Happy Capricorn season! One might be surprised to learn that this powerful sign’s constellation is the smallest in the zodiac, and that its stars are relatively dim compared to other star formations. In this way Capricorn is a bit of a sleeper, much like the cold, hard ground that keeps our seeds safe until they are ready to bloom in the spring. Capricorn is a sign associated with work ethic and legacy, and in this community our goals are often less individualistic, more creative, and more humanitarian than traditional capitalistic circles. This month and season are going to ask us to put the pedal to the metal in terms of committing to our loved ones and our communities, though Venus’ movement into dreamy, sleepy Pisces on the 2nd could deter our most grandiose plans by reminding our bodies that they need rest. In addition, Mars will continue its retrograde and move out of Leo and into Capricorn’s sister sign Cancer on January 6th. Both of these planets’ movement into water signs will run counter to—or balance out—this season’s emotional and spiritual demands. The full moon in Cancer on the 13th will be a good time to embrace our coziest sweetie-baby-lover-boi sides, though annoyingly grown-up themes around legacy and destiny are still likely to surface. The sun will enter humanitarian weirdo Aquarius on the 19th and conjunct Mercury on the 25th, offering peak opportunity to seek intellectual stimulus that integrates our political goals with our spiritual directives. Uranus, planet of revolution and the mastery of masculine spiritual principles, will turn direct on the 30th in resource-minded Taurus, after spending the last five months retrograde. This will likely mark the beginning of a series of events that shake the economy and thus the social order. In response, we will need to continue to work together creatively to ensure that those of us who are most marginalized receive consistent support in the face of fascism and global unrest.
ARIES
This month, your ruling planet Mars’ movement into fellow cardinal sign Cancer on the 6th and the sun’s transit through your 10th house of career and public image is likely to have you in your feelings. The nature of this planetary opposition will force you to manage your emotions, despite potentially aggravating circumstances in your professional or creative life that could bring some melodrama into your heart’s chambers. However, you might be surprised to see how quickly things fall into place if you are able to care for yourself somatically—think yoga, moving meditations, or just putting your bare feet into the nearest patch of dirt.
TAURUS
Earth comes in many forms—stone, sand, soil—all of them with different purposes and properties. Earth signs themselves can be understood this way as well, and you are likely to learn the contrasting properties of Capricorn and Taurus this month as the sun transits your 9th house of exploration and play. Sand can become stone, or stone can become sand, and the start of Mardi Gras might mark a potent transformation — follow your heart toward the form that suits you best.
GEMINI
If you look back at the cyclical pattern of this recurring moment, you might find that each year starts with acute instances of pain, grief, or transformation. The sun’s transit through your 8th house of death and commitment being concurrent with the new year is not the easiest standing astrological appointment, as it often leads to distorted mindsets around these difficult cycles we must navigate in order to grow. Luckily, the sun will enter your fellow air sign Aquarius and your 9th house on the 19th, gradually ushering you into a season of intellectual exploration and inquiry.
CANCER
Mars will enter your sign this season on Twelfth Night (January 6th). Perhaps you are feeling like this year’s Carnival season will be “different,” or that your commitment to personal change through this age-old tradition is particularly strong. Mars’ transit through your sign (first retrograde, then turning direct at the end of February) could lead to examinations of your relationships with anger and power, and therefore (perhaps) shifts in perspective. This activation of the ocean within you has the capacity for great healing and great destruction, so spend this month choosing your battles wisely.
LEO
If you are the type of Leo that is extroverted and seeks playful companionship, you are likely ecstatic about the approach of Carnival season. As many of us know, it can be very stimulating and life-giving, but ultimately demands a lot of our hearts, bodies, and minds. The sun’s transit through your 6th house (associated with the body and its care) this month is going to ask you to slow down and prepare. Ground yourself, feed yourself good food, and sleep eight hours a night! We’re going to need your vivacious personality in the streets come Aquarius season.
VIRGO
Venus will enter your sister sign Pisces and begin its transit through your 7th house starting on the 2nd, and this transit might have you feeling smooshy and sweet. The axis between these two signs encompasses purity and sacrifice; both signs seek to serve humanity and practice humility. Sadly, these pursuits can often lead to self-abandonment. In contrast to these traits, the sun will be transiting your 5th house of luck, creativity, and play, and you could be quite active in your community as a result. If you are sure to set and maintain healthy boundaries with yourself and others, this month could see you flourishing both creatively and romantically.
LIBRA
For some, home is an abstract concept. Though it most often refers to a place, we can also find homes in diverse corners of our lives, whether it is our family, our community, or our bodies. The sun’s transit through your 4th house of home and family will lead to inquiries around this concept, perhaps in ways that make you examine where you truly find safety. The full moon in fellow cardinal sign Cancer on the 13th might reveal further complexities in this arena of your life—seek resolutions that contribute to a long-term sense of stability.
SCORPIO
Trust is paramount when it comes to Scorpios, and this is often for very good reasons. Your sensitivity and intuition are some of the strongest in the zodiac, and what truly sets you apart is your discernment. People who lie to Scorpios suffer brutal consequences, and you often know the truth before the words leave another person’s lips. The sun’s transit through your 3rd house of communication and intellect this month will demonstrate why it is important to watch your back—don’t get caught up in murky communication, particularly around the full moon in fellow water sign Cancer on the 13th.
SAGITTARIUS
After what was likely a very rewarding and future-building transit of the sun through your 1st house last month, the sun’s transit through your 2nd house this month is going to ask you to put your money where your mouth is. Though stability isn’t necessarily a Sagittarian priority, setting (reasonable!) material goals and sticking to them will open doors for you to be creative and embrace your most fiery, freedom-loving self.
CAPRICORN
Happy You season, Capricorn! You have a great deal to teach all of us about passion, commitment, and clarity of vision. After a long year of continuing to hone that vision within increasingly adverse global circumstances, you might feel an unavoidable cathartic moment approaching. You and Cancer’s emotional natures are both prone to this sort of transformational release, and spending time in nature around this time could lead to long-lasting relief and clearer understanding of your purpose.
AQUARIUS
Both the sun and Mercury will transit your 12th house this month, until the 19th and the 27th, respectively. The 12th house is associated with our karmic debts and secrets, and these transits might highlight the ways that the veil between our world and others is thinnest at the end of our yearly cycles around the sun. If you are open to supernatural or spiritual forces, their influence will be strong this month, and you could benefit from rituals or investigations to connect you with your ancestors. Your next trip around the sun has a great deal in store, and you will need to navigate it with as much intention and grace as possible.
PISCES
Your new year is going to start off with quite a bang, as Venus, planet of compassion and beauty, enters your sign and 1st house on the 2nd. If you are in a good place emotionally, this will be a beneficial transit for you—Venus is exalted in Pisces and therefore will show up with supportive energy. If you have been struggling, this transit could still feel loving, but might find you feeling tender and weepy. Provide yourself with enough rest to ride these waves, and the full moon in Cancer on the 13th could bring new clarity around how your personal power originates in your undying love for humanity.
illustrations by Anneliese DePano
