This week’s agenda: A spot of hope in an intense astro-scape

So many planets in Capricorn, such a compressed timeline. This week, we have the Sun, Mercury, Saturn, and Pluto still hanging out at the no-nonsense house of Cap, hashing out what’s real and what no longer works, and what needs to be transformed at the root level to make way for something better. There has been this nose-to-the-grind-stone feel in the air for quite some time now, not just in the personal/emotional realm but also especially in the socio-political one. If it’s not one thing that we need to come to grips with when it comes to our relationships and our own lives, it’s another in the real world: our principles, ideologies, and responsibilities as members of the human race (we can especially thank Saturn and Pluto for that).

We are all Bart in life’s school of hard knocks. GIF via Giphy.

Those who’d like to pretend that this vibe does not at all affect their lives can choose to keep their heads buried in the sand, but the upcoming conjunction between Mercury and Pluto on January 18 might be a rude awakening for them. With the messenger of the gods meeting up with the planet of profound transformation, an uncomfortable but necessary truth or message could be revealed, and we all know that anything we learn can never be unlearned. It would be best to face this truth and see what could be built upon it.

Bringing some relief will be the upcoming trine (a 120-degree angle) between Venus, which entered Sagittarius a week ago, with Mars in Aries on that same day, January 18. This transit could make swallowing the medicine brought by the Mercury-Pluto conjunction a bit sweeter, with the ease it brings to interpersonal relationships.

There, there, all better. GIF via Giphy.

Venus in Sagittarius makes exploring uncharted territory a highly exciting prospect, and a refreshing one at that after all the deep-dive introspection of its previous stay in Scorpio. With the supportive angle from the self-starting, go-getting Mars in Aries, this transit can bring zest, optimism, and fun into life in straight-laced, responsible, calculating Capricorn. Saying “yes” to something we’d normally refuse upfront becomes more likely, especially if it presents an opportunity to learn and grow—something Venus in Sagittarius loves; any reticence will be taken care of by the courage of Mars in Aries. A caveat, though: This will still be a trine between two fire signs, so we’d need to watch out that we’re not trudging over anyone in our enthusiasm.