Mercury squares Uranus January 31-February 1

Mercury squares Uranus and this transit will be in effect today and tomorrow, January 31-February 1. at 21 degrees of Capricorn-Aries.

Communications can be sudden, erratic and unpredictable and things may be decided too quickly and without enough thought. Watch your communication, as well as your email before you hit send.

We could see problems with electronic communication of many sorts. Mercury rules all types of communication, as well as our thoughts which could be erratic and changeable.

Use caution while traveling as this could be representative of a sudden accident. Watch actions with pets as well as children, immediate family members and co-workers as well as neighbors

This is potentially an explosive transit and Uranus knows no boundaries or has a sense of balance. As Mercury rules communication

Venus-Saturn and New Moon: No more rose colored glasses

Venus squares Saturn this week, and the energy of this transit is potent all week. The transit peaks January 27, at 12:50 PM. After this, the energy is still strong, but it will wane over the next few days.

Additionally, we have a powerful New Moon that occurs at January 27, at 7 07 PM, EST. This Moon is potent because it is unaspected, and because of the Venus-Saturn square.

As always, how this plays out with you, depends on how and where these planets are located in your personal chart.

Venus square Saturn can be negative, depressing and for some can involve endings of different sorts, not limited to romantic relationships. We may be focused on responsibilities which can interfere with social activity. This will not be the best time for social activities and interaction although it can connect you with those from the past at times.

In terms of relationships, you won't have the blinders on with this transit. In some cases, you may see your loved one differently. Endings probably won't occur unless the relationship is tottering on the edge anyway.

This is the time to come to terms with what your relationships really men to you and if they suit your needs.

The other side of this transit represents the type of love that is long lasting, and that will remain with you when things aren't going so well, you are sick, or you no longer look so hot.

My advice is to not act on a spur of the moment issue, whim or bored moment. Saturn is about responsibilities and work.

Additionally the New Moon occurs on the same day. Being unaspected this moon can be quite powerful. As Aquarius is ruled by Saturn and Uranus some people may want to break free, or you may want to try and do things differently. Jean-Baptiste Morin de Villefranche wrote that "an unaspected planet heralds that something strange or extraordinary will take place regarding the meanings of the house in which the said planet is posited." Aquarius is all about personal freedom.

Over the weekend we have a few more astrological events to add to the pot as well. January 28, Mars enters Aires where it is at home.

As all planets are direct at this time, action should pick up and action should take on a faster pace, although people may seem more selfish and bolder.

January 29, Mercury conjuncts Pluto. This can be obsessive to a point of distraction. It is indicative of arguments, accidents and overly intense interactions. Sometimes we find out unexpected things, and others may try to convince you of things, or it could be the other way around. At its worst, it is a transit of mental, verbal or physical abuse.

 In the world this transit represents propaganda. The media will be involved, although not necessarily in a negative way. It is hard to trust what you hear these days, and a transit like this can be driven by others personal, hidden motives and agendas.

Mars squares Saturn: Anger, frustration and delays

This week will not be without stress as Mars squares Saturn, exact, Thursday, January 19. This transit will be felt before it becomes exact and after, as well.

Mars rules our energy and in some way it may seem or feel restricted. This can be a period where we don't have the vigor we are accustomed to, and we may feel limited or slowed down in some way.

Mars-Saturn can result in anger and it is often considered a transit of some form of cruelty in astrology.

The best way to deal with this transit is to proceed with caution, slowly and methodically as you go about your week. Used constructively, you may accomplish more than you think.

My advice is to use caution in your dealings with others as they can lash out if angered or irritated, and you could regret bringing up controversial subjects. This transit will be felt for a few days and then we will soon return to normal, and move forward.

This transit will play out in the world as well. In my January newsletter I predicted we would be dealing with a situation involving those considered enemies to the United States who may try and confuse issues a lack of clarity around the circumstances, as Saturn squares Neptune in the US natal chart. Mars will 'set off' this transit and we will see more in coming days.

