WE SETTLE IN to the energies of the new year this week, assisted by helpful planetary aspects involving Saturn. Saturn has a reputation for being the taskmaster, lesson-bringer, and even “Lord of Karma,” but the planet also serves to stabilize energies, especially when in positive relationship with the other planets.As we track Saturn’s journey through the week, we see that it sextiles Mercury on Monday, and then sextiles the Sun-Venus conjunction on Saturday. Sextiles occur when planets are separated by 60 degrees, and indicate opportunities — unlocked doors that are there for us to open and walk through.
These Saturn sextiles that begin and end the coming week provide some much-needed grounding, based on a deeper knowing of our own truth (Saturn in Scorpio).
RELATIONSHIPS may also draw our attention this week. Venus, the planet of love and receptivity, aligns with Mercury on Tuesday to assist us in communicating our hearts to others — but, with both planets in practical Capricorn, we are not likely to get overly mushy, even if we are expressing love.
Typically, Venus in Capricorn would tend to create commitment and stability in relationship — but, since Venus is currently retrograde (moving backward), we are actually in review mode in that area of our experience right now. We may find ourselves thinking about past efforts to create partnerships, and coming to new awareness about what did and didn’t work.
IN DR. PHIL PARLANCE, this is a great time to do “relationship autopsies.” With Venus in Capricorn and also sextile Saturn, we should be able to step back and look at issues with greater objectivity than usual, and so see more clearly both what happened and what we may want to do differently. This review process may be especially productive next weekend, when the Sun aligns with Venus and both planets sextile Saturn.
Venus will go direct at the end of January, and will again sextile Saturn on February 24. We can use this timeline as guidance to when it may be best to take action, based on what we are learning now.
THE STRONGEST planetary interactions this week involve Jupiter. The largest planet in our solar system is square (90 degrees away from) Mars on Wednesday, and is opposite (180 degrees away from) the Sun next Sunday.
Jupiter’s effect is usually true to its size — whenever it interacts with other planets, it exaggerates or enhances their energies. This can often be a positive effect, as long as we stay aware of the dangers of excess.
BECAUSE the aspects Jupiter makes this week are “hard” aspects, we want to be especially aware of a tendency to overdo in some way. With the Jupiter-Mars square on Wednesday, the natural desire of Jupiter in Cancer to protect can become “smother love,” and the natural desire of Mars in Libra to choose cooperation over confrontation can cause us to sublimate what we really want, so that it comes out later in passive-aggressive fashion.
When the Sun and Jupiter oppose each other on Sunday, we will be most successful if we focus on a balance point between the opposing influences. Jupiter in Cancer is very in touch with the emotional side of life, finding fulfillment in exploring feelings and learning how better to nurture self and others. The Sun in Capricorn is focused on practical goals and what needs to be done in “real” terms to achieve those goals. The Capricorn Sun would rather be stoically self-reliant and unfettered by emotional needs — whether of self or others.
The key to navigating any opposition is to be aware of being pulled too far into either polarity. With this particular Jupiter-Sun aspect, we want to remain aware of our vulnerabilities and be sensitive to emotional needs, but watch a tendency to want to hide under a rock and not face our responsibilities. At the same time, while we want to stay focused on our ultimate goals and remind ourselves of our strength and self-reliance, we need also to be aware of when the small child within needs nurturing and sustenance.
Comments
I see you have a new pic!
I see you have a new pic! Still LOVE that smile Pam!!!