General Observations

The month of January is going to begin with 7 of the 9 vedic planets all more or less in a row, tucked away into one little corner of the sky in the signs of Scorpio and Sagittarius, and the first part of Capricorn. Scorpio will have the Moon, Jupiter, and Venu for the first few days of the month, and Sagittarius has Saturn, Mercury, and the Sun. The planets in Scorpio serve as a stress test, like an earthquake test, making sure there are no hidden faults or weak spots in the areas of life overseen by Scorpio (mentioned in Horoscopes). Jupiter and Venus are both benefic, well-intending planets, so whatever rises to the surface from these transits is meant to help you and heal the problems, to dress the wound. In Sagittarius we have a different scenario: the Sun, Saturn, and Mercury will all act as malefics here for most people, and the Sun/Saturn combo is tough on the nerves, family relationships, and health, particularly the adrenals and bones. Mercury’s presence here means the problems caused by the Saturn/Sun combo will have an influence on your mind as well, particularly on decision making. It can also indicate delayed paperwork or communications from the government, or stressed negotiations.

The only two planets that will change position much this month are the Sun and Mercury, which will both move into Capricorn in the last two weeks of the month. This isn’t really any better a place for the Sun than Sagittarius was at the beginning of the month. In Capricorn, the Sun will be conjunct with a malefic shadow planet called Ketu, associated with eclipses, and it will be in a Saturn-ruled, malefic zodiac sign. This creates stress on the body, and for many people may make you doubt decisions you’ve made, but realize this is just a month-long transit, and it doesn’t over-rule all the good that some of the well-placed planets like Jupiter and Mars can give you. Jupiter supports Mars with a strong trine, which gives a powerful energy for initiating new currents in your life! Don’t let a simple solar transit and the doubt it brings in its wake overturn a great astrological opportunity to make big, important changes in your life.

Aries

Health and Beliefs will both be big parts of your life over the next month or two, and in some ways even throughout the rest of the year, though there is more focus on it now in January. Jupiter and Venus are both sitting in Scorpio, a sign that primarily influences your health, but the indications of any planet here become weakened. Jupiter’s presence in Scorpio throughout 2019 means that Liver problems or complications from diabetes or blood-sugar are more likely, and Venus indicates sexual health as a whole. On a different level, Jupiter indicates teachers, mentors, gurus, and grandparents, and its presence in Scorpio means these people indicated will be less present in your life this year, or even that one of them could leave your life for good. Venus indicates relationships, making it a problematic month for romances. It can also lead to sexual misconduct if your principles or morals don’t hold up. Venus will remain in Scorpio until the 28th, at which time it will enter into Sagittarius and be a bit better placed. We will cover this transit in next month’s forecast.

The Sun begins the month in Sagitarrius in a bit of a rough spot due to the presence of Saturn. These are two diametrically opposed energies; the Sun is bright, nourishing, and increasing, while Saturn is dark, draining, and obstructing. Since the Sun is already a mild malefic, the combination with a serious malefic like Saturn brings the bad side out of both of these planets. The worst part of the conjunction is in the last few days of December and first few days of January. After the 5th, the Sun will be far enough away from Saturn that the conjunction isn’t as serious. So expect some stress and difficulty in health, documents, government, or even your father’s health, throughout January but particularly in the first few days. Mercury’s presence here alongside Saturn and the Sun is such that it assumes the energies of those two and acts similarly, thus obstructing paperwork, documentation, or government transactions.

On the 15th the Sun will leave Sagittarius and enter into Capricorn, which unfortunately is just as hostile towards the Sun as Sagittarius was. For most of the last two weeks of January the Sun will be a little too close to Ketu, which can cause drama and problems at work, issues with promotions, or afflict the father’s health. The situation doesn’t really get any better when Mercury joins the Sun in Capricorn on the 20th. This can all cause a pretty rough situation in the workplace, so be sure to avoid any unnecessary drama or arguments, and turn down any shady or untrustworthy opportunities at work.

