This week we have Mercury retrograde, having just changed direction, so I hope you all are being careful with your communication and reading instructions carefully. 😃 Venus is retrograde also, and you may be thinking more about people from the past who you’ve lost touch with, or repairing broken relationships. We also have Uranus changing direction this week, turning direct after about six months of retrogradation, meaning all of that impetus for change and authenticity will begin to find a route of action. Three planets retrograde is about average – we need that slight pull to the past in order to stay in balance – but when planets change direction like Uranus will this week they do demand more of our attention. What in our lives isn’t really working, what tweaks or major adjustments need to be made? You may be pressed to do something about it this week.
The lunar nodes change signs every eighteen months or so, and they shift to the Taurus/Scorpio axis this week (read more about that here). I like to think of the nodes traveling backwards through the zodiac, helping us to clean up past karma and be released from the past as we continue to grow and evolve. For the next eighteen months this axis of power in fixed signs will help us to find balance between the intensity and passion of Scorpio and the need for serenity and peacefulness of Taurus. Both are fixed signs: stubborn and powerful, with a tendency towards rigidity and difficulty letting go. This can lead to some conflict, and those of us who are conflict-averse may find this more of a challenge but it will help us to become more fully empowered and authentic.
Finally, the Sun enters Aquarius this week, marking a shift of solar consciousness from the grounded reality-based world of Capricorn to the science-based innovation of Aquarius. Where Capricorn looks for ways to adjust to the current reality, Aquarius looks for ways to change it and that can be a good thing.
Here’s what’s happening in the week ahead. Dates and times are for the Eastern time zone, please adjust for your locality.
Monday January 17. The Cancer Full Moon takes place at 6:48 pm EST, demanding an open heart to the world. This Full Moon is particularly powerful with an opposition to Pluto which conjoins the Sun right now – Pluto, the power planet, which takes us deep into our own psyche to excavate the treasures that lie there. A harmonious sextile from the Moon to Neptune enhances creativity and imagination, helping us to better understand the depth of feeling and emotion that the Cancer Full Moon can bring up.
The Moon enters Leo at 11:03 pm which will shake off the heavy emotionality of the Full Moon a little faster than would normally occur. There is also a harmonious sextile building from Mercury to Uranus which enhances greater understanding and intuitive awareness. This is an excellent aspect for problem solving, so if you have a decision that needs to be made Monday evening or sometime Tuesday is a great time for this.
Tuesday January 18. The Mercury/Uranus sextile culminates at 5:04 am and will slowly fade throughout the day. The Leo Moon is very active in the afternoon, somewhat self-centered and not always understanding others right now but wanting to try (Moon opposite Mercury 3:39 pm, trine Chiron in Aries 4:21 pm, square Uranus in Taurus 8:11 pm). Under that Leo Moon we want to do the right thing and these are challenging planetary aspects that suggest we are likely to get it wrong so that a lesson can be learned, especially when…
Wednesday January 19. The Leo Moon opposes Saturn at 2:18 am EST. This aspect lasts only a few hours but if there are challenges on Tuesday, they will likely culminate with this aspect. Then the Sun enters Aquarius and marks an energetic shift which will break up any stuck patterns from these Leo Moon problems.
Thursday January 20. The Leo Moon harmonizes in a trine to Mars around 3:15 am, most of us in the US will be asleep but this is a very nice conclusion to the lunar trip through Leo, fostering abundant positive energy and confident enthusiasm. The Moon will move into Virgo at 9:02 am EST and we become less concerned about how we are handling our lives and more interested in making things work. An opposition from the Moon to Jupiter at around 6 pm will help to bolster our confidence which will be a good boost for tomorrow’s lunar aspects.
Friday January 21 begins with some positive lunar energy, inspiring change and general good will (trine Uranus 5:28 am, trine Venus 8:18 am). Under the Virgo influence we can tend to get bogged down by the details and these harmonious influences can help us to use the best of Virgo’s organizational skills to maneuver through our life more effectively.
Saturday January 22. The Virgo Moon is very active with conflicting influences on Saturday, and because Virgo inspires us to create order we may feel a bit discombobulated (opposite Neptune 12:43 am, trine Pluto 10:52 am, square Mars 2:45 pm). Remember though that these lunar effects last only a few hours and are not that significant!
The Moon will enter Libra at 5:02 pm seeking peace and equanimity, and will harmonize with the Sun and Mercury throughout the evening, bringing abundant positivity and optimism if we remember to take advantage of it! (trine Sun 10:42 pm, trine Mercury 11:47 pm).
Sunday January 23. A conjunction of the Sun to Mercury on Sunday marks the midpoint of the Mercury retrograde cycle. I really like the symbolism of this – we are unconscious most of the time, living our lives with a certain amount of automatic behaviors, and when the Sun illuminates the planet of the mind it can bring everything into a sharp focus. When Mercury is retrograde, our thoughts and the actions that stem from them become critical and the Sun/Mercury conjunction can be the perfect time for some introspection.
Meanwhile the Libra Moon is quite busy on Sunday, amplifying an old wound in the morning, trying to repair relationships in the early afternoon, and finding focus and attention to detail in the evening (opposite Chiron 9:25 am, square Venus 2:21 pm, trine Saturn 7:25 pm).
Next week: Mars enters Capricorn Monday morning just before next week’s report is published. Mars in Capricorn puts all of its energy into discipline and success, and for the next couple of months this could help with any focus problems we might be experiencing.
I hope you have a great week in the meantime! ❤️
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