Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
THE MEANING OF THE TIME
Many people assume that astrology is used to predict events,
and that a recognition of astrology's validity implies an
acceptance of fatalism and a denial of individual free will.
Over the centuries, astrological prognostications have
certainly played an important role in the lives of world
leaders and the fate of nations. But predictability, and the
fate which it implies, are far more complex issues than simply
a destiny written "in the stars", about which the individual
can do nothing. In the following pages, your birth horoscope
is analysed according to the planetary movements which are
occurring over the next year. On one level, it is a
"predictive" analysis. But its purpose is not a foretelling
of concrete events. It is an exploration of the inner changes
and cycles which occur in every individual and which often
mysteriously coincide with events in the outer world. These
planetary movements will not tell us what WILL happen. They
describe the stage the individual has reached in his or her
life, and what kind of responses can be expected to external
situations which might occur at any other time, but mean
something special because of the special time at which they
are occurring.
The German poet Novalis once wrote, "Fate and soul are two
names for the same principle." This profound perception of
the identity of inner and outer worlds is often difficult for
the person unfamiliar with the deeper psychological dimensions
of astrology to recognise. Carl Jung echoed Novalis'
sentiment when he said that a person's life is characteristic
of the person. We are complex creatures, made up of many
facets, and all the different dimensions of the human psyche
will seek, sooner or later, to find their place in the light
of day and achieve expression in the outer world. But some
aspects of the personality are inherently in conflict with
other aspects. Some will elbow others out of the way because
we identify with these at the expense of other, less developed
attributes. Human development, like that of any other living
thing, proceeds in stages, in an elaborate dance of interwoven
themes. When the time is right, certain aspects of the
individual will strive for expression. In order for us to
achieve that expression, we may need to create, or find
ourselves drawn to, external situations which make us
conscious of what we were unaware of before.
Some life events are not the expression of any individual
need, conscious or unconscious. They reflect great collective
movements into which we may all be swept up. Wars, plagues,
famines, and holocausts may supercede any individual effort at
self-awareness or choice. But in those spheres where our
lives are our own, and not merged with the collective, we may
have many levels on which to fulfill the expression of our
individual horoscope patterns. We cannot be certain whether
particular events are inevitable, or whether, with foresight,
they might be avoided or transformed. We cannot be certain of
the extent to which we are required to act out or redeem
conflicts which have been part of the family psyche over many
generations. These things contribute to what we loosely call
"fate". Also, the choices we make at any point in time may
have unforeseen and far-reaching consequences on the kind of
events which occur later on. Cause and effect may play more
of a role in "fate" than we realise. What is clear from the
study of astrology is that no outer event is devoid of
meaning, or unconnected with individual psychological issues.
"Good" luck and "bad" luck are not luck at all, but
reflections of what in ancient Greece was known as kairos -
the right moment.
Analysis of the year's planetary movements by computer is
necessarily limited, primarily because no computer can
ascertain what an individual has learned from experiences
which have occurred in the past. Every stage in life is
processed by individual consciousness, and the degree to which
we are self-aware, and have some understanding of our deeper
needs and conflicts, may have a powerful effect, not only on
how we respond to events, but on the events themselves.
Consciousness, rather than fate, may determine whether we are
able to turn a painful or difficult time into one of inner
strengthening and self-knowledge, and whether we can take
advantage of the right moment to develop abilities or pursue
goals which previously we might not have realised were
possible. Our choices may be circumscribed by our genetic
inheritance on the physical level, and by social and
collective factors which place limits on our possibilities for
growth. We may also be circumscribed by our own self-doubt
and blindness, and wind up fating ourselves through reacting
blindly to the emotions which a particular situation stirs in
us.
The paragraphs which follow only sketch in the barest fashion
the possible areas in which outer events might occur,
according to the year's planetary movements. They focus
primarily on the inner developments, conflicts, changes and
realisations which reflect the real meaning of the time. We
perceive the outer world through deeply subjective eyes, and
interpret events in accord with our own highly individual
psychic constitution. One person might look at a glass of
water and say, "Ah, it's half full, there is plenty for me to
drink." Another might look at the same glass and declare,
"Oh, it's half empty, there isn't enough for me to drink."
One person might view rejection by a loved one as a reflection
of the other person's failings. Another might view it as an
opportunity for a deep examination of his or her expectations
and assumptions in matters of love. When a group of people
describe the same event, they describe it in as many ways as
there are people in the group. What matters in the end is the
meaning of the time for each of us as individuals, and what
the time can offer us in terms of the greater unfoldment of
the essential self.
Chapter II
THE YEAR'S MAIN THEMES
The paragraphs which follow describe the main planetary themes
which are likely to dominate the year, and which may permeate
virtually every area of your life. They are like the bass line
in a piece of music, and set the underlying tempo and key.
Although other planetary movements may form a musical
counterpoint, highlighting specific issues in different ways
at different times over the next twelve months, these main
themes provide the overall backdrop for this particular stage
of your development.
The dominant energy
Because vision and intuition are often as real to you as
concrete objects, you may find the underlying energies at work
over the next year deeply inspiring and uplifting. Religious
or mystical feelings may run very strong, and you may feel
profoundly connected to the rest of humanity and part of the
larger life of the planet or the cosmos. Your innate idealism
may seem affirmed and verified by external circumstances, and
opportunities for creative work or a deeper spiritual
commitment may give your life renewed purpose and meaning.
Don't let optimism and a sense of inner rightness preclude
good old-fashioned hard work to make your ideals real. There
may be a danger that you may spend so much time feeling life
is wonderful that you let it slip by without taking the
opportunities which will probably come your way. And don´t
forget that others may not see what you see, and may find it
hard to fly with you if you do not take the time to share your
feelings and intuitions with them. A little patience and
circumspection would be extremely useful to you during the
next twelve months, as you may leap too high too soon, or
ignore personal responsibilities which need attending to.
During this period a great many doors could open, on many
levels and in many areas of your life. If you are willing to
back up vision with planning, persistence, and sensitivity,
this could be one of the most rewarding times you have ever
experienced.
Chafing at the bit
|
prog. Sun square Jupiter: Mid July 2010 until end of July 2012
The same themes are also emphasised by:
Jupiter square Sun: Beginning of July 2011 until mid March 2012
Jupiter trine Sun: Mid February 2011 until beginning of March 2011
|
You are probably feeling very restless and expansive right
now, and your eyes are likely to be fixed on distant horizons.
You may feel you could accomplish anything, if you could just
escape the constrictions of your present life; and your future
plans are likely to be big and even grandiose, while the small
details of how to actually get there may not seem worth
dwelling on. This could be an extremely creative time, but it
may also be a precarious one because you are probably not very
well connected with the mundane requirements and consequences
of your aspirations. If you want to make your dreams concrete,
you will need to balance optimism and enthusiasm for the
future with plenty of patience and common sense. Otherwise,
you may find that you have wasted a great deal of time, energy
and resources on projects or endeavours, material, emotional
or intellectual, which, because they were badly planned or
simply too unrealistic, turn out to disappoint you in the end.
