The first Full Moon of 2022 will be in view tonight. In the sign of Cancer, the January 2022 Full Moon is also called the ‘Wolf Moon’ or ‘Snow Moon’. It’s easy to imagine a pack of wolves howling at the Moon on a cold snowy night and, although I have no snow where I live, it’s a freezing cold day. I’m sure there will be a bright sky and a hard frost tonight, but as far as wolves are concerned, I think the closest we will get is a couple of neighbourhood dogs – and maybe a fox or two if we’re lucky.
Astrologically, it’s been a busy start to 2022. Venus and Mercury are retrograde and we’ve just been through an extended Venus-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn. So, what will the Full Moon reveal? It’s a month where the retrograde activity suggests a lot of things are under review. As usual, I’m going to begin by looking at the Full Moon Chart and follow that by analysing the major aspects made by the Full Moon.
Full Moon in Cancer: What does it mean?
What makes the January 2022 Full Moon in Cancer special? Well, the Moon is in its own sign and that makes this lunation even more potent than usual. All Full Moons represent a ‘culmination’, the end-point of something (or some things) that will have been on-going for some time. That applies in both our personal lives and in the wider world, where we may see some events come to a climax around the time of this lunation.
How things may unfold – and what may occur – will carry the imprint of the January 2022 Full Moon’s sign. Cancer is associated with women and mothers in particular – though I prefer to take a wider approach and think of it as a nurturing sign with parental overtones. All things related to nurturing and domesticity are linked to this sign – and that includes real estate, as Cancer is often an indicator of financial involvements and investments. Those crabs like to hold on to what they have.
So, it’s about comfort, sustainability, family, home, and domestic life, money (as it relates to those issues specifically) and how we can protect ourselves against the winter’s icy grip. Of course, that ‘icy grip’ may be symbolic rather than a sub-zero reality, but the January 2022 Full Moon may draw your attention to matters ‘close to home‘ and that may be the overall theme of this particular lunation.
January 2022 Full Moon: The Chart
Looking at the January 2022 Full Moon chart, there are a few tensions in the mix. Cancer is reputed to be a gentle and healing sign – and it may need to be as the Full Moon is opposed by Pluto (which is conjunct the Sun). That’s always an intense aspect, but will it be modified by the Full Moon’s trine aspect to Neptune in Pisces? In theory we would rush to say “yes”, but the Neptune transit through its own sign has been anything but easy.
Neptune is also squared by Mars (tricky!) and the January 2022 Full Moon is joined to Mars by a quincunx (150˚) aspect, an aspect that is rarely as minor in impact as it’s claimed to be. And then there’s that Mars-Pluto semi-sextile too. Outside of the Full Moon’s aspect complex, Mercury retrograde is approaching a conjunction with Saturn and will become part of that Saturn square Uranus transiting aspect that is thankfully reaching its conclusion – and not before time. That’s always one to watch.
January 2022 Full Moon: The Aspects
Let’s look at the details of those aspects, as that’s where the devil resides…
Full Moon opposite Pluto
With Pluto conjoining the Sun, the January 2022 Full Moon is tense – and intense. One of the reasons for this is that Pluto is an emotionally dark force. Pluto is the buried rage that bursts into the open when the pressure gets too great and, in that way, it also represents a kind of culmination with things coming to a head. So, there’s a climactic ‘double-whammy’ where things could get intensely emotional.
For those who will be most affected by this lunation (that’s those of you with significant planets/points in a late degree of the cardinal signs) home and family life is the space most likely to be invaded by Pluto. Big questions regarding family finances, the family home, relocation – and the even deeper issues of trust, fidelity and family restructuring may feature around this time. They are the kinds of issues that affect us at a viscerally emotional level because they are so difficult to face up to.
Of course, it’s not all bad. Emotional re-structuring is something we all do from time to time and the opportunity to de-clutter is something that should be done on a regular basis. So, this January 2022 Full Moon may be a good time to engage with your inner ‘Marie Kondo’ and put your house in order – though it’s inevitable that this will involve an emotional clear-out too. And that will ultimately be a good thing – though it may not feel like it at the time. Trust me and let go.
And in the big, bad world out there? When the January 2022 Full Moon is opposed by Pluto, it’s always a signifier for crimes and misdemeanours being reported in the public domain. Financial crime and corruption is particularly favoured by Pluto – and, on the Cancer-Capricorn axis, look out for the involvement of public and governmental figures involved in corruption that may involve land and real estate or mineral resources. Things that are secret or ‘underground’ may be a literal theme.
Full Moon quincunx Mars
The January 2022 Full Moon makes an awkward aspect to Mars in Sagittarius. I say awkward as the quincunx (or inconjunct as it’s also known) is often indicative of adjustment. It’s as if you find yourself in a new place – rather unexpectedly – yet you have to carry on as if nothing has happened. It takes a bit of getting your head around, but the January 2022 Full Moon suggests that a rapid adjustment may be the order of the day. And it may be an extremely (Pluto) emotional (Moon) adjustment.
Mars is always fast – and is also an important player in this month’s Full Moon as it’s also connected to Neptune and Pluto. Mars contacts Pluto by a semi-sextile aspect; this is an uncomfortable aspect with the potential for some compulsive or impulsive behaviour. So, there’s the possibility of having to adjust to the consequences of a rash decision, for example. That may be a theme in your personal life – or you may see examples of that in the outer world. Sagittarius is involved and it often symbolises the law, so this lunation may be a reminder that things can catch up with you – whoever you are.
Full Moon Trine Neptune
As I mentioned above, Mars contacts Neptune with a tense square aspect. This is an aspect that can be self-destructive, resentful, guilty, evasive, underhanded – and rather passive-aggressive. Mars is usually direct – but under Neptune’s influence it becomes indirect. It’s the kind of aspect that will do stuff – then will deny it happened. And with Neptune in Pisces in full ‘alternative reality’ mode, that could be a real issue with Mars in Sagittarius – a sign that is argumentative and dictatorial at times.
What has this to do with the January 2022 Full Moon trine to Neptune? Well, it feeds into it directly as the trine provides an easy route for those energies to be released. Whether it does so productively is the big question; in predictive astrology a trine aspect often indicates things that happen quickly – and you can’t do a thing about them. That may be good – if you’ve had a frustrating time waiting for a particular outcome to something – or it may be the opposite. Trines are not always as lucky as they are claimed to be.
So, this month may reveal information that you don’t want to hear – or you may find yourself having to deal with something that’s been a long time coming – but now it’s here you may feel a little rolled over by events. However, Neptune’s involvement (and that of Pluto) contain the possibility to let go and move on. If there’s a situation you need to put behind you, the January 2022 Full Moon may be the one that brings it to light.
© Sara Shipman 2022
Picture credit: Image by intographics from Pixabay
