Chipwitch Today!
This is Chipwitch Today, your daily source of reliable data upon which you can base your daily practice.
31 December, 2022
Solar activity reached moderate levels due to an M1 flare at 30/1528 UTC and an M3 flare at 30/1938 UTC from Region 3176 (N20E10, Eki/beta-gamma). Associated with the M1 flare was a faint EIT wave visible in SUVI 195 imagery beginning at 30/1528 UTC and a likely associated CME off the SW limb beginning at 30/1653 UTC in ST A COR2 imagery. Analysis of the CME is pending.
The solar kp index is unsettled, with retrograde effects slightly enhanced. The solar wind speed is high, making retrograde effects significantly increased!
Solar wind parameters were enhanced under positive polarity CH HSS influence. Solar wind speed ranged from 416-611 km/s. Total field ranged from 4-13 nT while the Bz component was between +12/-11 nT. Phi angle was mostly positive.
There is a 25% chance of solar activity, with a 30% chance of a minor event, a 20% chance of a moderate event, and a 1% chance of a strong event.
The waxing moon is currently in Aries, at 24 degrees, 16' 27", at a velocity of 12.95 degrees per day.
The First Quarter moon is currently 8.6 days old. It is 381497.76 km from the centre of the Earth.
The next new moon is at 20:55:30, 21 Jan, 2023. The next full moon is at 18:30:44, 5 Feb, 2023.
Moon In Aries
Your passion and energy are on point while the moon is in Aries, so beware of being too self-focused and making rash and impulsive decisions during this time - and watch your temper! Perhaps you should put that energy into some exercise. Get out and move! Now is a good time to start a new project (but not one you can't finish!). But again, keep an eye out for impulsive decisions or picking fights, because remember - everyone else is feeling that impulsiveness as well!
Let that mysterious thing captivate you while the moon is in Aries. Go ahead and give yourself permission to explore, and don't worry about going it alone. Your independence will serve you well.
Planetary Information
The Sun is in Capricorn
The Sun is at 09 Cap 32' 22", and is 147107707 km away and approaching.
The Sun In Capricorn
Winter arrives in the northern hemisphere when the Sun moves into cool Capricorn. There’s a serious tone about this time of year because it’s when we look for new hope in a time of darkness. Just as the Capricorn symbol of the Mountain Goat climbs higher and higher, most of us will work hard toward bigger and better things during this time.
Capricorn is an Earth sign ruled by karmic planet Saturn, so when the Sun moves into this sign, we’ll all spend a little time contemplating the karmic lessons from the past year. This transit also urges us come up with new goals and take the first steps toward achieving them. It’s no coincidence that the New Year happens under the Capricorn Sun!
Things get a little more buttoned up when the Sun moves into conservative Capricorn. Take care of business. This persevering Goat likes to be in control, which helps them stay on track as they climb the ladder of success. Act like a Capricorn by getting organized and planning for the future! Capricorn is known for being bossy, but it’s because they care so much. If you need to take charge and get a little bossy so you can get things done, go ahead while the Capricorn Sun is shining!
Watch out for burnout! Capricorn’s biggest struggle is finding time for fun in the midst of getting things done. Remember to take a break every once in a while and have a few laughs. Capricorn is the most masterful zodiac sign, fierce and determined to be the very best at whatever game they play. This transit will help you harness some of that winning Capricorn energy for yourself.
The Moon is in Aries
The Moon will change from Aries to Taurus in the next 24 hours.
The Moon is at 24 Ari 16' 27", and is 386107 km away and receding.Moon In Aries
Your passion and energy are on point while the moon is in Aries, so beware of being too self-focused and making rash and impulsive decisions during this time - and watch your temper! Perhaps you should put that energy into some exercise. Get out and move! Now is a good time to start a new project (but not one you can't finish!). But again, keep an eye out for impulsive decisions or picking fights, because remember - everyone else is feeling that impulsiveness as well!
Let that mysterious thing captivate you while the moon is in Aries. Go ahead and give yourself permission to explore, and don't worry about going it alone. Your independence will serve you well.
Mercury is in Capricorn
Mercury is retrograde at 24 Cap 01' 13", moving backwards at 0.36 degrees per day, and is 114321510 km away and approaching.
