Mountain goatSeattle based business astrologer, Madeline Gerwick warns her clients if they are planning to start a new business or launch a new product, do it by the end of February.

Why?

Because 2018 will be a bumpy year with lots of cross-currents. Not to mention retrograde personal planets for the better part of the year. And if you can’t get it together by the end of February, your next opportunity won’t be until the last two weeks of December. Really!

But January and February? Golden! From January 2nd through March 8th, every single planet will be traveling direct. Even the slow-poke outer ones like Saturn and Pluto. Such opportunities are rare and fleeting. So, make hay as the sun shines, as they say.

Capricorn New Moon

And if you’re the planning sort, you’ll be loving up today’s Capricorn new moon. For the Virgos among you, it’s at 26 degrees Capricorn and 54 minutes.

As we speak, there are six, count ’em, six planets in good ol’ Capricorn. It’s enough to make this gray-hair light up like a Christmas tree.

With short January days and cold winter weather tempting us to spend long hours indoors, what better way to while away your time than to make plans! Capricorn’s message is to take life into your own hands, decide how you want it to play out, and do the groundwork to make that happen. It’s been said, although I can’t remember by whom, that a goal is nothing more than a dream with a timeline attached. We’re less distracted by hysteria and more focused on practicalities.

But ultimately, Capricorn’s archetype is about mastery. The sea-goat will practice and practice until he gets it right. Look to the area in your chart where you find Capricorn and you’ll find that’s where you naturally tend to do exactly that. With Saturn in this sign, the Universe is telling you to pay attention.

But…

Pluto in the sign making a 60° aspect to Jupiter/Mars in Scorpio reminds you that plugging away is just work if it’s not connected with passion and purpose. And Pluto isn’t going to let you get away without plugging down deep into your core. There has to be something more meaningful, more profound than slaving away for the sake of slaving away. And Uranus 90° away says no matter how hard you plan, you cannot control all the variables. But the Mountain goat keeps climbing the mountain, slowly, steadily. And when he reaches the top, he looks down to see the world at his feet.

But at this time when the two lights merge together and the sky grows dark, go within and set your intention. What is it that you want to accomplish this year? What are you willing to do to make that happen? How do you feel when you set that goal? If you feel energized then you know you are on the right track.

New moons are new beginnings. And the Capricorn New Moon sets the tone for this new year. What do you wish to begin? When do you wish to begin? Now is a good time.