For fiery, bold, and assertive Aries, here’s what you might expect to enjoy, work through, and receive throughout January 2025.
The first month of the year is overwhelmingly dominated by two major retrogrades, one of which is your ruling planet, Mars. Mars retrograde, not that dissimilar to Mercury retrograde, tends to throw a stick in the spokes of the wheels of progress, so to speak. Projects delay, work stalls, and energy feels generally low. If there were ever a time to rest and take a few moments of contemplation before acting, it would be under the influence of Mars retrograde. Mars’ initial trek through Leo in the first week of the year encourages a slower, less aggressive approach to friendships. When it transitions to Virgo for the rest of January, this calmer, more thoughtful perspective lends itself nicely to self-esteem and subconscious thinking.
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The other major retrograde of January is Jupiter retrograde in Gemini. This giant celestial body’s retrograde period encourages us to adopt new ideas and reconsider what success and prosperity look like. Under Gemini, these facets of existence become even more flexible. This malleability can be a double-edged sword, though, so be careful. Having some wiggle room to explore different possibilities can make life feel less tense and time-restricted. But not having firm ground to root yourself on can also breed indecisiveness and insecurity. There’s a fine line to walk here if you’re willing to look for it, Aries.
On January 3, your retrograde ruling planet forms a direct opposition to Pluto in Aquarius. A cosmic standoff with transformative Pluto isn’t necessarily surprising, although it doesn’t make its effects any less frustrating. Keep in mind that progress is not linear. Even if you take three steps forward and two steps back, you’re still moving in the right direction. Give yourself room to deal with unexpected mishaps and low energy. Placing yourself under a fabricated time crunch won’t do anything to ease your stress.
Mars retrograde transitions from Leo to Virgo a few days later, on January 6, shifting emotional and mental focus from friendships and external bonds to your connection with yourself. Virgo’s domain tends to lie in judgment and analysis, which can be helpful in terms of personal growth. But there is a big difference between pushing yourself to be the best you can be and butting up against unrealistic standards. The stars’ shifting placement indicates you might be more in the latter than you realize, stargazer.
Not everything in life will work out exactly the way you planned, and that’s okay. More often than not, we’re naive when we make these kinds of plans. A harmonious trine between Mars retrograde and Neptune in Pisces ushers in a creative, imaginative spirit. So what if the ways you were doing things before are no longer working out? Life is for learning, and the cosmos presents an invaluable opportunity to do just that under this auspicious cosmic alignment. Just before a full Moon reaches its peak the next day, Neptune encourages you to look deep within your inner self and reassess your strongest ambitions and dreams.
Then, the Moon hits its most powerful lunar phase in Cancer on January 13. Full Moons are typically periods of significant emotional clarity anyway. When this neighboring celestial body reaches its peak within its native Zodiac territory, Cancer, its effects become even more potent. Pay close attention to internal cues during this time. Our subconscious minds pick up on far more than we tend to realize. Don’t be so quick to write off a bad gut feeling or a racing heart. Best-case scenario: you were overthinking. Worst-case scenario: you catch a problem before it has time to fester into an even worse dilemma.
A few days later, on January 16, your ruling planet forms a direct opposition to the Sun. Mars retrograde is a direct challenge to your pride in being a go-getting doer. The stars urge you to reconcile with the possibility of being a hard-working, ambitious individual who also takes rests when necessary. You can be wildly successful and also make a mistake. These attributes are not mutually exclusive. The sooner you live by this fact of life, the less arduous these pitfalls will become.
Conflict continues toward the end of the month when Mars retrograde falls into an opposition with Mercury in Capricorn. As much as you might like to race into this new year swinging, the stars encourage you to ease into your plans a little more thoughtfully. If these goals are truly meant to come to fruition, a slower approach shouldn’t disaffect them too much. If they do, perhaps that was a cosmic sign that you were meant to let these ambitions go in the first place. In either case, you’ll come out on the other side okay.
On January 24, your ruling planet forms a fortuitous trine with Venus, signaling greater positivity in areas of love, finance, and self-esteem. The initial deceleration early in the month might have disarmed you, but now, the benefits of this slowdown are starting to make themselves known. As Jupiter retrograde continues to confront you with new beliefs and ideas, it poses an important question. Did you really feel more successful and better about yourself when you were running yourself ragged? Or were you simply living off adrenaline stemming from the fear of not being good enough?
Almost a week later, on January 29, the new Moon enters Aquarius. This restful, restorative lunar phase’s transit through Aquarius points to finding new ways to take care of yourself and recharge. Think outside of the box. You don’t have to book yourself a stressful vacation in the name of relaxation, nor do you have to not do something you feel like doing because it’s not an explicit need. The stars are setting the stage for you to try something new this month, Aries. Live a little. Explore a little. Allow yourself to be curious.
Thus concludes your monthly highlights. For more specific celestial analyses, make sure to read your daily and weekly horoscope as well. Good luck, Aries! See you next month.
