Welcome to Indy Maven’s astrology column coming by way of Kelli Jenkins, better known around Indy as one of the Spellsisters. Check out their website and Instagram feed for even more info from the world of horoscopes and tarot, or to book a private reading.
January 2024 OVERVIEW
Bon voyage, 2023! It’s no surprise that life feels like an awakening right now. We’ve crossed a major checkpoint: the darkest and shortest day of the year is behind us. We’re obviously not out of the winter woods yet, but thankfully, the second half of the season welcomes renewal. The cliché of the new year is there for a reason.
From a collective perspective, this is always our favorite time to release, redirect, refresh, and restart. Right on schedule, we’re ringing in the new year with astrological transits that welcome opportunities to revisit and revise our life’s direction. It’s no wonder that taking the time to set intentions feels natural at this time of year.
This year is no exception to the rule; January is the opening season of a year filled with new chances to become who you’re meant to be. The old you still has their claws in your back–maybe they’ll never be released–but it’s okay to embrace who you’ve been while you’re becoming who you want to be. It’s time to soft-launch your new personal brand.
Things are really starting to look up this month. If you, like me, have felt like you’ve been met with constant delays and stalls, don’t worry. The fog is lifting. Any confusion you’ve been feeling about your direction and goals should start to clear up. It’s easier to know which way to go once you decide where you’re going, and finally, you feel motivated to figure it out.
The year begins with Mercury stationing direct in Sagittarius. On the 1st, Mercury retrograde ends, clearing the lines, opening up communication channels, and inspiring fresh starts.
Not only is Mercury resuming its direct motion, Mars is moving into its exaltation sign, Capricorn on the 4th. New Year’s goals and resolutions are boosted by this favorable placement, and it’s more likely we’ll be realistic about our goals rather than diving too soon. So we have the ideas and now we have the momentum to take inspired action that will help bring them to life.
Mars, the planet of action, thrives in the go-getter sign of Capricorn. So it’ll be easier to get inspired and recognize what you want. Setting goals to achieve your dreams feels easier, and taking the necessary action to reach your goals feels more natural.
Moving further into the month, inspiration and determination continue to be major themes. The New Moon in Capricorn on the 11th is the perfect opportunity to set intentions and launch new projects. If you haven’t done it already, creating a vision board would be an excellent New Moon ritual.
The week following the New Moon is a good time to really make plans and start taking action. Mercury joins Mars in Capricorn on the 13th, making this a good time to book the flight, start that business, enroll in the class, shoot your shot with a crush, or pull the trigger on a new project. When Venus enters Sagittarius on the 18th, adventure is sure to ensue.
Before we know it, Aquarius season begins on the 20th, and that same day, Pluto, the planet of revolution and transformation, finally-finally settles itself in Aquarius, bringing about the potential for major shifts to how we exist in the world. The revolution is much anticipated, and “must be televised.” Here’s my prediction: live streams on social media have the potential to change the world right now. And the world will be changed.
As we approach the end of the month, we have a Full Moon in Leo on the 25th. This Full Moon encourages healthy selfishness; be assertive about your needs and desires, put yourself first, and don’t bow down. Speaking and standing up for yourself is, after all, an act of resistance. This is truly one way to change the world. Your ability to do so serves as a beacon for those who cannot. You are a lighthouse.
We close the month with Uranus stationing direct in Taurus on the 27th, ending its five-month retrograde. Uranus is another planet of revolution, associated with extremes. According to one of my favorite astrologers, Susan Miller, Uranus is considered to be a “higher octave” of Mercury–the one that’s less subtle and less considerate of emotions.
Throughout the past five months, we’ve been encouraged to consider the direction our lives are taking. After all this time spent thinking about what we’re doing with our lives, our months-long sojourn in reflection can come to a close. Now comes the moment when we’re thrust into transformation, whether we’re ready or not.
But trust me: if it happens, then you’re ready. If there’s one thing I know, it’s this.
BIRTHDAY ROYALTY <3 Capricorn Placements (Birthday between December 22 – January 19):
The things that have held you back in the past from getting where you’re trying to go were merely speed bumps, not roadblocks. You have to stop thinking of these things as barriers. Delays are not hard stops. You may have been told that you couldn’t be, do, or have something you wanted in the past, but the past is the past, and things have changed. What was once a no may no longer be one, and you can’t assume the worst all of the time. Maybe it wasn’t right for you in the past, but now that you’re different, the things you currently want are closer. This month, you will need to employ all the tools in your arsenal to release what no longer serves you–that includes what you once wanted. If you got everything you wanted, but now it doesn’t serve you, you don’t have to hold onto it. You do not have to hold onto things just because you worked hard for them. You will be required to release the things that no longer fit who you are to get what who you are now wants.
