January 2024 Astro-Highlights: A Major Choice Point!

We kick off the new year with eclipse-like energy, and many of us will find ourselves at a critical crossroads this month:

Evolve with the times or get left behind.

January features a life-altering New Moon in Capricorn that squares the lunar nodes and forces us to CHOOSE a path, while setting the stage for transformative shifts to occur on both a personal and collective level when Pluto moves back into Aquarius this month.

As we open the New Year, actions and communication may still feel a bit chaotic since Mercury and Mars continue to square Neptune. However, there is good news on the horizon because Mercury stations direct in Sagittarius on the 1st and Mars leaves Sagittarius on the 4th to enter the sign of its exaltation, industrious Capricorn, which promises more strategy behind our action and perseverance in pursuit of our new year goals.

The critical New Moon in Capricorn on the 11th underscores the imperative need for change, while Mercury's entry into Capricorn on the 13th brings renewed clarity and support that helps us take decisive action in the weeks ahead.

The 20th is a POWERFUL day as the Sun enters innovative Aquarius, just HOURS before Pluto follows suit. This period of time marks a profound collective shift as the Sun illuminates Aquarius' need for social responsibility while Pluto begins exposing its dogmatic shadows.

Venus enters pragmatic Capricorn on the 23rd, prompting a more practical approach to relationships and finances just before the DRAMATIC Full Moon in Leo on the 25th which illuminates a need for a change in leadership!

The month concludes with disruptive Uranus stationing direct in a trine to Mars and Mercury on the 27th and like a lightning bolt, bringing unexpected breakthroughs that push us into surprising action.

Energy Most Positive for Sun/Moon/Rising in: Taurus, Gemini, Virgo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Pisces 

Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio, and Pisces, fortunately, the pivotal New Moon and the inner planets transiting the sign of Capricorn while squaring the Lunar Nodes impacts your signs with a little more ease and, potentially, new opportunity. Any changes that need to be made will likely flow and result in considerably less stress than other signs.

Gemini and Sagittarius, your signs have been under fire with Mercury Rx and Mars squaring Neptune for the last few weeks. As these planets move into Capricorn, you’ll breather a sigh of relief as you get back into a flow!

Energy Most Challenging for Sun/Moon/Rising in: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn

Cardinal Signs, you are faced with some very critical choices and the need to take ACTION this month. January could be very intense as you feel the pressure to CHANGE and leave behind comfortable ways of doing things in order to keep up with the times and forge ahead into new and exciting territory.

Mixed Energy for Sun/Moon/Rising in: Leo and Aquarius

Leo and Aquarius, fortunately, your signs are not directly impacted by the ongoing squares to the Lunar Nodes from the transiting planets in Capricorn. However, Pluto’s ingress into Aquarius on the 20th WILL be felt. This energy will reach its first peak at the tumultuous Full Moon in Leo on the 25th and then repeatedly in the month February.

Maximum Intensity for Sun/Moon/Rising in: Leo, Capricorn, Aquarius

Capricorn, not only is Pluto’s energy amplified as it prepares to leave your sign on the 20th, but the New Moon on the 11th puts you at a crossroads. As the inner planets, Mercury, Mars, and eventually Venus, transit Capricorn and activate this energy again and again, you’ll feel the urgency to make huge changes.

Aquarius and Leo, Pluto changing signs is an undeniably palpable force. You will once again be feeling the intensity as Pluto conjuncts or opposes your planets!

January 1, 2024: Mercury Stations Direct at 22° Sagittarius

January 4, 2024: Mars Enters Capricorn

January 11, 2024: New Moon at 20° Capricorn

January 13, 2024: Mercury Re-Enters Capricorn

January 20, 2024: Sun Enters Aquarius

January 20, 2024: Pluto Re-Enters Aquarius

January 23, 2024: Venus Enters Capricorn

January 25, 2024: Full Moon at 5° Leo

January 27, 2024: Uranus Stations Direct at 19° Taurus

Mercury Stations Direct at 22° Sagittarius

Exact on January 1, 2024 at 8:08 pm MST

Active from January 1 through January 13, 2024

If the last few weeks have had you doing a lot of mental gymnastics, then Mercury stationing direct in Sagittarius is especially good news. Having returned to Sagittarius on December 22 of last year, Mercury has been engaged in an intense conjunction with Mars while squaring off with slippery Neptune! 

Mercury and Mars conjunct in Sagittarius, while square to Neptune, is a strange combination that may have had us saying or doing all the wrong things. Many of us have likely found ourselves having to go back and clean up our messes.

Although Mercury is beginning to move forward, it will remain in a tricky square to Neptune for a little longer. Be very careful about what you believe and take action on until Mercury moves back into Capricorn on the 13th! Once Mercury re-enters Capricorn, it will find more support, providing us with greater clarity and perspective on matters.

