January Astrology Report 2006

by Roxana Muise

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January plays host to 15 dynamic aspects: 4 changes of sign,
3 conjunctions, 3 oppositions, 2 squares, 1 Beginning Shadow
Boundary, 1 New and 1 Full Moon.
The energy patterns all month long present potential for mutual aid,
teamwork, and cooperation between unlikely participants. This energy
lends itself well to supporting nurturing with a substantial
framework or structure; and to soften the discipline that you
dispense with compassion and kindness. To fully benefit from this
cosmic endowment, it is important to find some way to apply
altruistic deeds or spiritual concepts to your everyday transactions.
The current world theme deals with releasing grudges and ill
feelings, and embracing the oneness and peace that surpasses
understanding. Such behavior cannot be forced upon others; it must
come from the heart.
1/1 Venus retrogrades back into Capricorn 12:18 PM. There is a
renewed opportunity to open your sensitivity to the needs of others,
and to find creative ways to help them become self-sufficient. You
also may recall the results of your previous overemphasis on material
desires, and now find that you can consider more realistic and
fulfilling choices. (=Uranus/Pluto, =Sun/Neptune)
1/3 Mercury enters Capricorn 1:25 PM. Time for building
confidence, tolerance, and a philosophy of idealism. Develop a method
for using all parts of the mind to focus on a more fulfilling way of
life. (=Jupiter/Neptune)
1/13 Sun conjoins Venus Rx 23:40 Capricorn, 3:58 PM. Avoid
overindulgence, but know that your needs can be filled and your
desires can be attained without having to prove anything to others.
Work on your self-worthiness, but without needing others' approval.
(=Neptune/Pluto)
1/14 Full Moon 24:50 Cancer/Capricorn, west coast 1:48 AM, east
coast 4:48 AM. a happy alliance of nurture and protection.
Relationships that have been building for some time can blossom and
come to fruition. West coast: unexpected contacts can bring hoped-for
results. East coast: share resources with those who are open to
shared responsibilities and shared visions. (=Jupiter/North Node)
1/15 Mars opposes Jupiter 15:26 Taurus/Scorpio, 1:21 AM. This is
the beginning of a Dancing T-cross * that graces this month's cosmic
displays involving Mars, Jupiter, and Neptune. Move your focus from
content to context, and examine the struggle between higher and lower
expression. Seek balance, symmetry and self-control in your
aspirations. (=Saturn/Neptune)
1/15 Grand fixed square: Mars/Jupiter 15:38 Taurus/Scorpio,
Moon/Neptune 16:20 Leo/Aquarius. This is as close as it gets. An
emotional exclamation point that calls attention to the Dancing T-
cross. Guard your resources, and do your homework regarding
investments and creative plans. Critically monitor projects that
others recommend before you jump in. (=common midpoints)
1/17 Mercury conjoins Venus Rx 21:28 Capricorn, 7:31 AM. Good
time to remember and celebrate the lives of loved ones who have left
the physical plane. Even if you need to suspend your ideas of an
afterlife, remembrance of those who are gone can be a healing
experience. Or, remembrance of significant or historic past events
with like-minded people can be healing for the Earth.
(=Neptune/Pluto)
1/18 Mars squares Neptune* 16:35 Taurus/Aquarius, 5:50 AM.
Unconscious choices may lead to premature decisions, and possible
mistakes. Clashes between the spiritual admonition to meditate/pray
on a situation and the need to act can seem irresolvable. Examination
of inspiration/ESP/answers to prayers can save time, money and
reputation, so employ a little self-control and see what happens.
(Neptune=Mercury/Uranus)
1/19 Sun enters Aquarius; west coast 9:15 PM, east coast 12:16 AM
(1/20) Isabelle Pagan called Aquarius the Truthseeker. This also
marks the time of year for vision quests, and for determining the
needs of society. Today's needs are great, and altruistic practices
have become popular. Many people come to expect continued generosity
from everyone. You have the freedom to choose where you donate your
energies ˆ so Rather than cut off all your generosity or give in to
guilt, choose carefully and make your gifts count. (=Uranus/Pluto)
1/22 Mercury enters Aquarius 12:42 PM. (Venus, Moon, Jupiter,
Pluto, Neptune all parallel at 15 south ˆ orb: 35 min). Much of what
transpires during this time may seem illusory. Invoking your
intuitive sense can be helpful to create a sense of strength. There
may be interactions occurring in society that influence collective
thinking, and bring to bear a shift in philosophy. (= Venus/Neptune,
Uranus/Pluto)
1/26 Mercury conjoins Sun 6:48 Aquarius, 1:34 PM. Strong emotions
feed independent actions. The need for self-control becomes evident,
as mental discipline may be obscured by ego needs. (= Moon/Uranus)
1/27 Mercury opposes Saturn Rx 7:54 Aquarius/Leo, 5:04 AM.
Objective analysis is the key to discerning the truth, although you
may feel that everything is moving in slow motion. Foundations have
yet to be set, and information and structural data may be collected.
(Saturn = Mars/MC)
1/27 Sun opposes Saturn Rx 7:52 Aquarius/Leo, 2:49 PM, contra
parallel 18+ South/North. An objective look at your own hidden
conditions can bring self-illumination. Attention to personal
structural problems pays off, as you can't serve humanity when you
are in personal turmoil. Self-sacrifice ends your usefulness.
(=Pluto/MC)
1/27 Jupiter squares Neptune * 16:56 Scorpio/Aquarius, 5:27 PM.
Communal destiny may be influenced by consciously supporting
responsible actions. Verify the answers to your questions by testing
them against spiritual principles, and projecting them toward
possible outcomes. (Neptune=Pluto/North Node)
1/29 New Moon 9:32 Aquarius; west coast 6:15 AM, east coast 9:15
AM. Beginning a new project with an eye to responsibility is likely
to succeed. Forgiveness of old hurts or offences can clean the slate
and create a process without obstacles. West coast: scrutinize your
environment and interact with people of vision and flexibility.
(=Uranus/Ascendant), East coast: make a commitment to responsible
stewardship over the environment of the project. Jump through all the
hoops of whoever is in control, keeping all above reproach. Make sure
everyone involved understands what is at stake ˆ success through
ethics and adherence to law. (=Pluto/Ascendant)
1/30 Neptune BSB (Beginning Shadow Boundary) 17:02 Aquarius, 4:36
AM. Foresight and hindsight join hands as we look back over the
esoteric/spiritual/mystical interaction of 2005, and look forward to
next year's interface. Keep an inner balance between unconscious and
conscious thought-forms, and between spirit and personality.
(=Sun/Moon) The phenomenon of overlapping Neptune shadows is present
for the next two weeks. Neptune's ESB (Neptune's Ending Shadow
Boundary for 2005 is reached on St. Valentine's Day.)

