AstroCast: January 9 – 15, 2018

As discussed in the last AstroCast, a five-planet sextile configuration involving the Sun, Venus and Pluto in Capricorn in sextile to Mars and Jupiter in Scorpio continues to develop this week, intensifying a drive for action that focuses our attention on endeavors with a clear and realizable intent. This configuration is the source of not only an abundance of constructive energy, but also a powerful sense of determination for results. With ten exact aspects in total between these planets unfolding since last week, the force of this drive is potent enough to sustain anything set in motion now for months to come, or longer. Venus and the Sun continue to travel in tandem in Capricorn and a mere two hours after their exact conjunction, they move into a conjunction with Pluto in the wee hours of January 9, then a sextile to Mars in Scorpio later in the day. Jupiter in Scorpio is also actively involved, forming a sextile to Pluto on January 15, crowning the development of this dynamic configuration with a turbo charge of deep determination that goes for the gold in the game of transformational change.

Sun/Venus/Pluto united in Capricorn are archetypally focused on creating purposeful structures that benefit society. This alignment is collaborative (Venus) and has a deep source of power (Pluto) that infuses the will to express (Sun) in realistic and tangible ways (Capricorn). The sextiles to Mars and Jupiter in the sign ruled by Pluto is the dynamic energy generator that provides a creative (Mars) and philosophical (Jupiter) taproot of intense and penetrating insight (Scorpio) into how best to manifest our plans. As an example of how these planetary energies are manifesting we can look to the Time’s Up campaign that was launched by entertainment industry women on January 1 “to end sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace.” Using the red carpet of the current awards season, wearing Pluto’s color black in solidarity, some of the most powerful women in Hollywood will be talking in a unified voice to address endemic discrimination across all industries and raise money for a legal defense fund. The tidal wave of women speaking out about their experiences commenced in October 2017 just as Jupiter entered the sign that rules sexuality. They have now gathered their energy under the Capricorn Sun to manifest a structure for this movement in a clearly defined way. Further empowered by Saturn returning to its home sign in early December, the women are now taking responsibility for their experiences and taking charge of the message that it is time to transform (Pluto) the core values (Venus) of the patriarchy (Capricorn).

Giving voice to the Capricorn theme of realism and taking responsibility, Mercury enters Capricorn on January 10 and immediately enters into a conjunction with Saturn, which becomes exact on January 12. In Capricorn, the sign that rules business, Mercury is the voice of authority compelled to speak based on what is real, rather than voicing idealistic theories. Conversations may be subdued and serious in nature, especially by January 14 when the Moon enters Capricorn, at which time there will be six planetary bodies in this sign that also represents the ability to detach from a personal need for reward in order to achieve the objectives of something greater than itself. It is Capricorn’s gift of “personal integrity,” according to Dane Rudhyar, “from which derives a sense of personal responsibility and individual destiny.”

As the week unfolds, the Sun and Venus segue from the conjunction to Pluto to a square with Uranus in Aries, exact January 13 – 14. This “translation” of the era-changing square between Uranus and Pluto (in effect 2007 – 2020) is a triggering mechanism that can suddenly heighten our attention on issues related to the archetypes in play. Pluto in Capricorn relates to the restructuring of societal organizations, which can include government. Democracy at its core, for example, is being challenged by autocratic policies favored by President Trump. Since taking office one year ago, his administration has reduced the power and effectiveness of numerous governmental agencies designed to serve and protect the populace and has also signed a record number of executive orders – all this to the benefit of the plutocracy at the expense of the average citizen and the environment. Perhaps most significantly from a world perspective, foreign policy expert Fareed Zakaria recently commented that because of Trump’s isolationist policies, the global order is shifting away from a multilateralism championed by the U.S. after World War II and this is creating increased risk of trade wars, arms races and armed conflict. The decline of U.S. global leadership and influence, says Zakaria, “is the great global story of our age.” As Venus (representing values) and the Sun (leadership) entered into orb of the square to revolutionary Uranus, an explosive new exposé on the Trump presidency was released that may accelerate this decline of U.S. leadership on the world stage. Uranus in Aries archetypally relates to a pioneering self-determination that is inclusive and future-oriented. While it will take tremendous united effort to reverse the course we are on, wouldn’t it be grand to hear an eruption of democratic voices united in demanding greater personal integrity in our land.

Here’s the data (Pacific Time and rounded to the nearest whole degree unless otherwise noted):

January 9 – Venus conjunct Pluto at 19° Capricorn at 1:00 a.m.

January 9 – Sun conjunct Pluto at 19° Capricorn at 1:29 a.m.

January 9 – Venus sextile Mars at 20° Scorpio/Capricorn at 1:07 p.m.

January 9 – Sun sextile Mars at 20° Scorpio/Capricorn at 9:37 p.m.

January 10 – Mercury at 0° Capricorn at 9:10 p.m.

January 12 – Mercury conjunct Saturn at 3° Capricorn at 11:03 p.m.

January 13 – Venus square Uranus at 25° Capricorn/Aries at 11:07 a.m.

January 14 – Sun square Uranus at 25° Capricorn/Aries at 12:44 p.m.

January 15 – Jupiter sextile Pluto at 19° Scorpio/Capricorn at 7:46 p.m.