How to Set Powerful Intentions with the Capricorn New Moon
Our country often associates the start of the year with New Year’s resolutions and big life changes, and the energy of this Capricorn New Moon to be the perfect time to dive deep into manifestation and reflect on the year that’s passed. The quiet, introspective energy of Capricorn invites us to ground ourselves—both in our desires and our deeper purpose—for the year ahead.
Why Capricorn and the New Moon Are Perfect for Manifestation
Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, the planet of structure, discipline, and long-term planning. As an earth sign, Capricorn is deeply connected to the material world, emphasizing hard work, dedication, and building something substantial over time. This New Moon, aligned with Capricorn's grounded energy, encourages us to set practical intentions and lay down solid foundations for our dreams, both for the upcoming year and beyond. It’s not about quick fixes or fleeting goals, but about manifesting something sustainable that we can grow and nurture.
With this in mind, the energy of the New Moon supports fresh starts and new beginnings. Unlike full moons that ask for release and letting go, a new moon is a time to plant the seeds for the future. It’s about rooting and grounding your intentions in a way that supports growth over time.
Reflecting on the Past Year: A Powerful Ritual for Manifestation
I’ve never been one to jump into New Year’s resolutions on January 1st. The energy around New Year’s always felt like a time for rest, reflection, and hibernation rather than immediate action. I like to save resolutions and goals for the Lunar New year. To me, winter is a time to sink deep into stillness, to nourish my spirit, and to lay quiet roots for the future. But this Capricorn New Moon feels like the perfect moment to begin the work of manifesting for the year ahead.
One of my favorite practices for this time of year is reflecting on the past year. Before I make any resolutions or set my theme for the upcoming year, I like to go through the past 12 months and take stock of the highs and lows. Here’s how I do it:
Create a List of 12 – Write down each month of the past year and reflect on one challenge and one triumph for each. These can be personal, professional, emotional—whatever stands out as significant to you.
Example:
January: Challenge - Feeling overwhelmed with autoimmune issues. Triumph - Reached a long-time career milestone.
February: Challenge - Struggled with balancing work and self-care. Triumph - Started a new creative project that brought me joy.
Revisit Your Feelings – As you go through each month, allow yourself to reconnect with the emotions you experienced. What did you learn from these moments? How did each experience shape your growth?
Identify Desired Emotions for the New Year – After reflecting on the past year, think about the feelings you want to cultivate more of in 2025. Do you want more peace, joy, freedom, or confidence? What feelings do you want to release or experience less of? This can help guide your intentions for the upcoming year.
Setting Your Intention or Theme for 2025
Now that you’ve reflected on the past year and tuned into the emotions you want to invite into 2025, it’s time to begin setting your intention. While New Year’s resolutions often focus on specific, measurable goals (like losing weight or saving money), I like to focus on setting a theme for the year.
For me I will be officially setting my theme in line with the Lunar New year however using this New moon and New Year's Eve to ponder and journal ideas of themes and focus for the upcoming new year. A “theme” acts like a guiding mantra or principle you can return to throughout the year, no matter what obstacles or opportunities come your way. It’s a feeling, a mindset, or an energy that you want to embody. Some themes I’ve used in the past include:
“Shift the focus” – A year I was in chronic pain and used this mantra to look "between the pain" during flare ups as well as using it to shift my mindset to a more positive when things felt too hard.
“Rise above” – A call to elevate my thinking and actions, no matter the challenges, this was a year I was dealing with a heartbreak of a freindship breakup.
“Do you want to be right or do you want to be free?” – A question to guide me when I feel stuck in old patterns and helped me focus on the emotions I want to build my life on.
The Capricorn New Moon is an ideal time to begin brainstorming this theme for 2025. Take some quiet time under the dark sky, light a candle, and journal about what you want the next year to look like. What are the qualities or feelings you want to bring into your life? What habits or mindsets are you ready to release? And most importantly, how do you want to feel as you move through the year?
Journal Prompts to Harness the Capricorn New Moon Energy
To help you connect with the energy of the Capricorn New Moon and set intentional, grounded goals for the year ahead, try these journal prompts:
What areas of my life need more structure and discipline?(Capricorn encourages building strong foundations—think about where you might benefit from more organization or consistency.)
What does success look like to me in 2025?(Capricorn is the ultimate symbol of hard work and achieving long-term goals. Get clear on your own definition of success.)
What can I commit to in 2025 that will bring me closer to my long-term goals?(Capricorn’s energy isn’t about short-term rewards—it’s about patience and persistence. What steps can you take to build something lasting?)
What do I want to feel more of in 2025?(Do you want more joy, peace, balance, or success? Write about what emotions you want to invite into your life.)
What am I ready to release from 2024?(Capricorn asks us to be honest about what’s no longer serving us. What beliefs, habits, or situations are you ready to leave behind?)
Setting Your New Moon Manifestation Ritual
Once you've reflected, journaled, and set your intentions, it’s time to put it into action. Under this Capricorn New Moon, you might want to create a small manifestation ritual to seal your intentions. This could involve:
Writing down your intentions on paper and keeping them in a special place (like a journal or a vision board).
Lighting a candle and speaking your intentions out loud, asking the universe to support your growth in the coming year.
Creating a vision board to visualize the path you want to walk in 2025.
Remember, the Capricorn New Moon is a time for planting intentions that take time to grow. It’s about setting up a solid, grounded foundation for the year ahead and taking consistent, deliberate actions towards your dreams.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re setting a theme for 2025, reflecting on the triumphs and challenges of the past year, or simply rooting yourself in the grounded energy of Capricorn, this New Moon offers a powerful moment to manifest with intention and clarity. I hope these reflections and practices inspire you as you step into the new year. May 2025 be filled with growth, success, and the steady determination to build your dreams.