The Astrology Blog 31 January 2022
All times in GMT
“The beginning is the most important part of the work.”
Plato
“A year from now you’ll wish you had started today.”
Karen Lamb – Author
THE CAT SANCTUARY – FUNDRAISING RESULTS
The fundraiser that was running while Venus was retrograde has now reached 1,035 Euros. I wrote last week that I was aiming for 700 Euros as our contribution but I can tell you that 930 Euros of that amount was raised by readers of this blog which is just brilliant. Thank you, thank you.
You might like to know that the cat sanctuary has also received other help here in terms of volunteers helping to clean, or spending time cuddling the kittens. Love and attention, just as important as sanitation, and Evie Soldatos only has one pair of hands!
https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=the%20cat%20sanctuary
You can save the link below in order to see any time how the fund is doing or make a donation –
https://gogetfunding.com/?p=7429131
NEW YEAR – TAKE 2
Last year I started 2021 with the quote above from author Karen Lamb. I’d never heard of her before, but when I looked for quotes about fresh starts for the New Year this one jumped off the page. It was followed by a quote analysis which I think is also worth repeating as we continue to live in strange times that have unexpectedly taught us about the power of compound effects –
Most of the time, getting started is already winning half of the battle. The compound effect is an extremely powerful tool that many people overlook when they are pursuing a goal or their dreams. For example, the power of tiny gains:
- Just 1% improvement daily gets you 37.78 times further than where you started
- But just 1% decline daily nearly puts you back to zero
So, if you have goals and ambition, start now. Work at it daily no matter how small. It will take you way, way further than waiting for the right moment to strike and further than you could’ve ever imagined.
For me this week feels like the real New Year and that is certainly reflected in the astrology, with a “get it together” New Moon, an “exalted” goal orientated Mars in harmony with benefic and expansive Jupiter, Venus on her way forwards again and Mercury getting ready to do the same.
THE VENUS TURNAROUND & A STATIONING MERCURY
A reminder of the bigger perspective info from last week –
When these two personal planets are retrograde, and then when they reach that moment of turning direct again, they carry universal symbolism and the messages are important for all of us –
- Mercury is retrograde 3 times a year (so every 4 months) for 3 weeks at a time
- Venus is retrograde approx once every 18 months for 6 weeks at a time
- Retrograde – themes of secrecy, the unknown, things going the wrong way, reversing, unraveling, and all the “re” words you can think of like redoing, reviewing, rethinking, revoking, regretting, rescheduling and so on
- Direct – the turning point in resolving and solution finding, things get moving again in the right direction, the arrival of new faces or information that enable decision making and turnarounds of all kinds
If you have natal planets or Angles at or very close to the same degrees as the turning points (when a planet turns retrograde and then direct again) these sequences will be especially relevant for a life event of your own.
VENUS – Everything lovable! Love, money, women, pleasures, comfort, enjoyment, beauty, blessings, the sweet things of life
So the big news at the moment is that Venus has just turned direct (Saturday morning) and Mercury will turn direct early morning this coming Friday. As always with these turning points the message is to pay attention to what unfolds for you at these times.
I definitely felt the Venus. Apart from her top concerns of love and money this is also the pleasure planet. Like many people here in the Northern hemisphere I struggle with January, and this one has dragged on and on, and has been bitterly cold. If anyone else refers to enjoying good weather in Greece all year aound I might have to scream! If you follow the news you’ll have seen Athens covered in snow and the suburbs struggling in temperatures plummeting to minus 14. Yes, we do have real winters!
But January is done and the worst of the minus figures are done – forecast minus 1 during the nights this week – but as I write (Sunday) the sky is bright blue and the sun is shining. The dogs are lying on a blanket on the back balcony in a balmy 12 degrees. No self respecting Greek would ever put on heating or light a fire if there’s a square of sunshine to sit in.
Re social life I went out to the bar for the first time in two weeks and suddenly it was full of people, not heaving but new faces already appearing to do the work involved in getting ready for a new season, which is suddenly not that far away as the airport will open end of March.