Rahu and Ketu are in the final months of their transit through Capricorn and Cancer, which should free up your energy considerably to make some changes in your professional life as well as your living situation. For the last year this transit has made it difficult to make progress in these areas of life, or progress has been hard won with more effort than it was worth, and this should begin to ease up even this early on as the energies of Rahu and Ketu begin to fade and die down through January and February.

Taurus

There is a lot of energy this month in the part of your chart that deals with relationships (personal or professional), but some complications make it a little hard to predict how it will turn out. Venus as the ascendant lord should open up new opportunities in a current relationship, or for others it can start a new romance or business partnership. Jupiter is the part that’s hard to predict, and is better for business partnerships than it is for romance, Jupiter not being a particularly romantic planet, added to the fact that it is a difficult planet associated with secrets and sickness for Taurus ascendants. Jupiter can end a relationship by airing out some bad secrets, or because the relationship no longer meets your own principles and hopes. The strength of the relationship and the commitment of the partners to keep it alive will ultimately determine how difficult this transit is.

For the first half of January you are looking at Saturn, Mercury, and the Sun all stationed in the difficult and malefic 8th house, associated with sickness, secrets, and loss. This can be a difficult transit on grandparents (particularly on the father’s side) for their health, but also can cause a lot of stress and fatigue in your own health. The nervous system is weakened by this transit, so be sure to take it easy as best you can, drink some calming teas and supplements, and maybe take a day or two off work for some personal time if you are feeling too overwhelmed or if your health is deteriorating.

The last half of January is a little better for you personally, though health and stress will still be a lingering problem. The Sun in Capricorn will encourage you to think about your life, your goals, and your principles, and can help you gain some clarity with your purpose and your life, which has been a difficult subject for the last year as Ketu has moved through Capricorn and up-ended some of your values and beliefs.

The combination of transits involving Jupiter and Venus in Libra, Mars in Pisces, and the Sun moving into Capricorn this month, can all create a dynamic situation of change and transformation in the chart. Venus and Jupiter both trine Mars, opening up possible new income opportunities or business deals that can be pursued, and the Sun in Capricorn can help keep you optimistic and improve your outlook on things, but it’s up to you to use these transits and turn them into something that can help you move forward in life.

Gemini

Relationships are definitely charged this month, especially for the first half of January, as the Sun, Saturn, and Mercury all fight and argue with each other, neither of them being particularly happy about their places. Saturn and the Sun together can cause a lot of stress and anxiety in your relationship life, communication breakdowns, or even just distance from travel and work that leads to some tension. Your life perspective might become narrow for a little while as a result of these transits, and the last half of January won’t be much better than the first half in this regards. You should make sure to take care of your sexual health and hygiene, and give your partner a lot of love, attention, and support to help offset the issues caused by this transit. In professional life, these planets can cause a delay or serious setback in a big project you’re working on, feeling like some doors have been shut in your professional life. These feelings will pass as surely as the planets will, but it could be a good 6 weeks before things start picking back up.

Venus and Jupiter are sitting in Scorpio, which again makes me concerned for relationships and personal goals since this placement weakens these areas of your life, and can cause conflicts with your partner as well as your boss or superior at work. The remedy is to intentionally try to bring out the best sides of these planets: love and compassion for Venus, and nobility and charity for Jupiter. By humbling yourself and being supportive of others the difficulties indicated by this transit should be minimal, and you can direct their energies towards self-growth and development. When given the chance, Scorpio is an important sign for personal development through service. The presence of Venus this month means loving service to your partner and children, while the presence of Jupiter for the next year indicates having to work a lot for a superior or manager at work, or service to the Guru, charity work, etc.

There is a lot of energy influencing your career this month, allowing some positive change and transformation in this area of life. However, the most direct influence is a malefic planet that can give you a lot of energy for your work but the source of this energy may be a desire to work against someone, ruin someone’s work, petty jealousy, etc. To use this martial energy well you should turn it towards service because the Jupiter and Venus we just spoke about both have a strong aspect on this part of your chart too, which can allow the extra energy to be put towards a good use that can result in a promotion or rise in status/pay at work.

