Mercury retrograde and a New Moon – both focused in Capricorn – highlight the first half of January. The Uranus-Pluto square‘s energy of revolutionary transformation is revitalized by the New Moon. And a Venus-Jupiter-Chiron T-square opens the door to relationship healing. Plus many more high-side astrological opportunities!
Click astrology graphics to see larger images.
1/1 (Fri)
Happy New Year!
Mercury makes a brief visit to Aquarius January 1-8. Why so brief? There can only be one reason: Mercury retrograde!
More on Mercury retrograde on 1/5. With Mercury in Aquarius now, it’s easier to engage in outside-the-box thinking. You’re also likely to get more intuitive flashes. It’s a great time to express your unconventional thoughts.
That’s because Mercury represents rational thought, while Aquarius sends down lightning strikes of intuitive knowledge. Perhaps that’s why the Aquarius symbol looks like twin lightning bolts!
1/2 (Sat)
Your ability to get things done can be magically energized with the Sun quintile Mars (11°40′ Capricorn – 29°14′ Libra).
1/3 (Sun)
Quintile magic carries on from yesterday with Venus quintile Jupiter (5°12′ Sagittarius – 23°12′ Virgo). This aspect can lend a magical quality to relationships, and can help you be more creatively adventurous.
Mars transits Scorpio today through 3/5. This placement fires up transformative inner work, occult practices and sacred sexuality. Mars in Scorpio can also fuel research, investigation and joint ventures. Scorpio is the sign of great wealth, so this placement can also be great for making money!
1/4 (Mon)
No major astrology events.
1/5 (Tue)
Mercury Retrograde
Mercury turns retrograde on 1/5 at 8:05 AM EST (1°2′ Aquarius). The winged messenger will turn direct again on 1/25 at 4:49 PM EST (14°54′ Capricorn).
You’ll have a few days to reflect on Aquarian themes. These include:
- Am I expressing the unique human being I am into the world?
- Am I following my intuitive flashes?
- Am I joyfully serving others with my special gifts?
From January 8-25, with Mercury reversing through Capricorn, contemplate these questions:
- Am I living my life maturely and responsibly?
- Am I using my time well?
- Am I serving others as a wise elder?
- Am I getting enough alone time?
- Am I working too much … or too little?
As always, try to avoid making major purchases or signing critical contracts during any Mercury retrograde. If you do, significant repairs or adjustments may be needed down the road. Make sure you’re communicating clearly, back up critical data, and double check travel arrangements.
Mercury retrograde is an excellent time for reflection and contemplation. This can be focused on life in general, the sign Mercury is transiting, or the natal points Mercury is aspecting in your chart. Mercury retrograde is also great for completing projects already started and making necessary repairs.
Sun Conjunct Pluto
A Sun-Pluto conjunction (15°13′ Capricorn) can make you feel like a snake shedding its skin, or a caterpillar transforming into a gorgeous butterfly. The more you release everything that has outlived its usefulness, the more you’ll be free to blossom into the next wonderful version of yourself. The more you follow your inner guidance, the more you’ll embody a magnificent divine power beyond your wildest dreams!
The Sun and Pluto are coming together in Capricorn. This can fuel tremendous accomplishment in the physical world. Resist the urge to dominate and control others, and strive instead for win-win outcomes.
You may be bubbling over with inspired creativity as Venus squares Neptune (7°39′ Sagittarius-Pisces). This aspect can also soften the boundaries between you and other people, as well as the connection between you and your divine self. With Venus in Sagittarius, be bold and adventurous in your relating and creating!
You may feel a strong urge to speak your mind with Mercury square Mars (1°2′ Aquarius-Scorpio). Try to do so with consideration and respect, since this aspect can lead to verbal sparring and arguments. High-side uses include intellectual breakthroughs and learning about unconventional subjects.
1/6 (Wed)
Would you like to feel a deeper soul connection in your committed partnerships? A Neptune-Juno trine makes it a lot easier! And this doesn’t have to be in a romantic context. You can feel a blissful connection with anyone willing to meet and softly hold your gaze.
Juno’s placement in Scorpio – the sign of blending energies with others – makes this aspect particularly strong. But trines are lazy, and never do all the work themselves. The more effort you put into this connection opportunity, the more rewards you’ll reap!
1/7 (Thu)
Sun Square Uranus
After conjoining Pluto on 1/5, the Sun squares Uranus (16°37′ Capricorn-Aries) today. This Uranus-Pluto connection energizes revolutionary transformation, especially in the areas of business and accomplishment.
Unto itself, the Sun-Uranus square urges you to “let your freak flag fly,” even if it means disappointing those who love you. (Muggles will never understand what it means to be a wizard, so don’t expect them to.) Pay special attention to your gut feelings, and serve others with your special talents in the way that most delights you.
To the degree that you don’t do these things, you may experience challenging electrical phenomena. These can include agitation, anxiety, nervousness and irritability. Get on board with the high side of Uranus, and it will bother you less on the low side!
Jupiter Retrograde
Jupiter is retrograde today (23°14′ Virgo) through 5/9 (13°15′ Virgo). This four-month period is good for reflection on faith, religion and your philosophy of life. Think about how you might benefit from foreign travel or exposure to other cultures. Also consider whether there’s enough celebration and euphoria in your life.
With Jupiter backpedaling through Virgo, contemplate whether you’re happy with the service you’re offering to others — are you getting as good as you give? Would you like to improve your health? And are there ways in which you could improve your systems and procedures?
1/8 (Fri)
Venus Conjunct Saturn
Write yourself a reality check on your relationships with Venus conjunct Saturn (12°0′ Sagittarius). This aspect can help you see the state of your relationships more clearly and objectively. Challenges may flare up in problematic relationships, while healthy partnerships can dig an even deeper and more stable foundation.
