At 9:38 PM EST on January 19, 2022, The Sun enters Aquarius I, the realm that Austin Coppock called The Mark of Exile. Ruled by Saturn and administered by Venus, it represents the creative power operating under restricted circumstances— the lonely voice trying to prophesy the truth in a way that will be heard. This involves speaking to the unique circumstances of the present moment, relaying unpleasant realities through inventive and memorable language and action.
The dodecatemoria of Aquarius I speak to this pattern: Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, and Taurus. Each of the 2°30′ slices of the sky tells part of the story of the prophet. First comes the exile, for daring to be of service to a higher authority, and accept the anointing call. Then come the tears of mutable water, of knowing that the truth goes unheard. Then comes the new fire in the head, as the prophecy finds a new way to express itself. Finally, in Taurus, the prophet finds a kind of luxuriant peace, knowing the message will resound.
The classical Alexandrians looked to Dike, the goddess of justice, as the ruler of these ten days. She was the keeper of the sword of justice, and the protector of the many diverse interests that met in the court of law: the plaintiff’s genuine grievance, the defendant’s rights and liberties, and society’s aims in delivering suitable restitution, as a lesson to other miscreants and as a way to rebalance the norms of society. To return to themes of prophecy, however briefly, Dike’s adherents remind us often that the purpose of law (as the preamble to Hammurabi’s law-code would have it) is to protect the weak against the strong, and restrain the rapacious from the meek.
Whether or not that will be true in these ten days, remains to be seen.
Planetary Positions
The Ascendant is at 27° Virgo 21′ with the Sun below the horizon, making this a night chart. For the first time in a while, the Moon is in the night sky in Leo. Just a few days past the full moon in Cancer (on January 17), she’s in a favorable position to act on her own from the twelfth house, and promises that a time of retreat from the world will be energizing and philosophically thought-provoking.
The Nodal Axis has shifted for the first time in 18 months — which occurred on 18 January 2022 at 1:48 pm EST — leaving behind the Gemini-Sagittarius binary for the Scorpio-Taurus. This is a marked shift that will color the next eighteen months until July 18, 2023 (at 3:59 pm EDT) — bringing a hunger for earthly luxury and terrestrial normalcy, even as it troubles sexual relations and pipes our emotional lives through some hot and heavy challenges. The specifics of how it manifests will be discussed in the horoscopes, further on.
Mars is in his “chariot”, the bound of the last four degrees of Sagittarius. This comes across as a sort of principled but perseverating ferocity, a need to do what must be done that is combined with a particularity of how it must be done. Conjunct the IC, exact by degree and only six minutes apart, there’s a sense in this Mars passage of a date with destiny: fulfilling a dream or responding to a duty: fixed signs will be particularly affected by this.
Venus is retrograde in Capricorn still, avoiding her date with Pluto the way that Grimes eventually stopped returning Elon Musk’s phone calls. The two will eventually get together (early March), but only so that she can put him behind her. Until then, the Persephone-Hades vibes might be pretty strong. Relationships may have some long-distance themes going on: you might not be physically separated, but emotional distance may open up, or you may have to engage in a little quarantine-at-home in the next few days.
In Aquarius acting as the sixth house, Mercury narrowly avoided meeting up with Saturn just before the retrograde began, and backpedaled furiously toward the Sun; they’ll meet around 5:30 am EST on January 23, 2022. This event, called a Mercury cazimi (Mercury in the heart of the Sun) usually represents a moment of extreme clarity or intellectual discovery about next actions, at least on the retrograde swing of the cycle; the direct cazimi will occur on April 3, 2022). However, the decision to engage with the Sun in a retrograde rather than with Saturn in a direct relationship looks a lot like chasing after a new big dream rather than facing a harsh truth. My own Mercury retrograde has meant traveling to take care of family members for a few days, gradually expanding to a longer period of time, and leaving behind some important responsibilities in New England (and in my neighborhood) as a result. You may find yourself having to choose between old, lagging responsibilities and fresh new projects, too. One way or another, you’re likely to find your intelligence besieged, between the things your mind wants you to do, and your larger duties in your daily life.
In Pisces, acting as the seventh house, Jupiter and Neptune engage in a kind of play, each with their own theoretical point in the chart: Neptune is dancing with the Descendant, suggesting that an important partner like a spouse or business peer is wrestling with unfulfilled dreams, and holding up their own efforts like a martyrdom or sacrifice; while Jupiter’s relationship with the Lot of Fortune promises them wealth through a better form of engagement (with clients, vendors, allies, interested partners). There’s a sense of a lack of fulfillment in this pairing, as well as a triumphant sense that things are going about as well as they can go right now.
