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 © Diane Lang
Mercury plays a central role this week emphasizing how we think and communicate. We’ll need all the help we can get keeping our lives on track because the week starts out with Mars in Mercury ruled Virgo stationing retrograde. On the plus side, Mars will be trine Mercury in Capricorn at the same time. Virgo and Capricorn are well grounded earth signs who know the importance of timing and patience. Please take your time and move with deliberation. If you do that, you’ll be in good shape but rushing around in an erratic fashion will put you in the ditch.
The week also begins under the aegis of the first New Moon of 2012 in Aquarius which may set the tone for the year. Honor your commitments to both your peers and any humanitarian efforts you support.
Late in the week Mercury squares Saturn at 29° Libra, just before its ingress into Aquarius . . . a sharp reminder to keep the way we express ourselves simple, direct and to the point. Once Mercury shifts into airy, fixed Aquarius it promptly forms a sextile to Uranus in Aries and a square to Jupiter in Taurus, and we can kiss our good intentions to keep it simple goodbye. Between Uranus urging us to expand our intellectual horizons and Jupiter telling us a small exaggeration or two will make for a better story, we’re screwed.
The best plan for this week is to take care of important paperwork and all serious communications early in the week. If you have started working on your income taxes for last year or filling out job applications, don’t procrastinate!
Between this weekend’s Mercury aspects and a charged up Moon in Aries, we all might as well plan on doing something fun and physically demanding to burn off all the energy! Go out dancing, head up to the hills for some skiing or grab some friends and find a project to benefit your local community. The Sun is in Aquarius after all!
This is a perfect time for you to improve your work habits and communications with coworkers. If you do you may be surprised at how much this will benefit your career. Forget about taking your work home with you this weekend, it’s Aries party time!
The pace this week will suit you very well, Taurus, and you will be able to deal with all kinds of loose ends with no trouble at all. Your upbeat mood will do wonders for your love life as will your knack for saying the right things at the right time.
Even though the mental energy this week is not as quick and lively as you prefer, Gemini, nonetheless you will find it easy to express yourself with clarity. Hey, the important thing is knowing you got your point across, isn’t it? LOL
If you need to discuss important concerns with someone this week, Cancer, it would be a good idea to do this in person and one on one. Gather up your patience and remember to keep your temper in check. Dealing with family could be frustrating on the weekend.
 You could get a reminder this week of the relationship between developing good work habits and a better income, Leo. If you haven’t already been getting your act together at work, now would be an excellent time to do so. Party time this weekend!
 Others may be surprised at your ability to speak up for yourself now, Virgo, as you are usually rather self effacing. Express your frustrations, observations and anything else you need to get off your chest. You will likely be pleasantly surprised at the response.
 Spending time at home or visiting with family may suit you this week, Libra; maybe digging around in old family photo albums or studying the family tree. Be open to unexpected invitations on the weekend to go out and have some fun.
What a great time to review your aspirations, hopes and dreams for 2012, Scorpio. Your ability to think clearly and rationally is highlighted the first part of this week, enabling you to get your ducks neatly lined out all in a row.
 For you, Sagittarius, this is an excellent time to demonstrate your leadership skills and enthusiasm to your boss. If you do well, it may even lead to increased income! Now that would be something to celebrate! The weekend looks perfect for enjoying yourself.
If you need to take advantage of on the job training programs in order to improve your role at work, Capricorn, this is a very good time to do so. Your knack for assimilating new information is excellent now. Stay home and play on the weekend.
You may be feeling revved up and ready to tackle a number of exciting new interests, Aquarius, but all may not go as planned. You could find yourself having to slow down and make quite a few revisions before you can get launched. Relax with your friends on the weekend..
Pisces, you are having a grand time, swimming along with the current these days! Be your kind, sweet, slightly daft self and let others come to you. Take care of important communications early in the week in order to avoid confusion.
If you know your Rising sign, read the horoscope for it too. 
