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January 2014
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by Terry Lamb

January 2014 brings to us a launch of epic proportions as the New Moon on January 1 receives an explosive power boost when it conjoins Pluto. This simultaneous New-Moon-New-Pluto opens the door of transformation as it points us in a new direction where our lives are ripe for change. This makes for a month of powerful events that we will not soon forget, a proper start for a year when many ongoing situations will reach a tipping point.

The New Pluto, or Sun conjunction to Pluto, marks the start of Pluto’s yearlong interaction with us on Planet Earth. As Pluto lurks in the far distant reaches of our solar system on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth, its energy infuses our solar force field and inspires us with the will to grow. We see what needs changing with a peculiar clarity, innocently embracing the opportunity to straighten out another set of knots in a part of our life.

January’s events are not to be viewed with fear but with joy, because they are bringing to us a unique opportunity for harmonious yet dynamic transformation of our circumstances. There’s something we’ve each been working toward, even if we don’t know what it is. We saw it in a moment of inner clarity and alignment, when we were freed of an awareness of all the reasons why such a priority would be foolish or unattainable.

Since then, we’ve been all over the map with this direction, from discarding it to watching it resurrect itself on its own to digging it up ourselves after burying it for dead. In the midst of all the wailing and moaning, it has nonetheless grown and taken shape. Now we are confronted with the distinct reality that we could be successful at creating this thing—but are we up to fulfilling it?

That is the question as we launch 2014. We need to muster courage and drive, and get this thing off the ground. January shows us the caveats, the things we must take into account as we implement our plans. Obstacles must be converted to supports, and supports used in alignment with a greater harmony. There is much to be learned in January, and an attitude of openness and flexibility will attract the greatest benefits.

Part of this scenario, and defining our stories at this time, are the movements of Venus and Mars. Venus is early in its retrograde as of January 1, completing its backward travel on January 31. Mars has just entered its signal-sending retrograde shadow. (See the January Overview for details on the power of these stories and how to harness it.)

If you have anything in your chart at (+/— 2 degrees) 11, 17, 25, or 3 degrees, you have been experiencing a more significant slice of life this winter. These are the degrees that the lunations are occurring at as they go through their yearly "stationary period". Each year from October–April  (roughly), the New, First Quarter, Full, and Last Quarter Moon angles to the Sun come at the same degrees relative to their sign placement. In January, this will be in Cardinal signs through the Full Moon, then Fixed after the Sun enters Aquarius, for the Last Quarter Moon.

This means that a single area, focused on the planet(s) at those degrees in your chart, and their house placement, will go through a series of changes based on a shifting perspective and unfolding events. It is a stepwise process, a gradual change, that may be punctuated by other events along the way. Look for where this is happening; January will be a turning point for this experience.

While the Sun is in Cardinal Capricorn, it activates the preponderance of planets that are now found in Cardinal signs: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto—with Mercury translating the effects prior to the Sun’s igniting forces. The first of these is the Sun’s square to Mars, which opens the field of consideration for what is coming on Mars’s retrograde in March-May.

Mars is already in Libra, since December 7, and in a sense, we’ve already been working that energy, because the whole field of Libra is an archetype that activates as soon as a planet enters it. With Mars, it produces a drive to fulfill the archetype, but not always in the most enlightened way. How it manifests depends on the extent to which the ego holds sway in the personality.

Mars in Libra pushes toward justice and inner alignment. It may bend us toward conquest in order to restore peace, or it may lead us into more harmonious means of achieving it if we have the penchant toward that from other aspects of our nature.

Justice must be wrought in all areas, and given the recent activity in the Cardinal signs, this energy runs very deep, going back to pick up the echoes of Summer 2010—September 2012 and the recent Lunar Eclipse (October 18), but the gold nugget in this is the connection to 1981-1982 (See the January Overview for more on this.)

During this time, we are driven more than usual to AGREE and to JOIN. Relationships formed now must be developed carefully to avoid too much commitment too soon. Commitments made now should be small and short-term, perhaps steps in a larger building process if warranted. Hidden aspects from even the distant past will surface in the months to come (through July) that will affect these commitments. This will amount to a sorting process that results in greater harmony, but the steps in between start and finish could meander in uncomfortable ways.

