The New Year begins in Capricorn – the sign that governs time, structure, and ritual. One of Capricorn’s central themes is discipline, which you could think of as a latticework of habits and routines that provide the structure for life as you want to live it. When the Sun, the giver of life, shines through the Capricorn, it’s an excellent time to explore your relationship to discipline and redefine it in a way that’s truly supportive. As Annie Dillard puts it, “how we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” Discipline can be a form of devotion to the way you want to experience life. Ruling both space and time, Capricorn reminds us of our emotional and physical limits and gifts us boundaries. The discipline Capricorn inspires in us helps us to be loving parents to ourselves, who can compassionately recognize how much rest we need, how to make our physical environments safe and comfortable, and what decisions we need to make so that we feel held by our lives (rather than struggling to survive).

Along with the Sun, transformative Pluto teeters on the cusp of Capricorn until the 20th. Meanwhile, Saturn, Capricorn’s ruler, continues to transit through dreamy, transcendent Pisces. These influences shift Capricorn’s expression towards a state that’s more mutable, magical, and free. This version of Capricorn is less buttoned-up and authoritarian than we usually think of it being. It asks us to take a more laid-back and spiritual approach to however we typically approach the New Year. This is really a season of listening to our intuition and to our bodies. Some of us tend to make New Year’s resolutions, set goals, and make promises to ourselves about how we’ll be in this coming year from a place of shame. Thinking “I didn’t do it right last year, this year, I’ll fix that.” The chaotic, generative energy of Pluto (ruled by water sign Scorpio) and Pisces invites us to see through our hearts instead of our minds. What would it feel like to look out on the coming year and all the dreams you have for it from a place of deep, deep love for yourself and who you already are? 

January is a Saturnian month as it spans Capricorn and Aquarius season. Aquarius is traditionally ruled by Saturn (today, it’s ruled by Uranus). Saturn is a generational planet that has a more potent influence on the collective than on the individual. This means that its energies and themes are felt on a more global scale. In our everyday lives, Saturn’s influence—along with those of the other generational planets: Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto—defines the environment and the general vibe more than the specific situations or feelings we might have. During this Saturn-oriented period, we’re invited to participate in subverting current social structures, letting go of punishing timescales and expectations (and asserting healthy limits around our true capacity), and working towards a system that’s supportive and protective—both personally and collectively.

This month is also heavily influenced by Sagittarian themes. Mars, Mercury, and Venus are all transiting through the sign. Mars leaves for Capricorn on the 3rd, followed by Mercury–freshly out of retrograde–on the 12th. Venus hangs out in the sign until the 23rd. With Sagittarian fire influencing our desires (Venus) and the way we communicate and reach out to the world (Mercury), there might be a focus on love and passion, a greater desire for romance—which, under the spell of Sagittarius, we could also call adventure. Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter–planet of expansion–and its energy encourages us to be outward-facing and relational. It’s a good time to socialise and to plan on having new experiences with people you love. Venus in the sign makes us emotionally brave and helps us heal from heartbreak. Mercury in Sagittarius encourages us to be curious about others, to ask questions, to collect stories as a means of creating the intimacy that Venus craves. 

Uranus and Jupiter are in Taurus. The former finally leaves its retrograde path, going direct on the 28th. These two planets create several Trines—supportive aspects—with the Sun, Mars, Mercury, and Venus as they move through Capricorn. Jupiter’s benevolence influenced by Taurus has been offering us opportunities to rest and focus on our bodies in a more loving, nourishing way. Uranus, planet of chaos, synchronicity, and divine timing, may have been placing obstacles in your way while retrograde. Its final lesson to us this month is to integrate the idea that rejection is protection and that delays are sacred. If you need time to rest and slow down but feel resistant, trickster Uranus will be hard at work creating frustration and confusion that opens up space for you to take a much-needed break. 

The Sun moves into Aquarius on the 20th, tailed by Pluto which moves into the sign the next day. There’s a sweep of revolutionary energy during these transits. On a global scale, we could see some major shifts happen—hopefully positive—towards a future with greater social justice or the announcement of some type of human-friendly technological innovation. Personally, it will be a great time for spending time with your vision of your ideal future. You may want to revisit and revise the goals or resolutions you set at the top of the month. By this time, the fog of expectations and overwhelming “shoulds” will likely have lifted, leaving you with more profound insights about what you want. 

When Uranus finally goes direct at the tail end of the month, there will be no more retrogrades until Mercury Retrograde on April 2nd. This span of time might feel like a wide open field. As January comes to a close, we’re invited to take our shoes off and run in the energy of freedom. What ideas or aspects of yourself have you felt ashamed to show the world? How can you be more shameless and, thus, more authentically yourself? What dreams have been put on the back burner that you can now prioritise? While the planets spiral forward in the sky, notice how life becomes more vibrant as you actively participate in the infinite dance of beauty and becoming.

Keagan (she/her) is a writer, tarot reader, and astrologer. Find her on Instagram @moonsingemini to book a reading. Subscribe to her monthly tarotscope newsletter here.

Jess (She/Her) is a multidisciplinary artist and illustrator based in Vancouver BC. Her main area of focus is the connection we share with the world around us, from environmental protection to the supernatural and spooky. She’s inspired by folklore and mythology and the way it weaves through our existence. One of her main goals is to make art accessible for all and to prove that anyone can be creative, regardless of skill level or age. She enjoys engaging with the community and bringing awareness to important issues such as the climate emergency and water protection. Follow her on Instagram @jessstanley.art and www.jessstanley.ca.