If you’ve been dealing with a situation in which you’re having a hard time making progress, everything is in line to move forward this month. Hopefully, that will be to your advantage. It’s all more likely to work in your favor if you are able to harness your enthusiasm and creativity to hard, disciplined work, and drive it towards practical ends.
The New Moon of January 5-6 (depending on time zone) is a powerful solar eclipse in the sign of Capricorn, which means we can’t ignore the practicalities this month — indeed, this entire year. I’ll focus primarily on the month ahead in this post, but we are in the closing months of many long-term planetary cycles. This eclipse brings them all into focus, and resonates throughout the year.
We’ll be seeing some karmic chickens coming home to roost, in the sense that we’ll be wrapping up many influences from the past — either past lives or our history in this life — as both groups and individuals. The old needs to be either integrated or disposed of in one way or another before we can focus on building the new.
This may be to our benefit, in the sense that prior training or previously-acquired assets will be useful, and/or established relationships will be of help to us. It may also mean that we have to deal with challenging issues, from the past or a past life, that require our attention. Certain situations will come to a critical juncture, and need reparation, reconstruction, or simply letting go, either of the situation, or of something you’ve been hanging on to for far too long.
Look Both Ways
The emphasis throughout this year is on releasing and clearing. This involves, on a personal level, evaluating and then releasing old habits, possessions, relationships, and karmic ties that are not in harmony with current goals and values. But while the past will demand our attention, the overall direction this month is full-speed ahead. So we’ll need to be as focused as a race car driver, paying attention to not only what’s ahead, but what’s going on in the rear-view mirror as well. Situational awareness is key.
We also need to make time for pit stops. Caring for body and mind is one of the most practical steps anyone can take to improve life overall. Health is foundational. Most of us have health challenges of varying severity, and most of us know exactly what we could do to improve our health if we devoted more time and attention to our body’s needs and developing new habits. (If you don’t know, you may be overdue for a chat with your doctor and other healthcare providers.)
If you tend to ignore your own health needs in favor working harder for your family or your job, keep in mind that what they need is you at your best, not the worn-down, foggy-brained, exhausted version of you. Capricorn tends to bring out the workaholic in everyone, so get clear on your priorities, particularly when it comes to your body’s well-being.
Capricorn and its ruling planet, Saturn, always remind us of the importance of limits, boundaries, and discipline. People tend to cringe at those words, because they carry associations of dreary, repetitive actions, of ruts and alarm clocks and other people’s rules. But limits, boundaries, and discipline are required for all creative endeavors. Some of the most disciplined people I know are artists — at least, they’re disciplined when it comes to their art. Creativity requires discipline. Fun requires discipline (preparing for a vacation, for instance). Even spontaneity is supported by an underlying structure that allows important areas of our lives to carry on smoothly during unplanned moments so we can be fully present without nagging worries in the back of our minds.
We are all artists of our own lives, which we create within the limits of time and space. Whether we find joy and fulfillment within those limits depends, to a great extent, on the attitude with which we approach the boundaries we create or encounter. This chart offers a lot of help with adjusting our attitude to one that includes the experience of joy and a deeper and more present spiritual awareness. Create the structures that support the life you want. Explore and establish limits that work for you.
Do the work — meditation, energy work, magic, therapy, yoga, tai chi, etc. — that helps shift your personal resonance into a place that supports you and your goals. Keep in mind that there are social structures — government, organizations, local groups and groups of friends — you can call on to help you if you’re in a tough place and are having trouble getting your head on straight or finding the opportunities you need. But you have the primary responsibility for your life, and only you can request and accept the help you need.
The Bigger Picture
Keep in mind that as individuals we have opportunities to work with the current astrology to our benefit. But on a larger, group level, the impulse towards change needs to reach a critical mass to manifest on a large scale. So mostly what we see on a national scale is the chart manifesting through the lines of least resistance, which can be problematic. If we want change, we need to resist taking the easy way, and look for the best way.
I’ll take a look at what we can expect on the national stage next, but first I’ll give a couple of paragraphs over to the technical stuff, so those who are fluent in the language of astrology can follow along.
If you’re not fluent in astrology, and would like to know what all this activity means for you personally, contact me and we’ll set up a consultation. Alternatively, you can order your personal transit report for the year ahead here.
Astrologers: Cast the chart for January 5, 8:28 pm, Washington, DC. 28° Leo 7’ is rising. I’m using the Equal House system. First note the stellium in Capricorn in the 5th, with the New Moon at the midpoint of Saturn/Pluto, and the South Node conjunct Pluto. Mercury is square Mars, and both planets will trigger the other planets in the stellium over the next 2 1/2 weeks in Mercury’s case, and almost 6 weeks in Mars’. Mars is powerful in its own sign. In January specifically, watch the 7th and 8th, when Mercury squares Mars, and the 18th through the 23rd, when all kinds of interesting stuff is happening.
The powerful Jupiter-Neptune square (with Jupiter in its domicile, and co-ruling Pisces with Neptune), which will be in orb all year, is within less than 2° of partile emphasizing the 4th and 7th houses. Uranus is at its station point, turning direct within hours of the eclipse, squaring the nodal axis, and tightly inconjunct Venus, which is square the Ascendant/Descendant axis from the 4th house. The Ascendant of this chart is conjunct the Ascendant of Donald Trump, so we can expect that aspect to manifest — unsurprisingly — as more problems with women for the current occupant of the White House. Note that 4 planets are in signs they rule. Note, too, some very interesting interactions with the Sibly chart of the USA — Jupiter right on the Sibly Ascendant, transiting South Node conjunct natal Pluto in the 2nd, co-ruling the 12th, and a bunch of other aspects too numerous to list here, but worth looking at.
This is a powerful chart that will put the focus on financial concerns for the country, specifically the stock market, which, throughout the year, will be subject to either or (more likely) both irrational exuberance and panicked plunges. Be ready for a wild ride.
Federal workers are, of course, already feeling the pain, but I expect the government shutdown to be resolved rather promptly — within a few days on either side of the eclipse.
Issues surrounding children and their education will be subject to serious review, as will entertainers, athletes, sports competitions, lotteries, and gambling in general.
Capricorn rules government, big business, and their structures. Politically, Nancy Pelosi and her crew will be kicking ass and taking names, and while we don’t need astrology to tell us that, their influence is reflected in this dynamic chart. Lawyers and judges will be busier than usual. The national discourse will be active and antagonistic, with an emphasis on defining our shared national values.
I’m in the process of writing a post on the astro-magical “state of the Union” — which is, as you might imagine, rather intense — so stay tuned for more info on what the planets suggest about our national year ahead. If you want to make sure you don’t miss that post, sign up for my mailing list, and/or like and follow my various social media accounts — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
May the year ahead bring you many blessings!
