Today's Astrology Forecast | Monday, January 6, 2020 - the biggest astrology week of our lifetime begins, the eye of the storm, get done what needs to get done

Our Moon in Taurus squared Venus at 4:07AM ET (tension/frustration/need to adjust around wanting what we don't have or maybe between liberation/advancement and what we want to hold onto) then trined Saturn at 6:07AM EST before going void off a trine to Pluto at 7:07AM EST.

She will be void for most of the day - moving into multi-tasking and communicative Gemini at 9:11PM EST.

Those practical trines make today a good day to get alot of things accomplished. Work with what we have/are committed to. Good for working with authority and stepping into our own power and responsibility.

Time gets stretchy.

In Taurus, where the Moon is exalted she continues to perform during the void, but this would still not be the best day to start something brand new.

When the Moon moves into Gemini tonight - more options begin to open up. Be curious (we are practicing one of 2020's mantras!). Ask questions. Talk. Think. Write. Gemini is mutable air - stay flexible.

In Gemini, the Moon is going to oppose Mars (action, anger, warrior) and stuff starts to get more INTENSE.

This is when the biggest week in astrology in our lifetime really gets started ...

A heads up that no one really needs at this point because we would have to be living under a rock to not see this is a volatile world right now. We are in between two powerful eclipses, headed toward the meeting of Saturn and Pluto, with both our erratic planets, Uranus and Eris, preparing to station direct.

The world (and this is going out both in the collective and in our own lives and bodies) is literally and figuratively on fire.

A major evolutionary shift in humanity has been well under way for years (especially since the end of 2012) and now we are at a great turning point/end of the line - at both a personal and a collective level. Ready or not here is where we restructure our lives, our society and our world.

We are at a crossroads.

And the crossroads divides us.

With the astrology of these weeks in January indicating major events playing out now and the stage being set now for them to play out later, it will be important to keep our bodies nourished and hydrated. Get extra sleep. Pray/meditate. Exercise until you sweat. Get outdoors. Turn off the wifi when you go to sleep. Try some mindfulness exercises/or EFT. Somehow build some extra time into your day, so you don't feel any more rushed and hassled than you have to.

We need to keep a cool head and and an open heart.

I am not going to write a weekly - you can read the days ahead in the monthly HERE - the major events of mid-January may be felt the strongest THIS WEEK as they are building.

Back later today with more 2020 and we'll work our way through this.

Hang in there. We are building a new world. where everyone can survive/thrive, and yes, this will be built through the unraveling of the old hierarchical one. It may seem impossible. But it isn't only possible, the energies will all line up to support this. We just have to do our part and this is much, much more about keeping an open heart than a stiff upper lip. Hang on very loosely. We can do this.

xo all

photo by the talented nylonjuvenile

Today's Astrology Forecast | Saturday, January 4, 2020 - security concerns intensify, keeping a cool head, if the rug gets pulled know there is some solid concrete under here somewhere

We come off a stressful couple days for many people. The Aries Moon went void last night off a square to Pluto - power struggles/burned bridges/endings.

She is void until 11:15AM EST this morning, when she moves into Taurus, the sign of her exaltation, which should feel good, except that she quickly inconjuncts Mars (watch for impulsive anger, action that hasn't been thought out), semi-squares Neptune (emotions based on delusion/not grounded in reality, exhaustion, illness) and then starts moving toward her meeting with unpredictable Uranus late this afternoon (EST).

There could be upsets with what we thought was stable/secure.

Maybe the rug has been pulled out from under us. Or the elephant in the room has outgrown his perch behind the overstuffed sofa. He won't be ignored. And he looks kind of pissed off.

We are going to have to roll with the changes/chaos here, without making some impulsive move - based in anger/out of control passion - that tosses the baby out with the dirty bathwater. If we are trying to hold onto something that is leaving/changing this is going to be even more uncomfortable.

In some cases we will need to be standing our ground now. The Sun is trining Vesta - what is our bottom line need here - where does our attention HAVE TO BE.

Unless we are Aladdin, man of the flying carpet, there is a floor under that rug that has been pulled away. It may not be the wide-planked hard wood we were hoping for, but it's THERE.

Spend some time alone.

Take care of yourself. Give yourself (and other people) a break.

We are in the middle of a major cosmic reset and releasing/healing alot of very old, deeply stored ANGER. We might be feeling the pressure-cooker of this. We need to be brave. We need to have faith.

