Welcome to your January 2023 forecast!   Click on “read article” and scroll down til you find your sign of the zodiac….

CAPRICORN (Dec 21-Jan19)    Well, January is a pretty quiet month for you, astrologically speaking—that is, if you can roll with Mars and Mercury retrograde!  January begins with Jupiter in Aries in an angle to Uranus, intensifying all the global uncertainty.  Mercury is not only retrograde, but also retrograde in your sign of Capricorn, so that could be annoying.  Together with Mars retrograde, you absolutely can’t push anything and you need to suspend your Capricorn goals for just a little bit longer.  This two week stretch in which Mercury and Mars are both retrograde might feel like a stasis, and god knows you hate that.  You really have to go with the flow!  January 6^th brings a big full moon in Cancer, and not unusually for you, you’re thinking about security.  The 6^th also kicks off three days when the Mercury retrograde crosses paths with the Capricorn Sun.  Just pay attention to what’s bubbling up from your inner depths, and don’t be surprised if things don’t  go as planned.  Stay away from conflict during these few days. The Mars turns direct on the 12^th but it remains almost at a standstill til the end of the month.  Still—you’ll feel some release of energy.  Mercury turns direct on the 18^th, just in time for the Sun in Capricorn to join up with Pluto.  Okay, okay, you can move mountains now!  The Sun enters Aquarius on the 20^th, followed by the Aquarian new moon on the 21^st, which lines up with Venus in a pretty little angle. Meanwhile Saturn and Jupiter line up to facilitate some good strategic planning through the rest of the month.  This is a great time to make financial and resource decisions.

AQUARIUS (JAN 20-FEB 19)   January is a fairly calm month on the astrological front – except, of course, for the ongoing Jupiter-Uranus drama for the world itself. Keep in mind, however, that Mercury and Mars are retrograde and that can often bring a period of standstill. Stuff just can’t happen right now, so let it go. You can’t force it, even with your prodigious Aquarian will. There is a juicy full moon  in Cancer on the 6^th, all about home and security, although the 6^th kicks off a few days of Mercury

Toni Morrison, a quintessential Aquarius!

retrograde transiting the Capricorn Sun. Be sure to back up that hard drive and assume that plans will change due to unexpected circumstances.  Then Mars turns direct on the 12^th but still remains almost stationary. You will, however, feel some release of energy.  Mercury turns direct on the 18^th, bringing more relief.   The Sun in Capricorn spends a few days cozying up to Pluto, and you are back to cooking up plans. Then the Sun enters your sign of Aquarius on the 20^th, followed by a pretty new moon in Aquarius on the 21^st with lovey-dovey Venus aspects.  The month ends with nice Saturn Jupiter aspects, helping you make some long-range decisions, especially about finances and real estate.

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 19)  January is pretty okay, actually – that is, if you can handle the uncertainty and continued changes wrought by Jupiter and Uranus on the earth axis!  And Mercury and Mars retrograde! I’m joking – but not.  (Your sensitive soul is feeling all the crisis in the world all the time, and I am urging you to develop some firmer boundaries before Saturn enters your sign in March…)  Here is the thing:  Mercury and Mars retrograde are actually kind of fun, if you can give yourself over to not getting anything done, and just chilling out. These two retrogrades occurring together can bring a standstill of sorts.  Absolutely do not try to make anything happen—you absolutely have to go with where the energy is, not where it isn’t. The full moon in Cancer on the 6^th will undoubtedly force some disruption of plans, communication, and perhaps technology, because besides the full moon, Mercury retro crosses paths with the Sun.  Mars turns direct on the 12^th, releasing some pent up energy but still barely moving.  Mercury turns direct on the 18^th, just as the Sun transits Pluto in Capricorn. You might find yourself speaking truth to power.  The Sun enters Aquarius on the 20^th, and the Aquarius new moon is the next day on the 21^st, bringing pretty Venus aspects. It’s time for art!  Saturn and Jupiter  line up for the rest of the month, helping you make financial and real estate decisions.     Venus enters your own sign on the 26^th.  Enjoy that.

ARIES (MAR 20-APRIL19)  January brings increasing relief your way, as Jupiter moves fully into your sign and the Mars and Mercury move out of retrograde mid-month.  Keep in mind that your friend Jupiter does stay close to the earth axis and its angle to Uranus, so you are still feeling a lot of uncertainty and edginess. But Jupiter in your sign is a nice thing, bringing expansion and completion.  The first half of January is dominated by Mercury retrograde and Mars retrograde . You might feel your Aries forward motion a bit stymied, since the combination of these two retrogrades can bring a kind of stasis.  You just have to enjoy the stuckness, even with the Cancer full moon on the 6^th and a few days of Mercury retrograde in Capricorn crossing paths with the Capricorn Sun, a few days when miscommunication and sensitive skin will rule.  Lay low!  Mars turns around on the 12^th and you feel a bit of a release of energy, but Mars,  although moving direct, will barely move for a couple of weeks. Mercury turns around on the 18^th, and the Capricorn Sun crosses paths with Pluto.  Beware of power struggles.   The Sun enters Aquarius on the 20^th, and then the 21^st brings a pretty Aquarius new moon with nice Venus aspects. Then Jupiter lines up with Saturn for the rest of the month , helping you make some plans, especially around resources and land.