Mercury In Capricorn
Capricorn is the businessman of the zodiac, with its sights set on efficiency and success. While Mercury spends time here, we are inspired to think and act in ways that will help us reach our goals. Capricorn’s influence clears up our thoughts, helping us hone in on the most important and fruitful ideas. We’re also able to be more direct in our communication during this transit, cutting down on misunderstandings and wasted time.
One of the biggest benefits during Mercury in Capricorn is the building of ideas. The many thoughts that run through our minds are easier to organize, and we can see them like puzzle pieces, arranging them until they fit together in the way that makes the most sense. Once we can see our ideas as a solid form, we are able to take action and turn them into reality.
While we tend to be straightforward during this transit, we must beware of the tone we take when interacting with others. Capricorn is acutely aware of hierarchies, which means that conversation may become more controlling than constructive. We all think our ideas are the best ideas during Mercury in Capricorn, but if we spend too much time worrying about who’s in charge, we won’t end up getting much done.
Venus is in Capricorn
Venus is prograde at 26 Cap 28' 03", moving at 1.25 degrees per day, and is 240796261 km away and approaching.
Venus In Capricorn
We take our relationships a lot more seriously when loving Venus moves into committed Capricorn. This transit challenges us to put in the effort needed to get the love and affection we truly desire. For those who are coupled, this is their chance to work through problems or have deep conversations about what they envision for the future. And what about those looking for love? This is their opportunity to ditch flighty flirtations in favor of long-lasting love. With Venus in Capricorn, we want our romantic affairs to go the distance.
In addition to its impact on love and relationships, Venus in Capricorn has the same serious effect on all things relating to beauty. This transit may urge us to trade in flashy pieces of clothing and edgy hairdos for a more subdued style. It’s also a great time to get started on any artistic endeavors we’ve been considering. Not only do we have an enhanced ability for building and creating things, but Capricorn also gives Venus the dedication needed to start projects and see them all the way through to the finish line.
Venus in Capricorn has a strong business aspect to it, and it could bring up themes of re-evaluating the worth we bring to our chosen professions. We might ask ourselves if we’re getting the validation we need from our employer, or whether or not we are climbing up the ladder of success the way we had hoped. There is incredible potential for reconnecting with our own inner authority and owning up to whatever it is we need to do to take our career to the next level.
Mars is in Gemini
Mars is retrograde at 09 Gem 11' 10", moving backwards at 0.17 degrees per day, and is 94874350 km away and receding.
Mars In Gemini
You can say goodbye to boredom while active Mars moves through curious Gemini. With Mars in Gemini, we’re so excited to explore new ideas and start new hobbies that we have no interest in sitting around idly. There’s so much out there to discover, and Mars’ transit through Gemini is just the time to do it.
However, because there are so many things that pique our interest during this transit, it’s hard to stay focused on one thing for too long. The challenge is to stay on track, or to realize that many tracks can take us to our goal. Diversity is the name of Gemini’s game, and Mars in Gemini is about tasting, rather than making a total commitment. We have a greater amount of flexibility when it comes to how we go after what we want. If Plan A doesn’t work out, it’s no problem. We can quickly come up with a Plan B, C, and even D.
Gemini is a childlike, fun-loving sign, but Mars in Gemini isn’t all fun and games. We’re quick to move from one thing to the next during this transit, but there could be consequences for leaving projects unfinished. We’re like butterflies, flitting about a garden of interests. This satisfies our need for discovery, but it could also make us feel generally scattered and unfocused.
Because Mars is the planet of action and drive, it’s no surprise that it’s also the planet of passion and sex. While Mars is in Gemini, the greatest erogenous zone becomes the brain, and we simply must have mental stimulation with our partners before anything else. A meeting of the minds is the biggest turn-on of all when Mars treks through this sign.
Jupiter is in Aries
Jupiter is prograde at 01 Ari 06' 20", moving at 0.12 degrees per day, and is 747826506 km away and receding.
