New Moon in Capricorn: Mary's Character Arc

Capricorn energy is grounded, ambitious, and disciplined. Ruled by Saturn, the planet of structure and responsibility, this earth sign values foundations: hard work, perseverance, and long-term success. Capricorn energy understands that meaningful things are built slowly. It encourages setting realistic goals and steadily working toward them with patience and determination.

Capricorn is also deeply tied to themes of wisdom, tradition, and resilience. While it thrives in structure and accountability, it also invites us to balance achievement with rest and reflection. This energy encourages us to honor our commitments while staying attuned to our inner needs.

The story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, reflects the disciplined and nurturing qualities of Capricorn. Mary's long-term devotion, responsibility, and role as a guiding force embody the strong Capricorn archetype.

Mary has been studied, revered, flattened, and weaponized in countless ways. At times she’s been elevated beyond humanity; at others, reduced to a prop for submissive womanhood. I’m more interested in allowing her to exist as a whole person—a woman allowed a character arc in a world that rarely preserved women’s stories.

Of course, Mary is famously a virgin. In the ancient world, women were seen as little more than property. The archetype of the Virgin has little to do with sexual status. It refers to an autonomous woman; a woman who isn’t required to answer to anybody. In a symbolic sense, Virgins contain a knowledge of themselves that can be seen by others, but never tainted, claimed, co-opted, or violated. They are self-contained and can choose to offer themselves to others. That interior strength feels deeply Capricorn to me.

Luke 2:19 finds the virgin Mary, after the birth of Jesus, finding treasure in all the wild experiences and the prophecies spoken about her son. I love this little nugget of a verse. I imagine her sitting there, surrounded by chaos, but filled with the peace of a deep knowing–self-contained and choosing to hold the wonder close to her heart, just for herself.

Yet Mary's certainty isn't without its complications.

In Mark 3, even though she had received all of the prophecy about who Jesus would become, Mary and Jesus' siblings question his sanity. This moment matters to me because it doesn't cancel out her faithfulness. Discernment and arriving at clarity takes time. We know that eventually Jesus' family does come around, and Mary remains a faithful follower and leader of the early Christian movement. In John 19, Mary is at the foot of the cross and Jesus acknowledges her and puts her into chosen family with the beloved disciple.

Lastly, we see Mary at Pentecost. In Acts 1:14, Mary is present when the Spirit descends. Many artistic traditions place her at the center of the scene, the Holy Spirit hovering above her in the form of a dove or a flame. Some have named her the Queen of Pentecost.

I like to imagine that, after this, Mary was finally allowed to rest. That she had completed what was asked of her—not as a passive vessel, but as a discerning, enduring participant in God’s unfolding work. Creating a legacy that reverberates today.

In Capricorn season we're invited to choose a long-term goal and commit to steadily building that legacy. The world is on fire right now, and I find myself tempted to distraction, trying to put out tiny fires all over the place and abandon the one I know that I'm meant to tend for the long haul. We can trust that when we keep showing up—grounded, discerning, and whole—what we carry will bear fruit in its own time.

In terms of personality traits, each sign exhibits positives and negatives. It’s important to be aware of both, and to notice what you want to emphasize and what energy you can focus on in this season.

High Side of Capricorn: Disciplined, responsible, ambitious, grounded, practical, patient, dependable, strategic, hardworking, wise, values structure and long-term success.

Low Side of Capricorn: Rigid, pessimistic, controlling, workaholic, emotionally reserved, overly critical, status-obsessed, fearful of failure, struggles with vulnerability, can be overly serious.

SUGGESTED MEDITATION FOR NEW MOON IN CAPRICORN: DWELLING IN YOUR SANCTUARY

Click to read more about the meditation and access the guide sheet.