Current Transits for January 2014 Current Transits for January 2014Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Major Stories of 2014
Juno enters Pisces, 1-1
New Moon at 10Cp57, 1-1 -- a potent preview of 2014.
Pallas Retrograde Station at 13Vi44, 1-6
Full Mooon at 25Cn58, 1-15
New Moon at 10Aq55, 1-30
Jupiter Opposite Pluto, 1-31
Venus Direct Station at 13Cp33, 1-31
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
Happy New Year! The year 2014 starts off on a powerful note that sets the tone for the next 6 months or more. I'm expecting this to be a dramatic time for the country as a whole and each of us individually, although we may not appreciate how our world turns out as it is happening to us. The big square between Uranus and Pluto continues to be a major influence, overturning and disrupting "the way things are", bringing dirty secrets and stories we'd rather forget to the surface, getting us to let go of bad habits that we need to outgrow. There's a new moon on the 1st with Pluto nestled right between Mercury and the lunation, a big hint that the Dark Lord is talking to us loud and clear. It's important to keep in mind another Pluto influence that we've never experienced before: he's directly opposite the US Sun in this nation's birth chart for the next two years. I've been anticipating this aspect for many years now, ever since Pluto entered Capricorn in 2008. This is one of a long series of Pluto contacts since then that have shaken our country to the core, starting with the Great Recession and continuing with one situation after another that makes you wonder how we'll ever get through this decade. We'll look at some of these stories shortly. Venus continues her retrograde cycle throughout the month, reaching her direct station on the 31st. If things have felt "off" or out of sorts at a more visceral level for a few weeks, she's probably part of the picture. When Venus is backing up, our emotions and gut level feelings are in turmoil compared to the way we normally feel. This sense of disruption will slowly lift as we head into February. Most of the action is packed into the first and last weeks of the month, a pattern that should repeat each month until late spring. It's time to put 2013 behind us (loud cheers from the peanut gallery?) and make a fresh star -- take care of all those chores that have sat on the back burner all too long. No need to have old business hanging over our heads...
The only "big aspect" in January is the opposition between Jupiter and Pluto on the 31st. Juno changes signs on the 1st, while Venus and Pallas both reach stations during the month.
Before diving into the month's major events, we need to take a longer perspective view of some of the critical patterns that will dominate the next year or two. It all starts with that Grand Cross configuration, which shows extraordinary staying power. It's foundation is the ongoing square of Uranus and Pluto, two slow moving planets that dance back and forth in the sky, making a total of 7 contacts between 2012 and 2015. We've already seen 4 contacts in this disruptive series (the last was on Nov 1); there are 2 more this year and the last is in 2015. Uranus loves to stir things up, breaking up old patterns and trying out novel arrangements that haven't been tried before, while Pluto causes us to go through evolutionary cycles where outmoded patterns fall apart, to be replaced by more complex behaviors more in harmony with our inner destiny. Since squares indicate tension, stress and conflict, the last few years have been chaotic and unsettled to an unusual degree -- the situation with the Arab Spring is a prime example, though the breakdown of our own governmental structures in recent years, including the recent federal shutdown in October, is also a classic manifestation. We're not even close to making our way past this influence to date. Add to this Mars and Jupiter and you get a Grand Cross (planets in the four corners of the zodiac), a classic pattern of tension and conflict. Mars is often a troublemaker, though his stay in friendly Libra much of this year tones down his typical orneriness. Jupiter in Cancer is the only mellow influence in this Cross, providing some sense of social cohesiveness and a desire to work together, much needed in these contentious times. Since Jupiter is currently backing up in the sky and Mars is about to go retrograde in March, it seems these 4 planets are more or less locked in place -- the Cross persists until late spring, an unusually long lasting pattern. The fact that the new year starts with a new moon that cradles Pluto in its grasp shows how important this stressful Cross is for all of 2014.
The other part of this same story involves the US birth chart. The US has 4 planets (Venus, Jupiter, Sun, Mercury) in the sign of Cancer. Since Pluto entered Capricorn in 2008, he's been opposing each of these planets in turn, creating major mayhem for the country, starting with the Great Recession and continuing with our political stasis. The US Sun is at 13Cn19, which means Pluto will be opposite it 5 times in 2014-5, stripping down our national sense of identity, who we are as a country, to bare bones. Uranus square the US Sun contributes to this unsettling time, while Jupiter on top of our Sun provides a somewhat protective influence. Frankly, this is a dangerous time for the US. Forces have been let loose in 2013 that make us question our sense of purpose and what we stand for. There's also a mood of belligerence and contention that makes it hard for people to come together for the common good. The Sun also symbolizes the head or leader of any organization, in this case, the presidency itself. Obama has been under unrelenting attack for 5 years now, some due to his political foes and some due to his own failings as an organizational leader. 2014 will be no different, especially since it's a congressional election year. He'll have to carry the full burden of the Grand Cross and it won't be pretty. The most extreme possibility is some kind of physical attempt on his life, though I haven't seen enough evidence in any of these charts to make such a call. Let's just say this Grand Cross has all the classic "stay out of dark alleys" indications and leave it at that. It's going to be a rough year in Washington and across the country.
