The New Moon on December 19th, at 8:43 p.m. EST, is a portal. A portal through which the new energies of the coming year come sweeping in. We call them in with our dreaming, with our longing, and with our love.

The portal lasts until the Winter (or Summer, in the Southern Hemisphere) Solstice on December 21st-22nd. Over these few days, we have an opportunity to tune into frequencies that will help us birth the new—new frequencies, new consciousness, new opportunities, and new capacities for love.

If we carve out the time and space to tune into the current energetics, it will help shape our year ahead, and even the years to come. This is certainly a moment to set aside time to be with yourself and to explore the vastness of your inner world. It is time to expand the heart, to heal wounds, and to ask your higher self to help you receive the abundance of cosmic energy that is gracing our Earth.

And it all starts with the New Moon on Friday. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the major astrological aspects and how they may affect our lives. Most importantly, I’ll provide insight into how you may work with the energy, so it is an embodied experience. Each section comes with reflective journaling or meditation prompts. See which energy or questions stand out to you, and trust that they are the thread you are meant to follow for this New Moon and Solstice portal.

New Moon in Sagittarius: Overview

New Moons signify the start of a new chapter. They are about planting seeds and stating intentions for the next moon phase. This New Moon is a bit different, however. Rather than simply stating an intention for the next moon cycle, it is also about setting an intention for your future—not only this year, but what you truly wish to experience in this lifetime.

This is a profound moment in time when the energies are aligning to support you in calling in the life you most long for and dream of. This isn’t just about superficial or material things (though nothing is excluded), but about your soul's desires. What did you come to this Earth to experience? Who do you truly want to be? This is a moment to call it in.

Not only is this New Moon symbolizing the start of a new chapter, but there are also four dynamics at play, pointing to the significance of opening up to something new: Sagittarius, the Galactic Center, 3I-ATLAS, and the asteroid Horus.

Reflective Questions:

• What are my deepest, heart and soul desires?

• What intentions or seeds do I want to plant to help create the life I most desire for myself?

Birthing the New: The Galactic Center and the Divine Child

This New Moon, the Sun and Moon are conjunct at 28° Sagittarius, which is all about seeking new adventures. It is a fire sign that represents exploring new places and ideas, freedom, philosophy, truth, positivity, and spontaneity. It is the sign that seeks to know what’s just beyond the horizon, to envision futuristic possibilities, and to explore the unknown.

The New Moon is also conjunct the Galactic Center and the asteroid Hekate. Both of these point to the birth of something new—for humanity as a whole and for us individually. I am emphasizing the metaphor of birthing because Hekate represents the midwife, and this New Moon is opposing Horus, the Divine Child.

The Galactic Center is the center of the Milky Way and contains a supermassive black hole. Astrologically, the Galactic Center symbolizes a focal point of new information, cosmic consciousness, and multidimensionality. It expands our awareness into the wider cosmos. The Galactic Center sits at 27° Sagittarius, which is where Hekate is during this New Moon.

Hekate (as the midwife and queen of the crossroads), conjunct the Galactic Center, symbolizes the birth of a new consciousness. She is the midwife to our initiations, the energy supporting us as we rebirth into the next version of ourselves. And that is what this moment is all about—it is an opportunity for our own rebirth and for opening up to new levels of consciousness.

How this energy will show up is unique to each of us. For me, I feel it is opening me up to a new level of heart consciousness. I am moved to tears by the love I feel for the birds outside my window, for the way the sun shines on the snow, and for how beautiful the sky looks.

For me, the depth of love I feel for the life around me is something I have never experienced before. It is the unknown.

What new consciousness or awareness are you birthing? What new energy are you allowing to flow through you? What wants to be birthed through you?

Something sacred and precious wants to be born through each of us. This is also symbolized by the New Moon opposing the Divine Child, Horus. His myth is very similar to the story of Jesus, which is synchronistic, as that birth story is very prevalent this time of year.

The energy is pointing to a shift occurring within us individually and collectively. Perhaps this is a starting point for the birth of a new humanity and a New Earth. I can’t say anything for certain, but it is fascinating how many energies are aligning at this time toward the creation of something new—perhaps the birth of a new consciousness.

