January 2025 Vedic Astrology Forecast

My guide to the luckiest and most difficult days of the month

Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. - Alfred Tennyson

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Welcome to 2025! The New Year will begin on a strong start, with many planets making major moves in January. In this article, I am sharing some of the best times of the month, as well as some of the more challenging ones. For my paid subscribers, I have also written an in-depth 2025 Vedic Astrology Forecast.

Let's talk about what to expect during the first month of the year:

January 1-7: Sirius Alignment - A Cosmic Attunement to Empower Our New Year Intentions

During the first week of the New Year, Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, will reach its highest annual point overhead and beam down upon us around midnight. At the same time, we will nearing perihelion. This is when the Earth is closer to the Sun than it will be all year long (which will be exact on Jan. 4). In this yearly astronomical event, the Earth will line up between Sirius and our Sun. This means the Sun and Sirius will be in zodiacal opposition.

Sirius is the mystical Sun behind our Sun, and has often been called our solar system's spiritual light bearer. At this time, Sirius has an open channel through which to blast us with a new infusion of cosmic light. This explains the deeper esoteric reason for the civil New Year celebration around January 1, as it marks the time of spiritual rebirth. Make your affirmations around midnight on New Year's Eve while using this annual cosmic attunement to empower your intentions.

January 3: Pluto and Mars In Exact Opposition - Ongoing Instability

Transiting Mars and Pluto will form an exact opposition on January 3. This conjunction is within an effective two-degree orb of influence from December 27, 2024 to January 7, 2025.

This aspect has been occurring on and off since October 2024, and will continue on and off through April 2025. It is especially significant because transiting Pluto is also in conjunction with natal Pluto in the United States birth chart (with transiting Mars opposing natal and transiting Pluto). This aspect is activating the United States Pluto Return, which marks a time of massive transformation in all areas of life within the United States (see my previous article about this).

Furthermore, the Mars-Pluto opposition is most significant in late December 2024 and early January because Mars is retrograde, which triggers troublesome concerns related to unresolved past karma.

Mars is in Cancer in opposition with Pluto in Capricorn can have a violent, warlike, ruthless, or brutal expression. It can also represent upheaval and revolt. This sign axis of Cancer and Capricorn has to do with long-term safety, stability, and security. This axis is being disrupted at its roots by the Pluto transit in Capricorn, in place from 2020-2040.

Please also note that Mars will be Out of Bounds (OOB) from December 30 to April 7. I discussed this at length in my December report, where I mentioned that an “OOB Mars can manifest with extraordinary passion, originality, independence, energy, and courage. However, in its less positive manifestation, it may manifest in devastating fires, extreme anger, warlike events, accidents, terrorist attacks, criminality, or social unrest.”

January 3-4: Mercury Will Transit in the Scorpio-Sagittarius Gandanta - Mind the Gap

During January 3-4, Mercury will transit across the cusp of Scorpio and Sagittarius. This is known as the gandanta, the one-degree edge between a water and fire sign which has an intense, sensitive, emotional, and fiery quality. During these days, we might expect some stress or upheaval. We should be extra-cautious to avoid communication breakdowns, irrational thinking, and errors in decision-making.

January 4-24: Mercury Will Transit in Sagittarius - A Lighter Mood

On January 4, Mercury will enter Sagittarius. Before this, and since late October, Mercury was in a prolonged transit of Scorpio. While Mercury was in this sign, you might have experienced anger, grief, anxiety, or fear. Mercury's movement into Sagittarius may improve some of these issues. You may feel begin to feel more hopeful, creative, spontaneous, curious, and adventurous starting on January 4th.

That said, you should be cautious during this time. It's particularly important to be mindful from January 6-9 when Mercury will square the lunar nodes and Neptune. It can be a time of stormy weather and confusing communication, travel, and transportation breakdowns. This is also related to a 6/8 quincunx between Mars and Mercury around January 7 (but within orb all week long), which can have an incendiary, chaotic, dangerous, irritated, and impetuous quality. Just make sure to stay focused and grounded in order to try and avert any serious problems.

January 6: Epiphany - A Great Day to Perform a House Clearing and Blessing

January 6 is the Christian “Day of Light” known as Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day. Epiphany commemorates the manifestation of the Christ child before the Three Kings, also known as the Wise Men or Magi, who came from the East bearing special gifts. Epiphany can be interpreted allegorically as the acknowledgement of the divine essence embodied within each member of humanity. Every year on this date, we celebrate this profound understanding as we close the door on the Christmas season.

