

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I also created a video about the Sagittarius New Moon you may watch here:

References

Agrippa, Heinrich Cornelius. (2021). Three Occult Books of Philosophy. Translated by Eric Purdue. Inner Traditions.

Chang, T. Susan. (2021). 36 Secrets: A Decanic Journey through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot. Anima Mundi Press.

Coppock, Austin. (2014). 36 Faces: The History, Astrology and Magic of the Decans. Three Hands Press.

George, Demetra. (2019). Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice: a Manual of Traditional Techniques. Rubedo Press.