1-6th

I hope everybody is able to enjoy the final throes of 2020 peaceably and with love in their hearts. January and February promise us plenty of growth with some serious conjunctions and square aspects. Expect to feel as though you need to make decisions on various fronts and some full beam planetary energy. Come March it’s a little quieter in the skies- for a while at least and we will have fresh perspectives on ourselves and our personal power.

A major highlight early in the year is Neptune *finally* moving away from the nodes. Many astrologers have written reams about the stellium we had in Capricorn as the dominant energy and cause of some pretty immense situations we faced in 2020. For me the trickiest planet was Neptune! Many of us felt as though we were quite ungrounded with an ‘Alice in wonderland’ surreal feel last year. Even if we were able to hold and expand our knowing which is what Gemini calls us to do-it’s an incredibly multidimensional energy, Neptune was there inserting himself into the experience. His placement made it difficult for us to see the woods from the trees- squaring the nodes makes him a huge distraction at times, his misty illusions hazing the many truths held in the collective North we are meant to arrive at.

This will ramp up in January but once we hit the 23rd these effects will lessen, indeed, when we are aware of the energy we can spot it so perhaps I should apologise for not bringing it to your attention beforehand! Neptune will swing around to be sextile the nodes in the future and this puts him in a much happier and benevolent position for us all but for now his message is to clean our rose tinted glasses- or swap them out completely. Discernment is a lesson hard won at times.

Still, we will have so much more clarity in our lives this month it may well be jolting, particularly with all of the Uranus/Aquarius energy coming through. Go gentle but equally allow what comes up to sit awhile and feel into it we really do grow in discomfort as we alchemise our stuck energy and shift ourselves as well as each other. New realities are on the horizon.

(If you want to know more about our current nodal energy you can find a link in the comments- we will be under this influence until January next year.)

We start early January off with Mercury inconjunct the North node and sextile Neptune on the 1st. Normally this ease between Mercury and Neptune would speak to communicating ideas for the betterment of humanity and social interaction lit up with universal love and devotion, a sensitivity to others. However noble this sentiment may be, we are to bring this in line with the collective true North (ruled by mercury) as an inconjunct will often speak of a needed adjustment.

The call here is to check your communication and logic for accuracy and fact, while acknowledging the myriad of viewpoints we all hold. ‘Prove it’ in other words. Gemini can be slippery and silver tongued it can also acknowledge multiple opinions all at the same time, as long as you have weight behind yours you are good to go, this is the best way to serve the world as opposed to pulling on emotive principles which may have little grounding right now-but they will soon I promise!

The day after is a fleeting ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ activation with the moon trine Venus both in creative fire signs and both at the master degree of 22 (Venus in Sagittarius and Moon in Leo). The 2nd is a great day to springboard any ideas and new concepts you may have in terms of leadership, creativity, wealth acquisition and positive relations. Exact around 11:20 U.K time, don’t lose any of those inspirational flashes and expect to feel bold like a warm loud belly laugh if this aspect hits you.

On the 5th we have a pretty big conjunction as Mercury goes off to visit the God of the underworld- Mercury conjunct Pluto at 24 degrees Capricorn. Nataly this is a prime indicator of someone born to be a counsellor, psychiatrist or psychologist for example so that should give you a good idea of what we can expect this transit to bring to us. The messages your Pluto gives your Mercury will be unique to you but with them sat in Capricorn we can expect to understand our previously subconscious desires where authority, power and structure are concerned. How we may have fared in power balance dynamics, how we have reflected this onto others and how we have seen it play out in society. This is a purge folks embrace this one, whether you choose to counsel yourself, trust a friend or a professional this is good stuff and Mercury can bring back pure gold from the underworld if we are prepared to listen to him.

