Starwise Forecast
First of All: Happy and Blessed New Year’s Wishes to you all.
Remember, people with birthdays in January are entitled to 10% off of their Readings this month.
We enter the New Year with a waning Moon, following the Full Moon on the 29th, until the New Moon on the 13th.
1 – New Year’s Day has Mercury in Capricorn harmonizing, sextiling, with Neptune in Pisces. A good day for some serious investigation of spirituality, imagination, or areas requiring deep compassion and love, and to be willing to express such sentiments where it will be realistically beneficial.
4 – As the Sun, Mercury, and later, Venus are all going to be moving through Capricorn this month, they are all, at some point, going to conjunct Pluto in Capricorn. What that means is that these personal emotional, mental, and egoic-identity planets are going to have to experience a closeness to the deep unconscious, hidden transformations taking place in our societies and our individual psyches. It seems rather a fitting engagement to be making in this first month of a New Year and of a new decade.
Today the first of these conjunctions will be between Mercury and Pluto, so it is our mental understandings and communications which will have to bear with this intense Plutonian scrutiny. Being all in Capricorn it is prone to being very serious indeed.
6 – Mars moves from fiery Aries into earthy Taurus.
8 – Mercury moves from earthy Capricorn into airy Aquarius.
And, Venus moves from fiery Sagittarius into earthy Capricorn.
On this day there will, first, be a nice harmony between the Sun in Capricorn and Neptune in Pisces. This kind of Capricorn/Pisces harmony is also something that will be taking place with these same Capricorn-placed planets this month. This is an opportunity to bring emotional, mental and egoic-identified energies in serious, hardworking Capricorn into a harmonious embrace of Neptunian/Piscean unconditional love, forgiveness, compassion, imagination and creativity, and mystical spirituality.
Today it is our egoic/self-identity of the Sun which is able to make this positive engagement with these Neptunian qualities.
As I said earlier, Mercury will move from earthy Capricorn into airy Aquarius early today. Mars, however, has just two days ago moved into Taurus, a sign which is square to Aquarius, we will therefore have a square today between Mercury in Aquarius and Mars in Taurus.
As I mentioned in my article about 2021, this year there is an overarching theme of tension between Taurus and Aquarius, notably three squares between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus.
This month and into next month we will be able to experience, once again, personally related engagements with this overall archetypal tension, as the Sun, Mercury and Venus all move through Aquarius in this next month. And, in fact, there will be even more personally oriented experiences of this nature in this period because Mars, another one of the personal planets, is also in Taurus, along with Uranus. In fact, on the 20th, they will conjunct each other.
To give some clarification, let me repeat the overall theme of Aquarius/Taurus tension. Aquarius has a quality of humanity and brother/sisterhood, but can be rather mentally cool and distant. Taurus, being Venus-ruled, has a deep potential for love, but being an Earth Sign, Taurus is tempted to lavish their love on their body, money and/or possessions instead of giving it to others.
So, their ‘styles’ are quite different and can seem quite antagonistic to each other. However, it is really their weaknesses which irritate each other, the cool-detachedness of Aquarius and the materially-indulgent quality of Taurus.
If they can learn to have compassion and forgiveness for each other and learn to use these tensions to overcome their weaknesses, bringing forth the potential for a union of the high-minded humanitarian quality of Aquarius and the heart-felt, but grounded-in-reality, love of Taurus, they can do great things together.
With today’s tension being between Mercury in Aquarius, a mental planet tending towards mental detachment anyway, and Mars in Taurus, a sign which is not comfortable for Mars where he tends to be particularly sensually indulgent, this specific Aquarius/Taurus tension would be particularly difficult. They can bring out the worst in each other or project one end or the other into the environment. Remember to ‘hang on to your love.’
9 – Venus, newly arrived in the earth sign Capricorn, will harmonize, trine, with Mars in the earth sign Taurus. This will perhaps be a bit emotionally comforting to the Mars in Taurus, following the tension of the day before. Venus in Capricorn is much better at convincing Mars in Taurus of the need to control and discipline passion, and realize the opportunity of a deeper love that involves true loyalty.
Later in the day, Mercury in Aquarius will conjunct Saturn in Aquarius. Hopefully, this will bring some serious mental/communicative engagement into how to realistically and responsibly bring Aquarian ideals of equality and brother/sisterhood into concrete expression.
11 – We once again have Mercury in Aquarius conjuncting another planet in Aquarius. But this time it isn’t responsible, disciplined Saturn, but philosophically aspirational Jupiter. Today that Mercurial mental/communicative experience can be boosted by the enthusiasm and optimism of Jupiter.