Now, back to January. Juno moves from Aquarius into Pisces on the 1st. She'll remain in this sign until Mar 3, when she heads into Aries. Juno is the Queen of committed love relationships between equal partners. She is coming off an extended stay in Aquarius due to a retrograde cycle, so relationships have been under considerable stress and testing for a long time. It doesn't help that Aquarius, an air sign, is not very big in the emotional empathy department. While it tones down the emotional side of any conflict and let's partners discuss it dispassionately, it doesn't give much in the way of support. Pisces is a zodiac sign that is all about deep feelings and powerful love bonds, though this is more on a larger cosmic scale than it is about personal connections. We'll take what we can get. Time to relax and get comfortable with loved ones again, nurturing those bonds that may have gotten a bit frayed last year. This is a signal to open your heart once again.
Happy New Year! The new year comes in with quite a bang as the first new moon of 2014 happens right after the confetti and champagne settle down. Pluto is right between the Sun and Moon on one side and Mercury on the other; the rest of the Grand Cross is in full bloom, as you can tell by the 4 tall peaks in the waveform. Venus, Saturn and Neptune are all fairly quiet.
We've already covered much of the basics of this chart. Needless to say, even your garden variety Grand Cross is well known to create tension and conflict, as it brings together planetary influences in a way where the discord and contradictions win out. Things don't go smoothly and the shortcomings of your plans are quite evident. However, except for Jupiter, the planets in this pattern are generally considered troublemakers. Pluto slowly undermines anything with a weak foundation, Uranus is an eccentric radical that loves to blow up everything in his path and Mars the Warrior God can be destructive if he doesn't get his way. These planets have their positive qualities as well, but it's often hard for mere humans to get on their good sides. It helps to keep your ego on a tight leash, so you don't pick any fights you don't need to engage in. People may have short tempers these days or be easily irritated, so your best diplomatic people skills are in order. Be prepared to change some of your bad habits or let go of circumstances that are holding you back. Pluto likes to slim us down and lighten our loads, whether we want to or not. This is going to be a year of getting back to basics, releasing the meaningless fluff that accumulates in our lives. That may not sound like an exciting prospect, but I've usually found that Pluto works out for the best in the end, even if there is some hardship involved. Remember that the US Sun is implicated in all this Grand Cross business (especially in the March to May timeframe), so don't be surprised if the evening news sounds a bit crazy or chaotic at times. This country has a lot of getting back to basics on its plate this decade -- for all the discord we're seeing now, our big meltdown has hardly started. A big change in direction is in order. It will be an interesting year...
Pallas reaches her retrograde station of 13Vi44 on the 6th. She'll back up for the next 3 months until she hits her direct station of 24Le58 on Apr 8. Pallas is a master of what I like to call strategic planning. When you have a job to do, she's the one that can size up the situation in a single glance and figure out how to accomplish your goals. Normally, she's very good at this kind of planning, but during her retrograde cycles, you need to double check her instinctive judgments. Snap decisions may wind up backfiring on you, so deliberate more thoroughly than you would typically. Pallas also has an artistic streak and likes to express her ideas in a way that catches other people's eyes. Be patient! If it's worth saying, it's worth putting in the effort. Since Pallas is currently in Virgo, skill and mental discernment are being tested. Give everything your best effort.
In contrast to the new moon chart, the full moon chart is weak, scattered and without any patterns to hold it together. It's as though the year started with fireworks and then totally fizzled out. The Grand Cross has faded into the background as Mars is pulling away from the other planets; there are no trigger planets currently. We'll just have to wait for this game of planetary musical chairs to settle down before there will be much energy to work with.
Despite having no overarching theme tying this chart together, there are a few interesting subplots to contemplate. The Moon and Jupiter are both in Cancer, an excellent placement for both of these bodies. This gives a warm, supportive emotional tone to an otherwise difficult chart. They are opposite Pluto, Venus and the Sun in Capricorn, a sign that is prone to be all business and no pleasure. It's easy to take this Pluto slimming down too seriously, so temper his rash demands with a little TLC. The asteroids Ceres and Vesta form a loose T-Square with the Sun and Moon, another hint to nurture others as well as give them some space to be themselves. Venus is backing up to a square with Mars tomorrow, so romantic relations could be iffy for awhile. Any tendency to be cold or withdrawn, as well as trying to control your partner, will not go over well. Keep in mind that the big issues between loved ones right now may not be typical of the relation generally. Give each other some time to settle down and you may find the issues weren't all that important after all. I'd focus on simple chores and small tasks in coming days -- there is simply not enough energy around for major projects of any kind. Take life slow and steady, assuming the world cooperates with you. Things will improve by month's end.