Within just a few hours of Venus switching to direct I also had a very important conversation with one of my nieces about a life changing decision that had just crystallized for her and how to get the ball rolling. Venus isn’t just romantic partners and women, but all those loved ones close to you, the ones who turn to you for comfort, validation or support.
Venus will take a couple of weeks to start picking up speed again and will be “out of shadow” on 2 March – back to the exact position at which she originally turned retrograde, and this time around that was 26 degrees 29 minutes Capricorn.
So some Venusian concerns still have another month to go in terms of taking shape and reaching the moment of an event actually happening, the full impact of consequences and results, or the moment when the wraps are off and the matter is revealed to others. But Venusian concerns are now heading in the right direction.
MERCURY – the winged messenger of the gods rules everything under the umbrella of “Communication and Transport” – the spoken or written word, phones, computers, emails, all correspondence, the media, information in all its guises, our thought processes, including decisions, ideas, opinions, attitude and beliefs
It’s little wonder that the times of retrograde Mercury are so often fraught with complications, whether it’s getting at the truth of a matter (Downing St parties!) or being grounded by a blizzard (75 million people are in the direct path of the horrendous storms battering the east coast of the US).
Mercury is now “stationing”, another four days to go for the exact turning point, see below for more on what to expect.
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK?
Here’s the at a glance look at the week ahead –
Tuesday 1 February
- New Moon 12 Aquarius 05.47
- Moon conjunct Saturn 15 Aquarius 11.02
Wednesday 2 February
- Moon conjunct Jupiter 7 Pisces 23.58
Friday 4 February
- Mercury turns direct at 24 Capricorn 04.14
- Mars 8 Capricorn sextile Jupiter 8 Pisces 13.39
- Sun conjunct Saturn 16 Aquarius 19.06
So the week starts with the New Moon, the moment in each month when the Moon is exactly conjunct the Sun. New Moons, new cycles, themes of sowing seeds or making fresh starts.
This one however is somewhat hampered or solemnized by the fact that it falls conjunct Saturn. So we get the Moon exactly conjunct Saturn just a few hours after the moment of the New Moon and then the Sun makes the same conjunction at the end of the week. In other words, those Saturn contacts are bracketing the week.
Good or bad? The answer to that is variable. In traditional astrology Saturn is the enemy of the Lights (the Sun and the Moon) as they are weak in each other’s signs –
- The Sun rules Leo – in detriment in opposite sign of Aquarius
- The Moon rules Cancer – in detriment in opposite sign of Capricorn
- Saturn rules Capricorn and Aquarius, and is therefore in detriment in the opposite signs of Cancer and Leo
Saturnian types tend to fare better than most under Saturn aspects as it’s a big tick for things like effort, discipline, new regimes, career moves, making commitments and being a grownup. All things related to the sign of Aquarius – groups, the collective – could also prosper, eg in my own chart I have a Mercury – Saturn conjunction that relates to my working life, so Summer School is suddenly starting to take shape and I’m at the point of getting organized and students can start booking flights.
Otherwise though there’s no question that history shows that Saturn tends to bring tough things in my personal life and nearly everyone in my family is in crisis of varying degrees, including my one remaining sibling, my elder Aquarian sister, being seriously ill. And in the physical body Saturn rules, amongst other things, the teeth and I’ve also got ongoing dental appointments this week as I suddenly sprang holes. Am eating carefully on the left side while I wait for my next appointment on Thursday!
So I guess I’m saying that whether or not you’re a natural Saturnian, look at where you can get the best out of Saturn – what, for example, in your working life could come good with some sustained effort? What could come good in your personal life if you set your boundaries, if you’re clear about what is acceptable or unacceptable in a relationship or in family life? What ultimatums are you now ready to give, or ready to decide on if you’re on the receiving end?
