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Astrological Overview: January 22 - 28, 2024
Astrologer Pam Younghans writes this weekly astrological journal based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies. This column is not intended as prediction. Your own experience will be more specifically defined by transits to your personal chart.
Aspects of Note this Week:
All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. For Eastern Time, add 3 hours; For Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), add 8 hours.
Monday: No major aspects are exact today
Tuesday: Venus enters Capricorn
Wednesday: No major aspects are exact today
Thursday: Mars square Chiron, Full Moon 9:53 a.m. PST
Friday: Mercury square Chiron, Venus sesquiquadrate Uranus, Neptune square Ceres, Sun square Jupiter, Uranus stations direct
Saturday: Mercury conjunct Mars, Mercury square nodal axis, Venus sextile Saturn
Sunday: Mars square nodal axis, Mercury trine Uranus, Venus trine Jupiter
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LEO FULL MOON: With the Aquarius Sun and mighty Pluto traveling side-by-side over the next few days, we expect this week's Full Moon to be especially impactful. The lunation perfects at 9:54 a.m. PST on Thursday, January 25. At that time, the Moon will be at 5°14´ Leo, opposite the Sun and Pluto, and also in tight square aspect to the giant planet Jupiter. This arrangement of the planets creates a configuration called a fixed T-square.
To visualize this configuration, imagine a large letter "T" in the sky. At one end of the bar across the top of the letter is the Moon in Leo, while the Sun and Pluto are at the other end, in Aquarius. Jupiter in Taurus is located at the base of the stem, in what is called the "apex" position. This is called a "fixed" T-square because all four planets are in fixed signs. By nature, fixed signs tend to resist change, especially if the force for change seems to be external rather than internal.
This Full Moon T-square indicates a buildup of tension this week that will reach a crescendo at the time of the lunation. Under this increased pressure, some may react irrationally, or act out of a need to maintain control – especially if they have a strong attachment to the status quo or to current forms and structures.
With Jupiter at the apex of the T-square, we will need to watch the tendency to be opinionated, self-righteous, and dogmatic. We may go to extremes and be overly dramatic as we express our beliefs. A judgment of "right and wrong" could get in the way of finding workable solutions.
THE PLUTO EFFECT: With Thursday's Full Moon opposing Pluto, this lunation is likely to provide us with some important insights into the Pluto-in-Aquarius effect. Pluto oppositions usually manifest through power struggles and tug-of-war scenarios, but the areas of contention may be different now that the dwarf planet is in this socially and scientifically progressive, independent, revolutionary, rule-breaking sign.
Possible themes for this Full Moon thus include inequality and injustice, civil rights and individual freedoms, the power of the group and the decentralization of control. We are likely to see examples of how those in leadership roles dramatically roar in an effort to intimidate and maintain control (the shadow side of Leo the Lion). Our challenge individually is thus to manifest the positive qualities of Leo, even when under pressure. These traits are clearly demonstrated by the transformed, no-longer-cowardly Lion as he appears at the end of The Wizard of Oz: confident and in charge, yet also gracious, open-hearted, and kind.
THE URANUS EFFECT: Sideways-spinning Uranus is at a virtual standstill in the heavens this week. The planet will complete its five-month retrograde period and station direct on Friday, at 19°05´ Taurus.
Whenever a planet comes to its station, we feel its influence more strongly than usual. The Uranus effect often manifests through unexpected or sudden events, which are designed to break us free from where we have been stuck or limited. We may experience the challenging side of mundane Uranus through rebellious, erratic, or radical behaviors; but we can also benefit from the planet's higher octave role as Divine Mind, as it brings new insights and original ideas into our awareness.
With Uranus stationing direct the day after a powerful Full Moon – and with it being the planetary ruler of Aquarius, thus strongly linked to the Sun and Pluto as they transit the eleventh sign – we anticipate that there will be significant shifts occurring in the last half of the coming week. These shifts may be in our "real world" experience or in our consciousness, or both.
THIS WEEK'S ASPECTS: Here are my brief interpretations of this week's most important planetary aspects:
Monday
No major aspects are exact today.
Tuesday
Venus enters Capricorn: Venus is moving rather quickly right now, and will be in the sign of The Seagoat less than four weeks, from January 23 to February 16. During this time, we tend to be more serious, realistic, and perhaps conservative in how we invest our hearts and our monies. Some people may use this influence to make a commitment in these areas, while others may choose to end a situation based on an objective view of whether the returns are worth the investment.
