Uranus is still in the early stages of its seven-year trek through Aries. As the planet of experimentation and revolution in the sign of impatience and newness, it can't let any sleeping dogs lie still. It puts ants in our pants and makes us dance! We're on the move, seeking fresh stimulation. We're also pushing for greater autonomy for people as a whole. Uranus is associated with the masses and Aries with self-direction. Uranus in Aries sparks us to invent new things and new ways of being.

Meanwhile, since December 25 and lasting until February 1, the ruling planet of Aries, Mars, is in Aquarius, the sign ruled by Uranus. They share their energy back and forth and support each other in shoving us toward the future. Everything proceeds at a faster pace and we have the sense that there is no time to lose. Many people will be impulsive, though that could work out okay if they are tuned into their intuition and it's operating well. Both planets incline us to leap first and look later. Think of the Fool card in the Tarot deck - he's heading for the edge of a cliff but unconcerned, confident of a positive outcome. Others think he's crazy; he thinks he's crazy like a fox.

Aries and Mars are associated with weaponry, and currently we see a speedy addressing of the perils of gun violence. Following on the heels of the Sandy Hook, Newtown mass slaughter, President Obama and Vice President Biden are in GO mode to pass legislation to reduce the potential for repetition of such tragedy. Whereas for years, the prevailing wisdom was that Congress couldn't touch the issue of gun control, now it looks like we're heading for a vote very soon. This is indeed an surprising development. In your own life, you will no doubt see examples of sudden confrontations and initiatives for a new day dawning.

Our old friend Saturn is in the mix to help us ground and channel the jumpy energy of Uranus. Saturn is methodical and provides good boundaries. It is the planet associated with maturity, wisdom and achieving our ends. In addition, it's the ruler of Capricorn, the sign of the current New Moon. At the start of this lunar cycle, it is in a wonderful configuration with the Sun and Moon duo and Uranus. All these heavenly bodies are either a fifth (quintile) or two-fifths (bi-quintile) of the sky away from one another, forming what I call a Quintile Triangle or "QT" for a short cute nickname. (That's not an official term in astrology, but maybe someday it will be if other astrologers choose to adopt it.)

Such a pattern is a portion of a five-pointed pentagram, like alchemists and witches used for rituals and spells. It relates to the cycle of the Sun, earth and Venus, which over an eight-year period transcribes a pentagram if you mark on the zodiac the points where Venus passes five times between earth and the Sun. The energies of planets in a configuration like this offer us the chance to bring various facets together in harmony.

The Sun-Moon pairing of any New Moon plants seeds for the coming four weeks and sparks a new vision. In this case, their relationship with Uranus gives us a jolt to add a new twist to existing situations, and the involvement of Saturn ensures that spark isn't too weird to be accepted. Saturn is associated with rules and Uranus wants those to be freshened and updated.

You will no doubt notice evidence of their influence around you in surprising developments. You can also grab this tiger by the tail and shake up the status quo to prevent stagnation. During this moon cycle (on January 19), the Sun's sign will shift from Saturn-ruled Capricorn to Uranus-ruled Aquarius. This QT is very timely to prompt us move beyond old paths onto new roads.

Following the first New Moon of a New Year is the best time for to implement your resolutions. This Saturn-Uranus QT assists the process of "Out with the Old and In with the New," not in a frantic panic but with a well-paced purpose. Janus will be pleased.

There's no better way to face the new year than with your 2013 Janet's Plan-its in hand! You do not need to know astrology to easily see which days have the best energy for your important plans and avoid the pitfalls of precarious times. If you have your chart, there are tools to help you discover which planetary influences will impact your life the most. If the information in this calendar helps you in one valued situation or prevents you from one devastating misstep, it will be worth many times what you paid for it. Even if you already have a 2013 calendar or planner, this is an excellent resource to use alongside your favorite to give you information available nowhere else!

At several events recently where I have been a presenter, people who hadn't given my calendar a look in years commented that they were amazed at how it's grown into a true reference book with many helpful tools. They became customers again. So if you used to buy Janet's Plan-its and haven't lately (or if you want to see what's so impressive), take a look at the daily features, sample weekly pages, Star Pages ("footnotes"), and you can view a portion of the Best/Worst list, a unique feature of Janet's Plan-its. There's plenty of inventory in stock and shipping is usually within 2 days. You won't miss its guidance for much of the new year if you act quickly.

Recently I gave a lecture titled 2013 - What's Next? and recorded it as a digital audio (MP3) file. You can listen (free) on my website. The companion handout is posted for your convenience. Also, you can download this handy free table 2013 On a Page, which shows the year's retrogrades and New and Full Moon dates and degrees.

The December episode of my LOOKING UP cable tv show also previews 2013 for you. You can watch it online any time.

If you're one of my Connecticut readers, you might be interested in attending this dinner lecture about what the planets are up to in 2013, which signs will have the biggest challenges. It will take place in a cool "speak easy" bistro that caters special events. Just $25 includes a delicious gourmet meal. Advance reservations are required by Sunday, Jan. 20. Contact the Ritz Crystal Room at Remember When. Come and bring a friend for a fascinating evening!

You might also want to check out my article, Musings on Moon Signs. It gives you a heads up for times when you could be more likely to succumb to over-eating (as the Moon passes Jupiter) or incentivized to lighten your load by shedding stuff (when the Moon is in Scorpio). It was recently updated to show the dates for 2013.