Breakthroughs in December 2020 and January 2021: Jupiter conjunct Saturn on the threshold of Aquarius; Uranus in Taurus; Gemini-Sagittarius Eclipse Season

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Just as it began, this fateful year ends with two eclipses, major planetary shifts and a historical conjunction. As different planetary patterns take hold things around the world should start to improve.

My Ganymede, Cup Bearer of the Gods

Critical Dates

In December 2019 and January 2020 the focus was on eclipses and conjunctions in Capricorn-Cancer, while all the major alignments involved Pluto. This planet in astrology is symbol of all ultimate experiences, death, loss, as well as profound personal/collective transformations. Pluto, in Capricorn until 2023, still remains active in the short term though, especially from late December 2020 to end of January 2021. Dates to watch are those when fast moving bodies will form challenging transits to the slow moving ones, in particular to all mighty Pluto. Here are some:
December 24: Mars in Aries square Pluto in Capricorn – December 30: Venus in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces – January 7: Mars enters Taurus – January 9: Venus enters Capricorn – January 13: Mars in Taurus square Saturn in Aquarius – January 18: Jupiter in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus – January 21: Mars conjunct Uranus in Taurus – January 23: Mars in Taurus square Jupiter in Aquarius – January 29: Venus conjunct Pluto in Capricorn.

Despite all of that now that Jupiter and Saturn have separated from Pluto its power for destruction is definitely reduced. Regeneration comes after destruction; hope after despair, and resilience too, allowing us to tap onto those inner resources we all need to thrive in a difficult world, the very positive aftermath of all Pluto’s transits.

Jupiter-Saturn momentous conjunction in Aquarius

As they quickly move away from Pluto Jupiter and Saturn are getting closer to a right angle to Uranus. But, first of all, they have a date to keep: December 22 (few hours past the Capricorn Solstice) when they will finally become conjunct on the threshold of Aquarius, marking the beginning of a brand new twenty years cycle. These recurring conjunctions are important because they show the direction the world is going in the areas of government, law, religion, ethical issues etc, for the whole of two decades. The current twenty years event is particularly special because it begins an even greater cycle. This will last roughly two hundred years, during which Jupiter and Saturn will become conjunct mainly in Air Signs. Astrological researchers have found that the transits of Jupiter-Saturn in Air Signs (also known as the ‘humane Signs’) tend to move the world’s political needle toward progressive trends, strengthening a collective spirit of reform and innovation. Aquarius in particular is the Sign of individualism and friendly cooperation.

With Aquarius and Uranus thus strongly highlighted progress seems certain, if slow and fraught with difficulties. In the coming year, for instance, Saturn will undoubtedly attempt to slow down the process of reform and innovation (square Uranus), manifesting the karmic consequences of the Covid19 crisis that has widened rather than reduced the gap between the ‘have’ and ‘have not’ of this world.  2021 critical dates for the difficult Saturn’s square Uranus will be: February 18, June 15 and December 24.

Witness the conjunction with your own eyes

Even visually this conjunction is an event we could do well not to miss, the two planets appearing closer to each other than they have been in 800 years! Look west in the early evening, on December 21 and 22. Jupiter, the brightest, and Saturn will be so close to appear as a double star. We will need not only a clear night though, but also a clear view of the westerly sky. The two planets will be in fact near the horizon and quickly sink out of sight.

Uranus in Taurus, a come back

With all the attention given in 2020 to the fateful Capricorn alignments, no much thought has been given to the transit of Uranus in Taurus, one of the most significant in recent years. It was easy enough to predict that, during the seven long year of Uranus’ passage through Taurus we could see changes of great magnitude happening in the financial and business world; as well as major challenges to our sense of security and wellbeing. Uranus in Taurus is coming to the fore again in 2021.

Jupiter will be the first to reach the right angle to Uranus, one and only time on January 18, a transit that could bring significant breakthrough in the area of collective cooperation, to do with the global availability of Covid19 vaccines and therapies for example, also inspiring greater confidence in the eventual improvement in the economic and security future of the world, and encouraging more risk taking in the areas of alternative technologies and more sustainable ways to do business. We could even experience an excess of enthusiasm for a while, driving us to make changes before we are truly ready for them. The same transit could bring also some unusually extreme weather globally and worsen the autocracy/democracy conflicts proliferating around the world; change will not come without formidable global grassroots movements. Negative outcomes possible, especially while other challenges are active from Mars and Venus to the end of January and afterward when the Saturn square Uranus will become active (first pass exact on February 18).  