 © Annie Musse
Endings and beginnings are on my mind these days with Saturn weighing down my 29° Libra Sun with Neptune at 29° Aquarius trine it. We’re now a couple of weeks away from Neptune’s ingress into its home sign of Pisces and I, for one, see this as far more positive than not.
Shape shifter that he is, Neptune has struggled during his lengthy stay in Aquarius starting on 28 January 1998. Aquarius is fixed air and very big on coming up with “one size fits all” schemes for the collective . . . and then spends a great deal of time and energy insisting on stuffing everyone into their particular box without checking to see whether or not it’s a good fit. We’ve seen the rise of social networking via the internet spread around the globe and people “friending” people they’ve never met face to face. Don’t get me wrong, I love the internet and being able to connect with people around the world suits my North Node in Gemini to a ‘T’. However, in my opinion, the ability to discriminate what’s appropriate to share from what’s best kept private has been lost– very much Neptune in Aquarius. Aquarius is simply too cerebral and detached to understand why sensitive water sign folk are repulsed by the “too much information” crowd.
Another blessing of Neptune in Pisces for the next thirteen years is having the water element represented full time. Ever since Uranus left Pisces for Aries last March there are been long periods when only the swift moving Moon passed through the water signs, making it challenging for people to stay in touch with their feelings. Neptune in Pisces is an excellent representative for watery energy and will provide a subtle background note gently prodding us to take our emotions into account at all times.
I’m sure we will deal with too much sentimentality and maybe more than a few people suffering from savior complexes but overall I’m hoping Neptune in Pisces will open hearts and remind us of those feelings we have in common. Getting Neptune’s influence out of our heads and back into our hearts opens the door to unconditional love and acceptance. We need to renew our appreciation for genuine compassion and let go of the need to convince others our brand of ideology will serve the masses better than yours. Believe me, we’ll need every bit of help we can get to smooth the jagged edges of Uranus in Aries battling it out with Pluto in Capricorn for the next three years!
The movie, Big Fish, is a marvelous example of Neptune’s better nature. Imaginative and loving all at the same time.
 © Bernhard Michaelis | Dreamstime.com
Talk a New Moon with a punch! This one at 2° 42′ Aquarius on 22 January 2012 at 11:40 PM PST is it! It’s the apex of an out-of-sign T-Square with Saturn in Libra and Jupiter in Taurus for starters, and then Uranus in Aries (Aquarius’s ruler) is sextile to it. What this adds up to is great potential for change.
The dynamic tension created by the T-Square combined with planets at 29° to 2° signals the need to look around us and decide what in our lives is coming to an end and where new beginnings can be forged. Saturn is going to be at 29° from now until 4 March because it is slowing to station retrograde on 7 February, giving us plenty of time to review the relationship issues brought to the surface over the past couple of years. Whenever another celestial event focuses attention on Saturn, we will be reminded of those issues and be given opportunities to take action if necessary. The fixed portion of the T-Square, Jupiter in Taurus square the Aquarius New Moon, pits the Aquarius need express what makes us unique against Taurus’s desire to stick with the tried and true. In this instance with Uranus in Aries sextile the New Moon, I’m betting eccentricity will triumph over adhering to the status quo . . . but not without a stiff argument or two. Don’t be afraid to speak up and let others know where you stand and what you think because Saturn in Libra is there to guarantee a fair hearing regardless of the outcome.
Uranus in Aries also conjoins Ceres in Aries where nurturance means encouraging a spirit of independence. This is a real jolt to the system and plenty of people will be shocked awake when they are thrown into the deep end to sink or swim on their own. The transition from Pisces to Aries is always a big eye opener and these days any planet entering Aries promptly runs into wild-eyed Uranus, intensifying the difference between gentle, fluid Pisces and energetic, forceful Aries.
