What To Know For This Month's New Moon In Aquarius + How To Work With It

This month's new moon lands in skies on Saturday, January 21, at 3:55 p.m. EDT, and will be in the sign of visionary and humanitarian Aquarius, just one day after Aquarius season begins.

According to Christopher Renstrom, astrology expert and author of Rise and Shine: An Astrological Guide to How You Show Up in the World, the energy of this new moon is ultimately going to be invigorating. Not only is Aquarius a free-spirited and collective-minded air sign, but the sun and moon here are also forming a motivating sextile to Jupiter in Aries.

This aspect will come as a welcome break from the density of Pluto in Capricorn we've been experiencing. The dwarf planet is on the last leg of its journey through Capricorn, which can feel restricting or discouraging, but as Renstrom explains, under the new moon, "You're gonna start to understand that there's a way out of this corner, or there was a point to this exercise in futility—whether there's some sort of liberation or release, or something as simple as feeling like your motivation is back online again."

This surge of motivation will also be supported well by a pleasurable conjunction between the sun, moon, and Venus, the planet of love and beauty, which is also in Aquarius. Not to mention, all three of those planets will be trining Mars in Gemini (which is finally not retrograde anymore, btw), further encouraging us all to get out there and go for it—whatever it is.

According to Renstrom, the new moon in Aquarius is truly optimal energy for objective, big-picture thinking, and getting clear on what serves everyone. Namely, when you think Aquarius, think about the collective, social justice, and humanitarian pursuits.

To that end, Renstrom recommends contributing to the collective in any way that you deem fit or even learning something new about social justice, the environment/Earth, or outer space.

"The new moon in Aquarius allows us to step out of what could be a very emotionally charged moment, and act in a more objective or impartial manner—that's one of the great strengths to a moon in Aquarius," he explains, adding, "There's clarity of vision and clarity of purpose with this new moon."

And given that Aquarius is an air sign, he notes that this isn't a moon where you'll want to sit still. He suggests socializing, seeking intellectual stimulation, and taking in all the different perspectives and insights you may find with impartiality.