The Karmic Tools Weekly Forecast covers the current planetary transits which affect people in different ways and to various degrees of intensity. Take notice when it is a Personal planet (Sun / Moon / Mercury / Venus / Mars) interacting with a Social (Jupiter/Saturn) or Collective planet (Uranus / Neptune/Pluto). And pay extremely close attention when it is a Social planet interacting with a Collective planet because that means something *big* is brewing that will move large groups of people along their evolutionary paths. Tuning in to the energy and rhythm of the planets can serve as a useful *guide* as you move along your Individual Path. It also helps to understand your place within the context of the larger Social & Collective Story. Below, you will find out how these energies tend to manifest, as well as guidance and direction.

*NOTE*  There are some days when there are NO CONTACTS (besides the Moon), please note that there are no missing entries, we just list the actual Activations of each week + the day they happen.  

Weekly Forecast: January 8 – 14, 2017

1/10 ~ Sun (source & essential Self) ~square~ Uranus (awakening & radical shift):

As with any Uranus activation, this one disrupts the normal flow to facilitate a ‘break to realign’ moment. While sometimes disruptive & challenging, the ultimate result is refreshing in some way. Consider the energy that thickens, gathering for a severe thunderstorm, then releasing buckets of rain, for hours, you sleep deeply and awaken to a bright sunny morning with birds chirping unusually loud outside your window. Got the visual? ; -)) This activation is the necessary challenge that gets your attention that something better is available, if you’re willing to improvise and think on your feet. If you’ve been unusually restricted in some way, you may feel restless. Rather than being reactive to the unexpected shift (within or without), it’s best to take a pause for the cause, step back and try to gain some perspective. Remember to be present, too far in the past can be depressing and too far into the future, and you cause your Self unnecessary anxiety. Breathe, be under the sky, invite clarity about the next step and trust your gut. This energy, while sometimes uncomfortable and often sudden, is very necessary to disrupt any illusions/delusions you may be holding on to. It’s time to express your Self in new ways.

1/11 ~ Mars (desire & action) ~sextile~ Pluto (purification & transformation):

This is lower will meets Higher Will ~ within you! Mars is your inner Masculine and therefore helps you take action & make choices according to who you are and what you want. Pluto will ensure that you come from the purest place within (Soul-level), which often entails a cleansing of the non-essential and over-growth of the last cycle first. Luckily, this is not a “hard/bad” activation but an opportunity to connect with what you really want, at the deepest Soul-level, which will naturally lead to whatever is blocking that and its ultimate release. Keep in mind that those who are more out-of-touch with who they are and what they want tend to explode & implode when Mars & Pluto get together, even in a positive aspect like this one. This is a potent and (thankfully) positive mix of energy & power coming together, direct it wisely on your own behalf. This activation is a great opportunity for substantial forward movement, however, nothing worthwhile comes without conscious effort and sacrifice. (With Pluto involved there is always a sacrifice.) In this case, the sacrifice will likely be where your vision of the final outcome is concerned. Your desires can/will be fulfilled but they just may not “look” like you thought they would. Remember, when it comes to “wanting” anything, stay in touch with the “feeling” that your desire brings rather than the physical appearance or manifestation. You always want to set your intentions, do the work, then allow Spirit to breathe LIFE into the vision.

1/11 ~ Sun (core essential Self) ~square~ Jupiter (imagination & truth):

This is a powerful energy and with that comes the necessity of discernment – it provokes you to get lots of things accomplished and that’s a good thing, however, beware of taking on more than you can actually handle. Having said that now, if you need that little “push” to get some things done, this is just the energy for you. It carries with it the optimism necessary to allow you to go beyond your norm and stretch in new ways. Sometimes there can be a tendency toward self-righteousness with this energy, but try to make it “self-directed” and you will benefit greatly. Walk your talk, embody your Truth. However, if you turn it on others, demanding they believe what you believe, you may have some difficulties. Be open & receptive, have a don’t-know mind because you never know what you may learn along the way that could really help you, now or in the future.

1/12 ~ Venus (values) ~conjunct~  Neptune (dreams):

This energy is the power of your vision combined with your deepest values. Your connection to the whole, your contribution and your purpose are demanding some attention. It is time to be more intuitive than linear – time to inspire rather than convince. Finances and relationships are hard to sort out definitively with this energy, it is better to express yourself creatively or artistically. This energy reminds you how interrelated everything is, so aligning your values within and without goes a long way for manifesting the vision.  Follow your intuition and maintain integrity.

