Astrology of January 2022!

 

January 2022 is a significant month based on astrology. Venus is retrograde until the end of the month and Mercury also turns retrograde January 14th. The powerful Uranus-Saturn square will begin to separate and perhaps give us a little breathing room after December, and Uranus will turn direct. We have a significant new moon and a very powerful if not volatile full moon. Mars enters Capricorn this month joining Venus and Mercury. Let’s get right to the most significant aspects of January.

The Saturn-Uranus square begins to separate

The third Saturn-Uranus square of 2021 was exact on December 23^rd.  By the first week of January Saturn has moved 2 degrees away from Uranus, so the volatile energies of the clash between these two planets is starting to lighten up some and will continue throughout January.

Saturn square Uranus is a powerful aspect prone to societal disruptions, stress and unexpected changes in our own lives, depending on what this aspect is doing in your personal chart. It has long lasting affects and is associated with financial change, upheaval and tyranny on the world stage.

December saw a sharp rise in Covid infections and deaths and this will continue throughout January. Even though Saturn is no longer in an exact square with Uranus the ramifications of this aspect and have far reaching consequences and the energy does not disappear overnight. The political turmoil will continue and this will be an important thing to watch as the US enters its first ever Pluto return in February.

A Pluto return occurs about once every 250 years in the chart of a country. Societies sometimes end at this point, or they reinvent themselves and come back in a new and stronger way. The Pluto return will add more stress to the Saturn-Uranus square which will be within enough of an orb to still have an affect throughout 2022. While it will not be ‘exact’ again in 2022, it will be in another tight clash during September and October of 2022.

Mercury enters Aquarius and retrogrades

Mercury enters the sign Aquarius in the early morning hours of December 2^nd, changing Mercurial energy and the way we think and communicate with others. This comes as an added bonus to the New Moon that falls on the same day, giving us an opportunity to expand our thinking, rather than staying stuck in the past.

Mercury will turn retrograde in Aquarius on January 14^th and re-enter Capricorn on January 26^th where it will remain retrograde until February 4^th. It will move back into Aquarius again February 14^th and remain in this sign until March 10^th and we will repeat the entire Mercury-Aquarius cycle all over again. If you don’t finish what you begin under the first 3 weeks of Mercury in Aquarius you will have another opportunity mid February.

Mercury in Capricorn has been focused on serious matters, work, career, success and matters of priority. During Mercury’s transit through Aquarius we may all be a little more open minded and receptive to new ideas and ways of doing things. Aquarius is known for its quirky, wild and weird side as well as its intellectual, inventive and eccentric nature. The sign Aquarius is associated with the 11^th house in astrology which rules the collective, as well as groups and organizations. On a collective level we will be rethinking many things that benefit or don’t benefit society as a whole.

Mercury-Aquarius works well if not best within groups and the collective so don’t be afraid to speak up even if you ideas seem farfetched.

The only downside to Mercury in Aquarius is that our thinking could become a little scattered and it is important to remember that we will be speaking and communicating from a logical standpoint so we need to include the human element in our conversations. Now is the time to give your ideas room to fly and see where they land as Aquarius is bold, different and typically focused on things that serve humanity.

While Mercury is retrograde we can expect the normal glitches, delays and snafus that typically occur. Retrograde Mercury is a time to reassess and re-do, not start new projects or buy high ticket items.

New Moon in Capricorn

 The first New Moon of the year falls in Capricorn, the sign geared toward career, work and important matters. This moon falls on January 2^nd at 12 degrees of the sign ruled by Saturn the planet of responsibility and structure. This is not a frivolous New moon but a time to re-evaluate things, in particular our personal resources and plans.

This New Moon is the 1^st Super moon of the year. A Super moon has a greater affect on tidal waves and is often associated with earthquakes, tsunamis and the like. It appears closer to the earth and is typically quite beautiful for stargazing. Capricorn is a Cardinal sign connected to the earth, and things move and happen quickly when we are under cardinal signs, unlike mutable signs which are changeable and fixed signs when energy moves much more slowly.

The New Moon symbolizes a new beginning and is a time to focus on getting back to business after the New Year and focus on the more constructive traits of the sign. Capricorn is ambitious, resourceful, reliable and typically has a great deal of common sense; something that seems to be sorely missing in society today.

