Latest:-Monday 5th January 2026

03.30 Venus at 14 Capricorn waning quintile Saturn at 26 Pisces
14.57 The Moon at 15 Leo waning quincunx Venus at 15 Capricorn
15.25 The rapidly waning full Moon at 15 Leo waning quincunx The Sun at 15 Capricorn
17.08 The Moon at 16 Leo waning quincunx Mars at 16 Capricorn
STATE OF THE SKY. (ALL TIMES ON THIS SITE ARE GMT.)
The Sun today is at 15 degrees Capricorn. Mercury, Venus and Mars are also in Capricorn. These are 'bare root' days, brimming with basic, tough, pragmatic realism. 'Graft and grit'. Venus, Mars and the Sun are closely conjunct in Capricorn and at their tightest on Wednesday and Thursday of this week at 18.5 degrees of the sign. Venus and Mars are especially close on Thursday. These are important days.
Saturn and Neptune are in Pisces. Their unconsummated 'test of faith' conjunction, dominating most of 2025, was closest on July 14th and is exactly conjunct on Feb 20th 2026. Currently the pair are in Pisces, revisiting old issues. Saturn and Neptune are direct in motion, the aspect is tightening. There are 74 days to the Vernal equinox.
Jupiter and Uranus are the only planets currently retrograde. We can 'crawl' forward.
MERCURY
Mercury entered Capricorn as a morning star on Jan 1st joining the Sun, Venus and Mars in this sign. He whizzes through this sign with effortless practicality in just 19 days. Mercury opposes Jupiter on Jan 14th. Extravagances. Mercury is tightly conjunct Mars on 18th Jan at 26 degrees Capricorn, the final of 3 Mercury Mars conjunctions this season, and the highlight of this residence. Mercury sextiles Saturn and trines Uranus on Jan 19th, measured futures. Mercury sextiles Neptune, sparkle and enchantment, and then enters Aquarius on Jan 20th. Get your facts correct with this residence. Pragmatic but rapid developments are likely.
Mercury is at Superior Conjunction with the Sun at 2 Aquarius on Jan 21st, and is conjunct Pluto the very next day. Three days after the return of Neptune to Aries, on Jan 26th 2026, Mercury is conjunct Venus at 15 degrees Aquarius on Jan 29th. Mercury turns retrograde on Feb 26th 2026 at 22 Pisces, falling into Venus' arms again 2 days later..
Mercury retrograde periods ahead.
Feb 26 to Mar 20, 2026
Jun 29 to Jul 23, 2026
Oct 24 to Nov 13 2026
Feb 9 to Mar 3, 2027
Oct 7 to Oct 28, 2027
VENUS
Venus entered Capricorn on Dec 24th as a morning star joining the Sun and Mars in this sign. She resides there for a brief and very hard hitting 24 days. This is 'tough love town'. Venus is at Superior conjunction with the Sun at 16 degrees Capricorn on Jan 6th. Then as an evening star Venus is closely aligned with Mars at 18 degrees Capricorn on Jan 8th. (The closest linear alignments of Venus and Mars in the first half of the 21st century are on Jan 8th 2026 (0.17 degrees) Nov 7th 2047 (0.12 degrees)). Venus opposes Jupiter on Jan 10th. Venus sextiles Saturn and trines Uranus on Jan 15th. Venus sextiles Neptune on Jan 17th and enters Aquarius later that day.
Her next retrograde phase is the 41 day period from Oct 3rd to Nov 14th 2026 in Scorpio and Libra.
MARS
Mars enters Capricorn on Dec 15th. Mars ploughs through this sign in a 'bulldozing' 39 days.
Mars is tightly conjunct Venus at 18 degrees Capricorn on January 8th, the is the 2nd tightest alignment of these two planets in the first half of the 21st century. It is a power punch in human relationships. Mars is conjunct the Sun at 19 degrees Capricorn on Jan 9th. Mars opposes Jupiter on Jan 10th. Mars is conjunct Mercury at 26 degrees Capricorn on Jan 18th. The last and the tightest of three Mars Mercury conjunctions in recent months. Mind and heavy muscle in unison and in action. Mars trines Uranus and sextiles Saturn on Jan 20th. Let's get physical. Mars trines Neptune on Jan 23rd, song of the ages. Mars enters Aquarius less than 3 hours later on that same day..
Mars is next retrograde from Jan 10th 2027 to April 1st 2027 in Leo/Virgo.
JUPITER
Jupiter is in Cancer from June 9th 2025 to June 30th 2026. He is now retrograde (from Nov 11th 2025 to March 11th 2026). Jupiter is exalted in Cancer. His energy is focused on 'the home' and the people, places, and memories that make us feel safe and secure. This one is 'the family way'. Jupiter in Cancer cares. Jupiter in Cancer 'expands home', it centres us on 'selfhood', our place, our world domain. It 'holds together' after the energetic flurry of Jupiter in Gemini. Jupiter in Cancer spreads peace. Not a bad thought in such a chaotic world right now.
SATURN
Saturn is direct and has been in Pisces from Sept 1st. Saturn's first foray into Aries lasted from 25/5/25 to 1/9/25. After returning to Pisces for 5 months he finally settles in Aries on February 14, 2026. We now have unfinished business with relinquishing, faith and sacrifice, finally putting them to bed.
URANUS
Uranus is now retrograde and back in Taurus. He first buzzed into Gemini on 7th July 2025. Uranus's initial residence in this sign was from July 7th 2025 to November 8th 2025. Uranus turns direct in Taurus on Feb 3rd 2026 and re-enters Gemini on April 25th 2026.
He returns to Gemini a 6.25 year stay, leaving for Cancer on August 3rd 2032.
NEPTUNE
Neptune first entered Aries on March 30th 2025 but is now back in Pisces and moving direct again. Neptune will re-enter Aries on January 26, 2026, where he will remain until March 23, 2039.
PLUTO
Pluto re-entered Aquarius on Nov 19th 2024 and will remain there till the year 2043.
Pluto was last in Aquarius from 1777 to 1798.
UPCOMING ECLIPSES
Feb 17th 2026. An Annular Solar Eclipse at 29 Aquarius visible from Antarctica. The eclipsed Sun is square Uranus. A tense event.
March 2nd-3rd 2026. A Total Lunar Eclipse at 13 Virgo visible from the Pacific, North West America and North East Asia. The eclipsed Moon is sextile Jupiter. A 'lucky break' eclipse.
Aug 12th 2026. A Total Solar Eclipse at 20 Leo visible from Europe(far northwest Spain, low at sunset), quintile Uranus. Electric Avenue.
Aug 28th-29th 2026 A Partial Lunar Eclipse at 5 Pisces visible from Europe, Africa and America, opposite Mercury. Magic mirror on the soul.
Feb 6th 2027 An annular Solar Eclipse at 17 Aquarius.
Feb 21st 2027 A penumbral lunar eclipse at 3 Virgo.
Aug 2nd 2027 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE at 11 Leo. ECLIPSE OF THE CENTURY. ONE YOU MUST NOT MISS.
Aug 17th 2027 A Penumbral Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius.
THE LUNAR STANDSTILL.
The Mean Lunar Node is in Pisces. We are (very early 2026) well past the climax of a Major Lunar Standstill. This is a period lasting for three years within the 18.6 year lunar nodal cycle. The last major lunar standstill centred on June 2006, and this current one was centred on January 2025. During these years we are observing extreme northerly and southerly lunar rising and setting points on the local horizon when the Moon is in tropical Gemini/Cancer or Sagittarius/Capricorn.