The month of January 2011 is one where some of the aspects are actual repeats of what happened in November and December 2010. In addition to these aspects, Jupiter makes it final conjunction to Uranus in a cycle that began June 8, 2010, and Jupiter re-enters Aries with an echo back to the summer of 2010.

The year 2011 begins with Jupiter forming a semi-sextile to Neptune on January 2nd. It seems appropriate that this year starts with an aspect between Jupiter and Neptune. Both Jupiter and Neptune rule the sign of Pisces: A sign indicating things come to an end in order to prepare for the future. At the same time, Neptune is still in Aquarius while Jupiter is in its ruling sign of Pisces. This means that you need to review your relationships with friends and acquaintances. You have an opportunity to find deeper meaning in your life, especially as it relates to other people in your life.

Ceres enters Aquarius on January 3rd. Ceres is a planet of nurturing as well as compromise. It brings out your need to protect people you love as well as well as the need to protect your status in life. With Ceres in Aquarius, these needs also extend to your friends and social acquaintances. You’ll find it easier to find common ground with various different people in your life.

A little more than one hour before the first eclipse of the year occurs, Venus forms a square to Neptune on January 4th. This is a day when you need to consider your value systems as well as understand how those values help you achieve your dreams. This energy is important because it forms the foundation of the eclipse which will occur. The eclipse is a partial solar eclipse which will be visible from much of Europe, North Africa, and central Asia. People living in Madrid, Paris, London, and Copenhagen will be able to see the sunrise eclipse occur. The greatest eclipse will be seen in northern Sweden. For those of you interested in eclipses, this is the 14th eclipse of Saros 151 which began in 1776 and continues until 2081.

A solar eclipse occurs when there is a new Moon indicating that this is a good time for determining your goals for the upcoming month. However, eclipses can also obscure important facts from you. In this case, the eclipse occurs when both the Sun and Moon are in Capricorn. That means that you your professional goals need to be in harmony with your spiritual needs. That may not be so easy in today’s economy. You may want to change jobs, but you may need to stay where you are because it isn’t as easy to find that new job. So, if you have to stay in your current job, try the best you can to bring your spiritual values to that job.

This eclipse is also important because Jupiter forms a conjunction to Uranus a few hours later on the same day, January 4th. This is the third, and last, time that Jupiter is forming a conjunction to Uranus during this cycle. The first time this conjunction occurred was on June 8, 2010. The second time it occurred was on September 19, 2010. Important events often occur around this time period. They may occur a week earlier or a week later after the conjunction.

Around June 8, 2010, several events were in the news. The euro sunk to a four-year low against the US dollar. Kim Jong II, North Korea’s leader, began making governmental changes that would pave the way for his youngest son, Kim Jung Un, to succeed him. And, although China announced that their exports rose by 48.5% and imports rose by 48.3%, worker unrest increased due to pay and working conditions.

During the September 19, 2010 time period, Ireland starting raising funds to prevent an EU bail-out. North Korea held its Workers’ Party conference on September 28, 2010 in order to elect a supreme leadership body, again creating more changes to assure Kim Jung Un’s ability to succeed his father. When the US Federal Reserve kept interest rates at a target of zero to 0.25%, gold rose while the US dollar fell sharply.

There is always a danger when Jupiter forms a conjunction to Uranus that currency values decline. Although economists really don’t expect it to happen, there is talk floating about the possible dissolution of the euro with countries returning to their own currencies. Therefore, it’s important to watch the economies of both the strong countries, such as Germany and France, and the weaker countries, such as Greece and Ireland. Another area to watch over the next few months is the trade agreements between Russia and China which wish to use the Juan as its currency exchange versus the US dollar.

On a personal level, this is a time period where you really need to watch your own spending. While the US laws regarding credit cards are supposed to make it easier for consumers to rein in their debt, it’s still important that you read the fine print so that you don’t inadvertently increase your credit debt with higher interest rates than anticipated.

Weather patterns are also very unusual when Jupiter forms a conjunction to Uranus. Unexpected storms can cause turmoil, anything from hurricanes to tornadoes, depending on the season. Various unexpected floods occur which not only have an economic impact but can generate food shortages. If you’re planning on traveling during the next few weeks, take into consideration that you may get stranded for a few extra days.

In many ways, Jupiter and Uranus are seen as spiritual planets. Jupiter reaches for the sky to learn and understand new concepts, especially those involved with spiritual studies. Uranus tends to bring in unexpected understanding. Therefore, when Jupiter forms a conjunction to Uranus, you may experience eureka moments that provide you with phenomenal insights.

