Monthly Astro-Forecast; Solar Eclipse in Capricorn

I've been struggling to write about the solar eclipse in Capricorn and I finally figured out it's because it all just feels so heavy at the moment. Both personal and transpersonal planets are concentrated in Capricorn and I find myself reluctant to engage with the energy. It feels too out of balance. Right now, here in the UK at least, the Capricorn dynamic seems to be about everybody protecting their own, material stability for a few at the expense of hardship for many, not to mention an outdated view of what it means to be British, or at least English. Everyone is stuck in their box and refusing to accept any reality outside of that box, possibly not aware that the box itself is either an illusion, a trap, or possibly both.

But a solar eclipse is a seed point, a super-charged new moon. It's an opportunity to release stagnant energy, to let go of the old and find a new way. The Sun and Moon are close to expansive Jupiter in the eclipse chart, which brings in the potential for positive energy but also the potential to expand the rigid thinking and refusal to change. Focusing on gratitude, on what we have instead of what we lack, is the best way to avoid the latter. Uranus is also in the mix, forming a trine to the solar eclipse although it's a little wider than I might normally allow. But Uranus is change, revolution, breaking out of structures, so it brings in some different energy which is much needed. Trine connections flow and share an element, which again could have a positive effect or a restrictive one. It's a comfortable link, which may bring enough familiarity to allow change to happen, or may just bring even more grasping and possessiveness.

As the lunation unfolds, the personal planets move through Capricorn, pinging the slower planets as they go. The Sun meets Jupiter the day after the eclipse, shining a light on the potential for soul growth. On January 3rd, Mars moves into Sagittarius, bringing the impetus to change and fight for a cause. Acting for our higher truth is key but may lead to more divisions if everyone insists theirs is the only higher truth and tries to impose it on others. On January 8th, Jupiter meets the South Node, perhaps showing us the resources inherent in the past but also potentially expanding the desire to hide in a comfort zone and stick to what we know. On the 10th, the Sun and Mercury meet, helping us to understand and articulate the Capricorn journey. The same day brings a lunar eclipse in Cancer, awakening the dynamic of material and emotional security and perhaps also the potential for empathy and emotional intelligence if we're lucky. The following day, Uranus turns direct, helping us to bring the potential for change out into the open and actually make it happen.

Time to use the deep power to fuel our climb...

January 12th is the big one though, overshadowing pretty much everything else happening astrologically right now. Heavyweights Pluto and Saturn meet at 22° Capricorn, a powerful connection which has already been influencing us for a while. I think there'll be a separate post nearer the time, for now, it's enough to know that issues around authority and power, around the structures which rule our lives, are likely to be feeling more compelling. It may feel difficult to make changes and the effects of this connection may not be seen for a while. We can consider what we have buried and how to transform it, to release the energy for something more life-enhancing.

The following day brings the potential for a more compassionate approach when Venus moves into Pisces. We can become aware of universal energy under this transit, which reminds us that ultimately, we are all one. It's like water fertilising the barren earth, there might just be a little which drains in and is absorbed, but if we all tune in and focus on compassion and empathy the barren earth can become fertile, something new can grow. Aquarius season is also building, with Mercury moving into Aquarius on January 16th and the Sun following on the 20th. This can still be serious thinking but brings the ability to consider the collective as a whole as well as what we want for ourselves. The message right now from the planets is very much that it's time to do the work, to make change tangible and not just something to talk or dream about.