Keep in mind a favorite quote from the Course in Miracles, "Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God."

xo all

phoot by the talented iNeedChemicalX

The Astrology of 2020 | Part i - the Nodes shift to Gemini and Sagittarius

I don't want to get too far ahead because it will be easier to see/conjecture what some of the upcoming transits will be about after we get through this important January, but let's look at the general gist of things coming up in 2020!

THE NODES

In May, 2020, the Nodes move from Cancer/Capricorn to Gemini/Sagittarius (through January 2022).

Here is where we, as a collective, and in our personal lives, too - appoint Gemini (ruled by tricky and androgynous Mercury) our guiding North Star and Sagittarius (ruled by expansive Jupiter), the space and themes in need of sorting/sifting and, because many are past their use-by date, retirement.

Gemini is all about the movement of information and ideas.

Gemini is about choices and multiple anythings. The expressions "more than one way to skin a cat" and "kill two birds with one stone" make my point here - although in a most ghastly way.

There will be more than one thing to talk about now, more than one thing to do, more than one way forward.

Gemini is a mutable (changeable) sign and led by fast-moving and frequently retrograde Mercury - will give us a run for our money.

Gemini rules our growth through the exchange of information, through contact with our immediate environment, through language. Gemini reigns over: the flow of information, technology, communication, our mental processes, conversations, stories, lies, our local community, our neighbors, our siblings, our transportation and, of course, the theme of your natal Gemini house.

Gemini is perspective. What we notice becomes what we think about, what we talk about, what we act on. 

What we notice becomes who we are. 

We will be compelled to notice what we are noticing because it will become clearer and clearer to us the importance of our FOCUS. 

And of course, because the North Node presents a fresh energy to us - and this will be true even for those with alot of Gemini energy - and not without its challenges - we could find ourselves mired in distractions and probably very busy.

Instead of me writing about (our current Cancer North Node) allowing ourselves to be seen as vulnerable, coming home, being more maternal, taking care of ourselves -

I will likely be writing something like -

don't be afraid to change your mind, ask a question, question ourselves, make a new choice, tell a fresh story, look at fresh perspectives and new ideas, try new things, take a class, teach a class, do something within your local neighborhood, call your sister (or brother or cousin), start that book, start that business, make it smaller, travel/shop/sell more locally, get a new computer, get a new car, open your mouth!

Gemini is the first air sign of the astrological year - a sign of the mind, the archetype of the "teacher" - the storyteller. If you are a Gemini Sun sign this is basically the way you process life. As soon as you learn something, and you are naturally curious and learn alot of "somethings" - you simply must pass it on. Gemini has more to do with questions than answers. She has been mentally exploring and noticing stuff her entire life.

Geminis are actually supposed to know a hell of a lot of stuff that will never make them any money (unless they make it into the final rounds of Jeopardy) - this is the sign of curiosity.

Which brings us to sage Sagittarius, our upcoming South Node/point of release - the sign of knowledge/knowing.

The South Node in Sagittarius will show us "where we actually are".

Our entrenched beliefs, may become even more entrenched until it becomes obvious they are the elephant in the room blocking the door. Sag themes - travel, higher education, weddings, politics, legal issues, the media, publishing, foreigners, everything outside our comfort zone, exploration, our beliefs and higher thinking and, of course, the theme of our natal Sag house - will be subject to the disintegration of whatever is no longer working.

People with planets and points in Gemini and Sagittarius, as well as Virgo and Pisces (through squares) will be most impacted. But collectively we will all be feeling this.

Keep in mind we get the bounty of the North Node (Gemini) through the release of the negative/decaying South Node (Sagittarius). Releasing outdated belief systems, the stuff we are so sure about, moth-eaten religious teachings, our ideas about what is "foreign", our politics, our ideas about what is "true". With Jupiter - ruler of Sag - in Capricorn for most of 2020 - the de-construction of our safety/security in the outer world will likely continue for awhile ...

At the end of 2020, as Jupiter moves into Aquarius and meets Saturn (who will also have recently moved into Aquarius), we should see a major collective shift toward something NEW.

PART II

The Nodes of the Moon are not planetary bodies, they are the points where the Moon's orbit around the Earth intersects with the Earth's orbit around the Sun. The North Node is the ascending node - where we are going. The South Node is the descending node - where we are now/where we have been. They move counter-clock wise (sort of like being retrograde all the time) and are exactly 180 degrees apart - opposing each other.
When we work with them in our natal charts we will be astounded at their accuracy - the same can be said of the collective transits.

On May 5th, 2020, (after 18 months working the Cancer/Capricorn axis) the North Node moved into Gemini, the South Node into Sagittarius.