Message for January 2017

Life rarely pans out as we expect it to. There are often bumps, bends, curves and pot holes in the road, as well as a number of intriguing ‘off road’ areas to explore which can take us off course. In many ways, the more dead-ends and cul-de-sacs we turn into, the more we learn about what we do, and do not, want in life. At the same time, we don’t learn and evolve by getting everything ‘right’ all of the time, we learn by our mistakes and we evolve by having the courage to make a decision in the first place.

Yet, there are so many of us who hover on the periphery of life, waiting for a better moment to live. The beginning of a new year sees so many of us resolved to make the year ahead a better one, particularly if we lose weight, get that dream job, buy that house or find Mr/Ms Right without really considering the idea that it’s less about what we do but more about how we feel that ultimately shapes and flavours a year. We make New Year’s Resolutions to set a determined declaration that ‘this year we will do it’. However, as most resolutions are broken before the end of January, perhaps this isn’t the best life strategy!

It’s important to acknowledge that a tick list of ‘new job, new house, lose weight’ etc. isn’t a ticket to happiness. Obviously, we want it to be as happiness is our one true goal. Yet, happiness is something cultured and developed within. Happiness isn’t a default setting that pops up once we’ve reached that golden point on the bathroom scales or we’re sitting in the corner office. Happiness comes from a willingness to look deeply within in order to acknowledge our true selves. We are all a mixture of dark and light, and we all have skeletons tucked away in our cupboards. Many of us carry scars and many more carry pain.

We try to fix the ‘bad stuff’ in order to make way for the better stuff but perhaps this year needs a new approach? To love ourselves exactly as we are, scars, pain, skeletons and all? We can no more push away or fix all the ‘bad stuff’ than we can stop the wheel of the year turning, and a belief that we cultivate happiness by eradicating everything that’s ‘bad’ in our lives is an erroneous one. Happiness comes from a willingness to love ourselves wholeheartedly, to stop trying to ‘fix’ ourselves and realised that our scars and pain make us whole and complete. We are less without them.

So, perhaps rather than New Year’s Resolutions, we need to take some time to look within, to love ourselves more and to open up to the energy of happiness. Happiness isn’t something to go and get, it’s something to tenderly nurture and allow, and the more wholeheartedly we can love ourselves, the more we will realise that happiness already lives within our hearts and souls.

Embracing all aspects of our beings is an important step forward as we so often try to push away the bits we dislike. We want to live perfect lives and try to emulate the perfect lives portrayed in the media, but, it’s fiction. Happiness comes from embracing and loving imperfection and from accepting the idea that it’s imperfection that brings wisdom, knowing and the opportunity for evolution. After all, if we were perfect, we would have nowhere to go to evolve!

No one ever said life was easy, but it doesn’t have to be over-complicated either as we can choose to stop chasing horizons and instead feel the power of present moment consciousness and allow this to shape and define the stories of our lives…

With love,

Sarah-Jane

Aries

♈

January looks set to be a month for re-focusing and re-defining your goals and dreams. This goes beyond the traditional ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ which seem destined to be broken before the month is out, as this is more about getting a truer sense of the essence or flavour of your dreams so you have an energy to grab hold of and work with. It’s a bit like an artist, gazing at a beautiful landscape, and rather than trying to capture all of the finer details, he/she becomes immersed in the energy of the landscape and uses this as the source of inspiration. Once the energy is truly free, only then can the magic begin. This is your time to capture the essence of the landscape of the bigger picture of your life. Rather than go into the details of things to do and what you want to achieve, the first step is to tap into the energy and connect to how you want to feel.

The feeling is that warm glow within, the one that lights up from time to time when you are doing something you love. This feeling is your source and reference point for the year ahead as you can use it to sense when you are on-track (warm fuzzy feelings) or off-track (a bit chilly). Use it to its full capacity and try not to be afraid to explore pastures new as you allow your inner fuzziness to be your guide. It will take time and practice to truly capture the essence but you will soon be like a walking light-bulb glowing warmly as you allow the flavour of your dreams to take on shape and form. Have trust in your ability to guide yourself and let your light shine brightly…

Taurus

♉

Inner balance is the name of the game for you in January as you take a journey deep within right to the core of your being. You may wonder why you need to travel so deeply within but this is not a question easily answered as it’s more of a sense of a natural process than a rational choice. Intuitively you know your life has grown out of kilter over recent months (even years) as you have tried to be the one responsible for keeping the wheels on the big bus of life moving. Of course, with you being you, this isn’t your bus, but the buses of just about everyone you know! Giving is in your nature but do remember you are so much more as well. Inner balance is not a selfish act nor will it detract from giving if you don’t want it to. Inner balance is a much-needed process enabling you to re-connect to your heart and soul, inspiring you to live a more balanced and wholehearted life. Wholeheartedness may seem a strange choice of word but it’s not.