One thing that happens during a Mars retrograde, which comes every two years in successive signs (the last one was in Virgo, this one in Libra, and so forth), is that we feel time pressure to create a result, and this often makes us feel forced to act on something before conditions are ripe for a good outcome. We have to make our own determinations about what this means, but usually it is a signal that there is a critical flaw in the plan.

This is just as true now as it is during the retrograde, but in the pre-retrograde shadow period (starting December 25), we often have a choice as to whether to follow the energy and how to do it before the backward travel begins. The bottom line is to be very conscious of what commitments we make during January. Don’t make an agreement just because you thought of it, or to fill in a gap in life that you were holding open for another reason. (Don’t give up on that longer-term priority.)

Of course, a description of Mars’s retrograde would not be complete without mentioning that it connects with the Big Guys transiting the other Cardinal signs at this time: Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto. This creates a perfect Grand Cross of some significance. It will challenge us to find unique solutions to long-term problems, ones where we have felt like there is no way out (that “Grand-Cross feeling”). There IS a way out, but it involves transcendence. We must rise above the problem to see it in overview, from the Soul perspective. Once there, the way out is obvious and effortless (in the sense that we are carried by an energy flow).

The good news is that Jupiter is in Cancer. Although it may bring bad news as it encounters Mars, Uranus, and Pluto, it’s good that we know the truth. In January, Jupiter is retrograde and reaches its “Full” stage when the Sun opposes it on January 5. This brings revelations from the Soul level about how to bring love and a sense of belonging into our life. It helps us see where we are supported, where our true family lies—not always among blood ties.

Venus is also retrograde as January commences. We are in her old 19-month cycle until January 11, when we reach the New Venus. At that time, we can start new enterprises and agreements, since we are entering the new 19-month cycle. Although we will be focused on how to use Capricorn energy to benefit our relationships through the end of the month, when Venus returns to forward motion, we will continue to work with this energy throughout its new cycle in ways that are appropriate to the house we find Capricorn in, in our natal chart.

The back-to-back retrogrades of Venus and Mars, those planets of courtship and love, involve their interaction by square. Three squares of Venus and Mars occur over this time, the second on January 16. This means that we will use a process of differentiation to unravel the knots that we find in our relationships. We may find more growth in separation than in union as these squares occur. This does not mean separation is inevitable, but that moments of reaction, isolation, and individuation are important in defining our love so that true union is possible. The fact is that we are driven by our need to be individually whole, and until we find our unique self-expression, we are crippled in our relationships, unable to fully give.

Mercury is always on the move, and it activates commerce and connection with others on all levels. Its cycle is short and always changing, and in January it enters a new shadow period, leading to yet another retrograde, which starts February 6. This one inhabits the last degrees of Aquarius, mostly—as Mercury transitions from Water retrogrades (affecting emotions) to Air retrogrades (affecting thoughts) for the next two years, through 2015.

January will bring us new dilemmas and delights, closings and openings, and sorrows need not last if we see the higher purpose and true inner harmony that is being developed. We are being asked to take the long and high view and allow the Soul to guide us through in its timeless way where the ego wants to rush. The more we can do this, the more we will experience the joy of what is unfolding, which January will show us in no uncertain terms.

(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 (UTC–8).

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.

Wednesday January 1

We will feel the New Year in more ways than one, as we experience a New Moon at 3:14 am PT/10°57' Capricorn (6:14 am ET) simultaneous to the New Pluto (Sun conjunct Pluto) at 10:57 am/11°17' Capricorn.

This launches a yearly cycle of transformation via Pluto’s transit, and a powerful lunar cycle that encapsulates the process of change that is afoot in one short month. This lunar cycle will highlight themes of ongoing deep, hidden processes of evolution, some factors of which will surface in potentially dramatic ways over the month.

This lunar (and secular) month comes in the midst of a set of strong contacts between the planets of the Cardinal signs and the Sun and Mercury as they move through Cardinal Capricorn, December 25–January 8. Thus, we already know much of what is in this month’s chalice to be brewed and imbibed. We have a place of emptiness on every New Moon, and this one has to do with agreements, relationships, and boundaries.

The Capricorn Moon makes a bevy of connections, its own "greatest hits" as it moves through the populated mid-degrees. We get a preview of the month, a mini-version. See what scenario is created, what stage is set. Then it’s our turn to interact with the players as they move around the stage. Venus is the star, doing her own thing and affecting every other player/planet as she moves in a direction that is contrary to expectation. Who is Venus in your life, and how are you playing her yourself? The Moon will show you—in the reactions and interactions with others. The people and things around us reflect our own way of playing her (or any other planet’s) role in life.

