EYE ON THE SKY: EARLY JANUARY ASTRO-WEATHER
Everyone is ready for a New Year after 2020 but on reflection, did you not grow more in certain way of your life? Maybe closer to family, maybe more aware of health habits? Maybe you started appreciating the small things in life and the people that you miss.  Time to reflect as we go into the New Year.
We have to beware of false optimism until April 4th as Jupiter in Capricorn, afflicted by Saturn, tends to be too optimistic that everything will be ok.  Instead we need to be real about our decisions and use hard data and facts and figures. We wish we could trust the science but it has become politicized and both sides use it to push their agenda.
HERE IS A RUN-DOWN FOR THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF THE MONTH:Â
SATURN COMBUSTION:Â JAN. 7TH TO FEB. 9TH
Saturn will be too close to the Sun in starting Jan. 8th and peaks a day before the Saturn/Sun conjunction on Jan. 23rd.
Saturn combustion can bring out the darker qualities of Saturn. In the early stages, it may promote hard work, efficiency, clarity and reliability at work but as it gets closer within 5 degrees (Jan 18-31st) it the can make work intense, cause problems between bosses and co-workers, mistreatment by employers and resistance to authority. On an emotional level, it can hurt confidence and bring on depression. In Ayurveda, Sun/Saturn combination if in your natal chart in the 4th, 5th or 10th or 11th houses, may raise blood pressure and if severely afflicted can lead to heart problems so go easier with exercise and avoid stressful conditions that may affect your heart. This might impact Libra, Scorpio, Aries and Taurus Sun or rising signs more. Go easier if you have heart or high blood pressure problems through the Christmas season and visit your doctor to monitor it if it seems to be acting up.
Sun also rules health for everyone, and I notice the Saturn affliction can hurt the immune system which is also why a lot of flu seems to break out with this combustion combination. Given Covid, stay on top of keeping your immune system up.  Products like Colostrum can enhance your immune system. Get plenty of rest and keep your immune system strong by cutting down on sugar. If you are born with the Sun very close to Saturn in your natal chart within a few degrees, this signature could lead to over-responsibility and taking on too much work and this could stress your heart and circulatory system so lighten up if you are start pushing yourself. If you are running a Sun/Saturn period or a Saturn/Sun period and have a tight signature in your natal chart, this transit may be most difficult.
Saturn cuts off the energy of the Sun and restricts its ability to shine so you may feel lonely and cut-off or inclined to break relationships or quit work because of a conflict with a supervisor. This can lead to depression. The anecdote for Saturn is always Venus so women, relationships, singing, food, music and dance all help lighten Saturn so avoid isolation. This is a time to be disciplined about your meditation practice and yoga and other spiritual practices because these lighten the burden and give us more strength to deal with everything. The tendency is to skip that which is good for us when we are challenged but that’s like taking off a winter coat when it’s below zero.
Donate time and money to help those in need. This is one way to address karma and by getting out of our own stuff, we feel better and move through our own karma. Be disciplined with diet and exercise. The tendency is to use food to cover up difficult emotions or skip exercise because we feel tired or lazy. So much illness (6th house) can be overcome if we are disciplined doing what is good for us.
JUPITER COMBUSTION: JAN. 14-FEB 12TH
Jupiter is combust from Jan. 14-Feb. 12th.  Combustion is one of the biggest afflictions for planets that really is not talked about enough as combust planets are burnt up and their significations are hurt. The Jupiter combustion creates false optimism, which can feel great, but then reality can set in after all the false hopes pop. Make practical decisions into late January and this is especially true until early April with Jupiter in Capricorn getting a double hit of this. So into January, stay out of the Pisces cloud of optimism.  Because Jupiter has no dignity in Capricorn this year, it is more prone to affliction.
On an Ayurvedic level, Jupiter governs the liver and it may be afflicted the last few week of January so fresh organic squeezed lemon in some hot water in the morning to get that liver moving. All forms of the twist in Hatha yoga support the liver and help squeeze out toxins. You may need to do the Cow face pose (Gomukhasana) to energize the liver over the next few weeks.
Be realistic and check your facts careful and lighten up on people if you are feeling heavy. The exact conjunction of Sun and Jupiter can be really powerful for the Sun and Jupiter as the Sun will take on all of Jupiter’s energy and feel uplifted by generosity, confidence and expansion. This is happening Jan. 28th.