Following straight on from this is our 3rd quarter moon at 16 degrees Libra on the 6th. Again with the power balance, but in the realm of partnerships. It could well be that we see reflected in our immediate circle all which has been coming up for us in our Mercury Pluto conjunction as quarter moons tend to focus on the external environment. Libra’s journey is one of the seeker of balance – not necessarily balance obtained so yes, we may well see a discrepancy in harmony as it relates to power dynamics. If you observe this as the witness and reflect upon how you relate to these themes in your internal world you can build upon the picture you are forming for yourself early this month.

8th – 14th

We have Mercury doing what he does best- talking. He continues his conversations with the other planets right through the rest of the whole of these next two weeks actually so we can all expect to be mentally busy. As great as this is we do need to temper our thought processes and conversations with down time to ensure we can make the most of them, we want to be mentally agile not frazzled. It might be really useful for scheduled downtime in frequent bursts however this best fits with you. From unplugging the Wi-Fi to daily meditation, somatic movement, walks in nature etc try to make space for connecting to yourself and the cosmos as much as other people.

To kick  off let’s take a look at the 8th when the Sun is sextile to Neptune and inconjunct the North node. Tricky to say the least. It will probably feel as though you just ‘can’t’ in terms of things you just ‘should’. This is a distractive detour of an aspect so how to best use it? If it were a longer transit my advice may well be different but this is one day really, so I would treat it as a day out of time. For those who can it’s a great day to curl up with your favourite fiction be it watching labyrinth on Netflix for the 100th time, a good book, painting, crafting, cooking, whatever your bag is, the heavens are set for you to go off course so meander away and allow imagination and fantasy to pervade. Just err on the side of caution if asked to commit to anything substantial- give it a day or two and then revisit, a good chance to practice autonomy and healthy boundaries if nothing else!

We also have Mars in the mix on the 8th making a favourable aspect to Venus also squaring Mercury. Both Venus and Mars are at zero point in Capricorn and Taurus seeing a new cycle of energy for both of them. Venus our planetary law of attraction is in graceful flow with Mars now in one of the signs ruled by Venus herself. Our action then is wrapped up in how we relate to ourselves, our inner world, our earning potential and our fixed grounded energy. Venus is showing that this is where and how we want to be focusing ourselves to enable us to sit in our personal power. Venus in Capricorn is a mature Goddess energy one who knows her worth and sticks to her guns so this is great for orientating ourselves career wise and also partaking in relationships where our worth is known by all participants. Hear hear to this we cry!

Interestingly Venus squares Chiron later in the week, Venus in Capricorn has strong boundaries and exercises her authority over her own experience, Chiron in Aries can break new ground and lead in the transmutation and healing of wounds. Although neither Capricorn or Aries are renowned for being particularly emotional or sensitive cardinal signs they do know their own worth- this is the healing we are called to acknowledge in this aspect.

Mercury makes his ingress into Aquarius so we are seeing all of our personal planets at nexus point, this is manifestation dynamite. Mercury has shaken off the constriction of Capricorn and now wants to be all rebellious and leftfield in Aquarius (who can blame him?!) hence his square with a slower paced and thoughtful Mars. Squares call for a decision, they rile us just enough to get us moving one way or another and so we propel ourselves into questioning how we can take ourselves forward in life with the fusion of the grounded and stable with the modern and unorthodox. This has been our theme for a while though hasn’t it? All last year we were called to question what we are bringing forward with us into the new world and this is no exception. Perhaps we can use the day dreamy solar energy to begin embodiment of this new way of being and mentally step onto our desired timeline?

On the 11th Mercury conjuncts Saturn who is still finding his feet in Aquarius and he will take most of the year to really adjust (hence the 3 square aspects he will make with Uranus later) so this is going to be an interesting aspect. We can expect to be caught up with initial ideas and concepts regarding the reordering and re-structuring of our lives which will continue its construction throughout 2021-2022, this will be an ongoing theme. To prove the point Mercury squares Uranus (himself in Taurus again hammering home the theme our personal planets are describing to us) and so we can expect an interaction with the higher mind. In a square aspect though we may end up blurting out words we can’t take back as truthful as they are, think twice and proceed with caution where communication is concerned!

