Astrology Report for January 2016, Part I: A Door Between Worlds

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*All times are read for Eastern Standard Time; for Pacific Standard Time, subtract 3 hours

We welcome the New Year ahead while we reflect on the year behind us. It’s like we are standing in a doorway between the past and the future. The etymological origin of “January” comes from the

Roman God of transitions, Janus, who is depicted as one head with two faces. One face looks towards the past, while the other eagerly looks to the future. Often, one of the faces is bearded, while the other is not, representing the Sun and the Moon. Janus also functioned as a door between worlds; he was always the first God to be invoked, as if he were the gatekeeper to the other Roman Gods beyond.

For the entire month of January, Jupiter sits on the North Node of Destiny, which symbolizes the future, where we are headed or what we are reaching for. Jupiter represents growth, expansion, prosperity, abundance and joy. Pay attention to personal connections these next couple of weeks; these people may help you on your path. They might offer you a “lead,” or may serve as catalytic inspiration for personal growth.

No doubt that we will be focused on enriching personal goals as we begin a new year, Jupiter on the North Node also speaks to the collective. We live in a world where there is a caustic distribution of wealth, and our technological advances aren’t yet utilized to their fullest potential; and yet, we see that there is enough for everyone to have their basic needs met. Yes, our population continues to grow exponentially, but if the entire population lived at the density of New York City, the entire human population of Earth could fit inside of Colorado. We have the knowledge and the resources to create more joy and prosperity for all.

Jupiter remains conjoined to the North Node of Destiny through June of 2016. Let’s see what happens!

On January 1st, the Moon is in Libra for the entire day, highlighting harmony and relating. Spend the day with loved ones or celebrate the holiday by cherishing yourself. Pleasant aspects to Mercury and Venus lend clarity to our intentions and our values. Today is best spent in enjoyable situations with good company. The sign of the scales weighs the situation; this is perfect for taking stock of the past year and deciding where to set our intentions for next year. Mercury enters innovative Aquarius, where he loves to socialize and share ideas.

Saturday, January 2nd may be a wild day. Expect the unexpected. The Moon goes void at 11:23 am with an opposition to chaotic Uranus, and later meets up with wild woman Lilith. There is an urge to break the routine and do something inspiring, enlightening or even destructive! Destruction isn’t always bad, for example, knocking down a wall in your house paves the way for a new flowing design. If there is something in your life that is blocking your chi from flowing, smashing the blockade can be extremely positive fuel for renewal. Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction and rebirth comes to mind. Call on Kali if you need assistance today!

Mars leaves Libra and enters Scorpio on Sunday, January 3rd. Mars is the action principle, also ruling our primal desires. In Libra, Mars has a hard time asserting himself for fear of disrupting the harmony of the group. It’s much easier for him to just go along with the flow even if it contradicts what he knows is right for himself; sometimes this results in passive aggressive behavior. In Scorpio, the Martian passion blazes a trail of certainty; it is easy to execute a decision because his heart tells him so. Everything will fall into place eventually. In the sign of Scorpio, Mars doesn’t get caught up in the details. It’s all or nothing; things are spelled out very clear. Do or die. Mars in Scorpio is very passionate and deeply commits to his pursuits. These are usually not fleeting commitments. Scorpio has a strong fixation, tenacity and does not give up easily. Mohandas Ghandi had Mars in Scorpio and led a life of passion, endurance and dedication to a cause. Leonardo DiCaprio also has Mars in Scorpio and you don’t see him giving up on that Oscar!

Mars will remain in Scorpio until March 5th. In the meantime, we are invited to deeply commit ourselves to something, be it a ritual, a process, or even a cause… your heart will tell you. For many, this will be automatic.

On Monday, January 4th, the Moon conjoins with Juno, Queen of Heaven and consort of Zeus. Again, we are reminded of our commitments, our promises and upholding our integrity. Creativity and transcendence from the mundane world may pique our interest today with the Moon’s trine to Neptune in the early morning. Dreams may be really intense just before we awaken. Try to remember them! Dreams are keys to our subconscious mind, which is also accessed through meditation.

Mercury Retrograde begins. Celestially speaking, Tuesday, January 5th is a very busy day! “As above, so below…” Mercury stalls its movement in the sky at the first degree of Aquarius, squaring Mars at the first degree of Scorpio. Before we can begin (1st degrees), we need to review the information we are working with, making sure we aren’t overlooking any key details. Mercury in Aquarius is innovative, quick, inventive, idealistic, and is concerned with leading the pack to a place where everyone sits on their own throne of divinity. Aquarius looks towards the future, ruling scientific and technological innovation. But first, Mercury must slow down and return to his roots in traditional Capricorn, where he remembers how to be refined, grounded and steady. We are pausing so that we don’t get too far ahead of ourselves.