Jupiter In Aries
Our minds are on fire during Jupiter in Aries, ignited with innovative ideas and lightning bolts of intuition. This is an opportunity to let go of the limits of our past and come up with new solutions for the future. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and is always willing to step fearlessly into uncharted territory. During this transit, we can see possibilities to better ourselves that we simply couldn't see before. With Jupiter in Aries, it's not about taking our time to slowly map out a strategized plan, it's about feeling the spark of inspiration and running with it. The more time we take, the more restrictions and problems we realize, which will hold us back. We are encouraged to shoot from the hip, knowing that every experience is a learning experience that helps us grow.
While Jupiter often encourages us to learn from others, Jupiter in Aries is more about self-teaching and self-learning. We mustn't be afraid to take risks and try things, whether we feel prepared or not. Trying and succeeding and trying and failing are both valuable ways of learning and growing. In fact, it may even be harder to maintain attention in a traditional "teacher-and-student" educational setting during this transit, because we need to learn things our own way.
There can, however, be a danger in becoming so focused on ourselves and our own viewpoints. Opinions run hot during Jupiter in Aries, and we're impatient for action, which can fan the flames of confrontation both politically and socially. When we reject the importance of two-way dialogue, we close ourselves off to learning -- and that is a Jupiter no-no! Even though there's extra emphasis on our personal mindsets during this transit, we stifle ourselves if we think too narrowly. Remember, this is a time to expand, not to contract.
During Jupiter's transit through Aries, we make our own luck. When we embrace the power we have to control the direction of our lives, we are able to open up opportunities, solutions, relationships, and fortune that we were blind to before. Jupiter wants us to expand and embrace our potential as individuals, and to realize that we each hold the key to our big, bright, and happy futures, but it is up to us to put it in the lock and turn.
Saturn is in Aquarius
Saturn is prograde at 22 Aqu 20' 46", moving at 0.1 degrees per day, and is 1575911991 km away and receding.
Saturn In Aquarius
Aquarian energy is humanitarian. It is full of boundless ideas about what will improve the lives of others, and how shared efforts can make the world a better place. As the 11th sign of the zodiac, Aquarius rules over the 11th House of Groups and Visions. This is the playground of visionaries, inventors, and creators. But as with anything airy, this sign exists primarily on the mental plane. This is why when grounded and pragmatic Saturn moves into Aquarius, the two inspire each other in truly monumental ways.
With this focus on structure in the realm of groups and visions, now is the perfect time for us to connect with others and take action on our most lofty plans: find ways to give back to the community, network in some way with people in your field, or lay the groundwork for that non-profit that's been kicked around for ages.
Saturn in Aquarius can also be a very auspicious time to begin or deepen a relationship. This transit brings people together to reach beyond the individual’s capabilities. Romances or marriages that are established during this time are some of the most powerful and activated unions of all.
As much as this transit strengthens and deepens connections, it also has the potential to end that which is no longer serving us (or maybe never did in the first place). Be on the lookout for people and connections that drain you, and be ready to let them go. Now is the time for building sturdy and lasting structures. Sometimes this means letting go of weak links in friendship, love, and work.
Uranus is in Taurus
Uranus is retrograde at 15 Tau 09' 41", moving backwards at 0.02 degrees per day, and is 2854501191 km away and receding.
Uranus In Taurus
Taurus is a sign that likes things steady and stable, and isn’t the best at handling big, sudden changes. But big, sudden changes are what Uranus is all about! Taurus would prefer to stick to the status quo and keep doing things the way they’ve always been done. The problem is, the old ways aren’t always the best ways. Even if we are resistant to the changes Uranus in Taurus brings, we have no choice but to go along for the ride, and, chances are, we’ll realize in the end that these changes brought us to a much better place.
Money is Taurus’ main area of expertise, so while Uranus is in Taurus, we can expect some very revolutionary ways of handling and dealing with money, both nationwide and worldwide. During the seven years Uranus will spend in Taurus, brand-new forms of currency may arise, banks and banking could come to a halt or change dramatically, and the housing and stock markets may be in for a major shake-up.
On a more personal level, Uranus in Taurus encourages us to break free from the grips of money: debt, taxes, credit card interest, rent, and mortgages are all things that can prevent us from saving money or using it the way we want to. We may also feel trapped by our material possessions in general. During this transit, we must be ready and willing to change our relationship to money and materialism.We no longer have a choice. Uranus is here to liberate us, and digging in our heels and resisting won’t make things any easier, and won’t stop these changes from happening. The changes we make during this period can actually help bring us to a point of greater stability, and can be very long-lasting.
