Summary
Full Moon in Gemini January 3
Venus Transits Capricorn January 12 – February 5
Sun Transits Capricorn January 13 – February 12
Mars Transits Capricorn January 15 – February 22
Mercury Transits Capricorn January 16 – February 3
New Moon in Capricorn January 18
Saturn in Pisces advances to Uttarabhadra January 19
The Nodes Abide
February 2026 Headlines

Summary

For an in-depth analysis of specific planetary placements, please continue with the full planetary forecast.

Full Moon in Gemini January 3

As Friday January 2 becomes Saturday, January 3rd, the Moon at 19 degrees Gemini opposes the Sun at 19 degrees Sagittarius, giving us the first full Moon of 2026. With so much energy in dual signs at the turn of the calendar year, acknowledged commonly throughout the world, we may feel that we are at a collective tipping point.

Both Venus and Mars are in deep combustion with the Sagittarius Sun, all three collectively in Purvashada nakshatra, where we concentrate our efforts into purifying our negative tendencies and cleaning up our act. Mercury also occupies the earlier degrees of Sagittarius, bringing much attention to this positive and growth-oriented sign that calls us to draw our bow (inner strength) and aim our arrows (attention) toward growth, divinity, and spiritual pursuit.

The Moon in the last pada of Ardra nakshatra is vibrating with desire, receiving the aspect of Rahu from Aquarius, and begging us all to feel deeply what it is we are yearning for. The time is now to get to the roots of what we feel and what we want, so that we can adjust our head, hearts, feet, and minds toward that goal, beginning to make practical steps toward what we want for 2026.

The Moon and retrograde Jupiter from Gemini, as well as Saturn from Pisces, are all looking into the powerful and energetic grouping of planets in Sagittarius, encouraging the combination of fancy dreams and practical plans. Take all day or all week to click into your groove, find your direction, and connect with your passion, which is the real fuel that will keep you going through thick and thin times ahead.

The first twelve days of January will continue this Sagittarius theme, and from January 12 – 16, all four planets in Sagittarius will move in tandem into Saturn’s earth sign, Capricorn. Sagittarius is visionary, positive, and forward-looking. This beginning phase of 2026 is expansive and creative. There is also energy of battling through negative influences in order to clear your slate and stay on path. Once the Capricorn energy turns on mid-month, it is time to get to work, sculpting your vision, executing plans, and responsibly fulfilling your desires.

Venus Transits Capricorn January 12 – February 5

The gaggle of planets that has coalesced in Sagittarius during December 2025 moves into Capricorn together, led by Venus, who crosses that invisible line in the sky on January 12th. Capricorn is an earth sign, ruled by stern Saturn, bringing us to themes of karmic responsibility, relentless determination, and steely resolve.

Venus is in friendly territory while crossing through Capricorn, being a natural friend with Saturn, who enhances the relational magic of Venus by creating structure and safety by establishing and maintaining boundaries and demanding accountability. Venus is concerned with all forms of relationship and connection, including families, couples, and societies.

This rather quick transit of Venus through Capricorn from January 12th through February 5th brings our attention to karmic connections and the consequences of our relationships, businesses, and politics. This is a rather business-forward transit, with Capricorn territory being the 10th sign, correlating with the executive functions of the 10th house. As ruler of relationships, Venus also becomes a marker for business, contracts, and connections. Capricorn is supportive of long-term projects and determined progress. Venus brings light, art, and comfort to the long haul.

Sun Transits Capricorn January 13 – February 12

The Sun sees Venus move past him on January 6th, a powerful looking Tuesday when Mars, Sun, and Venus all conjoin at 22 degrees Sagittarius. We’ll note here that Venus also overtakes Mars on January 6th, advancing to the front of the pack. On January 13th, the blazing Sun pursues Venus into Capricorn for his steadily paced transit that lands him in Aquarius on February 12th.

Of the entourage surrounding the Sun, the Sun alone loses dignity while in Capricorn, the sign of his enemy, Saturn. Venus and Mercury are friendly to Saturn, and Mars gains exaltation status in Capricorn. With such proximity to the Sun, the trio surrounding him is considered to be in combustion state; but with the Sun’s relative weak position in Capricorn, perhaps we have the ability to bolster our resolve and increase our shine by tapping into the Venus, Mars, and Mercury energy that comes through the Sun’s transit this month. Think: Creative juice + powerful focus + childlike wonder.

While Sagittarius hosts the Sun plus entourage in the first part of January, the Sun may feel a bit more buoyant, bringing us some clarity about direction, especially when it comes to spiritual work, educational pursuits, and big-picture moves. Saturn from Pisces is hitting Sagittarius, putting some pressure on the Sun in the form of practical reality intruding on the glory of creative flow.