Mars Enters Capricorn

Exact on January  4, 2024 at 7:58 am MST

Active from January 4 through February 13, 2024

Today, Mars ingresses into diligent Capricorn, the sign of its exaltation—a promising start to the new year. Mars finally leaves the square to Neptune behind and enters a sign where we can experience increased focus and momentum, particularly when it comes to the pursuit of our goals and ambitions.

Under the influence of Capricorn, Mars embodies determination and drive. While this energy may be more strategic and reserved, it empowers us to maintain a heightened sense of concentration, facilitating significant accomplishments.

Upon entering this Cardinal Earth sign, Mars will sextile Saturn in Pisces and trine Jupiter in Taurus, providing a supportive boost of energy to pursue our long-term goals and ambitions. Yet challenges will emerge later in this transit when Mars conjoins Mercury exactly in this sign and squares the transiting Lunar Nodes, marking a crucial juncture. Meanwhile, Pluto remains close by, amplifying the significance of this time. Weighty decisions loom on the horizon, and Mars, in its authoritative Capricorn stance, encourages us to muster the courage to act decisively, whether forging ahead into new endeavors or severing ties with the past.

New Moon at 20° Capricorn

Exact on January 11, 2024 at 4:57 am MST

Most active from January 6 through January 16, 2024

A potent and FATED new beginning opens under this highly ambitious and electrifying New Moon in Capricorn, marking one of the most pivotal moments of the new year that establishes the overarching theme for 2024. Positioned in an exact square to the lunar nodes and closely trine to Uranus in Taurus, this New Moon activates shocking yet destined occurrences, compelling a crystal-clear realization:

It's time to CHANGE or get left behind.

The New Moon is conjunct transformative Pluto and occurs just days before Pluto shifts into the progressive sign of Aquarius alongside the Sun, showing us that the future is NOW. Old structures and ways of doing things must figuratively DIE for evolution and new growth to occur in the Capricorn-ruled area of our lives.

The exact square to the Lunar Nodes propels us to CHOOSE between a stagnant past or brave a tantalizing but nerve-wracking unknown, even if the choice feels inevitable. But CHOOSE, we must. We can remain where we are, knowing we're stuck in outdated ways of doing things and bound to be left behind, or we can adapt, trusting in a better future. The good news is that if we choose NEWNESS, doors will open up, illuminating an exciting path we may have never foreseen for ourselves.

Thankfully, there is a helpful outlet at this New Moon. The Capricorn lunar cycle is colored by the energy of a beneficial trine to Uranus. Uranus, in a trine, creates an underlying sense of excitement and unusual ways of going about our lives. We want something more exciting and liberating with this energy and are more willing to go against the grain to get it.

Uranus will be activated by trine several times over the course of the lunar cycle as the inner planets Mars, Mercury, and eventually Venus move through Capricorn, reaching these same degrees. With a sextile to Saturn in the mix as well, unexpected and beneficial opportunities WILL present themselves. Still, we must trust our intuition and be lightning-quick in our actions, sprinkling the next few weeks with a bit of chaos and upheaval.

Mercury Re-Enters Capricorn

Exact on January 13, 2024 at 7:49 pm MST

Active from January 13 through February 5, 2024

Mercury returning to Capricorn is more good news in the new year as it will follow Mars and, again, trine Jupiter in Taurus and sextile Saturn in Pisces. While the prolonged square to Neptune may have left us a bit disoriented, Mercury's total immersion into Saturn's sign emphasizes discernment and decisiveness.

Towards the end of the month, Mercury and Mars will reunite to square the Lunar Nodes while remaining in close conjunction. It's time to choose and commit to the right path forward, although it necessitates letting go of our past and comfort zones. Fortunately, with both Mars and Mercury in the grounded energy of Capricorn, we are well aware of the consequences and risks involved in this transformative process.

Sun Enters Aquarius

Exact on January 20, 2024 at 7:07 am MST

Active from January 20 through February 18, 2024

Today marks a powerful day as the Sun enters the free-thinking sign of Aquarius, with Pluto following suit only mere hours behind it. The Sun and Pluto converging in the final degree of Capricorn and transitioning into Aquarius on the same day signifies a profound shift in collective energies. While the Sun's transits illuminate the brightest essence of the sign it's in, Pluto delves deep into its shadows, exposing the less savory facets.

As the Sun surpasses Pluto and moves deeper into the sign of the Waterbearer, it illuminates a sense of collective responsibility. Aquarius, an Air sign, embodies highly social and intellectual energies, focusing on the broader spectrum of humanity and the societal impact of issues rather than individual concerns. Enigmatically, Aquarius is also a highly unconventional and individualistic energy that naturally differentiates itself from the crowd.

In Aquarius, the Sun will square Jupiter and then Uranus, undoubtedly ushering in societal changes that are both advantageous and unsettling, particularly within the realms of technology or science.

