Planetary news this week: January 1-8, 2024
Mercury turns direct, Mars enters Capricorn, and it's a new year...
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Mercury turns direct January 2. The ebb and flow of Mercury retrograde cycles which occur for three weeks four times a year is an important rhythm in the human experience. We plan and take action when Mercury is direct, and then we reflect when Mercury turns retrograde. The changes of direction are marked by Mercury standing still before picking up speed again, and that is where we are this week. We aren’t backtracking, but we aren’t rushing forward either. It’s always a good idea to pay attention to the details, but that is especially true when Mercury is retrograde or at a station point as it is this week.
There’s no other big news, so let’s dive into the details! (Dates and times are for the Eastern time zone, here is a time zone converter to adjust for your locality.)
Monday January 1. The Moon is in Virgo when the week begins - an excellent time for decluttering and organizing, but also for developing strategies and outlining a sense of purpose. A stressful Venus aspect could cause some difficulties with relationships on Monday, especially earlier in the day. Later in the evening the Moon harmonizes with Uranus for an infusion of excitement and a sense of infinite possibility. (Venus square Saturn 8:26 am, Mercury turns direct 10:07 pm, Moon trine Uranus 10:09 pm.)
Tuesday January 2. Lunar aspects today suggest that there may be a bit of an emotional roller coaster as we struggle to balance the needs of the heart vs mind, deal with some confusion, and find ourselves in situations of conflict without knowing why. Fortunately a harmonious lunar aspect to Pluto clears the air in the early evening and paves the way for the Moon moving into Libra where this kind of imbalance is more of a challenge. (Moon square Mercury 3:54 am, opposite Neptune 9:49 am, square Mars 5:13 pm, trine Pluto 6:36 pm, Moon enters Libra 7:46 pm.)
Wednesday January 3. The astrological skies are mostly clear today and any emotional debris will float away on a sunny breeze. Until, that is, later in the evening EST when the conscious and subconscious clash briefly and some sort of reconciliation is required. (Moon sextile Venus 7:15 am, square Sun 10:30 pm.)
Thursday January 4. Mars enters Capricorn today: The planet of action in the sign of diligence and responsibility can bring great success. (See the monthly forecast for more details.) Meanwhile the Moon is relatively quiet and peaceful, and in Libra where finding a sense of equilibrium is of paramount importance. (Mars enters Capricorn 9:58 am, Moon sextile Mercury 5:24 pm.)
Friday January 5. Some disruption to our equanimity could feature prominently in the morning on the east coast as the Libra Moon faces off against Pluto at the 29th degree. If this happens just keep breathing because the Moon will soon slip into Scorpio and provide the tools for managing conflict and disruption.
The rest of the day brings supportive lunar aspects, but a challenging solar aspect to Chiron will begin building on Friday which may reveal a tender psycho-emotional wound. It’s sometimes best not to try to avoid these triggers but to welcome them as teachers which will help us to get out of patterns which we no longer need to support us. (Moon square Pluto 6:40 am, Moon enters Scorpio 7:39 am, sextile Mars 9:03 am, trine Saturn 2:48 pm, opposite Jupiter 6:35 pm.)
Saturday January 6. The Chiron aspect to the Sun culminates in the wee hours of the morning EST and will wane throughout the day, supported by a harmonious lunar aspect. There may be a subconscious stressor which is trying to get your attention later in the evening, so take note and then it will soon pass. (Sun square Chiron 3:35 am, Moon sextile Sun 2:12 pm, opposite Uranus 8:24 pm.)
Sunday January 7. Creativity rules the day today with the Scorpio Moon playing nicely with Neptune and Pluto. It’s the perfect day to dive deeply into everything we do, and then the Moon shifts into Sagittarius in the afternoon to lighten the moon.
Late in the evening a stressful lunar aspect could cause some distress, but as always listen for a message which could illuminate a difficult situation and suggest a solution. (Moon trine Neptune 7:21 am, sextile Pluto 3:22 pm, Moon enters Sagittarius 4:08 pm, Moon square Saturn 11:11 pm.)
I hope you have a wonderful week! 💖
Lynn
Happy New year 🎊