Soli Lunar Astrology returns us to the original and ancient template of using the seasons, denoted by the Sun sings, coupled with the lunations of the Moon. This balances the masculine and feminine dance of co-creative dance of the heavens in an ever-spiraling kaleidoscope of will and emotion. There are twelve signs a year, three each in the four seasons, and these represent the qualities of the four elements and the solar seasonal flow in the northern hemisphere. Then there are 13 and 1/3 lunar cycles per year, which embodies the irrational and creative cycles of the Moon, emotion, fluctuation, change, and magick that balances the order of the universe with cycles of change. The New Moon always begins the outpouring if the emotions and direction that the planets dance thru as seen from the Earth, and order is always countered with non-linear circles. While Astrology has for a long time sought to explain the circle to the linear aspect of ourselves that seek order and familiarity, the creativity of what unfolds has to do as much with the mystery of the indefinable that goes beyond logic and is the soulmate thereof.

As the New Moon occurs this month on the evening of 1/18, with Sun and Moon in Capricorn, then going into Aquarius, we find ourselves tying together loose ends of organization and communications that support our ideals, beliefs, and friendships.
The New Moon itself is in Capricorn, conjunct Mercury. Then all three immediately enter Aquarius with the Sun being the last on 1/20. These 3 together are great for focalizing and completing communications. Also, Venus conjuncts Neptune this same week which stimulates pleasure, ideals beliefs, and social life with friends. It can be a dancing together of allowing creative dreams to flow and manifest.
Because the end of Capricorn is implied here, a bridge can occur between dreaming and doing after long delays. This also may describe the agenda of the first 100 hours of Congress meeting this week.
By 1/20, there are 5 planets passing thru Aquarius, sign of friends, creative dreaming, progressive or unusual ideas and their implementation, and highly creative idealism that transforms the social structure. This Lunar month will be enlivened by these things and continues until the next Lunation on 2/18.
By the way, in case you ever wondered about Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year always begins as the New Moon occurs in Aquarius. When the January New Moon is late in Capricorn, but not in Aquarius, the New Year begins late, that is, late in Aquarius. This is the case with the Year of the Boar beginning 2/18 and not before. It is a Soli=Lunar Calendar like many others.

In other news, Mars is in Capricorn1/17-2/26, providing great motivation for personal accomplishment, an anchor of doing during these dreamy wintry times. Take action on your ideals!
We can be grateful that the aggressive and emotional triple conjunction of Pluto and Mars, joined by the Moon, that occurred 1/11-18, is now over. Kiss and make up and remember who your friends are.
Jupiter is moving rapidly thru its own sign Sagittarius, providing a background of expansion, reaching out, and creating opportunities for travel, truth, and spiritual; questing. Jupiter squares Uranus 1/15-30, which can bring many unforeseen results. Too many irons in the fire, biting off more than you can chew, herding cats, or even the category of unforeseen sudden opportunities, unexpected and unpredictable changes, and breakthroughs of Illumination. This is more pronounce3d for mutable signs which are Sagittarius, Pisces, Virgo, and Gemini. The essay question may be: which 2 roads to pursue, which diverse and contradictory multiple paths to follow. A singular focused path is not a likely option, contradiction rules.
Saturn continues its retrograde in Leo, showing us both the work and play that is yet undone. What have we neglected to do, and what is yet to be achieved? Pluto adds its’ edginess to the equation, a necessary rebellion perhaps to being denigrated by scientists invested in the limiting half knowledge of the logical mind. It is a binary planet with its’ Moon, Charon.
Neptune’s dreaminess informs the whole month of Aquarius, strongest generally thru the conjunction with Venus 1/15-21, and middle with the Sun (first week of February(.
The Full Moon which begins 2/2 and proceeds for a few days after is likely to clarify path and focalize all of those previously mentioned ideas and irons in the fire. So, the second half of the Lunar month draws a lot of loose ends together in surprising ways.
Speaking of surprises, expect the unexpected with love and social life as your karma unfolds itself during Venus conjunct Uranus, the first week of February.
This Lunar month ends 2/18 with Chinese New Year plus a retrograde Mercury. Many mentally adept (aka “Mercurial”) people have a hard time with the inverting and intuiting of the rational mind. Retrograde Mercury occurs three times a year, this one being 2/14-3/7, when mental focus is often lost- along with communications, documents, checks, and computer hard drives. It is interesting that computers, which are largely invented and programmed by people who don’t believe in Astrology, still tend to predictably react to
Seemingly invalid Astrological influences. This is because Astrology, the humyn brain, and computers all respond to electromagnetic pulses. So, get it done before Valentine’s Day!

Astrology works on many levels and we can peel back the layers to reveal ever-deeper aspects of ourselves and the truth of our being. If you would like to have a more in depth reading of how these and other planetary transits are affecting you, contact me, Mark S. McNutt, for a personal reading.
Mark S. McNutt has been practicing and teaching Astrology since becoming professionally certified in 1972, and is available for personal readings and tutoring, and for group classes and presentations by arrangement. He can be reached at 541-964-5341.
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