If we see how others are loving us (via Venus), we see how we are loving ourselves. Our understanding of and ability to change what we see is heightened during Venus’s retrograde. The energies of our connections are more fluid and therefore open to change. Venus is at her closest point to Earth, and we remember what love really is—or our connection to love, since it is the universal state of the cosmos, always there but for our lack of awareness.

In the chart cast for Washington DC, the focus is on diplomacy and balance, with leadership from the President. However, he is challenged to change his tendency to waver and capitulate on important matters of policy for the sake of surface peace. The current budget crisis and arm-twisting by the whining minority provide the arena for a weak budget resolution and weakened nation. This is the area for growth through the Venus and Mars retrogrades—how to get out of the budget and sequestration mess before it deconstructs more of the nation, further undercutting its people. A winter storm offers distraction and underscores the ominous trends of climate change.

The Sun and Moon are both at the same degree (11 Capricorn), whose Sabian Symbols is “Pheasants display their brilliant colors on a private estate.” This speaks of the contrast between surface beauty and what may lie hidden underneath. A private estate implies wealth and the pheasants a frivolity that allows them to be displaced from their natural wild environment. This month, we may be looking for where things belong and allowing them to find their natural place and level of belonging.

Thursday January 2

An irritation emerges as Sun squares Mars, and it carries deeper meaning than appears on the surface, so it is good to pay attention to those seemingly innocuous omens. This comes just at the time when we reach a crescendo of understanding of how things are progressing, as Mercury opposes Jupiter. The is the first step in the “Full Jupiter” phenomenon, when the Sun (and its entourage, Mercury and Venus) opposes Jupiter at the midpoint of their yearly cycle, and Jupiter’s retrograde. This results in a new awareness, often uplifting, of what’s being created. More steps to go, but it’s good to see our efforts coming to fruition. We should expect the coming week (January 2–8) to be quite lively as everyone responds to this fertilizing energy.

The Moon enters its void period in Capricorn with its conjunction to Venus at 3:12 am PT (6:12 am ET). This is the last Venus Gate of her retrograde before she enters the Underworld (burns up in the Sun), in the story of Inanna. She will soon be lost in the light of the Sun, until she emerges, reddened from her ordeal, as the Morning Star after the January 11 conjunction. The Moon gives us a fresh perspective from Aquarius once it enters the sign at 9:03 am. A contact to Uranus brings inspiration to the other events of the day.

Friday January 3

The Moon in Aquarius helps us find the balance between enthusiasm and responsibility as it connects with Mars and Saturn over the day. Its void period starts at 5:47 pm (8:47 pm ET), letting us off the hook till tomorrow morning.

Saturday January 4

At 8:58 am (11:58 am ET), the Moon enters Pisces to bring a dreamy quality to our morning. This is augmented by Neptune as Moon sweeps by it mid-afternoon.

Sunday January 5

The Moon reaches the mid-degree planets across the day, creating emotional release of the "fun" sort—that is, if the Full (Sun opposition to) Jupiter doesn’t overtake us with a deeper message. The Moon’s plethora of contacts helps us integrate what we learn into our existing plans.

Monday January 6

At 1:44 am (4:44 am ET), the Moon is void, until its entry into Aries at 11:45 am. Don’t worry—that Pisces Moon can still be used to launch your week’s activities, perhaps in an inspired way. Our productivity and response to deadlines is a focus now, as Mercury sextiles Saturn.

Tuesday January 7

Mercury hooks up with Venus as she continues her retrograde dance, and authenticity finds the best words to express itself. This is happening under the pressure of the First Quarter Moon (7:39 pm/17°46' Aries/Capricorn) (10:39 pm ET), which goads us to make something happen. By this time, most of the conditions for the Full Moon are set—one more to go when Mars and Jupiter square each other tomorrow. There’s a lot happening, a lot to respond to—stay in your center, that calm eye of the storm.

In the First Quarter Moon chart for the US, the emphasis is on dealing with distractions. The usual hype for sporting events such as football finals has never been grander, and politicians take advantage of this every year to establish momentum in unpopular directions. However, this year it is especially true, and there are enough people who are on to this pattern to do something about it. Such efforts will meet with resistance from people’s movements.