At the moment you are probably eager to travel the world,
learn more about life, and explore 'higher' subjects such as
religion, philosophy and spiritual disciplines. You are likely
to experience a profound intuitive sense that life is on your
side at the moment, and that your future path has purpose and
meaning. You may also feel particularly 'lucky', but although
the combination of increased intuition and optimism may prove
highly beneficial, you may need to be careful of gambling with
resources you cannot afford. This is not the time to wager
your life savings against the right horse. Spend only what
you can spare, and don't get caught by the fantasy that heaven
will drop a pot of gold in your lap. Heaven - or someone who
thinks well of you - may send you an opportunity, but you will
have to work hard to turn that opportunity into real rewards.
Yet the opportunity is likely to be there, and you are
probably feeling positive enough to take it. A few years ago,
you might not have believed it possible.
This may also be an excellent time to explore spiritual or
religious issues. You will need faith in life and in yourself
to take advantage of this time, and you might benefit from
deeper insight into what you really do believe in. It is also
a good time to travel and learn more about the larger world in
which you live. The most difficult challenge confronting you
is likely to be the problem of handling intense restlessness
and grandiose dreams in sensible, constructive ways.
Repressing your discontent may make you unconsciously drive
others away, so that you wind up with the breathing space you
secretly wanted but were too afraid to ask for. If someone
close to you decides to leave, try to see whether you yourself
might secretly welcome the change. You may also blame
feelings of frustration on those close to you, and you may
wish to seek more exciting relationships to help you open
doors and make life seem more vibrant. But other people
cannot give you meaning or purpose. You will have to find
that within yourself. In an excess of enthusiasm and
impatience you may inadvertently treat those you care about
with callousness and insensitivity. Nothing is holding you
back but your own fears; and although new contacts made at
this time may bring many good things into your life, it is
unlikely that they can provide any future stability or
fulfillment. You are not looking for stability right now, and
you will attract those who respond to the signals you are
giving. For this reason, don't gamble with your emotional
life either; spend only what you can afford to lose.
New faces, new places
Jupiter conjunction Descendant: Beginning of March 2011 until end of March 2011 |
You may be seeking enhancement of your life through new
relationships right now, and you will probably meet new
people, on both the personal and professional level, who can
open up your vision and provide opportunities for you to
expand your world. You may also feel especially restless in
an existing relationship, and you might need to exercise
realism and patience in terms of just what you expect from
your partner. Because you are likely to feel a little
confined and eager for new horizons, you may blame him or her
for not generating enough excitement in your life, when in
fact it is your own responsibility to find greater meaning in
what you do. You could also enter a new relationship at this
time, which promises to change your world-view and open many
doors. This might prove extremely positive in terms of
opportunities on many levels, although there may be no
guarantee of future stability. The people to whom you are
presently attracted are likely to be exciting not because they
are stable and steady, but because they seem to conjure
distant horizons. For this reason it might be wise to pursue
friendships and new professional contacts with confidence, but
to exercise caution and discrimination in any romantic
encounter.
Although many good things may now come to you through the
agency of others, on a deeper level it is your own nature
which is changing and expanding. You may want to develop your
initiative and innovative thinking, and your choice of
companions and colleagues right now may reflect this process
of developing unlived potentials within yourself. This time
is likely to prove exciting, interesting and rewarding in
terms of what others can bring into your life, and also in
terms of a greater involvement with the world around you. You
may find that you have a much higher public profile at the
moment, or that efforts to get creative work recognised now
meet with success. But try to recognise that others cannot be
made responsible for any quest for meaning and purpose in
life. Along with an expanding social and professional world,
you may need to make room to develop those inner qualities
which you might have undervalued or ignored in the past, and
which you are probably now finding so attractive in others.
This can make your sense of your own identity much deeper and
broader, and could also allow others to be themselves, rather
than mere carriers of opportunity.
Another important theme
There is another important dynamic at work this year, which
may sometimes support and sometimes contradict the energies
described above.
Because other people are so extremely important to you, this
year could prove immensely fulfilling and inspiring. Certain
experiences you encounter over the next twelve months may spur
your idealism, open your heart, and make you more receptive to
beauty all around you, both in form and in the world of ideas.
Your dealings with others are likely to be particularly
inspiring and happy, and you may have the chance to discover
what truly makes your heart sing. Equally, you may have to
face what makes you unhappy as well, which is sometimes
necessary in order to define your personal values. Thus you
might have to deal with certain relationship dilemmas which
are somewhat uncomfortable, such as rivalry, jealousy, or the
necessity for compromise. But even if such experiences
sometimes seem disappointing or disillusioning, they are
likely to prove valuable all the same, because you have the
chance to establish a greater sense of self-worth as well as
deeper and more fulfilling relationships with others. Love of
a particularly harmonious kind may change your sense of what
human beings are all about, and your natural care and concern
for others is likely to be enhanced by a deepening
appreciation of the importance of all human interaction.
Creatively this may also prove an inspiring time, when your
tastes and aesthetic sense are heightened and you are
attracted to those who can bring beauty and grace into your
life. Any unhappiness you encounter is likely to be "for the
best", since it will serve to demonstrate to you what you
really need, and deserve, to be happy and content.
Intense feelings
Pluto trine Venus: End of February 2010 until beginning of October 2013 |
Your attitudes toward love and relationship are likely to
undergo radical changes during this time. On some level you
have reached the end of a chapter of your personal life, and
are ready to embark on a new one. In the process, certain old
attitudes, patterns, and perhaps even individuals with whom
you have been involved, may pass from your life - either
through your own choice, or through events which impose change
on you from without. You may sometimes feel as though you
have no real control over what is happening. Even if you
yourself have elected to end a relationship or begin a new
one, it is likely that your feelings will be intense and
compulsive, and that you will be more driven by your passions
than by any rational consideration of the choices available to
you. You have always had an intense emotional nature and a
capacity for deep and powerful attachments, even if you have
fought against exhibiting these qualities and have preferred
to remain cool and controlling in close relationships.
However, at the moment coolness may not be possible, and
control may also elude you. Try to accept and explore what
you are feeling, and allow your experiences to enrich you. You
may discover emotional depths which you have never recognised
before, and you may also experience your sexuality in an
entirely new and richer way. However, you might also
experience a loss, separation, or relationship conflict which
forces you to face the darker dimensions of human nature and
human love. Learn to bow gracefully to what you cannot alter.
Your values are also likely to change and deepen during this
time. What you love in others reflects what you consider most
worthwhile in life, and qualities and things which once seemed
attractive and fulfilling may no longer touch your heart
because they now appear superficial or naive. In the past, you
may have associated happiness with a lively social life and a
sense of belonging. You will not lose these values if they are
heartfelt. But you may understand and express them on quite
different levels, free of naivety and overidealism. The
deeper, more primitive levels of life and human emotion need
to be accommodated in the framework of your ideals of love.
One way or another, through what you experience during this
time, you will probably have the chance to face and understand
much of what lies beneath the surface of human interaction.
This could leave you feeling more genuinely self-confident
because you know yourself better, including those aspects of
your nature which you might, in the past, have tried to avoid.
You may also be able to offer love and compassion of a
profound kind, because you are also able to understand others
better. If you experience pain or loss during this time, you
may need to recognise it as part of a larger pattern at work
in your life. This inner design governs those times when
endings and beginnings must occur, even if your rational
consciousness does not yet recognise the necessity.