Saturn in fact will significantly make three passes of the square to Uranus, the most significant planetary theme of 2021. Uranus always suggests the need to do things differently, to find new untried ways, to re-invent ourselves if necessary.  Saturn in 2021 will severely limit our collective drive toward real deep reforms, a new economic model, or enacting sufficient countermeasures to climate change and social injustice.  In a period when the drive for change is so compelling this slowing down will be a frustrating trend, but it could prove necessary to obtain more ground braking results in the long run. Personal responsibility and greater grassroots involvement in social issues will be a must.

Gemini-Sagittarius Eclipse Season: Lunar at the Gemini Full Moon, on November 30, 7.29 pm; and Solar at the Sagittarius New Moon on December 15, 2.16 am.

The Eclipses in Mutable Signs end the year showing the need for greater adaptability and a more optimistic and open minded approach to problems. If, in your Birth Chart, the Sun, Moon, any Planet or Chart Angle happen to fall around the 8^th degree (Lunar Eclipse) or 23^rd degree (Solar Eclipse) of the Mutable Signs (Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo, Pisces) these cosmic events may affect you in more personal and tangible ways.

The Lunar Eclipse could manifest as a significant emotional climax in the area of experience indicated by the sector of your Birth Chart where it will take place (the Houses of the Horoscope). For some will be relationships, for others work, career, health, study, family etc.  And not just for now but possibly for many months to come, depending how close the alignment is.

The Sagittarius Solar Eclipse will be a very special New Moon if closely aligned to sensitive points in your Birth Chart. It could mark the beginning of a brand new phase of your life, extending far into the future. The area of your Chart where the eclipse falls will determine the experiences and opportunities driving you toward the goals you seek.

Capricorn Solstice 2020, December 21, 8.02 pm

The seasonal Capricorn Solstice is this year simultaneous to the double ingress of Jupiter-Saturn into Aquarius and their rare conjunction. This synchronicity indicates that the Aquarian effect will strongly persist over the whole three months of the new season, summer in the southern hemisphere, winter in the northern. This is indeed a real opportunity to choose the collective good above more ego-centered tendencies, striving toward humane reforms against stale conservatism.

Cosmic February and March 2019: keeping it ‘real’: Square from Jupiter in Sagittarius to Neptune in Pisces; Mercury Retro in Pisces

A shorter version of this article has been already published in the Uki Village News in early February 2019.

The Earth Signs

A shift toward the Earth Signs will characterize the astrological months of February/March 2019. Venus will be transiting Capricorn from February 4 to March 2 (marrying creativity with business sense), and Mars Taurus from February 14 to March 31 (a dogged, often hard working position for Mars). The historical ingress of Uranus in Earthy Taurus will take place on March 6, this transit continuing to 2025/26. Of course Saturn, the Lunar South Node and Pluto are also still in Earthy Capricorn, to 2020 and 2023/24 respectively.
To add to the above the Chinese Lunar New Year has welcomed the smart PIG, this time associated with the EARTH ELEMENT, the last Earth Element Animal before the switch to the next Element, Metal, from 2020. Each Element lasts in fact for twelve years and is in turn associated with each of the Twelve Animals.
So, for the long term as well as the short term, planning, discipline, dedication and hard work are top prerequisites for success.

Jupiter and Neptune

On the other hand, the 90 degrees angle between Jupiter in Sagittarius and Neptune in Pisces represents, this year, the biggest challenge to the Earth Signs’ need for realism and practicality (January14-June 17-September22). Jupiter is in fact the planet of expansion as well as exaggeration, and Neptune the planet of spirituality but also of confusion and passivity, together encouraging divorce from reality and from what is truly possible in the circumstances. And this is, after all, the most powerful transit of 2019!

We will all have to struggle somehow between these opposing Earthy and Psychic forces, their high contrast making our collective approach to problem solving fraught with contradictions and some paralysing moments. We will need to find ways to reconcile them and make their union fruitful.