Tarotscopes | Death: The old ways of being have to die off for new ones to come to life.
Local Capricorn: Summer Sloan, real estate broker/realtor and owner of Find a Lot to Love, January 3
Famous Sagittarius: Michelle Obama, January 17
NOW FOR THE REST OF YOU...
Aquarius & Aquarius Placements (Birthday between January 20 – February 18):
It takes a lot of guts to confront your own self. Facing your shadow feels intimidating and daunting, but necessary for breakthroughs. Here’s the thing, Aquarius: you are not your mistakes. You are not your scars. You are not your past. You have to learn that you can accept all of the parts of yourself, even the ones you don’t like, without allowing them to become your identity. It’s easy enough to slip into the idea that what has challenged you is who you are. I’m divorced. I’m a survivor. I’ve been a victim. I have things going on with my health. None of that is who I am. This month is about healing and getting closure. You’re a chrysalis. Let yourself be changed. You can only grow if you can change, and you’ll only change if you accept yourself as you are.
Tarotscopes | The Moon: Up seems down, the mirror has two faces. It’s the oddity of the situation that flips it right side up.
Pisces & Pisces Placements (Birthday between February 19 – March 20):
A tiny fire has been building within, and this month feels like an activation for you. The kindling is reaching a roar. You’ve been in an incubator, tending any wounds and letting your dreams grow. You can see now how they’re beginning to take on a new shape. This month, look for messages in synchronicity and listen to the symbols sent to you in dreams. The break you’ve taken has been a necessary recalibration, and as you’ve focused and refined your goals, you’ve aligned yourself with them. You are fine-tuned to your heart’s desires, magnetizing the things you want.
Tarotscopes | Queen of Wands: The match has been struck.
Aries & Aries Placements (Birthday between March 21 – April 19):
Your ruler, Mars, is setting the tone for you this month, working with the wounded healer to help you move on from the past and reset for the year ahead. Chiron is newly direct in Aries, triggering a huge release of what is no longer necessary in your life. This can be painful, but thankfully, as Chiron provides us with the questions that need answers, Mars gives us the motivation to solve them. You are determined to see progress this month, especially in your career. The situation at hand could be that you’ve worked hard for a long time, hoping for a change, but now you see that relief isn’t coming. You are the relief. You will only get what you want if you ask for it. Later in the month, you just might get it.
Tarotscopes | Knight of Pentacles: You have been handed the keys. You have an awesome opportunity to receive recognition for your work. It’s up to you to open the doors.
Taurus & Taurus Placements (Birthday between April 20 – May 20):
Baby, you’ve been setting yourself up for a major transformation for ages, and this just might be your month. We step into the new year with the planet of luck and expansion, Jupiter, moving direct in your sign. This is bound to put some fire behind this long-awaited, huge energetic shift. You’ve been anticipating and sensing that change is afoot and that things are going to go your way. Now it seems like the changes you’re being set up for are incredibly positive. This is fated. You are being granted golden opportunities that allow you to become who you truly are. This month will be filled with chances to meet new people, express yourself, and learn something new. Step into your new chapter boldly, but remember that it will take work to stay in your sunbeam.
Tarotscopes | The Sun: You’re seeing the world with new eyes. Everything looks alive and you’re excited to experience it all.
Gemini & Gemini Placements (Birthday between May 21 – June 20):
Are you in the wrong place or are you just bored? You are itching for a change, just dying to taste something delicious and feel something new. This could be a recipe for the perfect disaster. It could also be the keys to one of your wildest dreams. You feel ready to tempt and test the fates. Relationships feel especially meaningful and charged this month, and it’s important not to make snap decisions that put them in jeopardy–that is if you want to keep them. You could set your life ablaze right now and uproot your life, but will that still feel exciting and fun in 2 weeks when the Sun moves into Aquarius and you start to feel like yourself again? Keep yourself in check and set your sights on staying true to who you are. You’re allowed to change your entire life if that’s what you’ve been wanting all along, but be sure it’s what you really want. You can’t get back the things you burn in a fire.
Tarotscopes | Knight of Wands: Don’t let yourself just run loose when you’re restless.
Cancer & Cancer Placements (Birthday between June 21 – July 22):
December’s last Full Moon in Cancer may have activated some hidden treasure in your psyche. On the other hand, it could have highlighted a deep-seated fear. Either way, as we begin a new year with the Sun and Mars both in Capricorn, it’s easier for you to see the way through. You instinctively know how you should move forward, and if at first you don’t see it, you have the innate ability to feel your way. They say the only way out is through, and I think that means that even if you decide to opt out, the issue will resurface. You may be able to exit, but “out” does not always mean released. You will never figure out a way to be free of whatever ails you without seeing it through. Stay open to feeling it all, and this metamorphosis could be the medicine you’ve sought.
