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The New Year’s resolution date of January 1st makes considerable sense, astrologically speaking. This is the time of the year when the Sun enters Capricorn. Capricorn is the symbol for the energy of commitment, dedication, responsibility, achievement, and self-discipline. The New Year seems to inspire us to take advantage of a chance to renew our commitment to the goals we want to achieve, and to develop the self-discipline necessary to create the results we want.

Kicking off this New Year, we have not only the Sun but also Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Pluto all gathering in Capricorn. Even January’s new moon is in Capricorn! Do you think the Universe is trying to tell us something? *wink*

Sometimes the goals we want to achieve are pretty straight forward. Do you want to lose 10 lbs? Kick that bad habit? Spend more time with family? These are all worthy goals. But with this year’s planetary pileup, we can do even better.

In a recent interview by Dena DeCastro, Evolutionary Astrologer Steven Forrest spoke of Pluto’s entry into Capricorn as a call to ask ourselves What Is Governing Us? This question is at the heart of the transition into 2008 for all of us. What is really running our lives? We are being asked to look at what our real priorities are, not what we want to believe they are or what we want others to believe they are. We are being asked to get real.

On a larger scale, Capricorn represents institutions, corporations, and government. While Pluto is in Capricorn for the next several years, we’ll certainly see more of the dark side of these organizations as Pluto works to cleanse and rework them into entities that are more integrous. But on a personal level, we too have to think about what is in charge of our life. Is it us, our spirit, our Higher Self? Or have we succumbed to a structure and a set of game rules that once served us, but have now become corrupt or outdated, preventing our growth instead of facilitating it? Have our actions and achievements reflected our true desires or have we simply put on a show to impress and gain the esteem of others?

In the traditional Tarot, there is a card known as The Tower. The card depicts a tower that has been struck by lightning, and is being destroyed. The tower fell because it was flawed; it was built on a foundation that is lacking, and falls because it can no longer stand without the proper support when lightning tests its strength. This year, Pluto will ask us to see what the foundation of our lives is really built on, so that we can let go of our attachment to what we no longer need. This can be a difficult process, because it is messy and sometimes embarrassing to change direction, but if we allow the problem to go on too long, we are no longer living with integrity. Most of us don’t enjoy taking a seemingly well organized routine and throwing it up in the air. But it is time to rebuild, to create new traditions, and we can do it with integrity, practicality, and a new vision in 2008.

The Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter can all help this process, as well as January’s new moon. The Sun reminds us that we are strong, vibrant beings that can survive and thrive in this process of renewal. Mercury encourages us to give voice to what we see needs to change, to not be afraid to say it out loud, even if only to ourselves. Venus encourages us to let go of the old with grace, and Jupiter is the springboard into the new hope and vision, all the potential that is now uncovered as we go forward, with lives and hearts scrubbed clean.

The Capricorn new moon on January 8th is a great time to begin the process. A new moon, especially in Capricorn, is a time for quiet contemplation and of incubation. The only light during a new moon is the light within, as the world around us is darkened. Take this opportunity to make room in your busy life to retreat into quiet for a few moments and think about where your life has fallen into simple robotic behavior, where you might be doing what you’ve always done just because that’s the way it’s always been. Have you lost touch with whether or not these actions make you happy or are a true reflection of your spirit? Let go of what it could be or what almost was or what you originally intended, and simply bring up the courage to just see it as it is, without judgment or shame. Before we act in the world and in our lives, it is best to know what action we want to take, and why. It is after this courageous process that you will know what seed to plant and what resolutions to set, to create a structure in your life that will actually support you. Then you can take 2008 to begin to make it real. Capricorn wants to see results, to go from plan to execution.

To aid in your meditation, take a look at your Heaven on Earth horoscope to see where in your life Pluto is encouraging you to rebuild.

Carl Jung said, “I’d rather be whole than good.” Amy uses astrology to help people become whole. She has been studying, teaching, and reading for clients as a counseling astrologer and intuitive for over a decade.