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All information contained herein is written by and the property of Lynn Hayes. You may include a portion of this information on your website without permission, but please do not post the entire article and be sure to include a link back to the original and clearly credit the author. Lynn's
Skywatch:
All dates and times are for the Eastern time zone; please adjust for your own locality. For daily planetary news, visit my Facebook and Twitter pages. OVERALL ASTROLOGICAL PICTURE Now that we've entered the "dreaded" year of 2012, what can we expect? You may be surprised to know that astrologers are yawning. It's true that the potentially cataclysmic cycle of the square from Uranus in Aries to Pluto in Capricorn will culminate for the first time this spring (it came within a degree of exactitude last summer), and that cycle will certainly continue to create havoc in our banking and political systems. But on a personal level, the planetary cycles of the past few years have been much more intense, with more complex alignments of planets that have stretched and pulled and reshaped our lives into new experiences that for some of us are barely recognizable. I believe that the Universe is continually striving for balance, and that these changes are necessary in order to achieve that balance - both for us as individuals, and for humanity as a whole. Over the past few months we have seen no alignments of outer planets, signifying a quieter astrological cycle, and that trend continues this month. We do see a slowdown of the motion of Mars as it prepares to turn retrograde on January 23rd, and with any Martian emphasis there will be a heightened sense of aggression and assertiveness. As I wrote in this blog article, that can be helpful as well as harmful, and there is really nothing to fear from this Mars retrograde cycle as long as you pay attention and utilize this energy to your advantage. Right now there is a preponderance of the earth and air elements with a smattering of fire, so the focused Mars energy as it prepares to retrograde will help to create movement of our plans (earth) and ideas (air). What is lacking right now is the element of water - feelings, empathy and sensitivity. Some of us have an overabundance of water in our charts and this will be an aid in achieving greater balance, but some of us may find our focus leading too much on the practical matters of self-achievement and perhaps not enough in the realm of compassion and emotion. JANUARY DETAILS Mercury is very active the first week of the month, interacting with Mars, Ceres and Saturn indicating a focus on the mind and affairs of communication and information. Mercury is in Sagittarius right now where it tends to expand the mind and open up our brain to new ideas and new ways of thinking. On the 5th, a square to Ceres will inhibit our ability to nurture ourselves for just a day or so, but on the 7th Mercury will make a soft sextile to Saturn and encourage us to focus our thoughts and engage in the world in a purely practical manner. This helps us to prepare for the entry on January 8 of Mercury into Capricorn, the earthly sign of success, discipline, achievement, and cold-hearted practicality. When I say cold-hearted I don't mean in the sense of being cruel, but because Capricorn is working in the realm of practicality emotions and feelings can get in the way. As soon as Mercury enters Capricorn it forms a trine to Jupiter, enhancing our feelings of goodwill and our sense of abundance and possibilities. Mercury also squares Uranus on the 8th which forces us to consider other viewpoints and new ideas, even when they disrupt our world view. On the 9th, the day of the Full Moon, Mercury harmonizes in a sextile with Chiron, lubricating the need to work through any bumpy emotional spots on the road to success. This potent combination of mental influences is a great ally for achieving success, especially when combined with the practical focus of Capricorn, so this is a great time for working to achieve your New Year's goals. The Full Moon occurs at 18 degrees Cancer on the 9th of January at 2:29 am EST/7:29 am GMT. Cancer is ruled by the Moon, so there is a powerful emphasis now on lunar attributes such as instincts, the subconscious, feelings and emotions. The Moon is also associated with mystery, since it illuminates the darkness, and because it is the only planetary body other than Chiron and Ceres in the element of water, the sudden emphasis on the watery realm of feelings may seem a bit startling. The Cancer influence of the Moon opposes the Sun in the practical sign of Capricorn, so there is a bit of a struggle between the earthly realm and the realm of mystery. This creates a powerful energy that can be utilized to your advantage if you apply your focus and remain attentive throughout the day and for a day or two thereafter. Those Mercury aspects are locked into the chart for the Full Moon, so the mind will be fully engaged and able to process the flow of feeling and memory that are released by this Full Moon. Mercury is widely conjunct Pluto (six degrees apart) at the Full Moon so that could intensify the mental engagement that much more and demand that attention be paid during this time. The trine from Mercury to Jupiter enhances the ability to open up to messages of the spirit, and the square from Mercury to Uranus forces us to adapt to new influences that come in from outside of our normal everyday life. On the 12th a trine