Lastly on the 13th we have our new moon at 23 Capricorn. The new moon is also conjunct Pluto giving it a soulful punch and consolidating the energy we had earlier with our personal planets. With the moon conjunct Pluto our emotions can be intense, deep and all consuming. On the one hand this is perfect for our intuition, psychic ability and transformational potential. On the other it can leave us prey to emotional manipulation, dark moods, jealousy and challenging emotions. This is all in the authoritarian cardinal leader sign of Capricorn so this is how the energy will be cocooned so to speak. New moons allow us to manifest or plant the seeds to be sown later in the lunar cycle, this energy then can capitalise upon the dynamics we felt with Venus earlier and help us to nurture our own power and worth

14th– 23rd

Hoping you are all well, nurtured and ready to take on some interesting dynamics this week. We will now really feel the ramp up of the Uranus Mars conjunction exact towards the latter part of next week. All this week then,  we live with a back drop of mounting tension and energy build up looking for a release which will take place around the 19th. Internalised frustration and friction may be present with both of these explosive planets creating turbulence in the normally level headed and calm Taurean energy. We could well be being given a mini lesson on the processing and dispelling of our inner tension which is calling for a physical release in this aspect, be wary of this coming out in an unexpected or uncultivated manner if we don’t acquiesce with this aspects needs. Accidents, mishaps and conversely passive aggression and stagnation are all potentially on the cards. Venus is Trine Uranus here so whatever is loosened will flow easily -it’s up to you to set the course.

On the 14th we have a large piece playing out in the heavens. Uranus stations direct and brings in (even more of) that twilight zone energy, the higher mind is literally full beam aimed in our direction. If you know your chart well take a look at where you have 6 Taurus (OOI 5-6 degrees) this is where you can expect this planet to hit so make a note of the house as well as any planets, cusps or points you may have around here.

Both the Sun and new moon conjunct Pluto at the same time. You may recall the recent Mercury conjunction where our subconscious voiced its grievances, issues and insecurities. This ‘bringing forth’ into our conscious reality now goes a step further and these same themes will be colouring our outer reality.

With the Sun and the moon in the picture we are made aware of everybody else’s issues as well as our own and this conjunction can be intoxicating. On the one hand our sense of power is rapidly increased during this time providing us with the fuel much needed to push ourselves into our desired direction of travel. On the other hand in line with Pluto’s scorpionic resonance we can see power grabs and manipulation, indeed we may even be a part of them ourselves. We are called to acknowledge this and stand within our own sovereignty, our own power and dignity while acknowledging other people’s right to do the same.

New moons are the best time to begin consciously bringing in new ideas and thoughts to turn into reality in the future and on a personal level this is a nice follow on from the recent Venus energy. Know your worth and your direction of travel.

We will have a grand meeting of minds on the 17th when Jupiter squares Uranus. Unlike Saturn these two will only meet up this way once with Jupiter in Aquarius so make the most of it! This is a fabulous square for new learning, new experience and expanding upon what we already know. This may seem contradictory to many of us given the ‘global’ situation we find ourselves in but be prepared to be pushed into new terrain. This is very much ‘the opener’ for our final shot of mid January astro weather.

After flexing its muscle with Pluto the Sun follows the rest of the cool kids and makes its ingress into Aquarius at the exact same time Uranus and Mars conjunct between 19th-20th. This honestly tells of explosive revelations…..energy which has been held simmering breaks free and we shine a light on that backdrop we began feeling last week. I see this as a pressure cooker for sure, we can have a controlled release or lose our heads in rather explosive fashion. The trick to ride with this energy is to remain embodied and present as much as you can. Grounding ourselves while allowing events to unfold will ensure awareness as well as empowerment which ultimately is what a Uranus Mars conjunction speaks of. On the 20th we will also have the first quarter moon lending its energy at 1 degree Taurus. The meaning behind this moon is one of self as pure and unadulterated ‘a clear mountain stream’. Perhaps the conjunction is lending the moon its weight by showing us in the external as a reflection of the internal what and who we truly are when the dust is blown away and we are put in touch with the higher mind through our own personal action.

