Happy New Year, beautiful souls! We’ve crossed over into 2022, so let the new calendar year dance begin! From an astrological perspective, the January patterns and insights are emphasizing the archetypes of Capricorn (along with its “ruler,” Saturn), Aquarius (along with its “ruler,” Uranus), and Venus who is retrograding back through the sign of Capricorn for most of the month. But how are these archetypes dancing together through January and what does that mean for us? Continue reading to find out!
January patterns and insights from the Capricorn perspective
January patterns and insights are filled with Capricorn vibes, and the new moon in Capricorn on January 2nd amplifies this down-to-earth, rational, committed, and ambitious flow of energy. The Capricorn parts of you are the parts that want to channel all of your maturity, self-discipline, and perseverance into some excellent accomplishment or “Great Work.” No mountain is too high for the Cappy sea goat to climb! The only question is which mountain is the “right” mountain for you to climb?
Figuring out which mountain to climb can be challenging due to how our current culture has made gods and religions out of money, status, and fame. Is that really the mountain you want to climb, and is that really how you want to climb it, or has the lure of money, status, and fame thrown you off your authentic course?
Morality & integrity
Alongside these necessary questions sit other related Capricorn concerns like morality and integrity. Morality is all about the process of learning what is truly “right” and what is truly “wrong”. Integrity is about upholding your values and rather than doing what is “easiest” or most gratifying in the short-term, choosing to do what is right, especially for the long-term.
Putting all of this together, we could say this month will very much be about the necessity of growing in our maturity and our ability to know who we are, what we’re about, and having the commitment, focus, discipline, and determination to continue climbing our personal mountains or to begin that climb.
Capricorn “don’ts”
This month may also bring to light the shadow of Capricorn which is control and a defensive posture of always being right. The shadow Capricorn in us can be a horribly rigid and controlling tyrant. When we operate unconsciously from this shadow, our relationships suffer greatly, and we are likely to experience a “fall from grace” in our personal or professional lives. This shadow dimension of this sign is more likely to be experienced this month due to Pluto (Lord of the Underworld/Unconscious) also traveling through Capricorn. If you have been climbing the wrong mountain and making everyone else’s life pure hell while doing it, then Pluto will likely expose this shadow dimension and bring some kind of crisis to a head in your personal and/or professional life.
Capricorn, Pluto & relationships
Relationships are also very important this month, or rather, the review of important relationships and past relationships. This is due to Venus continuing her apparent backwards journey in the sky. She is the planet symbolizing love and intimacy, so when she goes backwards in the sky, we all tend to review relationship issues and relationship experiences form the past. Old flames may reappear for healing and closure. Or you may be assessing your fulfillment in your current relationship. Certainly, due to Pluto’s presence in the mix, old hurts and wounds may resurface to be healed and released. Therefore, a headline for the month could be “trigger warning!” If you’d like a bit more insight into the nature of Venus retrograde, my thought-provoking mentor, Steven Forrest, has written a timely article about this for the month.
So, what can help integrate all of this evolutionary Capricorn, Venusian, and Plutonian work? Solitude, for starters. Capricorn is a sign that is all about making peace with its own solitude. It encompasses the archetype of the hermit. The hermit’s guidance is this: be alone with the truth and desire of your own soul in order to make authentic choices in your personal and professional life. Retreat from the “noise” of everyone else’s “shoulds” and “should-nots” and seek only your own approval.
January patterns and insights from the Aquarian perspective
Aquarian/Uranian vibrations are also a big part of this month’s cosmic dance, as the end of December saw the final exact square between Saturn (status quo) and Uranus (innovation). The struggle between the old versus the new that is reflected in this pivotal “clash of the titans” mentioned above was experienced all last year and will continue to be felt well into 2022. In fact, the revolutionary cry of Aquarius/Uranus is “Out with the old and in with the new!” So, we are witnessing in our personal and collective lives this battle or dance between the familiar and the new, tradition and innovation. For more context about this Uranus/Saturn dance, see last month’s blog.
Mercury, the Sun & Uranus shout “I am what I am!”
