January 2021 Celestial Wisdom
We finished a year sculpted by the Hero’s Journey. Often when a story comes to a close, we believe that it is a “happily ever after” scenario. However, I would like to offer in this blog and upcoming blogs, the continuation story. As we know, life continues to march along and we are invited into a deeper exploration of what it means to truly be the Hero of our own stories. The overall theme for January is that rebellion and revolution around the world may cause us to revisit the real issues at hand and reveal more truth. As the saying goes, “The truth will set you free.” We can cut ourselves free from the ideas that we have no choices. The truth may not always be pretty or easy, but it will allow us to pause and take notice of the choices we can make.
For January’s quote, I am going with the beautiful, talented and controversial Gemini, Marilyn Monroe: “I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”
This quote sums up the nature of January’s energy as we are still facing the pandemic, a world in crisis, and a changing of the guard in the United States. 2020 stirred up all kinds of shadow work and the overarching theme of Capricorn reminded us to own, embrace and master the darker or negative sides of ourselves. December heralded Jupiter and Saturn as they made their move out of Capricorn and into Aquarius, only to set us up for three squares to Uranus in Taurus. At its worst, Uranus is a rebellious teenager who thinks they know what’s best for themselves, and refuses to listen to anyone in authority. This can create sudden splits from our families, values, jobs, or groups.
At its best Uranus can use its intuitive nature to bring innovative and radical ideas into concrete form that can be useful for humanities evolution.
In the sign of Taurus, we may be facing tensions with economic changes and shifts in our values. We may struggle with the status quo in the materialistic world, and strive for equality for all when it comes to resources and safety in one’s own agency.
Now that we have “returned home”, we may be ready to connect with those who want to hear the story of our adventures, of our trials and tribulations. However, upon our return home, we may have realized that some cobwebs, dirt and muck built up in our homes.
As we finished the month of December we encountered a full moon in Cancer that invited us to clean out the emotional baggage from 2020 and find comfort and security in the blessings we can give gratitude for.
Some of us may have had a moment or two of truth telling about someone or something from our past. The rose colored glasses came off and maybe even the gloves. Very little was left unsaid or undone, as Venus in Sagittarius was squaring off with Neptune in Pisces and canoodling with the South Node. Venus’ role was to make sure that our relationships, finances, values, and creative expressions are cleaned and polished so that we can enter into 2021 fully aware of what and who we are working with. I would imagine that many relationships were either cleaned up or cleared out. A perfect way to begin fresh on a new calendar year and month.
Now as we begin the month of January, we find ourselves feeling a renewed sense of determination and drive to get this new year started off right. Planning for the future may be underway as Mars will be moving through the last degrees of Aries until January 6th when it moves into Taurus. Mars in Taurus gives us a practical and realistic approach to what we can manifest to survive. I would venture to say that many of us will be looking for ways to move out of survival mode and into thriving mode during the upcoming weeks and months.
Much of the strategic planning may involve innovative ways to work smarter instead of harder, and with Mars in the sign of Taurus, we have a great Coach or Supervisor to work with.
However, the shadow side of Mars in Taurus is an extreme resistance to change. This could mean that we make our plans and start to implement them, and any curve ball or request to change them could incite anger or rage. This may be especially true as Mars will be activating Uranus in Taurus and beginning a square to Saturn in Aquarius starting January 4th.
The exact square of Mars and Saturn is on the 11th and we can feel the after effects throughout the entire month of January as Mars canoodles with Uranus on the 19th and 20th, and makes a square to Jupiter on January 21st. This set up with Mars can offer a few different scenarios and with all that we have endured over the past year, I would venture to say the most dominate energy may be a disruption of anger, rage, and peacefulness within our communities, organizations and issues relating to what we as human beings need to work and live.
As one of my Teachers, Deborah Jones wrote in a Spirituality & Health article (https://spiritualityhealth.com/articles/2019/05/21/in-the-true-spirit-of-community) “Within the true spirit of community, conflict can arise. In fact, conflict has value to a healthy, spirit-filled group when that conflict is met and resolved with emotional stability and well-practiced communication skills. In the villages of Africa, conflict is seen as a timely gift sent by Spirit to clear obscurations in their lives. The villagers would say that conflict arrives to crack open hidden thoughts, interpretations, and stuck energies. Without skillful conflict, a community could become stagnant, rigid, and cease to function organically. In the true spirit of community, the way conflict is approached and resolved is a barometer measuring the state of maturity of its members and the community itself.”