Wherever 15⁰ Capricorn- 1⁰ Aquarius falls in your chart, is where you are taking a step back to review before charging ahead. Retrograde periods are often dreaded; especially Mercury, who has a reputation for causing our gadgets to go haywire and making us late for work. These things definitely can happen. Instead of cursing the messenger God, we can ask ourselves, “What is the message here?” If we are hitting every yellow light, maybe the message is to be more cautious. If we have been paying attention, we may have received a hint as to what this retrograde will mean for us. Think back between now and the 21st for clues. This story will continue to rework itself.

Mercury will remain retrograde until January 25th. If you are planning on signing a lease or anything really important, just make sure you read the fine print closely!

The Sun makes his annual conjunction with Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, at 10:28 pm. This is an extremely powerful combination. The sustaining source of all life, the Sun, conjoins with the principle of impermanence, death and transformation. This is a rejuvenating period of refocusing our intentions. While this transit normally lasts just a few days, it is coloring the Mercury retrograde, so we may ask ourselves, “Who am I being? Is this sustainable? Am I aligned with my true heart path, my higher purpose?” This could also be a call to take stock of one’s health. If our habits aren’t healthy enough, this is a great opportunity to make positive changes. Pay attention to the new information that comes to light. Renewal is the key here. 

The Moon enters Sagittarius at 1:56 am on Wednesday, January 6th. If yesterday was a tough day, rest assured that the mood will definitely be lighter today. Today is a day of seeking small pleasures. We may find joy through our yoga practice, or find peace snuggled up with a good book. In the evening, the Moon conjoins with Venus, which may inspire us to meet up with a good friend for dinner. Venus is all about relating and enjoyment, and in Sagittarius, she loves indulging in a rich meal.

On Thursday, January 7th, the Sun forms his semi-annual square to Uranus, the awakener. Expect the unexpected─ like lightening, which strikes suddenly and illuminates the sky in a beautiful, yet ominous way. Uranus can show us something in a new light, rattle our perspective or even destroy. If there is a situation that limits us, we may be called to finally find our voice in the matter, or leave it altogether.

Later this evening, Jupiter stations retrograde at 23⁰ Virgo. Again, pay attention to the people you meet this week! They may offer you a “lead” on your path. In the rhythm of the cosmos, there is an inhalation and an exhalation, an expansion and a contraction; Jupiter represents the expansive nature. On a personal level, it helps to have a basic understanding of your chart and where this expansive planet is working with you. We may be doing a lot of personal work on our inner critic and minding our health during this time. This is also a useful period to refine our skills, as Virgo enjoys utilizing her gifts to serve the community. Jupiter will remain retrograde until May 9th, when he reaches 13⁰ Virgo.

While Jupiter has been in Virgo, we’ve been finding ways expand by minimizing. Books like Simplify Your Life are so hot right now! “Simplify encourages you to find what brings you happiness and then helps you find ways to make room for more of it,” and the same thing could be said about Jupiter in Virgo.

Jupiterian themes such as religion, universities, student loans, foreign countries and foreigners could make the news in a big way today. These themes have been continuously major since Saturn entered Jupiter’s home sign of Sagittarius in December 2014, and will remain relevant until Saturn leaves Sagittarius in December 2017. By then, hopefully we will have made some progressive headway in dealing with these issues. In the meantime, we will continue to hear the knocks on the door from Jupiter and Saturn. 

Read more about Jupiter in Virgo by clicking the link below:

Jupiter in Virgo

On Friday, January 8th, the Moon enters Capricorn at 10:07 am. Industriousness and practicality are in the air. Today has the potential to be very productive on whatever it is that you are working towards.

Mercury retrogrades back into Capricorn at 2:36 pm, inviting us to revisit a project. Venus conjoins Saturn at 11:11 pm, adding to the serious, realistic tone of the day.

Saturday, January 9th, we have a New Moon at 20⁰ Capricorn, exact at 8:31 pm EST. On this New Moon, we are invited to plant new seeds surrounding our goals. Since Mercury is also retrograde in Capricorn, we are able to rework our vision. Often, when we think our work is complete, we go back and realize that it’s not perfect yet. Capricorn is concerned with mastery of the earth element. Mastery is achieved by structuring a plan, sticking to it, putting in the work and finally obtaining the bounty. It’s important to be crystal clear with ourselves, so that we can delineate our path.

Roadblocks may occur, and that’s when these retrograde periods are most useful, so that we can rework our plan.

The ruler of Capricorn is Saturn, who remains conjoined to Venus, reminding us that it’s important to do what we love! How often have we worked hard to achieve something, only to realize soon after that it’s no big deal? Sometimes we put too much energy into projects that really aren’t in alignment with our true heart path, but we do them to please others; this can be rewarding or draining, depending on the situation. Saturn rules time, so use it wisely and do what is in the highest alignment with your heart.

