Astrological update for the week of January 16-23, 2023
Retrograde update. This week the last of the retrograde planes change direction, and we will have no planets retrograde until June. When there are no retrograde planets time tends to speed up; without the pull of the retrograde planets to review and re-discover, we tend to find our lives passing without much reflection. We can adjust our own intention to incorporate this reflection into our daily lives though, through ritual and routines which support our inner experience as well as our outer one.
Planetary stations. Mercury turns direct on January 18th, and Uranus turns direct on the 22nd. Both of these planets are stationary in the sky as they prepare to change direction, which means their influence is more intense – especially if they are hitting a sensitive point in your chart and this is especially true of Uranus which has only moved one degree since early December from the station at 15 degrees Taurus, and it won’t move past the 15 degree point until March 16. This is a long time for Uranus to shine its laser beam of electrical charge and instigation for change, especially if you have planets between 10 and 20 degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius). Personally I have three planets in those signs and I’m feeling it for sure!
A good way to handle this Uranian energy is to use its inspiration for innovation and change in our own lives. What can we do that will take our lives into a completely new direction? Where are we stuck? What changes do we know we need to make but have been resisting? Those fixed signs can make it difficult to leave the party, and the Uranus laser beam can help motivate a necessary adjustment.
New SuperMoon. This is the second of three New SuperMoons in a row (the first was in December, the last will be in February). At the very first degree of Aquarius, just after the Sun moves into Aquarius, it’s a strong beginning to Aquarius Season. The fact that Uranus, the modern ruler of Aquarius, is stationary with that laser beam of brilliance, just amplifies the sparkly excitement of the filtering of these new energies into our consciousness and the global consciousness as well.
Astrologer Richard Nolle who coined the term SuperMoon calls these “stealth New Moons” because they’re not big and bountiful like the Full Moon SuperMoons. Because the Sun blocks the Moon from our vision, we are unable to see that the Moon is closer to Earth at these times, but there’s nothing stealthy about the effect! With three New Moon SuperMoons in a row (December, January and February), followed by Pluto (and Saturn) changing signs in February, we are entering a new world with new rules.
At the New Moon the energies of the Sun and Moon are fused, linking the solar conscious ego to the instinctive lunar heart of the soul. Conscious and unconscious, exterior and interior – there is a fusion here that provides us with an opportunity for a new beginning in the sign in which the lunation falls – in this case Aquarius.
The symbol for Aquarius is the Water Bearer which is odd because Aquarius is a very dry sign – ruled by both Saturn and Uranus, Aquarius is the quintessence of rational thinking and logic. But the water that flows through the amphora in the image of Aquarius symbolizes the wisdom of life that flows from the heavens, through intuition and the higher mind (the Uranus connection). At the Aquarius New Moon we begin with new ideas and an awakened embrace of changing ideals and philosophies to better prepare us for the changes going on all around us.
The influence of a lunation (new or full moon) lasts for a few days before and after the event, giving us ample time to prepare. This New Moon is at the first degree, symbolizing an awakening of something which has been dormant for some time and is ready to emerge. Venus is in Saturn-ruled Aquarius and conjunct Saturn, an astrological Double Whammy signifying a lack of warmth and compassion which is born out by the fact that no planets other than Neptune are in the element of water. Mercury is in Capricorn where we tend to think practically rather than emotionally. This is not a time to be bogged down by feelings, doubts and fears – the intellect reigns supreme this week and is driven by breakthroughs in understanding.
At the Aquarius New Moon we start again with new ideas and an awakened embrace of changing ideals and philosophies to better prepare us for the changes going on all around us, including Pluto’s entry into Aquarius in February!!
How do we want to adapt our lives to change to this new reality, the one that is coming like a freight train over the next few years? This Aquarius New Moon is the perfect time to clarify and hone this new vision for our own lives.
Where’s the Moon this week?
Moon is in Scorpio until January 17
Moon enters Sagittarius January 17 12:32 pm EST
Moon enters Capricorn January 19 2:11 pm EST
Moon enters Aquarius January 21 1:28 pm EST
Moon enters Pisces January 23 12:35 pm EST
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