The First Quarter Moon’s Sabian Symbols are, “The union jack flies from a new British warship (the Sun, 18 Capricorn);” and “An empty hammock hangs between two lovely trees (the Moon, 18 Cancer).” There is a pull between what is comfortable and what is abhorrent but must be seen and understood, and people are finding it harder and harder to be distracted by the former and ignore the latter. An empty hammock suggests those comforts of life that we all seek, while the warship reminds us that we mustn’t become so hooked into our comforts that we forget about what’s going on elsewhere, particularly when it’s done in our name. On a personal level, it’s about finding what is meaningful and getting rid of distractions, as well as a reminder to enjoy life as we go.

Wednesday January 8

Mars squares Jupiter (the first of three), the last major contact for Jupiter until the end of the month. A strong urge to "make it work" may cloud our efforts now, so it’s best move carefully now and continue thinking short-term. The flow lies in the middle ground: it’s not time for an all-or-nothing commitment ultimatum, but for a "let’s try this for a while" type of agreement. At 8:22 am (11:22 am ET), the Moon is void in Aries, until 6:24 pm, when it revives with its entry into Taurus.

Thursday January 9

The Moon’s travel through Taurus brings to our awareness ways in which we may want to change, and just how to do it in very practical terms, as it links with Neptune, Pluto, and Jupiter. Abundance is in our future!

Friday January 10

The Taurus Moon reaches its opening trine to the Sun and smoothes our way past its opposition to Saturn. Work hard, then reward yourself with an outing or just a quiet evening at home.

Saturday January 11

Venus reaches its second of three sextiles to Saturn today simultaneous to its inferior conjunction to the Sun, which is the beginning of its New Venus cycle (4:24 am/21°12' Capricorn) (7:24 am ET). This starts 19 months where we will use the power of authenticity and solid structure as significant components of our relationships on all levels. Business alliances as well as partnerships that fulfill both intimate and business objectives are especially likely to form. This also marks the end of the old cycle and the midpoint of Venus’s retrograde.

The Sun also sextiles Saturn, giving us a check-in point for the plans we launched in early November. Mercury enters Aquarius to lighten the mood at 1:35 pm. The Moon goes void of course at 2:58 am in Taurus, entering Gemini at 4:26 am to magnify our creative juices as it mingles energies with Neptune and Uranus.

Sunday January 12

The Moon’s active transit in Gemini ends at 1:33 pm (4:33 pm ET), for a long void period lasting through tomorrow afternoon. Even before that natural down time, we tend toward laziness under a trine to Mars. This rest period fuels the fires of productivity when the Moon is more active.

Monday January 13

The Moon is void of course in Gemini until 4:25 pm (7:25 pm ET), when it enters Cancer to magnify how we feel about things. Let your instincts tell you what’s really going on! Mercury squares the Nodes today as well, adding a sense of deeper destiny to our thoughts and feelings, and urge to make take care of important decisions.

Tuesday January 14

Our Cancer Moon flows through the Cardinal pattern, challenging us with what’s still not harmonious in our lives. We can find good outcomes and positive side effects if we pay attention.

Wednesday January 15

Today it’s personal, as the Moon connects the dots between Mars, Venus, and Saturn, packing all the energy of change possible into the Full Moon which comes at the end of the series, at 8:52 pm/25°58' Cancer-Capricorn (11:52 pm ET). This is also the void-of-course event, and we’ll have to take what we learn inside, or use it to initiate a potent inner-realm effect. So much has happened already this cycle, what could be next? Maybe not as much as what has gone before. This week may be a relatively quiet time externally, but inside things are cooking. Relationships are taking a "differentiation spin" in the dance, where partners stand back from each other in order to fully take in the reflection they are receiving from each other, the effect of tomorrow’s Venus square to Mars, very strongly felt today as well.

In the chart cast for Washington DC, the emphasis is on dealing with conflicts, spurred by economic issues (as always). The President will want to use heavy doses of discretion on whatever actions he takes, and no direct military action is likely. However, uses of and issues with spycraft are likely, both in the news and under the table.