from the Sun to Mars helps us to harness the gradually intensifying Martian energy and power. Raw energy of any kind can be destructive or incredibly useful, and this is the best way to think about Mars. Consider fire - it can destroy a home in minutes. Yet enclosed in a furnace it reliably provides heat that protects and nurtures us. Mars is the planet of fire and inspiration, but when that fire is not properly utilized to motivate and energize it can erupt into the psyche as anger and rage. The conjunction from Mercury to Pluto that began at the Full Moon culminates on the 13th. Pluto is the planet of power and intensity, so any Mercury/Pluto aspect will generate intense mental activity and the possibility of compulsion or obsession. However, over the next few days there are several harmonious transits of Venus that will soften this effect and help us to utilize the intensity in ways that are more creative. Venus is the planet of relationships, but also of the things that we value and love. Venus trines Saturn on the 13th, encouraging us to give form (Saturn) to our relationships - this is a great aspect for business partnerships or making commitments to others. Venus also conjoins Neptune on the 13th, and since Neptune is called the "higher octave" of Venus (Venus as the planet of human love, Neptune of divine love, bliss and creativity) there is a tremendous potential for inspiration and spiritual connection now. This continues over the next few days as Venus enters Pisces on the 14th and forms a harmonious sextile to Jupiter, which is a "double whammy" since Jupiter rules Pisces. These days are perfect for romance, the arts, creative writing, beauty makeovers - any Venus-type activity is highlighted here. We are more sensitive to the aesthetics around us now, and it becomes easier to channel our creative force. On the 16th when Venus conjoins Chiron the heart is opened, whether with ease or by force. If your experience is the latter, the heart may need to break a bit when it is forced open but that is part of the process of healing so that love can flow more freely. This aspect lasts only for a day or so but it provides an opportunity for healing that can be very helpful for the long term. On the 19th Ceres, the planet that encourages us to nurture our physical body, enters Aries, the sign of self-actualization. Aries isn't very good at nurturing the body since it's more concerned with making things happen, so while Ceres is in Aries it will become more important than ever to remember to balance nutrition with exercise and achieve mental balance with increased relaxation. The Sun also forms a challenging square to Saturn on the 19th just before entering Aquarius. For a day or so we may feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities in our lives but as with any Saturn transit it will be important to stay focused and learn the endurance that Saturn so loves and rewards. A sextile from the Sun to Ceres on the 20th will help us to regain our inner balance and settle more deeply into ourselves. The Sun is challenged in a square by Jupiter on the 22nd, a relatively benign transit that may inspire us to react to incidents in our lives with an overabundance of confidence. The only danger here is that our confidence may exceed our actual abilities. Mars turns retrograde on January 23rd, just in time for the New Moon. Mercury is in a harmonious trine to Mars that day which helps the mind accelerate to keep up with Mars activity, and that will help us to channel the high energy that Mars will be beaming on us. The Aquarius New Moon on the 23rd contains that beam of energy, and is focused on creative originality and new beginnings. Again we have a "double whammy" because the Aquarius Moon and Sun harmonize with Uranus, the modern ruler of Aquarius. Uranus inspires radical change to the status quo, and urges us to innovate our lives with new ways of thinking and ideas that seem to come out of nowhere. The square from Jupiter to the Sun is locked into the chart for the New Moon and Jupiter now squares the Moon as well. In addition, Saturn, at the last degree of Libra, is now within range of a square to the New Moon and seeks to cancel out Jupiter's confidence with a healthy dose of self-doubt. A strong Jupiter influence can sometimes cause us to respond with a lack of sense, especially if we are more impulsive by nature and Saturn's strong presence in this dynamic will almost ensure that this occurs if we fail to consider the practical implications of all that we do now. On the 27th Mercury forms a challenging square to Saturn and then enters Aquarius, followed by a harmonious sextile to Uranus. Saturn and Uranus are co-rulers of Aquarius which is interesting because they are diametrically opposed in nature with Saturn ruling the established order of things and Uranus inspiring us to break that order apart and begin something new. During these few days we can really achieve brilliant things if we keep our attention on holding firm to the past as we move decidedly into the future. Mercury is also locked in a square to Jupiter which enhances our confidence if we can remember to continue to pay close attention to the details. All in all, January is a pretty harmonious month with limited planetary stress. Enjoy! If you would like a personal consultation to see how your own chart is affected by current planetary cycles, please visit this page or contact me directly.
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1/1 Mercury square Mars