Wednesday
No major aspects are exact today.
Thursday
Mars square Chiron: Irritations and anger may mask deeper insecurities and the fear of being ineffectual or incompetent. Tempers can ignite quickly if someone feels disrespected or that their needs are not being met.
Sun opposite Moon: The Full Moon is exact at 9:53 a.m. PST today.
Friday
Mercury square Chiron: Issues that arise now may be triggered by an underlying lack of confidence in our ideas, our intellect, and our ability to clearly convey our thoughts. Communications and travels may be disrupted or feel unsatisfying.
Venus sesquiquadrate Uranus: The need for independence in relationships is strong, especially with Uranus at a standstill today. This aspect may result in short-term separations and an increased desire for personal space and time.
Neptune square Ceres: We may be dealing with feelings of disillusionment with this influence, or sense that we have been deceived in some way.
Sun square Jupiter: This aspect indicates a stubborn resistance to being told what to do.
Uranus stations direct: Restlessness and impulsive behaviors are likely with Uranus at a standstill. Those who have planets or points in their natal charts between 17 and 21 degrees of fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius) are likely to feel this energy most directly.
Saturday
Mercury conjunct Mars: As the planets of communication and desire align, people can be very direct and forthright, perhaps even blunt, forceful, or angry in their use of words.
Mercury square nodal axis: It may be hard to let go of issues that have been raised, but if we feel compelled to revisit earlier conversations, it will be valuable to understand our true motivations. Is there really a need for further explanation, or is it an underlying discomfort with disagreement that keeps us coming back to the table? If the latter, we will find that the more we try to explain, the less comfortable we actually feel.
Venus sextile Saturn: This stabilizing aspect should enable us to maintain greater objectivity and calm when dealing with relationship or financial concerns.
Sunday
Mars square nodal axis: The primary challenge of this aspect is to be true to oneself but to remain calm and confident, rather than angry and demanding.
Mercury trine Uranus: We are more confident in expressing our unique ideas and opinions today, without feeling like we need to explain ourselves.
Venus trine Jupiter: This aspect supports cautious optimism. It can help us reconnect with loved ones and rebuild trust, as needed.
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IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: If your birthday is on Monday or Tuesday of this week, you are entering a very transformational year, in which your concept of self will go through significant change. If your birthday is Wednesday through Sunday, you will be working with some of this energy, but will likely feel the fullest impact of it in 2025 or 2026. Either way, your emotions and reactions are heightened in 2024, as you uncover deeper (perhaps unconscious) desires that you might not have acknowledged or even been aware of previously. Along the way, it will be important to notice a tendency to overreact, perhaps due to an aversion to feeling controlled or restricted. For some, a strong belief in what is "right" could lead to taking on a cause or a crusade, but it could also interfere with your ability to accept alternate views of reality. (Solar Return Sun square Jupiter, conjunct Pluto)
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TRANSLATION and AUDIO/VIDEO VERSION: This weekly Journal is recorded (in English) AND the text is transcribed into 30 languages! You'll see a row of flags under "Available Languages" in the upper right. And, there are options to listen to the audio (in English) or watch a video directly beneath the photo (see top of page).
The Journal entry is usually updated by Sunday evening, with the recordings appearing late Sunday or by Monday depending on your time zone. Please share this information with those who might benefit.
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CLASSES AND WEBINARS by Pam Younghans:
WEBINAR REPLAY: If you missed my recent "Breakthroughs & Awakenings" webinar covering January through April 2024, no worries! The replay and class materials are available for purchase. Just send an email with "Webinar Replay" in the subject line to
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: My class covering the Month of Pisces (February 18 to March 19) will air live on Tuesday, February 13! If you're not able to attend the class live, you'll be able to watch the replay at your leisure. To learn more about this class or to register, please visit: https://events.humanitix.com/solar-month-class-pisces-2024
DAILY INSTAGRAM POSTS: Please check out my daily astrological updates on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/pamyounghans/
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For previous weeks of the Astrological Journal, click here.
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About the Author
Pam Younghans is a professional astrologer, editor, and writer. She lives in a log home northeast of Seattle, Washington with her beloved animal companions. She has been interpreting charts professionally for over 25 years. If you are interested in an astrology reading, e-mail
For more information about NorthPoint Astrology offerings, please visit northpointastrology.com or visit her Facebook page.
