Capricorn New Moon Reading for January 9, 2016
The year starts out, as per usual, with a New Moon in Capricorn. Capricorn is associated with ambition, determination, and practicality. These are the perfect characteristics for goal-setting and planning at the beginning of a new lunar cycle, and more importantly- a NEW YEAR! (My excitement about 2016 has not worn off just yet!!) We humans seem to love making resolutions at the beginning of the year, but we don't tend to love following through on them. I know I've made a million resolutions and am already a bit nervous about how my follow through is going. Why is that? Maybe it's because we don't make those resolutions any fun! Well, I think the tarot makes everything more fun, so I'm going to use the Wild Unknown Tarot deck to ask for some guidance for all of us at this turning point in the year. Let's see what advice we receive for making our goals more achievable and joyful this time around!
What will help me effectively plan my creations for the year?- VII of Cups reversed It's time to break down illusions. Whatever fantasies or pipe dreams you are holding onto from the past, now is the time to let them go in order to plan for the future. Perhaps you are sad that you will never be a ballerina or an astronaut, but you know what, you are something else right now. Focus on the person you are who actually exists now, instead of lamenting the person you thought you were going to be. What do you like about yourself? What do you want to improve? If you absolutely must be a ballerina, start taking classes now! Make some specific and achievable steps that will get you moving in the right direction.
The VII of Pentacles reversed also asks you to make sure you aren't latching on to day dreams that serve only to distract you. Yes, it may be fun to imagine your trip around the world in a hot air balloon, but that kind of escapism can be detrimental if you never get around to making concrete goals in reality. Know that many of your fantasies would not actually make you happy or be that fun and life fulfilling. That hot air balloon trip?- miserable. As it turns out you have a fear of heights, small spaces, and peeing in a jar. Distinguish between things that are fun to imagine and things you actually want to do in the real world. Put aside the fantasies for a little bit now to do some goal setting.
How can I commit fully to my intentions this year?- III of Swords reversed It's time to leave sorrow behind. Your past hurts, regrets, and pain do not define you as a person. You are so much more than all the bad things that have come to pass in your life. Those circumstances need to be released so that you can create room inside of you for new experiences, new growth, new thoughts and feelings. If you are using up all your mental capacity on remembering your woes, you leave no room for contemplating your happiness. It's time to devise ways to work through and release your pain. Some ideas are: go to therapy, talk to friends, journal, meditate, do a hypnosis session, etc.
Just as the VII of Pentacles reversed ask you to distinguish between fantasies and goals, the III of Swords reversed wants you to distinguish between unhealing wounds and mere slights. Deep sorrow from the past may change you forever, but it doesn't make you incapable of moving on and finding gratitude and appreciation in everything that comes after it. You may never be the same after the death of a loved one, for example, but that does not mean you are incapable of experiencing joy and success every again. Less traumatizing past experiences can also be released and forgotten. That guy who stepped on your foot on the bus? Stop replaying in your head all the nasty things you could have said to him to make him feel bad. Your foot is fine! Don't let you mind feed on a vicious cycle of negative. Try replacing those mean-spirited conversations in your head with positive affirmations and encouragement.
What can ground me in the joy of my responsibilities and goals?- VII of Pentacles reversed Try not to hold onto one vision of success. If you are obsessively focused on a fixed outcome, you lose the opportunity for spontaneity, for serendipity, to let your path unfold as you go. If there is only one acceptable outcome in your future, you create lots of pain and misery when you end up achieving something else, no matter how awesome that something else may be. Set your goals, but also allow the future to remain a mysterious place of varied outcomes. It is more important to be present and joyful in the moment, than to slave away toward a future that ultimately is unknowable. Not all means to an end are worth the goal. Don't ruin the world now in an effort to create something to save it later, that just doesn't make sense.
Remember to check in on your progress towards you goals often. Do you even want the same thing you started out to achieve now that you are working on it? Recognize all of the peripheral effects your striving has produced and check in on how you feel about these consequences. Just don't grind along blindly towards your goals without giving them regular updates and attention. You may find that you have veered off course, and you may even like where you are headed more than your original goal! Otherwise, regular check ins will help you get back on track before you totally derail.
Well, there you go! Another New Moon reading from The Willow Path Tarot, and the first on for 2016. I hope this reading gives you some mental clarity and encouragement for setting your goals for the coming year. If you would like to get a personalized reading for the new year, I am offering one for a short period, until the end of January. Get in touch! with me at thewillowpathtarot@gmail.com I'm always excited to work with you!