What the New Moon in Capricorn Means for You

The new Moon in Capricorn on December 23 is the last new Moon of 2022. The new Moon, which occurs every twenty-nine days, is known as a time of darkness in the lunar cycle. Darkness can be viewed in many ways. We often associate it with negativity or sadness. It is inherently neither.

A better way to describe darkness would be an inward pull of energy. Darkness is what we see when our eyes are closed in meditation or before sleeping. It denotes a time when the light is shut out from our consciousness. When we are in darkness, we are with ourselves and our unique energy. It becomes a time to travel further inward to the depths of the subconscious mind, allowing answers and ideas to float to the surface, rather than looking for them in the external world.

What the new Moon in Capricorn means for you

The new Moon and the Sun are positioned within the same zodiac sign. This conjunction provides a spark of energy that pushes us to create intentions and changes in our lives. It is a time to take stock of our lives, think about what is working and what is not. It’s a time to shed the things that are not aligned with our grand vision and take steps toward the things that are in alignment.

Capricorn teaches us that energy and attention are precious resources. We only have so much of them, and they can be used up in a variety of ways. Before you set intentions on this new Moon, feel into what is stealing your energy. Ask yourself what distracts you from being the person you want to be. This may take the form of unprocessed emotions, attachments to the past, expectations of what could be, or even relationships.

Ideally, you want to spend your energy on things or people who give you the same energy back. When you exist in a reciprocal relationship with everything in your life, you are never depleted. Identify what is absorbing your energy and preventing you from directing your full attention to your potential. Are you preoccupied with something that does not deserve your attention? Is someone asking too much of you? Are you unable to focus because of emotions that have yet to be resolved?

While new Moons usher in new beginnings, this one also carries the energy of release. Spend time before the new Moon in Capricorn getting clear about where and how you are spending your energy. Notice where you are gaining energy back and where you are losing it. Align with the structure of Capricorn to create containers and boundaries for the things that take too much from you.

If certain emotions are taking up your attention and focus, commit to resolving and releasing them. Spend time each day processing your emotions and giving them limited attention until they are no longer clamoring for your energy. This practice may look like dedicating fifteen or twenty minutes a day to journaling about your emotions so they feel seen and heard but do not try to absorb your whole day.

Likewise, you can do this practice with anything asking for too much attention. Perhaps a person is trying to absorb too much of your time. You can give them a limited engagement every week or every other week so they feel seen while you have a healthy boundary in place.

You can also do this with attachments to the past. Give yourself space each week or day to give these attachments attention, then resist the urge to think about them throughout the day. Empower yourself to be in charge of your attention. Focus your energy on what you want and not what is calling for it. Also, commit to finding things that give back to you. This may be a project, a person, or an activity. Become aware of what restores your energy, dropping you into a cycle of reciprocity.

How to navigate the new Moon in Capricorn

This new Moon in Capricorn is all about the small steps that add up to the bigger dreams. Capricorn teaches us definition. Part of this definition is deciding how each day, week, and month will look, and how we spend our precious time.

Once you feel clear about where you want to focus your energy moving into the next year, write your intentions. The place to start crafting your intentions is your morning ritual. Over this new Moon, take the time to define the start of your day. Within these early hours, we set the stage for life to unfold, and we lay the foundation for our dreams to flourish. Even if you don’t know what you want this new Moon, or this next year, set aside the space to find out.

Decide what time you want to wake each day, what your first moments will look like, and what practices will guide your energy. What we do in the morning sets our vibration for the day. It is a powerful time, and one that we often skip. As you work with the Capricorn new Moon, practice a ritual that will extend to your early hours—before the sun scatters the energy of the day and when you can find peace within the stillness around you.

As you begin to establish routines and rituals for the start of the year with the help of this new Moon, also decide what is worth your focus. What projects, people, or aspirations do you want to feed with your energy? Capricorn reminds us that we live in a world contained by time. We can bend time, but we cannot break it. We must decide how to spend our time and use it to manifest our intentions with focus, determination, and clarity.

Think of energy as your currency. You can spend it, invest it, or save it. There will be times you want to spend it because you have enough. There will be times you want to save it because you don’t feel abundant in it. Then there will be times you want to invest it, meaning you give it toward something and may even feel depleted for a time, but eventually, you will gain back more energy than you originally sent out.

Align with this new Moon to decide the overall vibration you wish to manifest in your life. What are you open to receiving? What energies do you want returned for your time and focus? And what vibrations support your growth?

This new Moon is a time to see your future unfold and identify the steps, no matter how small, needed to manifest the life you want to live. It’s a time to become crystal clear and let the Universe know you are ready to step into the future.

Other astrological influences on the new Moon

This new Moon in Capricorn is square Jupiter in Aries. Square aspects can bring friction and tension into our lives. It’s important to be aware of them so they don’t cause disruptions or distractions. Jupiter is the planet of luck and abundance. It reminds us that we are in charge of our own expansion. We decide how big our life can get, and we decide if we want to stay small.

Jupiter in Aries shines a light on how we align with our soul’s mission. It asks us to look within and decide if we are selling ourselves short of our destiny. This placement wants us to take up space. It wants us to put ourselves first, and it wants us to reach the potential we were born to live.

Your invitation

As the new Moon in Capricorn squares Jupiter, it brings up issues around your expansion. It challenges you to write intentions and see a future that includes your soul’s potential. This aspect asks if you are staying small because of fear or self-doubt. It dares you to be courageous, put yourself first, and step into your full power. If you feel the tension coming up in your life, know that it’s only there to show you where you need to expand past old barriers into a new way of being.

Likewise, if you feel immersed in distractions of energy drains, ask yourself if you are avoiding taking the steps you need for your growth. Yes, it can be challenging to grow past your comfort zone, but Capricorn’s energy complements Jupiter’s to help you overcome blockages and climb your mountain. Feel the possibility of your life on this new Moon and know there is no limit to your potential.

Learn more about the new Moon, including additional astrological insights and journaling prompts, in the Capricorn Season + New Moon Workbook, from which the above is excerpted.

About our contributor

Jill Wintersteen is the founder of Spirit Daughter, a lifestyle brand devoted to helping you live your best life through understanding the energy of the Universe. She also writes workbooks on each full Moon as well as other astrological events. Follow her on Instagram @spiritdaughter.