January 1 - 15th Astrological Insights

Happy New Year! 

Welcome, 2022! Welcome to the new year!

​As we begin a new cycle of the yearly calendar round, it’s helpful to maintain an overarching sense that we’re on a flowing continuum of life. The river keeps on. I love that we can have times in the year (such as January 1) that allow for a collective mental reset point. And, just like with humans and nature, in astrology, the planets keep on moving along the same paths they were on the year before. Therefore, create new goals and make the changes you need… and as you do this, it is most important to also be in the flow with where your energy and life take you as the new year begins. 

This month we have Venus continuing to retrograde, as well as Mercury going retrograde mid-month. Mars and Neptune will be in a hard aspect with each other, and possibly downshifting your energy levels into a slower gear during the first 2 weeks of January. 

We also get to start off the month with both the Sun and Moon in Capricorn, giving to a New Moon in Capricorn on January 2nd!  New Moons are also great monthly reset points - how lovely to have it on January 2nd and in close alignment with the energy of the early days of the beginning of the year. 

Mountain Goat - Capricorn

Venus retrograde in Capricorn 
December 19, 2021 - January 28th, 2022​

This month, Venus continues its retrograde pattern, which began on December 19th, extending a caution towards overspending and feeling resolved around any relationship situations through January 28th. 

When planets are retrograde, the aspects of life they relate to can become less available to you.  As the energy of the planet is directed more inward and less flowing outwards in its normal expressive fashion, it guides you towards having more of an internal reflective process time.

Venus relates to our love relationships, social gatherings, finances, business, and creating beauty in our lives. In retrograde, these aspects can become unclear, leading to; spending more than you intended, parties and social gatherings not going as planned, challenges in dating, and or difficulties with addressing relationship situations. 

The major holidays are behind us now and looking back, this is a good example of what can happen during Venus Retrograde as many had disrupted planned holiday get-togethers with loved ones. Flights were canceled as well as people choosing to cancel their holiday plans altogether.  

The best way to handle planetary retrogrades is to go with the flow of whatever the time turns out to be. There can be a blessing in seeing what else can come out of an unplanned situation. Energies do have a way of working themselves out and I recommend not pushing too hard to make something happen when there are apparent barriers in regards to the aspects the planet in retrograde is related to. Keep in mind, Venus will be in retrograde for most of January.

Image of planet Venus

Tips for working with Venus in retrograde:

• Make a budget for January, be realistic, and stick to it. Unnecessary spending can lead to regret later. 
• Avoid big purchases that can wait until later. Your feelings about the purchase may change later. 
• Have fun with dating and before making commitments, see where things go when Venus is out of retrograde.
• Relax about planning social gatherings ~ be in the flow. Some will happen, others won’t. Continue to connect with others even if it ends up being in a different way than you expected. 
• Hold off on making business deals or business partnership contracts, if you can, until Venus is direct again. 
• If you want to move forward with your relationship or have relationship issues that need resolving, this may take longer to work out. I recommend trusting the process and being okay with the amount of time it takes. 

Planetary retrogrades give us an opportunity to slow down and re-work the situations so they can eventually move us forward in the right direction. Pushing up against the resistance is what creates difficulty during a planetary retrograde time. This also applies to the up-and-coming Mercury retrograde occurring this month as well (beginning January 14th), and I will mention more on this in the next newsletter. ​

Mars in Sagittarius Squares Neptune in Pisces
January 5th - 16th
Strongest 10th - 13th

Mars is your “take action” planet. It also rules your physical energy and ability to go after the things you want. It’s the planet that helps you make “it” happen. Wherever Mars is located in your birth chart, it will give you information on where your energy drives are and what part of your life tends to have more action going on than other parts. 

Neptune is more nebulous and intangible as It concerns you with matters of your Soul and your connection to the universe at large. It dissolves the earthly boundaries you create so you can merge with the “One” and create soul-connecting life experiences here on Earth. When Neptune is involved with planetary transits, you may start to feel less connected to the physical realities created in your life. We all learn that our Souls encompass layers of meaning that transcend the outer trappings of the lives we live. This can create confusion if you're too attached to the bounds of earthly living (money, housing, job, career, stuff you buy, and essentially the daily grind). Neptune can also give you more psychic awareness and sensing beyond the physical senses, nudging you to follow your “gut instincts” more than the mental, “I shoulds”. 

Both these planets are creating a square aspect with each other this month, which means that their impulses are challenging each other. More specifically in this scenario, the energy of Neptune is having a stronger impulse and stifling the energy impulses of Mars. There is a principle in astrology that when two planets are in aspect, the slower moving planet that is further from the sun (here Neptune) will be stronger and dominate the faster-moving planet that is closer to the Sun (here Mars).

Translated - you may find that during this square time, your energy needs may shift to having lesser physical stamina to carry on with your regular life duties. Neptune has a way of helping you remember your soul wants to experience life and pure consciousness, beyond the humdrum of daily living and connect with your soul’s place in the universe. Therefore, you may not have the energy to do all the “to do’s”. As the old saying goes, you may find, during this time, “Your get up and go, just got up and went”. This can also come across as a confusing time period on how to focus your energy.

I recommend, "Go with the flow"!

This planetary transit is short-lived and is the strongest from January 10th - 13th. However, during this time, it may be hard to start that new workout routine or take full action on the plans you're making. You might wake up and just want to lay back down. If your energy is feeling lower or you're affected by the viral spread during this Mars/Neptune square time period, then I recommend tuning into what your soul wants you to be doing. Have you gotten caught up in the daily grind so much that you’ve lost some connection with what makes your heart and soul sing? Your physical body may not have the energy to keep going in the same way if you’ve left the bigger picture of what makes your life meaningful behind. 

I recommend not planning a whole lot (beyond going to your job…or attending whatever your care taking, parenting, or other essential obligations might be) between January 10th-13th, if you can swing it, and allow for your life to be more in a soulful rhythm and flow. See what happens - if anything, you may get some much-needed rest. This time period is followed by Mercury going retrograde (January 14th), so it just may be right in alignment with slowing down anyways. 

As time is reckoned, our calendar has brought you into 2022.  What will you continue and cultivate more beautifully?  What will you do differently and better? What will you take leave of? 
The planetary signatures harken you to take some special look inside and discover your deeper feelings, knowings, and truths.  

Trust what you find!

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