Neptune is in Pisces
Neptune is prograde at 22 Pis 51' 33", moving at 0.02 degrees per day, and is 4514860781 km away and receding.
Neptune In Pisces
Neptune in Pisces grants us a unique form of sight. As the Piscean focus on emotion and spirit merges with Neptune’s pull to unify all things, a clarity emerges from the fog, shedding light on our own contradictions. We can suddenly see clearly the futility of caring about petty differences. The value of coming together shines like gold, and the path to wholeness is illuminated.
This transit calls us to look at what we each can contribute toward our collective progress and healing. We all have gifts, ideas, and dreams for how things could be. Neptune in Pisces is an invitation to explore our emotional intelligence for our own unique offerings.
This is the perfect time to take a course in a spiritual path that calls to us, or to create an altar space at home and connect with that which feels most sacred. The energy of Neptune in Pisces nudges us to consider how to then share these ideas with the world, and reminds us that its presence will support us in this process.
Pluto is in Capricorn
Pluto is prograde at 27 Cap 38' 05", moving at 0.03 degrees per day, and is 5327103432 km away and receding.
Pluto In Capricorn
Pluto and Capricorn are both oriented toward success and power, sharing a strong sense of intention and focus that makes them very efficient in their tasks. We may find that our compassion for the viewpoints of other people gets cast aside during this transit, though, since both Pluto and Capricorn demand results. Beware of being intolerant of ideas other than your own.
Pluto wants us to jettison our negative patterns that no longer work for us. Of course, this involves some constructive destruction. Be deliberate in what you destroy as you create.
Current Planetary Aspects
Current Planetary Positions
Mercury Conjunct Venus
Your appreciation of beauty, art, music and poetry will be stimulated today. Pleasant conversation and harmony are the order of the day. Express your feelings to those close to you. Light mental pursuits bring enjoyment and happiness. Short trips go smoothly.You are charming and gracious, poetic in your self-expression, and usually very polite. This position brings refinement to the nature and an appreciation for the arts. You aim to balance and bring harmony to your world. You can be, at times, quite indecisive, as you tend to see everyone’s point of view, and can see value in almost any perspective or opinion. You have a strong sense of fairness.You are very agreeable and enjoy socializing. Some with this aspect are a little on the lazy side, preferring to socialize than work.You might intellectualize or rationalize your feelings, perhaps thinking a little too much about love and relationship to the point that you lose touch with how you truly feel. You might be attracted to, or attract, intellectual sorts as partners. If this conjunction is challenged, you might frequently attract partners who are tricky or conniving.Many of you are talented at writing and/or speaking. You thoroughly enjoy the written and spoken word, literature, wordplay, puns, and enlightening conversations. Many with Mercury conjunct Venus in their charts are downright eloquent.While most people like you, your ability to tune in to the person with whom you are currently speaking to is so strong that you might be accused of being two-faced or superficial. You might also choose your words carefully in order to avoid conflict, and others might not know how you truly feel as a result.Interpretation from our LoveStyles Report: Mercury conjunct VenusYou get along with most people and are usually willing to make compromises in relationships to maintain harmony. That doesn’t mean you become a doormat for others, but you have a strong sense of fairness and do not offend others without just cause. Others are seldom threatened or intimidated by you, largely because of your affable nature and social grace. You are willing to listen to anyone’s opinions and suggestions before making major decisions.Direct competition may be uncomfortable for you, and you may feel more at ease working with a small group of people. Perhaps you enjoy public speaking or performing in the dramatic arts. Another possible source of satisfaction for you would be writing, because of your natural talent for expressing yourself well. You have an imaginative mind and are clever at cooking up schemes to improve your economic situation. It is not difficult for you to turn your many creative ideas into ready cash.Others will usually support you in what you do because they can see that you exercise good judgment. They can believe in you and are glad to pitch in to help you succeed. Just be sure you don’t ask anyone else to take risks you yourself wouldn’t attempt. Actually, any chances that you take will be well considered and are probably not that risky after all.In love relationships, you have a talent for communicating your needs