Pluto Re-Enters Aquarius

Exact on January 20, 2024 at 5:50 pm MST

Active from January 20 through September 1, 2024

Pluto follows the Sun back into the paradoxical sign of Aquarius today, where it will continue its dirty work, exposing the shadows of this Fixed Air sign. Pluto's penetrating and profound nature seeks truth and its transits act like excavations, unearthing anything concealed or buried and bringing it into the light for destruction and transformation. 

Pluto embodies extremes, heralding death, destruction, fear, intensity, and power struggles. It orchestrates dramatic endings and fresh beginnings, relentlessly exposing areas of our lives that have become toxic and require purging for regeneration. With Pluto, there is no room for ambiguity—it radiates immense power and intense will. This transition is certain to introduce new themes of power and control, both on a collective and individual level.

In its return to Aquarius, Pluto will once again activate the pivotal Great Conjunction at 0 degrees of Aquarius and focus on exposing the darker aspects of technology, science, and collective beliefs or "dogma" while simultaneously bringing about revolutionary advances in these areas.

Due to the slow movement of this outer planet and its long retrograde, Pluto will go back into Capricorn once more in September before it fully enters Aquarius in November of 2024.

Venus Enters Capricorn

Exact on January 23, 2024  at 1:50  am MST

Active from January 23 through February 16, 2024

The planet of love enters the traditional sign of Capricorn, signifying a shift towards practicality in our approach to relationships and financial concerns. This transit encourages qualities such as responsibility and a strong work ethic. It underscores a cautious yet committed approach to these matters, emphasizing enduring connections and the pursuit of shared aspirations.

As Venus transits the sign of Capricorn, it will square the Lunar nodes in the first week of February, activating the powerful Capricorn New Moon energy once more. Venus squaring the Lunar Nodes presents yet another choice point, this time concerning financial situations and relationships. It's become apparent that old, outdated approaches to Venusian matters will no longer work for us if we want to build something that will stand the test of time. It's time to release our comfort zones in order to welcome something better.

Full Moon at 5° Leo

Exact on January 25, 2024 at 10:54 am MST

Most active from January 20 through January 30, 2024

The passionate Leo Full Moon directs our attention to matters of leadership, yet it may also bring to light aspects we'd prefer to keep in the shadows. While this lunar phase promises an emotional journey, it's crucial to recognize that the challenges emerging now are stepping stones toward personal growth and eventual well-deserved recognition.

The fiery Full Moon in Leo forms a Fixed T-square between the Sun and Pluto in Aquarius, Jupiter in Taurus, and the Moon in Leo.

Fixed squares involving Leo are a challenge to our EGO. This Full Moon acts as a revealing spotlight, showcasing not only where we are WRONG but also our hesitancy to embrace change.

The progressive Sun in Aquarius rules the Leo Full Moon and joins forces with Pluto. When the Sun and Pluto unite, it reveals uncomfortable truths about who we have become and where we need to release the urge to control outcomes in order to align more with a more authentic version of ourselves!

Leo is a natural leader that leads with radiance, generosity, and HONOR. However, this moon may reveal where we have lost touch with what makes us special and unique or where we may have strayed from our integrity and resorted to control tactics out of fear or paranoia.

Adding complexity, the Leo Full Moon squares Jupiter, infusing our emotional experience with potential drama and exaggeration. Jupiter's square to the Sun encourages creative expansion but may lead to clashes of egos and battles of will. It becomes imperative to objectively assess ourselves at this Full Moon, identifying where we hinder our growth by resisting feedback or new experiences.

The good news is that Jupiter forms a harmonious trine with Venus in Capricorn, offering a positive outlet amid the tensions. This alignment of two Benefic energies assures us that joy is attainable, and the ultimate outcome of these challenges holds the promise of prosperity.

Uranus Stations Direct at 19° Taurus

Exact on January 27, 2024 at 12:35 am MST

Active January 27 through September 1, 2024

Known as The Great Awakener and the planet of liberation, Uranus initiates this liberation by first revealing the constraints that bind us. Through Taurus, Uranus has prompted a profound restlessness and a compelling internal desire for change and freedom, particularly regarding resources and material matters.

Uranus is stationing direct in a trine to Mars and Mercury, which are conjunct in Capricorn. During any planetary station, the energy becomes intensified. Fortunately, in this case, the amplified Uranian energy of restlessness has a very tangible and active outlet in the Mercury-Mars trine. We may feel the lines between excitement and anxiety blurred and an acute readiness to act.

This Uranus station may manifest like a lightning bolt to our lives. Unexpected events that occur throughout this time can bring significant and transformative breakthroughs in our resources, and we may find ourselves jumping into surprising action that shakes us out of where we have felt stuck.

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Written by Stephanie Weiss. Edited by the Astrology with Heather Team.