Mercury sped into Aquarius on New Year’s Day and will be going retrograde on Jan 14th, marking a time when our thoughts should naturally become more reflective and introspective. During mercury’s retrograde period, we will be invited to review the past few months experience in light of the question: “Have I been true to myself, or have I just been replaying old “shoulds” and tapes from my cultural conditioning and programming?” Uranus’ turning direct on Jan 18th and the Sun’s entry into Aquarius on Jan 19th will amplify these questions and fuel the fire in all of us to free ourselves from old conditioning and programming so that we can be more of our authentic selves.
Aquarius “don’ts”
And what is the shadow dimension of Aquarius and Uranus that we are invited to be aware of this month? On the one hand, it is fear and laziness that leads to conformity…that leads to continuing to climb the wrong mountain or beginning a climb that will not lead to evolutionary growth: instead of individuating, we dissolve even more into “the herd” and tribalism. This path can lead to dissociation and alienation, a state where intimacy with others is almost impossible. On the other hand, we might be tempted to over-shoot our need for freedom and become insensitive, impulsive, and reckless, detonating bombs in our personal and professional lives that may cause much unnecessary pain and disruption.
How do we avoid these potential pitfalls this month? We must do our best to be honest with ourselves about our true needs and desires while being kind and compassionate with ourselves and others about how to apply that knowledge. We must bring the wisdom of experience into the equation and act from a calm and centered place in order to claim our individual paths, while at the same time managing not to “throw the baby out with the bath water!” In other words, we don’t have to blow up every bridge of support as we move forward. Even so, some bridges may have to be burned! Stop, pause, breathe, calm down, and be alone with yourself before burning that bridge! And in that quiet, trust what comes. You will know what to do.
January in a nutshell
In summary, this month is about getting clearer about who you are and what you are about and then taking steps to bring more of that beautiful genius into the world. We all have some “Great Work” to contribute to the world around us, and every authentic expression of genius helps move us closer to that better world that some of us envision, a world that prioritizes truth, love, and beauty in all contexts.
Important dates in January
Here are some specific astrological dates that I have selected with some keywords and phrases that can help illuminate the January patterns and insights:
Jan 1 ~ Mercury enters Aquarius ~ Original perceptions; truth; thinking outside the box; “electric” communications
Jan 2 ~ New Moon in Capricorn ~ New cycle begins in relation to the evolution of our maturity and clarity around our “Great Works”; commitment; self-discipline; perseverance; professional considerations
Jan 14 ~ Mercury goes retrograde ~ Reflection; introspection; slowing down; messages from the unconscious; reviewing past experience and looking for the presence of truth and authenticity
Jan 17 ~ Full Moon in Cancer ~ Illumination, culmination, and clarity around issues of home and family; time for self-care and healing; treat your inner child; embrace your feelings; imagination & romance; “mothering” of all kinds; much needed rest from the work “grind”
Jan 18 ~ Uranus goes direct ~ “I am what I am!”; individuality; change; freedom; breakthrough; the inner rebel awakens
Jan 19 ~ Sun enters Aquarius ~ Questioning authority & the status quo; truth-telling; change; freedom; experimentation & innovation; the new; the call of the future
Jan 24 ~ Mars enters Capricorn ~ Strength, energy, and focus for climbing our personal mountains; action towards our goals; determination; self-discipline; courage for overcoming the fear of “the climb”
Jan 25 ~ Mercury retrogrades back into Capricorn ~ Review of past experiences and issues around professional life, responsibility, integrity, and our personal mountains to climb; concentration and focused perceptions; reality checks
Jan 29 ~ Venus goes direct in Capricorn ~ Moving forward in relationships; choices made in intimacy and creative pursuits; commitments & vows; cooperation; partnership; pleasure; peace
More guidance for January to come
Ok, soul beauties, I hope what I have shared helps you to navigate this month with presence, power, and grace. Towards the middle of the month I will see what oracle card reflects the January pattens and insights. I will also ask the Michael Entity for their perspective on the month ahead and on 2022 in general.
Until then, be well, and choose your mountains carefully.
Dear Nick, I love the metaphor for mountains, it spoke to me. Being authentic, kind and compassionate is one of the keys to a meaningful life, I believe. I am so grateful for your insights. I will be following you! Sending you love.
Thank you for your thoughtful words, “Balladanna”. Being authentic, kind, and compassionate is always a work in progress, but it’s work that’s worth it, in my opinion. I suppose that’s the mountain we’re all climbing. It could be called the mountain of learning how to love. Big soul hugs to you!