Keep in mind the North Node is our best path forward, our fate, a psychological shift that needs to happen AND also indicates what will not come easy because it is NEW and untested and we are genetically wired, likely in order to stay safe and alive for thousands of years, to crave what is familiar.

The South Node is where we are now and is the space of the energies ripe for release because they have outgrown their usefulness. Now, not ALL Sag energies have outgrown their usefulness - the good stuff, the stuff that is still valid and needed is going to be avialable to us in greater and more beneficial ways. As we move into the North Node and embrace the Gemini, we get the reward of the best of Sagittarius!

One of our challenges we will be facing with the North Node in the dualistic sign of the twins, Gemini, will be to understand we live in a society with a freedom of choice.

Not everyone is going to agree. Not everyone is going to be moving in the same direction at the same time or maybe not ever at all. Not everyone is going to be playing by the same rules. These differences are not going to make any of us any less safe - these differences are what is needed.

We will be releasing any certainty we have with "this is the absolute truth" which is different from "these are the facts", so that we can relate to each other where we are.

So we can listen and learn from each other.

We can't be afraid to be curious, to ask questions, to change our mind - this will all be good uses of this Gemini energy/ways we align with our best path forward.

This will not be about coming into consensus because remember Gemini is a dualistic energy.

We aren't trying to get anyone else to agree with us. Think student here, not teacher.

When we move toward this new mindset, what will happen, because the other person will feel heard (rather than judged/preached at) is we will easily add to the conversation ideas/thoughts/information that help the other person and our words will be accepted.

Now, this isn't some backdoor way to change someone else's mind about something (ie control what they think) because that's not our job and that won't move us in the direction we need to go (because we will be moving in different directions).

Instead, it is a way to get along with people we don't agree with - which we have all done all our lives, but somehow have forgotten how to do now. We will be able to expand the other person's perspective as we listen and allow them to expand ours bringing out the best of that South Node in Sagittarius. A good mantra will be something like, "when I am willing to listen and learn from the other person, I win."

Now, this will be just one challenge of the North Node in Gemini. This will be about everything from our relationship to our siblings/local community to our need to take multiple steps and make multiple choices to get somewhere. Not one big step. There won't be one big solution, but multiple smaller solutions. Like a few years ago when the North Node was in Virgo; small is the new big.

We will talk about this as we move through it.

And because the South Node (where we are now and the problems here are what is ripe for release) is in Sagittarius - the sign of our big beliefs/the sign of the sage/preacher - none of this is going to come easy.

We are in our isolated spaces having deserted everyone around us to explore 'our truth'. We go to our phones and computers and mostly see the stuff that supports what we have seen before - because that's how the algorithms online work now - and we get agitated when someone doesn't agree with us. We even feel the need to argue with other people on their own posts on Facebook or report people's "fake news" to them as if we are their mothers.

We're not their mothers (unless we are, and then, of course, we get to DM them and ask them what the hell they are thinking).

We are not the "truth" police. It's not our job to control what other people think.

Self-righteousness is going to be one of our biggest challenges.

This is one of the reasons the nodes in Gemini/Sag often bring in a time of WAR. We want to avoid that, right. We can all agree - war bad. Avoid the war.

We are going to be working with our very old and very entrenched beliefs; the very spaces we are used to thinking of ourselves as "right".

Also with the Sag South Node we can expect changes with other Sagittarius themes - foreign travel, higher education, weddings, publishing, religion, legal issues, etc.

Now, nothing happens in a vacuum and at the same time we are going to have Neptune in Pisces which makes it very hard to know what is "true" - which is actually helpful for this transit and we are going to have Uranus in Taurus, upending what we value/creating chaos with our security and again this works well with this transit. Because we can't 'do' the North Node in Gemini without some changes to our security and values. We can't 'do' the North Node in Gemini when we have all the answers. We have Venus back in Gemini like she was in 2012 when we could have blown this 3D popsicle stand, but obviously weren't ready (sniffle) and collectively chose, unconsciously, to stay put and fight this out - SNIFFLE!

So, best case with all this is we learn the art of conversation; the process of skillful interaction. Humor will help, too!

We learn to offer our words/ our point of view with a sensitivity to the way the other person is hearing them. We invite their responses. We share helpful information. We turn the spotlight on other people from time to time via our questions rather than just going on and on about ourselves.

Conversation is like breathing, right, we inhale and then we exhale.

OK breathing, which Gemini rules, as well as our lungs, brings us to this pandemic and this corona-virus.

So, we come into this nodal switch with many, many people at home, feeling vulnerable and unsure about our security, our work in the world - if there is even going to be a world.

