I haven’t written astrology for so long that it no longer feels like “I’m back, baby!” than I’m starting over. And while I’ve been contemplating a fresh start on the blog for a while now, it seems appropriate to make that fresh start at the Capricorn New Moon and with a new website.

I’m not sure why I stopped writing about astrology when it had been such a big part of my life for so long. On the surface my reasons were simple – my day job was busy (and getting busier) and I’d also taken on a heavy-duty volunteer role as president of Romance Writers of Australia. 

Mostly though it was because I wanted to concentrate more on writing fiction than astrology – I had books to write and books to sell and my dream was to make a living as an author. I couldn’t afford to do both – in terms of time and financial resources. Something had to go. 

That’s what I told myself anyway. The real reason – the truth of the matter – was that I’d lost my “why”.

Beginning this blog as Uranus was travelling through my first house and conjunct my Ascendant and the Sun, it was intended as a way of me making sense of my world through astrology. My world was changing and there was, I’d decided, someone under the layers of expectation who I quite wanted to meet. I saw myself as a fixer-upper, a renovator’s delight – and I was going to use astrology to DIY my life. 

Over the years things changed ever so subtly. Rather than writing to please myself, I began writing to an audience, to teach others how to do the same – and there were plenty out there who wanted to read what I was writing. And I was grateful for it, but writing the blog became a duty, yet another commitment I had in a life that seemed to be full of commitments. And this Piscean – possibly the most Piscean person you’ll ever meet – doesn’t do commitment well…even though I’m actually quite committed. It makes sense in a weird sort of way.

I’d also taken on some freelance writing commitments (there’s that c-word again) and in writing in a voice other than my own to an audience that wasn’t mine, I became as stressed out as I was in my day job. In writing for everyone else, I’d lost why I began writing astrology in the first place. So, I stopped.

But now I’m back and so is my original why – looking at how the planets and lunations affect me when and if I feel like writing. I won’t be doing readings and I won’t be looking for freelance work. That’s not to say that I won’t be self-publishing any of my rambles in the future – because I might. I do, after all, need to make a living and maintaining a website is expensive. Besides, I reserve the right to change my mind.

Another thing that’s changing this Capricorn New Moon is that this year I’ll be setting some goals and having a word of the year – which I’ll blog about on my personal blog and anyways.

In so far as practising what I preach, these will be aligned each month to the New Moon.

You see, this year I’ve decided is more about consistency and continuous improvement than the whole new year new you thing. I’m ok with the old me, but there’s no reason why I can’t continue to move and progress. 

I’ve also been channelling one of my favourite Capricorns – Nigella Lawson – and at this New Moon, one of her “life lessons” is resonating quite loudly with me:

Confidence comes from competence.

Competence. It’s such a Capricorn word. Nigella adds another. She says that experience builds organically, and your proficiency grows exponentially. Experience and proficiency – two more Capricornian words.

In How To Eat she talks about how recipes have foundations and bases and that it’s these foundations that you build on as a cook in order to become proficient. You cook something once, then again. Maybe the next time you become more confident and add some leftovers or substitute an ingredient, herb, or spice. Through experience you become competent and through that competency, your confidence and creativity grow.

With Saturn about to move into Pisces and my first house, that’s how I’m intending to approach 2023. I’ve drawn my line in the sand and analysed last year’s results and this year – and beyond – I’ll continue to work on my craft, to enhance my creativity as my confidence and competency grows and do it all through the building blocks and foundations of habits I’ll be building on and cementing in each month. 

This New Moon falls in the 11^th house in my chart – so that makes this my annual wishing moon so the first thing I’ll do is write down my dreams in my journal as if I’d already manifested them. 

The 11^th house is also about friendships, networks, and the future. How do I feel about the concerns of this house? How do I want to feel about it? Who in my circle of friends can help me achieve my goals? Who can I ask to be my accountability partner? Who is my dream team?

In terms of aspects, this New Moon is at 1 Capricorn 32′ which makes it almost exactly square my natal Saturn. While this can be a challenging aspect, it’s also one that’s about taking responsibility for your actions and doing away with the victim mentality – and, to be very honest with you, I’ve been feeling very sorry for myself of late. It is, however, time to pull up my big girl pants, put away the violin that’s been playing just for me, and consistently put in the hard work and discipline that’s required to achieve the results I want to achieve in 2023.

Over the next month I’ll be:

• Reviewing the year that was in my annual closing ceremony over at and anyways.
• Updating my publishing sales figures
• Setting my 2023 goals
• Plotting my 2023 transits
• Planning my publishing/ writing schedule for 2023

I’ll let you know how I go…

Over to you…

If you don’t have any idea about your birth time, or can’t be faffed working it out, you can follow the solar guide:

• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Capricorn, this New Moon falls in your 1st house.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Aquarius, this New Moon falls in your 12th house.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Pisces, this New Moon falls in your 11th house.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Aries, this New Moon falls in your 10th house.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Taurus, this New Moon falls in your 9th house.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Gemini, this New Moon falls in your 8th house.
• If your Sun of Ascendant is in Cancer, this New Moon falls in your 7th house.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Leo, this New Moon falls in your 6th house.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Virgo, this New Moon falls in your 5th house.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Libra, this New Moon falls in your 4th house.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Scorpio, this New Moon falls in your 3rd house.
• If your Sun or Ascendant is in Sagittarius, this New Moon falls in your 2nd house.

Remember…

If you haven’t been doing so, why not try journaling your lunar journey – you’ll be surprised how, in hindsight, more has been going on than you might have thought.

Capricorn New Moon 1 Capricorn 32′ 23 December, 2022, 8.16pm (AEST)