The Astrology of Air: January 2021
The Cancer Full Moon on December 29, 2020, concluded a tumultuous year on a tender note. The Cancer-Capricorn eclipse cycle that ran from July 2018-2020, brought issues of family, security, and stability to the forefront. We grappled with questions of who is safe at home, which families are free to stay together, and what kinds of families are protected by government systems. The creation of pods under quarantine brought the importance of chosen family into our consciousness in new ways. We begin the new year riding this complex wave of emotion about those we live and love with. 2020 was true to the end. This first weekend marks the start of moving towards happier and healthier lives in the new year. Our minds are still in the why and how of it when Mercury conjoins Pluto in Capricorn on January 4, just before it departs for Aquarius.
The biggest excitement for the first week of the year is that Mars finally leaves Aries (cheers, applause). Under normal circumstances Mars in Aries gives a great boost of motivation and drive. But 2020 was not a normal year and this was no ordinary transit. Mars has been in its home fire sign for six months by the time it departs. Mars entered Aries on June 27, stationed retrograde at 28’09 on September 9, direct at 15’14 on November 13, and will finally move into Taurus on January 6. Now I’m as much of a fan as a full tank of gas and a passion for speed as the next Mars baby, but that was a lot.
There has been heavy emphasis on cardinal signs for the last three years. Saturn’s transit through Capricorn (December 19, 2017-December 17, 2020) brought change born of agitation. It tested the bedrock of our lives. Mars finally leaving Aries moves the malefics out of cardinal signs at last. This will feel like a great relief for all my Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn friends. The Saturn-Jupiter conjunction on December 21, 2020, activated fixed sign energy in a major way. This change is part of the shift in mode for 2021. Cardinal signs initiate the season, and have the force and power of beginnings behind them. Fixed signs stabilize the season, and have the quality of persistent and consistent action. Fixed signs can fail to grow by holding on to what is or was. Mars entering Taurus unfortunately moves the tension into the fixed signs--Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius, and Taurus. If you have planets or points in the early degrees of fixed signs, 2021 will bring unexpected changes to your doorstep.
Mercury enters Aquarius on January 8, immediately activating the square with Mars in Taurus. Over the next two years, Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius will evaluate our systems of maintenance and conservation, flushing out what is stuck, and creating space for greater fluidity. Mercury conjoins Saturn on January 9, giving us a sense of what this means for us personally. Mercury in Aquarius gives us a more detached and analytical style of communication. Whatever has begun, the universe is getting our mind into it right away. We are going to be talking and thinking about it a lot. Mercury will not move into Pisces until March 15 because it will station retrograde in Aquarius on January 30.
Venus enters Capricorn on January 8, into a landscape that is blissfully free of Saturn for the first time in many years. Venus in Capricorn is the archetype of the witch. The wise crone who understands the power of primal earth. She is skilled in the art of healing, has a special affinity for scavenging, and finds treasures in what others overlook. Venus will not depart for Aquarius until February 1. Over the next month she’ll apply a balm to the areas of life that need care. Let her know where it still smarts and the magic of the original witch will bring some love to your scorched earth. Venus trines Mars on January 9, creating a nice flow of passion and creativity. Venus in Capricorn has more practical motivations for love and friendship than while in Sagittarius. Relationships need to serve as a support in the overall functioning of life. Your practical priorities for love will become clear during January.
Mercury conjoins Jupiter on January 11 and squares Uranus on January 12. This transit may bring illumination and inspiration, but could also be hard on our nervous system. The brain is the central organ of the nervous system, and distress in the mind causes tension in the body. The pandemic brought fear and worry at records levels. Collectively, our mental health suffered. A study conducted through Boston University found that in 2020, depression rates tripled amongst adults due to Covid-19 stressors. One of the most popular therapeutic interventions for anxiety and depression is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which places a strong emphasis on altering one’s thinking. CBT helps people recognize distortions of perception that are creating problems. By reevaluating these beliefs or stories in the “light of reality” people are able to access a different view of things. Uranus is the planet associated with inspiration, breakthrough, and psychological turning points. These kinds of insights will be a highlight of the fresh air blowing through in 2021.
The Capricorn New Moon conjunct Pluto on January 13, contains the tension and power of earth. Saturn and Mars are in an exact square and Venus trines Uranus on January 13, indicating stressors and a desire for liberation we can not ignore. Whatever is not working will come to a head at this time. The New Moon offers the opportunity to start over. But we will not see the growth or seeds for quite a while. Pluto represents what is hidden but also the secret hurts that we hide from. The pain we’d rather trudge along with than face. This is a winter challenge that demands your attention. What is this darkness teaching you?
Uranus stations direct on January 14, and Jupiter squares Uranus on January 17. In astrology, the Sun is associated with God, the intellect, and the light of wisdom. It’s said to symbolize the soul; the divine implantation in each human being that makes them unique and select. The Enlightenment period in Europe, during the 17th & 18 centuries, which brought about great scientific breakthroughs, is named such because of the connection between the Sun’s rays and the power to reason. For most of human existence, knowledge was seen as being derived directly from divinity. Ancient mythology describes how people came to access each individual skill--from corn cultivation to animal husbandry to textile crafts and the development of musical instruments. All of it was connected to one form of God/dess or another. These gifts meant to alleviate human suffering were often given at personal expense. The Titan, Prometheus, defied Zeus (Jupiter) and stole fire so that humanity could evolve from a base state. His punishment was being bound to a rock and having an eagle peck out his liver for all eternity. In archetypal astrology, the significations of the planet Uranus are believed to match up more closely with the mythos of Prometheus. This square between Jupiter and Uranus could bring enlightenment, but not without a sacrifice.
