Rick Levine's January Forecast — 2026: Are You Ready?

CLICK ON MORE AND SCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR DAILY TIME STAMPS
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” — Alvin Toffler

We stand at the edge of a new year, a blank slate, and we study the patterns of planetary cycles to help us understand what might be around the next bend. There is no doubt that there are big changes occurring as Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto each move into new signs within a few short years (2023-2026) while forming supportive trines and sextiles with one another. Astrologers continue to forecast the potential emergence of new realities that are divergent from the apparent current events. But a lot must change quite rapidly if these predictions are to materialize. And our individual and collective awareness and action is where it all starts.

Although everyone’s attention is on Neptune’s reentry into Aries on January 26 and its conjunction with Saturn on February 20, we receive our first sobering wakeup call when perceptive Mercury enters pragmatic Capricorn on January 1. We can no longer ignore the obvious with the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars now in the sign of the Goat; we must grow up and take responsibility for our lives. The time is now. We are quickly moving into new territory as Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto are all traveling direct with Chiron ending its retrograde period on January 2, followed by Eris on January 11.

At first glance, the emotional weight of the Cancer Full Moon on January 3 at 2:02 am PST might seem manageable if we protect our feelings; however, our cozy retreat won’t last long before the Capricorn Sun bumps into resourceful Venus and reckless Mars on January 6 and January 9. This Full Moon is further activated by a motivational semisquare to rebellious Uranus, indicating that things won’t be as quiet and contained as we might expect. Additionally, the coalescing stellium of Venus, the Sun, Mars, and Mercury in goal-oriented Capricorn sets the tone for the first half of the month as Jupiter amplifies the influence of each of these planets when they oppose grandiose Jupiter on January 9-14. Our emotions are further triggered when these planets square bridge-building Chiron and provocative Eris between the 11th and the 17th. Vulnerability requires authenticity if we hope to finally heal the wounds that still haunt us.

The cosmic energy begins to shift in a different direction when Venus steps into progressive Aquarius and conjoins with persistent Pluto on the 19th. Pluto creates significant transformational waves as the Sun, Mercury, and Mars each enter radical Aquarius and conjunct the Lord of the Underworld between January 19 and January 27. The Capricorn New Moon on January 18 at 11:51 am PST is instrumental in the mid-month change of cosmic weather as the Sun and Moon both form free-flowing trines with revolutionary Uranus. Venus, still close to the Sun, trines Uranus on the 15th and Mercury trines Uranus on the 18, followed by Mars on the 19th. As if everything isn’t already moving fast enough, these trines add jolts of unexpected energy, speeding up the pace of events even more. This cluster of the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars each form sextiles with Saturn and Neptune through January 22 while Saturn perfects its sextile with Uranus on the 19th, creating a stabilizing balance between the old (Saturn) and the new (Uranus).

The volatility contained in the planetary patterns of January are fitting for the first month of a year that will bring more surprises than we can imagine. The danger, however, is to assume that the uncertainty associated with such powerful cultural shifts is something to fear when actually, the opposite is also true. Thankfully, the trines and sextiles that strengthen mid-month provide us with a stable foundation upon which the noisy events will unfold. It’s not a stretch to say humanity is in a precarious position these days. Although we are blessed with potential, we are short with success. Systemic change is essential if we wish to thrive on this planet. The cosmos is offering us a chance for true transformation, but it is up to each and every one of us to do our art to facilitate the transitions ahead.As always, think cosmically and act locally.

Happy & Healthy New Year to All!
~Rick Levine