Superficially, the second new moon of January looks a lot like the first one. On closer inspection, there are some notable differences that should make this one a bit easier to handle. For starters, Mars has moved enough to get out of the Grand Cross, which is downgraded to a T-Square with one less bad character to contend with. (Mars will be back by early spring, after he goes retrograde.) Pluto is not quite so hemmed in, only sharing his space with a slow moving Venus about to go direct on the 31st. Jupiter opposes Pluto on the 31st which also softens his influence some.
On the other hand, the remaining T-Square is still plenty strong and there are numerous avenues for this influence to enter our daily lives. The Sun and Moon make several strong connections, allowing the outer planets to be felt at a very personal level. Further, an Aquarius new moon is much lighter and easier to handle than a Capricorn lunation. Mercury is halfway between Uranus and Pluto (forming 45 degree aspects), so the thinking mind is active and responding to hidden impulses lurking just below your awareness. He's also sneaking up on Neptune, but goes retrograde (on Feb 6) before actually making contact. This adds a dreamy quality to our thoughts, which only makes the upcoming Mercury retrograde period more fuzzy brained than usual. Venus is closely conjunct , which supercharges feelings, intuitions and attractions just as she is about to stand still -- this Venus station should be quite intense. Of the personal planets, the ones that represent everyday parts of ourselves, only Mars is left out. This makes it harder to act on any of the information coming in now -- how you behave may not reflect your inner nature well. The next week or so could be one of your more productive times, so get busy and dust off your big projects. It's always good to have some helpful planets behind your efforts...
Jupiter is opposite Pluto on the 31st, the second of 3 such contacts. They previously met on 2013-8-7 and will have one last contact on Apr 20 of this year. Oppositions are like a tug-of-war game, with two planets pulling us in contrary directions. Jupiter is about our connections with the outer world and the people around us. In particular, he rules over the greater institutions in society that govern our daily lives. Pluto, on the other hand, draws us inward, revealing the deeper levels of our inner life. There's a tension between these inner and outer worlds as they vie for our attention. One common problem with this aspect has to do with the use or abuse of power in our daily relations. This can be an issue in our public lives, since the temptation is to want to manipulate or control others for one's personal gain or advantage. The abuse of power comes up often with Pluto aspects, but it rarely turns out well in the end. The more spiritual side of Pluto requires that you work selflessly for the greater good instead of trying to corner the market for yourself. Similarly, Jupiter works best when you try to operate in a way that benefits everyone, creating better and more supportive relations with everyone you deal with. So aim high with this aspect. Avoid one of Jupiter's big faults, a tendency for laziness or complacency. You can't make any progress if you don't put in the effort in the next few months. It's important to look forward to the final contact on Apr 20. April is a very busy month, including the 5th square between Uranus and Pluto on Apr 21. The Grand Cross is highly active at this time. If you don't make the most of this potential now, situations could go south on you quickly in April.
Venus reaches her direct station of 13Cp33 on the 31st. She's been in reverse gear since 2013-12-21, when she went retrograde at 28Cp58. Venus retrograde is a rather unusual time when the emotional and aesthetic qualities of the person are somewhat haywire. We normally think of Venus as love, sex, beauty and creature comforts, but at a psychological level, her influence can be boiled down to one question about any experience: do I like it or dislike it? We all develop our personal attractions and repulsions to everything in life, starting at a very early age. Some of these tendencies are laid down even before we learn to talk, so these habits can be hard to change and are often quirky. Despite the fact that our likes and dislikes serve the purpose of drawing us to the things that are good for us and away from harm, all too often these attractions are at odds with our real needs. The reason for Venus retrograde is to get us to reassess these habits and tendencies, bringing childish behavior up to date with our adult lives. She starts by shaking up your normal tastes, making you desirous of things that usually wouldn't interest you or getting you to question your typical interests. It's often joked that if you buy "cool things" during Venus retrograde, you should save your receipts -- you may want to return those items when you come to your senses. Similarly with love relationships that start now -- that intriguing fling may be your soul mate, but he's just as likely to turn into Mr. Terribly Wrong. Mostly, this is a time to experiment and have fun. You may never want to do any of these things ever again, but until you question your likes and dislikes, you'll never try anything new. Either way, you discover something new about yourself and grow a little inside. Have some fun and risk a little adventure this month. When Venus goes direct again, this window of opportunity closes for a couple of years. Hopefully, you'll uncover something new that you love.