?Photo: Auroras over Utsjoki, Finnish Lapland by Rayann Elzein on January 8, 2022.
Narrated by Pam Younghans.
Current week's astrological overview
Astrological Overview: January 10 - 16, 2022
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, add 8 hours.)
MON: Venus semisquare Jupiter, Sun sextile Neptune, Eris stations direct
TUE: Mars square Neptune
WED: No major aspects are exact today
THU: Sun square Eris
FRI: Mercury stations retrograde
SAT: Mars trine Eris
SUN: Sun conjunct Pluto, Mercury semisquare Mars
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THE "TRAVELING CONJUNCTIONS" of Venus-Pluto and Mercury-Pluto are affecting us in profound ways right now. Any time we work with Pluto's influence, we can feel somewhat upended, overwhelmed at times, and more emotional than usual. We tend to experience circumstances that feel outside of our control, which of course brings up many reactions.
As the "psychotherapist planet," one of Pluto's jobs is to bring issues that have been hidden or ignored into our awareness, so that they may be transmuted. Because of this, we may be dealing with a lot of negative thought patterns and information (Mercury) and unresolved relationship or financial issues (Venus) right now. The challenge is not to give our power away to darker emotions that arise, but to claim back our sovereignty (Capricorn) through a calm knowing that we have the strength to handle whatever situations we might encounter.
OUR AWARENESS of Pluto's catalytic effects will grow stronger over the course of this coming week, due to the Sun moving closer and closer to the dwarf planet. This means we may feel more reactive than usual, as emotions we've been repressing or suppressing are triggered and come to the surface. People may be especially reactionary on Thursday, when the Sun is square discordant Eris.
Emotional responses may be quite powerful by next weekend, since the Sun and Pluto exactly align very early on Sunday. This is a time when we will want to be very aware of any ways in which we let fears and other shadow emotions control our actions, which is a form of giving our power away.
THERE IS USUALLY a sense of urgency that accompanies Pluto aspects, a feeling that convinces us that we "have to" respond in some way. If this happens, it is valuable to take a step back from the urge and consider if it is being driven by a karmic pattern rather than being inspired by our higher self.
As humans, we can tend to give our power away to the emotional need of the moment. Stepping back from a reactive response is often a first step in taking back our power. Once we do that, the fear or anger that was driving the urgency is no longer holding the reins. The calmness we feel after taking a step back comes from our higher self, which is waiting for us to turn to it for guidance and support.
Any skills we develop in "stepping back" this week will serve us well going forward. They will be especially helpful as we navigate the energies of next Monday's Full Moon (January 17). At the time of the lunation, the Moon will be at 27°50´ Cancer, tightly opposing Pluto at 26°29´ Capricorn. More on that Full Moon in next week's Journal.
HERE is a list of the most significant aspects we'll be working with this week, with my brief interpretations:
Monday
Venus semisquare Jupiter: It's easy to feel self-indulgent or lazy today, as we feel the need to "reward" ourselves for all the hard work we've been doing.
Sun sextile Neptune: This aspect will help us be disciplined about creative projects and spiritual work.
Eris stations direct: Reactivity is heightened this week, as our instincts for self-survival are especially strong.
Tuesday
Mars square Neptune: This aspect represents a conflict between the ego's need to be in control and the spiritual calling to trust and surrender. We may feel confused about what we truly want, and therefore may lack self-confidence.
Wednesday
No major aspects are exact today.
Thursday
Sun square Eris: Controversies and power struggles are stirred up. Irritations and frustrations may drive actions today, especially if we are feeling that our needs are not being acknowledged.
Friday
Mercury stations retrograde: Mercury comes to a standstill at 10°20' Aquarius, beginning a retrograde (backward motion) phase that will end at 24°22' Capricorn on February 3. Over the next three weeks, we will review recent decisions, submitting them to various tests to confirm their viability going forward.
Saturday
Mars trine Eris: This is a very impulsive influence. We may be inspired to take risks that we had not considered as options before.
Sunday
Sun conjunct Pluto: Although emotions and urgency may be powerful now, this aspect can also help us have a clear knowing of our goals and the determination to achieve them.
Mercury semisquare Mars: Tension over differences of opinion.
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IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: Relationships, values, and finances are key themes for you this year. You will likely feel very strongly about a person or a creative project and will invest a great deal of energy and resources into them. Along the way, you may face challenges from those who feel ignored or disregarded due to your attention being focused elsewhere. Thankfully, you also have at your disposal the ability to express a deep caring for those who depend on you. (Solar Return Sun conjunct Venus, sextile Neptune, conjunct Pluto, trine Ceres, square Eris)
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WEBINAR THIS WEEK! The New Year is only a week old, and it's already clear that 2022 is going to be quite a year! I'm excited for our webinar this Wednesday and looking forward to sharing with you what is "in the stars" for the next four months.
Elsie and I have recorded a short (17-minute) interview, talking about the energies in play as we begin 2022 and about the webinar, too. Here's the link to that video: https://youtu.be/cjjYzLkcb68
If you're not able to attend the class live: No worries! Everyone who registers will receive the replay and all the materials after the class airs.
If you've already registered for Wednesday's class: You should have received a confirmation and the monthly calendars by email. If you haven't received these emails or for questions about registration or payment, please contact Elsie Kerns (
To learn more about the class: Please click here. I hope to see you in the Zoom gallery on Wednesday!
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TRANSLATION and AUDIO/VIDEO VERSION: This weekly Journal is now 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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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.