Sorrowful thoughts
|
Chiron opposition Venus: Mid April 2011 until end of February 2013
The same themes are also emphasised by:
Chiron trine prog. Venus: Beginning of March 2010 until mid December 2012
|
Many old wounds may be healed during this time, especially in
the sphere of love and relationship. But as part of this
healing process, you might experience emotional unhappiness
of some kind. Equally, you may just feel depressed and moody,
without apparent cause. If you do not experience painful
events in your external life, you are still likely to feel
loneliness, rejection, and hurt on the emotional level.
Whatever occurs right now, try to be as conscious of the
process taking place within you as you are of what is
happening around you. All your ideals of love are being
challenged at the moment, and the trigger for change may be an
experience of unfairness or disappointment in an important
relationship. But although you may find this time difficult,
the inner changes are likely to prove healing and
constructive. The realities of life, and the limits of human
nature, may be colliding with a dream of a perfect future. You
may be facing the fundamental complexities of human nature and
the inevitability of flaws in any close bond, rather than
someone else's insensitivity or intent to injure you. If you
are being hurt at this time, it could be because there really
is no other option based on the personalities involved. It
could be most important that you try to recognise this, rather
than casting blame or sinking into a trough of self-
denigration and self-pity.
This period is likely to challenge not only the authenticity
of your values, but also the viability of your relationship
expectations. It may not be easy preserving a sense of self-
worth while letting go of what is no longer viable or valid in
your life. Try to maintain faith in yourself and your ideals
in love; but recognise at the same time that no person is
without wounds or problems in one sphere or another, including
you. You may feel rather unlovable at the moment, and you are
likely to be low in energy and optimism. This may be partly
linked to what you experience through others, because they may
find it difficult to respond to you as you might wish. But a
conviction that others are letting you down may contribute to
their letting you down, because they might feel they simply
can't get it right with you, and won't bother to try any more.
Try to be conscious of a critical, angry, or resentful
attitude within yourself, which could taint your emotional
life even without external cause. Such an atmosphere could
trigger others' withdrawn behaviour. And so could a tendency
to blame them for not loving you, when in fact you might not
love yourself enough.
You may be drawn into a new relationship at this time. If you
are, keep your eyes open. Because you are likely to feel
inadequate and unsure of yourself, you may be peculiarly
fascinated by those who are themselves wounded and need your
support and care. Such people may make you feel needed and
valued. However, once your confidence has returned, you may
find yourself involved with someone who proves to be a heavy
burden because he or she needs your constant support and
devotion. You may feel deeply compassionate toward others'
hurts right now, because you are so deeply connected with your
own. This could be fruitfully channelled into helping or
healing work, if you are so inclined. But taking on the role
of the healer might not be the most suitable frame of mind in
which to enter a new love relationship, because you may wind
up with a patient rather than a partner. The experience of
your own woundedness could help you to see your life with
greater objectivity and compassion, allowing you to relate to
others in a more open and honest way. If you do not expect
too much from others right now, you can direct your energies
within, where, at the moment, they probably belong.
Chapter III
SIGNIFICANT TRENDS
IN EACH SPHERE OF LIFE
Because the cycles of the planets create a complex and
intricate pattern in the heavens, not every movement in your
horoscope will dance to the same rhythm at the same time.
There may be periods when the year's main themes seem to fade
somewhat, because some special issue has brought other
feelings, attitudes and responses to the fore. Some of these
trends and patterns may be brief and some longer-lasting,
giving variety to your life experience during the course of
the year.
1. The sphere of emotions
There may be periods during the year when matters concerning
your emotional life take priority in a particularly fulfilling
way. When your heart is happily stirred, other, more difficult
issues may recede in importance, and perhaps rightly so; for
if you are at peace on the emotional level, you can cope with
other areas of your life in a more open and confident way.
The importance of relationship
prog. Moon conjunction prog. Descendant: End of June 2011 until end of August 2011 |
You may feel a powerful longing to experience closer emotional
contact with others during this time, and relationships may
now assume enormous importance in your life. Your usual
diplomacy and tact may give way to a greater need for honesty
and directness in relationship, and you are likely to seek -
and perhaps find - someone who seems to provide these
qualities and can help you to develop them within yourself.
You may have marriage on your mind; or, on a less personal
level, you may feel you want to share who you are and what you
can create with a wider audience. You are probably
increasingly aware of the importance of others, and of the
need to adjust your own attitudes and ideas in order to
interact with them more deeply. On the inner level you are
becoming more whole, through recognising that you are
incomplete without others' intellectual and emotional input.
Your increasing awareness of the emotional reality of others
could open up and enrich your personal life; but on a more
profound level it could also connect you with the larger world
of which you are a part. Social issues may begin to concern
you more right now, and you may be conscious of your need to
contribute something individual to the rest of life - not
through practical efforts alone, but through a deepening
empathy with other human beings. The English poet John Donne
once wrote that no man or woman is an island, and you may be
very aware of this great truth at the moment. You cannot
develop as an individual without emotional interaction with
others, for otherwise nothing you believe in or aspire to has
any application to real life. You have reached the beginning
of a new and promising emotional cycle, in which your inner
development is deeply and inextricably bound up with the lives
of others.
There may also be periods when emotional difficulties arise,
which you would be wise to deal with in the most honest and
generous way you can.
Conflict and tension
prog. Moon square Sun: Beginning of January 2011 until end of February 2011 |
You are likely to be in a somewhat turbulent state. You may
be acutely aware of yourself as a separate individual, but
these feelings are likely to conflict with your need for
harmony and closeness. Thus you may find yourself inclined to
assert your ideas, feelings and desires in a forceful or even
aggressive manner, while at the same time trying too hard to
accommodate the needs of others. Right now, however much you
may wish to please others, your primary need is to affirm
yourself - not in a destructively egocentric way, but as a
statement of the person you feel you have become at this stage
of your life, and as a reflection of the talents and abilities
you have developed. Your sense of self is deeply connected
with your place in society, and your sense that you have
achieved your ambitions and made your individual mark, however
small, on the world around you. At this time you may be more
aware than ever that you have a unique contribution to make
and that you need, and deserve, the respect and
acknowledgement of others.
You may meet others who in some way epitomise a strong spirit
of self-affirmation, but your attraction toward them is liable
to be ambivalent and composed of a curious mixture of
fascination and annoyance. This does not mean that such
relationships are inauthentic or 'bad'. But you probably need
to live out your own special gifts and talents, rather than
turning yourself into the devoted acolyte of a charismatic or
gifted personality. This is a time when you could, despite
some tension and emotional unease, experience a renewed sense
of confidence in who you are and what you have to offer. Try
to take advantage of such feelings by developing your creative
abilities as much as possible. You may discover new creative
avenues which you didn't think existed, or which you were
afraid to pursue because others needed your emotional time and
energy. This period may not be especially pleasant on the
emotional level, because you may experience internal conflict.
But it is an important time because you could recognise on an
emotional, not merely intellectual, level, the outlines of
your unique individuality and the deeper sense of purpose
which can allow that individuality its fullest expression in
life.
Fog and confusion
prog. Moon opposition Neptune: Mid September 2011 until mid November 2011 |
This may be a confusing time, for your changing emotional
needs are in conflict with a childlike longing for perfect
love in a perfect world. Your increasing recognition of your
individual emotional nature and needs is now challenging
something within you that doesn't want to be an individual at
all. This may make you prone to seeking escape routes from
the challenges confronting you in your personal life, and you
may overidealise another person or deceive yourself about your
own needs and intentions because you are not able to
distinguish your fantasies from the reality around you. Be
very careful about how you deal with any new relationship at
this time, because you may be rather gullible and prone to
being exploited through your idealisations. This applies not
only to a potential love relationship, but also to any
involvement with a guru or spiritual teacher who enters your
life. And you may also need to be careful of any business
contact who seems to promise you an instant solution to all
your financial difficulties, for there is likely to be some
element of dishonesty or illegality about it which, at the
moment, you may not notice because you want so badly to have
everything magically come right.
