New Moon in Capricorn – Jan. 2, 2022, 18:33 UT

The New Moon at 12+ degrees of Capricorn takes place at the midpoint of Mars and Saturn. Mars in Sagittarius is sextile Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, in Aquarius. The New Moon is in conjunction with asteroid Tantalus at 13+ Capricorn, exactly at the midpoint.

New Moon in Capricorn
2102 Tantalus is a small near-Earth asteroid, discovered in December 1975 by Charles T. Kowal, the same astronomer who two years later discovered centaur Chiron.

Tantalus is a Greek mythological figure, famous for his punishment in Tartarus, the deep abyss where souls were judged after death and where the wicked received divine punishment. Tantalus was invited to dine at the table of the gods in Olympus, but he abused Zeus’s hospitality and stole ambrosia and nectar to bring it back to his people, and revealed the secrets of the gods. He was condemned to spend eternity tortured in Tartarus. He was made to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches. Whenever he reached for the fruit, the branches raised his intended meal from his grasp. Whenever he bent down to get a drink, the water receded before he could get any.

The New Moon emphasizes the need for endurance. According to astrologer Martha Lang-Wescott, asteroid Tantalus can signify times when what is wanted is just out of reach or feeling as though one is tested. This can be frustrating, but willingness to work hard awhile will help.

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