The first week of the year begins slowly but hosts a cluster of interesting influences at its end.  The work week sees Mercury apply to aspects with Saturn and Neptune, challenging us to connect the simultaneously spacy and serious wavelengths.  Yet the action waits for the weekend.  On Saturday night, the messenger enters Capricorn, where then swift planet will be until the last days of the month. Meanwhile, the lunar light builds towards Sunday night’s Full Moon in Cancer, the first lunation of the New Year.

All the while, Mars creeps deeper into the shadow of his upcoming retrograde, dotting the timescape with slashes of scarlet and gouts of flame.

Mars in Virgo: Streaks of Red

   Mars’ impending retrograde underpins recent events and those unfolding.   Although the red planet does not station retrograde until January 23^rd, Mars is deep in the “shadow” of the coming retrograde.  This progress through degrees destined to be revisited has a troubled quality, as the martial current takes on a more chaotic and uncontrolled quality.

Last week saw Mercury square the smoldering malefic, accompanied, unsurprisingly, by a remarkable rash of car bombings in Los Angeles, the fire bombing of a Mosque in New York city, a Russian art group ringing in the New Year by setting a police car on fire and a variety of other incendiary incidents.

This is the nature of Mars’ retrograde periods, the creative/destructive power of flame broken free of it usual constraints, the energy of combustion without the structure of an engine.  Beyond news story spectacles, this process has a personal meaning.  Mars’ time in Virgo, which encompasses the first half of the year, asks us to reconsider how we’re expressing our vital, explosive, powerful and potentially violent energies. Though this question has not yet snuck to the forefront of concerns, it is well on its way.  For a sneak preview of the upcoming themes, take a peak at “Mars in Virgo Retrograde,” an excerpt from my 2012 Astrological Almanac detailing the red planet’s drama.

The Drawing Board

Mercury is the only planet that makes aspects during the bulk of the week.  In fact, it spends much of it applying to aspects with both Saturn and Neptune, pushing and pulling us gently between serious business and spaciness.  As you navigate the week, make a special effort to reconcile concrete and ephemeral concerns.

Saturday night, Mercury switches signs putting down the Sagittarian laser-pointer in exchange for Capricorn’s drafting table and blueprints.  In Capricorn, the messenger’s impetus toward taciturn analysis helps get things organized along realistic lines, but can lend thoughts and communications a depressive tone. Mercury will be in Capricorn, assisting realistic assessments and practical plans, until January 27th.

Fulll Moon in Cancer: Goat, Goddess and Childe

After waxing all week, the Moon finally fills to the brim Sunday night, overflowing with lunar light in it’s own sign, Cancer.  The earthy, horned goat of Capricorn casts a cranky gaze on the state of affairs, anxiously eyeing the coin supply and quarterly goals.  Opposite, yet in the light of this gaze, ambulates the lunar mother, who reveals the love and cash we have to put towards these goals.

While the Sun and Moon gaze at one another, their alchemical child Mercury trines Jupiter in Taurus and squares Uranus in Aries nearly simultaneously, opening the airwaves for positive, ambitious and grounded thinking- yet with a radical and somewhat hasty edge.  You’ll need to reconcile impatient idealism with the need for clear planning and slow growth here.

This Full Moon is a syzygy of plans and resources, a seed not merely for the month ahead but for the entire year.  Conceive your future intentionally.

Horoscopes

Horoscopes are not a real chart reading by an experienced astrologer. However, they are fun and can be reasonably accurate. In addition to referring to your Sun sign, read your from Ascendant and Moon if you know them. If you don’t, find out. I’m a long time fan of the free chart generation software at astro.com.

Oh, and if you’re still concerned that your sign has changed, get a little clarity here.

Aries: The Ram

Mercury enters Capricorn on Saturday, shifting your mind toward matters of professional standing until the 27^th.  On the 8^th, the Full Moon in Cancer highlights the importance of your living situation in relationship to professional aspirations.  Consider both what you are reaching for as well as the support you have.

Taurus: The Bull

Mercury shifts into Capricorn on Saturday, putting the messenger into a strategic mood until the end of the month, perfect for engineering that bridge between your short and long term goals.  The Full Moon in Cancer on the 8th lends additional emphasis to the importance of reconciling your long and short term goals.  Make sure your moves in the near future are getting your closer to your big objectives.

Gemini: The Twins

Mercury enters Capricorn Saturday night, bringing thought and communication on your exchanges of time, money and energy with people. The Full Moon in Cancer the next day adds more emphasis to the topic of exchanges, asking you to consider both what you have to bring to the table and what you need in return.

Cancer: The Crab

Mercury enters Capricorn on Saturday night, bringing the mind to bear on relationships for the next several weeks.  The Full Moon in Cancer the next day highlights these concerns, asking you to consider not only what your relationships demand, but what you need.

Leo: The Lion

Mercury enters Capricorn on Saturday night, putting your mind in a place to engineer little fixes and solve small problems for the remainder of the month.   The Full Moon in Cancer the following night juxtaposes practical problem solving with more intangible concerns, illuminating the relationship between the visible and invisible, the emotional and the practical.  Understand these and (dis-)solve a variety of concerns.

Virgo: The Virgin

Mercury enters Capricorn on Saturday night, shifting the mind into a strategic gear for the rest of the month.  The Full Moon in Cancer comes the following night, highlighting the connection between the life you want and the one you’re going to get with the way you’re currently structuring your time and energy.  Revisions may be in order.

Libra: The Scales

Mercury enters Capricorn on Saturday night, bringing the mind to bear on how to improve your living situation and better understand your origins.  The Full Moon in Cancer Sunday night juxtaposes the focus on foundations and origins with questions about what to reach for?  How does your living situation support or detract from your professional aspirations?

Scorpio: The Scorpion

The messenger’s movement into Capricorn on Saturday night shifts communications and thought patterns into position to help you organize your short term goals. The Full Moon in Cancer on Sunday night asks you to consider not only your short term goals, but the long term ones as well, pushing you to integrate immediate duties with strategic objectives.

Sagittarius: The Archer

Mercury enters Capricorn on Saturday night, bringing the mind to bear on strategic ways to improve your financial flow for the next several weeks.  The next night, the Full Moon in Cancer shines a silver light not only on your resources, but also what others might contribute.

Capricorn: The Goat

Mercury enters Capricorn on Saturday night, bringing the mind to bear on questions about where you’re at and who you’re becoming for the next several weeks.  The next night, the Full Moon in Cancer illuminates the status of the important relationships in your life.  There’s who you are, but there’s also who you’re with.

Aquarius: The Water Bearer

Mercury enters Capricorn on Saturday night, shifting the intellect into a more introspective position for the next several weeks. The Full Moon the following night juxtaposes forgotten facts and feelings with concrete problems, urging you to recognize the relationship between the two.  Although you may be confronted with some unpleasant realizations, this lunation represents an excellent chance to eliminate unhelpful behavioral and cognitive patterns.

Pisces: The Fish

Mercury enters Capricorn on Saturday night, upping the amount of communication in your social sphere for the next several weeks.  The Full Moon in Cancer the following day asks you to consider the connection between your social activities and what you’re doing with your creative energy. The question is whether you are allocating too much or not enough energy to your social life.

Private Consultations

If you find yourself a little confused by the strange waters of the season, or interested in a personalized map of those yet to come, consider a consultation. For details, click here. Send inquiries to ac@austincoppock.com.