Joanna Poe from Munith, MI, USA [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

January 10, 2020

11:21 AM Los Angeles

2:21 PM New York

7:21 PM London

January 11, 2020

3:21 AM Beijing

6:21 AM Sydney

January's Lunar Eclipse in tropical Cancer is the first Full Moon of 2020, and it synchronously aligns with the exacting conjunction of Saturn and Pluto. For more details on Saturn and Pluto's conjunction, check out my article here. This Full Moon will be a penumbral lunar eclipse entirely or partially visible from most of the world, excluding North and South America (except for a small eastern portion of Brazil).

Saturn and Pluto's opposition to the Full Moon is inherently a challenge. The Cancerian Full Moon amplifies emotional sensitivity and vulnerability; it invites the expression of compassion and self-love. Yet, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn emphasize pragmatism, stoicism, and constraint. Mercury's superior conjunction with the Sun also opposes the Moon, creating the potential for hopelessness projected into the future.

The cluster of planets in Capricorn can heighten self-doubt or the dwelling on failures and shortcomings. Historically, the Saturn/Pluto cycle coincides with what Richard Tarnas termed global "conservative empowerment," which seeks to pull back or restore things to some idealized, past state of safety or purity.

Longing for the past and fearing progress is a dead-end situation where new possibilities are no longer within reach. Indeed, real-life circumstances can catalyze such a situation, but sometimes such limitations exist exclusively in the mind. Whether real or imagined, the limitations confronted with this lunation can represent a breaking point that provides the motivation to find a way out or a new path forward.

Neptune's trine to the Full Moon can tempt evasion of responsibilities or escapism, but it can also offer inspiration and a renewed vision. Uranus' station alongside this eclipse adds an expected element as well as a restlessness with stagnant circumstances. While it may be tempting to make things harder or stay in a difficult place because its comfortable, this eclipse offers a different choice where self-loathing can be replaced with self-love.

The Moon in Cancer dominates the moment, empowering the heart and generating a more lucid awareness of what matters most. Anticipate some notable domestic or emotional shifts with this lunation. And when confronted with overbearing "voices of reason" or an overtly conservative landscape, trusting spontaneity or following your heart is the more unpopular and challenging choice. While some things might appear less fruitful at the moment, trust your heart and keep pushing on. There are potentials and creative solutions, even in the midst of an immense contraction.