Cancer

Rahu and Ketu, the nodes of the Moon, continue to bring a lot of change and transformation into your life, your sense of self, and your relationships, as they have done for the last year and will continue to do until Spring. These changes implemented by Rahu and Ketu are flavored this month by some planets putting a lot of energy into the parts of the chart that rule your beliefs, values, and creativity, making this a great time to work on a big project, write something, travel for religious/spiritual purposes, and do things that you feel evolve you as a person.

Mars is in the 9th house of Pisces this month, strongly supported by Jupiter and Venus from Scorpio. This is a time for renewing and strengthening your personal goals and commitments. Mars directs your attention this month to personal and spiritual matters, while Jupiter and Venus gift it an open heart, direct guidance from mentors or teachers, and maybe even some additional financial support to accomplish some goals. Loved ones, superiors at work, or people you look up to, will come together to support your endeavors and help you grow. This is a good time for healing any wounds or rifts between you and others too.

Jupiter will be in Scorpio throughout the year, where it bestows a great deal of creativity and inspiration, which when combined with Mars in Pisces makes this a great time for really setting your goals and putting plans into motion. Jupiter also indicates children, and it’s passing through the part of your chart related to children, so this next year may also see pregnancy or new member of the family. Venus is also in Scorpio throughout the month, and when coupled with Jupiter can cause travel, but also service to teachers, mentors, and loved ones.

For the first half of the month the Sun, Saturn, and Mercury will all be placed in Sagittarius, which can indicate problems with family, government expenditures and fees, and various problems and obstacles. Sagittarius can be a difficult sign for Cancer ascendants, but the best way to use it positively is to turn the energy of it towards service. Saturn is connected to health for you, so by working on your health and diet you naturally remedy some of the problems caused by Saturn here. The Sun indicates family and wealth, so likewise by helping serve your family and specifically your father, or by managing your accounts and making sure your finances are in order, you are less likely to have problems with this transit. Mercury rules all manners of paperwork, communication, and clerical work, so again make sure your taxes are being worked on, paperwork is on order, you’ve filed anything due at work or other areas of life, and this transit will pass without causing much of a problem.

On the 15th the Sun will enter Capricorn where it, unfortunately, won’t be in a better position. The Sun has a difficult time in Capricorn because the energy of Capricorn is the apex of Winter, is heavy and earthy, and obstructs the free flow of life force and inner guidance of the Sun. The result is that people feel lost or cut off from their purpose in life. The great aspects of Jupiter, Venus, and Mars mentioned above will help to offset this substantially, but problems will still arise with the father’s health, or stress with the family, or finances may also take a hit for a few weeks.

Leo

Leos need to guard their health this month and into the first two weeks of February. The Sun has a powerful control over your wellbeing, and unfortunately, it’s going to be moving through some rough transits this month and some of next month as well. For the first two weeks of January, the Sun is transiting through Sagittarius and is afflicted by Saturn, especially in the first few days of the month. This can cause heart issues, fatigue, and/or problems with the lungs. With a good diet and some lifestyle changes you can probably avoid any serious problems, and this brings us to an important look at Saturn for a moment. Saturn ultimately wants to mature us, and mature our views on the areas of life it influences. For the last two years Saturn has been transiting through your fifth house, the sign of Sagittarius, where it has tried to mature your life habits and principles of living. If you don’t learn the lessons from the problems your own way of life has caused in both your health and relationships then the next few years are going to be ROUGH, and if you are getting up there in age they could even be dangerous to your health. Right now the Sun is transiting Saturn, which for now draws your attention back to the pitfalls and drawbacks of a destructive way of life, bad habits, bad diet, etc, with the hopes of giving you a last chance to work on these things. You only have another year before Saturn leaves Sagittarius and the opportunity to grow and develop this part of your life becomes dimmer and less likely to mature. If that happens, then Saturn’s transits through Capricorn and Aquarius for the next 7 years will be very difficult, so use this chance well! This year you really only have two windows: this transit of the Sun for the first two weeks of January, and Jupiter’s transit in April. These are your chances to learn from your mistakes and make important changes in your way of life.

Venus and Jupiter will spend the month in Scorpio, dredging the depths of our psyche to help heal any emotional or psychological wounds through introspection and retrospection. Both of these planets should bring joy and love into the heart, but there is a bit of a battle here. You see, Jupiter and Venus don’t really get along, and Scorpio is a complicated sign already without two planets arguing in it. Jupiter is Brihaspati, the Guru of the Gods, who teaches the divine beings the ways of the Dharma and the Vedas. Venus is the Guru of the lower spirits and beings subject to the five senses, so it teaches about beauty, health, longevity, music, and other things related to our sensual experience of life. These two planets spending the month in Scorpio will force you to resolve the conflicts between your higher self and worldly duties/desires; the age-old struggle between materiality and spirituality. Jupiter will try to ennoble and purify your worldly inclinations and sensual nature, while Venus will strive to help you see the beauty in the world without having to renounce it, and learn how to be at peace with life without being torn to pieces by it. Anytime these two planets come together it is a great time to ennoble your character, purify your passions, and learn how to direct your worldly duties and spiritual duties into one harmonized way of life.

Jupiter does more than just aspect Venus this month; it also has a special relationship to Mars that ties their energies together while Mars is in Pisces. A health problem or struggle can arise because of Mars’ transit, but Jupiter and Venus both support it in the form of medicine and spiritual guidance. In a worldly sense, this is a good combination for surgeries and medical operations. Spiritually, Mars being in Pisces can feel like a dimmer on your spiritual path, and how you revive this energy will depend on how you manage the struggle between Jupiter and Venus that I mentioned before.

Virgo

A lot of energy is focused on your mundane life this month, especially in the first two weeks, so let’s take a look at exactly what planets are involved in this and what they’re trying to accomplish. The sign that’s the most active for the first half of January is Sagittarius, with Saturn, Mercury, and the Sun all transiting through it right now. Sagittarius influences your house, office, and overall home environment in your mundane life. Psychologically it also impacts your mental wellbeing and happiness. The Sun and Saturn both residing here creates a good bit of tension in all of these areas, both in your joy and with your home or office. These are two opposite planets; the Sun is hot and energetic, while Saturn is cold and lethargic. Saturn has been here for the last two years and can cause depression, lethargy, and make you feel that you have no control or power over your life or living situation. This month, the transit of the Sun as well as a nice aspect from Mars can help change this situation, but since these planets are malefics the nature of the change will be difficult. Maybe you’re being forced to change your living situation due to finances or a change at work, or maybe a break in a relationship has facilitated the change. But even if negative circumstances made it arise, ANY change to this part of your chart right now is a good thing, in an attempt to put you in a new situation and allow for a change of direction with your life. Saturn ultimately just wants to mature your concepts of happiness and fulfillment, and this is the last year for the next 30 years that it will be able to work so directly on this area of life.

On the 13th, the Sun will leave Sagittarius and enter into Capricorn, and Mercury will do the same on the 20th. This isn’t really any better for your peace of mind than the Sun’s transit in Sagittarius was for the first 13 days of January. The main difference between the two transits is that the Sun in Sagittarius brings out more fundamental issues and problems about your approach to a happy and fulfilling life, while the Sun in Capricorn will just trigger some specific events that are stressful and difficult. In women Virgos, the sign Capricorn is connected to the womb and so expecting mothers could have some complications or difficulties, and for all Virgos (regardless of sex) there can be impediments or expenditures due to education and children.

Venus and Jupiter will spend the month in Scorpio, which can cause problems in relationships, but is good for travels, especially travels related to business. These transits are good for gaining wealth, and support contracts, negotiations, and short travels.

