This will be the last new moon of 2011, and it will be felt throughout the first few weeks of January 2012 as well.  December’s new moon, marches triumphantly in at 2 degrees Capricorn, on or about December 24^th.  Yes, that’s right, Christmas Eve.  HO HO HO

Mercury has now, mercifully, gone direct (on December 13^th); and this is good news for anyone planning to purchase electronics as holiday gifts.  For those who bought early (prior to the retrograde), congrats!  You are no doubt sipping piping hot cocoa by the fire waiting leisurely for Santa.  For those of you who waited til the very last minute…well, this is definitely that minute.  Pull on your little Reindeer hooves and get to stompin’…. shift the sleigh into high gear and fly (on Dasher, on Dancer, on Comet, on Blitzen…).  Get the picture?  Get out there!  You’re in a hurry now to get to the finish line.  And no one does this better than the Capricorn moon.  Capricorn has a mission and a game plan (and then a backup game plan, just in case the first one doesn’t quite work out).

This new moon has a slurry of aspects: it’s conjunct Pluto, sextile Neptune and Chiron, trine Jupiter, and square Uranus.  With Pluto, there’s power now to get organized, get moving and actually accomplish stuff (as opposed to just running hither and yon). While the square to Uranus is just enough of a catalyst to push you out the door (and it may even allow some of us to snag some unexpected last-minute buys).  The aspect to Neptune gives it all a nice holiday feeling, which makes even last minute chores seem less daunting somehow (I call this fairy dust); while the trine to Jupiter lets everyone play Santa…even if just for a day.  Family stuff is still roiling in the background to be sure (hey, it’s conjunct PLUTO for heaven’s sake…Lord of the underworld), but for a few days everyone should be able to play nice.  Saturn, in the relationship-friendly sign of Libra, is in trine to Chiron/Neptune, which should help heal any past family rifts.  So, if you adopt an attitude of “live and let live” then all will be merry and bright.  And if all else fails, add some vodka to the eggnog and party-on (but let a non-drinker hold the keys to the sleigh…we don’t want to hear about Rudolph ploughing Santa’s ride into an after-party snowbank.  Ho Ho NOOOOO!).

December 22^nd began the Winter Solstice, when the Sun enters Capricorn. We are walking through the landscape of the long winter’s night; but each day will get just a bit lighter as we move through winter toward spring. In this solstice chart, the Sun was in trine to Jupiter….a glimmer of bright and shiny new hope for 2012.  Your holidays this year should give you a small window of what 2012 holds in store for you.  So put your best hoof forward.

In the body, Capricorn rules the teeth and bones so give special attention there now, if needed.  Take it especially easy on the joints now and see the dentist if you need to.  Make appointments now with the dentist and chiropractor for next year (cuz, no, we’re not all gonna die in 2012—Mayan calendar myths or not—and those of us who are left will still probably want good teeth and bones).

Things to do on a Capricorn New Moon: buy a 2012 calendar, get organized, climb a mountain, overcome an obstacle, plot your course, get promoted, start your own business, be prepared, make some new year’s resolutions, PLAN for success

Remember—it’s still only a dance. You’ll do a new dance for every month of next year. So Play. Smile. Be Kind.  Then look up and thank your Lucky Stars.  Happy Holidays!