Look to the Light and Don’t Look Back – 2026 Overview
Hi everyone! Welcome to this new year – and new era – we are co-creating.
2026 marks the end of several significant cycles and the initiation of major new cycles the nature of which is difficult to imagine because they are either extremely rare or entirely unique in time.
Personal and collective adaptation and innovation will be important going forward, because there is no turning back to the old ways of being.
In this overview, I’m sharing the general vibes for the year ahead; specific references to your most important Tropical Zodiac signs (Sun, Moon, Ascendant or a prominent stellium of 3-4 planets or more) will be covered in the sign-by-sign readings. And as always, I would need to see your entire natal chart in order to offer more specific interpretations. You can schedule an individual reading via my website if you want more personalized guidance.
At the end of this overview, you will also find a list of the major planetary dynamics of the year covered in my annual forecasts. For more dates and details go to astro-seek.com and cafeastrology.com, both invaluable sources for important astrology information!
Here we go…
In numerology, the digits of larger numbers are added up and reduced to get a final symbolic number – so 2+0+2+6 = 10 = 1+0 = 1 – this means 2026 symbolises a 1 year, the beginning of a 9-year repeating cycle that takes over from the previous one that ended with 2025. This is particularly relevant on a collective scale as it aligns with and further emphasises all of the new cycle energy we see astrologically.
2026’s theme of renewal gets off to a strong start as Venus is reborn in the heart of the Sun (cazimi) when the planet of beauty and harmony aligns with our star on January 6th at 16º Capricorn, followed the next day by a conjunction to Mars chaperoned by the Sun at around 17º Capricorn. Then Mars takes its turn to recharge in the heart of the Sun on January 9th at 20º Capricorn, exactly opposite Jupiter retrograde expanding and supporting the effect from Cancer, the sign of its exaltation. This is an exceptional reunion announcing an exeptional year!
Venus-Mars conjunctions are known for their passionate nature, and as Mars is exalted in Capricorn this most-proper Capricornian Venus will be all a-flutter but try not to show it. In fact, just like Mars, she’s combust (within 8º of the Sun) and won’t appear in the sky again until she emerges as the evening star on February 17th. Mars won’t be visible until March 3rd – on the day of the Virgo total lunar eclipse! Venus is still under the beams of the Sun (within 15º of it) until March 6th, and Mars isn’t entirely free of the Sun’s influence until the Ides of March on the 15th.
When planets are invisible it is traditionally considered that their influence is weakened, stifled, or turned inwards. The Sun dominates and overshadows them, which can mean their usual significance is either less effective or goes underground. This doesn’t mean nothing is happening, rather results are not likely to be seen until the planet shines brightly again.
We might not be able to benefit from the typical steadfast courage and reliability of Mars exalted in Capricorn, and as Venus is ruled by Saturn while under the beams, there can be even more restriction in relational and financial dynamics, especially around resolving conflicts. Both are serious and mean business, so the end result can be constructive but Venus must give way to the strength of the Sun and Mars.
On top of this, Mercury chimes in to the Capricorn conference, and an exalted Jupiter, now retrograde in Cancer, is opposing all of them between January 9th and 14th (add a couple of days on either side as the effect builds and fades). People with personal planets (especially the Sun and Moon) and placements (like the Midheaven or Ascendant) in Mars-ruled Aries and Taurus, and Venus-ruled Libra and Taurus will likely feel this the most.
Starting new projects or trying to get publicity might be challenging when your planetary ruler is hidden, but it doesn’t mean you should not try. Work behind the scenes to prepare for the momentum of February and March. This applies to everyone as nearly the entire zodiac is affected in some way either directly or indirectly.
The slow-moving, era-defining outer planets Neptune, Saturn, and Uranus are all shifting into new signs for years to come and as with each year, Jupiter will be changing signs, so in mid-2026 it moves from the watery, Cardinal energy of Cancer to the Fixed Fire of Leo.
This Water to Fire shift repeats and even more strongly emphasizes a similar energy to what we experienced for 3-4 months in mid-2025, when Saturn and Neptune first left their long transits in watery, Mutable Pisces for a brief reconaissance visit into the first couple of degrees of fiery, Cardinal Aries. I spoke about Neptune in Aries here, and joined by Saturn in Aries here.