Libra

In vedic astrology we often divide the sky into two parts: the 6 zodiac signs beneath the earth when you were born that direct your energy more inwards towards personal and psychological matters, and the 6 signs from Horizon to Horizon that were visible in the sky, which direct your energy outwards towards things like relationships, work, income, etc. This month it is the former, the 6 signs beneath the Earth that rule the “unseen” part of your self, that are full of planets and energy. As a theme, this means that January (and even February and March) are months for personal development, but not just in the typical “self-help” manner. Rather, the “bright half” of the zodiac simply can’t function right without the “dark half” being properly developed. The primary zodiac signs active in January are Scorpio and Sagittarius, so let’s take a look at these from the perspective we have been developing about the two sides of the zodiac.

Scorpio is the 2nd house of your chart, opposite Taurus which is the 8th house. Scorpio is thus the unseen counterpart of Taurus, and Taurus is the visible side of Scorpio. The 2nd house (Scorpio) rules your constitution and digestion, the unseen parts of your health. If Scorpio is taken care of and developed, then you are health and the sign of Taurus doesn’t show any sicknesses. When Scorpio is weak the sign of Taurus opposite it will show signs and symptoms as sickness. Venus and Jupiter are both in Scorpio this week, which supports Scorpio more than just about any other time in the last 5 years. Venus indicates medicine and health treatments, while Jupiter indicates living habits and principles in this regard. Likewise, by taking herbs and supplements and working on your life habits, daily routine, and overall way of life, you can use these energies to transform and strengthen the rot of your health. Now these planets and signs also have psychological effects; Scorpio ruling your family and the support you had growing up, while it’s opposite Taurus indicates the psychological strength or weakness/trauma that developed as a result of this upbringing. Libra ascendants will find that January is a great month in particular for healing these psychological wounds that may have arisen from childhood traumas and experiences. In this sense, Venus indicates therapy or the warmth of good counsel and friends, while Jupiter indicates changing the way you think to a more optimistic and spiritual outlook. The whole of 2019 is good for this kind of deep work, but January is particularly good because of Venus’ transit.

The other sign strongly active this month is Sagittarius, with Saturn, Mercury, and the Sun all transiting it. In the dark side/bright side approach to astrology, Sagittarius represents the personal skills and abilities you can develop, while it’s opposite sign Gemini rules your dreams and ambitions that are dependent on those skills. With so much energy here this month you can expect to be learning new things, but because Saturn and the Sun don’t get along too well you can expect to be taken out of your comfort zone while developing these skills and approaches. Saturn is ultimately a beneficial planet for Libras, but it does tend to be a tough teacher. Likewise you may also be learning from a strict teacher, or working under someone who has a strict way of doing things, but this is part of your education so that you can realize your own goals.

The only other sign with any new activity happening this month is Pisces, which is enjoying a friendly Mars transit in January. This can be a little stressful or overwhelming, but only if you don’t do anything with this drive and energy. Pisces is connected with your heart and feelings, and Mars can really inspire people and give them the strength to push through obstacles and drive towards their goals. But, if you just let the energy sit in your heart and don’t turn it into motivation or action then it can burn you out as stress and feeing overwhelmed. So how do you use this energy properly? Well, Mars is getting two great aspects this month from Jupiter and Venus. Jupiter indicates developing a positive mindset and good ambitions, while Venus indicates your sense of self and personal identity. By working and developing these parts of your psyche it will be easier to use Mars the right way.

Scorpio

Some strong and auspicious zodiac signs are full of planets and energy this month, giving you lots of support and nourishment. The most important of these signs is your ascendant itself, Scorpio. Throughout January you will get to enjoy a very well-placed Jupiter, which is being strengthened by Venus alongside it. Jupiter is the essence of support and nourishment for a Scorpio, ruling the parts of your chart that govern the heart and the digestion, and if your heart and gut are healthy then you’re going to be healthy too. Family may give financial support, health improves, and the heart opens through Jupiter’s transit in Scorpio for most of 2019. This is particularly potent in January as Venus’ transit in Scorpio opens the heart and leads to happiness and peace. There may be some personal financial expenses due to Venus’ transit, but Jupiter also gives unexpected financial help to offset this burden. Taking a closer look at Venus for a minute, we see that it rules the parts of the chart that deal with how you direct your energies and attention, as well as expenses, losses, and the deeper parts of the psyche. This month it transits your rising sign Scorpio, so the energy and attention that would normally be directed outwards into the world as career, drive, relationships, and money, turns around and is instead directed towards yourself, helping to develop and transform your concepts of self and making this an important month for psychological growth and development.

