January is a “7” Universal Month [1 (January) + 6 (2022) = 7] in a “6” Universal Year. The 7 energy supports inner wisdom, truth-seeking, and all who wish to pursue the mysteries in life – an energy that is out of alignment with the Saturnian influence of Capricorn season but aligns more closely with the Uranian Aquarius season and the general feeling of the Venus and Mercury retrogrades that we will be under the influence of throughout the month. Indeed, our two personal planet retrogrades and their associated aspects are the big news of the month. January will feel slow and deep, it’s time to really dig in and mine the dark season for all that it is worth.
The Set-Up
We begin the month with four planets in Capricorn (Sun, Mercury, Venus Rx, and Pluto), Mars in Sagittarius, Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces, Saturn in Aquarius, and Uranus in Taurus. Saturn and Uranus will be pulling away from their year-long square but we are not quite out of the weeds yet. Venus has been in retrograde since 12/19 and Mercury has already entered the pre-shadow phase of their retrograde on 12/29 – these two retrogrades are our cosmic message to stop and align ourselves with the great changes that our Immovable Force Paradox has wrought upon the world.
Through the month Mercury will enter Aquarius before retrograding on 1/14 and transitioning back into Capricorn and both the Sun and Mars will change signs into Aquarius and Capricorn respectively. Additionally, Venus and Uranus will both station direct. As such, we will end the month with four planets in Capricorn (Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Pluto, two in Aquarius (the Sun in Saturn), Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces, and Uranus in Taurus.
The Nitty Gritty
With all but one planet spending most (if not all) of the month in the last quadrant of the horoscope, we can infer that there will be a very universal theme to the month of January but also one that we will each have to personalize within our own lives due to the retrograde nature of both Venus and Mercury. This tracks as the intense changes brought on by the major conjunctions in both Capricorn and Aquarius in 2020 plus the long-term square between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus have made a mess of the world but we all still need to live in it. Something has to change on a global level AND in our personal lives.
The month begins with a bang as on 1/1 the Sun in Capricorn trines Uranus in Taurus an aspect that certainly has more than a little bit of a firework feel to it. Uranus is one of our outer planets and far beyond the realm of human feeling or judgment – it indicates change like that which you might encounter with the Tower card in the tarot. Though the overall feeling of Uranus is impersonal (even when in aspect to the Sun); it is worth noting that Mercury in Capricorn also meets in trine to the North Node which will double up on the earth trine of Taurus-Capricorn of the day. The change may not happen overnight but you may get a rare glimpse into your future (represented by the North Node) on this day – stay aware of what comes up. Mercury will make this trine to the North Node three times over their retrograde cycle.
1/2 will also be a busy day as the sun and moon (still in trine to Uranus) meet up at 12° for our new moon of the month. With Uranus involved, emotions will be heightened and highly unpredictable – tread with caution and avoid that fight. The next day will also be tense as the moon makes conjunctions to retrograded Venus and Pluto in Capricorn as well as Mercury in Aquarius. Things from the past – especially surrounding Venusian themes of what we desire, how we find pleasure, relationships, and money – will likely be close to the surface during this time. Remember to give your Others the benefit of the doubt – we are all going through things that can never be seen or experienced outside of the self.
Here we begin to see the repeating themes of the month. Venus is going to conjunct Pluto, Mercury sextiles our wounded healer Chiron, Venus sextiles Neptune, and the Sun is just chugging away walking through all of these tightly packed planets. Venus and Mercury’s retrograde cycles are going to create a butterfly pattern across this month – Venus retrogrades backward from 26° Capricorn and Mercury will retrograde backward towards 24° Capricorn with our God of death and transformation Pluto sitting right in between.
The world has changed all around us. Now we need to figure out where we stand in it, what has changed in our own lives, what we need to let go of, what we need to keep, and how we all fit into this new path that is slowly beginning to unfold in front of us. The retrogrades create a clear lesson here: first, we need to feel what is happening (Venus retrograde), and then, after we’ve managed that, we need to think about it all (Mercury retrograde). If you don’t feel like your path is clear, if your vision feels clouded, if everything feels like it has irrevocably fallen apart, know that you are right on time.
As our lunar nodes switch signs from Gemini-Sagittarius to Taurus-Scorpio, there is a hint that the earthy/water axis nature of feeling and emotions may win out for most of the month over the Mercurial art of thinking things through. Stay on high alert and practice your very best self-care if you are prone to emotional dysregulation or other emotional dysfunctions like codependency and manipulation. Don’t be surprised if your Others put their feet down and hit you with a hard “no” as this month will be ruled by Capricorn’s ruler Saturn who, combined with Mercury, creates our personal boundaries.
I would be remiss in not pointing out that Venus retrogrades rule relationship difficulties and Capricorn rules all things contractual including marriage – this is a good time to end a long-standing marriage or other partnership (business arrangements come to mind) that needs to end. That is part of the feeling of this month, of this whole series of years – don’t hold on to something just because it has always been that way. Let go with grace and make space for something better. Something that works for who you are. Right now. That advice may also apply to jobs or anything else that one is inclined to cling to due to fear of the unknown.
Mercury’s sextile to Chiron in Aries three times over the course of their retrograde cycle is an indication that it’s going to hurt but that it’s the kind of hurt that leads to growth. The points in the chart to watch out for this month are from 12-26° Capricorn for the Venus retrograde and from 24° Capricorn – 11° Aquarius for the Mercury retrograde. Note what houses they fall in your chart and what, if any, aspects they make to your natal placements.
The big hot spots of the month will be when the Sun conjuncts retrograded Venus on 1/8, Sun conjunct Pluto on 1/16, and when the Sun conjuncts retrograde Mercury on 1/23 – each of these may be ouchy spots where we may find our egos easily bruised. Additionally, watch out for the days which Mercury, Uranus, and Venus station due to the feeling of otherworldliness and some dis-ease that often accompanies planetary movements.
This is not a month to make big plans but instead, focus on staying home and staying aware of what is going on in your own life and in your own mind. It is highly ill-advised to check out during this process – these lessons need you to show up for yourself. How you face these early transits will set you up – for better or for worse – for the energies of 2022 as a whole. What do you want to bring to the table?
The Details
01/01 – Sun in Capricorn trine Uranus in Taurus, Mercury in Capricorn trine North Node
01/02 – New Moon 12° Capricorn, Mercury enters Aquarius
01/03 – Moon conjunct Venus Rx, Moon conjunct Pluto, Moon conjunct Mercury
01/04 – Moon conjunct Saturn, Moon square Uranus
01/05 – Venus Rx in Capricorn sextile Neptune in Pisces
01/08 – Sun conjunct Venus Rx 18° Capricorn
01/09 – Mercury in Aquarius sextile Chiron in Aries
01/10 – Sun in Capricorn sextile Neptune in Pisces
01/11 – Mars in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces
01/14 – Mercury retrogrades at 11° Aquarius
01/16 – Sun conjunct Pluto 26° Capricorn
01/17 – Full moon 27° Cancer
01/18 – Sun in Capricorn trine North Node in Taurus, Mercury Rx in Aquarius sextile Chiron in Aries, Uranus stations direct
01/19 – Sun enters Aquarius
01/23 – Sun conjunct Mercury retrograde 03° Aquarius
01/24 – Mars enters Capricorn
01/25 – Mercury Rx re-enters Capricorn
01/27 – Mercury Rx trine North Node in Taurus
01/28 – Mercury retrograde conjunct Pluto 26° Capricorn, Sun in Aquarius sextile Chiron in Aries
01/29 – Venus stations direct, Moon conjuncts Venus
01/30 – Sun in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus