MARCIA SACKS

A lunar eclipse will take place on January 31, 2018 at 7:36 a.m. CST in 12° Leo.  It terms of personal astrology, it doesn't matter that it's a super moon or a blood moon  or a blue moon.  What matters is that when the moon is involved it still only means one main thing for us all:  our heightened emotions and how we handle them.

To be honest, there's a lot of social fun that comes with the emphasis on the sign of Leo and it's opposite Aquarius.  It's both a good time to get together with longtime friends and a good time to make new ones.  Pay attention to the people you meet for the first time over the next few days.  Make a note in your journal of their names and how you met. They may gain importance in your life in the months to come.

Leo energy is also very creative.  Give yourself the time to express yourself creatively or artistically in some way.

Conflict arises with situations that pit old ideas against new ones.  Also people or circumstances that threaten old habit patterns can be challenging.  Logic will not help in an argument when people have already taken sides.  Appropriate humor or a Zen koan type story may be more helpful.  (Sidetrack:  Have you read Zen Flesh, Zen Bones?  It's filled with wonderful Zen stories that give your mind a refresh.)  Take a walk or dance to music or play a fun board (or video) game with your opposition.

The new moon is on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, 8:17 pm CST at 26° Capricorn. 

Whatever you do at a new moon will follow you for at least the following two weeks.  Capricorn is a sign of the earth element and the cardinal quality (a force of outgoing action).  Think about the power of the earth when it moves:  mud slides, avalanches etc.  Remember that a huge rock slide can start as a small stream of pebbles. These pebbles are the thoughts you think repeatedly and words that you choose to say.  They are also the small activities that you choose to apply toward your life goals.

There is also a lineup of six planets in the sign Capricorn.  Capricorn energy is all about your life responsibilities.  In general, people will feel that they are surrounded by life responsibilities at this time.  For those with steadiness of purpose this energy can be very productive.  However ….

The new moon is in a close square to Uranus (24° Aries) and a wide conjunction to Pluto (19° Capricorn).  The keywords of this aspect is "rebellion against responsibilities."  If you're looking at the pressure of responsibility and thinking "I quit!" this would be the time to take a deep breath and resolve to wait three or four days after the new moon and re-evaluate the situation.

There's also a tendency to give others an ultimatum in the sense of "If you don't do [this], [I quit] or [I'm leaving] or [get out]."  This will tend to provoke an immediate (but not usually positive) result.  My spiritual tradition asks us to use wisdom when we feel these types of overwhelming emotions arise.  Is it wise to speak at this time?  Can you wait a few days to have that conversation?

Sort things out and find inner peace through creative work:  draw, paint or write poems about your feelings and emotions. 
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Soothe the jagged edges with the mantra "Om shanti, shanti, shanti."  Om is the sound of the oneness of the universe and shanti is the Sanskrit word for peace.  You can use this affirmation which is one way to translate the mantra: "On every level of my being, let there be peace, peace, peace."