If you were expecting some kind of sun sign nonsense, forget about it. This is real astrology for the real world. If it's real astrology for yourself that you want, you can get it by phone or in print. And if you need help deciphering the astrological glyphs in the graphics accompanying this article, see Astroglyphs: Astrological Symbols Guide. Please note: this forecast is expressed in terms of Universal Time (UT).
Time is at once the most valuable and most perishable of all our possessions.
-- John Randolph
 

I've already laid out the storm and seismic outlook for early January, in last month's forecast: "another period of major turbulence, extending from the 28th on into early January - until early on the 7th, due to a combination of factors, including the lunar south declination maximum (23°S23') on the 30th and the full moon at 9° 32' Capricorn on the 31st, as well as the lunar perigee on January 1 and the Moon's northward equatorial crossing on the 5th." So I may as well pick up from there, since disturbances in the atmosphere, oceans and crust of Planet Earth are bound to be a major theme not only for the year as a whole (owing to the long term extreme lunar declination cycle peaking in 2006), but for this month in particular. There is, after all, a SuperMoon this month, the first one since August of 2005. You remember last August: Hurricane Katrina. It was spawned from a tropical depression which formed within three days of the August 19 SuperMoon. Katrina hit the US Gulf Coast on August 29, within a day of the Moon's extreme north declination maximum that month. With recent history in mind, it seems timely to focus on January's storm, tide and seismic potential.

Once the initial outburst tapers off early on the 7th, the next geocosmic stress window opens up on the 11th (the Moon hitting its extreme declination north of the equator on the 12th), builds through the full moon on the 14th, and tapers down to normal after the 17th. It's a combination that stirs up tides in the atmosphere, in the seas, in the planet's crust. You'll see it in the news: a rush of severe storms with high winds and heavy precipitation, in some areas causing local flooding, landslides and the like; and a surge of moderate to severe earthquakes (Richter 5 and over), as well as an up-tick in volcanic activity. While storm-driven waves can pile up on the beaches here and there, I'm not looking for real killer surf: the high tides won't be quite so high. Anyone on the road, on the water or in the air needs to allow extra time for weather delays during this period. While the 12th through the 14th looks like the period of greatest danger, don't be surprised by a final flurry of seismic activity on the 17th, particularly along strike-slip faults. Being planetary in scale, this geocosmic stress factor extends to the whole of Planet Earth. So be ready, wherever you are . . . and maybe especially if you'll be in some of the astro-locality focal points of the January 14 full moon. Among the likely looking target areas this time around lie under a pole to pole swath from Japan down through Papua New Guinea and east central Australia in the eastern hemisphere, up through eastern Brazil and central Greenland in the west. Another such longitudinal arc goes from around Anchorage and Fairbanks over the pole and down through Russia (around Moscow), the Middle East and east Africa (around Nairobi). There's also a suspicious set of Mars-Jupiter horizon arcs that sweep northeasterly from Southern California (around Los Angeles) across the Rockies and central Canada to pass through Greenland and then curve southeasterly down through western Russia and across the Middle East. Another set of horizon arcs - several of them, like a net - are active over much of eastern South America, going northeast from there to converge in the northern UK and then spread out again as they sweep across Scandinavia, then bending southeasterly through Russia and Mongolia, cutting through China and the Philippines (around Hong Kong and Manila in the west, while the eastern strands of the net go through the Korean Peninsula and Russia near Vladivostok, passing through Japan before converging again south of New Zealand.

Mars is within a few degrees of opposing Jupiter and squaring Neptune all the way through the 26th, although the exact alignments come on the 15th and 18th respectively. So must of January, and particularly the middle of the month, has a surplus of Mars energy. At the very least, this signifies a lot of haste and impulse, impatience and recklessness, daring and aggression - very hot-blooded. Get a grip, don't be swept away by the passion of the moment unless you're prepared to deal with the consequences - which often aren't what you expect, under this sort of configuration. People born under significant placements in the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) or a prominent Mars are most susceptible to rush in where angels fear to tread at times like this, but no one is immune. Watch for arguments, crimes of violence, crashes, fires and military conflict to make even more headlines than usual during this cycle. And for heaven's sake, watch out for 'the other guy'!

Blue chips in general and financials in particular (also mines) look strong in January, what with Venus being intersolar all month. Mid-month should be some kind of peak in this regard, as Venus aligns in an inferior conjunction with the Sun on the 13th, and Mercury and Venus being conjunct on the 17th. There's a market reversal due around the time of the Sun-Saturn opposition and Jupiter-Neptune square at month's end. Whatever sound financial reasons there may be for such a move, there's also a lot of psychology behind it. And some of that may have to do with worries and dismay not only about economic fundamentals, but also in reaction to the acts of Mother Nature, as the first SuperMoon of the year stirs things up.

The January 29 SuperMoon geocosmic risk window extends from January 26 through February 3, thanks to a combination of factors including the Moon's south declination maximum on the 27th and northward equatorial crossing on February 2. This particular SuperMoon figures into the year's dominant T-square theme quite literally: it rises in the east, as Saturn sets in the west and Jupiter culminates overhead (opposite Mars, turning the whole thing into a rather loose Grand Cross). In plain English, this means: batten down the hatches. Throughout this period, there will be an increased likelihood of strong storms with high winds and heavy precipitation. Extreme high tides and heavy surf along the coasts, floods, avalanches and mudslides inland, and an elevated risk of moderate to severe seismic activity (Richter 5+ quakes, volcanic eruptions): the news will be full of such. Stay safe and be ready - no matter where you live. You might even want to be extra vigilant and prepared if you'll be in a zone where significant astrological factors are emphasized during this SuperMoon. A look at the astro-locality map points out a number of such hot zones. These include Alaska and the Aleutians, and a north-south zone from the Baja Peninsula and northern Mexico into southern California and Nevada, up through eastern Oregon and Washington and on into Alberta; plus a northeasterly swath that includes Santa Fe, Denver and Bismarck and tops out across southern Greenland before heading west and south through Iceland, Scandinavia, western Russia and Ukraine, down through Turkey and the Middle East. There are also a couple of risky-looking north-south lines that cut through Afghanistan and Pakistan, another pair across eastern Japan, and a whole gaggle of them converging on Papua New Guinea and eastern Australia.

While many of the prominent themes for January look fairly serious, the Sun-Mercury-Venus ties around mid-month do have a festive look about them. Need a reason for a party? There you are!

SPECIAL FEATURE: This month's birthdays of the famous and infamous (with astrological birth charts)