This New Year is the halfway mark in Jupiter’s transit through Capricorn’s sister sign, Cancer. Jupiter is exalted in Cancer, meaning that this transit is one where Jupiter’s influence makes the most positive impact both individually and globally. Cancer is a sign known to be nurturing, and by contrast Capricorn can be associated with tough love—this season will highlight the contrast. Mercury, planet of intellect, will enter strict Capricorn on the 1st, asking us to take this new chapter seriously and lock in. Two days later (on the 3rd) we will witness the full moon in Cancer, and even the toughest amongst us might choose—or be forced—to tend to the most sensitive parts of our spirits. Jupiter’s influence here means that those of us who are willing may be rewarded with the support we seek and deserve. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and the sun will all spend the first half of the month in Capricorn, and we will observe Capricorn’s demanding influence in contrast to the self-care that Jupiter in Cancer will facilitate. The second half of the month will see Venus, the sun, and Mercury all leave Capricorn and enter Aquarius on the 17th, 19th, and 20th, respectively. Pluto, planet of chaos and rebirth, has been transiting Aquarius, and Pluto’s influence will replace that of Jupiter as it conjuncts Mars, Venus, and Mercury mid-month. These two distinct chapters might cause some of us a bit of whiplash. However, Capricorn and Aquarius’ shared Saturnian rulership will inspire both personal and communal responsibility, and Jupiter and Pluto will teach us when to expand and when to contract and go inwards. We are building long-term resilience, and the wisdom of these transits will become clear just in time for the grief, joy, work, and play that Carnival brings.
ARIES
One of the most exciting things about being an Aries is your capacity for enacting your will with relative ease. Your ruling planet Mars carries a similar energy, and its transit through your 10th house of career and legacy and fellow cardinal sign Capricorn last month through the 23rd has likely brought this power into focus. The new moon in Capricorn on the 19th will act as a capstone to what has likely been a high-octane month. Perhaps use this day to celebrate dedication to your vision and indulge in some Capricorn-level radical joy.
TAURUS
Last month you were likely forced to face some difficult shadows, and the good news is that Capricorn wants nothing more than to uplift you now. Your fellow earth sign’s rulership of your 9th house suggests that with every investment in yourself comes freedom and power. Your ruling planet Venus’ transit through Capricorn until the 17th will reward the softer parts of you the more you commit to cultivating your own liberation.
GEMINI
Unfortunately it is your turn for the dreaded (but pivotal!) transit of the sun through your 8th house. This house addresses some of the most difficult aspects of life and spiritual growth. Commitment, fear, trauma, and death all live here, waiting to test our resolve. As a Gemini, you might prefer to dance around these topics, but Capricorn’s stern influence here will corral this tendency with the efficiency of a strict grandfather. Your willingness to face the truth, and act accordingly, could become a point of pride if you face what needs to be faced without running away.
CANCER
Your sister sign Capricorn will activate your 7th house of partnership this month, in opposition to Jupiter’s continued movement through your sign. Though this might sound like a beneficial dynamic, you will also be challenged to show up with new levels of consistency and integrity that could push you to your limits. The concentration of planets in this house indicates a time of intense personal growth, so perhaps lean on Jupiter’s positive attitude to face the mountain that Capricorn will ask you to climb.
LEO
Hopefully last month was both creatively and relationally rewarding, and this month you might be ready to slow down in preparation for the Aquarian portion of Mardi Gras season. The sun’s transit through your 6th house each Twelfth Night might pose a continuous challenge, as you decide how hard you plan to party through a season where astrology asks you to rest and use your fiery powers in service of others. Capricorn can help you find a practical balance—perhaps try meditation to find your path of least resistance.
VIRGO
Capricorn’s rulership of your 5th house will feel like a gift this month, as the last two seasons have asked you to navigate watery and fiery aspects of life that might have felt more difficult than the joyous creativity that this house prioritizes. Your fellow earth sign Capricorn’s influence here supports your pursuit of positive community roles, as well as grounded but playful romantic and platonic relationships.
LIBRA
Your ruling planet Venus will be very active this month, first in its movements through your fellow cardinal sign Capricorn and through your fellow air sign Aquarius. As the elemental opposites of earth and air, Capricorn and Libra carry their cardinal ambition with entirely different sensibilities. You might find this ambition invested in your home and sense of personal safety this month, as the sun and Venus’ movement through Capricorn asks you to build toward real stability.
SCORPIO
You might find that despite your general skepticism, the new year can bring about a true feeling of a fresh start. The sun’s yearly transit through your 3rd house at the beginning of each year indicates a more lighthearted time of year, perhaps one in which you find some new books and make some new friends. The full moon in fellow water sign Cancer on the 3rd is a good time to clear out old baggage to make room for these exciting new beginnings.
SAGITTARIUS
Last month you began your new cycle around the sun, and this season will be about sustaining the fires you lit during that time. Perhaps you can envision this as adding logs to a fire, or turning up the heat on your stove. Capricorn is a sign that demands results, and that demand might feel very high with Venus, Mars, and Mercury all aligning in this sign as well. Your material stability and sense of self-worth are on the line, so make sure you have the fuel you need to bring the heat.
CAPRICORN
Happy You season, Capricorn! This month’s planetary alignments, including the proximity of Venus, Mars, and the sun between the 6th and 10th, could be one of your most exciting Capricorn seasons in many years. This alignment is uncommon and indicates the opportunity to examine your masculine and feminine signs in new, dynamic ways. Perhaps consider during this time what aspects of goat and fish resonate most deeply with you, and move with the strength and fluidity of each.
AQUARIUS
Though Capricorn’s ties to the material realm might not be to your liking, you may find that this time of year coincides with needing to face life’s more irritating aspects. Aquarians are often oriented towards civic duty, but they are also known to disassociate when burnt out. Perhaps consider the karmic weight of your contributions of the last year, and let the sun’s transit through your 12th house excavate and eliminate cyclical patterns you wish to leave in 2025.
PISCES
Your big, Piscean heart might experience some anxiety this month, as your ruling planet Jupiter will move in opposition to Venus, Mars, Mercury, and the sun in your 11th house. You will likely experience some ego deaths, as your watery sensitivity comes up against the practical demands that Capricorn places over your 11th house of community care. Last month was about discipline, and this month is about integrity. Both will serve you well in the year to come.
illustrations by Anneliese DePano