The time to crack open hidden thoughts, interpretations, and stuck energies is upon us! Mars in Taurus squaring off with Jupiter and Saturn this month (Mars will square off with Saturn two more times this year when our Red Planet is in Leo and Scorpio), can be the catalyst for getting things moving. If there is a particular area of your life where you have felt particularly stuck or have been waiting for the right time to take action, this tension can be just what you need to get moving. A wonderful principle to keep in mind is “Ask and it will be given. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened.” Ask for the signs, messages and confirmations, and then by goddess/god take action! One fine print word of caution: Do be careful of any “get rich quick” schemes or the occasional Charlton who will want to sell you some snake oil during this time. If it seems too good to be true, it most likely is.
January 8th Mercury enters Aquarius and Venus enters Capricorn.
Mercury in Aquarius is asking us to think and speak objectively when presenting new, radical ideas, while Venus in Capricorn makes us more cautious in matters of romance, finances, beauty and peacekeeping. However with Mercury quickly forming a square to Uranus, we may find ourselves caught up in a revolution or rebellion particularly through the internet, social media or news. I would also put a guess out there that Mother Nature may have a surprise or two in store for us during this transit. The other thing to watch for here is another cyber breach that could compromise our information. The gift of this square between Mercury and Uranus is that we could also have a breakthrough in information or radical ideas that can catapult us forward using science or technology so that new security measures to protect our information can be put into place, especially as Mars will be involved in this transit.
Venus will stay in Capricorn until the end of the month, cautiously yet seductively inviting us to play with where we want more commitment and stability in our relationships, finances, or creative endeavors.
If single and looking for love appearing mature, masterful, and in control of ourselves can attract more competent, powerful suitors, possibly someone older in age. If bonded with someone this transit can trigger moments when you two evaluate where the relationship and your commitments can deepen and together can accomplish more as the year moves forward. Regardless of your relationship status many, if not most of us will be ready to take our relationships, beauty, finances, or values much more seriously. No game playing will be allowed unless it is agreed upon by both parties. Venus trines Mars and Uranus and canoodles with the Moon on the new moon January 11th/12th. We might suddenly attract a new opportunity to manifest our heart’s desire.
Speaking of new moons, this month’s new moon in Capricorn on January 11/12 will signal a powerful moment in time to begin implementing the plans we have for 2021.
The Sun and Moon will be in a close enough conjunction (canoodling) with Pluto that we may feel an intensity of emotions that can be triggered by a situation where we are able to exert our power or we feel powerless. With Pluto involved in this new moon, whatever shows up may have been buried deep in our subconscious that only a trigger like a new moon can do.
Consider the themes from 2020 with so much emphasis on Capricorn…accomplishments, responsibilities, self control, discipline, authoritarian, and tradition are some of the key words.
Imagine that during this moment of the new moon you are looking at your plans for the week ahead, the month ahead and even year ahead and someone comes to you with an issue. This could trigger Capricorn feelings (responsibility, duty, accomplishing at all costs) and if you are limited in your resources, knowledge or power could leave you feeling heavy, unworthy, or frustrated. You may be dealing with a personal issue such as a relationship dynamic where you feel you have done all you can to achieve an outcome yet the other person refuses to compromise or makes a decision you have no choice but to surrender to. This is where Pluto can be a friend or foe. Pluto is all about surrendering to the things we cannot control, and if we fight it we bring suffering and misery upon ourselves. If we surrender with grace and dignity, Pluto can unearth a hidden “superpower” and help to elevate us to the next level of our lives. Keep in mind too that we are still in the energy wave of the new moon solar eclipse back on December 14th, so it is possible this theme finally shows up.