Avoid heavy and oily foods — especially at night — as they are hard to metabolize and use liver tonics and lemon in water in the morning to tonify the liver. This is a good time for Panchakarma at the Ayurveda clinic or a simple diet of rice and dahl to give your liver a rest. So, stay on top of liver health and check your facts carefully and avoid false optimism so that you will not get disappointed.
The good thing about the conjunction is that those ruled by the Sun are energized greatly by Jupiter’s warmth and this may help leadership and self-confidence. All of this is taking place in the Moon’s constellation of Shravana (Capricorn 10-23.20), whose deity is Vishnu. This can lead tos a great desire to want to listen to Vedic scriptures and to be more involved in listening to the truths of the universe.
Jupiter is conjunct the Sun on Jan. 28th.  For Leos, the energy will be very high and charged with wisdom, confidence, enthusiasm, expansion and comfort as the Sun will take on the energy of Jupiter and they are friends, so the Sun is uplifted. The exact conjunction according to Medieval astrology is called “cazemi”which means that Jupiter moves into the heart of the Sun and will create extra holiday cheer if you can avoid holiday exhaustion. Pisces rising and those with Jupiter in the first may find the combustion more exhausting but with the Sun and Jupiter good friends, it should be fine when they are exactly together.
SATURN 75% SQUARE TO MARS INTO JAN. 13TH;
While this is a 75% square it will be felt strongly on Jan. 13th and will dominate much of the month as Mars is moving slowly and does not move beyond a 5 degree orb until Jan. 28th. This can bring about major ego conflicts with others and if you lose and argument you may fly off the handle or harbor brooding resentments. There will be continual suppressed rage that can last out at anyone. You may face disappointments and delays and have your ambitions thwarted and that will lead to frustration. Learn to be patient and remember everything always takes longer than you want. Watch your blood pressure and drive careful and stay alert to avoid accidents. Because Saturn is very strong in Capricorn it will have a much more powerful impact. If you are Aries or Scorpio rising or have planets at 6-10 degrees Aries, particularly Saturn or Mars, you may feel it more than others. Or if you are running a Saturn/Mars or Mars/Saturn period it may be particularly brutal.
MERCURY CONJUNCT JUPITER and SATURN : JAN. 9-11TH
Mercury is in a planetary war with Jupiter in Capricorn on Jan. 11 and is conjunct Saturn on Jan. 9th.  It loses a planetary war to the big outer planets on the day of the conjunctions . Jupiter and Mercury are great enemies and in the dual signs, it tends to lead to health issues for Virgo, Gemini, Sag and Pisces Rising. It can be good for writing and thinking clearly but it for Virgo, Pisces, Gemini and Sag. rising signs, it can lead to very complex relationship problems centered around the challenge of idealism with of Jupiter and the practical and critical and biting nature of Mercury.
It is a good transit for business as Mercury is the significator for commerce and Jupiter expands it. It also can lead to broadened and deep comprehension of any issue you are dealing with.  Still, when they are are close Jan. 11-12, you might get carried away by enthusiasm and doing too many things and being too critical or argumentative and getting into relationship squabbles. Be more patient and accepting of others and less hard on yourself.
Mercury/Jupiter conjunctions at their worse can lead to a “Pollyanna” attitude where one misses great opportunities for quick gains or gets caught up in lazy thinking. As the planets separate, it will support publishing seminars, music, dance, childhood education, speaking and counseling.
Mercury/Saturn Jan 9th:
Mercury goes into Capricorn on Jan. 4th and moves toward conjunction with Saturn into Saturday Jan. 9th.  The conjunction can impact the intellect and poor judgment is a problem so you have to be careful about decision making particularly if you are Gemini or Virgo or Sag. or Pisces rising. As we move into the end of the month, remember with the Saturn conjunction and the retrograde starting Jan. 30th,  be redundant about communications as emails and phone messages may get lost; back up computers; be patient that things may take more time or that people may not understand you.
This upcoming Mercury retrograde is not until Jan. 30th and is happening from Aquarius 2 degrees back into Capricorn 17th.  If you have Mercury retrograde in your natal chart, it can make you  more intuitive people and reverses Mercury’s normal logical mind. This may be triggered in transit for some.
Mercury retro is good for Geminis and Virgos as it strengthens their rising sign and Taurus rising may do better with as it owns the 2nd and 5th houses. Cancers have the most difficult time with it as Mercury owns the 12th house.
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