In Capricorn, this aspect of Saturn is removed, but the echoes ripple with whispers of Saturn’s wisdom, reminding us that we must be responsible for fallout from shortcuts or oversights, even if we didn’t mean to waste or harm. Capricorn is relatively free from planetary aspects coming from Rahu, Saturn, or Jupiter, making the workshop or office a good place to focus this month.

Mars Transits Capricorn January 15 – February 22

Following the leader, Mars moves into Capricorn on January 15th, planning to spend about five weeks marching across Saturn’s earth sign. This is boots-on-the-ground energy that adds courage and focus to direct our next steps toward achievement and success.

The Sun overtakes Mars at 25 degrees Sagittarius on January 9th, after which Mars drops to the back of the lineup, in no hurry to leave his exaltation sign. On January 18th, Mercury overtakes Mars, giving Mars the room and duty to bring up the rear of the entourage.

Mars in Capricorn shows us the power of properly aligned force. We acknowledge that passionate fire, channeled via steady determined effort, grounded in responsibility, is the ultimate show of Mars’ energy. The humble environment of Capricorn requires that Mars acts out of duty and responsibility, curbing the potential for ego-driven aggression or waste.

Energized in Capricorn, Mars is able to aspect the two fiery signs associated with royal power: Aries, where the Sun becomes exalted, and Leo, the throne room of the Sun. Currently the only occupant of either sign is Ketu in the middle degrees of Leo, reminding us that there could be a dormant power source that we don’t yet know about, something hidden in plain sight that begins to unfurl as we step into transformative processes.

Mars and Ketu together rule the sign of Scorpio, which teaches us the relevance of what is unseen in the depths. Exalted Mars aspecting Ketu with his 8th aspect brings out this deep, magical, and potent energy. Stay focused, keep walking, and reach deep internally.

Mercury Transits Capricorn January 16 – February 3

Racing into Capricorn on Mars’ heels on January 16th, the fast-moving Mercury overtakes Mars on January 18th, Sun on January 21st, and Venus on January 28th. By February 3rd, Mercury leads the charge into Aquarius, which will see the group that has been travelling together tightly through January begin to loosen up and spread apart during February.

Mercury performs well in the structured environment of Capricorn, taking care of business and working the profit and loss statements. This is a good time to make the data work for you in the sense of looking at things from a detached but practical viewpoint and then making corrections as needed, in the moment but without haste and with minimal waste.

The Sun in Capricorn can represent executive power and the trio of planets around the Sun are telling us that the people who fuel an organization, who benefit from an organization, and who manage an organization hold more power to make or break the organization than the head of the organization. The Sun may be the king, but Saturn represents the sovereign soul that lives in each being, forcing us to balance our individual agendas with the reality that we are sharing resources with every other being.

Plan on rebalancing power, strategy, funding, and materials from mid-January to mid-February, especially in the domains of life represented by Capricorn in your personal horoscope.

New Moon in Capricorn January 18

We close out the strong sweep of planets changing signs in mid-January with the new Moon joining the pack and lining up with the Sun at 5 degrees Capricorn, surrounded closely by Mars, Venus, and Mercury, all five planets in Uttarashada nakshatra.

Without pressuring an immediate result or outcome, this energy can be used for resolution. We can think of Purvashada nakshatra, where the current group of planets began to coalesce, as the early part of a journey, including the planning, the packing, the approach, the arrival at basecamp. With the whole crew having set off, boots on the trail, and gravity-defying climbs begun, we get to the chapter where the energy of Uttarashada comes in.

This brings to mind the age-old rivalry between the Sun and Saturn, whose tale is as old as time. This plays out in our challenge to express our individual nature as directed by the Sun but on a playing field occupied by infinite others directed to do the same. How do we balance being “me” in a field of “us?” So while we may be trekking up a mountain with a group for efficiency and safety, it still takes each individual’s inner strength and resolve to make one foot advance in front of the other.

Addressing the collective needs slows the group down, but it also assures that each group member is supported. As we together continue to rise toward success and achievement, we are tasked with both responsibly moving ourselves forward while at the same time supporting others to advance, find strength, and stay safe while getting there.

Think of this new Moon moment as a cold morning on a steep trail that is taking you to your goal. Retreating is not an option. Leaving the others behind is not an option. Take stock of intentions, strategies, personnel, materials, and resources. Shift the burdens among group members to rebalance for the climb ahead. Leave behind what is not essential.

Saturn in Pisces advances to Uttarabhadra January 19

Just one last tiny click before the remainder of January continues on a slow march upward. Saturn, the host of all of those planets in Capricorn, advances just one step further into Pisces, moving out of Purvabhadra nakshatra, which had been a focus for 2025, with Saturn and Rahu conjoining and wrestling there for much of the spring and summer months. This stirred up the depths, for better or worse, revealing hidden desires and agendas that alerted us to the need for serious clean up and reprogramming.

