For sentimental, reliable, and creative Cancer: Here’s what you can expect to enjoy, work through, and receive throughout the month of January.
Your ruling celestial body, the waxing crescent Moon, begins the new year under Aquarius. While there, it passes through several notable alignments in a matter of days. January 1 ushers in a direct opposition between the Moon and Mars retrograde, which makes sense. The waxing crescent phase encourages action, planning, and gathering energy, whereas Mars retrograde practically negates all of that. It might take some time to feel like you’re really up and at ‘em. Give yourself the breathing room to gain speed at a pace that’s comfortable to you, Cancer. You’re not racing anyone but yourself.
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The following day, the stars offer some much-needed positive energy via an auspicious trine between the Moon and Jupiter retrograde. The latter retrograde planets offers new perspectives and forces us to reimagine our preconceived beliefs and notions. Paired with the waxing crescent Moon, this cosmic alignment seems to suggest new opportunities ahead. Moreover, it appears they will look very different from what you originally anticipated. Don’t be so quick to brush off these ventures because they’re not the ones you wanted. There’s a very good chance that these pursuits are the ones you need, which is more important.
On January 3, the conflict between the parts of you that want to follow Jupiter’s lead and the parts that don’t comes to a head as the Moon swings into a square with Uranus retrograde. Willingly walking into unknown territory will be somewhat frightening no matter what, stargazer. Rather than wait for a time when you feel absolutely ready with no trace of self-doubt, try to rely on your knowledge, experience, and values to guide you even if you’re not quite sure which direction to take. Clarity will come in due time. But if you keep holding yourself back from these opportunities, then that clarity is likely to be unpleasant.
A few days later, on January 7, the Moon reaches its next cycle, the first quarter, in trine with Mercury as it enters Taurus. Taurus gets a bad rap for its stubborn streak. And while that’s undoubtedly present, there is more to this cosmic domain than headstrong behavior. Taurus provides determination and grit in challenging times. With communicative Mercury in the mix, this would be an ideal time to make a move toward the next stage of your personal endeavors. Ask the question you’ve been mulling over for weeks. Make that call. Fill out the application. You deserve the chance to achieve your dreams, Cancer.
The waxing gibbous Moon offers an introspective moment to reflect on the decisions you’ve made in the new year so far as it enters Gemini on January 10. It enters this flexible, air-ruled domain in conjunction with Jupiter retrograde. This combination creates an environment of curiosity and open-mindedness that will lend itself nicely to adopting new perspectives, learning, and growing. Be wary of clinging to any one idea too tightly during this time. The cosmos suggests it will be a tumultuous period for our personal beliefs and goals.
This month’s full Moon will be especially potent for you, Cancer, as it flies through your celestial domain on January 13. The full Moon is the most powerful stage of the lunar cycle, enhancing mental clarity and sensitivity for better or worse. When in its ruling Zodiac sign, these effects are exacerbated. These heightened emotions are liable to swing between opposite ends of the spectrum, from producing tension and conflict to facilitating deeper bonds and connections. It’s up to you how you wield these feelings.
Make sure you’re paying attention to the events that unfold during the full Moon, stargazer. On January 17, the waning gibbous shifts your emotional focus toward introspection and reflection on the past week’s happenings. Are you content with the way things are going? If you were to keep everything the same and continue on this path, would you be happy with the result? Under the influence of the waning gibbous in Virgo, the stars gently push you toward necessary endings and closure. The bravery of taking a chance doesn’t always protect you from the possibility of it not working out. And that’s okay.
Aquarius season begins to settle in on January 19 as the Sun passes from Capricorn to Aquarius, creating a Zodiac-wide energy shift from prioritizing pragmatism to favoring creativity. Logic and planning are commendable pursuits. But so is being able to use your imagination to think outside the box. This cosmic season promotes free thinking, trend-setting, and leading by example. There isn’t always a blueprint available for us to reference. Sometimes, we must be the ones to make it.
Watch out for tense cosmic energy on and around January 25. During this time, the waning crescent Moon crosses into Sagittarius while creating an opposition to Jupiter retrograde and a square to a conjunction between Saturn and Venus. This is a hefty celestial traffic jam, and most of these alignments signal toward some kind of challenge. Prepare yourself for the possibility of having to let go of things that no longer serve you, whether that means the emotional boundaries you never enforce or the commitment to taking care of your own well-being that you rarely make. For all of the hardship that this alignment might bring, it provides an equal—or greater—amount of wisdom, experience, and resilience-building.
The first new Moon of the year occurs under Aquarius, encouraging planning and preparation during this period of lunar downtime. Daydreaming about what you’d like to accomplish is a nice step. But there is another step in between the dreaming and the doing that the stars urge you to address under the new Moon: planning. Getting your ducks in a row during this time will make following through with your ideas that much easier, Cancer. Skipping this step isn’t the time-saving trick you think it is.
Uranus’ return to direct on January 30 makes this kind of preparation easier as it opens the mind to innovation and healthy rebellion. The stars urge you to consider pushing back against expectations, whether ones you’ve put on yourself or the ones you assume others have of you. You are your own best advocate and champion, Cancer. You get to decide which direction your ship is taking this year.
Thus concludes your monthly highlights. For more specific celestial analyses, make sure to read your daily and weekly horoscope as well. Good luck, Cancer! See you next month.