23rd-31st

From the 19th-20th life certainly started to feel a little clearer and there was a big release of stuck negative energy with the Sun making its way into Aquarius. There is more of a feeling of ‘knowing where we are at’ and now we face the question of how are we going to process this and how are we going to focus ourselves upon that which we do want to see in our world, what is our desired direction, purpose and action?

This week promises the opportunity of making some of these decisions and setting our course, some magnified planetary energy and of course a beautiful creatrix full moon in Leo. Decisions of course don’t necessarily have to have an outer ‘action’ attached to them it can simply be an internal decision to think a different way, change tack or equally to commit whole heartedly to something- it can be subtle or strong. Also not all decisions need to be scary or stressful, if we allow aim to allow ourselves the grace of ease and receptivity we can fare well.

Its also good to be aware of the hazy dreamy slower vibration we may be tuning in to courtesy of Neptune squaring the nodes exact and Mercury beginning to slow down for his first bout of retrogradation. If you feel slightly out of it and ‘ambiguous’ this is why- you may well vibe with everybody’s talkin’  by Harry Nilsson. Unfortunate timing though, as we have a lot of Mars and Jupiter action this week and they could perhaps benefit from a clearer head. If you remember we mentioned the distracting emoting of Neptune, him squaring the nodes isn’t his best placement but everything for a reason……discernment is the lesson here. How do you feel and why. Chase the source of these emotions, are they yours or somebody else’s? You can always return to sender if you need to.

On the 23rd the same day Neptune is exact Mars squares Jupiter to the second. This could one of two ways. On the one hand it gives enough chutzpah to steam ahead and make great strides with optimism courage and the awareness of self-it’s also a really good aspect for health and taking care of ourselves holistically. However that same optimism could be liable to exaggeration the courage to selfishness, the direction ambiguous. This could also see you pour your heart and energy out into an empty void with no return leaving you depleted so again discernment is needed. Make the most of that sacred space in between the inhale and exhale to steady yourself and calmly centre.

The very next day the Sun will conjunct Saturn in Aquarius. Saturn is still unsure of what exactly he is doing in this sign and will need another two squares with Uranus to finally figure it out so we can expect to see an uncertainty, dare I say it, even a wobble illuminated from all things authority related- this includes you by the way, as we all like to wield our personal voice one way or another whether or not we choose to admit that is a different matter. Wobbles and confusion ahoy. Indeed, the Sun will carry this confusion over and drop it into Uranus’s lap in their square on the 26th. Expect more of the same energy in a slightly different flavour. Whatever wobbled a couple of days ago may see the action associated and made manifest in the outer world today, open mind required.

From the 28th  it’s the turn of the feminine, right brain internalised focus to be activated. Venus has been busy flexing her own muscle in authoritarian Capricorn. Not only is she sat in the sign ruled by Saturn but also conjunct Pluto now, our planetary symbol of birth death and transformation. A pretty heady mix for the feminine and one which can play out in a variety of ways. Interestingly Venus will be revisiting Capricorn during her next retrograde cycle so whatever happens for you, however it happens if indeed anything does, you get the chance to revisit later on down the road my advice would be go for gold you get a bit of a free pass here so roll with the punches.

We now come on to our full moon in Leo opposite both the sun and Jupiter. Very fiery and creative emotional energy to get us going. With both Jupiter and Leo in the mix the energy is optimistic buoyant and larger than life perfect for showing the world and celebrating what you are made of. These are both forming a T square with Mars and Uranus so this moon will be very much in your face. Mars being the apex of this aspect shows us that the best way to ease the tension of this full moon aspect is to take action of some sort. So I ask you (and myself)- where are you not progressing? Is there an area you are deliberately holding back on afraid to move? If so what simple step can you take to move the energy along a little bit? It doesn’t have to be a swooping grand gesture but offering yourself a little traction under this auspicious energy will pay back dividends.

About Author

esoteric and soul based astrologer, readings on request.

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