Living wholeheartedly is a willingness to live fully in the moment, to embrace life and to live with your whole heart: to be open, heart-felt and courageous. In order to do this, you need to not only give to others but you also need to give to yourself as well. Without balance and self-compassion, you will end up depleted and empty, disconnected and discombobulated. Balance brings harmony and harmony brings the capacity for joy-filled happiness. Happiness is a force to be nurtured and cultivated, it isn’t a default setting that emerges with the snap of fingers. Take the time to savour your journey within as you get to know yourself again and begin to feel a true sense of inner balance…

Gemini

♊

Life is rarely clear cut or black and white, it is often a myriad of different shades, tones and textures. In many ways, this is what makes life interesting as you can never be quite sure what’s around each corner. Whilst this has turned your life into a rollercoaster ride at times, it has also brought you great wisdom and a stronger sense of self as you have forged new pathways and learned important lessons.  Of course, there have been times when you have felt lost and disorientated, but you have always found a way back to equilibrium once again. At the same time, you have discovered your courage and sense of purpose, and these have inspired you to explore pastures new and reach into a whole new level of living and being. As time has passed, you have channelled your intuition and creativity into innovative ideas and given your true essence more space to dance freely with the ebb and flow of life. Like a fine wine or a good cheese, or perhaps a drop of whiskey, you have ripened and matured well with age!

Yet, despite this, you still seem to have doubts that you ‘have what it takes’ to live the life you were born to live. Part of the reason for this comes from your over-active head as it’s constantly churning and whirring, over-thinking, analysing, asking questions and contemplating answers. As a result, you can get stuck in your head and disconnect from your heart and soul, losing sight of your multi-faceted sense of self in the process. Thinking is an important part of you, but so is doing and being! It’s time to let your mind, body and spirit come together in perfect harmony. There is no instruction manual, just let your intuition guide you…

Cancer

♋

Perhaps the most important aspect of life is not where you’ve been, nor where you’re heading but it’s where you are right now. Of course, you know this but it doesn’t stop you from gazing backwards and forwards, trying to get from where you are to where you want to be. Yet, where are you? Do you really know? Have you stopped to take stock lately? You have been so focused on where you’re heading with a smattering of reflection on where you’ve been, there’s been precious little time to become fully conscious in the here and now. In a way, the present moment is more of a stepping stone, simply to get from here to there, rather than anything of significance. Now, the present moment may not be the vision of perfection but it is where you are, so why not centre yourself there so you can build some foundations? Without foundations and without a clear sense of presence, you are lost, as you have no reference point to use.

Any destination begins with a start point and an end point, but if you don’t know where you are, how can you get anywhere? In many ways, this continues the theme of December as there is a need for you to acknowledge the present moment in order to establish a new sense of equilibrium in your life. January looks set to be a month for you to set the tone and flavour for your year ahead and you have a choice: keep on keeping on or re-centre and move through life more consciously. There is nothing wrong with keeping on keeping on, after all, it pays the bills and keeps food on the table, yet it keeps you trapped in the mundane and away from the magic you know is within you. The time has come to set the magic free…

Leo

♌

‘Here, kitty kitty! Here, kitty kitty!’ It seems someone is trying to get your attention! Of course, if they used your name you might pay attention but they’re trying to call to your feline lion-like nature and it seems you’re having a hard job recognising this in yourself. Okay, whilst calling a lion (lioness) a kitty is a stretch of the imagination, it’s a gentle nudge as you are more squeaking kitten than roaring lion at the moment. It’s as though you’ve lost your golden, shiny, sparkly essence and you just can’t muster up the enthusiasm to be more lion. Yet, you are lion, you are strong, creative and a little bit ferocious, so, why are you resisting? Of course, you intuitively already know that the ‘someone’ trying to get your attention is you as your soul has been frantically waving at you for quite some time to stop getting so lost in the stress of everyday life and to start breathing in more deeply in order to re-establish a sense of balance.