The Sun enters the fixed air sign of Aquarius on January 19, and mid-Winter begins. It's the coldest time of year in the northern hemisphere. A period of great contemplation. Aquarius is symbolized by the Water Bearer who pours libations from heaven to earth in a beloved act of service. What spills forth is not water but rather intelligence, inspiration, reformation, tolerance, and benevolence for humanity. The double wavey lines of the Aquarius glyph don’t represent water but thought waves. Sound travels through vibration. Ideas originate in our mind and become translated into words through images, speech, and writing. All of this is circulated in the realm of air. There is no limit to what we can conceive, and therefore, no ceiling on what we can achieve.
Mars conjoins Uranus on January 20, and squares Jupiter on January 23. Uranus is the rebel who wants to smash the state and Mars enjoys violence. There is a desire for freedom but also a tendency for rash and reckless behavior or grandiose rebellion. Frankly, these are disturbing dynamics for the USA presidential inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20. We could see whatever discontent has been brewing about the election erupt now. Hopefully, the utmost precautions will be taken and there will be a peaceful transfer of power. There is much good in 2021, but some of the past still needs to be dealt with. This is one piece. May all who are inclined pray or visualize peace and harmony around these days.
The Sun conjoins Saturn in Aquarius on January 23. This powerful inception point adds a blessing to the work of Saturn over the next two years. We have a strong sense of responsibility and what we need to achieve to get where we want to go. The pandemic has crumbled many of the hallmark structures and practices of the earth era, such as traveling to work in a centralized location. It has now been proven that many jobs can be done remotely from home, cutting costs for employers and granting employees more personal time that was spent commuting. Saturn in Aquarius is going to rebuild society according to the priorities of air: connection, cooperation, communication, consideration, and collective welfare. The need to improve local infrastructure and internet access will continue to be a theme.
Unfortunately, the entrance of Saturn into Aquarius on December 17, 2020, brought an immediate reminder of the perils of increased air activity. The day before former Homeland Security Advisor to Trump, Thomas Bossert, announced that the USA had been hacked, most likely by Russian intelligence: “The magnitude of this national security breach is hard to overstate.” The first Saturn-Jupiter conjunction in air in 1980-1, gave us the internet. A technology that revolutionized our lives, but one we have been attempting to regulate according to the old guard systems of earth. Cyber attacks and data security are going to be a hallmark over the next two decades. We need innovation and intelligence to contend with this issue or the USA will continue to fall pray to nefarious state actors. But we also need ethics and ideals. We need to become a people and a country that is worthy of defense and admiration. If the USA continues to act in ways that are reprehensible, to its own citizens and those of other nations, we will continue to garner ill will. Those with the highest technological skills need a compelling reason to protect us. We must continue to work for the air ideals of liberty and justice for all to ensure security and safety for all.
The Sun squares Uranus in Taurus on January 26, brings a sudden disruption or upset to the usual routine. With everything swirling in the collective, air reminds us that interpretation of reality is subjective. Fear and suspicion can spread just as rapidly as facts and evidence. The rise of conspiracy theories, which have been called a “psychological virus”, that fuel the anti-vaccination, flat earthers, and Qanon movements are an example of other air challenges we’re facing in this new era. Weaponizing of disinformation was a signature style of the Trump administration. Politicians and social media outlets have directly profited from the social divisiveness. Propaganda threatens to undermine the basis for civil discourse and democracy. It has always been considered a privilege to learn. Access to information has been closely guarded throughout human history. Study was the avenue to self refinement and the betterment of one’s character and station in life. Education allows us to shine more brightly and the Sun rejoices in the 9 house of higher education and philosophy. However, this practice has created hostility towards knowledgeable experts who are seen as part of the elite. Funding for public school education and forgiveness for student loan debt must be priorities if we are to counter the foul wind of misinformation.
For many of us, 2020 was like a long winter when the Sun shone but weakly. There is much more shine and vitality in 2021, especially on the Leo Full Moon in a conjunction with Jupiter on January 28. This lunation is in a fixed t-square with Mars and Uranus so the themes of the month are present, but so is the solution. We can grasp it more clearly in our mind’s eye. We all have a role to play in creating the better world we can imagine in our future. This Moon will give you inspiration to find your role and play your part. Jupiter conjunct the Sun can give us an overblown sense of needing to be important. The greatest acts are often those that go unnoticed. Move towards what feels meaningful without concern for how you’ll be perceived. There is freedom in the righteous, humble deed.
The grand finale is that Mercury stations retrograde at 26 Aquarius on January 30. Instead of moving on, our winged messenger will retrace its steps, conjoining the Sun on February 8, at 20 Aquarius, and squaring Mars all over again. The universe really wants us to hear the point it is making. Let your trumpets sound clearly over the coming months. It's a new dawn and a new day.
Happy New Year!