January 2013 horoscope - Aries

I follow the sidereal calendar; this is the monthly solar horoscope for birthdays from 14^th April to 15^th May or Aries Ascendants or Moons

By Louise Gilbert

After some intense times in the last few months of 2012, the beginning of the New Year should feel like a fresh start Aries. Your solar 9^th house of long-distance travel, higher learning, spirituality and religion is activated by the Sun, Mercury, and Pluto forming a trine to your sign. You are now less focused on the small print, finances, tax or insurance issues and instead, you will want to experience new things, learn something new, enroll in a course, meet new people or even explore the world or make plans to do so or you may meet or be more aware of a person in your life that acts as a bit of a mentor for you. I try and think of 9^th house transits as a phase where we are lifted up a level so we can see everything from a bird’s eye perspective. It’s that time where we want to expand our horizons and maybe not be so dragged down by everyday life and demands. This is an optimistic time of the year for you.

The new Moon on 11^th January at 27 degrees of Sagittarius also falls into the 9^th house, making you a little more restless, especially those born later in the sign, i.e. around 9^th – 14^th April or those with 25 – 30 degrees of Aries. Aries are never afraid to initiate new things, so the time around the new Moon is a good time to initiate new projects or plans connected to travelling, learning or mentoring. In Indian astrology, this new Moon falls in the nakshatra (in Indian astrology, the chart is divided into 27 sections, each is one nakshatra) of Uttarashadha and quite simply means victory. It’s also a competitive nakshatra that pushes us to higher achievements – but always in partnership with others. On the other hand, a new Moon in this nakshatra also means that if we can’t win or reach our goals very easily, we’ll find another path that allows us to achieve these dreams. For you Aries, it seems as though you won’t go on the path of discovery on your own. Although Aries is known for doing things on their own as everyone else is simply too slow to follow, you may be better off to couple of with someone else as it may just get you where you should be.

Then, an important shift takes place this month Aries in one of your pillar houses. The pillar houses –or kendra houses in Indian astrology - are the 1^st, 4^th, 7^th and 10^th houses and form the foundation of our lives. The 7^th house relates to our one-to-one relationships, a key part in everyone’s live. With Saturn’s arrival in your house of committed partnerships first in November 2011 and then again in August 2012 for the next 2 years, you would have already got a taster of the relationships work that lies ahead. The time of the full Moon in October would have also put additional pressure on relationships. However, if you are happily loved up, it would have moved existing partnerships to a new level. This month, the so-called point of destiny, the North node / Rahu and the South node / Ketu move into the signs of Libra and Aries on 15^th. The nodes represent our destiny, our greatest desires and for the next 18 months while Rahu is in your partnerships sign, you will be seeking and even craving the best from one-on-one relationships and more balance in all your key partnerships. The task now is to learn to share with others and get to know the other’s likes, dislikes, quirks, habits, routines, hopes, wishes and fears. Ultimately, lasting companionship based on true reciprocity is the goal over the next 1 ½ years, especially with Saturn in the same sign and house. It’ll seem like slow process at times but the results can last a lifetime. It’s a time when we can achieve inner balance necessary for us to achieve our goals through partnerships cooperation with others.

In Indian astrology, this placement is considered to magnify a passion for beauty, design, harmonious relationships, and social order. Rahu is insatiable and enlarges everything it touches, so some of us may take ‘risks’ and become a bit obsessive in wanting to achieve beautifully balanced, equitable social arrangements. Due to the insatiable nature of the Rahu, balancing multiple relationships, and keeping up a flawless public appearance becomes crucial. For you Aries, the coming two years look they will revolutionise your relationships, how you view relationships and what you expect from them. You may have felt Saturn’s influence already over the past months as the mood shifted and if your partnership was on the right track, it would have become stronger, if it wasn’t, issues that you turned a blind eye to previously are no longer acceptable to you now. This applies in particular to Aries Ascendants.

If your Moon is in Aries, it’s a slightly different picture. Of course everything in our lives affects us emotionally to some extent, but with Saturn in opposition to your Moon, this really is a time to look at what's going on inside. Not always easy as the Moon rules our sense of security and stability and if you feel lonely, abandoned, separated from others, don't withdraw into a shell. Although this transit signifies emotional maturing, it may initially feel as though others are placing demands on you that you can’t seem to meet or vice versa. Saturn in opposition to the Moon could affect your family or ‘just’ the relationship with your mother (sometimes, it’s the relationship with the parent of the same gender, if you are a man, it could also be your father). On a more mundane level, you could be moving house over the next two years which in turn could mean that you leave some of the old baggage behind – not just in a literal sense, also emotionally. Initially, this transit will feel a little tough but as with all Saturn transits, the results and especially the maturity come over time.

As the North node / Rahu opposes the Aries Moon over the coming 18 months, you may feel a strong impulsive to do something about Saturn’s restrictive presence. Rahu is impulsive but Saturn undermines that – the best thing to do is to sit back and let some time pass. Take a step back and try to not get caught up in negative emotions too much that may lead you to make rash decisions. The time of the eclipses – for example the end of April 2013 - will highlight certain issues but I will talk more about that closer to the time.

Halfway through the month, there is a shift taking place and your kind of brought back down to earth as your job, career or general life direction demands some attention. During the second half of the month, it’s all about your career and either you find yourself a lot more in your boss’ office discussing a promotion or you are the one presenting new projects to the board. Alternatively, you may even be headhunted or you are actively looking for a new job. Process may feel a little slow with Saturn in a square, which always means that more work and patience is required. Aries is a cardinal sign so this T-square formation always means that you push yourself to new heights – maybe you’ll be surprised at the outcome.

The full Moon on 27^th January just a few days before Jupiter, the planet of expansion goes direct in your money house should put the dots on the i’s. Jupiter forms a supportive trine to all the planets transiting your 10^th house, meaning that not only are your financial affairs protected, you professional situation also receives a boost. Choose wisely and take your time!

Have a great month and start to the New Year, Aries – it’ll be an exciting one!

Monthly solar horoscopes are very general, so get in touch if you are interested in an individual chart reading or your 2013 forecast. In readings, I use the Indian Dasha system in individual forecasts which is known for its accuracy. You can also follow me on Facebook, see you there!