A lyric from a Talking Heads song came to mind when I began writing January’s astrology message:

“Same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was”.  Although is it?

After all, the Age of Aquarius is fully upon us now.  Yet even as I say the words that the up-coming months will be completely different, the New Year will feel like a full on hangover from last year.

The astrology for the New Year is about forming something useful out of the rubble of the past.  Anyone who as ever survived a natural disaster or big personal crisis knows what I’m talking about.  2020 was a year to be gotten through, of managing and surviving rather than accomplishing goals and thriving. For many, it was an exhausting year due to the virtual siege of cosmic events and alignments in one calendar year; more than any astrologer can remember.  Just for starters, I note six eclipses, the grand conjunction of heavyweights Pluto-Jupiter and Saturn last March in austere Capricorn, as well as Mars 6 month long challenge to this power house trio made for a daunting twelve months. 

 I wish I could wave a magic wand and say 2021 will be miraculously better.  Alas, while I have the gift of astrological foresight, I cannot guarantee that next year will be completely different.  What I can promise is that 2021 will pick up where the old year left off.  The crisis is over; yet the battle is not won.  In the coming months we begin sorting through the remains and pick up the pieces, what to salvage and put to good use, planning our next steps in the wake of the disaster.

2021 will not barrage us with nearly the onslaught of cosmic triggers.  In this sense, the year will be calmer and gives a reprieve for us to gather ourselves together.  Or get our SHIFT together as we say in my line of work.  There are remarkably fewer major cosmic events in 2021:  there are 4 eclipses instead of 6, Mars and Venus stay direct all year, and the titans Pluto-Jupiter and Saturn are separating as we speak and moving on, the latter two giving us breathing room in airy Aquarius.  All to say, with much less stirring of the celestial pot so to speak, we are able to move about our business with less interruption. 

I like to describe 2020 as the game board being thrown up to the sky and all the player pieces flung hither and yon.  In 2021, some may feel there is a whole new game on, with new rules. Some will try to play the old game even with the player pieces missing.  Yet we all know:  the Game of Life must still be played, with the stalwart, standard rules that never change:  truth, honor, integrity and responsibility.  Cosmic Law and Earthly law are akin to Macro and Micro.  Remember:  as above, so below.  As the game board player pieces begin coming back down, we sort through them to find what’s available and workable. 

January’s practical Capricorn energy is invaluable for assessing our situation and making a plan.   Now with Saturn firmly in Aquarius, it begins a year-long showdown with Uranus.  This sets the tone for the entire year.   Mythologically, these two planets were father and son who battled it out for dominance.   We take a cue from this dynamic:  the old versus the new, the struggle is REAL I tell you.  Old versus new is the dominant theme for all of 2021 and particularly January.

Both Uranus and Saturn are in FIXED signs:  Saturn is in Aquarius, a fixed air sign and Uranus is in Taurus, the earth fixed sign.  Fixed astrological signs are different from their cousins the cardinal and mutable signs in that their perseverance and stamina are second to none.  Never say die is their motto.  They stick to their beliefs, their work, or relationships like glue and see something through to the finish.  That said, the fixed signs are notable for their stubbornness, inflexibility and in some cases, rigid orthodoxy.  So you can probably guess what’s coming.

Saturn the Taskmaster, ruler of structure, karma, dharma and responsibility, is now in Aquarius.  This paradoxical sign rules innovation and invention, the radical, rebellious, the revolutionary, technology yet the humanitarian, the unique individual yet groups, networks, friends, teams.  In Aquarius, Saturn mandates the NEW, anything new, whether products, approaches, methods, strategies, tactics, processes.  Different, unusual, alternate and alternative, non-mainstream, out of the box, avant garde are Aquarius’ favorite words.  It is the Salvador Dali of the zodiac.  For the first half of the year, Generous Jupiter is closely paired with its Titan partner Saturn, marking the entrance into the Age of Aquarius.