You are probably unusually open and sensitive right now, and
your boundaries may not be very strong, especially in terms of
financial matters. Because on a deeper level you are needing
to learn how to be more self-sufficient, there is a kind of
internal backlash which makes you more dependent and not very
inclined to face honestly any issues which require greater
self-definition and a sense of separateness. If you do not
keep your feet on the ground, you may experience some very
painful disillusionment. It may also be that someone close to
you seems to be deceiving you, or is not giving you clear
emotional messages. But when such issues arise in a
relationship, there are usually deeper roots which concern the
emotional interaction of both people, not just the 'bad'
behaviour of one.
You may have been too idealistic or dependent in the past, and
now you are having to discover that other people have failings
and limits of a human kind and cannot offer you perfect,
unconditional love all the time and forever. If this period
proves to be painful in this way, try to see where your own
unwillingness to stand on your own as a separate individual
may have contributed to the present confusion. The deeper
meaning of this period of your emotional development is not
negative or destructive; you are, in effect, being asked to
grow up. But that is of course much easier said than done,
and you may, at the moment, be paying the price for your own
very human longing for perfection.
A self-indulgent mood
|
Jupiter opposition prog. Venus: End of May 2011 until mid February 2012
The same themes are also emphasised by:
Jupiter trine Venus: End of June 2011 until mid March 2012
|
You are likely to be in the mood for romance and emotional
excitement right now, and rather indulgent in your personal
habits as well as the ways in which you pursue your personal
goals. Your values are changing at the moment, and so are
your ideals in love; and this may make you discontented and
hungry for a particularly dramatic, larger-than-life kind of
emotional experience which can give your life meaning and
drama. It is possible that you might begin a relationship at
this time which seems to inject the necessary excitement into
your life, and may, at least for a while, make you feel your
life has a higher meaning and purpose. However exalted you
might feel, try to keep your feet on the ground. Although new
contacts made at this time are likely to prove stimulating and
rewarding, they may not be stable in the long term, and it
would probably be most unwise to threaten an existing bond
because of a transient state of emotional excitement. Because
you yourself are changing, you may be drawn to those who can
offer you opportunities to grow, rather than those who can
respond on a long-term basis to who you are and what you
deeply need. Enjoy any relationships you encounter now,
romantic or otherwise; but be careful about making commitments
which you may change your mind about before much longer.
You are unlikely right now to turn your back on a chance for
pleasure and self-indulgence. There is no harm in this, other
than that you may overeat, drink too much, or spend too much
on things which, in a few weeks' time, may leave you wondering
why on earth you ever wanted them in the first place. But
such excesses are not likely to cost you too dearly, unless
you combine them with deception or dishonesty. If you play
about in ways which are less than straight, with either money
or other people's feelings, you are likely to set yourself up
to get caught; and then you could wind up paying much more
than you intended. Look before you leap, keep possible
consequences in mind, don't make promises you can't keep, and
try to contain your excesses within reasonable limits. And if
you cannot find room in your life to pursue your dreams in a
balanced manner, you may find that creative outlets can help
to keep you out of harm's way. This would be an excellent
time to enjoy theatre, music, and the other arts, not only as
an observer but perhaps also as a performer, whether amateur
or professional. For it is not so much a perfect love that
you are likely to be seeking, as the rush of energy and vision
which accompanies any contact with the mythic world. To find
that contact, you do not need to risk the security of valued
relationships and resources which have been in your life for a
long time.
2. The sphere of the physical world
Matters concerning your physical and material life are also
likely to prove important, but some of these may turn out to
be quite difficult. You may have to face challenges over the
next twelve months which make you question your work and your
place in the world, and frustration - with yourself, with
money issues, or with employers or colleagues - may bring your
temper to boiling point, or generate an unhappy sense that you
have failed in some way. Try to keep your mind focused on what
you can learn from such situations, and what your own
contribution to the difficulties might be. With patience,
effort, and consciousness, you could turn mundane difficulties
into opportunities for developing strength, commitment, and
tenacity. Later on, when the time of difficulty has passed,
these qualities, because they have been hard-won, could help
you to anchor your talents and abilities firmly in the world.
Coping with an unreceptive world
Saturn square MC: Mid November 2010 until end of September 2011 |
Frustration in your work, obstacles in the path of cherished
professional and social goals, and conflicts or increased
responsibilities in your domestic life may all conspire at the
moment to make you feel deeply challenged. This could help you
to discover a new resource of strength and self-discipline.
At work you may be trying to offer sensitivity, tact and
concern for others, but it may seem that no one wants what you
are attempting to give, or is willing to reward you fairly for
your efforts. You may experience setbacks or opposition from
colleagues, or may find that you must work extremely hard to
prove yourself. You may also experience conflict with those
in authority, or may feel that collective or social
expectations are preventing you from expressing who you really
are. On the home front you may feel equally unappreciated or
blocked, and you may feel unhappy in your environment,
disappointed with those you live with, or stifled by domestic
routines and duties. Yet despite possible difficulties with
the outer world, your real conflict at the moment is chiefly
within yourself. You may have to adapt your particular
abilities to the requirements of mundane reality, and this
could mean making compromises you may feel are humiliating or
destructive to your long-term plans. You may also need to
formulate your goals more clearly, and aim for what is
possible rather than what you could have if the world were
ideal. All this may hurt and anger you, leaving you with a
sense of personal failure and defeat.
Yet this could prove an extremely beneficial and constructive
time. You are being challenged to define who you want to be in
the world, with respect both for your own desires and the
nature of the reality around you. This may require a fine
balance between ideals and an acceptance of human nature. You
may need to make important choices about your career goals,
which should be made slowly and carefully and with due regard
for the rules of the marketplace, rather than rashly or in a
spirit of angry rebellion or depressed passivity. Most
importantly, the role you choose to play may need to be more
flexible at the same time that it reflects your deeper values,
rather than an image which is conventionally acceptable but
leaves you feeling unreal or false, or a rebellious stance
which is full of emotion but expects too much of life. If you
have been acting a part in the past, you will probably not be
able to do so for much longer; the world requires authenticity
and commitment from you at the moment and you are being
challenged to give it. Thus you may be laying foundations for
your future path in life, and if you move slowly and with
insight you will be able to lay those foundations solidly and
reap the rewards over the years to come.
Losing the road map
Neptune conjunction prog. IC: End of March 2010 until beginning of January 2016 |
You may experience a strange and disturbing feeling of
rootlessness and confusion right now, as though you have lost
your bearings and don't know where you belong. External
circumstances, such as a loss in the family or a change of
environment, may provide a trigger for these feelings. But
they may also arise from within you, without any outer
catalyst. On a deeper level you may be experiencing the
gradual breaking down of a particular self-image and role you
have been playing in the world, and this could leave you
feeling extremely vulnerable and unsure of yourself and your
direction. You may feel that your intuition and ability to
"read" others have mysteriously vanished into a hole
somewhere, and you may wonder how you have wound up working in
the job you do, or in the social position you presently
occupy. All your previous values and efforts to make an
impact on the outer world may be up for review. But however
hard you try, at the moment you may find you simply cannot
feel certain of anything, least of all your own judgement.
