Monthly Forecast for January 2008



January gets 2008 off to a very energetic start. In fact, we better hope that this “energy” gets used constructively, because there are a number of tense aspects at both the personal and collective levels. Venus makes the most aspects, but Mars and Pluto, two planets who aren’t known for taking things lightly, predominate, setting the tone for the month.

On a personal level, the planet Venus makes hard aspects throughout the beginning of the month. She’s in the sign of Sagittarius, which gets her into an outgoing and playful mood, but she finds herself in difficult company for most of January.

Collectively, we start the month with an opposition of retrograde Mars to Pluto on the 2nd. This is a potentially explosive combination, and it comes just two days after Mars was on the “World Axis” (December 31, 2007) which Pluto will cross later this month. If out-and-out violence isn’t manifest, power struggles and intense debate are likely to be. This aspect will still be reverberating as the Iowa caucus takes place in the United States.

The 6th is a mixed bag, as the sun makes a constructive aspect to Uranus, favoring innovation and change, while Venus makes a square to Saturn, the first of her “difficult” aspects this month. When Venus aspects Saturn, we usually want to get to the bottom line in our relationships, whether they are personal or business. The tension of this aspect makes it difficult to smooth things over, but the sun-Uranus aspect might help to get a relationship to change directions.

The new moon is on the 8th. As always, new moons are good times to go inward, meditated, and reflect. This is also about the quietest time of January, astrologically, so it isn’t a bad time to take a break from things.

The gears are back in drive on the 12th, as Venus makes a square to Uranus. The energy here can go in two directions... this can be a good time to “experiment” with a new relationship or new patterns within an existing partnership... but on the other hand we’re likely to have little patience for relationships that make us feel limited or stuck. If you’ve been contemplating a breakup of some type, this day might help to bring things to a head.

On the 16th, Venus makes an easy sextile to dream-inducing Neptune. It’s hardly the most powerful aspect, and any benefit it confers might be easy to miss, but it is one of the more relaxed aspects the planet of love and relationship is making this month.

Things look different on the 19th, when Venus opposes warrior Mars. If things are going well, this aspect can pump some fiery energy into partnerships, and make for a hot Saturday night. If we let our ideas about the way things “should be” get into the forefront, however, things might go less well, indeed. Flexibility is the key to making this aspect work, as both planets are in mutable signs.

The next day, January 20th, the sun enters Aquarius, the “middle” sign of winter.

On the 21st, Jupiter and Saturn make a trine, the last in a series of three that began back in March of 2007. These aspects mark the one-third point of a cycle that started in 2000, and which has signaled economic and political changes since then. As both planets are in earth signs for this particular meeting, we can expect that there will be some concrete manifestations. One thing that this trine symbolizes is a coherence between progressive and conservative viewpoints, which may or may not be a good thing.

The next day, January 22nd, is the full moon. The moon is in Leo, which is a fun sign, and the Leo full moon is usually a good one for partying and other fun activities (it’s very favorable to romance - you know those Leos). This particular full moon falls on a Tuesday night, but see what you can do... Mercury is also conjunct Neptune on this day, making for a kind of one-day Mercury retrograde, in which we’re likely to get the facts mixed up and confusion can reign when we try to make decisions about business, and so on. Coupled with the Leo full moon, however, we’re likely to fall for a line, or perhaps deliver one...

On the 24th, Venus conjuncts Pluto, just an hour before she moves in Capricorn. Venus and Pluto aren’t really comfy with each other, as the Goddess of Love and Ruler of the Underworld come from different sides of the tracks. In the late minutes of the last degree of Sagittarius, this pair will test our belief systems (as they apply to relationships of all kinds) in the face of more elemental facts. There’s a sexual, but not necessarily sexy, charge to this pairing.

Venus spends the rest of the month in Capricorn. While the Goddess in Sagittarius is open and experimental, Venus in Capricorn favors more traditional relationship patterns and a more formal approach to romance.

The 25th is the big day, Pluto returns to Capricorn after an absence of 229 years. Click here for more on this major transition.

It’s not like we aren’t busy enough in January, but on top of all we have Mercury going retrograde on the 28th. Click here for more on this, if you’re not familiar with the planet of communication operating in reverse. The Cosmic Messenger will be going backwards until President’s Day, February 18th.

Venus trines Saturn on the 29th. This is another “nice” aspect that’s likely to get lost in the shuffle. As Venus is in Saturn’s home sign, the two will get on even better. This is a day for building structure in all kinds of relationships.

The last event of the month is Mars stationing to go direct on the 30th. Mars has been retrograding since November 15th, and the time has certainly not been without violence and struggles. The day of this station, and the days before and after, are likely to be very powerful, and tempers can flare easily. Some fuel is added to the fire, as this is the day of the last quarter moon, which happens to be in Mars’ own sign of Scorpio.


Moon Void times for January 2008

Consultations

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