January 6th ~ 13th

Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, As the swift seasons roll! Leave thy low-vaulted past! Let each new temple, nobler than the last, Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast, Till thou at length art free, Leaving thine outgrown shell by life’s unresting sea! ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

On January 6th we have a Full Moon at 16º Cancer 22’. Nostalgic, emotional and protective, the Full Moon in Cancer is usually a time for reflection, looking back on where we have come, while also looking forward to where we hope to see ourselves going in the future. The Sun is in Capricorn, a disciplined and organized sign, armed with a plan and a resolve. And it can often feel at this Full Moon as if we are standing on a precipice, with one eye looking back, and the other gazing forward to the future. 

In order to know where we want to go, we need to  find ourselves in the scheme of things, and know fully who we are. At the Full Moon emotions can come bubbling to the surface. All the more so with the Full Moon in emotionally laden Cancer where memories swirl up through the cosmic mists of time, carrying with them all of their associated feelings. Pay attention to those feelings, for they are trying to clue you in to a story about yourself.

This year the Cancer Moon coincides with the (inferior) conjunction of Mercury, which begins a new Mercury cycle in the sign of Capricorn. Occurring in the middle of the retrograde phase of Mercury, the conjunction between Mercury and the Sun sets the tone for the next whole Mercury cycle which continues through the 1st of May.

Although we are in the midst of the retrograde phase of Mercury, and Cancer is a reflective sign, there is no nostalgic clinging to the past with this Moon. With a square to Chiron and an exact sextile to Uranus this moon seems to be making quite a different statement. Limping into the New Year, Chiron square the Full Moon is asking us to face those problems that we’ve been trying to avoid. But in order to do so, we will need a safe harbor in order to heal old wounds, and receive the support we need in order to meet the world on its own terms. 

The sextile to Uranus implies that we are looking towards the future with the hope for something better. One of the things that becomes apparent to us under these Uranian rays is that we don’t have to keep doing things the same way over and over. That there just might be better ways, and better solutions. Change is in the air. And many will be seeking the solutions that would best suit them and their purposes. 

The time for action is not quite yet. But it is near. Mars is slowing for its direct station on January 12th. As it does so, it could feel as if the pause button is being pushed and we are being put on hold. This coming week can feel like a full stop. But a full stop just before we are about to take off.  Many will be agitated to get moving right away. But it will take some time for Mars to pick up speed again. So allow things to come together as they will, in their own time. 

This pause can also be a good thing. Mercury is still retrograde until January 18th, and we stand here at the dawning of the next Mercury cycle, when the focus is directed within. Mercury in Capricorn, albeit retrograde, is very organized and goal oriented. But even before we take any action, we are being asked to orient ourselves within: Is this path truly the one for me? Are these goals at the expense of my personal needs? And if you were to make any changes in your life and goals, what might that look like for you? 

This is when we are being asked to set our inner gps system, and make sure that we are aligned with the proper coordinates. The coordinates we truly wish to be aligned with. For once Mars, and then Mercury are direct again, all systems will soon be moving forward. May they bring you where you need to go in order to fulfill your heartfelt goals, and build more stately mansions ever more noble than the last. 

For this week’s horoscopes, click below:

HOROSCOPES