courage, vision or delusion
Neptune enters Aries This week (January 26, 2026 at 9:34 AM PT). You may remember that after spending about fourteen years in Pisces, it entered Aries on March 30 of last year, and then retrograded back into Pisces on October 22. Now it leaves Pisces for good – or at least until 2175 – and once it enters Aries, it won’t leave the sign again until May 2038. So, this is a huge, long-term shift that we’re just starting to feel.
Before its brief stop in 2025, Neptune was last in Aries from April 13, 1861 to April 7, 1875. Neptune is often described as our collective dream, the story we tell ourselves about who we are and where we are going. A fictional idea of Neptune in Aries dreams is that one person or nation can save the world. It’s hard not to think about this when you notice Neptune entering Aries on April 13, 1861, the day after the American Civil War began.
With such an emphasis on individual will and the heroic self, it can be a challenging transition to building society and truly working together, which is arguably a natural human tendency. At its best, Neptune in Aries can inspire courage and vision. At its worst, Neptune can slip into delusions, distorted thinking, lack of judgment and, in extreme cases, violence.
My rising sign is Sagittarius, and I’m a hopeless optimist – or at least that’s what I’ve always thought of myself as. For most of my life, I have believed that no matter how different I was from my fellow humans, if I were to collapse on the sidewalk one day, those around me would rush to my aid. I don’t make that assumption so easily anymore. It feels less about political or ideological differences and more about people moving away from our shared social centers, especially since the pandemic.
It will be interesting to see how society behaves during Neptune’s independent transit of Aries, especially in the next few years as Saturn also moves through Aries (starting February 13). This combination raises important questions about responsibility, leadership, and what courageous action really means—for ourselves and for each other.
Move mountains, or despite failure?
Mars and Pluto conjunct A total of five planets are within the 10-degree stretch of Aquarius this week (January 27, 2026, 3:01 PM PST, 3°34′ Aquarius). Aquarius vibes are strong right now. This isn’t subtle energy – it’s concentrated, concentrated, and very much about ideas, principles, and the big picture of how we live together.
Mars and Pluto together can move mountains. They bring tremendous drive, stamina, and a willingness to overcome obstacles that might normally leave us apathetic. We can be fiercely protective of the people we love and the ideals we hold dear. But there is a dark side to this combination: we can become absolutely ruthless in the pursuit of what we want.
Without a healthy outlet, aggression and cruelty can flourish. And it’s also easy to fall into feelings of incompetence or inadequacy. Maybe we feel like nothing we do changes anything. When this happens, giving up can seem like the only way to regain a sense of control. There’s a real temptation to go home with our toys because then, at least we get to decide how the game ends.
The late astrologer Donna Cunningham once described Pluto as symbolizing where we might fail through resentment, and I think this is a perfect description of the negative potential of Mars and Pluto. The harder we work with our personal will and the power of Mars, the more Pluto fights back. Under this aspect, power struggles escalate quickly.
This conjunction is best expressed as Mars and Pluto finding a way to work together, rather than against each other, in a meaningful and lasting direction. But this requires us to ask ourselves whether the goals we pursue truly serve the collective, especially when Aquarius is so energetic, or whether it is just to maintain our own will. When this energy is aligned with the greater good, it can be incredibly productive. If not, it can quickly become corrosive.
lovebirds on the fence
whenever Mercury and Venus conjunction (January 29, 2026, 2:17 AM PST, 14 degrees 57 minutes Aquarius), they form a sweet bond that allows for conversation, connection, and finding the right words to express affection or appreciation. In Aquarius, this connection is a little calmer and more objective than in some signs, but also very honest. It’s about you and the people around you truly liking each other first—about shared ideas, mutual respect, and the joy of being on the same wavelength mentally.
The Sabian symbol for this degree is 15 Aquarius, Two lovebirds sit on the fence. They are not lovebirds caught in a dramatic embrace; They just perch side by side. There is a sense of ease and choice. They are together because they want to be together, not because they feel they have to be together. The fence itself is a border, a place between two worlds, which feels like Aquarius, a place to stand slightly apart, to observe, to decide.
With Mercury and Venus in this angle, there is a strong emphasis on conversation as the glue that holds relationships together. This is a good time to discuss issues, say things that are kind, things that are fair, things that clarify. It wasn’t so much a romantic gesture as it was a mutual understanding. Do we share common values? Can we listen to each other? Can we sit together comfortably even if we can’t agree on everything?
This combination reminds us that love doesn’t always have to be loud or dramatic. Sometimes it’s as simple as choosing to sit on the fence together, exchanging ideas, respecting each other’s independence, and enjoying the quiet pleasure of each other’s company.
A heart-warming experience
Three years ago this week, a new baby entered our family. His parents had chosen to name him after my late brother, and it was only natural that the baby would make his debut on the 28th anniversary of his namesake’s death. This kid has a great sense of timing and a great origin story. To this day, I still love peeking at his pictures when I need a smile.
children often interact with Leo, the sign of this week’s full moon (February 1, 2026, 2:09 PM PST, 13°03′ Leo). I like to say that Leo and the 5th house of the chart represent “heart-opening experiences.” So the Full Moon in Leo invites us to pry open the stiff, creaky doors of our hearts to better let joy in. This is just the right full moon to play with puppies, dance at a wedding, or smile at a photo of a little boy.
The full moon can show us what is missing in our lives. The Full Moon in Leo is a response to the Sun in Aquarius, a sign whose season can lead us down a lonely, cold path. But the Leo Full Moon awakens our desire for spiritual connection and joy.
Leo on his Midheaven, my great-nephew was born, a belated beacon of warmth and joy in a family that for decades had too many funerals and not enough weddings and births. The lesson of Leo is that we bring love into the world. We don’t have to earn it, we just have to show up and share it.
The Full Moon shows us what we’re missing, but also what’s been there all along: the joy and hope we don’t acknowledge because we’re afraid they’ll be taken away; the love we hide in case it’s not reciprocated. But this full moon opposes five planets in Aquarius, the rebellious prison breaker who promises we can escape the limitations we place on our own happiness. At this Full Moon in Leo, throw off your chains and take back your heart—with its boundless capacity to love, insatiable passion, and fearless joy.
Text and images © 2017-2026 by April Elliott Kent
