January brings a lot of astrological action. Mercury stations direct on the first day of 2024. So many planets are moving through Capricorn. Pluto enters Aquarius again. We are cosmically supported to start the new year off right, co-creating our intentions for 2024.

January Sky Viewing

• Morning sky – Venus — in the east ahead of the sunrise
• Evening sky – Saturn and Jupiter — Saturn in the western sky after sunset and Jupiter up high in southern sky

Mercury stations direct — Jan 1

We leave Mercury retrograde behind as we begin 2024. Seems like perfect timing to get rolling in a linear direction again. Time to relinquish the bliss of “being” and start “doing” once again. We’re probably ready to get moving, filled with New Year, leaf turning over, resolutions energy.

Mercury stations direct in Sagittarius. This new three-month Mercury cycle is characterized by fire — intuition and spiritual seeking. This bodes well for acting and aligning with your new year intentions. What does your mind seek as we begin 2024? How does this energy support your resolutions or new year intentions?

Basil — is a brilliant essence to balance the hemispheres of the brain, as Mercury moves from right brain to left. Basil also opens us to the deeper truths of the universe which is Sagittarius’ quest.

Libra Last Quarter Moon — Jan 3

The waning Libra moon squares off with the Capricorn Sun. Both are considered “serving others” signs in alchemical astrology. Their lesson paths involve serving the community, your people. Libra does this through its personal relationships, learning to understand itself through others.

Now, in the latter half of the moon cycle, it is time to begin releasing our previous new moon intentions. This is the final week to put any finishing touches on that goal. Start feeling into what new objective will serve you for the coming moon cycle. Attuning to the moon cycles aligns us with the energies around and within each of us.

Rhododendron — helps us to find our spiritual connections. It is a beautiful essence for this Libra moon.

Mars enters Capricorn — Jan 4

Capricorn is alive this month big time. First the sun entered Capricorn on the solstice. Now Mercury follows, next Mercury and finally Venus.

Capricorn is the sign of wisdom and sage-like knowledge. It knows how to handle things and what needs to be done to support ourselves. This month, following the new solar year begun at the winter solstice and the new calendar year, is the best time to ground into these Capricorn energies. They will help us build the structures to make 2024 what we want.

Mars the divine masculine planet moving into Capricorn helps us to act on our intentions for the year, setting us up for success and manifestation.

Ponderosa Pine — the gorgeous sentinel of our Colorado forests is the quintessential Capricorn essence to ground us and watch over us with love and grandmotherly encouragement.

Capricorn New Moon — Jan 11

The moon activates Mars and then connects with the sun for the new moon — all in Capricorn.

The new moon in Capricorn adds all this earthly juice. This is absolutely the most wonderful moon to set one smaller intention that supports your greater solstice or new year intentions. Use this building energy of Capricorn to set the tone for 2024. Take a step that promotes your moving towards your vision for yourself for this year.

Mercury enters Capricorn — Jan 13

It’s the theme of the month, everyone’s moving into Capricorn. Now, our minds are entering wisdom-keeper Capricorn as well. Again, this is a very supportive energy to begin the new year. It helps us to come into alignment with our intentions for 2024, utilizing the power of our minds to take the needed steps to create what we are wanting in our lives this year. Keep focusing your thoughts and intentions towards what you are creating.

First Quarter Moon in Aries — Jan 17

We continue along the moon cycle in “serving others” signs, this time in actional Aries. The warrior sign is helping us make our new moon intentions happen. This half moon invites action around our intentions. Warrior Aries is up to the task!  Aries lights a fire under us, aligned with this first quarter moon, helping us to take the actions we need to manifest our new moon intentions. Use the energy to get going. Do something that moves you further along manifesting that intention.

Cinnamon — a spicy friend to light the Aries fire within us. It also protects us as we go through the winter illness season. I like a drop swished around in my mouth or added to my morning tea to keep the bugs away.

Sun and Pluto enter Aquarius — Jan 20

The sun enters Aquarius and then Pluto follows. Pluto entering Aquarius is one of 2024’s astrological highlights. Pluto has been in Capricorn (yes more Capricorn) since 2008. It made a dip into Aquarius last year before retrograding back into Capricorn. It’s moving into Aquarius nearly for good now (with one little dip back into Capricorn later this year before the ultimate switch for good).

The sun our inner and outer light, our connection to spirit or source, moves into Aquarius the sign of cosmic consciousness and awareness. We can use this energetic shift to see the bigger picture from a spiritual perspective. As we’re acting and building the foundation of our solar intentions for 2024, stepping back and seeing a broader viewpoint can help us to see how we’re steering the ship so far.

Pluto entering Aquarius is a very big deal. Our underworld planet that is always gifting us with empowerment through healing our shadow moves into a new sign. We have a huge opportunity here to look through egalitarian glasses, to see the world as we want it to be. It offers us the opportunity to get to work cleaning up the shadow aspects that prevent that vision from being a reality.

The last time Pluto was in Aquarius was during the Revolutionary War in the U.S. Our young country had an ideal vision that we immediately fell short on. We built our entire nation on slavery. Nothing has permanently changed since then. We’re still riddled with massive racism. We even have political candidates running on white supremacy platforms.

Will we use this powerful opportunity to heal and move towards getting it right now? Pluto entering Aquarius provides an incredibly powerful chance to do just that over the next twenty years.

Black and White Pine — these two essences, used together, will support us in making these vital changes. Used simultaneously they support the growth that creates situations where we all thrive, on equal footing together as a truly multicultural country — all rising together.

Venus enters Capricorn — Jan 23

Finally, Venus our divine feminine planet gets into the Capricorn action or as the case may be the “being” of Capricorn. Capricorn is the grandmother energy who has been around the block and knows how to get things done if we just listen to her. She carries the wisdom of the trees and the earth in her soul. She wants us to build a stronger foundation of love and respect for the earth so we can continue to live with her. Venus moving into Capricorn invites harmony and living in balance, supporting the wisdom of the feminine coming into greater power in the world.

Ocean Pine — our watery coastal pine essence brings out the flow of the feminine in a deeply grounded and reverent manner.

Leo Full Moon — Jan 25

Time to nurture and celebrate our divine creative powers. The Leo full moon, alit with the Aquarius sun, encourages us to drop into the place where we know we are spirit incarnate. Listen to the callings of your heart. The full moon is a time to celebrate ourselves and in Leo to radically love ourselves and our divine natures. Can you take a moment to find your Leo pride in something that is special about you? Could you dance around the Leo bonfire celebrating your creative talents and gifts?

Ylang Ylang — opens our Leo hearts to greater love and our innate divinity.

Wishing you well on your journey through January,

Sheridan Semple, Alchemical Astrologer, Spiritual Aromatherapist, and Earth and Sky Artist

Two Capricorn New Moon Intention-Setting Ceremony Offerings!

Join me to learn more about the current astrology and set intentions for this moon cycle. Come learn about the astrological aromatherapy for Capricorn too.   I love to do ceremony with you!

FREE Online over Zoom — Wednesday, Jan 10 from 4-5 PM Mountain Time. Register here.

In Person at True Nature Healing Arts, Carbondale, Colorado on Thursday, January 11, 6-7:30 PM, $40. Learn more and register here.