The New Moon conjoins Pluto and squares Uranus, indicating that our plan may undergo unexpected but necessary adjustments. Adding to the madness, Eris, goddess of discord stations retrograde today. Collectively, these placements may indicate some sort of rebellion against the status quo. Fresh revolutionary ideals clash with the deceit of old outworn patriarchal structures. Individually, this could be a flash of insight that inspires you to shift your direction in a mild or radical way. If something happens unexpectedly that is really challenging, the best thing we can do is understand that we are surrounded in love by the universe; we wouldn’t be given a challenge that we can’t handle. Remember that everything will smooth itself out in time. You may wonder why things happen the way they did, or wonder what life would be like were it not for that maddening jolt. But at the same time, you will be grateful for the wisdom and resilience you have gained.

We are all ONE. The Sabian symbol for this New Moon is, “A hidden choir is singing during a religious service; the fulfillment of the individual’s creative function through his participation in a group performance consecrated to a transcendent realization of unity.” No matter what you do, big or small, you are important! We are all contributing to this experience in time and space, here on Earth.

On Sunday, January 10th, the Moon goes void with a conjunction to Mercury at 12:39 pm. Make sure that we have all of the facts. The void period is brief, ending at 3:23 pm when the Moon enters quick witted Aquarius. Restlessness is a possibility tonight. There may be a concern regarding the near or distant future. There may be an urgency to act, or at least make a list of things you need to do this week. Aquarian Moons love socializing; think of the hive-mind or think-tank. This is why many Aquarians love trivia!

Monday, January 11th, the Aquarian Moon sextiles Uranus, bringing in a concern for the future. The Moon also sextiles Saturn and Venus, remembering where we’ve come from and reminding us to love what we do. We must enjoy the ride, spend time with loved ones and people that enrich our lives. The Moon goes void with a sextile to Uranus at 8:09 pm, so the evening may have a spontaneous zing too it. Go with the flow if you can!

Tuesday, January 12th, the Moon is void for most of the day, so it’s a good day to rework ongoing projects and to follow up on little things. Save the big things for later. Relaxation is optional, but unlikely today unless you are feeling under the weather. This is because Venus trines Uranus this evening and the restlessness continues. There may be a desire to mix up the evening once again. Maybe Venus wants to socialize with different people or get inspired by new scenery. The Moon enters transcendent, spiritual Pisces at 6:53 pm. Escape the mundane and mix it up!

We may find ourselves floating through the day on Wednesday. The Moon is in cosmic Pisces for the entirety of the day. Things flow smoothly with beautiful aspects to Mars and Neptune. If we received some inspiration or clarity earlier in the month, this is a great period of integration, reflection and revitalization. The Moon squares Saturn at 4:06 pm, so we may have to bite our lip briefly because we might not be getting our way, or receive a heavy dose of reality. Overall, the mood is bright today, with the Sun’s optimistic trine Jupiter. We might feel extra radiant, confident or feel like we are surrounded by our guardian angels. Today has a lot of potential to uplift ourselves spiritually.

If you have a hefty to-do list ton Thursday, get an early start and tackle the most important things before the Moon goes void at 11:31 am. This shouldn’t be so difficult since the Sun conjoins Mercury at 9:05 am, giving us a mental boost.

Personalities may be strong today, as others want to make sure you understand where they are coming from. People might just want to talk about themselves today! But that’s great because you can learn something from everyone. The Moon arrives on the South Node of releasing. We may have an opportunity to let go of something that’s been dead weight for far too long. Doing so will elevate ourselves closer to our highest potential. If the opportunity presents itself, have courage and go forth!

In the evening, we get another mental boost of activity, so work late if you must. The Moon enters Aries at 9:48 pm. It could be a late night tonight.

We still have a lot of energy on Friday, January 15th, as the Moon remains in energetic Aries all day. The Moon aligns with Vesta in the early afternoon. Vesta is the guardian of the eternal flame, the hearth and the heart. Pursue your heart’s desire today. If it’s not in alignment with your purpose, it’s okay to decline the offer.

There are some potentially chaotic aspects in the wee hours of Saturday, January 16th. So if your Friday night carries over into Saturday, make sure you are being mindful. It’s an evening where people might be feeling extra precocious. If that is you, try to be smart about it!

The Aries Moon aspects to Venus and Mercury around 9:45 am, inviting warm or inspiring conversations with others. It’s okay to disagree, and cordially debate the issue at hand. The Moon goes void at 6:26 pm with a square to the Sun. There may be an imbalance in our vitality. We might be feeling tired while our partner is wound up and wants to go out. Strike a balance or choose to honor your own energy.  

Aho Mitakyue Oyasin. May Mother Earth and all her inhabitants be awakened to our unity, and the highest LOVE of the Universe.

​Love, peace and healing to ALL....

-Catherine

(All images graciously borrowed from google image search)