Epiphany is traditionally celebrated with a house blessing, spiritual cleansing, meditation, and prayer. I always perform the ancient blessing of chalking the front door of my house on this day after thoroughly cleaning and censing (smudging) my home with frankincense. This year, on the top of my front door, I will write (with chalk) the number 20, then the letters C, M, and B, and then the number 25. The numbers represent the year (2025), and the letters are the initials of the Three Magi, named Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar. Their initials also abbreviate the Latin phrase, Christus Mansionem Benedicat which means, “May Christ bless this house.”

January 13: The Full Moon in Gemini - The Joyful Moon

The first Full Moon of 2025 will occur on Monday, January 13, at 5:27 PM EST (10:27 PM UTC). Use the World Time Buddy if your time zone is different. Every Full Moon marks the best time of the month for meditation, ceremony, healing, empowerment and prayer.

The January Moon is traditionally known as “Joyful Moon” in the Hopi tradition, because it marks the beginning of the social season of celebration. And this is certainly a joyful Full Moon, as it will occupy the communicative, playful, and creative sign of Gemini in the lighthearted and peaceful Punarvasu nakshatra.

In addition, the Full Moon is generally a time when significant matters are said to “come to light." This will be especially true for the January Full Moon because this Moon's nakshatra of Punarvasu refers to the "return of the light.” Punarvasu nakshatra is also associated with launching new projects. This suggests that we may be able to access some new energy, awareness, and focus at this time to help us make strides in our lives and our work.

Note that the Full Moon will conjoin retrograde Mars in early Cancer in an out-of-sign conjunction. This adds some potential for passion but also for aggravation in the few days on either side of the lunation, so be sure to “mind the mind” at this time. This is even truer because the Full Moon will pass in front of Mars, creating a lunar occultation visible from the Americas and Africa beginning at around 9:21 PM on January 13.

It is a rare and powerful event to have the Full Moon occulting Mars at the same time that Mars is in its brightest phase. This event can reboot, reset, and purify our Mars energy, similar to what happens in a solar or lunar eclipse. Mars represents our energy, strength, confidence, willpower, and courage, as well as aggression and conflict. Any of these qualities may be triggered and transformed by the occultation of Mars.

January 13 to February 12: The Sun Will Transit in Capricorn - A Celebration of the Sun’s Growing Light and Mother Nature’s Bounty

The Sun will transit in Capricorn from January 13 to February 12 this year. The Sun’s Capricorn ingress (when it enters Capricorn) establishes the Vedic harvest festival known as Makar Sankranti. This event will occur on January 14 throughout the world.

Makar Sankranti is a traditional time of celebration and thanksgiving in honor of the awakening Sun god (known as Lord Surya), who is now rising northward in his annual declination cycle. Makar Sankranti is also a celebration of Mother Nature’s bounty.

Now the Sun will begin its annual two-month transit in the signs of Saturn (Shani), Capricorn and Aquarius. Normally, Saturn and the Sun are enemies who don’t vibe well together. However, Saturn is the shadow of the Sun. Accordingly, the two can work well together when we are willing to accept and embrace our shadow issues, by examining and addressing the blind spots and self-defeating patterns that hold us back.

January 15-16: Mars At Opposition - Potential for Heightened Tension, Conflict, and Storms Followed By a Turning Point

Mars will reach opposition on January 15 at 9:34 PM EST, which will be January 16 at 2:34 AM UTC. This means that Mars in early Cancer will be it in exact opposition to the Sun in early Capricorn. At this time, Mars will be at its closest point to the Earth, and will therefore be very bright. It will be visible in areas with clear skies all night long in January, but will be especially bright mid-month.

Oppositions of Mars happen roughly every 2 years. The last time the Mars opposition occurred was in December 2022, and the next time will be February 19, 2027. This current aspect is further intensified because the Moon will conjoin Mars, while Pluto will conjoin the Sun.

The opposition’s influence will be in range from January 14-17, where it may activate arguments, animosity, impulsivity, Manichean (black and white) thinking, violence, crime, military confrontations, fires, or heavy rains, floods, and storms.