“A nature spirit dancing in the mist of a waterfall” is the Sabian Symbol for the Sun at the Full Moon degree of 26 Capricorn. The Moon’s symbol (26 Cancer) is “Guests are reading in the library of a luxurious home.” These symbols juxtapose freedom of spirit with cultured learning, and both are part of a healthy consciousness. It’s time to find the balance between natural states and feelings, and the acculturated awareness we develop by left-brain logic and education, for both are essential to knowing what’s real.

Thursday January 16

Venus reaches its second of three squares Mars (18°06' Capricorn/Libra), continuing the process of discernment that has been on our minds in recent days regarding our relationships. The Moon enters Leo at 5:00 am (8:00 am ET), reviving our ability to act in the visible world. It engages in a three-way interaction with Mercury and Uranus, for maximum head-and-heart integration, a sense of wholeness.

Friday January 17

The Moon carries on in Leo, energizing us with a Mars connection.

Saturday January 18

Just after midnight, the Moon takes into a more serious space as it squares Saturn. This opens the Moon’s void period which lasts until 5:23 pm (8:23 pm ET), its entry into Virgo. Enjoy a Saturday away from purposeful activity—we all need time to relax and enjoy life.

Sunday January 19

The Moon in Virgo offers a reflection of our dreams and a pragmatic way to turn them into reality with the promise of profit as it contacts Neptune, Pluto, and Jupiter over the day. The Sun enters Aquarius at 7:51 pm (10:51 pm ET), taking us into the dry realms of higher-mind thought and the "good of the many".

Monday January 20

The Moon in Virgo grants us a productive morning, augmented by harmonies to Venus and Saturn. When it goes void of course at 12:55 pm (3:55 pm ET), we can turn that focus to organizing and filing. Feng shui your office to empower your next enterprise!

Tuesday January 21

The Moon resurrects our power to act once more when it enters Libra at 4:43 am (7:43 am ET). Riding another trine to the Sun, we can be very insightful and eloquent today, with surprising outcomes for the evening’s activities.

Wednesday January 22

Today is full of activity and events to respond to, as the Moon breezes through Libra. It starts with squares to Pluto, Jupiter, and Venus, but it finds support in a trine to Mercury as it conjoins Mars, to give us a little breathing room. This feels like a critical day, as the Sun squares the Nodes, marking the halfway point between eclipses. What have you accomplished since early November? You may respond to the answer to that question with a decision. Finally, Mercury enters its retrograde shadow at 18°10' Aquarius—time to start observing activities and communications for things to magnify or diminish in your life. At 7:50 pm (10:50 pm ET), the Moon’s void in Libra commences, lasting until tomorrow afternoon.

Thursday January 23

The Moon enters Scorpio and lifts us out of void-of-course limbo at 1:43 pm (4:43 pm ET). The Last Quarter Moon opens the last week of the lunar cycle, that of integration, at 9:19 pm/4°08' Scorpio/Aquarius. In fixed signs, it focuses us on establishing something so it will last. With Mercury now in its shadow, we have a sense that nothing is final right now, nor can it be finalized—but we will find some aspects of life that we can rely on and set firmly in place based on recent events. There will be at least one area, however, where we will be better off delaying final decisions until we know what the Mercury retrograde has to teach us.

In the US, this energy will be focused on deep-seated problems that started in 1981-1982 (such as may be associated with the Reagan Revolution). People will gain new insights into the consequences of important policy decisions and principles that were adopted then. A way into a new model and new direction is beginning to form among the people—critical in a representative democracy. In the coming week, the President will consolidate his message to the nation when he gives the State of the Union Address. His effectiveness is undermined by the ongoing budget and policy battles, but underneath it all is the poisonous role that money and business play in policy decisions, even when it harms the nation. This will be the source of a showdown as the new Venus cycle plays out.

The symbols for the Sun (5 Aquarius) and Moon (5 Scorpio) at their Last Quarter square are: “A council of ancestors has been called to guide a man,” (the Sun) and “A massive, unchanging rocky shore resists the pounding of the sea” (the Moon). This suggests the opening of the hearts and minds of leaders, and the President as he prepares his yearly address comes to mind. Perhaps he will speak with more wisdom than expected as he finds a strong inner compass. These symbols suggest the ability in all of us to stand strong against the forces of fear and separation, which could destroy us. Sometimes this firmness is not an asset, for it is the flexible, ever-changing sea which will "win" over the rocks in the long run.

