Finally! Skywatch for January is posted

Venus has been traveling through Aquarius, but enters sensitive and emotional Pisces on the 3rd which places more emphasis on the feelings we share in relationships. There is a desire to be compassionate and connected now, and this is made easier by a sextile (harmonious aspect) from Venus to Pluto's intensity. This sharpens the focus and helps us to clarify our relationships and our interactions with others. 

On January 5, Jupiter enters Aquarius, where it will remain throughout the year. Jupiter is the planet of abundance and opportunity, and enjoys a positive reputation as a beneficial planet. In Aquarius, Jupiter brings an expansion of Aquarian innovation and creativity, as well as an increased consciousness of social justice and fairness to all that is a hallmark of the Aquarian influence. All astrological signatures, even Jupiter, carry a positive and a negative manifestation, and the dark side of Jupiter is a confident self-righteousness. Combined with the Aquarian urge for rational and unemotional improvement in the collective, there can be a depersonalization in this combination that can be unsettling at times. 

While Jupiter is in Aquarius is will form a conjunction both to Chiron and Neptune, amplifying the need for healing (Chiron) and achieving harmony with the divine (Neptune). Watch these pages for a new article to be posted shortly on Jupiter in Aquarius. 

The Full Moon on January 10th is in Cancer, with the Moon opposite the Capricorn Sun. Home and family life is emphasized now under the sign of Cancer, and Saturn (stability and structure) forms a harmonious aspect to the lunar event with a trine to the Sun and sextile to the Moon. Uranus (innovation and that which is new) is involved as well, with a trine to the Moon and a sextile to the Sun. These four form a Mystic Rectangle (two oppositions and two sextiles). The Mystic Rectangle is a very positive aspect signifying balance and harmony - there is enough tension from the planets that oppose each other to energize the aspect, yet the sextiles offer a harmonious route to resolution. 

This Full Moon, in the sign which it rules and is therefore most happy in, is a lovely time to honor our responsibilities to our loved ones, to create and enjoy a nurturing space within our home, to rediscover a family member who has perhaps been out of touch. Full Moons are periods of emotional fullness, and this Full Moon will be a beautiful time to open our hearts. 

Mercury turns retrograde on January 11th where it will remain through January 31. Mercury Rx periods are famous for communication glitches and machinery failures. Often these are due to user error, as our brains function diffierently during the three weeks, four times a year, when Mercury is retrograde. If you must enter into a contract or begin a new job or project during this period, do everything you can ensure that all agreements are clear and in writing. Read all of your instruction manuals, and don't be surprised if your phone messages don't reach their intended destination. Just shrug your shoulders and laugh: "Mercury is retrograde!!" The Sun forms a trine to Saturn on that day which should offset some of the challenges with a nice clear focus.