and desires to your partner. You are attracted to people who share your artistic talents or at least an appreciation of the arts. The worst possible mate for you would be one who is socially uncouth. In sex you have a healthy open attitude and can discuss the subject rather easily with your partner. Verbal expression during sex can be very stimulating for you! A lover who doesn’t communicate or who is quiet in bed may not be very satisfying for you in the long haul.Some Famous People with Mercury conjunct Venus: Richard Dreyfuss, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Anne Archer, Erma Bombeck, Laura Bush, Kathy Bates, Alexander Graham Bell, James Coburn, T.S. Eliot, Mark Harmon, Helen Hunt, Ricki Lake, Carlos Santana, Bono (U2), Jimi Hendrix.Mercury Sextile Neptune
Today is a day for wishing upon a star and imagining that your most heartfelt dreams can and will come true. Idealism is high and you are both inspirational and imaginative. Your visualization powers are effective and strong. Somehow, you just know things today. Trust your intuition. Do some spiritual study. Listen to some inspirational and uplifting music.You are creative, perceptive, and imaginative. You draw heavily on your imagination and intuition to come to conclusions and make decisions. You easily sense the thoughts and feelings of others, and you are adaptable in your communications as you pay attention to how your words are received. You express yourself with subtle flair, sensitivity, and perhaps some charming quirkiness. You have an appreciation, and perhaps talent, for photography, the arts, poetry, fiction, spirituality, advertising, and promotion. You are naturally open to metaphysical or spiritual concepts. You might believe in things that others discard, and some with this position at least seem a little naive or childlike. Many of you have psychic ability, or at least very good hunches.The trine aspect is the more dynamic of the two harmonious aspects. Those with the sextile can call upon these traits when needed, and those with the trine between the Mercury and Neptune have incorporated the traits of the aspect into their personalities, expressing them naturally and consistently.Some Famous People with Mercury in Harmonious Aspect to Neptune: Sextiles – Brad Pitt, Fred Astaire, Drew Barrymore, John Cleese; Trines – Vanessa Redgrave, Michael J. Fox, Tammy Wynette, Oscar Wilde, Shirley Temple Black, Robb Thomas, Mia Farrow, Meryl Streep.Mercury Conjunct Pluto
The force of your will is behind your thoughts and words today. You have plans to change things and the necessary power to do so. Be open-minded with others and be tolerant of their beliefs. You don't always have to be right and they will appreciate seeing that in you. Whatever you tackle today you will want to get at its deepest roots.You are capable of great focus and depth of thought, as well as concentration. You easily become serious and pensive. Determined and sometimes exhaustive effort is a strength, and depth of perception as well. However, sometimes your desire to turn ideas inside out can work against you, to the point of obsession, suspicion, and mistrust. You are a born skeptic of anything that appears superficial or overly straightforward. You always look for a hidden meaning, desiring to get to the bottom line, and with people, to lay bare motivation. You are intellectually fascinated with all that is hidden, taboo, secret, or suppressed. You can be provocative in your communications, often subtly so. You can also be sarcastic and cutting. You can be so determined to find answers, or even to convert others to your frame of mind, that you end up wasting energy beating a dead horse. You are excellent at developing strategies and can be very clever and cunning, although this is essentially on an intellectual level — manipulation is more an intellectual exercise rather than something coming from the heart. Of course, it is up to you how to use your abilities. You enjoy a good mystery to solve, clever plot twists, and darker art forms.You have a powerful and stubborn mind. You are a great researcher and a good detective. This doesn’t always help in your personal life. Others may find you too suspicious, too challenging, or too secretive. You are always mulling things over inside of yourself. You live in a sea of mental symbolism. You respond to implications and inferences rather than to people, circumstances and events. You have a special knack for mathematics, symbolic logic, computers, biology, and meditation. At times your mind will overload and you seem to do a reversal, overlooking the simplest details that others take for granted. Get rest and learn when to stop and start. – Interpretation sample from the In-Depth Profile report.Some Famous People with Mercury conjunct Pluto: Harry S. Truman, Sylvester Stallone, Della Reese, River Phoenix, Stanley Kubrick, Whitney Houston, Elizabeth Barrett Browning.Venus Conjunct Pluto
