January 2026

By Bob Mulligan

(a personal note is at the end of the newsletter)

Noteworthy astronomical events in 2026

It’s not your imagination; this period of time is different.  Circumstances are changing for everyone. Friendships, medical services, groceries, communication, transportation, the pattern of bonding will all change this year as technology and spirituality blossom.  There will be challenges for each to blend new ingredients and transcend conflicts.

With Pluto in Aquarius, Neptune in Aries, and Uranus in Gemini in 2026, we will see the world changing in ways that will leave an indelible mark on each of us individually, as well as world civilization.  The onrush of technology forces spiritual growth in order to balance the mental and technological innovations that keep pushing us forward.  This will benefit society, but also disrupt it. It won’t be pain free. Two major developments to keep an eye on are advances in Artificial Intelligence, and the use of Crypto Currency.  Both present us with gifts; a “Trojan Horse” will upend the way that business is done, and the way that we think about life and how individuals relate to each other. 

Neptune enters Aries on January 26^th at 12:38 PM.  This is a big deal. It sets the stage, a fiery temperament over the next 14 years affects commerce, art, and style of civilization which will be militant and aimed at quick results.  Neptune in Aries provides emotional potency for this year’s technological changes, but will also force exponential inflation. 

February 20^th, 2026: Saturn–Neptune Conjunction at 0° Aries. This sets the stage for a generative, history-shaping reset.  Every 36 years this mating of Neptune (economic democracy) and Saturn (legal structure) designates change to the world economy.  In 1917, the Soviet Union came into existence under this aspect. Next, in 1952, Stalin died and the Soviet Union reformatted itself.  1989 the Soviet Union dissolved.  This current Conjunction will have really long-term ramifications because it occurs at 1 Aries (the World Point).

April 25^th, 2026: Uranus re-enters Gemini to stay for the next 7 years.  Chances are good that the USA will either be in a war or at war with itself.  Uranus in Gemini always brings innovation, new insights, and pushes us to change our thinking.

July 17–20^th, 2026: Uranus Trine Pluto on the 17^th, Sun Parallel Uranus on the 18^th, Jupiter Trine Neptune and Opposes Pluto on the 20^th, Jupiter Sextile Uranus on the 21^st.  During this interval, the Moon in Virgo, then Libra, then Scorpio will trigger all of the planets in this configuration.  Jupiter (king of the gods) will be in exact aspect to all three of these outer planets that form a Sextile fan.

September 26^th, 2026: Aries Full Moon reactivates the Sextile fan as the Moon is Conjunct Neptune and Sextile both Pluto and Uranus. The Sun Opposes Neptune and Trines both Pluto and Uranus. This completes and cauterizes this pattern of perpetual change.

Highlights for January

Mercury enters Capricorn on the 1^st starting the new year off with a cautious and jaundice eye, critical and looking for practical results.

The Full Moon is on the 3^rd at 5:03 AM EST at 13 degrees of Capricorn/Cancer. Uranus is in hard aspect to Sun and Moon, emphasizing the spontaneous feeling of urgency prompting activities. The Sun sits on the exact Midpoint of Venus and Mars being closely Conjunct both.  This shows creative potency will strengthen whatever and wherever we put our attention on.  It’s a time of release; the Moon, last over Uranus and applying to the Conjunction with Jupiter, promises positive end results if we keep moving.

On the 8^th the Sun is Contra-parallel Jupiter; this adds confidence for us to act on the rhythm of yesterday’s Venus/Mars Conjunction. Missed opportunities are instructive.  Emotional satisfaction and physical progress are a byproduct of self-affirming actions.

On the 9^th we have Sun Conjunct Mars and Venus Opposite Jupiter. So we are very energetic, determined, and apt to overreach.  Enthusiasm is great, but we need to pay attention to timing if we are going to get our current project right.

Venus enters Aquarius on 17^th.   It is easy to get enamored by things out of reach, but now is the moment of vision and shaping plans for future exploration. 

The New Moon on the 28^th degree of Capricorn occurs on the 18^th at 2:52 PM EST.  The New Moon is tightly Conjunct four other planets: Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Pluto; further, they are all Sextile Saturn, Neptune, and Trine Uranus.  If something sounds crazy, it might actually be crazy. Capricorn is not noted for being innovative and extraordinary. However, this month will break the mold of tradition, for better or worse. The music of the spheres will be more like improvisational jazz than a well-centered orchestra.  Somehow, ten players all manage to get on the same page of music without the visible help of a conductor.  We are interpreting circumstances and adding our own inspiration to the mix. We are different on the other side of the month. 