Try not to struggle against this situation of passivity and
confusion by adopting escapist manoeuvres or aggressive
efforts to regain control over your life. You are in a
process of inner flux, and if you are able to be patient while
still maintaining loyalty to your own needs and values, you
will probably discover that a more flexible and authentic
person gradually emerges from the fog. If you do experience a
painful loss or uprooting in your external life, try not to
let this destroy your faith in your own potentials. Whatever
grieving you must do for the past - even if the past
constitutes an ideal or a set of attitudes, rather than a
person, physical object, or familiar place - don't let self-
pity or depression erode your sense of self-worth. On the
most profound level you are leaving behind a completed chapter
of your life, and this could mean relinquishing certain
expectations which stem from your childhood and belong to your
family background. You may need to "reinvent" yourself, and
discover who you are as an independent entity with goals and
values of your own. This may be the last thing you wish to do
at the moment, since you are likely to be feeling vulnerable
and needy right now. But with realism and patience, you could
experience this time as a kind of rebirth.
Curb your impatience
Jupiter opposition Mars: End of March 2011 until mid April 2011 |
Your energy is likely to be extremely high right now, and you
may be feeling restless and rebellious, and eager for change
and excitement. You have always had great bursts of energy
available to you, even if erratic, but in the past you may
have sometimes frittered these away in unprofitable ventures
or unfocused rebellion against the status quo. You have no
shortage of stamina, but at the moment it is important that
you learn to direct your energy. This could be a very positive
time if you are able to channel any restlessness you might
feel into new creative projects, travel, or work ventures
which allow you to run your own show, do things your own way,
and meet exciting challenges which really test your mettle.
If you try to stay within the usual circumscribed limits of
your everyday life, you may find yourself becoming extremely
irritable and explosive because you are likely to feel so
bored and resentful. This could be a very good time to
express more independence in your close relationships, by
learning to say "No" clearly and directly. If you feel your
partner is threatening your autonomy, perhaps you need to
consider that you might be giving it away yourself. You
probably need to do something positive - intellectual,
physical, emotional, spiritual - with the high energy at your
disposal now, for otherwise it may do something to you, in the
sense of proving too volatile and disruptive in your everyday
life.
Although this is a time of change and exciting new
possibilities, you may also need to exercise a great deal of
patience. You are likely to be resentful of limits right now,
and may be particularly angry if you have to compromise or
adjust to someone else's needs, rules or schedule. But if you
become too pushy and self-assertive, or are unable to adapt
your vision and energy to the world around you, you may
provoke conflicts, particularly with those in authority. Make
sure you stay within legal bounds, for you are not exempt from
the laws which govern the society in which you live. If you
push against these laws now, you will probably land yourself
in a mess. Be very careful when driving or handling
mechanical implements, for impatience could cause you
accidents or minor injuries. Most importantly, you may need
to learn how to wait and take your opportunities when they are
ripe, rather than rushing to grab them while elbowing others
out of the way. You are likely to have plenty of courage,
optimism and energy at your disposal at the moment, and these
resources could help you to aim for and achieve high goals.
Use these gifts sanely and sensibly, and you could reap the
rewards for many years to come.
3. The mental sphere
The development of your mind, and the cultivation of new
skills, may also occupy a lot of your energy at different
times during the year. The life of the mind is as important as
the life of the heart and the life of the bank account, and
this time could prove very important in enhancing your level
of knowledge and the application of your talents. Try to take
advantage of any opportunity to pursue new areas of study and
new spheres of interest, and if you have the chance to acquire
useful skills on the practical level, make use of the time in
the best possible way. Such opportunities may not always be
available, and you might be surprised at how life opens up
when your perceptions are changed and expanded.
Finding your voice
prog. MC conjunction Mercury: End of August 2009 until beginning of August 2011 |
This is likely to be a productive and interesting time, when
you can achieve important professional goals through the use
of your intellect, organising capacities and communication
skills. Your mind is probably functioning quickly and
shrewdly, and new opportunities may come your way because
others can recognise your abilities. This may also be an
excellent period for furthering long-term ambitions through
improvements in your education and training. If you have
always wanted to go further with your schooling, do it now;
you would not only find it rewarding but you would also be
planting seeds for future success. This could also be a fine
time to publish if you are a writer, or to develop teaching
skills, or to become involved with media or publishing. And
if you are inclined to set up a business or commercial
enterprise, you have your wits about you now and can make
sound decisions.
You have probably always been interested in the broad sweep of
ideas, and in sharing knowledge with others - both for your
own satisfaction and in order to make some contribution to the
intellectual life of the community or collective. At this
time you may meet many like-minded people who share your
particular ideas about life, and you may also become involved
in a group or team effort of some kind orientated toward
humanitarian goals. Your social milieu is likely to change
because you may feel you have outgrown the friends and
contacts with whom you have associated in the past. Whatever
you have been doing with your life until now, you have always
needed to open your mind to more universal ideas, and have
probably never really been contented with only the goings-on
of your immediate neighbourhood or community. Even if you
have not had the educational background for this kind of
mental exploration, nevertheless you have needed it; and at
this time you may receive many excellent opportunities to
discover the world of ideas and the pleasures of translating
ideas into concrete form.
Sudden inspirations
prog. Mercury conjunction Uranus: End of August 2011 until mid September 2012 |
There is enormous mental energy being released in you right
now, of a particularly inspirational and progressive kind.
You are likely to be open to all kinds of new ideas,
especially those which are ahead of their time or considered
"fringe" by more conventionally minded people. You may
develop a strong interest in astrology, psychology, or
"esoteric" ideas; or you may have inspirations of a political
or scientific kind. You are breaking free of old structures
which may have inhibited your choice of friends and social
milieu, and you may feel you can no longer think or behave as
others wish. You could be feeling so rebellious, and so
inclined to adopt an independent stance, that you may run the
risk of precipitating quarrels with others if they do not
listen to or accept your transformed thinking. You might be a
little like a new convert, who must declare the truth to
everyone he or she meets. And you are likely to be so full of
inspiration that you may forget that others want logical,
detailed explanations of what you intuitively know to be true
- no matter how you try to convince them that such trivial
examination may be irrelevant and unnecessary.
On the mental level this could be an enormously creative time.
Not only your ideas, but the whole way in which you interpret
life, are undergoing profound changes. But beware of mental
overload. You may be so full of the electricity of the new
world you are discovering that you could forget how to relax
and anchor yourself in the mundane world again. You are
inclined to be high-strung and nervous right now, and not
terribly well coordinated in your physical life. It might
therefore be wise to take special care when driving or
handling mechanical or electrical implements. You are
probably rather oblivious of the earth-world at the moment,
and you may need to remind yourself to eat and sleep properly.
If you are called upon to explain yourself to others, try not
to be impatient because they are so slow or unwilling to see
the bright light of illumination that has so suddenly struck
you. Take your time, and learn to laugh a little at yourself.
Some of the new ideas you discover may prove valid and
transformative in many areas of your life. But some may be
merely cranky, and you may discard them later. Enjoy and use
the creative inspiration you are experiencing, but let the
dust settle before you change your career or your partner too
abruptly, or launch yourself into the blue in pursuit of the
new world or the new cosmos which you have just discovered.