Your love nature may be particularly charged with emotion and desire. Possessiveness and jealousy are possible. Power struggles may be a part of your close relationships. Resist the urge to control your partner. Intense change in romantic relationships is possible.Your emotions, particularly when it comes to feelings of love and attachment, run very deep. Your personality is magnetic, and you tend to arouse strong feelings in others, who may find you intriguing or somehow offensive! And all of this before you even open your mouth.In love, you can be quite possessive and possibly obsessive. At the root of obsessive feelings are deep fears of rejection, loss, and betrayal. Your feelings often run hot or cold–your love nature is generally extreme. It’s hard for you to detach yourself when it comes to personal relationships, and this sensitivity comes from a tendency to take things very much to heart. You are certainly most charming when you want to be. Love relationships turn your world upside down. You are likely to experience love at first sight, as you tend to work on instinct when it comes to affairs of the heart. Your relationships often feel fateful. You easily put pressure on your partner, as you expect much loyalty and honesty in your intimate relationships. Be careful not to let your relationships get to a point where your partner is superfluous and you are working through your own inner demons through him or her. Certainly, you will learn much about yourself through your relationships, and you may not always like what you see. You will meet yourself (the “darker” side or inner demons) through your relationships, and it will be critical that you recognize it as your own “material” and not project it onto your partner. On another level, you may have a talent for drama, writing lyrics, music in general, and finance.Alternate interpretations:~You are extremely loyal to and solicitous of those you love, without a cloying sentimentality. Your values and thoughts center on love, which can easily become the hub of your life. Early in a relationship, you are apt to be jealous and possessive, but with time and experience this can be transformed into a higher, more mature type of attachment. You are willing to give your all to your beloved but demand the same in return. Your strongest desire is for an all-consuming love that will bring you satisfaction on all levels: emotional, physical and spiritual. With aspects to Mars or Neptune, there could be a preoccupation with or compulsive attitude toward sex. — Interpretation sample from the Heaven Knows What report.+ You may not be particularly sentimental but if you love someone, you love them completely and forever. You live on the emotional extremes. People are either important to you or they don’t even exist. Your feelings are deep and volcanic. You love power and control which is fine if you have learned to control yourself. You are magnetic and surrounded with an aura of mystery. You deal with groups and group resources. You may have leadership in some creative project or in some financial enterprise. You polarize people: they either love you or hate you but are seldom indifferent to you. — Interpretation sample from the In-Depth Profile report.*You have deep, compelling love feelings that seem irresistible and often irrational. Your love relationships are very passionate and intense, and you experience both agony and ecstasy in love. You are always changed in a deep, fundamental way by your love experiences, though this may come about through painful and difficult confrontations or separations. You are something of an emotional fanatic about things you care about.#You are the stuff of saints and martyrs because you engage in your beliefs with a fanatical desire to conquer anyone in your path. A physical love relationship can make or break your spiritual connection, depending on your ability to nurture the depth of feeling. Interpretation sample from the Your Spiritual Path report.Some Famous People with Venus conjunct Pluto: Ian Scott Anderson (Venus conjunct Pluto in Leo), Charles Dickens (Venus conjunct Pluto in Pisces), Amelia Earhart (Venus conjunct Pluto in Gemini), Jessica Hahn (Venus in late Leo conjunct Pluto in early Virgo), Phil Hartman (Venus conjunct Pluto in Leo), Victor Hugo (Venus conjunct Pluto in Pisces), Jeremy Irons (Venus conjunct Pluto in Leo), Liberace (Venus conjunct Pluto in Cancer), Heather Locklear (Venus conjunct Pluto in Virgo), Barry Manilow (in Leo), Dr. Phil McGraw (in Leo), Olivia Newton-John (in Leo), Sean Penn (in Virgo), Julia Roberts (in Virgo), Sarah Ferguson (in Virgo), William Butler Yeats (in Taurus).Notes about Transits
Battlestar folks: Best not to commit to anything too irrevocable today - #retrogradeeffects are in full force. The #moon is currently causing a stir in Aries, so best to be mindful and guard your steps. #mercuryretrograde #marsretrograde and #uranusretrograde are making things a bit unpredictable - so no pressure, but take extreme caution when traveling in unexplored ground! #solarflares