Indian Astrology calls the shift from Water to Fire “Gandanta”. In Sanskrit “gand” means knot, and “anta” means end, or undoing – and gandanta is considered to be a strong period of spiritual insight or release that takes us from the depths of understanding to its outward expression of awareness and inspiration. Where water meets fire is also considered to be a point of maximum instability – think of a drop of water bouncing on a hot pan – especially with regards to worldly events or our individual relationship to the so-called outer world.
This is a true “changing of the Guard”. Think of it as having to find new ways to show up and move out into the world following a period of deep, spiritual awakening that still has you questioning everything. This is the energetic shift from 2025 to 2026 in a nutshell! 😅
Uranus will move from Taurus fully into Gemini – from fixed Earth to mutable Air – which we already experienced in the middle of 2025 for the first time in around 84 years (I spoke about that in this video). In 2026, Uranus will remain in Gemini from its April 26th ingress for roughly the next seven years, accelerating the pace of change and innovation and disrupting areas of communications, society, and commerce alongside the many other major societal changes we’re experiencing around the globe.
Uncharacteristically, Pluto is the most predictable planet of 2026 as it continues its glacial move deeper into Aquarius where it has been edging its way forward since March 2023. In 2026 it will move back and forth between 2 and 5 degrees of Aquarius. 🐢
By the way, this doesn’t mean the disruption Pluto will bring will be predictable, only that we can reliably count on it to continue the societal and no doubt personal dismantling and reconfiguration that has been quite evident for the past 2 and a half years. If you just emerged from the Amazonian jungle, you can find out more about Pluto in Aquarius here, and for geopolitical insights, click here.
All the planets shifting from Capricorn to Aquarius will also in turn conjoin Pluto, so the new starts get an in-depth review before January is even over! Mars will meet up with Pluto at 3º Aquarius on January 28th – look out for its opposition to Pluto from 3º Leo where the impact of this new 2- year cycle will be revealed on or around October 3rd! This ties in to their oppositions during the Mars retrograde cycle of late 2024 and early 2025, especially because their last Leo-Aquarius opposition on 26th April 2025 was also at 3º degrees!
As Jupiter moves out of watery, nostalgic Cancer into fiery Leo at the very end of June (remember the gandanta bit above?), it will immediately start to oppose Pluto in the opposite sign of Aquarius. This is their first opposition in the ongoing 12–13-year Jupiter–Pluto cycle that began with their three (!) conjunctions in Capricorn from April to November 2020 (joined at times by sign ruler Saturn for good measure. Had you tried to forget?! Sorry to remind you… 🫣).
So, the consequences or notable effects of what was initiated in 2020 will culminate in early July.
Digital ID, anyone? Curtailment of social media and freedom of expression..? We must reflect on how we contribute the the society we live in, and move in the direction of community support and leadership for the greater good of all.
Leo represents rulers and famous ‘Solar’ individuals, and Aquarius represents society and how we organize it. Expect a clash or an expansion of these dynamics as Jupiter applies its desire for acknowledgement and primacy in Leo to Pluto’s intense drive for power and control. Leo and Aquarius are fixed signs, so some sort of pushback will be apparent from both sides on whatever the crisis ends up being. As ever, this energy will be easier to work with for individuals!
Collectively and individually we are highly supported by the extraordinary configuration of planets through much of the year, but especially during June, July and August. Once Jupiter moves into Leo at the end of June, it will not just oppose Pluto but will add energy to the Uranus-Neptune-Pluto mini grand trine and create a rare outer planet basket/cradle configuration that caught the eye of the late French astrologer André Barbault decades ago. The renowned mundane forecaster was very hopeful about this configuration, predicting as a positive shift in society from 2026. Watch this space!
