On Jan. 15, the sun will oppose Mars in your sign, triggering more tension around your need for self-expression and the demands of your closest relationships. Mercury’s opposition to Mars shortly after further stirs the pot in your one-on-one partnerships, possibly revealing hidden motives and tension.

Neptune wants to convince you to see beyond what is real so that you can uphold your fantasies about love, while Mercury will be working to make you realize that you can’t ignore the truth. The energy of Mercury and Neptune isn’t an invitation to the truth but will be a requirement for it.

Mars in retrograde often invites us to slow down, reassess, and ensure that our actions are in harmony with our deeper values and emotions to validate.

Mars leaves Leo and retrogrades back to Cancer on Jan. 6, a transit that celebrity astrologer Kyle Thomas tells PEOPLE can be "difficult" for many at this time