1/26 ~ Sun (source & essential Self) ~square~ Uranus (awakening & radical shift):
As with any Uranus activation, this one disrupts the normal flow in order to facilitate a ‘break to realign’ moment. While sometimes disruptive & challenging, the ultimate result is refreshing in some way. Consider the energy that thickens, gathering for a severe thunderstorm, then releasing buckets of rain, for hours, you sleep deeply and awaken to a bright sunny morning with birds chirping unusually loud outside your window. Got the visual? ; -))

This activation is the necessary challenge that gets your attention that something better is available, if you’re willing to improvise and think on your feet. If you’ve been unusually restricted in some way, you may feel restless. Rather than being reactive to the unexpected shift (within or without), it’s best to take a pause for the cause, step back and try to gain some perspective. Remember to be present, too far in the past can be depressing and too far into the future, and you cause your Self unnecessary anxiety. Breathe, be under the sky, invite clarity about the next step and trust your gut. This energy, while sometimes uncomfortable and often sudden, is very necessary to disrupt any illusions/delusions you may be holding on to. It’s time to express your Self in new ways so the old ways naturally stop working in order to get your attention.

1/28 ~ Venus (love, finances & relationships) ~conjunct~ Pluto (purification & transformation):
This is an Initiation and an energy that supports a brand new beginning in your personal life. Some aspect of your values & priorities have shifted or run their natural course and this is a time to move in a completely new direction, even if it only feels like moving to your own next level (with love, finances or relationships). Pluto adds intensity to the mix, for better or worse, but also grants rare access to profound levels of connection within and with those you are in alignment with on a Soul-level. This is the ultimate support for the power of love to transform ALL. Because your values and priorities are changing, relationships must also undergo a similar adjustment (when you change, everyone around you changes or goes away). Beware of value differences that can cause power struggles which are not productive, that’s often just the ego distracting you from an opportunity to release some dead weight and move into the new with more ease & grace. Try to create circumstances that are win/win and mutually beneficial for all involved, this will allow the relationship to evolve, rather than devolve or revolve back into the new cycle and thus, repeating a negative pattern.

1/28 ~ Sun (identity) ~conjunct~ Jupiter (expansion):
Once a year, these two link up and expand your life & consciousness. It’s time to infuse your personal story with a new level of individual Truth. You have learned & experienced a lot in one year and now you are supported to integrate (and apply) all that you’ve discovered. This energy expands your sense of Self, and inspires you to new heights within. It indicates that it is time to go to the next level and gives you the optimism & faith that you need to try new things and/or learn something new. The highest expression of this energy is a fiery passion to be the best, the lowest expression is arrogance and self-righteousness. This is a powerful pair of energies joining forces, so watch for opportunities to grow and expand your consciousness, as well as your circumstances through your own efforts & expertise.

1/28 ~ LEO Full Moon:
The Leo Full Moon often illuminates the discrepancies between who you are, who you think you are and who you are perceived to be. It shines a light on any Self-Love/Self-Value issues and shows where you have been operating from the Outside-In, when Inside-Out would be more effective. It may also expose where your ego has gone unchecked and/or where your Inner Child has been neglected and is now *cranky*. Play is an integral part of being Human and something many have forgotten how to do on the most basic levels because of the system we were born into but we must practice integrating joy & play into our daily lives! It is more fun & interesting to use the Full Moon energies to play with a variety of creative ideas and/or possible roles of who you are evolving into (or would like to over the next 6-12 months), as well as your place of service within any chosen Community. In what capacity can you shine and share your Light going forward? This Leo Full Moon can really help to release negative patterns, as well as your old self or old desires of the heart so that a new, evolved version of YOU can be birthed to bless the world. It’s time to do what you love and love what you do. It’s time to release anything that doesn’t truly express your authentic self so that the *real* you can shine brighter!

1/30 ~ Mercury Retrograde at 26* AQUARIUS:
This year, Mercury Retrogrades in Aquarius, Gemini & Libra. Of those, the Aquarius & Libra are going to be the most active & intense, but obviously, if you have Gemini activated, it will be intense either way. This month we need to consider our place in the family, community & world. With the Full Moon illuminating who we are NOT anymore, Mercury will rewire our thinking about what community really is and what role you want to play going forward. Needless to say, 2020 rearranged alliances on many levels. This year’s Mercury Retrogrades are going to be vital to “clearing the cache” of 2020 just so we can think in new ways going forward. It is time to realign your Head & Heart connection and detach from the heated, reactionary emotions so that you can be more objective about your own situation, as well as the world’s.
*cache = all the little non-essential bits of info we pick up from multiple dimensions that causes our systems to slow down and be glitchy. It must be cleared periodically so our brains can function optimally again.

The other thing I want to mention here is that this go-round in Aquarius – 3 of the 4 retrograde activations are Initiations with one Square/challenge to grow. So we are taking our time, doing a review and recalibrating things so that we can initiate a clean slate with Sun & Venus – making it very personal and tied to your purpose, your values and your priorities, which are all ready for a clean, New Beginning. It’s going to Initiate with Jupiter which expands all that and brings in the consciousness-piece – so we are learning something with this retrograde that is going to be part of the foundation of our belief system going forward. You are initiating new conscious awareness so other aspects of your life & being are going to have to adjust. Speaking of adjustments, the one square that Mercury will repeat and hit 3-times over is Mars. So we are definitely rethinking our actions & choices because who we are and what we want, as individuals, has shifted in a huge way post-Mars Retro in Aries.

As always, use the Mercury Retro for what it is good for, which is mental down-time. It is a chance to review the last quarter to see if you are on track with your ideas, thoughts & concepts. It is a chance to do a check-in with your Self and so I often recommend Divinations and communing with your Angels, Ancestors & Animal Spirit Guides because they are tremendously available during that time. If nothing else, use the 3-4 times per year that Mercury does this to take a technology break, less screen time and more time in Nature or in Silence, even better. All Mercury Retrogrades help us re-set our own individual thinking and clear the filters so we can be more effective.