The Sun enters Aquarius on the 19^th at 8:46 PM EST. The whole journey of the Sun through Aquarius will be potent. The Sun rises with the Mercury/Mars Conjunction as the Oriental Ascension combination.  Planets rising just before the Sun are ambassadors, setting the tone for the day, and in this instance, the month.  Mars is in his exaltation, which means easily harnessed to any practical concern. Capricorn is an earth sign, and always eyeing practical growth, always eyeing the next rung up on the ladder.  Capricorn requires effort, but gives reward commensurate with our personal investment.  Saturn (lord of karma) rules Capricorn; Mars’s Conjunction to Mercury (lord of communication) promises that interchanges between people will be surcharged. The Mercury/Mars combination is Conjunct the Sun Sextile Saturn and Trine Uranus. Good judgment is promised as long as we pay attention to the obvious. We will all have new insights, and these thoughts will bear fruit if we are able to structure our ideas and place them meaningfully on a time line.  This sounds easy, but will require patience, diligence and commitment.

Neptune enters Aries on the 26^th at 12:38 PM EST. This completes his transition away from his own sign of Pisces. This transition began March of 2025.  Neptune will be uninterrupted in Aries until he starts his yearlong migration into Taurus in May of 2038.  Because Neptune rules civilization, we will see striking changes; traditionally countries are at war during this passage as Aries is a militant sign; our Civil War took place during this his last time in Aries. Action and initiation are the universal vibrations behind every movement of culture.

I’m available for personal information about your life, call  239-261-2840 or e-mail bobmulliga@aol.com. Visit our web site, www.theastrologycompany.com

My Personal Note

 I’m going to India – January 27^th to March10^th 2026.  My daughter, Katie, and my friends, Mary Weiss and Deborah Smith, will journey with me.  This will be my 61^st pilgrimage to be at the feet of my Spiritual Master, Avatar Meher Baba.  This is the longest stay I have had in India since my first visit in 1976.   Every pilgrimage has its spiritual meaning, but this one has special importance as I’m doing a reality check. My life is always in my Master’s hands. I’ve kept a journal on every trip so I’m reviewing the last 50 years. My February and March newsletters will come to you from India.  

“… Just as an instrument has a tendency to get out of order while being put to use, the aspirant is also likely to go wrong during his working in the world.  From time to time the instrument has to be cleansed, overhauled, repaired, and set right…The aspirant who enlists in the service of the Master may be compared to a broom with which the Master sweeps the world clean of its impurities. The broom is bound to accumulate the dirt of the world; and unless cleansed again and again and given a new tone, it becomes less efficient in the course of time.” –  Meher Baba, Discourses page 256.

Music is God’s communication with His creation.  Everything has a vibration, and every vibration that we pick up on, magnetizes and energizes something in our consciousness.  Where our attention goes matters as it automatically stimulates a companion vibration in our inner world.  Here are a couple of tunes that seem appropriate for this time period.  I hope they lift your spirits.

Atlanta Rhythm Section – I’m Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow – The Petersens (LIVE) 

Amazon now delivers groceries.  I drink Biocoffee.  It’s alkaline, decaffeinated with wheat grass, chicory, and extract from tapioca. No store in Myrtle Beach carries it.  Only one of the health food stores in Naples carries it.  So I order it on-line in bulk from the US distributor.  It didn’t arrive.  I ordered it from Amazon.  It arrived an hour later.  It got me thinking.  Now I sometimes get groceries including fresh produce from Amazon.  It is better and often cheaper than going to the store myself.  The world is changing.  Each of us has a role to play and our job descriptions are changing.

This video is less than 10 minutes and shows the marked difference between writing on a keyboard and writing with a pen. Journaling with a pen in hand strengthens the brain. My handwriting is not what would pass as beautiful penmanship, but it is a helpful tool that I have maintained:   Handwriting Literally Rewires Your Brain

“By loving, your whole being will be changed and your life will end in freedom.” ~Meher Baba

Call or e-mail me if you want information on your own life:  239-261-2840 or bobmulliga@aol.com.