Astrological Musings
1/1 Sun conjunct Pluto
New Moon 11 Capricorn, 6:14 am
1/2 Sun square Mars
1/3 Mercury opposite Jupiter
1/5 Sun opposite Jupiter
1/6 Mercury sextile Saturn
1/7 Mercury conjunct Venus
1/8 Mars square Jupiter
1/11 Venus sextile Saturn
Sun conjunct Venus
Sun sextile Saturn
Mercury enters Aquarius
1/15 Full Moon 25 Cancer, 11:52 pm
1/16 Venus square Mars
1/17 Mercury sextile Uranus
1/19 Sun enters Aquarius
1/24 Mercury trine Mars
1/25 Mercury square Saturn
1/29 Sun sextile Uranus
1/30 New Moon 10 Aquarius, 4:38 pm
1/31 Jupiter opposite Pluto
Mercury enters Pisces
All dates and times are for Eastern time zone, please adjust for your own locality.
MAJOR INFLUENCES
The New Year begins with a bang with the Capricorn New Moon, featuring a lineup of five planets tightly grouped in the sign of discipline and achievement. Four of those planets and luminaries (Sun, Moon, Pluto and Mercury) are locked within a two degree range, which is very tight indeed. The presence of Pluto empowers us to manifest and ground our dreams into reality, and Mercury aids our ability to reason and process through the mind. For more details about this New Moon see my recent article.
For the first two weeks of January Mars will be in range of a square to Jupiter. When the motivation of Mars is expanded by the confidence of Jupiter, we often feel that we can do anything. Potential is greater than the present, and our vision is expansive and helps us to reach beyond the limited scope of what we normally believe to be possible. Still, under this influence there can be a tendency for us to take on more than we can handle. This is an ideal time to find balance between your homes and dreams and the reality of your abilities. Mars square Jupiter sometimes nourishing the ego, and when the ego is in ascendancy it can be more difficult to follow the true path.
Venus is retrograde until the end of the month, making this entire month the perfect time to reconnect with old friends and find ways to breathe new life into your current relationships and partnerships.
A week or two into January Jupiter begins to approach an opposition to Pluto that can be powerful in its manifestation potential when Jupiter’s beliefs and positive influence bumps up against the power of Pluto to transform and regenerate. If we can harness and integrate these two forces, our ideas are nearly instantly converted to form. However, there is also the danger that our idea of what is possible may be inflated to a point where our ideals explode and we have to begin again. Jupiter will remain opposite Pluto until well into February.
JANUARY DETAILS
A square from the Sun to Mars on January 2nd keeps the New Moon influence potent and the pressure for action remains insistent throughout the first two weeks of the month as Mars departs from the Sun and Venus but moves ever closer to a square to Jupiter.
The Sun and Mercury also interact with Jupiter and Mars between the 2nd and the 5th, a time of optimism and expansive ideas and plans. Jupiter can bestow too much of a good thing, so paying attention to details and adding a touch of practicality can be very helpful under this influence.
The Mars/Jupiter square peaks on the 8th but will remain in effect until the 13th or so. During this time Mercury, still in practical Capricorn, will harmonize with Saturn on the 6th and align with Venus on the 7th, helping to keep us grounded yet creative. This is a very fortunate time for business and to set the tone for the events of the coming year.
On the 11th the influence of the Sun, Saturn and Venus to stabilize us and fosters a gentle confidence (Venus) and a practical interest in the arts and money. Interpersonal relationships are favorable now so this is a good time to schedule meetings or conferences or challenging negotiations.
Mercury enters Aquarius on the 11th, awakening our minds to new possibilities and ways of thinking about the world. Aquarius is inventive and brilliant and since it rules technology this could be a good time to learn a new skill.
The Full Moon in Cancer on January 15th is somewhat less intense than the lunar events we have seen recently and certainly less powerful than the New Year New Moon! Cancer is the Moon’s own sign and she is happiest there. This is a Full Moon to nurture and nourish yourself and your loved ones, and to relish the realm of feelings and emotions.
That’s not to say there will be no challenges, because Mars squares Venus and pits our personal needs (Mars) with our need for connection (Venus), and this is exacerbated by Jupiter which can sometimes blow things out of proportion. But the Sun and Moon both harmonize with Saturn which helps to provide stability and a solid foundation, and a harmonious sextile from Mercury to Uranus adds an electric excitement and willingness to embrace change.
The next week is relatively uneventful until the 24th and 25th when Mercury is activated again with an energetic trine to Mars which bestows mental energy and forceful opinions, and squares Saturn which suggests that some of those opinions may not be welcomed everywhere. However, the discipline of Saturn helps to harness all of that energy into tremendous productivity.
Anything is possible on the 29th when the Sun harmonizes with a sextile to Uranus, but watch for the Jupiter/Pluto opposition at the end of the month. This is a time to be very mindful of our thoughts and longings, because you just might get what you wish for. Both of these influences are embedded in the chart for the Aquarius New Moon – a “double whammy” Aquarius influence because the Sun and Moon are both in a harmonious sextile to Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius. This is a time to shatter old paradigms and try something completely new. Break out of your routine and create something new in your life.
Relationships could be a bit problematic around this time with Venus, stationing as it prepares to turn direct, is in a conjunction to Pluto that will be in effect during the entire last week of January. Difficulties in partnerships will be resolved now, one way or the other, before Venus turns the corner to travel direct once again.
Mercury enters Pisces on January 31st and the brilliant electricity of the Uranus New Moon will be cooled somewhat as we are bathed with the gentle waters of Pisces and find some comfort in intuition and creative flow.
Enjoy this electric time, and as always if you have questions about how your own chart is affected you can contact me for a personal consultation.
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