When you do get these insights, be very careful because Jupiter can represent hubris while Uranus represents absolute belief in self. What this means is that you may believe you can do anything when in point of fact, you need to move slowly to make things happen. But, if you want to use this energy in a positive way, understand that by believing in yourself, you’ll be able to find the patience you need to make things happen in your life.

On January 5th, Venus forms a square to Chiron. As you come up with eureka moments, you may also feel some old pains that you thought were resolved. Actually, the reason these old pains are surfacing is so that you can resolve them. Acknowledge that they are still there and than acknowledge that its time to let them go. By doing so, you can move from a hurting place to a healing space.

Venus enters the sign of Sagittarius on January 7th and brings a sense of optimism in your life. You’re able to see things from a new perspective. You will find ways to take control of your life. You may even get a better insight into how to move forward with your life.

When Venus forms a sextile to Ceres on January 9th, you’ll feel an increased sense of optimism. Just listen to your “inner voice” (your intuition). You’ll know the right moments when you need to compromise. You’ll find that other people, even acquaintances, are willing to nurture and support your goals.

January 10th and January 11th are very important days for you. The aspects that occur during the next two days actually occurred two times earlier: between November 25 to 27, 2010; and again between December 20 and 21, 2010. If possible, try to remember what happened around Thanksgiving and Christmas of last year. If you keep any type of journal, you may want to go back and review what you wrote.

Dreams will be very important on January 10th when Mercury forms a sextile to Neptune. If you remember any of your dreams from the evening before, write them down. They may be symbolic or they may be prophetic. If you receive any insights this day, also write those down. You may not understand everything right now, but you will over the next few days. Just be careful with any contracts that you need to sign today. You may not have all the facts you need to make a realistic decision.

Later that day, Mercury forms a square to Uranus. Again, this reinforces the fact that it’s not a good day to sign contracts. If someone tries to force you into a decision, take that as a sign that the decision is either ill-conceived or wrong. Also, this is not a day to try and resolve problems with other people. It’s too easy to get angry and say words that you’ll regret later.

January 11th is also another day when you need to be careful in your interactions with other people. On this day, Mercury forms a square to Jupiter and also a sextile to Chiron. You may feel overly confident and give too much information away. Or, you may let other people sway your judgment and influence you when deep down inside you know that particular course of action is not the right one for you.

If you do remember what happened near the end of 2010, you may find that the dreams you experienced during this time period are very similar to those you experienced earlier. If you are being influenced to make some decisions at this time, you may also find that those decisions were similar to the ones you thought about at the end of 2010 and decided not to pursue.

The energy on January 12th can go in so many different directions as Mars forms a sextile to Uranus. You may be able to achieve more during the day even if you’re not quite focused. However, if you are experiencing stress, you may become more scattered and, if not careful, have an accident. The key is not to feel rushed in anything you do.

Mercury enters Capricorn and Mars forms a sextile to Jupiter on January 13th. Normally when Mercury enters Capricorn, you tend to take things too seriously. You sometimes forget to find the joy in little things. However, today it’s a little bit different. When Mars forms a sextile to Jupiter, you become so optimistic that you become unrealistic about your possible achievements. With Mercury now in Capricorn, you’ll be able to balance that sense of optimism with a realistic approach. This will give you a chance to succeed in whatever venture you want to accomplish.

When Mercury forms a conjunction to the Moon’s North Node on January 15th, you’ll feel another need to go back in time and remember what occurred. This aspect occurred earlier, on December 11, 2010. This is important as it relates to your goals and moving away from mistakes you made in the past. Perhaps you tried to correct those errors in December 2010 but you couldn’t. If so, you have another opportunity.

On January 18th, Mercury forms a conjunction to Pluto. It formed this conjunction earlier on December 5, 2010. This is an interesting aspect. It gives you the ability to think about things from a psychological perspective. You may be able to gain deeper understanding of your personal circumstances. It also means that you may approach matters more intensely. You’ll be able to focus better than before. But, if you are in discussions with other people, you may become so forceful that others just don’t want to listen to you. Perhaps you tried to get a point across during December 2010 and no one was willing to listen because of your intensity. Now you have the opportunity to approach those individuals again. If you do, try to listen to what they have to offer without pushing your point of view and alienating them.

The full Moon of the month occurs on January 19th with the Sun in Capricorn and the Moon in Cancer. At first glance you might think that the full Moon is a void-of-course since both planets are at 29 degrees. However, the Sun is forming a sextile to Jupiter while the Moon is forming a trine. As always, the full Moon represents the time of the month when you think about the steps you’ve taken so far and determine whether you’re moving in the right direction. With the aspects this full Moon makes to Jupiter, it’s easier for you to see you achievements. This is a time to celebrate what you’ve accomplished, especially in your relationships with family members as well as your success in professional matters.