In many ways, it has been easier to shrink back and allow your golden roar to diminish as you’re tired and a tad fed up always being the one who has to ‘sort stuff out’. You often give so much of yourself and feel that others don’t appreciate this or throw it back at you. Whilst you don’t expect the same support in return, it would be nice at least occasionally and it hasn’t been very forthcoming so it’s no wonder you are feeling disconnected from your usually vibrant spirit. However, the only way to re-establish balance is to ‘be more lion’ as this is your true nature and by being more lion, your creative spirit will have the space and freedom to dance and roar once again…

Virgo

♍

As you enter another new year there is a sense you are leaving something of importance behind you. It may not be immediately obvious, just a sense that you’ve mislaid something, but you know something’s changed as you feel lighter and changed. Whilst it’s your nature to want to dig and poke about until you find out what’s missing, you would be better served focusing on this new feeling of lightness as it sets the tone for your year ahead. Travelling lighter makes for a less strenuous path in life and it allows you to go off the beaten track more as you are not restrained by quite so much stuff. Of course, with you being you, you won’t settle until you know what you’ve left behind so maybe take a look? What can you see all the way back there in 2016? Nothing? Really? Look a bit harder. Okay, so you can’t see it, maybe this in itself is telling you something?

Maybe you have simply evolved and you are simply no longer the same person you were last year? Perhaps all of those experiences and rollercoaster rides have left you wiser and more centred, lighter and less bogged down in the detail? In many ways, the harder you look, the more you will detract from the gift bestowed upon you as looking adds layers and weight to the lightness, so maybe it’s time to grab hold of this lightness and dance with it? Enjoy the freedom and use it to reach more deeply into life and open up your heart and soul to the prospect of living the life you were born to live. It’s undoubtedly hard for a thinker like you but trust your intuition and let this lead the way into 2017 as this is your year to embrace the moment and breathe more deeply into life…

Libra

♎

No one ever said the instruction manual of life was an easy read. Most people gave up on it years ago but you are a diligent soul and have tried hard to get your life ‘right’ by following the instructions of how to live the best life possible. Yet, who wrote the instruction manual? Presumably it was someone living their own life so how could their life inform and instruct yours? Trying to get life ‘right’ and trying to live the life you feel you ought to be living may feel like the best course of action but it can take you away from the magic and wonder of being you as you are trying so hard to get it ‘right’ you are forgetting to do what feels right to you. Following your own lead isn’t easy, particularly as it means letting go of the instruction manual and going ‘off road’ in order to find your own way.

For a long time now you have given yourself a hard time for not getting life ‘right’ but you have failed to notice that, all the while your focus has been on perfection, you have still been living your life. The time has come for you to stop trying so hard to be the person you think you ought to be and instead start to love the person you are. You are not ‘less than’ in any way, nor are you the odd one out for not getting it ‘right’ as – newsflash – there is no such thing! No one is perfect and what is ‘right’ for one isn’t right for another. So, instead of comparing yourself to that pedestalled version of yourself over yonder start to appreciate and value all that you are now. You are a wise, creative, magical and inspirational soul, so why would you even want to be anything else…

Scorpio

♏

January looks set to be a month of inspired thought as you look beyond the boundaries of your life in order to get a sense of the bigger picture. As you contemplate what the bigger picture actually means to you, try to keep an open heart and a compassionate perspective as this bigger picture is all about you and you are well known to be a harsh judge of yourself. It’s easy for you to notice the things you haven’t done, achieved or become, rather than acknowledge the things you have. This isn’t because you are negative or a pessimist, it’s just a need within you to continue to strive towards betterment and evolution, so this is a kind of reverse psychology motivational tool to keep you moving towards your goals. This is admirable but it also keeps your focus away from the present moment as you are always looking towards a better point in the future where you have achieved all those things which are still on your ‘to do’ list.

Yet, will you ever reach that point? Surely you will always have things to achieve or do? Are you hovering in life, waiting for a moment to feel content and happy when you are where you feel you need to be? Does that moment have to be in the distance? By using all the things you haven’t done as a measure, there is a risk that you will always feel ‘less than’ until you achieve them all and this takes you away from living a richer and more fulfilling life now. This isn’t to say you should give up on your dreams but you really should stop giving yourself such a hard time about what you are not. You are not the sum of what you haven’t achieved, you are the sum of so much more…

Sagittarius

♐

‘Less is more’ continues to be your mantra as you step into 2017 as January looks set to be a month of re-shaping and re-defining your true priorities in life. You are well known for having a gazillion different projects on the go at any one time (okay, slight exaggeration) and whilst this gives you stimulation and incentive, it can also be totally overwhelming at the same time. How can you give enough attention to any one project or dream if you are scattered in a multitude of different directions across time and space? You may be able to keep this going in the short-term but over time you will begin to sink under the weight of it all and find it hard to keep up the momentum with even the simplest of projects. You are skilled at juggling but do you want to be a juggler? Do you want to spend your whole life trying to keep those batons up in the air? It’s all-consuming as you won’t have a free hand to actually get on with the business of doing anything at all.

