**Times where noted are for the Pacific Time Zone; degrees where noted are rounded to the nearest whole degree.
Go forth and network! With the Sun joining Mercury in Aquarius on January 19th, and both making significant aspects to retrograde Jupiter in Gemini and Saturn in Scorpio in the coming days, the drive to make connections with others will be strong. The quality of connections however may not be very personal. In Aquarius, the Sun is interested in a higher level of abstraction beyond ego identification. Making sure all individuals are plugged into the grid of society is what is important. Dealing with messy emotion is not. This gives the airy Aquarian outlook a sense of aloofness and detachment and that is not necessarily a bad thing but we must be clear and honest with ourselves about whether we are really able to de-identify with the superficial layers of consciousness where habit and projection rule, or if we are conveniently ignorant of our own conditioned motivations, refusing to see how much they really run our lives. The highest vibration of the Sun in Aquarius is the Visionary emotionally engaged in a social cause that is usually in the pursuit of some kind of innovation. Anywhere there is stodgy, dysfunctional crystallization of mass acceptance (where isn’t there?), Aquarius will be there to shake things up. Being the consummate objective observer, the Aquarian archetype often plays out as the Therapist as much as the Reformer. So when both the Sun and Mercury trine Jupiter and square Saturn between January 22nd-30th, there may be a lot of talking going on – resourceful, determined, expansive, Big Picture conversation that could lead to greater integrity in our overall approach, the discipline to achieve our goals, and perhaps just a little luck in making that important connection. With more intense violence in the Middle East and now Africa, the debt ceiling and gun control debates in the U.S. at fever pitch, and a still fractured Congress, we’ll need all the luck we can get!
Mercury trine Jupiter in the evening of January 22nd at 6 degrees Aquarius/Gemini should facilitate intellectual discourse, making it genuinely easy to connect the dots even when foreign ideas are being presented. When fast moving Mercury squares Saturn on the morning of January 25th at 11 degrees Aquarius/Scorpio, we’ll need to take a moment to look at what it is we need to master – which could be a disciplined mind that doesn’t waste time and energy tying into thoughts of intellectual inferiority or cynicism, the downside of this aspect. The optimism generated by Jupiter’s influence should allay this tendency and enhance our authority rather than insecurity over a subject. Saturn’s influence in turn should ensure that authority is well grounded and not over-reaching. Also on the 25th, the Sun trines Jupiter at 6 degrees Aquarius/Gemini to underscore the positive outlook and generate a feeling of fortunate wisdom, which may play out in the ability to attract the resources and people we need to accomplish our philosophical objectives. Any over-reliance on good luck this aspect produces will be tempered when the Sun squares Saturn at 11 degrees Aquarius/Scorpio on January 30th. In this challenging aspect, Saturn puts up obstacles that test our perseverance and willingness to embrace discipline. We can stubbornly object to the perceived insurmountable restraints or we can lighten up, not take it so personally, objectively go back to pick up the gauntlet and deal with steps not taken.
As our networking initiatives unfold the Full Moon on January 26th presents us with what seems like the perfect planetary pair. The Moon at 7 degrees Leo is up on stage garnering all the attention he desires and the Sun at 7 degrees Aquarius is in his preferential seat at the back of the theatre watching all the drama. Trouble with that is, in real life we each need to play both parts – the cool observer and the creative participant. The generally accepted reigning need for the Moon in Leo is to be the center of attention. Beyond that however, couldn’t it be to show us how to tune into hearts and radiate out true benefic love? The Leo Moon’s job is to tune into the universal energy of light and life, achieving a state of knowing his needs are met. Then he can be the hero using artistry, personal magnetism and creative power to naturally lead others to do the same. The Sun in Aquarius may look on all this personal charm as a self-indulgent quest for attention, which he would not pander to since all he wants is for society to progress as a whole. As long as the tide of individuals is operating for the best of the ocean of humanity, ebbing and flowing with innovation for the advancement of the collective consciousness, then he is content. The annual opposition of the luminaries in Aquarius and Leo highlights the extremes between the individual and the collective, as well as the attachment or detachment to self. What truly moves our society forward is when each of us recognizes our own unique worth and in turn releases our emotional energy into a social cause, allowing our star nature to feel the joy of creation. Then we can become more authentic as a witness, having truly experienced the childlike enthusiasm of discovery.
All this time, retrograde Jupiter has been practically motionless, emanating even more powerful energy from his corner of the sky in Gemini, instilling faith in the gathering of information to weave his tapestry of understanding. Having been retrograde since October 4th, he has spent a lot of time collecting the data; now that he is stationing direct on January 30th, it is time to start weaving! Still within range of a sextile to Uranus in Aries and a trine to the Sun in Aquarius, Jupiter’s intensely focused energy at this time may pull in a little unexpected help from our friends.
A significant energetic shift occurs on February 1st when two planets change signs. Mars leaves Aquarius and moves into Pisces, adopting a more subtle approach to self-assertion for the next month and a half by sending out subliminal cues to attract what he wants. He also shifts his outer focus from socio-political to spiritual matters, which means his fight may turn inward to the sometimes murky depths of the unconscious where demons lurk. He must be patient and gather his strength before acting or risk doing so prematurely and therefore without effect. The key for all of us during this time is to be clear on what we’re fighting for and to be pure in our motives. Then we’ll instinctively be able to moderate our actions to an appropriate level of response to internal as well as external forces at work. Under an hour later, Venus leaves “prove you love me” Capricorn for a three and a half week stay in “I couldn’t care less if you do” Aquarius, which in the law of attraction book, could be a viable tactic as long as a no-strings relationship is sufficiently satisfying. Venus joining the Sun and Mercury in Aquarius keeps the balance of modes strong on intellectualized detachment. In the realm of relating this means it may be hard to commit, and being friends with benefits is more palatable than being in a relationship with someone who requires an emotional connection. Better we put this freedom loving energy to good use during this time as a socio-cultural organizer or by checking out the latest installation at the nearest gallery devoted to the avant-garde.
With Pluto in Capricorn being the only planet in an earth sign (other than the Moon) until Venus enters Taurus in mid-April, we may be long on ideas, intuition and initiative but short on the practical tools required for manifestation. We’ll have to make more of an effort to access that capability by tuning into the power of resourcefulness wherever it lies in our own charts to reinvent ourselves for the Age of Aquarius.
Nice work Kim!