Sagittarius’ expansive nature is a perfect counterbalance to Saturn’s love of contraction. This Venus-Saturn conjunction can provide a very productive energy for relating and creating!
Mercury in Capricorn
As noted in my Mercury retrograde interpretation above, Mercury backpedals into Capricorn today. The messenger planet will turn direct on 1/25 at 14°54′ Capricorn, then return to Aquarius on 2/13.
Let me save you from having to click a link. Here’s the essence of what I wrote about Mercury in Capricorn in my 1/5 Mercury retrograde interpretation:
With Mercury in Capricorn, contemplate these questions:
- Am I living my life maturely and responsibly?
- Am I using my time well?
- Am I serving others as a wise elder?
- Am I getting enough alone time?
- Am I working too much … or too little?
Mercury in Capricorn supports productive thinking, so you should emerge with some helpful insights!
Healing and mentoring are smoothly energized by a Sun-Chiron sextile (17°43′ Capricorn-Pisces). With the Sun in Capricorn, you can get a lot accomplished in these areas!
1/9 (Sat)
Capricorn New Moon
The first New Moon of 2016 lines up at 8:30 PM EST (19°13′ Capricorn). Any Capricorn New Moon is great for kicking off or amping up the Capricornian qualities already highlighted in this forecast. These include maturity, responsibility, and time management. Also on the list are being a wise elder, getting enough alone time, and maintaining a healthy work/life balance.
Aspects
Uranus-Pluto Square
The outstanding feature of this lunation is that the luminaries conjoin Pluto and square Uranus. This can create a dynamic tension between the Capricornian urge to maintain the status quo and the Uranus-Pluto insistence on revolutionary transformation.
However, these energies are perfectly capable of getting along. The key is to go ahead full steam with the revolutionary transformation that serves your highest good, while letting Saturn manage the details of how you carry it out.
This New Moon is a great time to look at the housecleaning, on all levels, that would serve you:
- Unburden yourself by finding new homes for all the possessions that don’t significantly contribute to your life.
- Release stagnant or toxic relationships, or minimize contact.
- Most importantly, identify the habitual thoughts and ways of being that are holding you back. This New Moon is a fantastic time to blossom into the next magnificent incarnation of yourself!
Other Aspects
This New Moon is conjunct Pallas Athena, which can give you plenty of juju for feminine assertiveness and strategic planning. There’s also a loose conjunction to Mercury, which can energize your learning and communicating. Soft aspects to Jupiter and Chiron amplify higher-level learning, healing, mentoring and celebration!
Sabian Symbol
“A hidden choir singing during a religious service” is this lunation’s Sabian Symbol. To me, this represents the inner voice of wisdom that abides within each of us. Although it can be easier to hear in a ceremonial context, its sweet music is always playing in the background.
Take time to tune in to your own hidden choir – through meditation, invocations, prayer, ritual, nature time … whatever gets you there. This music is more beautiful than anything your human ears will ever hear. Once you experience the harmony, ease and flow it brings, you’ll want it as your background music 24/7!
T-square: Venus-Jupiter-Chiron
The only aspect pattern in the first half of January is a T-square featuring Venus, Jupiter and Chiron. It begins on 1/9, peaks on 1/16 and ends on 1/22. Its main job is to spotlight any dysfunctional relationship patterns so they can be healed.
Venus’ placement in Sagittarius emphasizes the need for individual freedom within partnership. It also invites you to be adventurous in exploring how your relationship can expand and transform. This will allow it to accommodate the ever-changing individual energies of you and your partner.
Venus is also the planet of the artist. So this T-square strongly supports creative expression. It also energizes creative mentoring and the final polishing of your creative babies as you launch them into the world!
Enjoying fresh inspiration in your sacred sexuality is one yummy way to use a Mars-Pluto quintile (3°21′ Scorpio-15°21′ Capricorn). Fresh insights are also available in the areas of leadership, pioneering and assertiveness.
1/10 (Sun)
No major astrology events.
1/11 (Mon)
No major astrology events.
1/12 (Tue)
A Venus-Uranus trine (16°41′ Sagittarius-Aries) can guide your relating and creating by popping in the intuitive flashes you need. Both Venus’ placement in Sagittarius and her smooth connection to Uranus support taking an unconventional approach to your relationships and artistry.
1/13 (Wed)
You can enjoy a smooth flow of “Steady Eddie” productivity with the Capricornian Sun trine Jupiter (23°11′ Capricorn-Virgo).
Today’s Venus-Chiron square is part of the Venus-Jupiter-Chiron T-square that I interpreted on 1/9. See that interpretation to understand this aspect in its larger context.
1/14 (Thu)
Retrograde Mercury makes two aspects today: a Sun-Mercury conjunction (23°49′ Capricorn) and a Mercury-Jupiter trine (23°9′ Capricorn-Virgo). This strongly amplifies learning and communication. With the Sun and Mercury in Capricorn, business communication, mental focus and creative expression all receive flowing support.
1/15 (Fri)
No major astrology events.
Whatever your Sun Sign, Benjamin’s forecasts can help you make the best use of the current astrological energies.
All dates and times are in the U.S. eastern time zone. Events are most powerful on the dates listed, but their influence will be active for at least several days before and after.
Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate sensitive points in your natal chart.
I love the new presentation, this approach works the best so far – thank you so much! However, I really miss the info on void of course moon. Would it be possible to get those back?
Void-of-course moons are back in the forecast as of 1/16/16, Sanna! :-)
Love it