Reinforcing and amplifying the energies of Jupiter and Pluto, the Lunar Nodes will move into the Leo-Aquarius axis, with the North Node or Rahu expanding and accelerating the energy of future-and society-focused Aquarius and the South Node/Ketu in Leo emphasizing a shedding of leaders/rulers/famous individuals as well as our way of presenting ourselves to the world that has shaped us since the previous cycle from December 2007 to August 2009 (think: smart phones, podcasts, and social media drawing the entire globe to interact personally through the internet in their pocket).
The South Node represents a loss, separation, or release, but can also represent things coming back from the past. The North Node will invite new visions (obsessions?) for the organisation of society adding to Pluto’s ongoing emphasis on change and control – perhaps the Silicon Valley tech billionnaires’ dreams of creating Technocratic City States outside of national governmental control with have us going back to the whims of fiefdoms, kingdoms, and princely states of midieval times. New Kings, same old pawns… or are they?
This Leo-Aquarius nodal dynamic also historically tends to seriously disrupt economies and financial and economic systems, like stock exchanges and money and job markets. Along with Uranus in Gemini this is likely to be the beginning of a troublesome period for many people on that front. Echoes of the 2008 global financial crisis are quite likely.
Work with the inspired, sovereign, and self-driven energy of Saturn-Neptune in Aries as a counterbalance!
This way, you can create and establish something unique for your work or social role that supports you and your circle in these times. Saturn-Neptune conjunctions remind us that nothing is fixed in stone, and things can change rapidly and dramatically in ways we could only imagine earlier. Keep the dream alive! There is strong support for realising a new world in the years ahead, starting in 2026.
The noticeable background energy of the year is the highly unusual Mini Grand Trine formed by the outer planets that is ongoing since August-September 2025 (when it occurred at 0º). Pluto in Aquarius trines Uranus in Gemini, and both of them form sextiles to Neptune and Saturn in Aries, all around 4º degrees of each sign. This harbinger of a new social pattern will strongly influence how we communicate, travel, and organise our lives within the collective. Alongside the North Node in Aquarius our major focus inevitably will be on establishing a new visionary or ideal(-ised) future. The mini grand trine repeats for the last time in 2027 at 6º.
We can’t overlook the accelerating influence of the eclipses! Currently straddling between the Pisces-Virgo axis and the Aquarius-Leo axis, the mostly retrograde motion of the true lunar nodes winds backwards through the Zodiac. There will be a Solar Annular Eclipse (the ones with the pretty ring of light around the Moon) at nearly 29º of Aquarius on February 17th, helping us see the shape of things to come, and on March 3rd there will be a Total Lunar Eclipse at nearly 13º of Virgo.
Later in the year there will be a highly-aspected Total Solar Eclipse at 20º of Leo on August 12th, just after the True Nodes shift into Aquarius-Leo on July 27th. This is the one I’m most curious about, as it includes two kite aspects and a mystic rectangle to help us unlock what can feel hard to figure out. Then Pisces will host a Lunar eclipse at nearly 5º on the 28th of August, again straddling the old and new eclipse cycles.
While Mars won’t be retrograde during 2026, near the end of the year Venus will retrograde as she does every 18 months. Venus will retrograde from 8º of Scorpio back to 22º58’ of Libra between October 3rd and November 13th. This will have us reflecting on issues of fairness, justice, and balance while integrating issues surrounding secrets and their (inevitable) revelations plus the old classics, fear and trust, in areas of relationships and/or finances.
Mercury will be retrograde 3 times in 2026 entirely in the water signs, beginning with Pisces in February and March, then Cancer in June and July, and Scorpio from October to November. This will undoubtedly provide some welcome softening and emotional awareness to the otherwise hot and dry atmosphere dominated by the Fire and Air signs. These retrogrades in water signs will provide an opportunity to emotionally and psychologically integrate the bigger changes we are adjusting to throughout the year.
Chiron and Eris continue their close association in Aries through much of 2026, perfecting another conjunction at nearly 25° with both of them retrograde. This energy marks a parallel dynamic with the year 1971 to early 1973 ringing about a lot of social change and dissatisfaction around personal liberties and sovereignty. I made a video about this unusual pairing and their historic impact here.