The fourth player in all of this is interstellar object 3I-ATLAS, which reaches its closest point to the Earth on December 18th. As a foreign traveler from outer space, this object symbolizes bringing in new information and cosmic consciousness. It is a messenger, here to deliver new consciousness to humanity.

I can only speculate as to what those messages are, but I strongly feel that they have to do with harmonizing the masculine and the feminine (since 3I-ATLAS passed by Mars and Venus before passing the Earth), as well as multidimensional awareness. If you feel called, you can tune into 3I-ATLAS and see what it feels like and how it shows up for you. This can give you a clue as to what energies it is bringing.

Overall, this New Moon is a taste of what’s to come. Next year, all of the outer planets will officially move into their new signs. They will not retrograde into their previous signs. The greater astrological picture is showing a fresh chapter in humanity’s history.

There is a massive transformation occurring, and this New Moon, we are being asked to deepen into this cosmic, alchemical furnace of evolution just a bit more. Because when we direct our consciousness and intention to something, that is where our energy flows. We can become more receptive to the transformation and, therefore, welcome it more fully into our lives. We can steer the ship of our lives in the direction we want to go.

Reflective Questions: 

• Where in my life am I feeling the pull toward something unknown?

• What adventure is calling me, geographically, philosophically, or spiritually?

• Is there a new awareness or consciousness that I am opening up to? 

• What part of me is being reborn? What am I releasing in this process? 

• What feels tender, sacred, or vulnerable within me right now?

• How can I nourish what is being born in me? 

• If I imagine 3I-ATLAS as a messenger, what message might it be delivering to me?

Honoring the Winter Solstice: Practice Ideas

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we are approaching the darkest time of the year. This is a time for turning inward, resting, sharing stories, and reflection. Like the bear asleep in the womb of the earth, this is a time for us to seek stillness and rest in the sacred womb within.

This is where I encourage you to reside during this portal. Perhaps you seek the womb in your heart, your physical womb (or your lower chakras), or you visualize going deep into the earth into a cozy den.

You can also seek the Galactic Center within your being. While meditating, sense where your own Galactic Center, or soul point, is. Trust wherever you sense it to be, and bring your consciousness there. This is sacred temple space—the holy of holies—where your truth resides.

Allow the wisdom of this sacred temple space to guide you toward what you are meant to awaken to during this Solstice portal. Let your deepest dreams manifest from this place. Rest and be nourished here. Trust the mystery of your soul, knowing that you are being guided, held, and loved—no matter what.

Whether you are in an inner womb space, in a den in the earth, or in your Galactic Center, from this place you can ask one or all of these questions:

• What am I meant to birth or bring into this world?

• What future am I longing for? For myself, the earth, and all of humanity? 

• What new consciousness am I meant to embody?

Trust whatever comes up. It’s okay if it doesn’t make sense. Allow the raw energetics to flow through you using your breath, sound, visualization, intention, and movement. You may experience visions, feelings, thoughts, or subtle sensations.

When you feel complete, journal about your experience (if it feels right). Make note of any visions, emotions, or insights.

The Winter Solstice is a time of dreaming, integrating, and allowing yourself to envision the future. It isn’t a time for action, but for sowing the seeds of what is to come. Honor the darkest time of the year by slowing down and taking space to receive the nourishing energies of this time. Seek the light within and allow it to grow in your heart.

Waves of new consciousness are beginning to hit the Earth. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are undergoing a great transformation. Allow yourself to receive these energies. You do not need to do much. The most important thing to do is to set time aside to just be with yourself.

The time for action and decision-making is coming. With the Winter Solstice, the Sun moves into Capricorn. We will be able to better ground the revelations, insights, or awakenings into our bodies and into reality over the coming month. Mercury also squares the nodes of fate during this portal. We may gain an understanding of what our next steps are, where our life path is taking us, and what we must leave behind.

Journal, reflect, meditate, set a sacred space, and allow yourself to receive the immense blessings of the cosmos.

May this New Moon and Solstice Portal align you with your deepest truth. May the path grow clear before you, and may you courageously say “yes” to what you are meant to create in the birthing of a new world.

With Love,

Rhianna Quanstrom
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