In the short term the prevailing energy is encouraging us to work through difficulties rather than sweep them aside or avoid them. The Earth Signs will make sure that things eventually catch up with us and we will have to face the music. Prevention is definitely better than cure for the Earth Signs.  Getting too emotional will not serve our purpose either. Clear, practical, viable solutions will be available but we will need to put some real effort in, downsizing our expectations and waiting patiently for results. Immediate gratification of desires or easy windfalls will not be in the cards for most of us at this time.

Venus in Aquarius

From March 2 to 27 Venus will move to Aquarius, a lighter, more socially minded position for Venus, marking an ideal time for group works, friendships and love matches founded on mutual respect, learning, traveling, mixing with different people, networking of ideas, emotional independence etc.

Mercury Retrograde in Pisces

In Pisces since February 10 Mercury will turn retrograde on Pisces’ very last degree on March 6 (same day Uranus enters Taurus). This period will last until March 29. People who were born with Sun, Moon, any Planet or one of the Four Angles (Ascendant – Descendant – MidHeaven – LowerHeaven) in Pisces or in any of the Mutable Signs (Virgo-Gemini-Sagittarius) will experience more personally the effects of this retrogradation: delays, communication breakdowns, misunderstanding, mechanical problems, tech issues, as well as striking insights, flights of intuition and creative  imagination.

Uranus in Taurus

On March 6 Uranus will enter Taurus, for good this time, until 2025/26. This extremely significant shift will gain even greater momentum in 2020, when the Saturn-Pluto’s conjunction in Capricorn will contribute to a quickening of planetary, political, social, economic and cultural transformations, with make/break situations for individuals and the planet to face squarely.

For in depth analysis of the transits of Uranus in Taurus and Chiron in Aries please navigate HERE to my April 2018 article.

Chiron in Aries

Worth of mention is also the unobtrusive final ingress of Chiron in Aries, on February 18 (until 2027), marking a whole new cycle for the planet of Healing! Looking back at the most recent times Chiron transited Aries (1918/1926-27;1968/1977), we see much struggle to realize historical social reforms: women suffrage, gender equality, sexual revolution, peace versus war. Aries, symbol of unbridled and often toxic masculinity, is going through a face of healing and higher learning from which it will emerge transformed.

 

 

The second pass of a crucial transit: Mars in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus, things are shifting fast, plans go awry.. Remaining calm in the eye of the storm

‘The Tower’ edited Tarot Card – Alistair Crowley deck

Apologies to Living Moon Astrology subscribers if you received this post twice in your email box. It was sent in error with a different heading.

Today, August 2, Retro Mars in Aquarius completes the second pass of its momentous 90 degrees angle to Uranus in Taurus.

Uranus is slowing down considerably, nearly ready to become Stationary Retrograde, on August 7. This fact, coupled with Mars’ Retrogradation, will contribute to keep this transit active for the foreseeable future (to around the first week of October 2018).

An important thing to remember though is that this transit not only will extend its influence beyond the month of August but that it started having an effect in May 2018, when the first pass took place, just as both Mars and Uranus were entering Aquarius and Taurus respectively (exact on May 16).

The third Eclipse of the season (and the last for 2018) is also looming for the upcoming 18 °Leo New Moon on August 11 (Partial Solar), adding intensity and a more obvious cosmic purpose to this period, in the lives of many individuals, and generally the whole collective (more about the August 11 Solar Eclipse in another post).

Changes may be coming rapidly, perhaps too rapidly and even disruptively for some of us. Things may feel more out of control than usual, particularly in the areas of experience indicated by the Houses in our Birth Horoscopes where these events occur.  The effect would be accentuated and deepened also by alignments with one or more of our Birth Planets (conjunctions, oppositions, squares, trines, sextiles).

Remember that, due to the 90 degrees distance between Mars and Uranus, during this transit they will occupy any given Houses in our Birth Horoscopes at that distance from each other; the First and the Fourth, the Second and the Fifth etc.

04, 05, 06 degrees of Aquarius, Leo, Taurus and Scorpio will be directly aligned to this event.

Exciting or upsetting, opening up new channels and opportunities in your life or filling you up with apprehension and frustration, this transit is meant to accelerate necessary changes and alter the way you act in the areas indicated by the Houses. Staying relaxed and consciously focused in the eye of your own personal storm will bring its reward when the waters will be calm again and the purpose of all the upheaval will become evident.