Aspecting Jupiter and Venus is a well-placed Mars in Pisces. Mars is the planetary lord of Scorpio, so its placement is very important for your success and wellbeing. From Pisces, Mars casts a very nice aspect on your chart, giving you the strength, courage, and motivation to transform your life and make important changes. It directly influences the Jupiter and Venus in Scorpio, which is like an alchemist boiling the ingredients in his flask to create a new and powerful medicine. Mars is the heat of the fire, while Jupiter (noble principles and way of life) and Venus (relationships and love) are the ingredients combining and transforming from the heat of the fire. Scorpio and Pisces have a spiritually transformative influence on each other. For people trying to conceive a child, the aspects of Mars and Venus on each other are very auspicious for conception.

Sagittarius has Saturn, Mercury, and the Sun transiting through it until the 13th. This is a more stressful combination of transits than the nice and fulfilling transits mentioned above, and the area of life this stress will be concentrated at is your finances and/or family. Saturn and the Sun make most of the stress simply because they indicate the clash of lethargy with destiny, of routine with change, and other such dichotomies. Large expenditures, changes in your living situation, a change of office or position at work, are all examples of areas of life that can be influenced by these transits. After the 13th, the Sun enters Capricorn and is followed on the 18th by Mercury. These two planets in Capricorn are good for sadhana/meditation, personal retreat, and learning a new skill related to work, but these same transits can cause problems for siblings and/or co-workers. If such problems do occur with co-workers or siblings you will have to come to grips with the fact that there’s not much your can do about it due to the lack of positive aspects on these transits, depriving them of support and help. I recommend using the energy of Mercury and the Sun in Capricorn to refine your own skills and personal development instead of trying to save others with it unsuccessfully.

Sagittarius

The month begins with Saturn, Mercury, and the Sun all in your rising sign of Sagittarius, a placement that gives them a particularly strong influence in your life this month. Saturn has been here for the last two years, so its influence is nothing new and it will continue to be a strong obstacle throughout 2019 as it tests you and urges you to develop your foundation for success, cutting off the parts of your life that don’t move you forward. The Sun and Mercury, on the other hand, are just passing through in the first 2-3 weeks of January, the Sun leaving on the 13th and Mercury leaving on the 18th. The combination of the Sun and Mercury forms a special, auspicious combination in Sagittarius, called a “raja yoga” or “royal combination”. Such a combination happening in your rising sign increases health, happiness, status, and can promote you at work or open opportunities in your career. The Sun/Mercury combination is known to confer intelligence and good intuition because it harmonizes your intellect (Mercury) with your spirit (the Sun). Accordingly, this is a good time to follow your intuition, and important new ideas or perspectives on both career and/or love life should be followed, since any inspiration that arises from such a fortunate combination of planets is bound to be fortunate itself. My only concern with all of this is the impact Saturn may have on the auspicious combination. I don’t think it will necessarily ruin the good fortune indicated, but it could very well cause problems in the form of negative attitudes, previous trauma keeping your mind from making big changes or following a big opportunity, or even some health issues that keep you from pursuing an opportunity as vigorously as you would have.

On the 13th the Sun will leave Sagittarius, followed by Mercury on the 18th, as both planets move into Capricorn. The combination of the Sun and Mercury remains an auspicious combination here that should lift some of the doom and gloom of the last year caused by financial worries or family problems. This is a good time for giving your finances, accounts, and financial planning a good bit of attention, setting financial goals for 2019.