Uranus in Taurus in the tenth house raises questions of autonomy and empowerment. There’s a sensual, physical side to this, as well as a pressure to go do something — how do you find pleasure in a pandemic? How do you travel? Where should you go? How do you stay safe? — but Uranus merely activates the anxiety and the wanderlust and the hope, without providing clear guidance about how to do it. The undertow will be strong, particularly for Scorpio risings.
The Moon is in Leo in the twelfth house, in the third decan called The Banner and in the Twelfth Mansion. This Mansion is favorable for long-distance travel and for making friends and allies, but in this chart it welcomes the moon in the house associated with loneliness and isolation. There’s a sense that we travel alone, even when in the mass of humanity that pass through airports and port authorities — and even more so than usual in the current era, where everyone is expected to be masked and somehow proofed against a plague while traveling. Air travel used to be a good place to make temporary friends and form potential new alliances, and maybe it will be again — for now, it may be better to sit in silence and contemplate your destination on those rare long-distance journeys.
Horoscopes by Rising Sign
Horoscopes of Decan I of any sign are free to the public; Decans II and III are available to the $3/month tier and above on Patreon.
Virgo: Mercury inconjunct and cadent. Your analytic skills will be at work in the next ten days, plotting out adjustments in your daily routine, shifting around fun-time activities in your schedule, and dealing with a potentially injury-causing circumstance at home. Plan a gift or a surprise for a loved one. Be ok with going down an intellectual rabbit-hole for a while, too. Outside help may be hard to come by for a few days — be prepared to work on your own.
Libra: Venus is triplicity lord but retrograde and square. You may not want to do much with friends and associates, but you may be called upon to be the social secretary and planner. Home may be the scene of an accident: take more precautions than usual. Financial decisions require a fair bit of transaction analysis, but make the decision as much about aesthetics and beauty as raw numbers, and you’ll get better results.
Scorpio: Mars inconjunct but in his bound. You’d like to stay close to home, your partner may be lusting for the long road to distant places. Put together a “working kit” that allows you to continue to be productive even when far from home. A financial challenge may cut into your dream plan — you need clearer communication about how things are supposed to go at home, and what the daily routine should look like: keep the sink clear of dishes and wash up regularly. Give needed time to a partner’s non-sensual interests and wants, and their financial successes will benefit you.
Sagittarius: Ruling Jupiter in his sign and angular, but square. The challenges of home and what it means to be there have a personal effect on you in these ten days. You’re being urged to spend money on fun and entertainment, but the reality is that there’s not really too many places to go, and nothing you really want to do. There’s a chance to adjust your schedule for the better, but first you have to get through the existing commitments, whatever they are. Your partner, if you have one, is exercising true leadership around household matters, but may not enjoy it much. Focus your efforts on maintaining a happy home, and all other things will flow favorably from that, for now.
Capricorn: Ruling Saturn domiciled but inconjunct and cadent. Pluto present. Your creative skills are likely being worked overtime right now, and you’re being left at home alone more often than you’d like. Plans with friends are likely to fall through, but financial issues brought to the fore have you reviewing your customary hangouts and standing dates and appointments more carefully. A family issue requires your attention and focus, even though it seems trivial — the act of being engaged and attentive is more important than what you think about it.
Aquarius: Ruling Saturn domiciled but cadent. Your daily planner is the best tool you have right now, but the second most important is your phone: call and communicate your plans, or text them — more communication, not less, will get you through the next ten days with fewer challenges. A personal hobby craves your engagement and attention, but it’s also likely to be a time suck: be sure to set an alarm to go off when your allotted playtime is over. You may have to cut things off gently with a dear friend, at least for the moment… know that you could pick things up again later. Do not invite them deeper in.
Pisces: Ruling Jupiter present and angular. Neptune present. The others in your life in the next ten days require significant attention: business partner, spouse, mortal foes, that jerk in Accounting who’s after your job. Pay attention to others, give them your full notice and care, be clear about what key people bring to the community — and to you! Your own work schedule is likely to be lonely these ten days, and friendships that have long been generous may be on more of a “pay your own way” standard for a little while. Don’t take it personally… but do be more careful in learning settings like classrooms.