Chiron will enter Taurus briefly from June 19th, barely making it into the 1st degree before retrograding back into Aries on September 18th. It stations direct at 26° of Aries one week into 2027, to complete its journey through Aries for the next 49 years by mid-April 2027. Eris remains in Aries for many years to come as it takes 500 years to make a full revolution around our Sun and will only move into Taurus from 2044.
Well, I think that just about covers the essentials. 2026 crystalises the changes that accelerated in 2025, and since it is a pivotal year for all of us, we can feel priviliged to be alive at the dawning of this new era in our human experiment!
Much love and best wishes for everything to come in the year(s) ahead!
Susan
Key Astrological Events of 2026:
♑️ ♒️ Stellium in Capricorn and Aquarius throughout January; Venus, Mars, Mercury all Cazimi (conjunct the Sun) opposite Jupiter
♒️ All these planets plus the Sun and moon conjunct Pluto at 3º Aquarius signify new beginnings from the very start of the year – plan well!
♓️ Neptune (26 January) and then Saturn (14 February) move out of Pisces into Aries – only the North Node/Rahu remains in Pisces until July 27th
♈️ 36-year Saturn conjunct Neptune cycle begins at 0º Aries on 20 February; a review of the key dates of the previous 1989 cycle that ends now
♒️ Solar Annular eclipse in Aquarius at 28-29º on 17 February; Venus visible now
♓️ Mercury Retrograde from 21º to 8º Pisces from 26 February to 20 March
♋️ Jupiter Stations Direct at 15º Cancer (where it was on 17 August 2025)
♍️ Lunar Eclipse on 3 March at 12-13º Virgo; Mars visible now
♈️ Chiron conjunct Eris at 25º Aries for the 3rd and last time on 19 March
♊️ Uranus shifts from Taurus to Gemini 26 April
♉️ Chiron shifts from Aries to 1º Taurus from 19 June to 17 September
♋️ Mercury Retrograde from 26º to 16º Cancer 29 June to 23 July
♈️♊️♒️ Mini Grand Trine 7-25 July; plus rare basket/cradle formation including Jupiter – entirely unique to this moment in time!
♌️ Jupiter shifts from Cancer to Leo 30 June and opposes Pluto; this creates the basket/cradle aspect pattern which is emphasized by Jupiter’s conjunction with the Sun; on October 3rd Mars re-creates the basket as it opposes Pluto Rx at 3º
♌️♒️ Lunar Nodes change signs – North Node in Aquarius South Node in Leo 27 July
♌️ Total Solar Eclipse at 29º Leo on 12 August – Mystic rectangle and 2 kites!
♓️ Partial Lunar Eclipse at 4º Pisces on 28 August
♏️♎️ Venus Retrograde from 8º Scorpio to 22º Libra on 3 October
♏️ Mercury Retrograde at 21º to 5º Scorpio
♌️ Jupiter-Mars-Ketu conjunction at 25º Leo on 14 November; Sun squares the nodes
As mentioned above, my interpretations are from a Tropical Zodiac and Whole Sign House perspective. It isn’t possible for me to see your natal house cusps from quadrant house systems like Placidus, so you will need to adjust based on your own chart.
👉🏻 Watch my video on the different Astrological House Systems to better understand this.
☀️The Sun represents your sense of self, your purpose, your active role in this life; It also represents important male figures like your father or significant leaders.
🌙 The Moon signifies your mind, feelings, memories and intuitions, your emotional state, your home and relationship to home, your mother, and mature, wise women in your life.
The Ascendant (AS) is your sense of self, your body, and your way of showing up; it describes how you engage in all areas of life.
The Descendant (DS) reflects important relationships, how you experience them, and how others experience you within relationships. These can be life partners, business partners or clients, for example.
The Midheaven (MC) is your social status, career or public role you play, your public reputation and personal ambitions.
The Imum Coeli (IC) represents your childhood experiences, your lineage and early and current family life, your sense of emotional, psychological and even material security and what you feel you need to be happy and well.
If you have a Stellium of 3 or more of the traditional planets you will feel this energy strongly even if it doesn’t include your Sun, Moon, or the important points already mentioned.
🤔 Should I listen for Sun, Moon or Rising? Watch here
Thank you for your support!
✨Much love and best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!✨