12 – Mercury in Aquarius will square Uranus in Taurus. Mercury/Uranus tensions always stimulate heightened intuition and unconventional perspectives, however, especially in a tense aspect like this, it can create mental tension and communicative impulsiveness. Remember to breathe.
13 – First there will be the Sun/Moon, New Moon conjunction in Aquarius. There has been a lot of Aquarius energy lately, personified by both inner and outer planets. Today is an annual Aquarian event, an opportunity to align the conscious and the unconscious components of our psyche within the energy field of the sign of Aquarius. A sign whose most positive expression is an awareness and acceptance of human equality and brother/sisterhood, a bringer together of disparate groups of humanity, and a visionary for not-before-seen vistas of human co-operation. The downside of Aquarius is an airy, detached, emotional coolness, especially fueled by technological, impersonal interactions.
Later, there will be more Aquarius/Taurus tension. This time it will be between Mars in Taurus and Saturn in Aquarius. Here is what Hilarion says about Mars square Saturn in general:
Mars is energy and any close Saturn aspect will tend to sit on the energies and cap them up from time to time…. The secret here is the balancing-off of the restrictive tendency of Saturn against the expansive, not to say explosive tendency of Mars. If the individual can learn to find the mid-point between these principles, balance in the life pattern is possible. If he cannot, then wild swings between over-repressive and overly energetic states can be expected. (End Quote)
In this case, the nature of this tension is between Mars’ Taurian selfish sensual indulgences and Saturn’s Aquarian cool-detached mental control of things, which can restrict that Mars energy until it explodes out irrationally. As Hilarion has suggested, a healthy recognition and integration of both is what is called for.
Later, Venus in Capricorn will harmonize with, trine, Uranus in Taurus. Uranus/Venus harmonies can inspire greater emotional freedom and spontaneity, and openness to unconventional emotional realities. This can be quite helpful to Venus in Capricorn, which can tend to be rather emotionally-reserved. But Venus in Capricorn is also capable of real steadfast loyalty and this can be useful to the Uranian revolution at hand, forcing humanity to decide whether they are going to choose love or money.
14 – Uranus stops its retrograde motion and moves direct, and so will be much more active at ‘stirring things up.’
Later, there will be a Sun/Pluto conjunction in Capricorn. Here our own egoic/self-identity will have to submit to deep Plutonian inner scrutiny, as well as having to look at what transformations of oneself and society are part of your own individual fate and destiny.
17 – Today there will be a Jupiter in Aquarius square to Uranus in Taurus. The big Aquarius/Taurus tension this year is the three Saturn/Uranus squares. But Jupiter is a pretty significant planet as well. Especially as it is kind of an ‘antidote’ for Saturn. Saturn is prone to contraction and depression. Jupiter is the planet of expansion and promotes optimism. Their conjunction back in December, of course, was one of the really big significant events lately.
Jupiter in Aquarius is also quite positive, in general. Here is the up side according to Hilarion:
Jupiter in this sign of brotherhood points to the ability to bring together conflicting groups, to forge closer ties between people, and to promote universal goodwill and love. The expression of this ability is the highest calling of the person with Jupiter in Aquarius. (End Quote)
But Jupiter is also prone to exaggeration or being overly optimistic. This is the karmic lesson of Jupiter when placed in Aquarius in a birthchart:
In Aquarius, ruled by Uranus, Jupiter is in a difficult placement. The energies of Uranus are not all complementary to those of Jupiter, and the usual result is that the individual feels as if the energies and abundances of his life are constantly under a threat of abrupt change or disruption. Thus the career may seem to be “hanging by a thread” or too much at the mercy of another’s moods, or the marriage may be threatened regularly with currents forcing changes. All of these uncertainties are for the purpose of causing the individual to raise his sights from the material or practical level and to fix them on the distant star of occult knowledge. This pursuit need not be in depth — the aim is merely to get the individual to understand that hidden currents run beneath the surface of events, that there is a plan to existence, and that success comes easiest when one “rolls with the punches” of life, allowing higher forces to show where the attention is next to be directed. (End Quote)
The fact that the tension on this Jupiter in Aquarius is coming from Uranus itself, in this instance, I would say heightens the propensity for something unforeseen, testing our ability to ‘go with the flow’ in our personal or collective lives. This may be the flavor of this general time period.
19 – The Sun enters the month of Aquarius.
20 – Today is Inauguration day. At this stage, the last week of December, 2020, people are still wondering what surprise stunt Donald Trump may pull today.