However, you may also encounter some problems, especially in
communication with others and in the general tenor of your
mental attitude during this time. If you find yourself
unusually negative, critical or depressed, try to find out
what is really troubling you, rather than taking it out on
others or inadvertently causing difficulties in material
affairs because you are not conscious of your own negativity.
Untangling knots
Chiron opposition Mercury: End of February 2010 until beginning of January 2012 |
This could prove a thoughtful and deepening time. On the
mental level you may be prone to rather dark thoughts and a
negative outlook. External circumstances may contribute to
this negative attitude, especially misunderstandings,
communication breakdowns, and quarrels. But while you may
have no control over external events which are not your
responsibility, you could inadvertently contribute to an
atmosphere of isolation or anger through your own negative
responses. Your attitudes and world-view are being challenged
right now, by a profound sense of the unfairness of life.
This is likely to prove a major challenge, because it may
threaten many of your established beliefs and convictions.
Confrontations with others, problems and delays in business
matters, unexpected mishaps while travelling, or financial
worries may be some of the possible experiences you could
encounter. If any of these occur, your way of dealing with
such experiences is critical. You could turn this time into a
vindication of your worst convictions about the nastiness of
life and people. Or you could experience a profoundly
creative reevaluation of views and attitudes which you have
taken for granted as right or correct, but which may now be
past their sell-by date.
Disappointment with friends or colleagues could make you
critical and defensive, and you should keep a careful watch on
any tendency to speak sharply and hurtfully to others. Try to
contain resentment and negativity; unleashing it at those
around you will not help you, outwardly or inwardly. You may
be inclined to lash out at the slightest provocation, and may
regret it later because you could alienate those you need
most. Make the effort to achieve some degree of objectivity,
regardless of how badly you feel or how justified the feelings
might be; turn inward and examine just what it is within you
that feels so threatened. It is likely that something deeper
than an external situation has got you down; you may be
suffering from a sense that you can no longer trust what you
thought to be the truth. And it is in this area that you
could turn this difficult time into a period of growth,
because it is your definitions of truth which probably need
careful reevaluation.
The nature of your experiences at the moment may reflect the
fact that life can deal unpredictable and unfair blows.
Whether someone has said or done something to hurt you, or
whether you are simply more aware than usual of human
failings, you may need to accept the existence of things which
do not fit into neat and well-ordered rational categories.
Try to expand your understanding, in order to accommodate
situations which make no logical sense or "should" not be
happening. This time may test your flexibility and capacity
to cope with what you cannot rationalise or explain away.
Your thoughts may be very serious and profound at the moment,
and even if they are dark they may be focused on universal
issues which you might not ordinarily bother with when things
are going well. That might not be a bad thing, as you could
deepen your perceptions and develop a broader-based vision of
life which combines understanding with a compassionate
acceptance of what you cannot change. This might be an
excellent time to explore your inner world through
psychotherapy. You may be able to face complex or painful
issues which at lighter, happier times you might be inclined
to sidestep. Rather than feeling bitter and resentful because
things seem to be going badly, turn inward, and you could
emerge from this period wiser, more compassionate, and more
flexible.
Mixing fantasy and reality
Neptune opposition Mercury: Beginning of April 2010 until end of January 2013 |
Your mind may not be at its clearest right now, and you may
need to be careful about all financial matters, contractual
and travel arrangements, and practical plans. In all these
spheres, lack of concentration, or insufficient attention to
details, could cause problems. What you think you perceive in
others may not in fact belong to them; it may belong to your
own fantasy world. In consequence, your judgements may not be
sound right now, and you could confuse facts with a highly
subjective interpretation of facts, or misunderstand or
misread what others are saying as well as communicating your
own thoughts in an evasive or unclear way. Communication
problems are likely both in personal and professional life,
and you may need to be especially watchful of any dealings
with the collective. Friendships and group involvements could
be tricky right now, and you may need to exercise plenty of
realism and discrimination about any ideological or political
group or cause with which you become associated. Your
imagination is likely to be overactive at the moment, and your
perceptions attuned to many hidden things. If you are
involved in artistic work this could provide you with rare
inspiration and creative power. But you may misinterpret what
you experience on the inner level as well as what you
encounter in the outer world, and in spiritual and
psychological as well as material matters, unusual care and
discrimination may be required.
Although there are certain dangers accompanying this strange
time, there are many positive potentials as well. Because
your imagination is particularly alive, you could channel your
ideals and fantasies into creative forms, particularly writing
or music; and you may discover talents you didn't realise you
had. Your vision of life may be more universal, and you may
be drawn to spiritual or esoteric subjects which previously
you might have overlooked, underrated, or simply rejected
because they seemed "irrational". Such inner receptivity
could greatly enrich your world-view, connecting you to life
as a whole and allowing you to enter into the emotional states
of others with ease. This might also be an excellent time for
self-exploration, especially through working on dreams and
fantasies. But because you are prone to misinterpreting both
yourself and others, try not to rush to conclusions or base
decisions on what you believe to be the truth. Truth at the
moment may be peculiarly multifaceted and elusive, and you may
need to wait until a clearer pattern emerges before you can
integrate your subtler perceptions into everyday life.
4. The spiritual sphere
What gives meaning to any emotional, material or intellectual
challenges and changes you might encounter is your spiritual
life, and here too you may experience certain important
changes in perception and attitude. Such changes may be subtle
and slow to register on your awareness, but they may
profoundly influence the way you experience and interpret what
happens to you over the next year. Never underestimate the
importance of the meaning you assign to events, because the
clearer your vision, the more likely you are to work with the
time in constructive and creative ways. You may experience a
deeper sense of connection to the greater whole of which you
are a part, although such a feeling may not remain with you
all the time. You may also be open to new ideas and ways of
looking at life which make the world seem bigger, richer, and
more meaningful.
Making ideals work in the world
Saturn trine Jupiter: Beginning of October 2011 until beginning of August 2012 |
There is an unusual harmony between your aspirations and your
acceptance of limits right now, which means that you can
approach life with both optimism and realism. Your plans for
the future are adapted to what you can actually achieve, not
what you might ideally hope to get; and a willingness to work
hard and apply yourself may reflect an enthusiastic commitment
to ensuring that your future is stable and materially
rewarding. Your philosophical and spiritual convictions are
also likely to be sound and balanced right now, with one eye
on heaven and the other firmly on the ground in front of you.
If you have been inclined to either extreme cynicism or
extreme mysticism in the past, you are not likely to find
these extremes at all attractive now. This might be not an
especially dramatic time, but it is extremely important
because you are able to make peace with the world and with
your own limits, without sacrificing vision, hope or a sense
of future potentials waiting to be explored. In the past you
have probably tended to swing between overoptimism and
entrenched pessimism, and you may have an innate tendency to
exaggerate both good and bad experiences and read meanings
into them that they might not actually contain. At the moment
you can find solid ground in the middle, which can allow you
to respond to life in a more serene and self-contained way.
You may enjoy both external and internal benefits through
travel, research and the furthering of your formal education.
An intuitive approach to life may need to be tempered by
discrimination, mental discipline, and an appreciation of
facts and rational thinking. You may find that during this
time your hunches are particularly reliable, especially in
practical matters, and that you can make sound investments and
choose wisely with regard to your material affairs.
