January 1: Questioning Our Motives

Mercury is sextile Neptune at 3:18 a.m.

In the middle of the night, Mercury in stoic Capricorn forms a sextile to Neptune in dreamy Pisces, offering clues on putting a vision into practice, whether we are awake or asleep. We are highly perceptive at this time, keyed into tone and body language, aware of both what is said and what is left unspoken.

It is therefore easy to pick up on subtle inferences, or to work our own powers of suggestion. Words have a hypnotic effect, and we might be able to convince others to aid in our plans by inspiring them with speech. We can be just as easily roped into facilitating someone else’s plans as well, but the underlying theme here is compassion, and we’ll be no worse off for helping them get their concepts off the ground.

The moon is inconjunct the sun at 7:55 a.m.

Come the morning hours, the Leo moon settles into a disquieting inconjunct with the Capricorn sun, creating a restless mood. On the first day of the new year, we are somewhat caught up in making this moment have meaning. The enthusiasm to put our best foot forward straight out of the gate and champion our goals is strong, but we are also interested in garnering the support of others, assuming ventures to earn attention and praise.

As far as getting something accomplished, these impulses may not be completely at odds with one another. However, if we are to back up and assess our motives, the disconnect is clear. Being our own boss (and the boss of our own life by proxy) sometimes means doing the unpopular thing. Where are we pulling our inspiration and focus from—ego drives or emotional ones? A desire to manifest or a desire to impress? We will need to get clear on these questions to determine how we want to move forward in the new year, but today may not provide any further clarity.

The moon is inconjunct Mercury at 11:02 p.m.

Before midnight, the moon also forms an inconjunct to Mercury, exacerbating the day’s confusing atmosphere. Feelings and intellect are on an unequal playing field at this time, and nervous energy abounds, creating a challenging climate for decision-making. Be careful of seemingly idle gossip at this time.

In this anxious headspace, we may blurt out secrets before we are able to check ourselves. It may be wiser to distance ourselves from social scenarios where a harsh word or an emotional outburst could do damage. This influence is not long-lived, and we will feel its effects stronger if we are in company that already tends to make us feel self-conscious or agitated.

All the aspects mentioned are calculated in Standard Pacific Time, for greater accuracy please adjust to your own location.