I’m a Sag, and again historically the nice things in my life have nearly always taken shape under Jupiter activity, and we have a strong dose of that this week too. Clock the monthly Moon – Jupiter conjunction that’s exact last thing on Wednesday, great for a night out or good news, and also possibly a showing for paving the way to the Mars – Jupiter alliance that coincides with Mercury’s turnaround –
Wednesday 2 February
- Moon conjunct Jupiter 7 Pisces 23.58
Friday 4 February
- Mercury turns direct at 24 Capricorn 04.14
- Mars 8 Capricorn sextile Jupiter 8 Pisces 13.39
This is picture perfect for tying in with the “stop thinking about it and just DO it” point on the list at the end of the blog for Mercury messages. Mars is the action planet, Capricorn is the Mountain Goat, surefooted, keeping the goal in sight and getting there steadily and purposefully. This Mars just loves a project.
Jupiter is the vision, knowing what or who is good for you (and what or who isn’t), some 11th hour luck, helping hands and also liberation. If you want out of any claustrophobic situation then go for it. There are definite escape routes opening up. Jupiter moments like this also link to opportunities re travel, education or progress with legal proceedings of all kinds.
Mercury’s turnaround is less than 12 hours before the Mars – Jupiter kickstart, and throughout the week is “stationing” – slowing down in readiness to end the backwards loop. To put that in perspective –
- Today (Monday) Mercury is at 25 Capricorn
- Turns direct Friday at 24 Capricorn, starts inching forwards again
- Gets back to 25 Capricorn next Tuesday 8 Feb
- So in the space of a week Mercury only covers an area of one degree
- Mercury at full speed can whizz through a whole sign of 30 degrees in two weeks, which shows you just how slow these retrograde loops and turning points really are
If you have planets or Angles at or very close to 24/25 Capricorn then this is a massive week for you. But whether this is a particular degree for you or whether it’s at a universal level look out for themes of correct information and clearer understanding, eg a reality check, what or who is never going to change, what you can or can’t do about a situation, realizing that any decision is better than none.
Next week we have the third and final Mercury – Pluto conjunction which is arguably THE finale of this current Mercury cycle. Nothing stays stuck forever – but there are times when it certainly feels like it. Goodbye January!
Until next week, with love from Greece
Joanna
MERCURY STATIONARY DIRECT
What to Expect – out of our control
- Decisions dropped on us, tipping points and turnarounds for the better – even if it doesn’t seem that way we’re being steered onto the right path
- Events that started around three weeks ago reveal their full significance or consequences. Matters that have been stuck now start to pick up speed OR are no longer important
- Breaking news, expected or unexpected, that affects you or someone close to you
- Information comes to light, the truth outs, secrets are revealed or feelings are declared – you’ll have the chance to see things as they really are
- Your own or other people’s changes of heart/mind either way – ie from no to yes or vice versa
- Light bulb flashes of the “I get it now” type insights
- People get back to you or you get back to them – deals get done and papers get signed
- The right person appears to deal with the frustrating problem beyond our own expertise
- The reappearance of someone or something that was first important three to four weeks ago
- Finding what you’ve been looking for – whether it’s lost objects, spiritual needs or the right partner
What to Do – within our control
- Engage fully with who or what enters your life or springs back to life, especially with who or what is motivational for you
- Say yes to a date, or do the asking yourself – this person could be a whole new journey of discovery
- Initiate conversations – you’ll be amazed at what they reveal and where they lead
- Have you been over thinking it? Resolve to stop talking about something and just DO IT!
- Turn negatives into positives, take head out of sand, muster your courage and determination – there’s at least one thing that, with some renewed energy and a fresh approach, can now come good
- Stop people pleasing, pretending or avoiding – be true to you and tackle the things you’ve been putting off
- Make those decisions, especially when changing anything that’s suited others but which isn’t that great for you
- Make job applications or chase up one already made – insist on an interview, it could be the best thing you ever did
- Update and upgrade your phone, tablet or desktop, and get your head around using new technology of any kind that could be useful to you
- Fill up your diary with things to look forward to, out in the world where possible or online. Plan in immediately at least one thing that you absolutely love doing and can still do regardless of whatever restrictions you’re up against – life is still to be enjoyed, not endured.
