Welcome to 2010, the Year of Ingresses! We have no fewer than four major planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus—entering new signs (or ingressing) this year. At the time of a major ingress, we feel it as a change in purpose, a new directive in our path with respect to the planet in question. Before it leaves the old sign, we experience a hurry-up urge to complete the directive we took on when the planet entered that sign. Thus, changes of sign are times of great activity and hope.
Three of the planets cross the sign boundary, only to move back into the old sign during the year’s retrograde cycle. That’s when we get a second chance to complete our old projects and promises. The fourth planet, Jupiter, makes an infrequent two ingresses this year. It dashes through Pisces in an incredible five months, then enters early Aries and crosses the Pisces-Aries boundary two more times. Saturn first moved into Libra just two months ago, and since it returns to Virgo (its location for the past two years), we are still in its “ingress stage”. Jupiter makes its move into Pisces on January 17.
Although there is a shorter list of planetary contacts than usual for January, they are of such significance that our lives will change. This is a relief to those of us who feel stuck in difficult circumstances, but it may not be all that we want.
Saturn and Pluto are conspiring to keep us in a holding pattern in some areas of our lives so that we can focus on where we are stuck. Mars is retrograde, and whatever situations we found ourselves in as Yule (December 21) rolled around are still in our lives but with much activity if not progress. We get “over the hump” with these predicaments as we pass January 29, when the Sun and Mars oppose each other. This marks the halfway point in a three-month period when we’re taking a closer look at how and where we’re expending our energy. Want to amp up your life? Get more return for your effort? This is the time to fuel the fire of efficiency with the gold of pure intention. We’ve been examining what works and doesn’t work, and perhaps the second list is longer than the first. Even if this is so, it’s time for the “N” word (“No!”) so we can clear the decks for new initiatives that more completely fill our hearts and pocketbooks. Although the retrograde continues until March 10, it’s a downhill slide after the 29th.
Meanwhile, Saturn and Pluto sharpen their square to each other. This one, the second of three, reaches exactitude on January 31. On the first round, we went deep into our own underworld and had the opportunity to encounter the obstacles we found there. With courage and perhaps a hint of desperation, we may have begun sweeping away the deep fears and compulsions we found there. Many people go into avoidance, become frozen because they’re afraid of what might happen if they face what’s hidden there. Yet, all they do is put off the moment of reckoning and debilitate their lives in the meantime. In January, Saturn backs into its contact with Pluto. We’ve gotten a few clues since the first contact on November 15: the Sun’s conjunction to Pluto and square to Saturn; and the Moon’s weekly reconnection of the square from the cardinal sign it was in (generally on Wednesday-Friday). We also got a hint when Saturn turned retrograde (backward) on the 15th.
It is through Saturn that we tune in to our responsibilities and decide how best to fulfill them. It represents the structure in our lives. Since last September 17 we’ve been developing new structures. As the 15th rolls around, we’ll up the intensity of our efforts to boost our success. With the square to Pluto in the mix, there may be an increased urgency to our tasks, but we should not let fear compel us. Our sense of purpose should be driven by what we want to create, not what we hope to avoid.
Saturn is not yet out of the woods with Uranus. These two nemeses will encounter each other from across the heavens two more times this year, on April 26 and July 26. Consequently, we are still trying to grapple with the imponderable in making plans. Uranus brings to us the “New World” feel there is to life right now. Since we don’t know what to expect, it’s hard to plan.
When Jupiter enters Pisces on January 17, it moves into one of the two signs that it rules. This makes Jupiter’s energy writ even larger in our lives than usual. This can bring “good fortune”, but it can also bring great expectations, perhaps greater than can be realized through Jupiter’s energy alone. However, with Uranus being part of the mix later in the year, perhaps our wildest dreams can come true.