January 22nd is very important because Jupiter enters the sign of Aries for a second time. Jupiter was initially in the sign of Aries from June 6, 2010 to September 9, 2010. In September 2010, it returned to the sign of Pisces. With Jupiter moving into Aries, you may once again see new concepts introduced in the world as well as your life. Jupiter will stay in Aries until June 4, 2011 when it enters the sign of Taurus.

Between June 6 and September 9, 2010, the last time that Jupiter was in Aries, people were feeling very angry with their political leaders. In the United States this led to the Tea Party movement which was quickly embraced by the Republican Party. The weather proved very difficult, especially in Pakistan where floods affected over 14 million people and led to the deaths of more than 1,600 people. In Russia, several people were killed as horrendous forest wildfires raged throughout the summer. Some environmentalists believed that the floods in Pakistan and the forest fires in Russia actually were connected.

However you look at Jupiter in Aries, one thing is certain: Matters get inflamed. People don’t like to feel out of control. And, if they do, they get angry. They want to regain that control. Economically some ways of regaining control mean tightening the budget and introducing “fees” in lieu of taxes. Yet they still amount to the same thing. Another area of concern continues to be the banking industry which continues to increase profits by establishing more fees for their customer services. When it comes to developing energy solutions, many governments and companies forget about the long-term approach but rather seek ways to increase offshore drilling and building of nuclear power plants. One large area to watch with nuclear power plants is its development: More companies are trying to find ways to build smaller power plants.

On a spiritual level, Jupiter in Aries is about understanding that you need to find ways to have control over your own life and take responsibility for your actions. At the same time, Jupiter in Aries represents the need to understand that anger doesn’t always create achievements but rather becomes a destructive force. If you feel that you’re wrong, a lot of anger and resentment may occur. However, if you understand that you are responsible for your actions, you’ll find ways to resolve problems and generate a sense of hope.

Understanding how to live responsibly makes more sense to you on January 23rd when Venus forms a sextile to Saturn. You’re able to look at your finances and put them in the right context. You’re able to review your relationships and see which ones are the most important. At the same time, it’s important that you don’t let your emotional fears get in the way of any decisions you make since the Moon is also forming an opposition to Uranus on this day. And, it’s more important that you don’t judge yourself too harshly the following day when Mercury forms a square to Saturn as it becomes stationary and prepares to turn retrograde.

Saturn does turn retrograde on January 27th. When a planet goes retrograde, it means that you need to pull back and re-evaluate everything that you did during the direct period. This is a lot easier to do when the planet may be Mercury, Venus, or Mars. However, Saturn is a societal planet and moves a lot slower than the personal planets of Mercury, Venus, or Mars. Therefore, you may see more re-evaluations occurring in the world around you than you do in your personal life.

Saturn rules structure and government administration. Since Saturn rules structure, you may see re-evaluations occurring in the infrastructure of your society. Infrastructure can be anything from roads to utilities. Also, since Saturn rules government administration, you may see re-evaluations occurring in those areas where laws have been made. Economically there will be increased effort to try and rein in the budget. This could mean decrease public service programs as well as increased taxes or fees. In the area of science, more research will focus on developing less toxic pesticides as well as increasing food supplies. This could lead to more genetically-modified (GM) foods found in the marketplace. It could also lead to more organic produce also being found in the marketplace.

The greatest area of re-evaluation will be found in technology where concerns over lost privacy are increasing. While people reach out to use more social applications with their smart phones and other technology, companies will find themselves under more scrutiny to assure consumers that private information isn’t disclosed.

On a personal level, this is the time to think about your goals and how you plan on implementing them. It’s also a time to understand that change needs to occur slowly when it comes to technology or government programs. You need to think about the consequences of some of these actions. By taking the time to understand both the benefits and the drawbacks, you’ll be able to make more appropriate decisions.

As the month draws to a close, Mars forms a conjunction to Ceres on January 28th. Meanwhile, the Sun will make a conjunction to both planets on January 29th. In many ways, this energy is all about you and understanding your needs. It’s also important to know when you need to compromise in order to have your needs met.

As you review your life during the month of January 2011, understand that there will be times when you need to make changes or compromise in order to experience success. By reviewing the month of November and December 2010, as well as the summer of 2010, you’ll have a better understanding of what you need to do over the upcoming months in order to achieve your goals.