The New Moon trines Uranus creating a powerful and easy energy for change. With a trine, change can occur in a simple and easy way without all of the stress change can sometimes create at other times.

This represents a prime opportunity to build order in your life as we begin the New Year. Now is the time to set your plan for the upcoming year, and to put your dreams into motion in a practical and realistic manner. In this way, the New Moon is a gift.

Venus is retrograde

Venus continues it’s every year and a half retrograde until January 29^th. During a Venus retrograde many matters or issues come up in relationships that must be dealt with. During Venus’s retrograde the karma or fate of a relationship is often decided for better or worse. Some relationships may end; others can get back together as Venus retrograde is strongly connected with the past, and those from the past. It is not limited to romantic relationships however; this can extend to co-workers, friends and other acquaintances from the past.

Venus in Capricorn is somewhat of a conservative transit concerned with the practical realities of things. Money is also ruled by Venus and at this time many will focus on getting their finances straight and in some cases may spend more conservatively.

Venus also rules women and our personal as well as collective values. During this time we will be revisiting our own values and those as a collective.

When Venus turns stationary retrograde January 29^th, energies associated with love and money will start to shift again. Venus turns direct at 11 degrees of Capricorn and if this aspects something in your personal chart you should experience a type of gain wherever this aspect is located in your chart. It can be especially significant in terms of meeting new people and entering into relationships.

Venus will remain in conservative Capricorn until March 6, 2021. Venus in Capricorn may not be the brightest or most exciting placement for the planet of love and money, but by the time Venus leaves Capricorn for Aquarius in March we will have resolved many issues of both a personal and business nature if you have utilized this energy in the proper manner. If this is the case, you will certainly have a jump start on the New Year.

North and South nodes change signs

Our collective as well as personal destiny is shown in the North and South Nodes. These are not planets but rather calculated points in the chart. Everyone is born with both a North and South node, and every 18 months, the nodes change signs showing us where we are headed as a collective. Both nodes tell a story regarding our fate and destiny; the North node is where we are headed and the South node shows us what we need to leave behind or release.

January 18^th, 2022 The North and South Nodes leave Gemini-Sagittarius for Taurus-Scorpio. The South node or the Scorpio energy is what we will be faced with releasing over the next year and a half. Scorpio is associated with subjects that are taboo and the darker side of human nature. Death, manipulation, sex, pain, intensity and suspicion are all part of the collective karma we will need to release to make the best of the higher qualities of Taurus, which would be creating and focusing on our values, love (Taurus is ruled by Venus), serenity, taking care of the earth and each other, new sources of growing food for the world, getting value for our money, wisdom, peace and serenity.

As Scorpio and Taurus are related to the 2^nd/8^th house axis this also shows us we will be focused on money and finances as a collective. This will include issues of income inequality, corporate greed, and those who have the most as well as the least. It will be up to us as a society to find balance between these two opposites.

Jupiter is in Pisces

Jupiter left Aquarius for Pisces on December 28^th, and will remain in this sign until May 10^th. At this point it will enter Aries until October 28^th, when it will return to Pisces for 2 more months.

In 2020 we had a chance to dip our toes into the Pisces energy when it entered the sign May 13-July 28^th. It only reached 2 degrees before retrograding back into Aquarius for the rest of the year. There was however, a significant energy shift at this time. Outside of this, the last time Jupiter transited through Pisces was January 2010-January 2011, or 12 years ago.

Jupiter in Pisces will enhance creativity, spirituality, creative expression, compassion and intuition on the positive end. Faith, optimism and idealism may make a great comeback and dreams and intuition may be vivid. The sign Pisces is associated with Jupiter, its ancient ruler and also its modern ruler which is Neptune. While Jupiter is expansive and positive,  Neptune is the planet of illusion, delusion and confusion, as well as psychic abilities, religion, theatre and the arts, the ocean and drugs, alcohol, lies or misinterpretations of the facts.  During Jupiter’s retrograde period (especially) in Pisces we must guard against self-deception, sacrificing ones happiness for the whim of others, and looking at things through too-rosy glasses. Escapism is another theme associated with Neptune along with a powerful desire to become a part of something or someone’s life that may or may not be appropriate or operating in our best interest. Having to sacrifice something important is frequently a theme of relationships involving Neptune/Pisces and the desire to merge with something or someone new and exciting may be more powerful than the question of whether or not this is good for us.