Venus and Jupiter will spend the month in Scorpio, a difficult placement for you since it puts their energies in a weak position and deprives you, to some extent, of their blessings. Jupiter in Scorpio indicates moving to a new place, changing offices, or even international travel. Jupiter is pretty happy in Scorpio generally, so these changes shouldn’t really be bad things, even if they cause some expenses or difficulties. These effects may not necessarily occur in January, since Jupiter will be here on and off throughout most of 2019, creating many opportunities for these things to occur. Venus joins Jupiter for this month, which is a more difficult transit to figure out. A Sagittarius man will likely have problems or distance in their relationship due to Venus’ transit, while a Sagittarius woman is more likely to experience international travel and/or unexpected expenditures for travel/relationships. Regardless of sex, Venus in Scorpio often robs people of their comforts and luxuries, putting you out of your comfort zone.

Mars will spend the month in Pisces, where it can give a lot of drive and energy for accomplishing your goals, though it will also likely cause changes in your living situation or investments in real-estate. International travel can also be possible.

Capricorn

Some interesting transits this month for Capricorn that are a mix of good and difficult combinations. The only blatantly difficult transits are all happening in the same sign; Sagittarius. The Sun, Mercury, and Saturn are all transiting here this month. Saturn has been here for 2 years and will continue to be here this year, while the Sun will be here until the 13th and Mercury until the 18th. The problems caused by Saturn here are nothing new: expenses, health problems and scares, financial difficulties, and family stresses can all be caused by this transit. The Sun and Mercury add health problems and career issues to the table as well. The Sun in Sagittarius is always difficult for you because it puts the Sun in a place where it can’t give you inspiration, confidence, and guidance, which in-turn makes you feel deprived of any clear direction in life, or depressed about the way something turned out. Expenses are likely from health issues, and you may lose a position at work as well. This transit wouldn’t normally be so bad (since it happens every year) but the presence of Saturn exaggerates the negative aspects, making it particularly difficult for the last two years every time the Sun moves through this sign.

Once the Sun leaves Sagittarius on the 13th there should be some reprieve, and Mercury following on the 18th makes things better, but this still isn’t a great transit. The Sun is weak here, and there could be a particularly nasty flare up of a health issue once it enters Capricorn on the 13th, especially if the body has become worn down due to stress or illness already. If you are robust and healthy then stress, fatigue, and overworking yourself are likely. Mercury is a better planet than the Sun in Capricorn, so when it joins the Sun on the 18th things should improve. Mercury indicates a skilled person or teacher coming to support you and can make paperwork and clerical issues be resolved and move smoothly. Empowering yourself through education and seeking the help of highly qualified people can provide a lot of relief to the problems mentioned above.

Venus and Jupiter will both spend the month in Scorpio. This is a mixed bag of influences. On the whole, it should improve finances and open up new opportunities for investments, though it could also simply indicate a new purchase of some kind, such as a house or vehicle. The hard thing about interpreting this transit is this: Jupiter loves being in Scorpio, but is a difficult planet for Capricorns, while Venus hates being in Scorpio but is a great planet for Capricorns. Hence, we have a bit of a conundrum happening in Scorpio, which is the part of the chart that rules finances. Jupiter here can cause expenses, but since it receives a nice aspect from Mars these expenses could be on something that ultimately makes you money, such as real-estate or other investments. Venus can give you a promotion at work, or help you find a higher-paying salary somewhere, but since Venus is weak in Scorpio these positive benefits are minimalized; perhaps your promotion wasn’t as big as you hoped, or you started a little lower than you would have liked at a new job. In such situations it is beneficial to apply the energy of Mars and strongly negotiate a better position for yourself in the company, or a higher salary.

Aquarius

January should be a good month for career and financial opportunities in you are able to follow through with those opportunities and work for them. The month begins with Mercury, Saturn, and the Sun in Sagittarius. Saturn being here is nothing new and is a mixed bag of good and bad effects since it can result in frequent changes to employment but at the same time keep finances pretty solid. The Sun’s transit is good for making some extra money this month, mainly in the first two weeks of January before the Sun transit out of Sagittarius. Mercury’s transit should also be supportive. My only real concern here is that with Saturn sitting so heavy, lethargy and laziness may make you miss out on the opportunities that the Sun and Mercury can bring your way.