Uranus stations direct on January 14th giving us all planets now in direct motion. All of the things we have been internalizing over the past 5 months may suddenly manifest in some form of art, beauty, food, or resources. We may see more people speaking up and out on issues regarding climate change, sustainability, and radical use of the resources we have. A large population of people may become part of a revolution against social media, what is being reported in the news, or a show of rebellion using fashion or plant medicine. We may also get a glimpse of financial instability in our worldwide economies. Consider when Uranus was in Taurus in the 1930’s. Coming off of the Great Depression, The Securities Act, Reconstruction Finance Act, and the Wall Street Strike all took place while Uranus was in Taurus. We were then catapulted into World War II as Uranus was transiting in its last degrees of Taurus. Notice a trend? We are coming off of a pandemic that has thrashed the world economies with shutdowns, restrictions, government loans and stimulus checks. Are we repeating a historic pattern? Time will tell.
Happy Birthday Aquarians! The Sun ingresses into Aquarius on January 19th setting us up for a moment of tension (remember tension signals change and growth) between our own personal identity and expression and what the collective is currently revolutionizing.
We may begin to feel a restlessness of mind and body to align ourselves with the group or organization that lines up with our values. Our search for equality in all areas of life may also come with radical acceptance of our differences. The mantra “different doesn’t mean wrong, it just means different” can serve us well, as we navigate the choppy waters of starts, stops, and delays in the upcoming weeks. Much of the choppiness energy is due to Mercury stationing retrograde in Aquarius right on the heels of our Leo full moon. Before I get to the full moon, let’s talk more about
Mercury retrograde in Aquarius (January 30th).
Mercury retrogrades three times a year and turns our thoughts, connections, and mental acuity inwards. Those who follow astrology and especially Mercury retrogrades closely understand that the prefix “re” relates to a Mercury retrograde. Often we are revisiting issues, people or situations from our past come back to be redone or reworked, or we spend more time reworking simple communication, technology, or transportation issues than normal. Mercury is our messenger planet so often when Mercury is retrograde our messages appear to be tricks played upon us. Mercury in Aquarius is skeptical, objective, and often comes to its own conclusion and ideas regardless of others’ opinions. Mercury in Aquarius is interested in truth and a common Mercury in Aquarius question is “Is this really true?” I would imagine that we will be questioning a lot of what we read, hear and see in the news and on social media, even in our own social circles. On a mundane level, pay close attention to your online presence, the information you share, and contracts you sign. Take your time with making sure you have all the right pieces of information in place before committing to something. This is where delays can be a blessing.
Speaking of our full moon in Leo on January 28th, we have a cosmic lineup that could prove to be beneficial in at least one area of our lives.
We will have the Sun and Jupiter canoodling giving off a positive and exuberant vibe, while Venus is canoodling with Pluto creating an intense desire for love and harmony. While these are normally positive and abundantly generous placements for these powerful planets, this full moon is in an aspect called a T-square with Mars in Taurus. T-squares are known for their dynamic tension and the planet in the “apex” position, which in this case is Mars, highlights the differences in the opposition between the Sun and Moon.Mars may be experienced as an obstacle, which stands in the way of reconciliation and balance between our two luminaries. At the same time Mars may also turn out to become the mediator between the Sun and Moon thereby taking up the mantle of the Hero or Heroine.
The Sun is in detriment in Aquarius, meaning it may express itself through the mind instead of the heart. However, as Aquarians can do so beautifully, they can check in with their heart and allow their ideas to be seeds that are planted in the fertile soil of the heart to be turned into wisdom. With the moon opposing the Sun in Leo, we could find ourselves battling between our heads and hearts. Remember that we all have Aquarius in our chart, so look at where this full moon may be activating your head and heart. This struggle can bring more wholeness to what we desire and what ideas we choose to identify with. The Sun represents our identity, ego, what’s important to us, our sense of purpose and vitality. Issues surrounding self worth, competitiveness, or exhibitionism can cause tension in relationships or situations if we create a battle between our ego and personal agenda and the larger vision or purpose. If we are able to share our personal agendas in a way that is beneficial to the whole (relationship, group, or situation) then we can use Mars’ energy to help us drive both personal and larger agendas with purpose and meaning.
We close out the month with Venus in her last degrees of Capricorn and entering into Aquarius. More to come on that in February. In the meantime,
I would pay close attention to the themes and experiences that come up this month as much like 2020 will set the stage for 2021.
Please check out my YouTube channel for weekly updates as I will share more detail about weekly planetary activities and how they may influence our lives. Wishing you and your beloveds a very happy 2021!!!