Tarotscopes | Temperance: Everything in moderation, even healing. Work and play in equal measure.
Leo & Leo Placements (Birthday between July 23 – August 22):
You’re looking for new ways to stick to your goals and see things through to the end. This month, it’s essential that your routines are something that you can sustain. You won’t reach your goals if you can’t stick to the tasks that help you reach your goals. For the first part of the month, devote yourself to yourself. I don’t mean that in a shallow way. This is not a “treat yourself” statement. Write a love letter to your future self, the one that has everything you currently want. What do you need to do to become that person? Think of what your future self would do, and how they could have gotten to where you want to be. Later in the month, you’ll feel revived and inspired, thanks to the Full Moon in your sign on the 25th and Uranus going direct in Taurus on the 27th.
Tarotscopes | Two of Wands: Figuring out what action you need to take is the first step to getting what you want.
Virgo Placements (Birthday between August 23 – September 22):
You may feel a lil snoozy and it makes sense to go off the grid for the first few days of the month. It’s necessary to recuperate from the hustle and grind you’ve been so dedicated to for months, or maybe even years. By now, you know that if you don’t let yourself slow down, you’ll get burnt out. At the same time, your ruler, the messenger Mercury, goes direct on the 1st, making you feel more inspired, and on the 4th, Mars enters Capricorn. This has the potential to make you want to put yourself out there. You’re more comfortable showing your work or standing in the spotlight when you’ve prepared yourself for it, and you have been doing just that. Don’t overthink it. Just do what feels good.
Tarotscopes | Ace of Cups: Consider how you feel in your body as you open your mind to new things.
Libra Placements (Birthday between September 23 – October 22):
All these retogrades have been really cramping your style, Libra, and now that planets are beginning to right themselves and go direct, you’re chomping at the bit. With your ruler, Venus, entering Sagittarius, you are itching to break out of your routine and seek out opportunities to have fun. This month is inspiring you to shake things up. But you feel at odds with yourself because Mars has also entered Capricorn. Boot camps, drills, and routines do not feel natural to you, and that’s the vibe right now. You’re feeling playful, but you’re being asked to be serious. You know you have work to do, but can’t it be fun? Yes. Yes, it can. Later in the month, it will become crystal clear where you’re truly appreciated versus where your production and ability to perform are appreciated.
Tarotscopes | 3 of Cups: Look for the people who really see you. That’s where you’ll have the most fun.
Scorpio Placements (Birthday between October 23 – November 21):
You’re asking yourself the really big questions this month. Like, what’s the meaning of life? What am I doing with my one wild and precious life? While other people are tending to their social lives and still on holiday mode, you’re trying to get shit done. You don’t have time to mess around and you don’t feel like playing. That’s cool–of course, crossing things off your list and thinking about your life’s strategies is awesome. But don’t forget: having some chill is not just about fun and games. It’s not horsing around and being lazy to log off and hang out with your friends. Don’t be so uptight, man. You can still achieve your goals even when your nose isn’t at the grindstone all day every day.
Tarotscopes | 3 of Pentacles: Bring in help where it’s needed. You are not an expert in everything.
Sagittarius & Sag Placements (Birthday between November 22 – December 21):
If you have been feeling pretty down on yourself, get ready to step into feeling yourself this month. It’s been a slow few months, but January is full of fortunate transits that benefit you. Right away, Venus enters your sign, infusing beauty in the mundane, breathing new life into the routine, and making you see things in a different light. Things aren’t so bad after all, are they? Your ruler, Jupiter, the planet of luck and expansion, moves into Taurus, and then, Mercury shifts direct in your sign. So, the universe is lovely, things are moving forward, and everyone’s communicating with clarity. Everything’s coming up Sag. This month, look for opportunities to make a real and lasting positive impact on your future. Don’t let your goals fall by the wayside. You can make true progress this month.
Tarotscopes | The Chariot: You have the power to change your own life. Now that you’re in control of it, everything looks brighter.
RELATED: YOUR DECEMBER 2023 HOROSCOPES WITH THE SPELLSISTERS
Photo of the Spellsisters by Schwebach Photography.
Follow the Spellsisters on Instagram @spellsisters and schedule a Zoom reading or purchase gift cards here.
All of our content—including this article—is completely free. However, we’d love if you would please consider supporting our journalism with a Maven Space Digital Membership.