We started the month in the shadow of a Lunar Eclipse, which occurred on New Year’s Eve. We get the second of the current set on January 14, a (New Moon) Solar Eclipse at 26 Capricorn. This continues the Cancer-Capricorn series started last summer, emphasizing the essentials of life. During these eclipses, we try to create more resilience in our lives, more depth in our resources to prevent difficulties. As these eclipses occur, we draw Pluto’s transformative energy into the mix; we are considering what we need to do to step into the new economic age we are entering.
The Sun and Venus are traveling companions all month, sweetening the Sun’s warmth with the kiss of love. As several planetary cycles pass milestones, the energy of social support and companionship is there for us to soften any other difficulties. This changes the tone of the Mercury retrograde, which began December 26, for the better. Mercury supports the eclipse process by lending us its “thinking cap” to bring innovative solutions.
(Except as otherwise noted, all interpretations here are based on a natural chart, using the beginning of Aries as the ascendant, and times listed are Pacific Standard Time.
A “Void Moon” or “Void of Course Moon” (or “VOC moon” for short) makes no significant aspects until it enters the next sign. Its void period is thought to be a poor time for starting new projects or making concerted effort toward existing plans.
According to William Lilly, the Moon in Cancer (Moon’s rulership), Taurus (Moon’s exaltation), Sagittarius and Pisces (signs ruled by Jupiter, the Great Benefic) “performeth somewhat.” Lee Lehmann reports that she has tested this, and “you can take it to the bank.” Another way of putting how this works is that, when an action is taken during the void period in one of these signs, you get “unanswered success.” That is, the lack of planetary action prevents your action from being denied.
Maya’s rule of thumb was, “In making a close call, I look at the moon’s final aspect, just before it goes void of course. This shows how the situation will end up.”
Friday January 1
Don’t worry about being industrious today—the Cancer Moon goes void of course at 7:43 am after insight-inducing contacts with Mercury and Uranus. This is a perfect time for reflection and developing a vision of the year ahead, but stop short of planning—you’re between the worlds until 6:41 pm, when the Moon enters Leo.
Saturday January 2
The Moon in Leo makes one contact, a sextile to Saturn, soon after midnight. This sole connection of the day creates an energy lull into which we can pour the activities of our choice.
Sunday January 3
Before our Leo Moon’s void period starts at 1:55 pm, she makes four energizing aspects focused on the major healing process that we’ve been dealing with over the past year. We get a new perspective on it as we peer into the future to glimpse the next steps in the process. We’ll become more systematic in our approach to life when at 6:52 pm, the Moon enters Virgo.
Monday January 4
It’s harmonies all the way through the day, as the Virgo Moon makes trines to the planets in Capricorn: Pluto, Venus, Mercury, and the Sun. This is an excellent day for taking action on previously developed plans of any nature. It is especially auspicious that Mercury, which is currently retrograde, reaches the Sun to mark the halfway point of Mercury’s retrograde period. We’ll be able to pluck order out of previous chaos and respond to life’s challenges with more understanding now.
All the planetary action is over by 9:24 am, when the Moon makes its final contact in Virgo and goes void of course. While we sleep Venus and Mercury conjoin, and we formulate more creative and eloquent ways of communicating about a situation that has caused some discomfort. The Moon’s opposition to Uranus could bring a kick to our morning experiences before the void period calms the energies in and around us. We perk up when the Moon enters breezy Libra at 8:58 pm, sharpening our sense of balance and turning our thoughts toward our ties to others.
The Moon in Libra makes more strident waves today as it reaches the Saturn-Pluto square early on, with added juice from Mercury later in the day. This pattern will take us deep into our unconscious and give us the opportunity to clear old fears and rigid beliefs. This energy continues through early tomorrow.
The wee hours bring new awareness when the Libra Moon hooks up with Venus, then the Sun, the latter bringing the Last Quarter phase of the Moon at 2:39 am at 17°01′ Libra. The rest of the day is smoother than yesterday’s bumpy ride. We can get to solutions and make progress in fulfilling our dreams, as the Moon makes a flowing sextile to Mars and easy trines to Chiron, Neptune, and Jupiter. The final trine brings the Moon’s void-of-course at 10:07 pm, but it’s over before sunrise.