*Dancing T-Cross is the name given to the uneven motion of 3 or more
planets that form a longitudinal T in the heavens: two planets in
opposition, squaring a third planet. The orb changes, and all three
planets seldom form the configuration simultaneously. The dynamics of
a T-cross involves becoming conscious of an objective perspective
(opposition), interacting with reactive encounters (opening square),
and crisis in choice (closing square). The planetary object of both
squares provides the basis or theme of the configuration.

JANUARY 2006 SYMBOLISM
Happy New Year to all!

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day rituals join the Earth's
many cultures and the energy of the collective unconscious which we
all share. Technological inventions enable us to link and communicate
in a global manner. Peoples of nearly every culture (even those who
follow Lunar calendars) visualize the new year as a clean slate from
which to work as if it embodied the energy of a global "New Moon" ˆ
invoking the power of hope for a better future.
When we say Happy New Year, we happily invoke the energy of
Janus, the ancient Roman god of passage. He had two faces -- one for
endings and one for beginnings. Janus, for whom January was named,
was the guardian of the gateway between the past and the future.
Janus (from the Latin root janua, meaning door) was honored as the
guardian of the door, with a key in one hand and a club in the other.
Janus' festival, called the Kalendae extends from January 1st to the
3rd. He is said to be the great grandson of the Greek god Kronos
(Roman, Saturn), through Zeus, and Apollo. Interesting that Janus is
now being used as the company name for a mutual fund; symbolic of
learning from the past to be successful in the future by making
informed decisions in the present.
Sacrifices were also made in January to the goddess Fortuna for
favors in the coming year. Fortuna was the Roman goddess of luck, and
was associated with the fertility of the earth and the beings who
inhabit it. Her other Roman name is Fors, meaning "She Who Brings."
Her full name, derived from Vortumna, "she who turns the year about,"
came to symbolize the unpredictable nature of fate as the wheel of
life spins on its axle. She was often depicted standing atop a ball
(such as the one that drops in Times Square at the New Year), which
also represents the uncertainty of fortune. Fortuna was so popular,
that she had festival days in April, June, and October as well. This
goddess of destiny reminds us to travel the peaks and valleys of life
with acceptance, a perception that may offer us some comfort on our
journey. Today we make resolutions to sacrifice destructive or
useless habits to make room for worthwhile and constructive
activities and behaviors that will hopefully lead us to good fortune,
and a better life.
January's gemstones are the garnet and the agate. The agate is a type
of chalcedony, made up of layers of color. Its history suggests it
was worn to clear emotional blockages by piercing the veil of inner
levels of consciousness, and allowing remembrance of past lives. Moss
agate was worn to balance emotions and as a blood cleanser; lace
agate was worn to release muscle spasms and tension.
The most prized color of the garnet is the deep clear poppy red of
the pomegranate, called almandine or pyrope, although garnets also
come in many hues: red-orange (spessartite), yellow (andradite), and
green (tsavorite). These gems were reported to bring restful sleep to
their wearers, and to calm a restless brain. Garnets were also
associated with constancy and fidelity, and were said to fortify the
heart and blood of the owner. Legend holds that Noah hung a large
garnet in the ark for illumination. In Arizona, ants excavate garnet
pebbles while digging their holes. The ants deposit the gems in their
refuse mounds, giving them the name "ant-hill" garnet. The word
garnet is derived from the Latin, granatum, which means grain, and
derives from the same root as pomegranate. Garnet crystals are
granular in their natural form - shaped like the fruits of the
pomegranate.
Pomegranates are sacred in the Jewish religion, and are used to
symbolize the seventh day of the week (Saturday), and the planet
Ninib (Chaldean equivalent of Saturn), ruler of the winter solstice.