That North Node in Cancer/South Node in Capricorn - as this sh*t is apt to do - went out with a BANG.

With the Nodes changing at this time - because in astrology the chart when something begins sets up the whole game plan - it looks like we are going to collectively be deciding between two things/two ways of life. With the North Node in Gemini, coming to an agreement is probably not a possibility here. As a group we are going to come apart. We are going to split.

Right now, we are in a kind of limbo land. It's like we have been in an eight billion car pile-up. We have felt the initial impact of the crash. It was hard. It was fast. We had limited time to react. We are hurt and we suspect/know other people are hurt even worse.

The car crash has already happened.

But our car, and the others cars involved, haven't come to a stop yet.

We are still kind of tumbling around/flying through the air. So, whether we land in a soft marsh or slam into a semi going in the opposite direction or a brick wall isn't in our reality yet. We are maybe trying to avoid these worst scenarios, and maybe what we are doing is helping a little bit or maybe it is just creating a whole other set of problems. Like we have avoided the wall (a more rampant disease) which is a good thing, but then that semi is RIGHT IN FRONT OF US (the economy).

We don't know exactly what we are going to do and we don't know what the other drivers, and did I say eight billion, yes, eight billion, are going to do yet either.

I don't want to be negative because like I said we are still in the AIR. I also don't want to toss balloons over the car crash and call it a sweet sixteen party. Someday we will see the good/the silver lining that will come from this, but like I said .. the car hasn't even landed yet. Today is not that day. Tomorrow is not that day either.

I would suspect from the patterns and archetypes we are at a collective split. The cars are going to land on different roads and facing in different directions.

And in some very important ways we have already passed that split. Some of this is maybe already out of our hands. We are married to the future. But maybe there will be paths that lead to the other road in the future if we look hard enough. Then we will carry ourselves to this other space and watch our world reshape herself around us.

With Pluto retrograding back toward my natal Mercury, with my natal Mercury in serious, but also sometimes pessimistic Capricorn and with my third house Aquarius stellium including my Sun/Saturn making me a great over-thinker - I can gloom and doom with the best of them, believe me.

I could see a collective split in the future - being set up right now, between two sides of a scared populace. One side having been taken to the place where all we care about is that "this never happens again" and we give up our right to control our own body and our health via experimental/traceable vaccinations. We are tracked at all times, our conversations and our news controlled - for our safety and most importantly, for the safety of other people, of course. Or maybe there is no vaccine, so it isn't totally safe to venture outside just for pleasure anymore (we don't stop and ask if it ever was) - well who needs that park anymore, we can strip that land and give everyone a virtual reality headset for an imaginary picnic. No need to worry about keeping the cold cuts cold anymore either - another plus! And who needs other flesh and blood people in person - they are all so freaking germy - when we can just talk to the people who agree with us on Facebook or AI can just provide us with friends who will laugh at all our jokes, never be too tired to chat or out-cute us on bad-hair days. Money is dirty so that will go digital and yes it can be turned off and on, but why should we care about that, right? We pay our taxes. They won't turn our money off. We are the good guys. Masks and plastic shields will come in so many pretty designs and even though they could be totally ineffective, they are another great-equalizer and we will keep on buying them. We will call this side - the road for the people who value safety over all else.

And you might say to yourself, I don't value safety over all else, well, let's see then for you there is this other road - you cowboy/outlaw you!

Home to the people who value freedom over safety. This road will have less rules - no masks, no social distancing. There might be more illness for awhile at least, but maybe that will pass. This is the road for people who care more about "returning to the way things were before" or something like that. But maybe these people are not free to get on an airplane anymore or travel outside their "freedom" area or even work or live in certain places. There will be no trips to Disney World or trips to visit their family on the other side for this group. This is alot to give up, so maybe this road is not only the road less traveled, but maybe in not so many years, maybe not in our lifetime but maybe in our children's, it is the road not traveled at all.

This is very depressing, but the car is still in the air, like we said before

and there are certainly a thousand other/better roads - and almost surely I am thinking way too far ahead and extreme anyway. I know I am!

And there is always Chiron in Aries, we can draw ourselves up as the warriors we truly are if we need to.

In the meantime, maybe focus on the art of conversation part of Gemini/Sag. Give some thought to that. And we'll look at some different roads in Part III.


xo all



photo by the talented S-t-r-a-n-g-e

The Astrology of January 2020 | the month this sh*t gets real (realer?, realest?)

We spent most of 2019 in energies building toward and preparing us for 2020 - which is a massively important year (and one that will end very differently than it starts for all of us).