The Last Quarter Moon opens the door to dynamic energy and flowing solutions that come to us from the others in our lives. Although there is tension from a T-square configuration, it is due to past circumstances and situations rather than emerging ones. The strongest energies lead to resolutions rather than new challenges.
In the chart cast for Washington DC, 21 Sagittarius rises, and Saturn-Moon are at the top (Midheaven). This emphasizes the burden of responsibility placed on the head of state, especially as it pertains to significant foreign policy decisions. The decision to beef up forces in Afghanistan begins to look wise, even though results are a long way off. Mars retrograde in the 8th house suggests continued difficulties in the financial sector, with bank failures and further business consolidations at all levels. Still commerce is coming back to life, even in January; it is as if people were waiting for the holiday season to pass so that they could resume the more meaningful activities of everyday life.
The Sabian Symbol for 18 Libra is “Two men are placed under arrest and taken away to give an accounting for their acts before the tribunal of society.” (M.E. Jones version) This suggests that someone(s) who seem(s) to have gotten away with crimes against society will be brought to account. We each benefit by looking at our own actions and ensuring that we can stand in the light of truth with a clear conscience. When criminals are brought to justice, it supports the good in all of us and gives us more hope for the future.
The Moon’s entry into Scorpio at 2:00 am opens the door to gentler energies, as she makes sextiles to Pluto and Mercury. These contacts allow us to develop win-win solutions for our current dilemmas.
After a mid-morning emotional jolt from a square to Mars, the Scorpio Moon harmonizes with Venus, Sun and Uranus. Enjoy an afternoon and evening with friends. A spicy plan for the evening could turn out especially well.
The Moon in Scorpio brings the next encounter with our ongoing healing process as it squares Chiron, Neptune, and Jupiter before we rise. This strident energy gives way at 7:02 am with the Moon’s void period, which ends at 10:10 am when she enters Sagittarius. An evening Moon-sextile-Saturn rounds out the day with an industrious and efficient flourish.
Venus finally reaches the Sun and passes from morning star (Bringer of the Dawn) to evening star (Star of the West)—the halfway point of her 18-month cycle. According to ancient lore, she now leads us to be more pacifist in our behavior. Our fiery, adventurous Sagittarius Moon harmonizes with Mars throughout the day, filling us with optimism and energy to accomplish our goals.
We could be jarred into action when the Moon squares Uranus near the start of the workday (drive carefully). The rest of the day is more settled, as the Moon shows us the way to heal ourselves the easy way, through sextiles to Chiron, Neptune, and Jupiter. We can feel more justified than usual with a long leisurely dinner, since the Moon goes void at 6:43 pm, until it enters Capricorn at 8:54 pm.
Still in Capricorn, the Moon hits up the planets in early Capricorn and Libra: Pluto, Saturn, and Mercury. This grounds our experience of the loftier events of the day—Venus-Sun sextile Uranus and Saturn’s retrograde station, which occurs at 7:58 am/4°39′ Libra. The pressure from Saturn has been growing over the past two weeks to today’s maximum, but starting tomorrow we feel it gradually relax. Today we make our final commitment to tasks that will require five months to launch and up to two years to completely fulfill.
Our dark Moon ploughs through earthy Capricorn all day with no contacts until an evening sextile to Uranus. This brings us the opportunity for creative solutions to our dilemmas; your routine should be relatively uninterrupted (except by positive developments) as you set your tasks for the day.
At 11:11 pm, the Moon reaches the Sun, marking the New Moon and an annular Solar Eclipse. Harmonies rule in this eclipse, where Venus is a kissing cousin to the Sun-Moon conjunction. Watch for blooms in both new and existing relationships. Developments now could be quite surprising, but they are the result of long, gradual but hidden progress that has occurred before this time. Since a solar eclipse is a seed-planting time and one that portends development over 6-18 months, we may see only subtle changes now—but watch for more to come. The truth comes out as Mercury makes its station direct (now moving forward) in the next few hours.