Creatively you may discover that your technical skills and
abilities are enhanced because you have the patience to polish
and refine what you produce. This could be a highly
productive, if unexciting, period which you could use to the
best advantage if you are willing to apply yourself to
activities and projects in the outer world. Whatever you set
out to achieve right now, you will probably succeed; and this
is why you should act rather than sit back and feel pleased
with yourself. At the moment you are probably very good at
handling real life, without losing your imagination,
enthusiasm and originality of thought.
However, you may also experience times of doubt and
disillusionment, and you may wonder whether what you believe
in is really worth the investment of energy and faith. Such
periods of spiritual depression could, however, prove
rewarding in the long term, because they may provide valuable
insights into unrealistic expectations or too rigid a world-
view or spiritual perspective. If you can reflect on what is
happening, rather than falling into cynicism, the testing
times you experience may ultimately help to shape an enduring
faith in yourself and in life.
Living in a dream world
prog. Mars conjunction Neptune: End of June 2010 until beginning of June 2013 |
You may feel curiously passive and lacking in initiative right
now, and you may prefer spending time in the realm of fantasy
to dealing with everyday decisions and obligations. Your
imagination is probably overactive and your dreams may be
particularly vivid, both in sleep and in the daydreaming state
which, at the moment, you favour. Your creative faculties are
also being constellated, and this could be a period when you
can express marvellously imaginative images and ideas in
artistic forms. Don't interfere with this potential by using
alcohol or drugs to try to escape from life or enhance your
creativity. You are imaginative enough already, and you would
defeat the very purpose of the process you are undergoing.
Powerful primal images, feelings and longings are being
activated within you, and you may need to find vehicles for
these rather than being swamped by them. You may sometimes
feel weak, listless, ineffectual and helpless, because the
inner world is flooding the outer one. But creative activity
is not only possible for you; it is urgently needed.
You have always been very idealistic in terms of your
expectations that the material world will somehow look after
itself, and it is here that you may experience particular
confusion and indecision at the moment. You may feel swamped
by others' aggression or strength, unable to stand on your
own, and very vague and indecisive about what you want. For
this reason you may try to escape from difficulties which you
feel you cannot cope with. You may also feel victimised by
others who appear to be exploiting you. This is not a time to
search for a redeemer who will provide you with answers,
because you are not inclined to be very discerning about whom
you choose. It is also not a time to be drawn into any
dishonest or illegal activity of any kind, for it is likely
that you will unconsciously ensure you are caught. No matter
how badly you want others to come and bail you out, try to
stand on your own feet right now, and find your way through
the fog through your own merits and resources.
At the root of your present passivity and confusion is a
childlike and deeply vulnerable aspect of your nature. This
is being strongly activated, and you may feel lonely,
helpless, and in need of being looked after. This is why
patterns of self-victimisation may occur if you do not watch
what you are doing. Yet this vulnerable child is also the
seat of some of your most beautiful and moving feelings and
dreams, which is why it is so important that you find creative
vehicles through which you can express what you are
experiencing. This may not be a time for action and decision-
making, since your emotions may be too volatile and intense to
allow you to see the outer world clearly. Yet you need to
find a way of expressing what is inside you, for you are in
contact with something profound and delicate within your own
soul. Even if you have never thought you had any creative
talent, try taking up a creative hobby now -drama, music,
writing, photography - which can give you a sense of magic as
well as productivity, while not forcing you to be tougher than
you actually feel. You may also experience mystical feelings
at this time which open up an entirely new world to you. Take
them seriously, although you may need to exercise
discrimination in terms of those you meet who offer you
instant spiritual enlightenment. Anything you glimpse now
will need to be processed later through your own experience,
once the fog has cleared away.
5. The sphere of the Inner Self
Deeper and more profound than events occurring in any of these
spheres is the development of the Self, which underpins
everything that happens to us in life. This is the real heart
of the mystery of fate, because if there is truly a destiny at
work in individual life, it lies within, and the astrological
configurations only reflect, at any given time, opportunities
for this hidden development pattern. You may only experience
glimpses of this inner pattern at work, through realising that
some experience is vitally necessary even if it is painful.
You may also sometimes sense the purposefulness of what is
happening around and within you, even if you cannot find a
rationale for what you sense. Through particular feelings and
situations which make you grow, you can establish a strong
connection with the inner world, even if your heart is sore or
you are encountering trouble on the mundane level. But this
kind of connection depends on how willing you are to look
inward at the deeper pattern of your life, regardless of how
you are feeling at the time, or toward whom you feel it.
Digging deep
prog. Ascendant sextile Pluto: End of December 2010 until mid November 2013 |
Your outlook on life is likely to change and deepen over the
next months, more through a subtle shift in your perceptions
than through any particular event or crisis which might force
you to alter your viewpoint. The way you experience and
"read" others, and the manner in which you interact with them,
may be gently but inexorably transformed because you are more
able to look beneath the surface and instinctively understand
the complexities of human behaviour. Although you may not be
fully conscious of the process at work, when you look back on
this time you may feel as though a curtain was lifted,
revealing a deeper and richer level of life. Your
relationships are likely to be enhanced because of this
change, although if you are in a relationship based primarily
on superficial affinity or purely practical considerations you
may begin to find it frustrating, and may feel it is time to
move on. Deeper truths are likely to concern you right now,
and you may also find yourself reevaluating your goals and
seeking greater commitment or a direction which can provide
you with a feeling of purpose.
You may also discover that your attitudes toward the welfare
of others, and your place in the group, have changed because
you are aware of deeper levels of meaning and cannot approach
these spheres of life from a conventional perspective. Where
your concern for these matters might once have been
unconsciously displayed in certain compulsive behaviour
patterns, now they may begin to form part of a new world-view
and a sense of direction which helps you to feel there is a
higher or deeper reason for living. You may feel you need to
weed out superfluous or outworn attitudes, and certain
relationships or structures may have to go as well because
these might reflect values or viewpoints which you have
outgrown. Such changes are likely to be gradual and will
probably not necessitate major upheavals. But whether you
wish to acknowledge it or not, you have reached a new chapter
in your life, and are likely to emerge from this time more
committed, aware, and sensitive to the deeper patterns at work
in life.
Sobering up
Saturn conjunction Ascendant: Mid October 2010 until end of August 2011 |
This is likely to be a rather sober period, for you are in the
process of consolidating who you are and what you want, and
may not feel especially expansive or fun-loving. A deep
reflective process is taking place within you, and your
personality is crystallising and taking on a much more solid
and defined form. Even if you have spent a lot of time in the
past trying to adapt to others, now you may find that you
cannot do so, for your own values, needs and personal identity
may now be too real and definite to allow such compromise. In
fact you are likely to benefit greatly from this process, even
if you don't feel especially spontaneous or contented, because
you are becoming a much more authentic person. The process
itself is positive, constructive and will leave lasting
benefits. The feelings, however, may not be quite so
pleasant, and you may feel restricted or deeply dissatisfied
in close relationships in which your increasing sense of
authenticity challenges previous patterns of too much
placation and self-sacrifice. You may also feel anxious that
those close to you will reject you if you establish strong
boundaries, and this could make you act in overly compromising
ways when you are actually feeling the reverse.
