After experiencing the shift in signs of the nodal axis, the full moon in Cancer and the opposition between Sun and Mars, it is time to move on to the second half of January. Sun entered Aquarius on January 19 and the new moon will happen ten days later. Before delving into astrology, however, let me give you another perspective on the surrounding chaos.
On Humanity and Nature
For most individuals, nature refers to events external to their conscious mind, ruled by their ego, that don’t originate from other individuals, at least not directly. With climate change, nature has increasingly shown its power in the form of various catastrophes, like hurricanes, earthquakes and, of course, forest (and city) fires. Nature can also mean “events” emerging from our subconscious, including the collective unconscious, that take us by surprise.
When we first encounter the force of nature, we may try to fight it or slow it down, and we quickly realize that we cannot match its strength. We cannot stop a dear friend from dying, save our material possessions, or avoid falling into a depression. Nature wins the battle and we are faced with the certainty that we will never defeat it. Communities are more capable of fighting nature than individuals, and that was likely the reason tribes formed a long time ago. However if nature gets “sufficiently angry”, it can defeat the most advanced civilization.
The constant sprouting of wars and other calamities, what I call the external chaos, is considered “natural” and we speak of “human nature” as responsible for territorial disputes and even the accumulation of possessions. If we constantly feel powerless against nature, we live in fear of its next show of force, for we know the winner in advance. So we fear earthquakes and fires, human multitudes, or a bout of depression. We grow tired of fighting and besides, what is the use in trying to fight “the gods”?
Alternatively, we can see each battle as an opportunity to grow. When we lose a friend, material possessions, or feel depressed, we can learn by extracting wisdom from the experience. The next time “nature” comes knocking with another challenge, we will be better prepared for further learning, for each time we face it, we get stronger. Not that we will be able to defeat nature. In fact, that is not a desirable goal, not even towards our own nature; especially our own nature! However, we will be able to assimilate the lessons offered by nature; including our own nature.1 Of course, this implies having to pick up the pieces after each “lost” battle and reinvent ourselves. Over time, one may grow weary of doing that and decide not to engage anymore, but that is different from living in fear of the next encounter.
Entering and Exiting Events
Nature, or life, often offers such opportunities to humanity-as-a-whole when the slower planets (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) move through the first and last degrees of a sign. Astrologers call them entering and exiting events and, as we saw in the preview for 2025, the year will be full of them, which could be felt as external chaos, namely:
- Neptune will enter Aries on March 30, back to Pisces on October 22
- Saturn will enter Aries on May 25, back to Pisces on September 1
- Uranus will enter Gemini on July 7, back to Taurus on November 8
As an example, Neptune will be in the last degree of Pisces since March 4 so we can expect events related to the challenging aspects of Neptune in Pisces, like misinformation and floods, pretty much all through March. Similarly, events with the energies of Neptune in Aries may appear in the first three weeks of April, while Neptune transits through Aries 1°.
I will say more about these events as the dates approach but we are currently living the final entrance of Pluto in Aquarius, after a most powerful exiting event from Capricorn, the November election of Donald Trump’s obvious plutocracy to defend the old paradigms. As with all fixed signs, Aquarius is the concentration and expression of the power generated in the previous cardinal sign. Capricorn generates societal power, which is normally expressed as a culture. Trump was sworn in and declared, for example, that there will be only two genders recognized in the US. Will this be a cultural imposition by the State or a real reflection of society’s power, in other words, its culture?
Territorial Fighting
Since December 19, 2024 and until March 12, 2025, Uranus will be in the twenty-fourth degree of Taurus. Its Sabian symbol has the image: “An Indian warrior riding fiercely, human scalps hanging from his belt”, expanded as the aggressiveness of human instincts when fighting for their earthly base of operation. The symbol speaks of the old paradigms, people having power over others by force, and I bring it up as another example of energies that are feeding the chaos around us. In that degree, Uranus is feeding the territorial expansion of various nations, including the US under Trump, desirous of recapturing the Panama Canal and obtaining Greenland somehow.
Alternatively, the symbol may be seen as an image of mastery of the warrior’s craft. One is reminded of what Krishna said to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, namely to honor his warrior caste and not harbor fear. Arjuna should not be afraid of killing or being killed, for the battle was a holy one and presumably Krishna would deal with any moral consequences or karma generated. As individuals, we must be true to ourselves, to our true nature, using our power to fulfill our personal destiny or dharma.
Remaining Lunation Events
Back to current times, the waning lunation phases will prepare us for the new moon. Over the past weekend, we had the first of three conjunctions between Venus and Saturn in Pisces on January 19. The other two will occur on April 7 (with Venus retrograde), and April 24, two days before the third and final opposition of Mars and Pluto. We talked at length on the meaning of having Venus and Saturn together in the last article.
Two days after entering Aquarius, on January 21, Sun formed a conjunction with Pluto at Aquarius 1°43′. Sun represents the ruler of a nation in mundane astrology and Pluto is taken as a symbol of the nation’s wealth2 so together they refer to plutocracies. This conjunction happens once year and last year Sun and Pluto entered Aquarius together on January 20, but this is the first conjunction since Pluto has definitely moved to Aquarius and happened a day after Trump’s inauguration. At a personal level, these days are full of power to initiate a year-long project that requires “heart” and commitment.
On January 23, when I hope to publish this article, we will have an exact opposition between Mercury and Mars retrograde at 23°12′ of Capricorn and Cancer, respectively. Any contact between Mercury and Mars makes for loud communications and misunderstandings but this opposition will form an exact Mystic Triangle with Uranus at Taurus 23°17′, bringing a sudden energy to it all.