US intelligence agencies have stated that Russia, and specifically Vladimir Putin, were involved in hacking of US political entities.  Mars will 'set off' this transit over the next few days and we will hear more.

Saturn-Mars transits typically involve military and police affairs, and we can expect to see a great deal of upheaval over these few days and violence wouldn't surprise me.

While the Saturn-Neptune square in the US natal chart will ease in the coming days and weeks, this transit will return again both in July and September-October of 2017, and we will once again be confronted with the same or similar issues regarding foreign entities.

Full Moon in Cancer: a grand cross and unexpected events

The first full moon of the year falls at 22 degrees of Cancer in the early morning hours of January 12.

Cancer rules the fourth house of home and family and is the most emotional of signs.

This is a big, intense full moon with many possibilities. It forms a grand cross, a configuration shaped like an X with two oppositions and four squares. A grand cross is a difficult and stressful configuration. This could be explosive. It will certainly bring unexpected events with Uranus involved.

The Sun is at 22 degrees of Capricorn and it opposes the Moon, along with Pluto. Jupiter opposes Uranus and the Sun. Jupiter squares the Sun-Moon. The Moon squares Uranus. Uranus squares the Sun/Pluto. The Sun/Pluto squares Jupiter. Jupiter squares then moon.

Major transits always play out both in the world and in our personal lives. In the world we will hear unexpected news and we could hear of explosions and situations that involve women, and the homeland, or other homelands (countries).

The Moon rules women and our emotional lives. Opposing Pluto, emotions could become dark, intense, controlling and obsessive. The Sun rules ego and it always opposes the full moon making situations more emotional, as does every full moon. Moon-Uranus transits bring emotional changeability, upsets and unexpected news or situations. Moon-Jupiter transits are typically not bad, but Jupiter expands whatever it touches, good or bad. It can expand a good emotion, but it can 'blow up' whatever is on the plate.

As Cancer rules the home and family, interactions here can become especially tense, and there will likely be a focus on family, or extended family. Home may be a focus one way or another.

As always, exactly how this full moon plays out depends on what it touches in your personal chart.

The Sun meets Pluto: obsessions, power struggles and metamorphosis

The Sun conjuncts Pluto January 7, but this energy will also be felt the day or two before.

Pluto is the planet ruling ultimate change and transformation, control issues, obsession and power as well as sex.

Events will play out in the world and in our personal lives, especially if you have cardinal planets-Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, or Libra at 16-17 degrees.

Look to see struggles in the world, issues concerning power and control, the abuse of power, and potentially violence. There may be news about the media in some way. Sun-Pluto transits go beneath the surface to reveal what is really there, such as the Senate hearings on Russian hacking that we are seeing on December 5.

Sun-Pluto transits can bring change and transformation in a big way. This is not an easy transit and the energy may not be comfortable.

This transit is indicative of control issues and obsessions, power struggles, and some situations may end or break up at this time.

Sun-Pluto has to do with bullies and the abuse of power. This can play out in your personal life as well as the world.

Who or what do you control, or try to control? Attempting to exert too much control over something or someone can easily backfire at this time. In the end, we can only control ourselves and this is well advised at this time. Push someone and expect push back. Question things that seem like a matter of life and death. Are they really that important or is this a passing phase? Of course, the situation could occur in the opposite way and someone could try and control or manipulate you. There could be a feeling of 'forced change.'

On the other hand, this transit could result in some big change, transformation or new understanding, but the latter is more likely, and change would involve great maturity and patience. Are you up to this?

This transit could also result in some type of internal change. At times we all need to purge things, people or even attitudes from our lives to move on to a higher existence.

Sun-Pluto also deals with the breakdown of things, machinery or even situations and people that can break down as the Sun meets Pluto in the sky. 

But, Pluto has regenerative powers and things can be re-built in a stronger way. If something in your life does break down at this time, it must change for the better or end.