Think of the concentration it takes to juggle well, and whilst you have mastered the skill, you are not a juggler at heart, you are a free-spirit. The mantra ‘less is more’ is a good one for you as you can find it hard to let go of ideas and projects just in case they become useful. You can also struggle to let go of longstanding projects because of the energy you’ve already invested in them even though they are, for whatever reason, no longer viable. Sometimes you have to have a jolly good clear out and this is one such time! So, stop juggling, believe in yourself and allow the one true baton (goal) to lead the way…

Capricorn

♑

What makes you truly happy? What lights up your soul and gives you warm tingles from the inside, out? These are the kind of questions you need to be asking of yourself throughout January as you have reached an important threshold in your life as the path you’ve been walking no longer feels as though it’s heading in the right direction. You can find it hard to ‘indulge’ in answering such questions as you tend to feel that going after the things that make you happy is a luxury rather than a necessity. You are also a practical and down to earth soul, so you’d rather focus on ‘keeping on keeping on’ than stepping out of line to think about such things as there are bills to pay and responsibilities to meet. However, at the same time, you can sense a longing deep within your soul which is calling you to live a more enriching and fulfilling life.

You have become caught up in the hamster wheel of the everyday and this has taken you away from your intuitive and creative side. Despite your best efforts, you have been unable to silence this inner longing and it’s grown increasingly louder over recent weeks and months. You’ve tried ignoring it by sticking your fingers in your ears and going ‘la la la’ in attempt to drown it out but it hasn’t worked. The reason it hasn’t worked is that you don’t want it to! You are a living, breathing complex contradiction at times! Yes, you. Rather than admit out loud that you are seeking a more enriched life, it’s somehow easier to keep on keeping on to show your strength. Well, true strength comes from acknowledging your whole self: what makes you truly happy is within your reach, just open up your consciousness to the possibility…

Aquarius

♒

Looking back over the last twelve months, there is a sense you have shifted and changed almost beyond recognition. When you look back to the version of you at the end of 2015, you now see a very different version of yourself entering 2017. Of course, change is a naturally occurring part of the cycle of life so, not matter what you do, or do not do, you will change. However, you have gone ‘above and beyond’ the ordinary cycle of change as you have taken some major decisions about how you live your life and these have been the force carving out a brand new you. In many ways, you are now wiser than you once were as you have turned to face the depths of your soul in an attempt to heal any rifts within. You have also grown more spiritually as you have opened up your consciousness to existential ponderings as you have grappled with the meaning of life.

At the same time, you have also discovered your true priorities and realised just how much you scatter yourself to people please which take you away from your true priorities. And finally, you have gained a sense of inner knowing which is enabling you to make some big decisions as to how you now live your life. In short, you have been on quite a journey over the last year! It’s now easy to see why you feel so different because you are so different! January looks set to be a month to grow comfortable with this ‘new you’ in order to find an even deeper sense of balance within. In a way, this month is a kind of preparation time as you bring together the previous year and get ready for the one ahead of you, but it is also an important time to acknowledge to yourself just how extraordinarily amazing you really are…

Pisces

♓

January looks set to be a month of renewed energy and vitality as you take a fresh look at the life you’ve been living and begin to make some far-reaching changes. You have been treading water for quite some time, trying your best to keep on keeping on but struggling to thrive or blossom as a result. Although you find it hard to accept, you are a determined, strong-willed and courageous soul, and the more you can ‘own’ this, the more you will realise you are at the helm of the big ship of your life. Of course, there will always be times when you are carried along by the currents and there will also be times to navigate through choppy waters, but it’s important to remember that you have the map and compass, and, with your inner strength and formidable intuition, you have the power within you to reach your chosen destination.

Perhaps this is where the true challenge lies though as having a clear and true sense of your chosen destination isn’t quite as straightforward as it seems as you have never really stepped back enough to know exactly where you’re heading. It’s not that you’re vague and you certainly have given it thought, but you have never really considered the possibility of actually living your dream so you have spent your time navigating through storms and calm seas, rather than contemplating your landing point. Well, January looks set to change this as it’s time for you to look beyond the portholes and to consider the possibility that your chosen destination isn’t some out of reach pipe dream but very real and tangible. You have to believe it to make it happen but it’s time to grab hold of the helm and reach towards the promised land of your dreams as you are ready now to live the life you were born to live…