A Great Migration

Over the course of this month, three planets will migrate from Sagittarius into Capricorn.

This last month, the larger processes concerning the confusing dynamics of surrender and attachment churned up by nodes may show up during the first part of the month—at least superficially—as changes in belief systems, attachment to ideals and reconfiguration of the individual and collective sense of purpose. These are all Sagittarius themes, and are the natural product of the sign preceding it: Scorpio, which represents the deep and conflicted digestion of emotion and experience. It is a place where things can get stuck, foment and ferment and contribute to mysterious problems without clear roots. But if the goings-on of Scorpio are properly integrated, the sign can create tremendously fertile material for the growth that can occur in the more extroverted sign Sagittarius, which is concerned with principles, ideals, fighting for what is ‘right’ and taking in the bigger picture of life and one’s purpose in it. It is the place of meaning-making, storytelling, religion and mythology, and the natural outgrowth of the deep internal investigations of Scorpio.

Each sign builds on the last, in this way. And Capricorn follows Sagittarius in the same way that principles and ideals inform the way one works and engages with the world. Capricorn is the place that we put forth effort and energy to build something real, practical and tangible from the sometimes abstract ideas and philosophies generated in Sagittarius. Capricorn is the hard ground where theories are tested against reality with absolute objectivity (the following sign—Aquarius—will be where other people become involved in this work of building and generating momentum and change).

Heavy Capricorn themes suggest that the month can feel a little laborious and exhausting. But as with any Saturn-influenced area: hard work, discipline, self-imposed limitation, and incremental improvements are generally the best approach. It can be a very productive transit.

We begin the month with four planets in Sagittarius: Moon, Sun, Mars and Mercury. Moon, being a fast planet, will be moving on in the next day or so, but the remaining three will, over the course of this month, gradually shift their weight from idealistic Sagittarius into practical Capricorn. This suggests that whatever goals, beliefs or ideas we’ve been generating in Sagittarius will translate into action, and require of us considerable effort and endurance.

Sun will be the first to move, on 1/15—an important holiday in the Hindu Calendar celebrated as the day that the light returns. At one point in time this coincided with the winter solstice, but because of the procession of the equinoxes this is no longer the case. Astrologically the change remains relevant, and this half of the year is considered auspicious. It is even said that marriages should only take place in this light half of the year after Sun enters Capricorn.

Sun in Capricorn for one month will tend to bring positive structure to our work and actions in the world. Although Sun is uncomfortable in a sign of Saturn due to the planets being of nearly opposing natures (Sun is bright, warm, confident; Saturn is cold, dark and depressed), Sun can generally bring out the best of the effort-oriented sign, bringing positive leadership, routines and a general brightness or health to the collective career experience. This is a good time to work on improving the workplace, both in structure and function. There is an opportunity also to introduce measures or opportunities which might contribute to employee or company health. Sun also brings visibility to the workplace, so it’s favorable for promotions and being recognized for one’s work. It’s a nice time to give all of yourself to your work or improvement of your career in general.

On February 1, Mercury will join Sun in Capricorn, creating a combination for intelligence and learning. This is extremely supportive of learning new information or undertaking education that can contribute to your work. If you are an educator it is an excellent time to highlight your work and gain visibility or offer new programs.

On February 5th, Mars joins both Sun and Mercury in Capricorn. Mars is exalted in Capricorn because the decisive, action-oriented, morally unconcerned and sometimes callous planet can get the job presented in Capricorn done. Mars gives us the ability to implement the information provided by Mercury and Sun in this sign, giving us a high degree of potential productivity in our professional lives. It’s a good time to take on challenging projects.

Outside of work-specific indications, the strength of Mars heightens the fire element in the zodiac and in the world, which is beneficial for tasks and situations which require assertiveness and determination. Mars will be here for about a month. If you have found yourself in procrastination mode or otherwise not full of the zest required for accomplishing what you’d like to, this is a good time to commit to taking on those tasks. It’s also positive for athletic pursuits and tasks which require physical strength.

On February 12th, Venus joins Sun, Mercury and Mars in Capricorn. Four planets in one sign is generally too many opinions in collision. More on this next month.

Wherever these planets are building up in your personal chart based on what house/area of life Capricorn falls in (determined by your ascendant), this is an area which will absolutely demand your attention and where a natural momentum will be generated to the degree that you may not be able to avoid major overhauls or changes in that area of life. By the nature of the planets here I would call these positive changes, but some of this will be modified by the details of your personal chart.

For the collective, this shows a lot of focus on and discussion of the subjects of work, labor, power and position, being in the world (vs. being at home) and leadership.