TAURUS (APR 20-MAY 20)  January is a pretty easy month – kinda sorta, anyway.  You just have to weather the Jupiter-Uranus lineup on the earth axis and the overall sense of uncertainty and surprises in the world.  That, and the retrogrades.  Mercury is retrograde in Capricorn and Mars is still retrograde in Gemini. The two together are weird and can feel like an odd standstill. Things are especially unpredictable and you just have to go with the flow in an extreme way.  The January 6^th full moon in Cancer will exaggerate the unpredictability and people will be highly confused and reactive, especially since Mercury crosses paths with the Sun. Mars turns direct on the 12^th but hardly inches forward for the rest of January.  Mercury turns direct on the 18^th, while the Sun catches up to Pluto.   It is a good time for you to develop some plans and projects.  The Sun enters Aquarius on the 20^th and  the new moon follows on the 21^st with pretty Venus aspects.  Enjoy.  Then Jupiter gets into position with Saturn for the rest of the month, facilitating long-range planning and financial decisions.   The dominance of planets in earth (Capricorn, Taurus) and air (Gemini, Aquarius) should allow you to move a lot of energy forward.  Go for it.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20)  January is a calmer month in many ways—just be aware that Uranus and Jupiter remain on the earth axis so things are still rockin’ and rollin’ on the world stage.  Mercury is retrograde in Capricorn and Mars is still retrograde in your sign of Gemini.  The two of them  gang up to bring many things to a halt, creating a kind of stasis.  There’s nothing you can do but go with it. If things don’t feel as though they are coming together, there is nothing you can do. This is especially the case around the January 6^th full moon in Cancer, which kicks off a couple of days when Mercury retro catches up to the Capricorn Sun.  You will be especially thin-skinned on this full moon. Deep breaths!  Mars turns direct on the 12^th, so you will feel some subtle movement—it’s subtle because even though Mars will be direct, it hardly budges from 8 degrees Gemini for the next few weeks… and Mercury turns around on the 18^th, just in time for the Capricorn Sun to catch up to Pluto.  Be careful of power struggles—especially with any Cancers, Aries, or Libras in your life. The Sun enters Aquarius on the 20^th, followed by a sweet new moon on the 21^st with pretty Venus aspects.  The month ends with Jupiter and Saturn in an angle to each other that is particularly effective for long range planning, financial decisions, and property or real estate activities.

CANCER  (JUNE 21- JULY 21)   January is a much calmer month but all the Capricorn energy might trigger you just a tad.  You will need to lay low for the first couple of weeks, that’s all!   Keep in mind that Uranus is still on the earth axis and Jupiter is involved as well, intensifying the uncertainty and upheaval for the world. Of course you are feeling that, especially the first week of January in the run-up to the Cancer full moon on the 6^th.  Stay grounded because Mercury retrograde in Capricorn spends a few days crossing paths with the Capricorn Sun starting on the 6^th.  You will be extra -sensitive and prone to personalize things. Mercury is retrograde, after all, and so is Mars—these two planets retrograde at once can really confuse communication.  It will be a period of stasis until Mars turns direct on the 12^th, so you cannot force things to happen.  Even moving direct, Mars will hardly budge for a couple of weeks. Mercury turns direct on the 18th, right when the Capricorn Sun catches up to Pluto.  It is a good time for you to generate plans and projects, but a bad time to struggle with any Capricorns, Aries, or Libras in your life.  Then things shift when the Sun enters Aquarius on the 20^th, followed by the new moon on the 21^st.  Pretty Venus aspects make this a great lunation for creative expression.   Then Jupiter and Saturn make a nice angle for financial planning and long-term decision-making.

LEO (JUL 22-AUG 21)  Well!   January is nothing if not interesting!  Uranus is still tweaking the planet, creating lots of political drama and global upsets.  Mercury and Mars are both retrograde for the first 12 days of the month, making things extra weird.  These two plants join forces to stimulate a kind of standstill. You cannot force anything to happen—you simply have to let things unfold.  That is not always easy for you and your Leo nature. Remember that Mars retrograde is about process, not outcome.  So you have to go with where the energy is, not push against obstacles.  This is especially true the first week, in the approach of the January 6 full moon in Cancer. The full moon ushers in a couple of days where Mercury retrograde in Capricorn line up with the Capricorn Sun. communication and plans could go very sideways.  Nothing you can do about it!   Mars finally turns direct on the 12^th, bringing a bit of a release and movement, but not so much since it barely moves forward for the next few weeks. Mercury turns direct on the 18^th, which should feel better.  But the Capricorn Sun catches up to Pluto for a few days during which you want to avoid power struggles.  Then the Sun enters Aquarius, your opposite sign, on the 20^th, and the new moon follows on the 21^st. Use this new moon to shake off all  those retrograde hindrances and move on!  Then Jupiter and Saturn line up in a potent angle to help with financial planning and long term planning and decision-making.  Use it!

