Venus is currently in the first decan of Leo and she is pretty much doing her own thing. Which also mean she is harder to access. Most of the action is happening in the later part of Leo. On Sunday we have a Mercury/Mars conjunction at 28 Leo on the eclipse degree. This will most likely bring heated debates and bold conversations. Watch out for the big egos out there.
Today, the Moon is in the Earth sign of Capricorn and will join Pluto in a few hours and then square Jupiter in Libra. The Sun is in the sign of Virgo which is also an Earth sign.
It’s a great day to roll up our sleeves and attend to the nitty gritty details of our lives. We could feel the pressure of deadlines and all that still needs to be accomplished to get where we want to be. ♌︎
The Sun in Virgo and the Moon in Capricorn (both Earth signs) are looking for tangible results and practicalities. Don’t let status anxiety or the fear of not being good enough override this productive period. Return to basics and be grateful for what you CAN accomplish. Let go of the desire to have everything done immediately and be patient with the process.
Since it’s Venus day and Venus is all about pleasure and beauty, make some time to indulge and have fun today.
Venus loves beauty and ease; she is not interested in getting her hands dirty.
Stop and smell the flowers, create space for harmony, tranquility and peace to enter your sphere. Visit an art gallery, take pictures, listen to music, get a massage, eat delicious foods, and most importantly, indulge in what makes you feel beautiful and content.
The Moon in Capricorn will shortly join Pluto and trigger the current Mars/Pluto square. Mars is at home in the sign of Aries which means it can fully express its martial qualities while Pluto is often compared to the latent powers hidden in the underworld.
When these 2 powerful planets are in a difficult aspect we can expect themes associated with anger and frustration to surface. We can also expect hidden or secret information to be revealed. Pluto often serves as a difficult catalyst for transformation while Mars pushes our instinctual and animalistic side to fearlessly assert itself.
A lot of power and stamina are available right now to help us succeed. The urge to transform and let go of stale modalities could feel urgent.
What irritates us could be extremely obvious now and this awareness can be used to bring the necessary changes. However it is very likely that we perceive our currant limitations as outside of our control which will result in anger and confrontation.
Things have the potential to escalate quickly today so stay cool and level headed and avoid charged situations if possible!
The Sun is in Pisces conjunct the Tail of the Dragon and the Moon is in the sign of Capricorn. We might be revisiting time-tested ideas that prove to be better than their modern versions. Something from the past could come back for revision or be revived. We could also find ourselves appreciating the craftsmanship of our ancestors and be inspired by the quality of objects from the past.
With the Moon in Capricorn, it’s a good day to get work done and find some discipline. Since the Sun in Pisces and Neptune will receive a sextile from the Moon in Capricorn, work that requires a certain amount of creativity and inspiration should benefit.
The Sun just entered the sign of Aquarius on January 19 where it will stay until February 18.
Before the New Moon in Aquarius on January 27, the Moon will travel through Sagittarius and Capricorn. We can expect the next few days to be full of heated debates and self-righteous dialogues as the Moon applies to a conjunction with Saturn. At its best, Saturn in Sagittarius can be about having faith in our convictions which help fuel our ideas and bring some structure to what we believe in. At its worst, Saturn in Sagittarius becomes dogmatic and fanatical, imposing its point of view in a one way preaching of its truth, testing the solidity and validity of our faith. Since the ruler of the Moon in Sagittarius is Jupiter in the sign of the scales (Libra) the debates and conversations will most likely revolve around equality and inequality, justice and injustice, right vs. wrong, relational issues and the delicate balance of it all.
The Moon will also briefly square Mars at 29 degrees of Pisces as it prepares to ingress in the sign of its rulership of Aries. Note that both the last decan of Pisces and the first decan of Aries are ruled by Mars – emphasizing the martial qualities of this time period.
The Moon moves into the sign of Capricorn on Wednesday January 24 at 17:43 EST and will make some lovely aspects mainly a sextile to Neptune in Pisces and a conjunction to Mercury in Capricorn which could bring some conversations around the topics of healing, compassion and mercy. Thursday promises to be a day filled with challenges as the Moon in Capricorn conjunct Pluto in the early morning hours and then square Uranus in Aries and Jupiter in Libra. Thursday evening the Moon sextile Venus in Pisces, applying a balm on the heat of the last few days.
With the Sun in Aquarius, the desire for freedom and independence is very strong. Freedom of thoughts, freedom of speech and the tendency to rebel against the existing structures while also wanting to reform and bring about new and better ways of doing things. Feeling left-out of the conversation and the impression of not belonging anywhere could permeate the next month while the Sun travels in Aquarius. Themes of exile and frontiers could set us apart which in turn could create a state of disillusionment and alienation.
Take a Breather
The time preceding the New Moon is called the Dark Moon and it describes the Moon when it is invisible against the backdrop of the Sun. It is the last phase of the lunar cycle before it begins again.
Astrologically speaking, the last 3 days before the New Moon represent a time of rest, of letting go, of sorting out and making space for what is ready to begin in the upcoming month. The days leading to the New Moon are best spent nurturing and resting the body in preparation for the month ahead. One of the best way to spend the next few days, is to seek space and get out for a hike, stretch and relax. Stretch the mind, stretch the body and seek openness. The desire for change is strong but judgmental and self-righteous behaviours might be even stronger, creating division and arguments instead of unity. This can be depleting or draining instead of being productive. Use this Dark Moon period to regroup, tie-up loose ends and finish things. New ideas and new ways of doing will naturally start emerging in the process and you will be fresh and ready to tackle February which promises to be a big month.