The planetary placements this month are oriented much more towards mundane issues and problems than personal or spiritual ones. Finances and work are particularly in focus. Venus and Jupiter in Scorpio are both excellent transits for improving your financial situation. These are both “guru” or teacher planets. Jupiter is the teacher of the divine beings and indicates self-control and pure conduct, while Venus is the teacher of the worldly arts and sciences. Their combination in Scorpio for all of January can help you mature your views about your work and financial management, taking things like balancing your checkbook and saving money much more seriously. The energy of Jupiter should be used for making career plans, evaluating your work goals, and making sure you are following a career path that uses your skills and abilities the best way possible. It is also a good transit for creating multiple sources of income. The aspect of Mars supporting Venus and Jupiter should be particularly good for promotions or new financial opportunities, especially if you can put your natural skills to use.

As is the case with Capricorn ascendants as well, Aquarians are unlikely to experience any serious change to their life situation until Saturn moves into Capricorn early 2020, opening a lot of new opportunities in life. The best transit supporting Aquarius this month, and where Aquarius has it better than Capricorn, is that Jupiter will spend most of the year well placed in the 10th house, which can help promote your work and increase income. On a more personal level, this placement of Jupiter is good for giving clarity about your life direction and purpose, and in helping raise your conduct and ethics to a higher level. This is a good time to transform behavior habits and develop a good way of life.

Pisces

There is a lot of energy in your chart this month, all in very active areas that allow the planets to give quick and easy blessings. The most energetic of all the planets, Mars, is transiting right over Pisces itself throughout January. Mars carries a lot of blessings for Pisces ascendants, but it is a very active and energetic planet that needs to be put to good use and given a definite direction. Since the rising sign rules the body and constitution, this is a great time to pick up a new workout habit, better diet, or get into a sport or athletic activity. Aside from its usual physical implications, Mars is also a spiritual planet for Pisces, and its presence in your ascendant brings a good bit of spiritual energy and guidance into your life that can be best used by pushing your limits and trying to engage in extra practices or austerities this month. Really, it’s such a good placement of Mars that you could accomplish just about anything this month as long as you followed through with it and really applied yourself.

Jupiter and Venus are both well placed to lend a lot of additional support to this Mars, which makes it particularly good for accomplishing work and overcoming obstacles. Jupiter is the cornerstone of all of your worldly efforts and works, and its strong aspect on Mars all of January can result in promotions at work, a new (better paying) job altogether, better health, and better finances. Much like how Mars has both a material and spiritual side for you, Jupiter likewise is not only the cornerstone to your worldly success but also of your spiritual success, representing the guru or spiritual mentor and the blessings you receive in your spiritual endeavors. Being placed in Scorpio allows Jupiter to give special support to you in this way, allowing you to spend a lot of additional time with your teacher or working through the teachings. This can also indicate success in academic activities and having your professor or teacher spend additional time with you.

Venus isn’t quite as happy in Scorpio, since it doesn’t like to be in Scorpio and doesn’t get along well with Jupiter. This is because while Jupiter indicate the spiritual teacher and divine sciences, Venus represents the worldly sciences and arts. Spiritual energy against worldly energy creates tension in this sign, and likewise will create a similar tension in your heart between worldly pleasure and spiritual direction.

The Sun, Saturn, and Mercury are all in Sagittarius at the beginning of the month. The presence of the Sun and Mercury here give you a reprieve from the stagnation in your work that Saturn has likely been causing for the last two years on and off. The Sun is a very energetic planet, and for Pisces ascendants Mercury is also quite energetic and important for worldly endeavors. When taken alongside the beneficial aspects mentioned above (Mars and Jupiter), the Sun can help you overcome hang-ups and work or obstacles/enemies that have been obstructing your career. Perhaps more importantly, the Sun gives clarity and better insight into your future, allowing you to plan and prepare goals for getting your life to the place you want it to be.