I suppose I better mention the out-of-sign inconjunct between Saturn in Libra and Uranus in Aries. This is one of those aspects that make me grit my teeth because the signs involved are compatible but the aspect is contrary. What I see happening is plenty of instances where the drive to achieve is thwarted by the need to make compromises with plenty of ensuing opportunities for misunderstandings. Yeah . . . time to practice patience and tolerance.
After several lunations with Mars in Virgo squaring Mercury in Sagittarius, we get one where Mars is trine to Mercury in Capricorn. I vote this aspect as the one most likely to get us through all the hullaballoo of the T-Square! Mercury in Capricorn is focused, assertive and very businesslike, aided and abetted by Mars in Virgo’s capacity for tracking and organizing all the necessary information for each task. Gemini and Virgo folk are going to be very happy campers under this influence!
A fascinating aspect is the sextile linking fantasy loving Venus in Pisces with a hardnosed Pluto in Capricorn. This is one of those instances where we see how powerful supposedly gentle Venus really is because she definitely has a civilizing influence on this cold, harsh Pluto. In Pisces she practices the art of yielding to achieve her goals . . . thinks oceans and rivers wearing away rock as in the Grand Canyon.
It is very possible the fresh ideas generated under this New Moon will be awhile in manifesting because Mars in Virgo is at a virtual standstill preparing to station retrograde within hours of the New Moon. Be prepared for plenty of revisions and delays but have faith that when the time comes to launch your ideas and projects, all the frustrations will be rewarded. For now, gather information and start doing some serious networking! And practice being kind, tolerant and patient to the best of your ability.
On a personal note: Saturn in Libra is officially sitting on my 29° Libra Sun and so far, it’s been helpful making sure I stay on task! I’m going to be paying close attention to this transit because I know I will choose to let go of some things that used to be very important to me but no longer are. Recognizing those is the key . . . not always easy.
The focus of this New Moon is on my Venus in Sagittarius because it is sextile the New Moon and trine Uranus conjunct Ceres in Aries. This channels the energy generated by the T-Square directly into my first house. Also means I get to deal with those frustrations resulting from the Saturn-Uranus inconjunct. Walking a fine line between creative productivity and being too ornery is my challenge.
 © Diane Lang
This is the first full week of Saturn in Libra at 29 degrees and a good time to start reflecting on all the relevant relationship issues raised over the past couple of years. It is currently exactly trine Neptune in Aquarius and will square the Capricorn Sun later this week placing further emphasis on seeking justice, making healthy compromises and generally considering whether our partnerships have been equitable for both parties.
Capricorn season is drawing to a close and the Sun will enter Aquarius on 20 January. Air signs (Gemini, Libra and Aquarius) will enjoy the more intellectual atmosphere where ideas rules and long discussions about what’s best for the collective will evolve. The sextile the Aquarius Sun makes to Uranus in Aries the next day is sure to add brilliance to those conversations; and the square to expansive Jupiter in Taurus will make bring out the storyteller in many!
In case you’re wondering what Venus in Pisces is up to this week, she’s flirting with Pluto in Capricorn and winding him around her little finger. Passion mixes it up with fantasy and the results may be volatile . . . fascinating but volatile.
The week closes with the New Moon in Aquarius and we’ll know for sure it’s Aquarius season because we’ll be more interested in expressing our uniqueness than pursuing pragmatic goals.
If you have been careful to give your partner as much quality time as you’ve devoted to furthering your career goals, Aries, you will get a big gold star . . . if you have neglected either one or the other, then you will hear about it this week.
It won’t hurt to count your many blessings now, Taurus, and remind yourself to get serious about living a healthy life style. Get the basics in place now because soon you may be distracted by your boss’s demands. Momentum is with you now.
You are about to see the end to what is probably your least favorite time of year, Gemini, where you end up having to deal with difficult, transformative issues. Soon your world will lighten up some, particularly regarding your career. Changing jobs maybe?
Personal and/or business partners will need extra time and attention from you this week, Cancer, and you may feel very frustrated because there is much to do at home. Put your foot down and let everyone know exactly what your priorities are..
