Stellar Insights: January 15 - 21, 2024
Structural Transformation: A Pluto Cazimi at 29 Capricorn
Here are some insights about the opportunities and challenges that this week’s astrology may offer us collectively. May they help you make the most of this moment. Should you want to see what the current planetary movements are catalyzing for you—what your here/now and near future may be inspiring—based upon your personal astrology chart, we can explore that in a Stellar Guidance Session. And if you live in the Seattle area, I’d love for you to join me at my 2024 AstroSalon happening this Friday at the Shelterwood Collective.
First off, sorry to not get this to you on Sunday as I usually do. A combination of insomnia, an early morning flight, a bout of writer’s block, a scheduled visit with family, and the subject of this week being one that feels quite instrumental and therefore required additional reflections precluded my ability to finish this piece when I usually do. But, suffice it to say that out of this delay came not only this weekly piece but also another—one on Pluto in Capricorn—to which I allude below (and which you can find here). OK, without further ado…
Since 2008, the planet Pluto has been moving through Capricorn. Yet this year, it’s about to make a big movement; shifting from this tenancy into Aquarius. It will fully do so on November 19, not returning to Capricorn for 200+ years. Before it does its swan song here, there are a couple of important interim expressions that this archetypal invitation—one that has colored the kairos now for over 15 years—will make. And one of them is happening this week!
What’s that? Well, just before Pluto leaves Capricorn for its seven-plus month camp-out in Aquarius, it makes a conjunction with the Sun. As you may remember, anytime a planet conjoins the Sun it’s called a cazimi, an alignment that yields special power to that planet.
A Pluto cazimi occurs annually, and when it does, it offers us a deeply seated invitation for transformation. Here’s some of what I wrote in my Well + Good article about this cazimi (to read more about cazimis in general as well as those of the other planets, see here).
When Pluto connects with the sun, it's a powerful moment to let things go—especially that which has reached its expiration date and may be holding us back from connecting to our innermost essence. Pluto is the planet of transformation, power, death, and rebirth, and all of these themes may surface more readily under the Pluto cazimi.
This alignment encourages us to revel in the dark and embrace our own shadow sides, explore power dynamics, and dive into the buried treasures that typically lie hidden in our subconsciousness. Be aware of what’s coming to the surface for you and the honest truths that may be revealed.
What’s interesting to me is not just that this week we have this powerful invitation to dig deep, to release, and to be a detective who seeks hidden treasures. It’s that this Pluto cazimi occurs at the very end of the sign of Capricorn. Each zodiac sign is measured as having 30 degrees and each degree having 60 minutes. The Sun/Pluto Conjunction on Saturday occurs at 29 degrees 59 minutes, the spot where we bid adieu to that sign.
This fascinates me. And has me think that with the Pluto cazimi at this culminating point, just before both Pluto (and the Sun) shift into Aquarius that we may very well see some clear signals of the transformative impact that Pluto in Capricorn has had since it began its tenancy in 2008. I’m curious to watch the news and the world stage, to see what arises, what reckonings occurs, what power re-arrangements arise, et al.
What were the trends and collective invitations that this planetary placement has invoked for the past 15-plus years? To give you a background on that—and so as to not make this article too long—I crafted another piece on the subject which may help to give context, not only to this week, and this year, but the last decade-plus (you can find it here).
Additionally, it feels to me that the Pluto cazimi gives us a powerful petition to do some deep inner reflection. Given that Pluto is connected to issues related to death and rebirth, survival and thriving, power and control, underground treasures, the subconscious and the shadow, and other deeply transformative elements, focusing upon these themes in our life this week may be quite alchemical.
To start, it feels like a poignant time to look at the notion of power, reflecting upon where in our lives we feel empowered and where we see that we give away our power. Control is another theme to which to connect, as we see where we have it and where we don’t. We can also pull back some of our power when we remember that even if we don’t have control over everything (which we don’t), we do have choices, even if it’s just in how we respond to situations.
Be open to what’s arising from deep below your heart and mind. Make space for that which is often buried. Be compassionate and open the closet and/or pull back the rug, to give light to that which you may have kept at bay. At the same time, be open to secrets being exposed and desires seen. Be a detective and researcher, and discover hidden treasures. Honor Pluto’s beckoning for honesty and how doing so indelibly shifts the landscape of our lives.
Consider what has reached its expiration date and let go of that which doesn’t serve and infuse you with vitality. And if you find yourself dealing with intense feelings related to survival and thriving, find channels of support to help fortify you.
Before I concluded I wanted to shift focus to share another feature of this week. Just after the Pluto cazimi on Saturday, the Sun moves into Aquarius and we begin a month-long period in which Aquarian concepts take center stage. And with this, we may find ourselves in a time frame in which we’re pulled toward the greater power of community and the collective, the importance of altruistic aims, the potency of science and logistics, the relevancy of technology, and visions of the future. (And as noted above, Pluto will also enter Aquarius that day, a subject about which I will reflect another time.)
I hope you have a richly transformative week, one in which all the deep digging you do will reward you with treasures that will irrevocably enrich your life and that of those around you.
xxStephanie
Astrological Highlights
January 15: Sun/Neptune Sextile
January 19: Mercury/Jupiter Trine; Venus/Neptune Square
January 20: Sun/Pluto Conjunction; Sun enters Aquarius; Pluto enters Aquarius
All days reflect Eastern Standard Time (- 5 hours GMT)
Photos: Malvestida, Milada Vigerova, and Dima Pechurin, all via Unsplash