Pisces/Neptune is connected to drugs and addictions of all types which could increase in society along with plans about how to deal with addiction and those whose lives are ruined by it. This will be an issue that becomes front and center at some point. Many will seek to escape the harsh realities of the times either through substances or some other means.

 Psychics, dreams and spiritualism, mediumship, astrology and other esoteric arts will prosper and become more widespread as people search for deeper answers and yearn to return to the times when society seemed kinder and less harsh.

Movies and creative projects will take great leaps and we can expect to see some outstanding creative work under this transit. A new pop culture explosion may be in the making.

Pisces is also associated with those who have the least. We will see significant humanitarian actions to help certain people, along with an increase in those who need help. This can only help in the US as we experience our first ‘Pluto return,’ which will bring up dark themes involving power, control, extremism and ultimately a re-birth of some sort.

The last time Jupiter transited through Pisces we saw the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (April 20, 2010) along with Arab Spring which changed the geo-political climate of the Middle East. Jupiter was not the only planet involved in these major occurrences but it still played a role in bringing a great deal of information to the surface that had been heretofore unknown. And of course, the Horizon oil spill involved the oceans which are Neptune’s domain so we could see other water related weather incidents this time along with an increase in global climate change.

Jupiter is associated with the 9^th house of ideas, travel, education, publishing, world view and religious or philosophical viewpoints so there will be a great deal of focus or expansion in these areas as well. Our personal world views may expand or change during this time along with a potential yearning for travel and faraway places. Indigenous religions or philosophies will increase along with those who have convoluted personal philosophies and ideas we may or may not agree with.

Pisces is symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions so it is a double edged sword. Neptune is associated with confusion, delusion, propaganda and lies. It could be a difficult time in terms of judging truth from fiction so we will need to use our heads and do the research before believing much of what we see and hear at this time. What seems real may not be real and what doesn’t seem real may be fact. It won’t especially be easy to sort things out especially since there will be individuals and entities who want to gaslight, confuse, lie and distort the facts for their own personal gain. This will play out on the world stage but could occur in our own lives as well. Be careful about signing contracts, joining new ventures, getting involved with strangers or making financial or other commitments unless you are fully aware of the circumstances and who you are dealing with. As Neptune rules infectious diseases we may hear more news in this realm as well.

Confusion and lack of clarity about many things in society will continue and increase as we experience a flood of information much of which will be meant to confuse or persuade us of an idea which may or may not be correct. It will be easy to follow an incorrect or false path so clarity of mind and commonsense is essential during Jupiter’s transit through Pisces. Some things will end, and if so while one door may close another can open when Jupiter enters Aries in May. If we are lucky, compassion, love and a Jupitarian desire for justice and truth will be stronger than the desire to hide from reality or believe that nothing bad can really come our way.

The sun enters Aquarius

The sun leaves Capricorn for Aquarius in the morning hours of January 19th^th. This places the Sun and Mercury in the sign that rules the 11^th house or the collective and the season of Aquarius is on! The Sun will remain in Aquarius until February 18.

 Aquarius is an air sign ruled by both Saturn and Uranus. This season represents the dead of winter as it is a fixed sign, which means energies (and the weather) change very slowly. Aquarius energy is pioneering, brilliant, eccentric, original, standoffish, aloof and detached and these are the energies we will be working with over the next month.

Aquarius is typically associated with compassion, helping others, abstract unique thinking and we can be presented with new and unique ideas. Aquarius can sometimes be associated with brilliance or brilliant ideas, or sometimes fringe ideas and thinking. We may also be more inclined to spend more time with groups (the collective) and be more social than when the Sun is in Capricorn.

Aquarius is associated with things and people that are ahead of their time but it can also be associated with lack of tact, abrupt or less than warm energy especially in one on one situations, as Aquarius prefers groups.

Aquarius can be associated with sudden change and revolts of all types in the collective.

Those born under the sign Aquarius typically have logical thinking and Mercury is exalted in this sign meaning communication moves along with ease.

