January 2017 Monthly Forecast

Radical New Year – Goodbye Old Lifetimes

Each January we sift and sort one year from the next, yet this January the process is so strong it might even feel as if we’re separating one lifetime from the next. The Year of the Fire Rooster doesn’t start until later in the month, but Jupiter and Uranus already light up the month through their dynamite alignment. To calm excited souls, Mars and Venus are in Pisces all month long bringing moments of magic, pleasure and beauty.

Mercury still Retro in Capricorn has a lot to do with January’s very deep assessment of the past and relationships. Capricorn is the zodiac sign of history, even across lifetimes, so during the current Mercury Retro in Capricorn, the inner self mulls all this over, and we move away from what we’ve slid out of sync with.

Jupiter – Fire Planet for a Fire Rooster

Two incredibly powerful astrological alignments that colour most of 2017 help us move radically toward where we are meant to be. Both of these alignments involve Jupiter, planet of growth, risk taking, adventure and spontaneity. Jupiter is a fire energy, and features throughout 2017, the same year as the Chinese Year of the Fire Rooster, increasing the fire vibe.

The first of the Jupiter alignments is ‘Jupiter square Pluto’ with three contacts:

25 November 2016 (effective at least all of Nov/Dec 2016)
31 March 2017 (effective at least all of March/April 2017)
5 August 2017 (effective at least all of July/Aug 2017)

Jupiter square Pluto – Whose Values?

Jupiter helps us move toward new ventures to live in resonance with our greatest growth, but when in square with Pluto, it’s as if there’s a debt to be paid first or needing to pass a border guard checking passports with a fine toothcomb.

You might want to get closer to someone or a group of networks, but if this is not coming together, check deeper for compatibility with points of view or values. Deep frustration can flare if people feel they are being forced to take on or agree with someone else’s beliefs or way of life.

Maybe you want to move on but others hold an attitude that you owe them. Perhaps you do, perhaps you don’t. Check deeply within yourself. Is there something you can do to bring harmony? Or are you holding yourself back by trying to live up to others’ scorecards, or by waiting for someone to come through with what you might feel they owe you?

Cut Your Losses or Keep Negotiating?

Some communities are like banks that charge such high interest you are always in debt. Others recognise how fantastic it is that value comes in all forms, and they find ways to support the life visions of all their community members no matter the different shapes and sizes.

For some people, whatever happened in November/December under the first contact of Jupiter square Pluto has revealed it’s time to cut your losses and move toward new communities. In other cases, it’s still possible to negotiate win-win scenarios from people you already know, and March/April or July/August are the next checkpoint times.

Jupiter opposite Uranus – Wake Up

The second of the Jupiter alignments is ‘Jupiter opposite Uranus’ and this also has three contacts:

27 December 2016 (effective at least all of Dec 16/Jan 17)
3 March 2017 (effective at least all of Feb/March 17)
28 September 2017 (effective at least all of Aug/Sep 17)

This dynamite alignment helps us break free from past doubts and restrictions. Uranus is the awakening planet, and again this brings to mind the Year of the Fire Rooster – roosters and their morning wake-up calls. Jupiter opposite Uranus helps us wake up to something deeply meaningful to ourselves and asks us to stretch beyond our comfort zones to seek it.

This is an exciting liberating vibe, the warning being not to go feral in one wild rebellious moment. The dark side of Jupiter-Uranus is similar to the dark side of the Fire Rooster – i.e. being cocky and arrogant and taking too much of a gamble that could lead to sudden destruction. Yet in some circumstances, a bit of havoc is necessary, like the chicken having to smash through its eggshell in order to birth.

Pisces Line Up – Magic, Romance, Let’s Dance!

Throughout January, the Pisces energy is always there to draw sustenance from with Mars, Venus, Neptune, South Node and Chiron all in Pisces. This water sign is all about flowing with emotional, spiritual and romantic nourishment. You can find or create magic at the drop of a hat this month. Meditate, daydream, dance ecstatically, surrender into deep relaxation, breathe in the fragrance of nature, spontaneously hug a friend, make art, make music, make a crazy creative mess.

Get out and look for that dream outfit, flick through photos for your dream hairstyle, research your dream holiday. Use the Pisces energy to bring dreams and love your way. If you’re wanting to romance or be romanced, Mars and Venus spend most of January in Pisces, bringing opportunities to get out and get loving.

Mercury Shifts Direct – But First Pluto

Mercury from the 5th to the 13th heads back into Jupiter’s zodiac sign, Sagittarius. This could resurrect inspirations and passionate wishes or plans you had around the last week of November/first week of December that got waylaid by the Christmas focus – go for it!

Mercury goes Direct on 8 Jan, and apart from its week in Sagittarius (5th to 13th) it spends pretty much all of December and January in Capricorn, having us look very realistically at certain life situations to bring the eye of maturity and wisdom to some hard realities.

The whole Mercury Retro experience isn’t complete until the final challenge of Mercury passing by Pluto again, which happens on the 30th/31st. Here we face a power challenge and need to check the level of the field we are playing on. Is there any point in a mouse reaching out to a cat for friendship? Misunderstandings that come up at this time might be due simply to radically different viewpoints, values, skill levels or needs, not whether a person likes, cares about, loves or respects you.

A mouse could still look at a cat and respect its point of view, but needs to run for its life if the cat comes close. If you’re a mouse, it’s no point trying to explain to a cat how even though you respect its right to be itself and even hunt you, you’d prefer it didn’t. January helps us sift and sort incompatibilities so that we can put our energy into life situations that will flower for us.

It’s an unusual mix of conservative and radical, old and new, energies this month. May your combination of these open up brightly for you, and wishing you a Happy New Year!

January’s 1st Quarter Moon

For information on the 1st Quarter Moon in Aries on 6 Jan, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next 1st Quarter Moon four weeks later.

January’s Full Moon

For information on the Full Moon in Cancer on 12 Jan, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next Full Moon four weeks later.

January’s 3rd Quarter Moon

For information on the 3rd Quarter Moon in Scorpio on 20 Jan, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next 3rd Quarter Moon four weeks later.

January’s New Moon

For information on the New Moon in Aquarius on 28 Jan, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next New Moon four weeks later.