January Horoscopes
We kick off the New Year with one foot stepping forward and one in the past. Jupiter stations direct on December 30, helping us dream up expansive plans and intentions for 2024. Mercury stations direct in the evening, but we’re not quite ready to return to a regular post-holiday routine until after Mercury makes its last square to Neptune on January 8.
On January 4, Mars enters Capricorn, and we have a better sense of what we want with the warrior planet in the sign of its exaltation. At the same time, Mars in Capricorn is calculating and methodical. It allows us to develop strategic plans to reach our goals and intentions.
Mars forms a sextile to Saturn on January 9, which combines Mars's focused willpower with Saturn's steadfast determination. Mars moves into a trine aspect with Jupiter on January 12, adding to the sense of hope and opening pathways that seemed closed.
The Capricorn New Moon on January 11 initiates the first lunar cycle of the year, and the Sabian Symbol for 20˚ 44’ is a relay race. A fitting image for the start of the year in which Pluto enters Aquarius. In a relay race, individual runners do their best, passing batons to their teammates. There are active dynamics of cooperation, relationships, and group consciousness. The Sun and Moon are in a trine aspect to Uranus, suggesting we can walk away from anything out of alignment with our futures. It's easier to say no to what isn’t working and commit to what we hold dear. If the month starts with construction as a theme, the New Moon is about drafting the plans on January 11.
On January 20, the Sun conjoins Pluto at 29˚ Capricorn 59’, hours before both enter Aquarius. The Sun illuminates any corruption or abuse of power that hasn’t yet been called out during Pluto’s time in Capricorn. Pluto conjures deep feelings, making us aware of anything out of balance or unfair in our relationships. This transit invites us to reclaim authority over our lives, which may mean creating distance from unsupportive friends or reevaluating our boundaries in family relationships.
The Sun/Pluto conjunction happens at the very last degree of Capricorn. What happened the last time Pluto was at that degree? In March 2023, former President Donald Trump was indicted on charges related to his communication with Stormy Daniels, to whom he paid hush-money payments to cover up a sex scandal in the Manhattan criminal case. In a different classified documents case, his attorney was made to turn over documents and notes found at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida home. Other politicians and leaders were called out for ethical breaches and corruption, including Rep. Joseph Harding, who was found guilty of money fraud in connection with Covid-19 relief funds. Interest rates rose following inflation, though home prices sustained a peak. The Russian occupation of Ukraine continued as Ukrainian soldiers learned to use more powerful weapons. Finally, the big news in pop culture: Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” opened with unprecedented success.
When Pluto was at the last degree of Capricorn in June 2023, the US was in a debt-ceiling crisis, and the US Senate passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned from Parliament after being told he would be sanctioned for his involvement in Partygate. In Scotland, former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was arrested as part of a financial misconduct investigation.
The events outlined above offer a foreshadow for what we could see as Pluto hovers between Capricorn and Aquarius. At the same time, we are all being called to imagine and dream beyond the scope of our current consciousness. An appropriate emoji for Pluto in Aquarius is the one with the mind-blown face. We’re going through a collective awakening that started last year, but we move from that transition into a new way of being by the end of 2024. The first quarter of the year ushers us forth.
The Leo Full Moon on January 25, features the Sun at 05˚ Aquarius 15’, separating from its conjunction with Pluto. The Sun and Moon are in a t-square, with Jupiter. Mars and Mercury meet in Capricorn and form squares to Chiron. The combined transits show this to be a cathartic lunation. Mercury and Mars form a quintile aspect to Chiron, offering a creative outlet for energy buildup. The Leo Moon inspires self-expression, an impulse that resonates through the end of the month.
