It's just like Aquarius to throw us for a loop and break the usual pattern. After all, this is the sign ruled by the surprise planet of unpredictability, Uranus, the heavenly body that spins in a totally different manner than its peers. According to astronomer Courtney Seligman, "The axis of Uranus' rotation is tilted more relative to the pole of its orbit than that of any other planet. "

Mars was first planet in the current season to visit Aquarius, from Dec. 4 until January 12. While there, it was in a "mutual reception" relationship (in the sign each other rules) with Uranus, which is in Mars-ruled Aries from 2010-11 until 2018-19. This was the second of four instances during that period when these two share their influences.

Venus was in Aquarius from January 3 until January 27, when it moved on to Pisces. It approaches Mars for the next few weeks, but won't actually pass the red planet until just after they both enter Aries. Mars goes into its home sign on Feb. 19, Venus follows on Feb. 20 and then they join overnight Feb. 21-22. Venus will be the stronger influence while they're both in Pisces, but the balance tips in Mars' favor once they're in Aries.

The entire time the Sun is in Aquarius (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18), Mercury is also there. In fact, Mercury is in Aquarius from Jan. 4 until March 12, an extra-long visit because it's Retrograde there. Mercury entered its Retrograde degree range Jan. 5, backtracks from Jan. 21 to Feb. 11, and exits the Retrograde range on March 3. (NOTE: My 2015 On a Page has an error and says the "shadow" period ends March 8. How fitting there's a mistake in the information about Mercury Retrograde!)

With so much emphasis on Aquarius this winter, it's a natural time to take stock of your friends and group affiliations. Assess which promote you being the best you you can be. We may also see a lot in the news about people banding together in protest, like the Nebraskan land owners fighting the XL Keystone pipeline.

Before the winter ends, we have the last of seven squares between Uranus and Pluto on March 16. The pressure this angle puts on so many facets of life won't let up any time soon, though. These two planets of change will be in the friction relationship of nearly 90 degrees apart for some time to come, including at the April 4 Lunar Eclipse. There is more about this on a free podcast on my website from a lecture I did about 2015 in November.

Venus (a money planet) passes through the midpoint of the Uranus-Pluto square this week and I wrote in Janet's Plan-its "Astro-Details" how this may mean a bad week for the markets. I noticed a steep decline (almost 300 points) yesterday and another drop of nearly 200 points today in the DJIA. Pluto rules shared resources (such as the markets) and Uranus rules volatility. Overall, during the square, the market has risen to a surprisingly high level but who knows if that's just positioning us for a fall before all is said and done.

The February 18 New Moon is at the highly significant borderline between Aquarius and Pisces. This is the cusp where the "vernal point" (the imaginary marker of the first day of spring) crosses in its invariable backward march around the zodiac from the star constellation Pisces to Aquarius. It marks the shift of the Great Ages and we enter the "New Age." The "vernal point" passed the final star in the rope of the Pisces fish in February 2013, according to astro-historian Don Cerow. That was not long ago compared to a Great Age of approximately 2,160 years! This New Moon is the only one of the modern era that occurs right at this juncture. So I propose we celebrate the beginning of the New Age at the February 18 New Moon. At that time, the Sun, Moon and Mercury will be in Aquarius, as well as the asteroid Vesta, which fans the flames of our passions.

The Full Moon of this lunar cycle will be on February 3 at almost 15 degrees of Leo, very close to Jupiter at 18 degrees of Leo. It occurs at the halfway point between seasons, at time which is nearly as powerful as the equinoxes and eclipses are. The Moon and Sun then are in the middle of a Finger of God pattern that Jupiter makes with Chiron and Pluto. Usually a Finger of God takes us on a bizarre detour that brings something positive out of a strange situation. Chiron and Pluto work together to make repairs in our collective resources and Jupiter in Leo adds creativity to the solutions. So if the markets dip just ahead of this Full Moon, they may make a quick recovery. Let's hope so!

