In Memoriam, [Ring out, wild bells]
by Lord Alfred Tennyson
“Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true. . .”
Happy New Year!
This is the first full week of 2016 and though it feels like it may be time to hit the ground running, this week will bear much sweeter fruits for those who cautiously utilize a more patient and conscientious approach. This past holiday season was unusually cathartic since all the planets have been direct since Christmas Day. Nevertheless, it is time to recover from that momentum by settling down rather than speeding up.
The uniformly forward motion of the planets is shifting this week as both Mercury and Jupiter turn retrograde. In addition, there will be a New Moon in Capricorn on Saturday which will be an auspicious time to begin laying the foundation for new projects that you may have in mind.
This year’s beginning requires that you remember the wisdom of the tortoise in his race against the hare: slow and steady wins the race.
Rather than feeling like a captive with no room to grow, think of yourself as someone who has taken a small vow of silence for the purpose of contemplation. Better yet, think of yourself as being like a photographer who is in love with the process of capturing images and developing film, giving no mind to the time it may take to make the magic happen.
This January may feel like a long time spent in a darkroom, patiently processing ephemera into meaningful memories. But it is worth it to take your time now.
Monday/Tuesday: The Six of Swords
“. . .Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind. . .”
The Six of Swords is a call to let go of the ‘grief that saps the mind’ and the ‘slowly dying cause’ in exchange for a vision of the future that represents the joy of accomplishment. During Capricorn season, the unbridled optimism of Sagittarius is replaced by the determination to succeed.
The Capricornian will requires that faith and optimism be second nature, but never a distraction.
In other words, you must be able to hold the vision of yourself rising to the top as you follow through on every step that it takes to get there. Slow and steady…
The Moon is in Scorpio on Monday, making a trine to Neptune and Chiron in Pisces. The beginning of the week brings situations that arouse a lot of instinct and emotion. Unless your work environment thrives on sharing feelings with open hearts, this may be a very Blue Monday at the workplace. It is difficult to get back into routines after the holidays, and this Monday will bring forth a great deal of emotional issues that need to be addressed before the New Moon this weekend.
On Tuesday, January 5th, Mercury will retrograde at one degree Aquarius, making an almost immediate turn around back into Capricorn for the next three weeks. Mercury will also be making a square with Mars in Scorpio this day, recalling Monday’s emotional issues.
It is essential that you speak carefully and tread lightly in situations where you might endanger your status since there will be a lot of miscommunications and a surge of desire for power on this day. The Sun will also be conjunct Pluto, making your need for growth glaringly obvious.
If you are stuck in a rut, the feeling of confinement will be very agitating! This is a great day to write a list of desires for accomplishments in your life. Mercury’s retrograde will give you the chance to address a problem from last year that you still have unfinished business with. During this retrograde, you will be given the chance to empower yourself to find a conclusion to a lot of loose ends you have yet to tie up.
Wednesday/Thursday: The Hanged Man
“. . . Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in. . .”
The middle of the week is represented by the Hanged Man, one of the most feared images in the major arcana. This card represents a time in life when you are “suspended” in time and space, with no ability to change your position. In this helpless state, there is no choice but to use the will to dissolve all fear.
With no choice but to relinquish control, an immense amount of spiritual power is aroused and the limitations of the body are overcome. Therefore, the middle of the week will present to you an invaluable opportunity to release the “want, the care, the sin” and feel a renewed sense of desire that you are willing to sacrifice for. There will be raw and visceral inspiration being born!
On Thursday, January 7th, the Sun will square Uranus bringing a desire to reinvent your soul’s purpose and to revise your current standards of what success really means. More importantly, Jupiter will turn retrograde on Thursday as well, which may bring delays or impediments to some of your best-laid plans.
Jupiter’s retrograde does not indicate that of all of your luck and prosperity will be reversed, but it does imply that there will be a slowing down of those things which are currently in progress. This is a fortunate thing, for heedless mistakes are always made when nothing ever slows down.
Friday/Saturday/Sunday- The Princess of Swords
“. . .Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace. . .”
The weekend brings welcome release from a lot of the earlier tension. The Princess of Swords
is trained and ready to strike when the moment is right. All the heaviness from earlier in the week has transformed into grace and dexterity, both mental and physical. Fear has been transmuted into courageous action!
On Friday, January 8th, Mercury retrogrades back into Capricorn, which will begin the process of revisiting issues that pertain to your perceptions of authority, aspirations and ambitions.
On Friday, Venus conjuncts Saturn in Sagittarius, which makes parties and love affairs feel more serious than usual, but this conjunction is really useful for helping you to project your creative spirit into something tangible like a performance or a piece of writing.
On Saturday, January 9, there will be a New Moon in Capricorn! This first New Moon of the year is a brilliant time to declare that you will be victorious in all your endeavors! Use this New Moon as the perfect time to begin your New Year’s resolutions.
This union of the Capricorn Sun with the Moon is only a few degrees from Pluto in Capricorn and is also in a square with Uranus in Aries. This is a potent formation that can summon a new era that is almost mythological in its impact on your life’s narrative.
You can find the strength rise to a new station in life, transform an old self-defeating belief, or conquer an addiction that has long held you captive. Being half-sick of shadows is the path towards freedom from the ignorance of all the possibilities that your life still holds.
This New Moon could be the beginning of the end of a long reign of darkness in your life.
“. . .Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.”
Much love to you!
❤ Aeolian Heart ❤
Aeolian Heart Readings 
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