In Washington DC, the Solar Eclipse chart has 15 Scorpio rising, emphasizing commerce and foreign affairs. Monetary matters will be moving slowly in timing with Mercury, but once Mercury goes forward again tomorrow, the economy will show signs of more robust activity. Saturn’s new retrograde places the focus on Congress, and the election season that is now beginning. Don’t believe everything you hear. Inclement weather will slow human movement over the coming week, but it will replenish the soil for the coming year’s growing season, even as it draws us inward to replenish our soul.
At 26 Capricorn, the Sabian symbol is, “In a little glade never trod by the foot of man, in the mist of a waterfall dances a carefree water sprite.” (M.E. Jones version) The magical world created by fresh snow or soft rain brings out the faery world, refreshing the land and healing the scars of human use. We can find our own magical landscape inside at any time, but the winter’s hibernation from the elements provides a natural opportunity to do so. Winter dreams become summer’s reality.
At 1:02 am, the Capricorn Moon goes void of course on a conjunction to Venus, reminding us that, no matter what our current drama, all will turn out well. The void period lasts until 9:17 am when the Moon enters dispassionate Aquarius, so it’s wise to start the day’s initiatives after that time. This Air Moon lifts our minds above the fray to see the good of all, bringing relief through a broader perspective as it trines Saturn. The big news of the day however is Mercury’s return to forward motion at 8:52 am/5°33′ Capricorn. We have made it through the 21-day retrograde, now wiser and better prepared to make use of the connections we make over the coming three months.
The Moon in Aquarius makes the sole planetary connection of the day, a mid-afternoon opposition to Mars. We’ll be more ambitious than usual, striving to accomplish more in a day than is feasible—take care not to injure yourself in the process.
Continuing in Aquarius, the Moon conjoins Chiron and Neptune before it goes void at 12:23 pm, making it more comfortable to relax and dream than to focus and act. This mood continues until 10:17 pm, when the Moon enters visionary Pisces. The big event of the day is Jupiter’s entry into Pisces at 6:11 pm. With this ingress Jupiter gains strength, since it rules Pisces. Our first connection with this new energy is strong and positive, since the Moon conjoins it right after entering Pisces this evening. It’s time to wish upon a star!
While the Moon moves through Pisces, Venus enters Aquarius at 6:35 am. Two congenial lunar contacts bracket the morning—sextiles to Pluto and Mercury, which grant us the ability to constructively plan for the future.
Still in Pisces, the Moon wings through a lonely sky until it reaches Uranus at the end of the day. After a rush to complete the tasks we set before ourselves for the month of Capricorn, we’ll enjoy a feeling of lift as the Sun enters Aquarius at 8:28 pm. The energy may be a bit jumpy and sleep restless as the Moon-Uranus contact finally occurs at 10:06 pm, when the Moon’s void-of-course commences, finally calming us down.
Until the Moon enters Aries at 10:36 am, we get some time to complete old projects, catch up on filing, or do get rid of old email messages while the Moon remains void of course. Once activated however, dynamism is the key word for the day! Sextiles to the Sun and Venus permit enterprising initiatives that flow smoothly into success, fueling us with the optimism to manage the T-square that forms this evening with Pluto and Saturn. Don’t let tiredness and the need to relax become depression or discouragement.
Our Aries Moon sends discordant dreams on a square to Mercury, but they feed a day of productivity as she reaches a noontime trine with Mars. This is supported by Venus, which makes a day-long trine to Saturn. Through Monday, trines to Saturn give us the opportunity for fulfillment and success.
Sextiles to Chiron and Neptune bring us new approaches to freeing ourselves of old baggage, before the Moon enters its void period at 11:47 am. This gives us an afternoon’s downtime to catch up, which ends when the Moon enters Taurus at 8:39 pm.