We begin the year in the Eclipse spin cycle - in between two powerful Eclipses. And some of the most important stuff of 2020 hits us right out of the gate.

Let's unpack this baby - and when I say, "baby", maybe picture Godzilla squashed into a Samsonite ...  with King Kong and whatever that flying 3 headed thing was, in there somewhere, too.

We start the year with Mercury, Jupiter and the South Node TOGETHER - maybe we are thinking about what is OVER/the past/the good old days/nostalgia. Our thinking/ideas/the stories we are carrying that are weighing us down and holding us back (Mercury), the beliefs that keep us tethered to the past/to a sense of self righteousness/that are limiting our ability to grow and expand or have pulled us away from the truth (Jupiter) - we need to let this stuff go now.

JANUARY 2nd - Mercury conjunct Jupiter, First Quarter Moon (Aries) - BIG NEWS. Big thinking. Hopeful information (just keep in mind the Aries Moon's need to adjust - see below) that is serious and spoken/written with authority. In Capricorn - this will be "real" not pie-in-the-sky. We are aware of the limits/restrictions here, but there is still a reason to be optimistic. If you can't see the reason - look harder/wider. Make the call/take the call. Use sober AND positive language.

The Moon in Aries squares the Capricorn Sun giving us this month's waxing square. Now here is some obstacle with our New Moon story. The new vs the old. What we want to do vs what we have to do. A limit. Obligation. Our actions encounter resistance and yet we still must act. The Cappy Sun says "not so fast" Aries Moon, "maybe you haven't earned this thing just yet." Be brave. Keep moving.

JANUARY 3rd - Sun trine Vesta, Mercury conjunct South Node, Mars into Sagittarius - Mercury conjuncts the South Node (like the Sun did on Monday). News about the past. Maybe a contract/commitment is over.  A responsibility/job ends. A sibling/local community/transportation issue culminates.We can see how we need to let go of any negative thinking/old stories.

Mars flies out of sharp focused Scorpio and into big picture, sky's the limit, freedom loving and fiery Sagittarius. He's looking for action (and with the Moon in Aries answering to him and squaring the Sun - maybe he's even looking for a fight).

Mars in Sagittarius (through February 16, 2020) will have us looking for adventure over the next few weeks. Taking action that expands us. Pushed (in our search for the truth) to confront stuff that doesn't line up with our worldview so that our worldview can WIDEN. Sagittarius rules our big-picture beliefs which have a way of becoming actively more inclusive with Mars here.

Hopefully the truth changes us, rather than us changing the truth!

With Mars in Sagittarius - opportunity and expansion (Sagittarius) is generated through action, initiative and courage (Mars). Action (Mars) creates optimism/hope (Sagittarius).

Watch for too much impulsivity, the scattering of our energies/restlessness and too much preachiness during this transit.

The Sun (in Capricorn, where else?) trines Vesta (in Taurus, but no longer retrograde) - this is the third of three trines we have had this year, the last time on 11/22 - a light shines on something precious - maybe a resource, a value, money, the planet Earth, something we can 'take to the bank', a survival issue. Take this seriously. Focus on what is real.

What is an absolute bottom line security-issue must have/keep/get - focus on that. 

JANUARY 5th - Mars trine Chiron - something healing can fall right into our lap. We can move through what hurts and past those closed doors/karmic endings and releases because we KNOW there is something bigger/better ahead of us. Be brave. Believe in yourself. Our action, our initiative, our courage, our movement - is healing. THIS is how we take care of ourselves/stand up.

JANUARY 7th - Sun sextile Neptune - here is the Cappy/Pisces energy of "making the dream real", we had all last year. Maybe we have to sacrifice something to get something else. Creating within the rules/certain limits. There is OPPORTUNITY here/magic/help from the ancestors.

JANUARY 8th - Jupiter conjunct South Node, Mercury sextile Neptune - now Jupiter walks across the South Node. And keep in mind Mars in Sag is answering to Jupiter now, so amplifies the personal importance of this - we are letting go of old beliefs/hopes/judgement/self-righteousness thoughts and ideas that no longer serves us. This is karmic endings/releases. To work with this, because alot here will be outside our control - we have to let go, trust that life has our back here. We are creating space for something else. At the same time Mercury is sextiling Neptune - changing our thinking can be healing. How can any losses be a positive thing - focus on that.

