Astrological Overview
December 21st: The Sun enters Capricorn
The Sun enters Capricorn at 10:59am ET on December 21st marking the Winter Solstice and shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Capricorn is a cardinal, earth sign and all four cardinal signs mark the beginning of a new season. The cardinal signs initiate, catalyze and lead. Capricorn represents career, business, your life purpose, reputation and public life, government, structure and foundation, taking things seriously, goals, responsibilities and maturity. Ruled by stern Saturn and presiding over the tenth astrological house, Capricorn is connected to masculine energy, fathers, fatherhood and patriarchy. This disciplined sign prefers to uphold tradition and the old ways of doing things as opposed to reinventing the wheel. Capricorn is always appraising things through a practical lens to determine whether or not they will bear fruit. Putting emotions to the side, Capricorn can appear somewhat aloof as they prioritize getting ahead and bolstering their careers, reputation and financial success.
Capricorn is a great sign to accompany the beginning of the calendar year. With its penchant for discipline and achievement, you can piggy-back on the energy of this sign to help manifest any New Year’s resolutions you might like to set. Although you can shift at any time throughout the year, I think the ritual and collective energy that accompanies New Year’s is important and potent. For many folks - especially those who don’t practice an organized religion, these special dates on the calendar, particular moon phases and new zodiac months can offer a chance to reflect, connect to a higher power of sorts and participate in ritualistic activity that you might not do otherwise.
This Capricorn season features some interesting astrology - two top headline items include the current Venus retrograde and second of three conjunctions to Pluto (both planets are also in the sign of Capricorn) and then Mercury retrograde through part of Aquarius and Capricorn. Two other important events occur on the same exact day - January 18th - with Uranus completing its 5 month retrograde cycle and then the North and South Nodes entering Taurus and Scorpio, respectively. Overall I think the beginning of January will feature a palpable change in energy to a softer, more receptive vibe. 2022 is a number 6 year in numerology which is connected to the heart chakra, increasing love, acceptance and compassion. These areas are likely in need of some major healing after a divisive, tumultuous and traumatizing 2020 and 2021.
December 24th - Saturn squares Uranus
Perhaps the most conspicuous astrological aspect of the year, Saturn and Uranus clash for the third and final time on Christmas Eve. Saturn has been moving through the first 13 degrees of Aquarius all year while Uranus has languished in stubborn Taurus. These two planets squared off initially in February, again in June while Saturn was retrograde and then finally one more time now as Saturn is in direct motion. In some ways these three squares act like punctuation marks for the year with the first square posing a question, the second square adding a comma or semi-colon and then this final one ending with an exclamation mark! What has your major lesson been for 2021? Have you surrendered to new ways of being or defended all that you know as familiar and stable? Essentially Saturn wants to defend the old guard and preserve the status quo. Uranus wants to flip over the apple cart and start from scratch as it seeks to create a brave new world.
These two planets have, in some ways, been in conflicting signs themselves - Saturn is slightly uncomfortable in edgy, progressive Aquarius (even though it is the ancient ruler of both Capricorn AND the sign of the water bearer) and then Uranus is in its fall in Taurus - feeling like any steps it takes forward immediately ricochet backwards as Taurus digs its heels in even deeper. 2021 has likely felt like one foot on the gas, with the other glued to the brake - lots of false starts and stops. Hopes rising and falling as if bound to a rollercoaster, stuck in a constant loop around the track.
This final square between these two mythological figures who happen to be father and son (Cronos or Saturn is the son of Uranus) might shake loose the vital and missing puzzle piece that will make the events of the last two years make sense. It’s not uncommon to feel the impact of an aspect several weeks before it’s exact or even several weeks after the fact. This energy is likely to reverberate well into 2022 so trust that the pieces will come together for you in due time.
December 25th - Venus rx conjuncts Pluto
Venus teams up with Pluto for the second time today forming an aspect that is known as a conjunction. Conjunctions are typically amplifying, catalyzing and indicative of an initiating process. Venus crossed the same degree of Capricorn that Pluto is sitting on initially on December 11th. The love planet began its 5.5 week retrograde cycle on December 19th so today it passes by Pluto again. Venus will be retrograde until January 29th. Once it resumes direct motion it will conjunct Pluto once more on March 3rd, before it ingresses into Aquarius on March 7th. With both Venus and Pluto in Capricorn and joining forces, it’s likely that your love life and financial affairs will experience a bit of a reckoning.