Do what you need to do to make sure you get to work on time, Leo, or your coworkers will let you know about it. If your daily routines need tuning up to ensure you get everything done in a timely manner, do it!
You could write a book about how to have fun on a limited budget, Virgo, and the good spending habits you’ve developed over the past couple of years will reward you for some time to come. This weekend looks good for romantic possibilities..
How are you feeling about your one-on-one relationships, Libra? Are they reasonably equitable? If so, then you can pat yourself on the back and if not, then figure out why and start working on it. Matters at home will keep you busy this week.
Best prepare yourself for the possibility of some intense conversations with close friends or siblings this week, Scorpio, and if long hidden information finally surfaces allowing you to deal with it, even better. Your reward is a sweet time this weekend with your lover.
The commitments you’ve made to social causes and humanitarian efforts over the past couple of years have been rewarding for you, Sagittarius, and may have you wondering if there is some way to make a living from those. If there is, now is a great time to find out.
It may not seem like you are making progress in your career for all the effort you’ve put in, Capricorn, but please don’t give up because eventually you will be rewarded. At the very least you will hear something you like later this week.
Life is about to look up for you, Aquarius, but first you need to give some serious thought to rooting out self-defeating behaviors, perhaps with the help of a trusted spiritual advisor. Treat yourself to a pleasant outing this weekend and relax for awhile.
You could make a real breakthrough this week when it comes to realizing your hopes and dreams, Pisces. The important thing to keep in mind is to stay flexible and allow yourself plenty of revisions. Nothing is ever cast in stone.
If you know your Rising sign, read the horoscope for it too.
 © Susan Seddon Boulet
Ah, beautiful Venus arrives in the sign she is exalted in . . . Pisces, sustaining the loving warmth she found in her conjunction to Neptune, Pisces’s ruler, while still in Aquarius. Venus is somewhat uncomfortable in cerebral, crystalline Aquarius and is very, very happy to dive into watery Pisces where she enriches all our lives with sympathy and sensitivity to the needs of others. One of the gifts Venus in Pisces brings to the collective is renewing the awareness other people of all varieties matter and we need to treat our fellow travelers with understanding and tolerance.
This year Venus conjoined Neptune in Aquarius but for many years to come, when Venus enters Pisces, she will conjoin Neptune in Pisces at some point. Children born with the conjunction will have a marked degree of sensitivity to the plight of others. Whether this is a blessing or a curse will depend on the rest of their charts because being overly sensitive to pain and suffering is very difficult to live with. These little ones will need to be taught how to step back and establish boundaries from a very early age.
Something I’ve noted is how Venus in Pisces in the charts of those with the Sun in Capricorn, Aquarius, Aries and Taurus, markedly softens those signs. It gives business-like Capricorn a heart and helps them remember to give people a second chance to succeed; and for Aquarius, who often loves humanity more than individuals, Venus in Pisces aids them in appreciating their nearest and dearest. Being personally acquainted with several Aries Sun folk with this gentle Venus, I can attest to its ability slow them down, make them aware other people suffer too and to treat those folks with kindness. The rare Taurus Sun with Venus in Pisces is a truly gentle, loving soul who goes out of their way to make others feel good. Of course, Pisces Sun with Venus in Pisces is blessed with artistic talents of some kind, often for music and dance. They can have an exceptional ability to distinguish subtle color differences too. Their downfall may be the desire to escape reality altogether thru drugs, religion or other Neptunian illusions.
Life is short and Venus will only be in Pisces until 7 February, so make the most of this sweet, sweet time to enjoy a romantic moment with your lover, retreat to your bath with candles and scented oils, walk on the beach and listen to the waves or simply put on your favorite music to unwind. Take a moment or two to appreciate the importance of being inclusive rather than exclusive in honor of this wonderful Venus.
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I have my natal Sun in Libra, the sign of relationship, conjunct Chiron in Libra and have spent many years analyzing what makes us tick when it comes to relating to others.