Pomegranates are often seen atop the candlesticks of the Menorah.
Pomegranates were the only fruit allowed inside the Holy of Holies.
It has been said that pomegranates, an astringent winter fruit,
destroy worms in the intestinal tract (pomegranate fruit is not
hospitable to destructive worms) and are a good source of lycopene,
an important phytochemical and cancer preventive. Persephone, who was
kidnapped by Hades ate 6 pomegranate seeds while in the underworld,
binding her to Hades' kingdom for the winter half of the year. The
pomegranate tree was sacred to Saul (Biblical), and Adonis (from
whose blood it grew), and was used to supply red dye for the robes of
temple priests. Miniature pomegranates decorated the Jewish High
Priest's robes.
January 1st, New Years' Day, also known as Hogamany, is a Scottish
celebration that includes a walkabout around the boundaries of ones'
property. Also called "first footing", folklore tells us that the
first foot inside your door after midnight, December 31 will foretell
the flavor of the coming year's fortune.
January 5th marks the Christian celebration of the 12th day
after Christmas, known as Twelfth Night or Epiphany, which is derived
from the Greek and Latin roots meaning appearance, manifestation, and
revealment, and to show forth or to manifest. An epiphany today means
a meaningful experience wherein a numinous moment occurs that changes
the significance of everything in the life. The celebration of
Epiphany is taken from the story of the three Wise Men from the east,
who traveled 12 days and nights to see the newborn savior. It
was "revealed" to them in a dream, that if they follow
the "appearance" of a special star or light in the heavens, they
would find a child in whom The Christ was "manifested". The Wise Men
or Magi brought special gifts from their homelands, fit to offer a
king.
The gifts consisted of gold (ruled by the Sun), the precious metal of
Kings, because of its beauty and rarity. Of all the metals, it is
nearly inert - doesn't easily mix with other elements, and doesn't
break down, but maintains its elemental form. The second gift,
frankincense (also Sun ruled), was an aromatic hardened gum resin of
the Boswellia Carterii Thurifera tree, used as an incense in
religious rituals, and represents pure prayer. Boswellia is an anti-
inflammatory, now used to treat arthritis. The third was myrrh
(Saturn ruled), a resin from the Commiphora myrrha tree - used in
incense, as a holy oil for anointing the dead, as a mouthwash, as a
vermifuge, and as a painkiller. It is a fragrant but bitter-tasting
gum resin used to make incense, perfumes, medicines, and holy
ointments for consecration. Known today as guggul herb, it used to
control cholesterol and arteriosclerosis. Both resins are found in
Arabia and Somalia, and are used in protection rites. Epiphany is
celebrated as a time of consecration - a time of dedication to a
better future. A consecration is a type of declaration of fidelity ˆ
a promise. And so an epiphany invokes the Sun, to reveal the light,
and Saturn, to confirm the bargain. In January, the Sun is in the
sign of Capricorn, governed by Saturn.
The Aquarius Sun this January 27th is in opposition to Saturn
in Leo, in mutual reception, and before Uranus was discovered, ruler
of Aquarius. Saturn was the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Kronos,
son of Uranus and Gaia. There is also an association here with Janus.
Saturn ruled the past and backward motion of Capricorn (a visible
Earth sign), and the future and forward motion of Aquarius (an
invisible air sign). When Saturn is retrograde, as it is now, it
takes on the mantle of Capricorn and focuses on past traditions. When
Saturn turns direct on April 6, beginning its complete and swift
forward journey through the 1st decanate of Leo (completed June 29),
we can begin seriously embracing the promise of the future. One way
to support the Aquarius' future mode is to have a potted ivy plant in
your home. The curious leaves and tendrils of the Saturn-ruled ivy
are said to drive evil and negativity from the home. Saturn is
associated with chronic fear. "The world would have a smoother ride
if only it would let some fear out of its tires." ˆAnonymous.
Saturn also rules consistency and reliability, and as such may be