The day’s first contact is a 2:53 am First Quarter Moon square to the Sun, at 3°20′ Taurus. This is followed by a roller-coaster ride of connections: a Moon trine to Pluto brings emotional insight before we rise, while a square with Venus increases relationship tension. This can be relieved through communication as the Moon reaches a harmonious trine to messenger Mercury, but the day ends in a challenge as a Moon square to Mars spurs us to new activity—we may feel pressured to work late.
The First Quarter Moon places the focus on situations that are still in the formative stages. We are awakening to new possibilities as we put some old ones behind us. Our work is cut out for us, and we are stimulated now to carve out a path to our goals.
At 5:53 am in Washington DC, the chart of the First Quarter Moon has 8°02′ Capricorn rising with Pluto and Mercury wrapped around the Ascendant and Moon at the base of the chart (IC). This emphasizes the people of the nation and their self-image. It implies a shift in consciousness that is triggered by painful new awareness. What does America stand for? What is the nation’s foundation? There is a deep resilience in the heartland, an enduring patience that comes of watching crops grow, and many people are looking beyond the trendy political movements to what is really important—perhaps jobs are more important than whether someone shares one’s social values. This will change the electoral math for the fall’s midterm elections, but it’s too early to tell which way this will go. Meanwhile the economy begins to show more strength.
The Sabian Symbol at 4 Taurus states, “The rainbow’s pot of gold is revealed in the midst of a shower of sparkling and flashing colors.” We feel new optimism as the days grow longer. We will soon encounter easier times as the winter passes, we have to don fewer clothes, and movement is easier. Southwestern rains bring emerald green hillsides to the parched land, while new insights spawn innovation and economic growth in unexpected places.
A Sun trine to Saturn greets us at dawn and carries us through the day with ease and efficiency. Take advantage of the productive, constructive energy to work on your more important projects. The Moon in practical Taurus supports us with a sextile to Uranus that influences us through most of the day as well. The evening brings a well-deserved time for relaxation, as Moon squares to Chiron and Neptune make our aches and pains a little more evident—so we can heal them. At 7:03 pm, the Moon goes void of course until early tomorrow.
The Moon makes its way into Gemini at 3:11 am, forming a square to Jupiter before we rise, then making a series of easing contacts, to Saturn, Sun, Venus, and Mars. The emphasis is on relationships and conflict resolution. It’s a good time to reconcile, communicate, come to resolutions and agreements, or enjoy a romantic evening.
As it winds its way through Gemini today, we get an early-morning jolt when the Moon squares Uranus, but this helps us reset our course in a better direction. Trines to Chiron and Neptune follow, allowing the fruits of our healing process infuse our daily lives with more peace and wisdom. At 10:33 pm, the Moon’s trine to Neptune opens its void period, which lasts until early tomorrow. Today could be a low point in relationship if we push critical issues. We will be feeling our differences more than usual, and feelings of isolation can distort our understanding of what’s really going on.
At 6:01 am, the Moon enters nurturing Cancer, ending the void-of-course period that began last evening. We get maximum perspective from this lunar vantage point, as she trines Jupiter and opposes Pluto to bring new helpful awareness about how to turn our transformative process into something society will value and reward. An afternoon square to Saturn reminds of the obstacles and responsibilities we face in achieving our goals.
The Moon continues in Cancer, giving voice to our recent insights as she opposes messenger Mercury in the wee hours. We’ll find it easy to stay in our center today regardless of life’s slings and arrows with the assistance of a Moon-trine-Uranus that culminates at 8:48 pm, when the Moon enters its void-of-course period.
Today is a peak day as the Sun and Mars reach their opposition. This marks the halfway point in Mars’s three-month retrograde, which began on December 20. By now we can see the full potential of the Mars cycle, and it’s a downhill slide to fulfill it. The Full Moon underscores this process and ensures that we will spend at least the next week focused primarily on working with Mars’s process in our lives. The Moon enters Leo at 6:10 am, ending its night-long void period. Leading up to the 10:18 pm Leo Full Moon, the Moon harmonizes with Saturn and magnetizes Mars to bring out the industry in our nature. We’ll be busy today making progress in our most important projects.
