General Astrological Influences, January 2019: The Warrior Stirs

With a mob party in Capricorn, sign of work, and light-hearted Jupiter and Venus in enthusiastic Sagittarius, January combines seriousness with optimism.

The two major lunations in January are both Eclipses,sounding a note of destiny. The first one, a Full Moon Solar Eclipse on January 5, involves influences that build to the Saturn-Pluto conjunction of 2020. This year’s patterns extend beyond its confines and into our karma, life mission and evolutionary goals. It won’t necessarily be easy. A worst-case scenario involves guilt trips, confrontations with the armed forces, excessive perfectionism causing delays and binges, more guilt trips… hahaha. But if we pull up our britches, face our challenges, and do our inner and outer work, we can initiate a path of mastery.

The month begins on a somber note as Sun joins ruler Saturn in diligent Capricorn. At this time of year, Sun is always in the sign of the goat, stimulating us to look at what we want to accomplish in the coming months and adding to January’s “back-to-work” atmosphere. The conjunction with Saturn, which becomes exact on the night of Tuesday, January 1, intensifies this flavor, which will become even stronger on Friday, January 4, as Mercury too enters the sign of the goat, directing our thinking along practical lines. The following 20 days are great for getting our accounts in order, updating financial situations, buying insurance, and connecting with teachers and elders.

Then, on Saturday, January 5, the winter chill really sets in with the Solar Eclipse. The Capricorn New Moon is a great portal for setting one’s intentions for the New Year. This time it takes place on Epiphany, known as the Twelfth Day of Christmas, when the wise ones visited baby Jesus. As with most holidays, it has much older roots. The word itself comes from Greek, meaning “manifestation”, and relates to the point of the new Sun’s ascent at which the hours of daylight become visibly longer. In ancient Europe, the date was associated with Kore-Persephone’s rise from the underworld.

The Eclipse conjoins both constructive Saturn and transformational Pluto, presaging the eventual conjunction of these two planets in 2020. Neither of them is known for their light touch, nor is Capricorn. All three influences push us out of our comfort zone, and not only ask, but require something of us.

Saturn insists that we build something tangible, and Pluto demands that we work on our inmost selves, face shadows, and evolve until we are eventually empowered. The Sun is where we shine, but this alignment means that the inertia of natural radiance isn’t enough. We are called to apply special focus and effort to integrate our light in material and spiritual results.

The two themes surface and combine in a way that is apt to seem fated. To detect how your daily discipline and productivity connects with your evolution, regress to 2008—when Pluto first entered Capricorn. What new area of your life began to show signs of what has turned into major change? A look at your natal houses occupied by the sign of the mountain goat will shed clarity.

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Crystal Pomeroy

Crystal Pallas Pomeroy, Maya’s daughter and astrological protégé, offers in-depth astrological consultations from her home in Mexico, in person or via Skype. She is a noted author as well as a regular radio and television commentator on esoteric topics, and leads a spiritual and healing ministry in Mexico City. Crystal offers workshops on astrology, the sacred feminine, indigenous spirituality, and the goddess in beautiful locations throughout Mexico. Her book Angels & Goddesses (Llewellyn, Spring 2022) is available now. Reach Crystal by email here.