Friday January 24

Head and heart find joy and mutual understanding in each other as Mercury trines Mars, the first of three times. The Moon moves on a more passionate track in Scorpio, contacting Pluto, Jupiter and Venus to support our integration of new knowledge into our social and personal life.

Saturday January 25

Mercury squares Saturn, another first of three, highlighting a situation that will need some adjustment in plans and structures in the coming weeks. The Moon brings forward our feelings about what’s happening to underscore the need to change our perspective in order to get what we want. Flexibility is key. At 5:55 am (8:55 am ET), the Moon goes void, until it goes into Sagittarius at 7:13 pm. It’s a great day to ruminate over recent events and derive wisdom from what we learn.

Sunday January 26

The Moon carries on in Sagittarius, boosting us high into the realms of possibility via connections with Neptune, Sun, and Uranus. Creativity runs high!

Monday January 27

The Moon makes a Minor Grand Trine with Mercury and Mars to re-establish the head-heart accord of last week. If we need a do-over, we’ve got it. Although the Moon goes void of course at 2:02 pm (5:02 pm ET), we can still use this void Moon in Sagittarius for those important actions and communications if desired, until our lunar orb enters Capricorn at 9:04 pm.

Tuesday January 28

The Moon in Capricorn heats up our urge to change things as it aspects Neptune, Uranus, Chiron, Pluto, Jupiter and Venus over the day. This produces a bit of up-and-down, but we will be able to see the value of our ongoing efforts if we step back from the details. The words of the President in the State of the Union Address will comfort and inspire those who listen, while the opposition will sound shrill and inauthentic, at war with women and nurturing values.

Wednesday January 29

All the action today is over by 8:47 am (11:47 am ET), giving us a day to integrate, reconnoiter, and complete as we end the current lunar cycle under a void moon. The Sun sextiles Uranus, a step in the closing of the yearly cycle of quantum change that started last March 28. What progress have you made since then? At 8:33 pm, the Moon’s entry into Aquarius activates a flow of New Moon energy. Today is a good day to make our wishes for the new lunar cycle.

Thursday January 30

It is a day of light but important activity, as the New Moon arrives at 1:39 pm PT/10°55' Aquarius (4:39 pm ET). With Venus at its station (direct tomorrow), and many planetary connections pending, this New Moon carries the seeds of great potential. It promises a more mellow lunar month than the last, where Cardinal energies abounded. Now it is time to establish what we have accomplished. Encoded in this seed are the patterns of the Venus station direct and Jupiter’s second of three oppositions to Pluto, both of which come tomorrow and are nearly exact at the New Moon. Look back to August 7 for the events or story that tie into today’s Jupiter-Pluto contact.

For the US, a storm threatens people’s sense of well being, but it is not necessarily a meteorological event. Whatever comes now must be based on deep agreement not surface bandaging of a hidden conflict. The spotlight is on the Affordable Healthcare Act as it comes into effect in people’s lives and they begin to live within the new system. This is a beneficial tide in people’s lives, even in states where they are slow or obstructive in implementing the system.

The Sabian Symbol for the degree of the Sun and Moon (11 Aquarius) is “During a silent hour, a man receives a new inspiration which may change his life.” Silence is a vital aspect of communication and our ability to connect. This is a time to observe its importance and how using it well can bring rewards. We also benefit by the silence of retreat, which takes us to our center and opens the doors of inner truth.

Friday January 31

Overnight, Jupiter reaches its opposition to Pluto, a culmination of awareness about how we can capitalize on and find purpose in the transformation that is taking place in culture and planet.  Mercury enters Pisces at 6:29 am (9:29 am ET), for a brief stay. This is the sign where it retrogrades on February 6. This moves us into a dreamy space, and facts seem more fluid, reality less fixed. Communication takes place more in non-verbal terms.

At 12:49 pm/13°33' Capricorn, Venus returns to forward motion (Stationary Direct—SD), after 42 days of apparent backward motion (3:49 pm ET). During a stationary time, there seems to be a pause in activity as well, especially social activity, as we instinctively respond to her lack of motion with internalization. The Moon starts the day in Aquarius, going void at 8:45 am on an uplifting surge of energy from Mars. Our plans should favor going inside today over taking overt action, as the Moon does not re-enter the field of activity until it goes into Pisces at 7:45 pm—and we have a great deal to ponder.