The December New Moon arrives on Wednesday, the 28th at 23:54 MST, just after Venus shifts to Aquarius. Mars has barely moved to the other side of Ketu at this time, narrowly breaking the many months of upheaval caused by the Kala Sarpa yoga effects. Sun has also just moved out of the chaotic and challenging lunar constellation, Mula, and into the watery PurvaAshada nakshatra. Hasta nakshatra is on the Eastern horizon at the exact time of the new Moon, encouraging a dawning through all of these transformations and changes. Indeed, there may be a feeling of fresh starts and a renewed hope and optimism. Endings, release and purging the past are part of this new Moon. Channel these feelings into supportive actions and new beginnings.

Moon is in Purvashada nakshatra and Sagittarius at the time of the new Moon. This constellation is ruled by Apas, the water goddess, and is considered fierce- supporting harsh actions, choices and decisions. Venus rules this portion of the sky, which aligns with relationships, creativity, the feminine and life force energy. Since Apas is the ruling deity, the inner waters, health and vitality are a powerful part of this star's expression. Movement arrives, through flowing, fluidity and waves. This can be gentle or severe. What is your relationship with your inner waters? With the water ways of life? Symbolized by the tusk of an elephant, there is a connection with overcoming obstacles within this constellation, while finding triumph- as with the support of Lord Ganesha, the remover of great difficulties on the path to enlightenemnt.

Use the coming weeks to transform challenges into resources, pain into healing, darkness into light. Allow yourself to be washed clean. Purify, awaken, seek transformation and renewal through the emotional body. Spend ample time in water, near water, surrended by water. Detox gently, supporting release and letting go, while using your inner waters as a resource for this process. Allow your inner waters to wash your heart clean- which will be supported through tears and purging emotions. Clear and organize your home space, the outer temple. Bring more sattva (purity) to your environment. Allow Spirit to be a resource for gathering clarity, wisdom and support while setting intentions for your health, life and soul's purpose for the coming months and year.

Some may feel overly optimistic and miss the mark- becoming lackadaisical. Though there will be more support for your efforts, don't get lazy or over confident. Diligence, consistency and clear intention are required to move forward and find success at this time. With the close of the Kala Sarpa Yoga impacts arriving, expect a sudden shift, change or transformation with the themes of the past four plus months. A closure and release is possible, albeit through sudden and unexpected occurances. Be cautious, steady and patient. Use your emotions as a resource for healing, not causing more pain to yourself and others. Allowing their release is necessary, even vital, so don't suppress feelings, your inner waters.

Go slow, be gentle with yourselves and others. Relationships are a powerful source of healing in the cycle ahead- especially the relationship with yourself. Love yourself enough to tenderly care for your inner and outer needs through respect, clarity and intention. Learn through being. Treat yourself with tender loving care and let this be your new baseline from which you act. Align with your highest ideals and move towards your desires. There is a call to action at this time. Stay true to course!

"We lead our lives like water flowing down a hill, going more or less in one direction until we splash into something that forces us to find a new course." - Arthur Golden

The new Moon is at 17:31 PST on Saturday, January 9th, while Moon is in Sagittarius and PurvaAshada nakshatra. Mercury and Jupiter are both retrograde and Venus and Saturn are only a degree apart. Jupiter gives his gaze to both Moon and Sun, providing extra support and nourishment.

Planetary ruler of PurvaAshada is Venus, the karaka for life force energy, shakti, as well as creativity, relationships, comforts and certain types of nourishment. With Saturn and Venus both in tight conjunction in Scorpio at this time, it's a reminder to seek integrated balance with opposing forces. Light and dark forces are strong at this time and request harmony in order for inner stability and support to increase.

Ruling deity Apas is connected to this fierce, Ugra nakshatra- known for its destructive tendencies. Her watery power exemplifies the potency of creativity and life force energy. It can change, transform and destroy- quickly changing the outcome of events. Water can be gentle, soft, flowing and cleansing, or it can sweep in and destroy in a matter of minutes, or slowly over time. Water can be kind or harsh, yet its alchemical wisdom brings change and transformation regardless.

The new Moon requests comfort and nourishment for the emotional body. Find ways to heal and support the feeling level of your being. Move towards the soft, gentle and kind. Use self care consciously to ground, land and get embodied. There is healing, moksha and release for those who attend to and honor their emotional body wisdom. How can you soften? What needs to be released so that you can find the comfort you seek? Drop the extremes, the intense overwhelm and land in simple steps and silence.

Integrate masculine and feminine parts- the go and do dynamism, with the slow and gentle flow of the feminine. Where are you pushing and forcing? Where do you need to surrender to the flow? Let your creative forces be the catalyst for change. Listen carefully to the wisdom of your creative tides. They are asking you to release and drop into the unyielding wisdom of your inner realms. Break free of the bindings that keep you locked into pain, struggle and harsh ways. It doesn't have to be so hard.

Let your feminine, the inner mother, nourish and protect you. Invite her in to your heart and home. Create sacred space both within your body, your soul's temple and within your physical home structure, the temple of your being. Use beauty, warmth, fire and movement to cultivate a sense of renewal and grounding in your home space. Clear, cut, purge, release. Change furniture, move items around and get transform the energy.

Relationships also need change, movement and space to grow. How are you attending to your relationships? This includes your relationship with self. Retrace your steps. Look for wisdom, support and guidance returning to support you. Speak your truth and get your needs met in healthy, potent ways. Put your needs first and notice how the universe conspires to support you and your choices. Connect, create, communicate and clarify.

New Moon Creative Ritual:

1) Using craypas, paints or pencils, create an image of your nourishment. What does nourishment feel like for you? Create an image that expresses this feeling using colors, textures and shapes. Allow 20 minutes at minimum for this nourishment image. Title your image.


2) Use your image to inspire a movement exploration. Let your body move in response to your nourishment image with an intention of "moving with your feelings of nourishment". What sensations emerge for you during your dance? What awareness? Allow 5 to 10 minutes for this movement exploration. I encourage you to extend this time frame as you recycle this process.


3) Harvesting. In your journal answer these questions:
I am, I want, I need, I sense, I feel, I imagine.

What deeply nourishes me? What no longer nourishes me?
Where do I feel support in my life? Where do I need more support?
What am I opening to? What am I closing to?