Neptune visits the sign it rules, Pisces, from 2012 to 2025, probably the most important period in its orbit of nearly 165 years. And within this period, 2015 to 2017 is especially highlighted because eclipses (both solar and lunar) occur in Pisces. (There will be one more lone eclipse in Pisces in 2024 before Neptune leaves its home sign.) The first of these is the solar eclipse New Moon March 20.

Chiron, an asteroid (or possibly a comet captured into our solar system) is midway through a visit to Pisces (2010-2019). It's nickname is The Wounded Healer. It has a strong connection to health matters, as does the sign of the Fishes. During this period, we've seen major changes to the medical field in our country with the Affordable Care Act. The jury is out on whether this law will cause harm or offer a cure to our nation's health care needs. Chiron usually addresses a difficulty by first exposing the problem and then finding a solution.

Quicker Chiron passed slower Neptune in Aquarius in 2009. They are still relatively close in Pisces, less than half a sign apart. Their blend points to a time to address not only our medical system's ailments but also the hurts that religious extremes can cause. Pisces is the sign of the underdog and those who are oppressed. Our Aquarian humanitarianism and Piscean empathy can make a difference in how people are treated.

In the near term, Venus and Mars are traveling closely together in Pisces from Jan. 27 to Feb. 19 (a period that includes Valentine's Day). This is an excellent time for new artistic endeavors and promoting charitable activities. We're extra sensitive and compassionate. We may also be a little too non-judgmental in love, looking at a partner through proverbial "rose-colored glasses."

There is a side of Pisces that endures suffering, perhaps even likes it in some way. Venus is a planet of attraction and Mars is one of action; we act on our attractions when they team up. Perhaps they'll deliver the Piscean magic we seek. Possibly we end up suffering a disappointment. Remember the old saying, "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved." This applies to following one's heart in any manner, not just romance.

The February episode of LOOKING UP discusses Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius, the Venus-Mars duo and other celestial happenings in February. It will be in the archive early in the month.

The Kindle e-book version of Janet's Plan-its is now available at Amazon. This "Quick & Easy" modified version has the day ratings and messages, weekly highlights, Best & Worst Days list, Star Pages and Keywords. The information from 2015 On a Page is included in list form. It's great to have with you in any device that has a Kindle reader. The cost is a mere $4.49!

The print version of Janet's Plan-its is also now on Amazon (and still available directly from me, of course). If you are a fan of Janet's Plan-its, would you be so kind as to write a review? (You probably have to be registered with Amazon as a shopper to write a review.) For either version, scroll down past the product information to find the area to write a review: print version or Kindle version.

I thank you for your help with spreading the word about Janet's Plan-its!

Recently, Chris Flisher (touted as one of the Top Ten Astrologers!) interviewed me for his online radio show, "TURNING OF THE WHEEL." The show airs at 11:00 AM EST this Friday, January 30. Afterward, you can listen from Chris's online archive. Details are HERE but this episode won't be in the archive until after it airs.

Our topic is Progressions. This is a forecasting technique that brings a person's chart forward through decades to see developments and trends across a lifetime. Most astrologers use this tool when doing readings. You can read an article about Progressions on my website: Making Progress - Astrologically.

The sacred Mayan Calendar known as the Tzolkin (zohl' keen) consists of 20 day-signs, each having 13 day numbers, for a total of 260 days. There are three sections: one of 120 days for setting intentions, another 120 days for those to manifest, and 20 days in between to reflect and assimilate the changes. On Monday, January 26, we entered the intention-setting portion. Within these 120 days, 26 days called portals are earmarked as most important for intention-setting, beginning with a string of 10 days from January 26 to February 4.

If this concept has piqued your interest, I highly recommend you get yourself Gevera Bert Piedmont's Jaguar Nights 2015 Mayan-Aztec Calendar. I get one every year and thoroughly enjoy following it and Bert's expert explanations.