retained as its own antidote.
January 18 commemorates Surya, Hindu Solar deity, known in northern
Europe as the Swan Maiden, a demi-animal air spirit ˆ half
supernatural and half-mortal. As the story relates, a magic feather
robe, a ring, or a golden chain enabled her to transform into a
beautiful maiden. While in human form, she was taken to wife by a
young mortal male. Eventually, she regains her feathers and flies
away. This is a tale of the divine marriage, the yearly journey of
the Sun: in spring, she sheds the mists (her feathers) to bathe and
refresh herself, and becomes a fertility goddess. In the fall,
donning her feathers, she flies away, taking summer with her. In
Capricorn, she flies free, sometimes dropping some feathers that fall
as snow.
The power of the breath is ultimate in the healing process,
as there is no life without breath. On January 19 when the Sun
changes signs from earth to air (Capricorn to Aquarius), we can
consciously release the last outbreath of Solar earth and take in the
first breath of Solar air. Integrating the breath with the physical
expression can provide a powerful ceremonial tool. The healing power
of the breath is developed through duration and volume. Standing
facing the east, gently breathe in and out through the mouth ˆ deeply
and rhythmically. With the first few outbreaths, release all pain,
frustration, anger and imbalance from the past, seeing those energies
dispersed on the wind. With each inbreath, picture each cell, each
pore being embraced by the current of healing consciousness, driven
by divine wind. Feel the healing breath as it enriches and supports
your life. After the first eight breath cycles, outbreaths may be
used to send healing energies to others.
The second Monday of January (January 9, 2006) is Coming-of-
Age Day in Japan, a national holiday that recognizes those who have
reached the age of 20. They are seen as entering adulthood, and thus
becoming self-reliant, self-responsible members of society. They have
gained the right to vote and are allowed to drink and smoke if they
choose. This ceremony has been celebrated since time immemorial,
although the age has changed.
January 25 in the runic calendar is Disting, the feast of the
Disir, the Norse guardian goddesses. In the Druidic form of this
ritual, the Fire Maiden lights the fire of wisdom and love and power,
and makes an offering so that the sacred fire burns within us. Then
the Keeper of the Well pours water of wisdom and life, and makes an
offering so that the sacred waters flow within us. Then the Tender of
the Tree dresses the Cosmic Tree, Yggdrasill, symbolic of Life and
our connection with the Earth, and asks that the sacred tree grow
within us. Symbols of land and sea and sky within and without honor
the adage "as above, so below".
January 26 is Vasant Panchami, the festival of Kites, devoted
to Saraswati, goddess of learning and wife to Brahma. She is asked to
bestow the wealth of Knowledge to all humanity. Celebrants wear
yellow clothing in honor of the mustard fields, symbolic of spring
coming to the land.
January 8 is Waqf al Arafa, an Islamic observance day during
the festival of Hajj, wherein Muslim pilgrims pray to Allah for
forgiveness and mercy. Hajj is celebrated from January 8 through
January 11, for the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Full Moon of January is known as the Wolf Moon in Pawnee
Indian lore - Pa'Ni means wolf. The Great Spirit gave Wolf Spirit the
job of guarding the Evening Star (the Moon). When the Morning Star
(the Sun) took charge of the sky, the Wolf Spirit was given the
winter quarter of the universe to guard. The wolf has the survival
skills to meet the challenges of the winter season. It was also
called the Wolf Moon because wolves became hungry enough to advance
into the world of humans looking for food.

Knowing others is intelligence;
Knowing the self is enlightenment.
Conquering others is power;
Conquering the self is strength.

Know what is enough, and you'll be rich.
Persevere, and you'll develop a will.
Remain in the center, and you'll always be at home.
Die without dying, and you'll endure forever.

Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu #33
Translated by Brian Browne Walker,
St Martin's Griffin, NY 1995