Meanwhile Uranus has been cycling through Taurus.  Now, hang on a second:  isn’t Uranus the ruler of Aquarius?  Why, yes it is. And it is not so comfortable in earthy, sensual Taurus, the SHOW ME and SHOW ME the money sign.  Uranus is the only planet that cycles vertically instead of horizontally.  And here in Taurus, the sign of natural resources and Mother Earth herself, our values are turned upside down.  Uranus has us looking at how we utilize our resources, skills and talents, our worth, the money we earn in a whole different way.  You only need to look at the climate crisis to see how this is playing out in real time.  You think money is valuable?  Wait til you don’t have any water to drink says Uranus.

So we can see how, boxing with each other, especially in January, there is some real pushing and shoving of the old up against the new.  Saturn sets the tone, agenda and current events while Uranus counters:  well, we’ll just see about that. In fact, both are saying the same thing but in different languages.  And like the planets, we are each human beings trying to get along while doing our own thing.  Saturn is demanding we try new approaches; while Uranus has us prioritizing what we value, changing whom and what we value and assign worth to; while task master Saturn says you’ll need to come up with something new to manage your new value system.

With this primary theme as the backdrop, let’s look closer at the cosmic events of January:  first up on Wednesday, January 13^th, just after midnight, there will be a New Moon conjoined to transformer Pluto in austere Capricorn.   Remember to hand write your intentions and goals for the new month and coming season as this is a particularly strong New Moon. Plant your goals in the ground or set alight.

The very next day, Uranus turns direct motion on Thursday, January 14^th.  This gear shift can often stir up extremely unpredictable and unexpected events.   Take it easy this particularly stretch of the January; especially through the 21^st of the month as Mars approaches Radical Uranus, both challenging the Titans Jupiter-Saturn duo.  You will feel the cosmic wheels grinding against each other, resistance of the fixed signs chafing against one another.  It is no accident that the Inauguration of Joe Biden occurs this week.  The reluctance to pass the baton of power over and the insistence it must be done, is palpable. 

The good news is that we have a two week window from January 15^th-29^th where the all ten planets are cycling forward.  This takes a bit of the edge off the friction, enabling us to navigate and accomplish our tasks more easily, even if others are reluctant or have an attitude.  Keeping an open mind and heart during this two week stretch is key as we head into the Full Moon in Leo on January 28^th opposite Jupiter, Sun and Saturn in Aquarius, with Uranus challenging both in the middle in Taurus. YIKES!  Watch for massive resistance and deeply entrenched positions where each person or group believes their way is the ONLY way.  Power plays and power struggles abound at month’s end.  Find areas of common ground and compromise where possible.  Ask:  Is this the hill you want to die on? 

Because if everyone got over themselves and got out of their own way, the innovation and creativity of this Full Moon is AHMAZING!  The problem is perception:  our opinion of the opposing viewpoint is big as we want to imagine; when really, if each was willing to give a little, our problems would solve themselves.  Transformation is possible leading into the full moon on the 28^th if we are willing to share power, resources, information. 

If not, then we will just have to sit with our problems a little while longer until we are willing to be more agreeable as Messenger Mercury turns retrograde the very next day on Friday, January 29^th.  Our thoughts turn inward for the next three weeks in the sign of Aquarius, the Great Connector and Inventor, problem solver extraordinaire.  For the next three weeks, until February 20th, Mercury reverses gear, backing over ground it has already covered and encouraging us to do the same. So remember to practice the Retrograde RE words:  rest, restore, review, relax, renew, renovate, revisit. 

Mercury retrograde gets a bad rap for the obvious reasons:  communication snafus and more.  Yet really it is part of divine timing; and this Mercury retrograde period could not occur at a better moment while we are in the thick of winter, nature’s time of withdrawal, retreat and hibernation. 

Where do you need to hit the pause button in your life?  Something to meditate upon in the New Year.

Of Special Note:

The second episode of my podcast, Mystical Messages, is released on Friday, January 1^st, 2021 covering the astrological overview of the New Year.  The worst is over, I assure you; that said, much work from the fall-out from this past year lies ahead with some key surprises.  Tune in wherever you get your podcasts!

https://mysticalmessages.libsyn.com/mystical-messages…