Mercury sextile Neptune is subtle. This is good energy for storytelling - for using our imagination. Good for visionary ideas and language. Ideas are AVAILABLE for the right person - the person who can make them REAL - to pick them like apples in an autumn orchard. This is good for learning (Mercury) through osmosis (Neptune), so would be a good time to hang out with the smartest person you know. Compassionate (Neptune) language (Mercury) is helpful (sextile). Siblings may be illusive or confusing. But Mercury in Capricorn is giving a Neptunian dream a structure to work with. Again this whole thing is subtle, but available. Talk to other people. The opportunity comes as one thought/conversation/idea drifts into another.

******

JANUARY 10th - Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Cancer, Uranus stations direct - I can't do justice to this in a paragraph, but I'll take a crack at it. Uranus stations direct - now here is where change can't be stopped. We are moving on/ahead/advancing. Making an important decision. Those changes in our natal Taurus house - where we like things to stay the same - as well as science/tech/the group/whatever needs to be modernized, won't be held back. There could be sudden changes. Now all the planets are direct and we have only a few weeks of this before we get almost nonstop retrogrades all through 2020. Time speeds up.

The Capricorn Sun opposes the Cancer Moon at 20 degrees Cancer (so, yes, pretty much exactly opposing the Capricorn pile-up!).

The Moon stands alone (maybe she really is made of cheese).

We are feeling how we are outnumbered/out-manned/out-gunned. We are feeling what is outside our control/what we are most afraid of.

Maybe our home/family/safety (theme of our natal Cancer house) feels threatened somehow.

The good news with this eclipse is a trine to magical/dreamy/compassionate Neptune. Here is our path through this. Pray. Meditate. Make art. Listen to music. Dream. We are connecting to bigger hands that have our back.

Our intuition/our ancestors are helping us through this. Listen.

JANUARY 12TH - Mercury conjunct Saturn, Mercury conjunct Pluto, Mercury conjunct Ceres, Ceres conjunct Pluto, Ceres conjunct Saturn, Saturn conjunct Pluto - all in Capricorn

This is the energy we have been building toward all throughout 2019.

Let's take a step back here and look at the Cappy big picture.

Capricorn is a patriarchal energy. Ruled by "daddy" Saturn - builder of time and rules and structure and careers and hierarchy. Nothing "real" gets built without Saturnian energy. His-story. "Corporations are people." The ways we make ourselves invulnerable. Our hard edges. Our survival instinct out in the world. 'Life is a battlefield". "It's a dog eat dog world." Our stiff upper lip. Our boot straps. The Capricorn energy is about stability, history, security. It's the sign of "father". And, with this mindset/with these beliefs, in order to survive, to order to keep his family/tribe alive, father (as us and through our leaders) has had to do a whole lot of stuff that isn't very warm and fuzzy.

In 2008, Pluto moved into Capricorn and got busy de-constructing all these Cappy bedrocks (the financial housing crisis kicked this off rather nicely). The people and structures that carry the greatest load of the old Saturn archetype have probably felt this most. Everything that isn't solid as a rock, and even some things that are, have fallen or are falling. Our big institutions are on shaky ground. Our heroes have fallen from their outgrown pedestals (as they are stripped to their humanity). Our safety net has holes large enough that even our winter backsides, holed up with hot chocolate and cider donuts, can slip through easily.

Now, Pluto is a slow moving energy. This de-construction/death and rebirth has been a slow process. A kind of LONG dark night of the soul.

Then, in December 2017, Saturn (having just crossed the Galactic Center, and the question to me was would he, as us, come home a new man or an embittered, old one trying to hold onto something that is slipping away) came home to Capricorn. He set about, as yes, collectively more the embittered old man, I am afraid, trying to hold onto what he - as the patriarchy, as us - had built.

He has been approaching his meeting with the Lord of the Underworld (Pluto) on his own home turf, ever since. So, whatever happens now it won't be something that hits us totally out of the blue. We have seen this coming.

OK, let's flash ahead to now; to mid-January 2020.

We have Mercury meeting Saturn. We must speak clearly and seriously, come to terms with reality, set firm boundaries, make a verbal or written commitment. We hear or we say NO.

Something is officially stated now. Maybe something is slowed down. Something hits a wall. If you are committing to something/signing on the dotted line this is going to be serious business.

Mercury meets Pluto. Thinking about death. Power/death is given a voice. Words can deliver a punch. Maybe even a knockout blow. Maybe the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Mercury meets Ceres. This could be news about a mothering/Mother Earth situation or add to the strength of whatever news/words are making us feel like whatever is happening is out of our control. Maybe we are talking/thinking seriously about the planet/weather, etc.

(This is ALL serious, heavy stuff and I don't mean for it to sound all scary, but maybe sometimes we have to be scared to do what we need to do. Keep in mind Saturn rules karma and our karma reaches back into our past lives, and, through our DNA, into our ancestor's energies that we carry. Yes, we can be paying for things our Great Aunt Grace did, but we have also been benefiting from them.)