The Full Moon is at 10°15′ Leo, with an emphasis on needs versus desires. We’ll be focused on what we need to do before we can go for our wants. Relationships may be on a back burner because of other activities. In the chart cast for the United States at Washington DC, 16 Scorpio rises. This places the Full Moon in Houses 3-9, emphasizing commerce and foreign affairs. In particular, Mars sits close to the US North Node, which is usually triggered when the US engages in foreign conflicts. It is possible that the US will step up activity in Afghanistan or Pakistan—or that an expected escalation is curbed.
At 11 Leo, the Sabian Symbol for the Full Moon is, “Beneath a huge oak, which holds back the rising heat of noon, some children [play] games in a great swing.” (M.E. Jones version) An atmosphere of safety allows us to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. In these times of pulling back from extremes of consumerism, we are finding new joy and appreciation in the abiding constancy of our social bonds. Even though we face grave situations in the world at large, personally we can be civil, joyous, and just.
The Moon in Leo makes three connections today, all perspective-giving oppositions. The early morning brings us new understanding of friendships, while late in the day we get another view of what we need to let go of in our lives to be free. The Moon goes void of course at 10:27 pm until tomorrow morning.
The Moon enters discerning Virgo at 5:23 am, bringing a new period of productivity to us. We’ll want to climb the nearest hill and commune with nature as she opposes Jupiter in the mid-morning. The biggest event of the day is the second of three Saturn-Pluto squares, which confronts us with our greatest weakness. When we realize that this contact only makes us more conscious of an issue that has existed for many years, it opens the door to possible solutions. At this second contact, we are acutely aware of what we must do. Even if we are driven solely by our desire to end the pain we are in, we have a plan and are resolved to fulfill it. The analytic bent of the Moon in Virgo lifts us above our feelings and eases us through the day.
For more than 20 years, Terry Lamb (M.A. Linguistics, UC San Diego; C.A. NCGR, EEMCP) has been helping people to understand how cycles and energies work and interact in their lives. She augments her astrological acumen with energy medicine, Yijing (Chinese Book of Change), cosmology, psychology, and a broad range of health and spiritual studies.
Terry is among the nation’s most knowledgeable, insightful, and engaging astrologers. With pragmatic optimism and compassion, Terry’s approach has helped clients and students find their own way to “walk among the stars”. She is dedicated to using astrology as a way to create our future and free ourselves from “fate”. She goes along with Abraham Lincoln, who said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
Her unique approach to astrology can be learned through her home study and apprenticeship programs (contact her directly).
Reading the US chart is valuable info to be had, but be reminded that there are global factions with aggressive and warlike powers operating within the “USA” that are not necessarily of the US government or of the US populous. Such groups have a substantial degree of power over the US government, and their allegiance is to an older hierarchy whose deeds and policies are not in alignment with the Founding Fathers and hence are not subject to the inception date (chart content) of the US.
Jupiter mainly does rule sag but I believe it is underestimated. It is the Biggest planet and I believe it may have an influence on pisces and maybe more we are not aware of. Also old zodiac vs. newer zodiac that is constantly changing. We also learn more about the zodiac as a whole daily. Brian Kraner, Weekly Reader Of Daykeeper
Thoughts on this vary amongst astrologers. I use the traditional rulership system, which came to us from the ancients before Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were discovered. Rather than adding these “invisible” (at least to the naked eye) planets to the regular rulership roster, some of us believe that they fulfill a larger role. Before these planets were discovered, the rulership system was perfectly balanced. I prefer to use this balanced system and give Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto a larger role. I can’t explain this without diagrams and a deeper explanation of the planets, signs, and their meanings — but I can assure you that the traditional system works very well!
Uh, I thought Jupiter ruled Saggittarius and Neptune ruled Pisces.