January begins and ends with Saturn-ruled New Moons, giving promise that we are moving ahead—but with careful footing. This is a month when our focus turns from the collective struggles onto our own personal transformation. The Sun, Venus retrograde, and Mercury will cross Pluto, while the second Full Moon opposes him. We’re alchemizing and stepping into newer versions of ourselves as we heal old wounds, thought patterns, and relational patterns, which have caused us strife in the past. As we start to master boundaries and self-responsibility, we can up our frequencies and enter more evolved relationships. This is vital to our purification and growth over the next couple of years, with the Nodes shifting onto the Taurus-Scorpio on January 18.

A key message this month and year is that we have to stop waiting for better times. We can relax and find peace in the here and now. As the saying goes, “You cannot cover the world in leather, but you can wear shoes.” We can create what we need internally, rather than longing for something external to make us feel okay. It’s time to review our lives and inner worlds, and determine what is working and what isn’t.

On a personal level, what structures and support do we need in order to connect with hope, spirituality, and joy?

Meanwhile, Mercury Retrograde helps us recalibrate our minds and break free of destructive thought patterns, and Jupiter in Pisces shines brightly in the background until Spring. Whether we face strife or jolts of liberation, we can feel the arms of love around us. The energies are now markedly gentler, and we are fighting less. Generosity and grace are abundant, especially towards our own selves, making life better, richer, and more fulfilling—regardless of what happens on a larger scale.

January 2022 Transits

CAPRICORN NEW MOON

On January 2, the Capricorn New Moon provides a steady start to 2022. A supportive trine from Uranus brings feelings of renewal and the possibility for practical change. A stellium in Capricorn is slowing our roll, as Venus retrograde draws us into her introspection. We’re making careful plans for how we want to proceed in our relationships, finances, and careers so that eventually, we can make our dreams a reality.

MERCURY RETROGRADE IN AQUARIUS

Mercury stations retrograde on January 14 at 10º Aquarius and will turn direct on February 3. As Mercury stations, he triggers the ongoing Saturn-Uranus conjunction, which was active for all of 2021, causing difficulties that will ultimately trigger lasting change. This Mercury retrograde offers a period to reflect and integrate the past eighteen months, which has been marked by an overwhelming tornado words, news, debates, and opinions. We can now take time to break out of old ruts in our thought patterns and communications. We can face the karma of past mistakes and rectify them, in order to feel more grounded and free.

CANCER FULL MOON

On January 18, the Cancer Full Moon forms, opposite to Pluto. The emphasis on the collective struggle is now shifting, and we’re focusing on our own inner work. Uranus stations direct on the same day as the Full Moon. We’re ready to shed old skin and emerge from the rubble of the past two years with a clear vision of where we want to go. Emotional renewal is key. We can draw our family, dear friends, and allies close, establishing personal safety and care. This way, we can begin to heal and step into the next chapter of our lives—one marked by productivity and creative innovation, rather than crisis and uncertainty.

SHIFT OF THE LUNAR NODES

On January 18, the Lunar Nodes change signs, moving from Gemini-Sagittarius onto the Taurus-Scorpio axis. After a 1.5-year period of political strife, dogma, conspiracies, overwhelm, and deciphering between fact and fiction, we are moving into a markedly quieter period. The South Node in Scorpio could trigger an upsurge in environmental or financial disasters, but they’re here to help us evolve more quickly into the next phase of humanity. At the same time, the North Node in Taurus is teaching us how to live more simply, with less strife and needless complication. We can surrender to what is and release our addictions and materialism to the fires of transformation. We can step toward peace and love, above all else, and learn to honor our bodies and Mother Earth. For the next 1.5 years, it’s time to elevate our relationships and intimacy, heal our traumas, and prioritize peace. We can grow food, strip our lives down to the bare essentials, and discover how resourceful we can be.

MERCURY CONJUNCT PLUTO

Mercury retrograde conjoins with deep, transmutational Pluto on January 28. Our work isn’t over, and we are still meeting our shadows and rising from our ashes, stepping into higher elevations of thoughts, speech, and communication. Healing comes from being honest with ourselves, facing our shadows, traumas, and mistakes with courage. We can take responsibility for our mental states and how we interact with others, doing the work to apply gentle restraint as we step into greater maturity in our relationships and lives.

VENUS STATIONS DIRECT

Venus stations direct on January 29. We’re wrapping up a period of reevaluating our values, relationships, and finances, and emerging with more integrity while better prepared for our journeys ahead. How can we get along, making better choices in who we connect with and how we connect—loving each other as adults?

AQUARIUS NEW MOON

The second New Moon of January arrives on January 31, falling in rebellious Aquarius while square to Aquarius’s modern-day ruler Uranus. This is a time for unpredictability and big breakthroughs. This lunation is encouraging us to further unstick from old ruts and leap into our future selves. Saturn is conjunct this New Moon, so we still have old lessons and karma to rectify. Last year’s themes could reemerge with more hard lessons. While this is challenging, the beauty is that the planets are providing us multiple chances to mature, grow, and get it right.

January 2022 Aspiration

Surrounded by cold winds and snow, may we find warmth from the fire, our own internal flames, and the love of family, partners, and close friends. May we steady our paces, making necessary plans and adjustments as we step into our future selves.

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