 

Exciting or unsettling,

Chiron in Aries and Uranus in Taurus: the game changers

A slightly shorter version of this article was published earlier in the April May 2018 99 issue of the Uki Village News

Chiron in Aries, beginning a brand new cycle for the Healing Arts

Uranus in Taurus, game changer for Global Finance/Security and more…

Two critical astrological events are in the cards for April-May: Chiron stepping into Aries on April 17 and Uranus into Taurus on May 16.

Chiron is connected with medicine and healing. The last time Chiron passed through Aries was 1968-1977, a period of many ‘revolutions’, including a revival of natural medicine, ancient practices as well as all sorts of alternative healing methods.

Chiron remains in each Sign differing lengths of time, due to its extremely elliptical orbit, this time it will leaving Aries only in 2027. Before entering Aries for good however Chiron will return in Retro motion into Pisces on September 26 2018 to step into Aries again in February 18 2019.

Aries is the traditional starting point of the whole Zodiac, thus representing the beginning of an entire new cycle for any planet entering it. In Chiron’s instance the entire 12 Signs cycle lasts about fifty years. We can expect then, in the next nine years or so, a surge of medical discoveries and new ways of treating illness that will carry us in unexplored pioneering territories.

And now we come to the biggest event: the passage of Uranus into the Fixed Earth Sign of Taurus, on May 16 2018. Uranus will briefly return to Aries on November 7, and will re-enter Taurus, for good, only on March 6 2019. After that the Uranus-Taurus’ transit will last until 2025.

From May 2018 to March 2019 Uranus will hover then on the cusp of Taurus, indicating a period of difficult adjustments for the whole planet. We need to become more grounded despite many disruptions and challenges to our established routines and habits, the things that provide us with a sense of security and comfort.

The ingress of a slow moving planet into a new Sign is always momentous, having a significant impact on individual and the world, especially if your Birth Chart or the Horoscope of a particular nation aligns in some way with it.

Taurus is the astrological symbol for money, wealth, security, finance and Uranus is the planet connected with radical changes, revolutions, turning points etc. During the seven years stay of Uranus in Taurus we will see possibly unprecedented changes in world finance and business.

The last time Uranus entered Taurus, 84 years ago (June1934-March1935) was a period of major upheavals for the world: huge dust storms in the Deep South in the US; massive armaments in Russia, Europe and America; Hitler consolidating his power by becoming German Chancellor; in October the so called Long March led by Mao Zedung began in China; in 1935 German Jews were denied the right to citizenship.  Many of these events are considered precursors to the Second World War, the real game changer!

The April 2018 Taurus New Moon and Mars-Uranus-Mercury

The day before the ingress of Uranus in Taurus, May 15, is the annual Taurus New Moon, when Sun and Moon, conjunct each other, happen to be also aligned to the star Algol (Medusa’s Head) in the constellation Perseus, which the ancient sky watchers deemed powerful and dangerous. I have studied Algol’s effect on world events and famous people for a number of years and found it often related to some major upheavals, like extreme nature events and/or dramatic political developments.

Two major catalysts are also part of this strange New Moon picture: Mercury separating from a conjunction to Uranus while entering Taurus, and Mars, on the cusp Capricorn-Aquarius, at right angle to both Uranus and Mercury. All of the above seems to portend that some major world events could take place around this time.

Australia Horoscope and Uranus in Taurus

With the national Horoscope of Australia in mind (First January 1901, when the Australian Constitution came into force) some clear warning signs become apparent. This is a Saturn Return year for Australia time to grow up, time for reckoning of past mistakes and beginning of a new evolutionary cycle. Transiting Uranus is also sitting on Australia’s Ascendant (cusp Aries-Taurus), meaning that there could be unexpected/abrupt changes in our country, during 2018/2019. These changes will impact on the way Australia is perceived around the world too, the Ascendant representing the outer impact and expression of a personality, being it of an individual or a nation. Talking about individuals, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was born with the Sun at 0 degree Scorpio, meaning that Uranus this year and the next will oppose his Sun’s position, on and off, certainly shaking the status quo in his life and career.

With Saturn slowly moving through cautious and business like Capricorn, Uranus in Taurus and Jupiter in Scorpio shaking up the foundations of our global sense of security, our collective finances, savings and assets, the next twelve months at least don’t seem a propitious period to invest or spend big, or we could incur debts that we may not be able to repay. Common sense and caution need to prevail to cope successfully with rapidly changing circumstances.

