The stretch
A letter about fire, ritual, and the astrology of January 2025.
Dear relatives,
At the time of my writing you, Southern California is burning. Entire landscapes, homes, and other structures have been leveled to the ground and decimated into ash in a matter of days. With heat blazing from extended summer and fall seasons, the combination of low humidity, drought, and wind created a recipe ripe for kindling.
The fires that began on January 7 emerged between two significant planetary transits: a retrograde Mars moving back into the later degrees of Cancer and Mercury entering the early degrees of Capricorn.
Mars teaches us how to be assertive, and in Cancer, a sign concerned with protection and safety, it troubles the waters. Together, they inflame and adhere to whatever they touch. This portion of the Mars retrograde in Cancer emerged as a raging fire in the Palisades, Eaton, and other areas in Southern California.
If we stretch these archetypes with the power of our imagination, the configuration of Mars in Cancer could also be a firefighter: a warrior who utilizes water as a tool of protection. Extending even further and deeper, it could be an outpouring or offering, perhaps, to the spirit of Fire. It is important to remember that in the absence of culturally appropriate and ritual burnings of the land—a practice that Indigenous peoples in California, and throughout the world, use to regenerate and nurture the soil—fire will always find a way.
Mars will continue its retrograde cycle reaching into the middle degrees of Cancer, where it will be entrenched and fully engaged within this Cardinal Water sign before it stations direct, making its way back into Leo in mid-April.
Note: Before firey Mars wraps up its battle cry in Cancer, I invite you to remember the spark that spurs your inner reserves. You don’t have to quell your passions to fit in. Nor is it necessary to burn yourself into dust. If you’re yearning for something, take your time this Mars retrograde to honor and express it.
With Mercury newly in Capricorn, we see in real-time how a narrative is constructed, which information is allowed, and which facts are denied. Mercury, the swift messenger planet, in Saturn-ruled Capricorn, reminds us to be discerning in the face of uncertainty and to move with caution and practicality.
This transit also very distinctly embodies the reality in front of us: A convicted felon, set to begin a second term in office, received an unconditional discharge, a “godspeed” pass without repercussion.
Later this month, the inauguration happens to be sandwiched between another set of important transits. On January 11, the North and South nodes of the Moon will move into the Pisces—Virgo axis, and we’ll welcome a Full/Wolf Moon peaking at 23* in Cancer on January 13. This lunation cycle will highlight a conjunction between the Moon and retrograde Mars at 26* which will perfect on January 15. Mars will also oppose the Sun for a moment. Then, the Sun will move into Aquarius in time for the inauguration on January 20, which coincides with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. And on January 21, there will be a Pluto cazimi, when a planet is in the heart of the Sun, or conjoined at the same degree.
By the month’s end, we’ll have unveiled what dream we are in and who it is serving.
As our planetary ancestors continue their retrograde and transit cycles, and we move into a new rhythm with the North Node in Pisces and the South Node in Virgo, we are changing form, once again. With the year of the Wood Snake initiated at the end of January, our attention will turn toward transformation, wisdom, and resonance.
Snakes undulate their bodies close to the belly of the earth, providing them a profound capacity to feel vibrations from deep underground. Without external ears, they turn inward to sense what is coming. They remind us to anchor our bodies to the land and listen for the signs.
I hope you are safe and taking care. If you’d like to connect further, I have available sessions still in January and February.
Full Moon blessings to you.
Talk soon,
Christian
p.s. A few tiny rituals getting me through the week:
🎧 This song has been in my head by Aisha Bardu.
📖 A poem I recently revisited by Yesenia Montilla.
🎨 The gorgeous botanical art of Rosanna Morris.
Beautiful, thank you for your words and wisdom!