With career-oriented Capricorn’s influence, this is a time to evaluate honestly whether or not your romantic relationships and your career plans are compatible. Two people can have great chemistry together but if they have drastically different visions for their lives, that is likely to cause a lot of heartache. Capricorn has its sights set on the long term - flings and shallow flights of fancy simply won’t hold up. Venus’ menage a trois with Pluto will keep bringing you back to your ultimate purpose in this lifetime. While harsh and seemingly unforgiving, both Pluto and Capricorn’s energy will ask you to be rigorously honest with yourself, with your life and with those you’re in close relationship to. Any decisions based on people pleasing will ultimately end in long term dissatisfaction and displeasure for all involved. Use this energy to start the New Year on the right foot by moving towards what you really want, no matter how terrifying that process seems.
December 28th - Jupiter enters Pisces
Jupiter shifts from Aquarius to Pisces where it will remain until May 10th, 2022. The biggest planet in our solar system will move on to Aries but retrograde back into Pisces on October 28th, 2022. Jupiter’s retrograde cycle will be from July 28th to November 23rd, 2022. Once it dips back into Pisces it will stay there until December 20th, 2022 before permanently moving forward into Aries again. Before the discovery of the outer planets, Jupiter was said to rule both Sagittarius and Pisces. Although the modern ruler of Pisces is Neptune, the sign of the fish and the gas giant still have a connection.
Jupiter is the expander and magnifier, referred to as the Greater Benefic by the ancient astrologers of Babylon. Said to represent growth, expansion, exploration, higher education, truth, wisdom, philosophy and global travel, Jupiter is famous for bringing positive fortune and luck to any situation. While in Pisces, Jupiter will highlight the following areas: spirituality, psychic ability, dreams and dream interpretation, symbols, the ethereal, the power of the ocean, mist and fog as well as potential deception and alcohol/drug addiction. Pisces is an extremely sensitive sign prone to fantasy and wanting to escape from reality. This can give rise to momentous works of art and incredibly creative literature and film while also potentially spiraling one into an abyss of addiction and the inability to deal with life. Jupiter always reminds us that it’s entirely possible to have too much of a good thing. Overall this transit will support strengthening your connection to whatever form of spirituality you practice or whatever religion you are a part of. This is a great time to hone your own spiritual gifts like learning to trust your intuition more, practice different forms of channeling, take a class on a new healing art and record your dreams in a dream journal to see what insights you can glean from them.
January 1st - Happy New Year!
There are a few ways to look at the digits of the New Year to determine its numerological significance. Overall 2022 is a number 6 year - this number is determined by adding all of the individual digits up for the year and reducing to a single digit (2 + 0 + 2 + 2 = 6.) Another way of analyzing the energy of the year is to focus on the last two digits - 22 or (2 + 2 = 4.)
Both the 4 and 6 in numerology have some similarities. Together they represent rebuilding our lives, repairing any cracks in the foundation, prioritizing time with family and friends and mending the heart chakra. In particular, the number 6 is very much connected with the heart and the energy of the planet Venus. 6 corresponds directly to Virgo - the sixth sign of the zodiac - but also the two signs ruled by Venus - Taurus and Libra. The number 6 represents balance, stability and wellness - something many of us could use after the tumultuous last two years.
Overall I believe that 2022 will be a year of remembering what’s most important and focusing on repairing, rebuilding and healing. It’s likely that this will take place (and is necessary on a variety of levels such as:) coming to terms with instances and areas where you’ve abandoned yourself; repairing any ruptures with friends or family members; and then trying to heal the massive political divide in the United States and in other places around the globe.
January 2nd - Capricorn New Moon and Mercury enters Aquarius
The New Year begins in fitting fashion with a New Moon in Capricorn just one day later. New Moons always signify new beginnings and the start of a new four week cycle. During this phase the Moon and Sun are always conjunct - meaning that they are in the same zodiac sign. In some ways you might feel the energy of that particular zodiac sign more directly than when the Sun alone entered it (in this case back on December 21st.) You might say that the New Moon is the true beginning of a particular zodiac sign. Now all things Capricorn will really come under the spotlight. This is a great time to look at the systems and structures you have in place for your life. Do you have a good support system in place? Do you have a self care routine? Are there people in your life that help you to grow, work through any issues and encourage you to keep moving towards your goals and dreams? They say it takes a village to raise a child but in many ways the sentiment is true in adulthood too. This New Moon forms a fairly close trine with retrograde Uranus in fellow earth sign Taurus. This aspect could signify the occurrence of new information or insight that helps to catalyze lasting change. It is easier to act on this information due to the presence of both Uranus and the Sun/Moon in earth signs - the element most adept at manifestation on the physical plane.
Mercury changes signs today from Capricorn to Aquarius - the sign of its exaltation. When a planet is exalted it is strengthened by being in a highly compatible sign. While in Aquarius, Mercury is prone to bouts of genius, amazing strides of innovation and electric flashes of insight. The excitement is tempered by Mercury entering its pre-retrograde shadow (on January 1st) as it prepares to slow down and begin backward motion on January 14th.
