January Astrology  Highlights– “Dancing with the Stars”

By Janis Page   c2010

Happy New Year!   It’shard to believe that we’ve just finished the first decade of the 21^stcentury, and amazing to think of how much has changed in that time, for betteror for worse.    In my view, much of that‘worse’ has been bringing to light and clearing of the old which no longerserves us, and while 2010 is astrologically the most intense year, I remainencouraged and optimistic.    2010 can bemagical – stay awake, figuratively speaking, and ride the waves, stay light onyour feet….

The year kicked off with an incredible lunar eclipse on Dec31^st (January 1^st everywhere from India and east), as wediscussed last month.    The full Moonlunar eclipse at 10 degrees in its own sign of Cancer was also a blue Moon, thesecond full Moon of the month, and ‘out of bounds’ (OO, meaning farther north(or south) in declination than the Sun ever reaches, and thus a bit more wildand free for being outside of the Sun’s domain.   The full Moon is also a ‘supermoon’ atperigee – its position closest to the Earth.  Also, we start the new year with both Mercury and Mars retrograde(Rx).  It’s as if the universe is kickingoff the new year with a wild yell of yeehaw! But also putting us on notice topay attention, pay attention, double-check things, see what needs to bereconsidered, adapted and adjusted or dropped before moving forward….  Venus is also OOB, so with the Moon, ourfeminine traditional planets are taking a stand outside the domain of thepatriarchy – the necessary emergence of the feminine and relatedness continuesin a new and dynamic way, seeking not domination, but unity, balance, properinterdependence and wholeness.  

January 3^rd the Earth will be at perihelion, herposition closest to the Sun, so immediately following the Moon snuggling in ather closest to the Earth, the Earth is nearest to the Sun, our source of alllife and light on the physical dimension.  Beautiful…  

Eclipses happen in pairs, and the paired eclipse to the Dec31^st lunar eclipse is the new Moon solar eclipse on January 15^that 12:15am Denver time.  Thiseclipse has the Sun and Moon but also Venus at 25 Capricorn.  Wow!   Again, declination is important to note, as we have the Sun, Moon, Venusand Mercury as well as the north node all parallel, or conjunct bydeclination.   This suggests that our thinking (Mercury) and relatednessand magnetism (Venus) are in full alignment with the Sun and Moon – but thenopposite this planetary grouping sits Mars Rx in Leo, pulling against them andcreating tension.    Here Mars, whilejust out of orb, recalls that we still have the very challenging square ofSaturn to Pluto – the old ways and old guard are doing their best to hangtough, calling us to be aware and proactive in changing and movingforward.   A little tension is quiteuseful – think of a violin string, which when too loose and lax, cannotsound.   Too much tension and it willbreak, but the right amount of tension will allow it to sing.    This solar eclipse does activate theSaturn-Pluto square, so be vigilant, and see where you can further release oldlimiting patterns.    Saturn ishighlighted, as this eclipse also falls during Saturn’s weeklong station at fullstop as it turns Rx, to begin its journey from Libra back for a final visit toVirgo from April before reentering Libra in July.  

January 15^th, the day after the eclipse, Mercuryends its three week Rx cycle to move forward again.   Are you ready to put your redefined ideasand plans into effect?    Give Mercury acouple days to gain momentum forward, then communications, travels, computersand other technology should start to be a little more cooperative!   In two more days, on January 17^th,the gentle giant Jupiter leaves its company with Neptune and Chiron in Aquariusto enter Pisces, and the next day Venus leaves Capricorn to enter Aquarius,indicating more shifts and freeing up of energy.    

The full Moon at 10 Leo will be on January 29^that 11:17pm, and finds the Sun with Venus and Black Moon Lilith conjunct inAquarius opposite the Moon and Mars in Leo – more tension between theopposites, between relatedness and ego independence, and between the personaland the collective energies.  

The new year gets off to a rollicking good and active start. Be ready to make the most of it, and2010 can be joyous, and one of your best growth years yet.    Blessings to all!