STARGAZING — Week of Dec. 31st, 2018 through January 6th, 2019

Dec 31, 2018 | Monthly Astrology|Stargazing

On New Year’s Day, the moon is in private Scorpio and the Sun aligns with Saturn. This is an excellent combination for deep level inner work, including making “hold yourself accountable” commitments for the coming year.

The central theme for January’s opening is cloudy skies. The Sun is overcast because of its annual meeting with Saturn and a powerful total solar eclipse at the new Moon on January 5th.

On Wednesday, January 2nd the Saturn/Sun connection carries news that the party’s over and it’s time to call it a day. It’s time to take down your Holiday decorations, clean up, and take responsibility for your past actions.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the moon moves into highly social Sagittarius. This is especially strong on Thursday when there is a fun, mental aspect between talkative Mercury and out-of-the-ordinary Uranus. Go out and try something new.

Just in case you weren’t paying attention, this energy is repeated on Saturday Jan. 5th. There is a total solar eclipse in Capricorn. It will be interesting to watch USA relations with China as the path of the eclipse starts in NE China and moves part way across the Pacific Ocean, embracing the Philippines and Hawaii. We have been feeling the effects of this energy for a couple months now. The energy tends to be serious in tone because five of the ten planets are in responsible, hard-working Capricorn.

Although the first New Moon of 2019 is a dark, quiet time when the seeds of new beginnings can be planted, the intensity of the energy of this eclipse – which is in close connection with Saturn and Pluto, turns this energy into a whistle blowing stop sign. It’s time to reflect on the past, your actions and emotions, but not for rushing into the future.

This week is not the time to begin something new, but provides a convenient excuse to wait a while before you begin your New Year’s resolutions. Set some long-term goals and include deadlines to make certain you get them done.

Remember, Pluto is involved in this combination, and the god of the underworld demands you release anything that takes away your power, be it things, people, attitudes or beliefs.

Saturn is also tied to this eclipse telling us it’s best to work towards the long term rather than expecting immediate gratification. Mercury just moved into Capricorn until January 23rd, so make a concrete plan, write it down and put dates to be completed on your calendar.

Freedom-loving Uranus ends his retrograde cycle on Sunday and has been retrograde since August 2018. Uranus promises to shake things up a bit. Although you may not see it in the outer world, it definitely gives you the feeling that you are ready for something fresh. Uranus is getting ready to make its first sign shift in seven years, moving out of Aries and into Taurus. This will happen in late March.

Uranus bring about sudden and unexpected changes and this earthy sign rules security, housing, beauty, and money issues. Some of the surprises will show us what’s ahead for technology, our weather patterns as well as the world economy.