Saturn enters Uttarabhadra nakshatra on January 19th, moving relatively quickly through until May, when he moves to Revati, with plans to return to Uttarabhadra in retrograde motion in October 2026. February, March, and April see Saturn strongly urging us to keep our eye on the prize by staying focused and determined on what we are building, finishing, or refining.

Purvabhadra and Uttarabhadra are a pair of nakshatras that lie toward the end of the zodiac, giving us the strong lessons of Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter is expansive and positive, elevating us toward growth and divinity. Saturn is contractive and practical, pushing us to integrate the spiritual ideals fostered by Jupiter into the reality of life on Earth, where time and resources are limited. When we can find the right recipe of faith and realism, we can climb toward our goals and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Purvabhadra has Jupiter as its planetary ruler, and Uttarabhadra has Saturn as its planetary ruler, giving old Saturn a bit more weight through the winter and spring months of 2026. Stay accountable to what you have promised, finish what you have started, keep leaning into your goals.

The Nodes Abide

Saturn and his territories are in the spotlight during January, but let us check on the nodal axis, in the middle of the Rahu in Aquarius and Ketu in Leo transit that runs from late May 2025 to late November 2026. This is also a check in with retrograde Jupiter in the late degrees of Gemini, who with Rahu is whipping up the air signs by placement and transit.

Jupiter is in a unique position to raise the roof during the first half of 2026, leveraging the amplified but not always clear hype of Rahu who is centered in Aquarius but extending his magical thought patterns into the other two air signs, Libra and Gemini, where retrograde Jupiter is currently found.

For the first quarter of 2026, Jupiter remains in retrograde motion, and paired with Rahu’s aspect could make things generally feel unstable, uncertain, or unclear. In this smoky haze, we have the benefit of cover, as well as the opportunity to bounce through random ideas until we meet the one that fits the job at hand. This first few months of 2026 is also good for big brainstorming, remapping teaching or learning trajectories, and test driving idealistic approaches. Gather information, throw spaghetti at the wall, and revisit previous untried ideas.

The tide may turn again when Jupiter resumes direct motion in March, pushing us toward committing to a path and investing in a direction, even if it involves a “build it as we go” component. Jupiter then finishes his Gemini transit and moves quickly through Cancer from May 31 – October 30, 2026. Jupiter enters Leo on October 30 and then assumes retrograde motion on December 12th at 3 degrees Leo.

Rahu has retreated more deeply into Aquarius, the sign he co-lords with Saturn. Aquarius is an air sign, and with Rahu’s strong influence, that air becomes wind. Additionally, Rahu has settled into Shatabishak nakshatra, giving him immense ground to push his radical ideas in a widespread way. The world can change dramatically and quickly when dear Rahu is in good dignity, able to express his influence to the max.

The last notable session of Rahu in good dignity came when Rahu passed through Gemini, an exaltation sign for Rahu, from March 23, 2019 – Sept 19, 2020, which encompassed the origin, onset, and full blown pandemic known as Covid-19. Rahu excels in air signs, which are environments where information, ideas, and transactions move with speed.

Each sign has an assignment as moveable, fixed, or dual. Gemini is a dual sign, where pivots and rapid responses arise. Aquarius is a fixed sign, where even in the thought realms, stability is sought. Fixed signs are associated with established norms and expectations. Rahu’s presence in Aquarius brings disruption to what is fixed or expected. While this is destabilizing and uncomfortable, it is also the voice of humanity demanding basic rights in the face of systems of oppression or exploitation.

Similar to Rahu in Aquarius, his counterpart Ketu, is also placed in a fixed sign, fiery Leo, is digging internally for that disruption to deeply entrenched beliefs about the self, and the expression of those beliefs through the ego. Rahu desires to distribute and amplify in a way that connects to the rest of the whole wide world. Ketu is the compass needle that knows our true north and draws us inward toward the subtle realms of reality.

Where Ketu sits, we may lose interest in the worldly expression of that realm of life and seek instead a more subtle energetic or spiritual understanding, sometimes completely reversing beliefs or confronting feelings of apathy. Ketu can act as a roadblock across the indications of Leo, in general or in your personal chart. This could point at the simultaneous grasping to keep hierarchical structures in tact and the overwhelming turning away from the same structures that seem to only liberate those at the top.

February 2026 Headlines

Full Moon 19 deg Cancer/Ashlesha Feb 1
Mercury Transits Aquarius February 3 – April 10
Venus Transits Aquarius February 5 – March 1
Sun Transits Aquarius February 12 – March 14
New Moon Annular Solar Eclipse 5 deg Aquarius February 17
Mars Transits Aquarius February 22 – April 2
Mercury Retrograde 29 deg Aquarius February 25