posted 6th January 2026
The history of New Years Resolutions
By the time Christmas decorations come down, many of us are already carrying a quiet weight — a sense that we should now get our lives in order as the next year approaches. If the emotional, financial, and social intensity of Christmas wasn’t enough for some of us, the New Year arrives with a fresh wave of messaging from commercials, media preachers, and productivity culture, making us feel we arn't enough yet and urging us to "do better" by overhauling ourselves immediately.
According to historical accounts shared by NPR and Merriam-Webster, the idea of New Year’s resolutions isn’t new at all — it dates back thousands of years, from the Babylonians’ Akitu festival in 2000 B.C., to the Romans honouring Janus - the god of beginnings and endings, on January 1st. Originally, resolutions were simple, moral, and relational — promises to act with integrity and/or share more with others . Somewhere along the way, that supportive ritual of reflection has been distorted into a burden of extreme actions: not “I’ll care for my home more and tend to the little details of my relationships,” but “I’ll reinvent my body so im wonder woman/man by spring, ill multiple my income by stretching myself towards burn out and ill open up a soup kitchen on credit, which ill probably need to visit myself by next year. Yet astrologically, this season belongs not to urgency and goal fulfilment, but to Saturn — the planet of time, structure, and sustainable responsibility — reminding us that the New Year was never meant to demand instant transformation, but to support steady, intentional choices that mature slowly and are made to last.
Saturns Influence Over Intentions
We enter the New Year during Capricorn season, a time governed by Saturn and steeped in themes of responsibility, discipline, long-term vision, and future thinking. Capricorn energy is naturally ambitious, dependable, and deeply committed to getting things done — often serious in tone, emotionally reserved, and at times seemingly aloof, not because it lacks feeling, but because it prioritises results over display. Capricorn is always considering the bigger picture. This is business-oriented energy, concerned with building strong, secure foundations and reliable systems — and it does not waver in the storm.
Saturn, as Capricorn’s ruling planet, is the most structured and accountable force in astrology. It shows us where we are being asked to mature, take authority, and assume responsibility — often through pressure, limitation, or delay. In this sense, Saturn can feel restrictive, as though all eyes are on you to step up, while also demanding that multiple practical and ethical considerations are met. Saturn is traditionally associated with the father archetype, reflecting themes of authority, boundaries, discipline, and earned respect — lessons that were either learned through the father, or felt through their absence. Over time, Saturn teaches us to reclaim what was missing, or consciously embody the strength, responsibility, and structure we were conditioned to seek externally.
At its core, Saturn’s lesson is one of delayed gratification: doing things logically, systematically, and with moral, legal, and practical integrity — even when results take time. This is why Capricorns are often late achievers rather than overnight successes. Their patience, resilience, and steady commitment allow them to endure obstacles, adapt within constraint, and continue moving toward their goals long after others have burned out or given up in deep waters. I often encourage people to work consciously with their Saturn placement — particularly when they feel confused about authority, responsibility, or purpose. Saturn will highlight where blame is being handed away instead of owned, where life feels cluttered or disorganised, and where restructuring is required. Clear what Saturn reveals, and it often shows exactly where the red carpet can be laid in its place.
Reliable Capricorn Season Settings
It therefore makes profound sense to engage in an intentional setting practice during Capricorn season, when Saturn stands at the forefront as a guiding force for clarity, organisation, and discernment. While intention-setting can be supportive at any point in the year, it becomes particularly potent under Saturn’s influence, where structure, accountability, and realism are not only encouraged but required. Saturn invites us to translate vision into form — to distil our aspirations into intentions that are tangible, measurable, and capable of being sustained in the physical world. Rather than indulging in vague, ethereal, or overly idealistic desires that may feel inspiring yet lack follow-through, Saturn asks us to ground our intentions in responsibility and practical action, ensuring they are commitments we can truly keep.
This stands in clear contrast to the tone of Pisces season, which excels in realms of imagination, spiritual attunement, dreamwork, and creative exploration, but often dissolves structure and blurs boundaries when it comes to practical execution. Pisces energy invites us to dream, to sense, and to surrender — whereas Capricorn, guided by Saturn, teaches us how to build. Under Saturn’s steady gaze, intentions are not whimsical or wishful; they are consciously designed, realistically paced, and aligned with long-term integrity. In this way, Capricorn season offers us an exceptional window to establish foundations that will support future growth, allowing our visions to mature gradually rather than evaporate under the weight of impractical expectation.
Astro Energy Events - setting Intentions in alignment with the cosmos
In our Astro Energy event last Sunday, we worked consciously with Saturn’s energy to help us integrate and embed a single, grounded intention for the month ahead — not the year, just the next step. Rather than overwhelming future goals, we focused on identifying one clear action we could take this week to start the ball rolling.
We began with a grounding meditation, working with the Muladhara (root) chakra, the colour red, and the elements of fire and earth — allowing us to notice our inner flame while honouring the importance of stability, consistency, and grounding as we ignite new aspirations. Through reflective prompts such as “If I have… I would…” and “I have…, so now I am going to…”, we gently scaled our bigger visions into tangible, manageable, and realistic steps — aligning ambition with Saturn’s wisdom of steady progress.
Our next Astro Energy event will take place on February 8th, from 10:30am–11:30Am GMT / 6:30pm–7:30pm WITA and we will work with the planet of Uranus in Aquarius season.
So, if you feel called to work with astrology, intention, and embodied practices that connect and support you with the energy of the cosmos, you can book your place via the link below:
