As I looked at the New Year, I found that 2019 will be very different from 2018. While 2018 was up and down, and all around the fringes of life, 2019 will be less chaotic, but perhaps more dangerous geo-politically. The New Year looks to be less introspective and more action.
Life should start moving faster, and progress in all areas of life can occur to those who know how to navigate the toxic political environment we now live in. While we can’t “Drop out” as our hippie ancestors once did, we can stay informed, but remain focused on our own daily lives, and our own plans for the future. This is a year to concentrate on our individual futures irrespective of the political climate.
Here’s to a prosperous and healthy New Year for everyone!
And with that in mind, here are the major transits for January 2019.
1/2/19 Mars transits into Aries: Mars transits into its ruler Aries, and with that transit the New Year kicks off to an active start. Generally speaking, this transit is active, with an abundance of energy available. It’s a little out of sync because it is occurring in winter, but Mars in Aries is so bold, and has so much energy, that even a harsh winter cannot slow it down.
Individually, the House Aries rules will be the area of life that this transit affects. This house will be where the energy from the transit originates, but Mars is an unusual planet in that it can affect any other house in a chart. While transiting Mars will operate from the House of Aries in an individual chart, the energy can be directed to any other house and area of life.
This is important to remember, because Mars is Action, and the energy life force. It can be utilized in any life endeavor. Where Aries falls in a natal chart will only indicate where the energy rests during this transit. But do not despair, the energy can be focused anywhere, and for anything you wish to accomplish. It’s not limited to the House of Aries, it is only hosted there. In such a strong sign like Aries, there will be plenty of energy available too.
Of course there are some house placements that are ‘better’ than others, but ‘taken alone’ (which is almost an impossibility when it comes to Mars), the house will the area of life where Mars will live during the transit. The aspect to one’s natal Mars, and the sign and House placement of natal Mars has some bearing on this transit, but not as much as one would think.
The sheer volume of energy involved here, and the ability to express that energy in Aries, is a dynamic force. New projects can begin, new relationships of any kind, new pursuits, and any new personal goal can begin on a good note with Mars in Aries. Take advantage of the energy while making your New Year’s Resolutions. This may be the year each of us can accomplish our goals.
Mars Rules the signs Aries and Scorpio: Yes, yes, I know modern astrologers give rulership of Scorpio to Pluto, and I agree, Pluto does rule Scorpio. But, in the beginning Mars ruled both Aries and Scorpio, and I believe there are still some insights to be gained if we give Scorpio both Mars and Pluto as rulers. More importantly, both signs will be affected by this transit.
If we think about the nature of Mars, it is easy to see that Aries is indeed the perfect sign to rule the impetuous Mars. And while Scorpio is less impetuous, it is just as purposeful when it comes to obtaining what it wants. While Aries has a childlike directness when taking action, Scorpio is indirect and more strategic. Both are the mandate of Mars—Take action and get what you want. Aries does it in the open, Scorpio does it in secret. Two different sides of the same coin, which is exactly the dynamic of all the planets that rule two signs.
1/6/19 Mercury transits into Capricorn: Saturn’s influence over Mercury in this sign can affect thinking and decision making. This can make it more deliberative, methodical and serious in communications with others, and in problem solving. During this time sometimes the individual can tend to focus too much on the negative and can forget to consider the positive. Depression or hypercritical attitudes can result. Cautious behavior can also delay decisions that should be made quickly. Sometimes over-cautiousness can delay important events, often missing an opportunity to expand influence.
The House that has Capricorn on the cusp will be the house that will be most affected by this transit. Unlike Mars, Mercury will pretty much stay in whatever area of life that house influences. The position of natal mercury, and any aspects natal planets make to the transiting planet will also influence the individual. But in general, this will just be a time of more deliberate thinking and communicating.
1/8/19 Venus transits into Sagittarius: Many will experience the desire to stretch and go outside of the boundaries of their everyday lives. Take a class, lean how to garden, talk to old friends, make new ones, and so on. The desire to break free of routines within the context of relationships [whatever they may be] is strong. Consider this a period of time where the “I need some space” mantra will emerge in some playful ways.
This is not a transit to be taken seriously. It is a time for playfulness. Even the flirt is only playing, although many will be completely unaware of the consequences, the desire for freedom is so strong.
Basically, this is a time where people will want to be free of routines. Have an adventure, even if that adventure is only changing the simplest of routines. The desire to cast off responsibilities and stretch the boundaries of life is strong now. Venus often is transiting into Sagittarius this time of the year, and is pretty much the motivation for almost all New Year’s Resolutions. It’s also why so many are not accomplished, as they are forgotten once Venus ends the transit. There, another bubble burst.
1/21/19 Sun transits into Aquarius: Here the Sun is in the element of air, and is stimulated mentally with a detached perspective. Motivated and recharged by intellectual concepts, social interchanges, and the communication of ideas and/or ideals. The element of air (barring other factors) tends to produce a fairly active mind. The world is approached with reason and everything and everyone is open to analysis. Aquarius generates a friendly, people-oriented mental energy. Unconventional, friendly, unpredictable, and innovative, are all characteristics of Aquarius. The Sun here thrives on originality and may be a bit rebellious. He may even be considered a wee bit eccentric.
Aquarians are a particularly interesting group. Well, all signs are interesting really, but the Aquarian mind-set is quite unique. Aquarians are both engaging and detached at the same time. They can also be quite stubborn and unrelenting if crossed. They cannot be moved from a cause or a belief, and they cannot be manipulated emotionally [at least not easily]. Although they can be quite adept in understanding what motivates people in general, and may use that information to get a desired result.
Aquarians need freedom, and will demand that they have it in no uncertain terms. As children they desire the freedom to ask questions, the freedom to explore, and most importantly the freedom to be uniquely themselves. This is paramount.
Ideally, the detachment of an Aquarian is to facilitate the connection with what Jung called “the mass consciousness”. Aquarians relinquish the personal attachments, that so many desire, in order to be closer to “humanity”, and the causes of humanity. This is not to say that Aquarians do not fall in love, get married, or become parents. I am saying that Aquarians have the “ability” to disconnect at will if they choose to do so. This ability allows them to see the needs of the many as opposed to his or her own personal needs. This is of course, an ideal, and not always a reality. Generally, the need for individual attachments competes with the need to detach to see the bigger picture, and the individual can become conflicted and unhappy at times.
Aquarians definitely march to their own drummer and they are oftentimes living, breathing, and acting out of a sense of being in the future. Because of this, their lives and actions illustrate this state of being. They are not usually the norm. Nor should they be. They are not interested in emotional types of validation (Moon Sign can modify this), they are quite philosophical, and it is their mental body that seeks to find expression.
Freedom in any real sense in our world comes with the realization that the physical body has limitations, but the mind does not. This is a good way to approach understanding an Aquarius.
1/25/19 Mercury transits into Aquarius: In Aquarius, Mercury produces a mind that is original, detached, and abstract, and after the caution of the Mercury in Capricorn phase, it will be a welcome relief to have ideas coming faster and faster as the transit continues. Ideas come as bursts of insights. The mind is hyper-active during this transit and going constantly. Thoughts are rarely organized, rather arriving in flashes and fragments, which are often the seeds of invention and progress. The thought pattern is scientific, and generally there is a sense of casualness and detachment present during this transit. Odd for this time of the year, but amusing that as Valentine’s Day comes along, the minds of many lovers are on anything but romance. Maybe this is why so many forget this Holiday.
Well, that’s it for January of the New Year. Hopefully we can all take advantage of the new energy, capitalize on it during the year, and be prosperous in all our pursuits.
See you next month!