2018 in an astrological nutshell

Saturn in charge

Here is a longer version of an article already published in early December 2017 in the Uki Village News.

Hallo and welcome to my thoughts on 2018 astrological trends. What a change a year makes!

2017 has been, as widely predicted by the astrological community, a year of surprises and unsettled conditions for many of us individually and collectively for the world. With Air and Fire Signs highlighted by the transits of Uranus (Aries), Saturn (Sagittarius) and Jupiter (Libra) 2017 could be described as a time of speculations, aspirations, or just a lot of hot air stimulating changes but no putting them into practical, realistic frameworks. A Donal Trump Year, one may call it.

The Earth Signs will come into play big time in 2018 instead, with Saturn entering Cardinal Earth Capricorn on December 20 this year and remaining in Capricorn until December 2020 (a once in thirty years event), and Uranus making its first ingress into Earth Fixed Taurus on May 16 2018 (a once in 84 years event).
Uranus will briefly return to Aries in November 2018, and to Taurus, for good between March 2019 and July 2025/April 2026.

The Water Signs will also come more to the fore with Jupiter now in Scorpio (until November 2018) and Neptune still transiting Pisces (until 2025).

This evolution into the Earth Signs signifies a general tendency toward doing rather than speculating. This will be a reality check to ground our ideals and take action on matters that are important to us. In particular Capricorn Saturn will not tolerate procrastination, guiding us to put in the hard work, commitment and integrity necessary to restructure our lives, at home and work, in business, finances, politics, ecology, streamlining our plans and making more efficient, practical choices.

The Sign change of Uranus, from Fiery Aries to Earthy Taurus, will be even more momentous and long lasting (ending only in 2026). I predict that the beginning of this shift (between May 2018 and March 2019) will not be a timid one though! Uranus is in fact the planet signifying abrupt and radical changes and Taurus is the most Fixed of all Fixed Signs, resisting changes via its conservative outlook and sheer inertia. The combination therefore spells if not disaster certainly a breakdown of many outdated tendencies in ourselves and our world, and drastic upheavals that will confront us with difficult choices, make or break situations, ultimately proving constructive and beneficial. Taurus holds sway over our Earth resources and the way we use and abuse our wealth, natural and financial, so Uranus transit in Taurus will bring eventually some form of breakdown of our present ways of doing business and using/abusing natural/financial resources. Economic and currency revolutions are indeed possible between 2018 and 2026. A reminder that the last period Uranus was in Taurus, between 1934 and 1941/42, the world experienced the greatest financial breakdown in history and the start of a most destructive global war. Of course history doesn’t have to repeat. Many other factors contributed to the advent of global war in the late thirties. But the astrological correspondences should be a warning that peace is not guaranteed unless we are constantly prepared to uphold it, even fight for it.

However the years 2019 and 2020 could be fertile ground for a global recession, general financial difficulties, more unemployment etc. This will be because of the combination of Uranus in Taurus and Saturn in Capricorn, the same Saturn’s Sign that witnessed the Great Depression of 1929-1932 and the Banana Republic Recession during the Labor Keating government in Australia, early 1990 to 1991. A crisis could be more likely for Australia due to the fact that the Sun and Saturn are also in Capricorn in the Australian January 1 1901 Horoscope, the Birth Chart of the nation. Click HERE to view the 1901 Swearing in Horoscope of Australia.

This together with the restructuring and streamlining of governments all over the globe between 2018 and 2020 (Capricorn Saturn) makes for exciting if difficult times, hopefully a promise of real renewal for our social and natural environment.

Last but not least is the effect of Jupiter in Scorpio (until November 2018), another Sign that has a lot to do with resources, finances, the uncovering of secrets and redressing injustice done. Issues pertaining to these areas will be highlighted by Jupiter too.
An effect that has already made its appearance is the power of expansive Jupiter in Scorpio to dig out stuff that has been hidden and kept secret for a long time. We are seeing this in a big way in the proliferation of disclosure of famous people’s sexual misconduct (Scorpio also relating to sexual stuff), facts that are helping to uncover the same in the everyday world of people. The truth about financial and sexual misdemeanor and even war crimes and abuses is coming out in a very public way.
It is liberating to be able to talk about issues that have been festering in the dark forever, a sign, among others, that consciousness is rising on this planet.