 VIRGO (AUG 22- SEPT 21)  January brings some interesting dynamics and is altogether easier on the planetary front.  Yay!  Just keep in mind that the world is still in extreme upheaval, thanks to Jupiter and Uranus on the earth axis, and of course you are sensitive to that.  Mercury and Mars are both retrograde—Mercury in Capricorn and Mars still in Gemini.  The two in combination make for a strange sense of stuckness, but it’s all okay if you can go with the flow.  It is very important that you just roll with the changes in plans, timing, travel and work at least until the 12^th, when Mars turns around.  The Cancer full moon occurs in the middle of all this on the 6^th,  and the Cancer moon makes it hard not to be extra sensitive and take things personally. In fact, Mercury retrograde crosses paths with the Sun starting on the 6^th so communication could go seriously sideways.  Deep breaths!  As I said, Mars turns around on the 12^th, but it might not feel that way since Mars itself is at a virtual standstill for most of the month as it comes out of its retrograde.  Mercury turns around on the 18^th, and you will start to feel some movement, especially since the Capricorn Sun lines up with Pluto and you can start moving projects and work forward.  The Sun enters Aquarius on the 20^th, and the Aquarius new moon follows on the 21^st.  Nice Venus aspects make it a good lunation for creative expression.  Then Jupiter and Saturn line up for the rest of the month to bring very grounded energy of planning and long-term decision-making.

LIBRA (SEPT 22-OCT21)  January is a pretty calm month on the astrological front, although you might think my standards for evaluating that are absolutely whack. After all, Uranus is still on the earth axis, sparking upheaval, uncertainty, and changes.  Oh, and Mercury and Mars are both retrograde for the first 12 days of the month, a time when everything happens and nothing happens. You absolutely absolutely absolutely have to go with the flow while plans change and spool out around you.  It’s all good though, just don’t fight it.  And Jupiter is in Aries — your opposite sign — for the next few months,  bringing completion and endings and beginnings.  There is a powerful Cancer full moon on January 6^th , and this lunation runs rather high on feelings. You’ll be doing an emotional heavy lift, somewhere, somehow. And starting on the 6^th, we have a few days of Mercury retrograde in Capricorn moving across the Capricorn Sun, so communication could be very odd. Be careful of misunderstandings.  Then Mars turns direct on the 12^th , so things might start gelling. But have reasonable expectations because Mars, the planet of action, hardly moves forward an inch in January. You might feel more movement when Mercury turns direct on the 18^th, especially because the Capricorn Sun lines up with Pluto, bringing a lot of generative power your way.  The Sun enters Aquarius on the 20^th, followed by a pretty new moon on the 21^st. then Jupiter and Saturn join forces for the rest of the month to facilitate planning and long-range decisions, especially about resources.

SCORPIO (OCT 22-NOV 21)  Okay, January is an easier month.  The world is still in a tailspin, thanks to Uranus on the earth axis, but you know from tailspins and upheaval and growth through crisis.  Mercury is retrograde in Capricorn and Mars is still retrograde in Gemini, so having the two retrograde at the same time can be challenging.  It is a lesson in going with the flow, for real.  It might feel like things are at a standstill but processes are moving at a deep, inner level. You know how to trust that!  But be careful around the full moon in Cancer on the 6^th.  Everyone’s emotions are running high, and the 6^th ushers in a few days of Mercury retrograde crossing paths with the Sun, which could mean an extra dose of confusion and retrograde communication and tech problems.  Mars turns direct on the 12^th, thank god, but although direct, it aint moving much past 8 degrees Gemini this month, so you may not feel a big sense of release.  You should feel more movement when Mercury turns direct on the 18^th, also when the Capricorn Sun lines up with Pluto.   You will be able to generate some plans and move some mountains!  Then the Sun enters Aquarius on the 20^th and  is followed by a pretty new moon on the 21^st.  This new moon is wonderful for creative expression. Then Jupiter and Saturn make a potent angle to facilitate long-term planning and decision making, especially about land and resources.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22- DEC 21)   January continues to be pretty nice, if you can roll with Mercury and Mars being retrograde and Uranus still generating upheaval and high drama on the world stage…  Mercury and Mars retrograde absolutely require that you go with the flow and not push against obstacles.  You have to channel your inner Tai Chi master to get through the first 12 days of the month!  There is a sense of stand till but things are happening, just in a different way.  Things will get intense around the January 6 full moon in Cancer—the Cancer moons always have feelings running high. It  is especially the case this time because starting on the 6^th Mercury retrograde in Capricorn crosses paths with the Capricorn Sun, sparking communication and timing issues. Stay calm—it will all work out, but watch your Sagittarian tendencies to put your foot in it.    Then Mars in Gemini turns direct on the 12^th – but although direct it hardly moves this month so you won’t feel much movement.  You’ll feel more movement when Mercury turns direct on the 18^th, coinciding with the Sun lining up with Pluto. Be careful of power struggles – this is not a time to fight.  The Sun enters Aquarius on the 20^th, and then a beautiful new moon follows on the 21^st that is all about creativity and connection.  Then get out your calendar and your pads of easel paper—Jupiter and Saturn take us through the end of the month with energy for planning and long-term thinking, especially about resources.