New Moon in Aquarius
About a week later, on January 29, we will have a new moon at Aquarius 9°51′, as shown in the following chart. It will occur at 5:36 a.m. in California, 6:36 a.m. in Mexico City, or 1:36 p.m. in Central Europe.
January 29, 2025
12:35:48 hours GMT
Near the top of the chart, the conjunction of Mercury (Aquarius 2°18′) and Pluto (Aquarius 1°58′) will have been exact a few hours earlier. In a natal chart, the combination gives enormous depth to the conscious mind akin to having Mercury in Scorpio but, being in Aquarius, it includes a keen intuition and a desire to uncover the deepest truths; perhaps a metaphysical thinker. In transit, secrets are often exchanged during the conjunction, both at an individual and collective levels. As part of the lunation “seed”, the conjunction will help us uncover what is true in this lunation. In addition, the Sun–Moon conjunction forms a trine with Jupiter at Gemini 11°20′, an aspect that will facilitate mental realizations in our quest for the truth.
Looking at the bottom, you’ll find Mars at Cancer 21°14′, forming a sextile with Uranus (Taurus 23°16′), a square with Chiron (Aries 19°26′), and trines with Saturn (Pisces 17°09′) and Venus (Pisces 25°26′). Regarding the chaos, Mars will be energizing the “territorial” Uranus mentioned earlier but including the healing energies of Chiron. The trines to Saturn and Venus, who were conjunct ten days earlier, will bring great stamina and perseverance to dealing with our relationships in general. The trine of Mars and Saturn could energize giving form and structure to our dreams, which could be useful if we take advantage of the Sun–Pluto conjunction, wide but still operational at the new moon, and began a year-long project.
Opportunities for Highest Values
However, the triple conjunction between Venus, Neptune (Pisces 27°54′) and the North Node (Pisces 28°52′), seen left-most in the chart, is perhaps the most meaningful configuration for this lunation. Neptune is said to be the higher octave of Venus, representing relationships based on our highest values, perhaps mystical in nature, and aiming for compassion in every sense of the word. The presence of the North Node guarantees that there will be plenty of opportunities and synchronicities for relating under our highest possible value-system. Incidentally, Neptune and the North Node will be exactly conjunct on February 7, during the First Quarter phase which represents a crisis of action, as you well know.
Please note the Minor Grand Trine formed by the trine of Venus and Mars, both of which form sextiles with Uranus which serves as driver of the configuration. Uranus is stationary which makes its conjunction with the degree strongest, amplifying either meaning discussed above. During the lunar month we will receive intuition on how to integrate our sacred masculine with our sacred feminine and be true to ourselves. All while taking advantage of opportunities to form or renew relationships based on universal love and compassion.
Uranus will begin to move direct the day after the new moon and Jupiter a few days later, on February 4, so Mars will be the only remaining planet moving retrograde until February 24, when all planetary energies will be direct. Let me forewarn you that March will be an extremely energetic month with two eclipses and not a planet moving retrograde.
Sabian Symbol
The original Sabian symbol for Aquarius 10° has the image: “A popularity that proves ephemeral”, which Dane Rudhyar modified to: “A man who had for a time become the embodiment of a popular ideal is made to realize that as a person he is not this ideal”, further explained as the need to deal with human beings as persons rather than as screens upon which one projects one’s dream and ideal. Its keyword is: Self-Revaluation.
By personalizing the image, I think Dane Rudhyar loses a meaning that is quite relevant nowadays. The word popularity comes from the Latin popularis which among its meanings had: “liked by the general public”. We could argue that the general public is currently concerned with issues of power and wealth and territorial dominance, issues of the misunderstood energies of Mars and Pluto. What we have been calling the old paradigms are popular, and this symbol reminds us that they are ephemeral. Of course, Rudhyar’s meaning could be applied to Trump, Elon Musk, or countless other “popular” individuals (celebrities, even) whose popularity relies on the same old paradigms.
On Free Will
I realize that at times I sound as if there is no choice and we will end up in a civilization where each individual is a perfect organ of a healthy living organism that is humanity-as-a-whole, itself an organ of the biosphere and the planet, its “conscious mind”. The astrology of these times actually speaks of energy available to raise our level of consciousness and of opportunities we will have to do so consciously. But, it is up to us, individually and collectively, to take advantage of the opportunities. It is said that those of us who will continue to look for growth opportunities are not the majority yet, but we are enough so as to have a “critical mass” able to tip the scales. All we need is faith and optimism while being true to ourselves.
Wrapping Up…
As we have seen, these are very turbulent times and we may feel at times like giving up. It is understandable if people give up from exhaustion but, please, do not give up for fear of what is ahead.
I remind you to declare an intention before the new moon, perhaps about something that came to mind as you read these words.
Always Love. 🌹🙏💖
- I will give you a personal example. I have been in seven multi-year relationships, including three marriages. Even though I have been “defeated” seven times, I have not lost faith in love and in romantic relationships. Regardless of whether I end up with someone or not, I can guarantee that I have yet to make the same mistakes twice. I am better prepared to have a successful relationship than ever before. Sadly, I also know more than one person who, after fewer “defeats”, have given up looking for romantic relationships, fearing the next one could be “worse” than the previous ones. ↩︎
- In Roman times, much wealth came from mining and thus the god of the underworld was thought to rule over those vast riches or “ploutos” in Greek. That is why the Greek god of wealth (Plouton) replaced Hades, the god of the dead, as ruler of the underworld. In Roman times Plouton became Pluto, the god of the underworld. ↩︎
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