The opposition of Mars and the Sun occurs halfway through the current Mars retrograde cycle which extends from December 6, 2024 to February 23, 2025. The retrograde energy of Mars reaches a peak of tension at its opposition with the Sun, which will then be followed by a critical turning point in the cycle. It is likely that some of the most malefic effects of the stressful and challenging Mars retrograde cycle will begin to abate after January 17.

January 18: Conjunction of Venus and Saturn in Aquarius - A Time for Caution

On January 18, Venus and Saturn will conjoin at 22 degrees of Aquarius in the sometimes destructive nakshatra known as Purva Bhadrapada. This aspect will be within a five-degree effective orb of influence from January 12-24, but will be exact and thus the strongest on January 18. This conjunction can indicate ill health or accidents, as well as a sober sense of reality, and duty.

Last March 26, 2024, Venus and Saturn conjoined in the same area of the zodiac when the Francis Scott Key Bridge partially collapsed after it was struck by a container ship in Baltimore. In my forecast at the beginning of that month, I had mentioned that this conjunction could indicate national calamities as well as uncivilized behavior, issues with agriculture, labor, or mines, or some concerns about the economy or real estate.

January 20 to April 2: Mars Will Transit in Gemini - Stormy Weather (Literally and Figuratively)

From January 20 to April 2, Mars will transit in Gemini. This sign is ruled by Mercury, which is an enemy to Mars. Mars will also remain retrograde until February 23. In some cases, this difficult transit can result in respiratory or nervous diseases; neck, arm, hand, or shoulder problems; communication breakdowns, impatience, a lack of focus and completion, educational challenges; and restlessness, anger, irritation, violence, anxiety, and insomnia.

If Mars is transiting in a strong house position in your horoscope, and if your Mars energy is innately balanced and strong, then it may express the more constructive qualities of its Gemini placement. These include the capacity for logical and analytical thought, a mechanical orientation, strategic action, the enjoyment of travel, a strong impulse to learn and share knowledge, musical and literary interests, and a taste for elegance.

In the United States birth chart, Mars in Gemini will traverse the Seventh House. This may activate the potential for intense and heavy karmic events, including dangerous storms and floods, wars, international disputes, heightened crime, and attacks from known enemies.

Over the coming month, Mars will also transit in conjunction with the natal Sun in the United States birth chart. The Sun rules the leaders of the nation, and it also rules the Ninth House, which represents immigration issues, the judiciary, international affairs and travel, the revelation of government secrets, and commerce and trade matters. Mars may very well trigger some conflicts in any of these areas.

January 21: Sun-Pluto Conjunction - A Profound Turning Point

On January 21, the Sun and Pluto will conjoin at around seven-and-a-half degrees of Capricorn. Their conjunction will be within an effective two-degree orb of influence from January 19 to 21. For some (depending on how it activates a birth chart), this can trigger interesting realizations and enhanced self-assertiveness; but on the downside, it can also point to danger and the need for vigilance.

The annual conjunction of the Sun and Pluto has previously been associated with increased seismic activity, economic crises, political plots and power plays, and accidents. At the same time, this conjunction is also considered to indicate major successes in politics, big business and commerce.

As they come together, transiting Sun and Pluto will be conjoined natal Pluto in the United States’ birth chart, thus continuing to activate the United States Pluto Return. This event marks a time of incredible and positive revolutionary changes and a profound turning point in history. It’s interesting that the United States Presidential Inauguration will occur during this important astrological conjunction.

January 24 to February 11: Mercury Will Transit in Capricorn - A Productive Period

Mercury will transit in Capricorn from January 24 to February 11. Here, Mercury reflects a focused, organized, analytical, dutiful, discerning, detached, and systematic approach to matters. Mercury’s transit here should be a very productive period in general.

January 25 to 29: The Waning Balsamic Moon - Time to Let Go, Rest, and Rejuvenate

From January 25 to 29, the Moon will be waning in its Last Quarter phase. This is known as the Balsamic “Crescent” Moon phase, a transitional time of the month when the light of the Moon diminishes. When the light of the Sun, the soul of the world, is not being reflected to us through the Moon, we must instead go deeper within to reconnect to the inner Light. This is the time of the month to let go, rest, and rejuvenate, in preparation for the New Moon ahead.

January 27 to May 31: Venus Will Transit in Pisces - Hope for Prosperity and Peace

Venus will enjoy a four-month prolonged transit in Pisces from January 27 to May 31. It will be extended due to its retrograde period coming up in March and April.