Ceres meets Saturn and Pluto. If you know your mythology Ceres and Pluto were enemies, although they did at a later date, after much suffering by Ceres (the maternal) and the planet, come to an agreement. Ceres is a complicated archetype. Ceres also connects to a kind of 'destructive hunger', food, nourishment, gluttony. Ceres, ruling life cycles, is often activated at a time of major life cycle changes, especially when we are trying to hold onto what is leaving. With Saturn/Pluto - this cycles/changes situation could feel forced upon us.

It could create a good bit of fear.

And we have Saturn meeting Pluto

(they last met in Capricorn over 500 years ago when Martin Luther challenged the rulership of the Catholic Church by nailing/or maybe mailing his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg Castle and sparking the Protestant Reformation).

They last opposed each other just weeks before 9/11/2001 and now we have the final conjunction. We have to be brave. With Jupiter, recently moved into Capricorn, we have to have faith.

How heavy any of this hits us personally will depend on our natal and progressed charts, but collectively this is a very important time in our history. We have been talking for the last couple years about cleaning up our mess, deaths postponed, stepping into our own authority/responsibility, etc.

Here is where time runs out.

****** 

JANUARY 13th - Sun conjunct Pluto, Venus into Pisces - now it's the Sun's turn to meet Pluto and this might not feel like a separate thing to the energy of the last couple days, but the Sun/Pluto shines a light on what is buried including complex relationship issues.

The truth comes to light. Our will (the Sun) unites with deep power (Pluto) or, if we are projecting this instead of owning it, we meet this power outside ourselves in the form of a potential slap-down/manipulation.

If something upsetting is going on - keep in mind, Pluto rules death and rebirth - and as the Sun moves off Pluto -

WE START A BRAND NEW CYCLE.

Venus moves into dreamy and emotional Pisces. Natal Pisces Sun people and Pisces rising people become more attractive now (how have we never noticed how blue your eyes are or how deep your voice?. All of us attract what we want by working through Pisces - our ability to show compassion, create beauty, honor feelings, stay emotionally open, use our imaginations. In Aquarius it was our differences that attracted people and situations to us, in Pisces it is our ability to believe and honor our commonality.

Venus is exalted in Pisces. She can work her magic here. She expands relationships, money and self-esteem. Opportunities increase. Resistance dissolves.

The tricky part of Venus in Pisces is we need to know what we want now. The lines between us and other people, between acceptance and avoidance, between our money and their money, between love and 'what was I thinking' - will blur.

In Pisces, things that look too good to be true usually almost always are. And what flows in can flow right back out again. But if we set boundaries - what is ok, what is not ok - and release our expectations that outcomes must go a specific way - this is wonderful energy for more beauty, love and money to move into our lives. The irony with Venus in Pisces is that although we can attract more love and money those things often will feel less important now.

JANUARY 15th - Venus sextile Uranus - here is something new/fresh/a breakthrough with love, money, our values, beauty, our self-esteem. New attractions create opportunities. We are merging with tech/the future. New people/liberation. Wanting something ELSE.

JANUARY 17th - Mercury sextile Chiron, Third Quarter Moon (Libra) - healing words, hearing what we need to hear, saying what someone else does, the hurting/healing conversation creates opportunities, healing sibling relationships, filling in the gaps in your education/learning. We hit the tension/frustration of the Third Quarter Moon (in Libra) - we are adjusting to partners/other people.

JANUARY 18th - Pallas enters Capricorn, Mercury square Uranus - ok, so now we have the wisdom/we see the patterning (maybe with Mercury/Uranus - a flash of genius) - we can make new strategies for our way through this Cappy limit/challenge. We are beginning to understand authority now/see the ego patterns. Our way through this. We can handle this. "The man" needs to shine, so we let him. Good for connecting with dad/authority, but there will be tension/frustration with any information/ideas too far "out there" right now. If our mind feels too erratic - take a breath, slow this puppy down.

JANUARY 20th - Venus trines the North Node, Sun into Aquarius - the Cappy vise-grip starts to wane here, the Sun begins his annual journey through Aquarius and gives us a chance to step back and look at the big picture. It energizes us to step outside the box and try something else. It allows us to put some space between us and that challenging, draining situation. As always with Aquarius all detachment/group involvement is helpful until it isn't. At the same time Venus (exalted in Pisces) trines the North Node (in Cancer) - we are creating a beautiful future where everyone has a home. Our attractions pull us forward. We are attracting our best and brightest future.