January 8th - Venus rx conjunct the Sun
Venus teams up with the Sun today forming an inferior conjunction in Capricorn. The astrological significance of this is similar to the energy of a New Moon but involving Venus instead. With Venus retrograde since December 19th and disappearing from the evening sky, it’s like we’ve been in the “dark moon” version of this planet. Some of Venus’ gifts and helpful influence might have appeared missing or hidden from reality. Venus was known as the lesser benefic to the ancient astrologers - a planet (along with Jupiter) that was thought to be overwhelmingly positive and the source of love and financial abundance. Venus’ inferior conjunction with the Sun begins a new Venus’ cycle. She’ll soon reappear as a morning star representing the completion of her journey through the “under world” of darkness, painful motives and core wounds. By the end of this month Venus will completely emerge from her underground journey, helping us to integrate the discipline and practicality of Capricorn in a way that helps to call in more freedom, expansion and liberation.
January 14th - Mercury retrograde
Mercury stations for retrograde motion today at 10 degrees Aquarius. The messenger planet will resume direct motion on February 3rd at 24 degrees Capricorn. This year features a total of four Mercury retrograde periods - slightly more than the usual thrice annual average. With the exception of the last one, the first three will feature a combination of Mercury moving backwards from an air sign to an earth sign. The four retrograde cycles are as follows:
January 14-February 3, 2022 in Aquarius & Capricorn
May 10-June 3, 2022 in Gemini & Taurus
September 9-October 2, 2022 in Libra & Virgo
December 29-January 18, 2023 in Capricorn
Overall 2022 has a higher than normal amount of retrogrades. The planets that retrograde the least often - Venus every 18 months and Mars every 2 years - happen to be moving in reverse this year as well. Regardless of the particular planet, retrograde energy slows things down and shifts the focus from the external to the internal. Coupled with the numerological significance of the number 6 year, I think all of this retrograde energy will contribute to things feeling a little quieter and hopefully softer. The Universe will be reminding us to treasure, cherish and appreciate the simple pleasures that life has to offer.
Mercury rules communication, information, the media, friendship, siblings, neighbors, technology and the things and people in your immediate community. While retrograde, you might experience more delays, traffic jams, be more accident prone, experience slips of the tongue and suffer from some confusing miscommunications. Technology breakdowns are not uncommon either. It is wise to proceed with caution and double and triple check any rough drafts before hitting “send” or “print.” Any new ideas that you have at this time should be approached with cautious optimism. It is generally advised to wait until Mercury is direct once again before proceeding with new initiatives or signing binding, legal contracts. The benefit of Mercury retrograde is that it offers the perfect cosmic opportunity to reset, revise, review, renew and many other words that begin with the prefix “re.” It is a built in celestial opportunity to slow down instead of always feeling the pressure to rush ahead.
January 17th - Cancer Full Moon
The first Full Moon of 2022 takes place at 6:48pm ET on January 17th in its domicile (the sign that it rules) - Cancer. Full Moons in any water sign tend to be extra sensitive and emotional. This Full Moon is closely opposite Pluto in Capricorn with Pluto just one degree away from a perfect conjunction with the Sun. This lunation could highlight the need for balance between your public life, work obligations and priorities and then your personal, private life and
relationships with close loved ones.
January 18th - Uranus Direct and Nodal Shift
The end of #capricornseason wraps up with some interesting events. Uranus ends its five month retrograde journey, stationing for direct motion. Uranus represents innovation, change, challenging the status quo, the future, breaking from tradition, rebellion, progressive values, electricity and technology. This erratic planet is known to send surprise and shockwaves through the Universe to wake us up from the fog of going through life on autopilot. The energy of any planet is extra potent when changing directions. Any time Uranus is in the picture, it’s wise to prepare for the unexpected.
The lunar nodes change signs today from Gemini and Sagittarius to Taurus and Scorpio. The nodes are always retrograde and always in a pair of opposite signs. The nodes represent the two points of intersection between the Sun’s path and the Moon’s orbit. The nodes remain in tandem signs for approximately 18 months at a time. They’ll be in Taurus and Scorpio until July 2023. The nodes are typically the places where any lunar or solar eclipses occur. All four eclipses in 2022 will take place in either Taurus or Scorpio.
Taurus is a steady, stable earth sign prioritizing practicality and life’s simple pleasures. Taurus prefers the uncomplicated and enjoys just being part of the day to day processes and small moments that give life a predictable rhythm. Scorpio on the other hand thrives during adversity and crisis. Sometimes this intense water sign will light a fire just to test out its own durability. Scorpio prefers to explore the depths and darkness, analyzing human psychology and seeking connection with the realms beyond the three dimensions that we know intimately. Scorpio represents the mysterious and the occult and typically has one foot in the realm of the spirit. It's likely that we'll experience many events and lessons related to the archetypes of these two signs for all of 2022 and even some of 2023.