The Sun squares Uranus January 30, and this day will require flexibility to work out well. The more rigid your plans are, the more likely you are to feel unsettled, as it is likely something may change this day or work out in an unexpected manner. This will set off the Saturn-Uranus square once again, and we will see some significant events on the world stage.

If your life feels stagnant this day could be exciting or you could take a new and unexpected direction that could open up a new path. Change is in the air.

Mars enters Capricorn

Mars leaves Aquarius for Capricorn January 24th. Mars in Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, and Capricorn is not a light hearted sign. Mars in this sign is concerned with business, priorities, and finding or achieving value, and most of all stability and personal security on some level. While Mars in Aquarius was flexible and somewhat interested in new ideas Capricorn is typically more concerned with the status quo and achievement along the line of practical realities. Mars last transited through Capricorn February 16^th, 2020-March 30^th of the same year. At that time we were concerned about the practical realities of dealing with Covid.

Mars rules energy, men, sex, action and our drive. Our day to day actions and priorities are colored by the sign Mars is transiting through at any given time.

Saturn, the ruler of this sign shows us our boundaries and limitations. While Capricorn is associated with Saturn which can at times relate to austerity, Capricorn can also be rich, warm and enduring.

If you were born under the sign of Capricorn or are a Capricorn ascendant, expect to become very busy during this time, and this begins a new two year cycle for you.

Mars will remain in Capricorn until March 6th, when it moves into Aquarius.

Full Moon in Cancer

January’s full moon falls at 27 degrees of Cancer on January 17^th, and the lunar peak occurs at 6:48 PM, EDT. Cancer rules the 4^th house of the chart, or home, the homeland, family and is concerned with personal security. Cancer’s ruler is the Moon, or the luminary that rules women and our emotional lives.

Since Cancer is the most emotional of signs, for many this is likely to be an emotionally upsetting full moon as it opposes Pluto, the planet of death, destruction and transformation.

There may be a great deal of anger directed toward or coming from women at this time, and Moon-Pluto aspects tend to reveal previously unknown information, and bring up deep seated issues associated with emotional pain. As Venus is also retrograde this is likely to manifest in relationships, especially those relationships that are not especially stable. Family issues and problems could arise as well.

Mercury has entered its square to Uranus which is associated with unexpected and sometimes shocking news. It can produce anxiety, restlessness and arguments. It is important to use care while driving under this transit as it is accident prone.

In the US we will see much more Covid related news and unfortunately, death. It is possible we could hear of a significant death of a public person on or around this time. We could also be faced with women’s issues that are explosive in nature, issues around finances and general security.

While Moon opposite Pluto is not considered a positive aspect to work with, this could be the time to transform something important and it could include a relationship. You could also come to terms with past issues that have been emotionally debilitating and find resolution or end a bad habit. At this juncture it is best to face any emotional problem and come to terms with it as opposed to pushing it back or avoiding it all together. This can be a difficult but productive full moon in the end.

Uranus turns direct

Uranus turns direct on January 18^th. This is very powerful planetary change and events and situations can change and turn on a dime, especially on the world stage or if Uranus is aspecting something in your personal chart.

Uranus is an unpredictable planet and its forward movement can seem like a jolt of lightening. Relationships, jobs, life paths, money situations and many other things can turn or change in unexpected ways, good or bad, depending on what Uranus is doing in your personal chart.

Uranus rules coups and freedom in the world as well as the internet and aircraft and we could see changes in these areas. When Uranus is retrograde it can be compared to the planet ‘being asleep.’ After it turns direct those things we have worked on over the last 6 months may take a greater form in the physical world.

The retrograde of Uranus is often associated with inner change that is connected to the outer changes in our lives. We tend to make inner change during Uranus’s retrograde that will allow us more success in the outside world when the planet turns direct. The retrograde period can usher in more self awareness, which can allow is to make changes that will lead to success in the future. During the retrograde it is typically easier to face any changes we need to make.

Uranus is associated with freedom, sometimes ‘freedom at any cost.’ This is why sometimes Uranus’s retrograde is associated with break ups and breaking free of things we find oppressive in our lives. Alternatively, we may process the information and then break free when Uranus turns direct.