JANUARY 2014 HOROSCOPE: OVERVIEW

by Leigh Oswald (London-based Astrologer and Teacher)

2014 is not going to be too easy for our planet.  As climate change shows its face increasingly and economic turmoil and inequality will not be quieted, the tensions and anger will grow and the T square formed between Mars, Pluto and Uranus, which is at work in the first 6/7 months will become onerous for us all. Jupiter will feed false confidence into the equation, so creating some wilful blindness in the powers that be. The dichotomy between unashamed greed (and its fallout) and the desire to regain some morality in our value system will grow and polarise.

Extreme conservatives recently accused the Pope of being Marxist, when he merely pleaded for some fairness, compassion and equality on our planet and called for a need to review the excesses of recent neo liberal capitalism. 

That little exchange sums up the coming adversarial mood on our planet.

There is a serious dichotomy emerging, an existential question, no less, about what it means to be human and what the true nature of the human condition really is and should be and how we are to survive as a planet…. Coming to a place near you, this year. 

As I have mentioned before, the USA also has some major planetary challenges this year focusing on its economic structure.

There will also be two major planetary shifts that occur in 2014. Jupiter moves from Cancer (where he has been since late June 2013) into Leo, in mid July; and then in late December, Saturn will move out of Scorpio (where he has been since October 2012) into Sagittarius. Clearly there will be implications for those who have strong emphasis in their birth charts on the signs that are the new hosts of both Jupiter (Leo) and Saturn (Sagittarius).

But now, just to focus on this month.

January 2014 is an unusual insofar as there are two new Moons, one on the 1^st at 11° Capricorn and one on the 30^th at 11° Aquarius, and the full Moon falls on the 16^th at 26° of Gemini. New moons point to the new and to planting for the future  and the full Moon reveals what we sow and complete.

Venus continues to be retrograde all month, going direct again finally on the last day of the month. When Venus is retrograde it behoves us all, both individually and globally, to rethink our lives and our financial situation, and indeed more importantly, our value systems. An issue that will have to gain in momentum this year of necessity if our planet is to have a viable future..

When Mars is in Libra, as it is all month, (and unusually in that same sign till late July) there is often a feeling of nations wanting to be first among equals, and although there may be diplomacy, there is also an iron fist in a velvet glove when it comes to competition and socio-political issues.

The 1^st and 2^nd are powerful days when the Sun is conjunct Pluto, continuing the mood of late December and this is a period when force and power is tested for wisdom or folly.

Mid-month when Venus squares Mars, there can be some revelations of economic mistakes and misbehaviour on a global level, and indeed there is rash behaviour abroad and over-confidence and inflated egos.

Between the 3^rd and 6^th when Mercury and the Sun oppose Jupiter, there can be over-reaching, over-confidence and some bombast in the air, and on the 3^rd when the Sun squares Mars, there is tension.

The 31^st sees Jupiter opposition Pluto exactly. This is a time when there is a serious will and desire by somebody to have power and to make happen what is desired, and only motivation will show what is wise and what is not. Events in the States may be significant.

Positive days when there is a sense of the new and progressive in the air are around the 17^th and 29^th. Days of caution and reality checks are around the 6^th and 10^th. Days of constructive energy with wisdom are around the 24^th.