I still can’t shake that groggy feeling I woke up with. And while I did marshal my will to get up for my 7:30 am exercise class, since then I’ve been moving really slowly.

Is it the forever/still Seattle rain that’s leaving me with lassitude? Or last night’s red wine? Or am I feeling into the Mars/Neptune Square that colors the kairos this week? Or perhaps all of the above, notably too given that the aforementioned astrological alignment can connect us both to the energy/ signatures of water (hello rain!) and spirits that may at once soften and dampen our consciousness (hello red wine!)

As Neptune dissolves boundaries, when it meets up with active Mars, we may find ourselves feeling that our energy is dissipated if we move in our usual ways. Instead of pushing forward in the style that you routinely do, align with your feelings and see where you feel moved to go. Mars/Neptune inspires us to go with the flow and have faith to surrender to the currents around us. It’s a beautiful time to connect with art and mysticism, seeing how they may catalyze your spirit and inform the activities you want to undertake. Waves of compassion may break the levee of our hearts, galvanizing us to shower ourselves and others with more empathy and a greater dose of forgiveness.

Given messenger Mercury is moving slowly across the sky in anticipation for beginning its retrograde cycle on Friday, another hallmark of the week may be a focus on communication, information, and delivering messages. And with that, it’s important to watch for the potential to feel inundated by facts and figures and/or people trying to get your attention. Go slow, don’t rush, and turn to your favorite relaxation practices if you find your mind and nervous system to be a bit agitated in that Mercury’s-about-to-shift-directions kind of way.

Regarding Mercury retrograde itself, here’s the 411. It will be retrograde through February 3, journeying through a swathe of Aquarius and then Capricorn (11 Aquarius to 24 Capricorn to be exact). During these three weeks, it always seems wise to pay close attention (even more than usual) to your communication: make sure you’re clearly sharing your ideas, read important missives at least one more time than you usually would before sending, and watch that you don’t press Reply All when you really only wanted to Reply to an email’s original sender. Also remember that some of the power of this period comes from turning to the past: look to sources of knowledge that are either steeped in ancient wisdom or those with which you engaged previously. As Mercury is retracing its steps, re-traversing landscape it has already traveled, so should we; by doing so, not only do we get to see skipped stones, we also get to re-address situations with an additional layer of insight so that we can bolster their foundations.

Once the 14th arrives, we will have two personal planets undergoing their retrograde cycle: Mercury and Venus. Given the latter will be retrograde though the 29th, we’ve got two-plus weeks in which there’s a strong call to not push forward but rather to learn and assess by reviewing, re-evaluating, and reconsidering. While we’re used to thinking that January is the time for getting off the ground running, this year it feels like that’s not as true. Starting 2022 with this backward motion—let alone the change-it-up invitations that next week’s astrology will bring—it feels more like #FebruaryIsTheNewJanuary. It seems like going slow and being really mindful over the next few weeks can connect us to treasures of awareness that will help us begin making deeply aligned progress when next month arrives.

While I just gave a shout out to next week’s astrology (and will write more about it then), the influences of it seem like it will be ushered in by week’s end (the latest….aka you may already be feeling them). What’s happening?

Well, on the 17th, there’s a Full Moon that connects to dig-deep Pluto. Given that this planet—which connects us to the themes of power, control, and hidden treasures—makes a union with the Sun this Sunday, we may find that this weekend we want to—or need to—focus on things that really matter. Don’t be surprised if your capacity for BS seems quite limited and that what’s captivating your attention are things that are transformational and intimately connect you to the mysteries of life.

Additionally, on the 18th, shake-it-up Uranus shifts direct. As such, days before and after it does, what it represents may seem to be quite loud in the collective. Uranus stations are associated with shocks and surprises, the desire to recognize patterns, an inspiration to be innovative, and an urge to feel a greater sense of freedom. If you’ve been reading my work for a bit, you already know that when there are strong Uranus times—like now—my favorite mantra is Stay Bouncy! Keep your knees bent, remember how valuable (and stress reductive) being adaptive can be, and be open to pivoting and taking detours.

More on all this next week!

Until then,

All my best,

Stephanie

Astrological Highlights

January 10

Sun/Neptune Sextile

January 11

Mars/Neptune Square

January 14

Mercury stations retrograde (until February 3)

January 16

Sun/Pluto Conjunction

All days reflect Eastern Standard Time (- 5 hours GMT)

Stellar Insights: January 10 - 16, 2022

Astrological Highlights