Aries: Mars is in his bound and angular but square. The scripts or stories you’re using to self-report on the challenges in your life are out of date and more importantly paint yourself as a victim rather than the hero — or the villain — of your story. Agency and responsibility go hand in hand: either you are as powerless as you claim to be (in which case, sit there and do nothing), or you have the capacity to make significant changes. But it begins with accepting the duty and the responsibility that has been laid on you. Once you do that, you’ll find that you can get friends, manage your workload, and deal with others on their own terms.
Taurus: Venus trine and a triplicity lord, but retrograde. You have some learning to do, and possibly you need to go on a journey (possibly of self-discovery, possibly to a place of pilgrimage) in order to learn what you have to learn. Some of this is likely to be practical knowledge — but some of it is the self-awareness that comes from mastering new skills. Thetemptation, of course, is to keep delaying, keep putting it off — I don’t have the money, I don’t have the intellectual chops, my family needs me to do other things right now. But these are excuses, and you must find the courage to study the next hard thing you want to know. Ironically, financial success lies on the other side of that study. Go for it.
Gemini: Mercury trine and a triplicity lord, but retrograde and cadent. Professional or career matters occupy your attention for the moment, although family issues may be giving your gut a workout in queasiness. You and your partner, if any, may be gearing up for a fight — but at the same time it’s about living the dream, not parting ways. Some of what is on the table is the way that you both manage resources — you like to nurture and grow your assets like a garden, and they see their property as a functional tool. There’s not a right answer, but you may find more common ground than you think. Recognize, too, that their advice about your career may not be as much daydreaming as you currently think.
Cancer: Moon inconjunct and cadent. Friendship, whether of the informal variety or your more professional associations on LinkedIn, could be much on your mind right now. You need to spend some time focusing on the weak ties, the lingering and tenuous connections… but your gut reaction wants to stay with the usual intimates, the five or ten people you talk to most. Bridge the gap by talking to extended family: call an aunt or a cousin you haven’t talked to since covid canceled Thanksgiving in 2020. Email someone you went to college or grad school with. Then connect to a study buddy from high school, or the person you went on that backpacking trip with, the summer after graduation. Your duties and responsibility to others can be a source of great intellectual growth right now, as long as you don’t regard them as an odious burden.
Leo: Sun in opposition and cadent. Review the work of the last ten days, and get it set up for completion in the next ten. Remember that generating new content, and editing old content, are two different skills — and the second needs more attention right now than the first. Your daily plan may feel like it’s in the way of your personal need to ‘find yourself”, but the reality is that you should follow the plan wherever possible. Give yourself the necessary solo time: even if you have to work for your bread, you can cut down on the fun for a short burst to achieve your dream. Be cautious about accepting new duties from others right now: the request may be right in your wheelhouse, but it’s not what you’re working towards right now: the worst thing would be to become an essential cog in someone else’s machine.
Colophon
have a Patreon account for those who want to support this column as it approaches the midpoint of its third year (I began with Leo I in 2019 ). We’re currently doing a decan walk through some Tarot, astrology, mythology, and magic. If you don’t want to become a regular patron, you can also buy me a Ko-fi in $3 increments, and any column I write after receiving a Ko-Fi donation will be open to the public. You can also schedule an appointment with me using Accuity Scheduling, for a natal or solar return consultation.
I use iPhemeris for my charting software, and screenshot it to make charts. I want to thank the team that develops iPhemeris for the addition of Terms and Decans to their charts, appearing here for the first time! I use Hugh Tran‘s Physis typeface to craft logos for this blog, as well.
I use Christopher Warnock‘s The Mansions of the Moon as the basis of my Moon placement delineations, and Austin Coppock‘s 36 Faces as the basis of much of my planetary delineations. Neither gentleman endorses me. My own book, A Full Volume of Splendour and Starlight, is now available as PDF download from my Etsy website, as is my Almanac for 2021. I follow T.Susan Chang and the Reverend Erik Arneson for insight into Tarot. Any errors in these columns are my own.
If you’d like to schedule a consultation with me, you can find additional information on the Services and Classes page.
If you want to read some of my other astrologically-oriented poetry, “A Full Volume of Splendour and Starlight” contains these smaller collections:
- To the Mansions of the Moon is a collection of hymns to the angels of the Mansions
- For the Behenian Stars is a collection of hymns to the first/brightest sixteen stars.
- The Sun’s Paces are hymns to the thirty-six Hellenistic-era deities and ascended souls of the Greco-Egyptian Decans-calendar.
- Festae, hymns to some of the older Roman gods and spirits.