Well, the main Astrological aspect of this day kind of heightens my own personal fears around that. There will be a Mars/Uranus conjunction in Taurus. This is what Hilarion says about Mars in aspect to Uranus:
Uranus in close aspect to Mars always points to a lack of self-control, usually physical self-control. The negative aspects are the most problematical in terms of angry outbursts, fits of rage and violence, but even the positive aspects call for extra effort in controlling those urges which can damage others in some way. (End Quote)
Of course, the effect of this is not only happening on this day, it is also being imprinted into the Inaugural birth chart of the Joseph Biden Presidency. Hopefully, it will be the birth of a new, liberating, progressive political agenda, with the courage and will-power to really fight for authentic change. And not just the birth of a period of conflicts with those whose opinions oppose such change.
23 – A somewhat busy day in terms of planetary interactions.
First, Mars in Taurus will square Jupiter in Aquarius. Some of the Taurus/Aquarius tensions going on. Mars moves much faster than Uranus, however, but nonetheless, he is prone to impulsive aggressive actions when challenged. In this case he may feel challenged by the, seemingly, over-optimistic aspirations of Jupiter in Aquarius which, as stated above, does need, at times, to learn how to roll-with-the-punches of life. This could be one of those times.
On a much smoother note, Venus will harmonize with, sextile, Neptune in Pisces. I think I have a tendency to say this kind of an aspect would make a great ‘date night.’ However, with Venus in Capricorn it evokes an image of more of a realistic emotional assessment as to how to manifest Neptunian transpersonal love. Or, it could be that reserved Venus in Capricorn learning to open up and trust the possibility for that kind of love.
And lastly, we will have the Sun, newly arrived in Aquarius, conjuncting Saturn in Aquarius. To me, the best side of Saturn can be summed up in the phrase: ‘Making it Real.’ Saturn does potentially supply commitment and discipline but it is also a reality check on what are the necessary limits. In a conjunction this can be accomplished without a lot of resistance and backlash. In fact, the Solar conscious identity can learn to accept and identify its Aquarian ideal with realism, and dissuade those who would say that those ideals are too unrealistic.
26 – The Sun in Aquarius will square Uranus in Taurus. This is a complex kind of tension. Uranus rules Aquarius and, in general, they both want freedom from old patterns that have outlived their purpose. Uranus in Taurus, however, has a 9-year mission of freeing ourselves from the old financial states of being on the planet, those that have been based on fear rather than love. The Uranian urgency to accomplish this can, at times, seem rather impulsive and disruptive and one may find that the high-minded Aquarian idealistic way of accomplishing equality will feel some conflict with that Uranian urgency. Of course, it is an opportunity to accommodate the other and accept that they are on the same team.
28 – Another rather busy day Astrologically. I would, in fact, say a rather powerful day Astrologically.
First, Venus in Capricorn will be the third personal planet in Capricorn having to submit to a conjunction to the Lord of the Underworld, Pluto. Venus/Pluto aspects are always going to force you into going deep within to question your true motives around your emotional feelings and expressions of such. Capricorn is, however, about serious business, and on this day, especially as a conjunction, one can not only examine those motives, but see how the importance of doing so is in order for you to feel deeply into the motives behind other’s emotional feelings and expressions of such. In this way, one can align oneself with the deeper transformative agendas afoot.
Almost exactly three hours later we will have the annual Sun in Aquarius/Moon in Leo, Full Moon opposition. This is always about a challenge between the conscious Aquarian collective urge and the unconscious, instinctual Leonine urge for individual creativity and leadership. An opportunity to learn to integrate these energies and to be able to get them to work together instead of one at the expense of the other.
On this day, however, the Sun in Aquarius will conjunct Jupiter in Aquarius, at the same time that the Moon in Leo will oppose Jupiter in Aquarius.
I would tend to see the meeting of the Sun and Jupiter in Aquarius as a very positive altruistic potential, as both of these planets, in an individual birthchart, are capable of bringing forth the positive humanitarian and equality engendering brotherhood/sisterhood Aquarian ideals.
The fact that they are both opposing the Moon in Leo on the same day that they meet evokes a sense of a consciously uplifted aspiration having to confront a lingering unconscious challenge as to how much the individual aspiration needs to learn to surrender to that collective Aquarian objective. This will also bring about the need to provide an answer to the question as to how much we must rely on individual leaders to help us to focus and ‘spearhead’ the new aspirations, and how much it is time to really embrace a unified capacity to operate with an equal collective consciousness and responsibility, not so reliant on leaders.
Blessings,
Steffan Vanel
* ’Astrology Plus by Hilarion’, the book which I am always quoting from and has been out of print for some time, is now available as an EBook on Amazon.
* Hilarion’s ‘Nations’ EBook is also available on Amazon