JANUARY 21st - Mercury inconjunct North Node - so here's the news/info that creates a rock and a hard place to that energized future. Serious information that must be taken into consideration. Our path forward needs an adjustment.

JANUARY 22nd - Sun sextile Chiron - the Sun is in Aquarius now, we are sensitive to humanity's plight/to what is best for the group/the future. There is something both hurting and healing here - the Sun is shining a light on this. We are healing through our relationship to the group. We are integrating our ability to stand on our two feet with other people.

JANUARY 23rd - Sun square Uranus - the Sun in Aquarius squares ruler Uranus - here is tension/frustration (maybe with yesterday's issues) - the need to be ourselves/feel liberated with whatever is 'seen' as best for the group. We are questioning the group, maybe, what's in it for me?

JANUARY 24th - New Moon in Aquarius - here is where 2020 really gets started. Fresh air. All the Cappy energy is still humming along in the background, but now it is background.

JANUARY 25th - Mercury (communication, conversations, ideas) sextiles Mars (action, initiative, anger) now.

Sextiles are handshakes, head nods and agreements. They represent opportunities. Our words (maybe angry words?) marry our actions and initiative.We walk our talk.We move toward what we want with new ideas and language. Ideas (Mercury) get us fired up (Mars).

When we speak with anger we are using our Mars (anger) to do Mercury's job (communication). This is like asking your auto mechanic to edit your blog post or your editor to fix your car.

With Mercury and Mars in such a comfy cuddle, maybe our impulsive or angry communications about our ideals works somehow? Remember though it never works to push against what we don't want. We just energize whatever we are pushing against. We always want to be speaking about what we do want.
This is excellent energy to TELL PEOPLE WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO. Sorry for screaming, but it feels kind of appropriate. Maybe this talking will help us actually carry through and do the thing we are thinking/talking about! This is good energy for people fired up by an ideal or purpose to bring together their words and actions to make a difference.

JANUARY 26th - Venus squares Mars - tension/frustration/the need to adjust between what we want and what we have to do to get what we want (I know it seems one step forward and one step back this month, but that's how it goes sometimes - we will get there!). Venus/Mars squares are passionate - and the good thing is Venus is forced out of her complacency, and in Pisces she can be plenty complacent! Discomfort pushes us to make changes here.

JANUARY 27th - Venus conjuncts Neptune - this is excellent energy to fall head over heels in love. Also to be swept off our feet and carried away by whatever catches our fancy now. This is a a magical energy for attracting (Venus) our dreams (Neptune).

Keep in mind with this happening in Pisces there is a good deal of idealization going on. Our rose colored glasses will have ordered their own rose colored glasses from Warby Parker ... and we will be wearing both pairs. Things can seem way better than they actually are. This energy could make us prone to daydreaming.

Drugs and alcohol will have a heightened effect - I am sure even cold medicine, so be careful. If you know someone prone to drifting off course via some kind of external intoxication maybe check in with them. Make sure they are ok. Don't take on their problems! But maybe just send a "thinking of you" text. Then they can call you if they need to touch base.

JANUARY 28th - Mars squares Neptune, Sun inconjunct North Node - maybe we are feeling drained, it's late in the month and late in the game and maybe we are tired. We can be distracted by almost anything right now, so what's it going to be? Netflix marathon or keep plugging away.

JANUARY 31st - Ceres into Aquarius - maybe we step back from that mothering situation or something outside our control. We get a little distance. Our eating/care of ourselves can become more erratic during this transit, so we might need to apply ourselves to stay on top of that. If we are most comfortable when we are not coddled or don't need to do any coddling, this transit will likely suit us just fine. We can mother the group and leave the individual people to fend for themselves. If the idea of this kind of 'hands off' makes us feel lonely or saddened we are going to have to get our cuddles from somewhere else for now.

Whew - OK, back in a couple days with a look beyond January and, of course, we will unpack this month in greater detail as we move through it and we will get through it!

It's going to be an amazing year setting up a truly amazing (and yes, challenging) decade!

And if you feel like you have already lived through this month's Eclipses and the Saturn/Pluto/Ceres conjunction last year - like I feel I did, you might be especially useful to other people going through it now. Maybe.

Keep in mind all this energy will end in Aquarius - and is part of the enlightenment process for those participating. The old frequencies have to drop away because for much of humanity they no longer even exist!

Will fear/limits stir us to action/adjustment or immobilize us?

xo all and Happy New Year!! Please excuse any typos, too tired to proofread.

photo by the talented ChrissieCool