Venus in Pisces is exalted, meaning it is in its best and most fruitful and happy sign. Here, it can reflect the highest expression of unconditional love, unity, soulfulness, gentleness, divine connection, sweetness, loveliness, and joy. This transit truly brings some hope for prosperity and peace. It may also help to counteract some of the more challenging astrological aspects we must also weather.

Venus typically transits in Pisces once a year for about 28 days, but every eight years it retrogrades in Pisces and transits there for a much longer cycle. The last time Venus underwent its protracted transit in Pisces was in 2017, and before that in 2009, before that in 2001, and so on. You can look back and note these previous extended cycles of Venus in Pisces, to get a feel for how this one might go for you, but you would need a Vedic astrology reading to find out more exactly how it might transpire this time.

While Venus transits in Pisces, it will form a mutual exchange or Parivartana Yoga with its dispositor Jupiter in Taurus. This aspect can indicate happiness and all manner of blessings for those who are able to ground their idealistic and creative aspirations through a practical and realistic approach. At the same time, Venus is an enemy to Jupiter! The lower expression of this enmity between Venus and Jupiter can point toward falsehood; sanctimony; hypocritical double standards; promising more than can be delivered; and involvement in corrupt or failed personal relationships and legal, financial, or business deals.

January 29: New Moon in Capricorn - An Auspicious Time for New Beginnings

The New Moon will occur at 7:36 AM EST on January 29. It will occupy the responsible, pragmatic, hard-working, and results-oriented sign of sidereal Capricorn. It will also be in Shravana nakshatra, and in the auspicious Taurus navamsa, and will receive a fortunate trine from Jupiter.

The days around this New Moon can be a good time to begin new ventures, move into a new house, or receive advice, counseling, or healing therapies. This may also be an ideal moment to pursue social interactions, make peace, learn something new, write, take a new name, or engage in spiritual practices and travel.

The Chinese New Year will occur on January 29 at the New Moon, as well. It will usher in the Year of the Wood Snake. It’s a year in which we will awaken new understanding and will seek knowledge that is of practical value. The Wood Snake year also focuses on establishing financial and emotional security through hard work and personal responsibility. And I should mention that there will be some significant shedding of old skin involved in this process!

January 30: Uranus Will Station Direct - Expect the Unexpected!

Uranus will station direct on January 30 at 11:23 AM EST, after having been retrograde since September 1. The sensitive timespan for Uranus stations comprises ten days on either side, so be aware of its transitional period from January 20 to February 8. We might receive some new inspiration or surprising announcements and revelations during this time.

Uranus is the planet of air travel, lightning, sudden changes and events, freedom, independence, rebellion, and awakening. As Uranus ends his five-month retrograde cycle and begins to move forward, we should “expect the unexpected.” This is even truer because Uranus will be transiting in the final degree of fiery Aries and in the intense nakshatra known as Krittika, which translates as the “Cutters.” This can bring a sense of urgency and desire to make a rapid change, but also point to accidents and upheaval if we are not cautious.

January 31 to February 1: Imbolc - The Ancient Gaelic Festival of Fire and Light

The ancient Gaelic fire festival of Imbolc is celebrated beginning on the eve of January 31 and through February 1. Imbolc is immediately followed by the Christian holy day of Candlemas (or Candelaria), a festival of light celebrated on February 2.

Imbolc traditionally paid homage to Breo Saighead, the beloved Celtic goddess Brigid. She is also called the Exalted One, the Lady of the Sacred Flame, and the Druidic patroness of healing, fertility, poetry, smithcraft, and magic. Her message at this time is that we must stoke our inner fire. This will give us access to the creative inspiration and sense of hope needed to get us through the last part of winter in the northern hemisphere.

As my forecast shows, January will be filled with transformational energy and major cosmic shifts. Although some planetary movements may bring surprises or difficulties, the auspicious New Moon and transit of Venus in Pisces should give us positivity and good energy as the year begins.

I hope that you had a wonderful holiday period, and that you are feeling refreshed and renewed as we move forward into 2025!

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Please note that this and all my other forecasts are based on the sidereal zodiac used in both Vedic and Western sidereal astrology, not the tropical system used by most Western and a small number of Vedic astrologers. All the astrological charts that I work with and share are calculated according to the sidereal zodiac and Lahiri Ayanamsa.