The New Moon on January 27 at 19:07 EST is in the sign of Aquarius and its ruler Saturn in Sagittarius will be square to Venus in Pisces. This indicate tension between certain structures in our lives, our beliefs, our values and our ability (or inability) to find sweetness amidst the harshness and difficulties of these times. Feeling limited and opressed while seeking or craving beauty and exaltation. Our ability to find what brings us together (Venus) versus what divides us (Saturn) will set the tone for the month ahead. Since Aquarius is linked to innovation, perhaps now is the time to begin applying new and better ways of doing things.
The best way to predict the future is to invent it. -Alan Kay
“We may idealize freedom, but when it comes to our habits, we are completely enslaved.” ―Sogyal Rinpoche
Dedication and Destination
Uranus going direct at the end of December really got us all fired up about the upcoming possibilites in our lives in the New Year. Saturn in Sagittarius ruled by Jupiter in Virgo is offering the possibility to have an organised outlook on the horizon and a good idea of the work that is required get beyond our current situation. Our faith is turning towards the satisfaction that comes with the dedicated attention of working and being useful. We could feel ambitious and work hard to see concrete results down the road. This is a great time let go of instant gratification and integrate systems in our lives that can bring a lasting legacy.
2016 starts with Mercury retrograde at 1º of Aquarius tantalising us with a glimpse of the possible future. Mercury going backward in the sign of Capricorn is like the mountain goat walking the treacherous path of a mountain side: every steps are carefully calculated. With the Sun also in Capricorn and a recent conjunction to Pluto, we could feel extremely ambitious and ready to tackle pretty much anything. Mars in Scorpio is also supporting us with the staying power and resilience needed.
The year 2016 starts with an opportunity to review our values and what we consider important. There is an emphasis on all the little things that makes up the whole. Our attention is on analysis and perspective. The small but important details and the patience required to achieve mastery. The idea here is not to become a martyr but to find greater satisfaction through dedicated awareness in our everyday actions. Negotiating a chosen path requires a little give and take at every moment as we learn to develop a more efficient strategy. Success demands effort, commitment and nerves.
NEW MOON IN CAPRICORN ☾♑︎
The New Moon is at 21:31 EST on January 9th at 19º Capricorn and is carrying with her clues about our role and responsibilities and the place we want to occupy in the grand scheme of things. There might have been some difficult realisations brought up in the recent days around our relationships and habits that no longer serves you. Since this New Moon is ruled by Saturn she brings with her an awareness of time passing and our own or others mortality.
Saturn is currently conjunct Venus which confuse work with pleasure, labour with leisure. Even more so with the square to Neptune which can act as a distraction and a desire to avoid reality all together.
Jupiter just started its retrograde motion through the sign of Virgo and will only turn direct 5 months from now. *Special attention to the nitpickers and perfectionists out there, the possibility to get lost in the never good enough labyrinth is real.
Those planetary aspects, can indicate that we are aligning our work and our beliefs into a more unified version. If only we could find the simple formula that would allow us to combine the obligations of our reality with our inner truth. There is great need to adjust what we do on a daily basis with our beliefs and vice versa. This can create a sort of cognitive dissonance if our words do not match our actions. We are learning to walk the talk and we need to let go of certain habits, situations or people who might be holding us back.
The New Moon in Capricorn supports fresh ideas and concepts that are grounded and achievable. Since Mercury is retrograde for most of January, I would suggest focusing on restructuring the systems you have in place that will allow you to become more efficient. Favour concrete, step-by-step approach and let-go of time-wasting habits without becoming too obsessive.
Modern Vanitas by Kalico the Kat
We are weighed down, every moment, by the conception and the sensation of Time. And there are but two means of escaping and forgetting this nightmare: pleasure and work. Pleasure consumes us. Work strengthens us. Let us choose.
-Charles Baudelaire
The Moon is in Capricorn for the rest of the day and just left a conjunction with Pluto triggering the recent cardinal t-square between Mars, Uranus and Pluto. Those of you with personal planets in cardinal signs (Aries-Libra-Cancer-Capricorn) could be especially sensitive to the changes that are trying to occur.
The image: Tectonic plates are shifting. There are significant structural changes happening with far reaching results which might be invisible to the naked eye. Tectonic plates moving around can also cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. This is part of a bigger process.
There is a desire to move in a new direction. We can see all the work that needs to be done and we are willing to roll up our sleeves. We could feel serious and determined as we take on new responsibilities. We also have to collaborate with others in the process. Finding compromises that work for both parties involved.
The spirit is moving forward seeking change and renewal.
A view through the narrow Nes Canyon, near Husavik, north west Iceland. This canyon is formed by a fault in Iceland’s volcanic landscape that has filled with glacial spring water. Photo taken by Alex Mustard.
The Moon just entered the earth sign of Capricorn and the Sun is moving in the last degrees of Virgo, an earth sign also.
We are working towards something. We have a vision. Each actions are deliberately calculated. It can feel a bit heavy but we know that each step is contributing to the outcome. The process is important. So we apply careful attention without becoming overly critical. Each movement is a contribution to our ambitious goal.
Art by Sean Mahan
There is a serious quality to the day as we prepare for the upcoming equinox, the change of season. We can feel a shift is coming but for today we put our head down and focus on the task at hand in order to slowly bring the dream into form.
9th House 