You may discover a powerful will and strong ideals, and you
will probably not be able to mask these qualities or hide them
from those close to you, no matter how hard you try. If your
loved ones can accept and accommodate these important facets
of your personality, which are now crystallising and requiring
more scope for expression, you will be able to enjoy a deeper
sense of commitment and stability. But if you are involved in
relationships in which you have maintained harmony by stifling
these dimensions of your nature, you may find that certain
bonds are no longer viable in your life. You may feel
restricted, hurt or simply misunderstood by those around you,
and may feel you have to choose between loyalty to self and
dependency on others. In this sense the present time may
prove difficult and challenging, for in becoming truer to
yourself you may have to let go of people and situations which
are not right for you. Yet if such difficulties occur, try to
remember that you cannothide what you are indefinitely. The
qualities you are integrating more firmly in your personality
are deeply important to you, and need to be part of any
relationship you enter or maintain in the future.
Not getting what you want
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Saturn conjunction Mars: Beginning of December 2010 until beginning of October 2011
The same themes are also emphasised by:
prog. Mars trine Saturn: End of February 2009 until beginning of February 2012
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Frustration and anger may make this time rather difficult,
although its end result is likely to be greater discipline,
tenacity and self-confidence. You may find that increased
responsibilities and obligations, failure to achieve
particular goals, or a lowering of energy which makes work
more difficult, contribute to your sense that you are not
being allowed to do what you want in life. During this period
you are likely to feel particularly resentful if circumstances
or people get in your way. It is probable that someone or
something may indeed curtail your freedom of action, and you
may need to understand why this might be happening and how to
deal with it in the most constructive way. Because you are
inclined to feel irritable and impatient, you may provoke
quarrels with others or make sudden, impulsive decisions for
very questionable reasons. You may also be careless in your
dealings with the material world, and if you are not alert to
your own mood your impatience might make you drive recklessly
or take risks which you would avoid or handle differently at
other times. The most irritating thing one can say to an
impatient person is, "Be patient!" - but this is exactly what
you need to tell yourself, several times a day.
Your sense of frustration is likely to be focused on your
immediate environment and your ability to get others to
recognise your needs and wishes. It is here that, if you are
not conscious of suppressed anger, you may inadvertently
provoke others' anger or incur opposition to your wishes and
plans. If you do encounter hostile people who appear
determined to thwart you, consider first whether they really
are trying to oppose you, or whether you are interpreting
their behaviour in this way even though their requests or
wishes are perfectly appropriate and justifiable. Consider
also whether any quarrel that erupts may be as much a
reflection of your own obduracy as the other person's. You
are not the most amenable or receptive of people at the
moment, and you may not be fully aware of hidden resentment
which communicates itself to others in subtle but powerful
ways.
The deeper meaning of this time is concerned with the
development of inner discipline and the capacity to harness
and direct your will and energies toward realistic and
achievable goals. If you can view your situation from this
perspective, you may be able to turn an otherwise frustrating
period into one of hard work with good, solid results and
rewards. Your self-will may be colliding with some
fundamental laws of mundane reality, and you may need to
develop a spirit of compromise and patience. Try not to
become aggrieved and bitter. If someone else seems to be
treating you with insensitivity or harshness, it may be
important for you to learn to withdraw quietly and wait,
rather than reacting just as insensitively and harshly out of
wounded pride. You are probably learning one of life's
simplest but hardest lessons: We cannot always have or do
exactly what we want. You might also discover something very
important about whether you have truly been decisive and self-
motivated in the past. Perhaps you have a pattern of putting
yourself into situations where you wind up failing, or doing
what others want. If so, this could prove a valuable
discovery because you can only change what you are conscious
of within yourself. With reflection and patience, this could
be an enormously strengthening and maturing time, when you
really begin to take charge of your life.
Old wounds are hurting
prog. Sun opposition Chiron: Beginning of March 2010 until end of March 2012 |
This may be a challenging time on many levels, because a deep
desire to grow and develop yourself seems to be running up
against some inflexible obstruction. Although the obstuction
may seem to exist in the outer world, it is also within you.
Before you allow yourself to sink into a trough of despondency
and self-pity, or come out fighting furiously against everyone
and everything you feel is treating you unfairly, you may need
to explore some relevant inner issues. Somewhere within you,
as in most human beings, there are probably areas of your
personality where you have been hurt or bruised by life,
probably initially in childhood and possibly again in the same
way in early adolescence. This pattern of repeating hurt or
disappointment may have resulted in an accumulation of
unconscious bitterness or negativity, toward yourself and
toward life. In this vulnerable place you are likely to be
defensive, cynical, and resentful; and you may not be able to
grow because you trust neither life nor yourself. It is this
unhappy 'pocket' within you which is being activated now.
External circumstances may trigger the old wound, and many of
your feelings in the present could be linked not to your
immediate circumstances but to the past. This area of hurt
and vulnerability may reflect a fear of being helpless or
incompetent in dealing with the challenges of the physical
world, resulting in a sense of depression and weakness or a
need to rigidly control your material environment. At the
moment life may seem to be hurting you in just this area. But
despite the likelihood of external disappointments, you may
also be increasingly conscious of something within you which
needs to be healed. This could open the door to a totally
different attitude toward yourself and life. You may need to
carefully explore your responses to the past, and the ways in
which your interpretations of life, coloured by your own
hurts, might have led you to make choices which have in some
way contributed to your present situation. In being willing
to develop a more detached or philosophical attitude where
previously you might have felt only anger or resentment, you
can free yourself of a lot of old, destructive psychological
baggage which you are now ready to leave behind.
This is not a good time to try to expand your outer life, for
it is likely that you will encounter obstructions or
separations which prevent you from moving forward. Yet what
you are presently experiencing may be necessary and
appropriate, because there could be something inside which
needs to be faced and healed before you can continue to
develop and pursue your aspirations. If you can understand
your situation in this way, it can help you to avoid the
extremes of passive depression or blind rage. If you feel you
need some help in achieving that understanding, don't let
false pride stop you from seeking counsel, advice or healing
from someone competent to work with you. You may learn much
greater compassion for yourself, and greater wisdom in
interpreting the motives and behaviour of others, as you
discover that perhaps your understanding of the past as well
as the present has been too distorted by injured pride. Use
this time for introspection rather than fighting life or
denigrating yourself. You will emerge a kinder, more
compassionate and more insightful person, with a lighter load
to carry into the future.
Feeling uprooted
Chiron conjunction prog. IC: End of April 2009 until end of January 2012 |
This is a time of endings. They may be actual ones - perhaps
a loss or separation which you did not wish, or a parting from
old friends or community. But they are more likely to be
psychological endings, for you are now completing a chapter of
your life and preparing to begin a new one. The image you
have projected to the outside may be sharply challenged, and
this may have important ramifications in terms of your work
and the goals you have been pursuing. You may feel blocked or
thwarted in what you are trying to achieve in your
professional life, and you may sometimes wonder whether the
outer world and the people in it are all against you. This is
not a good time to try to expand your working life. It might
be better to tread water right now, and do what is necessary
without trying to fight too strenuously against what you do
not like or approve of. Try not to call disaster down on your
own head by alienating those in authority through angry
behaviour. You may be challenged to let go of the role you
have been playing, so that you can discover other, less
developed dimensions of your personality. These may need to
be integrated into your outer life, so that your future
direction is a true reflection of the whole of yourself. If
you can focus on your inner life right now, and look at what
might need changing or exploration, you will be able to use
this time constructively, and avoid many potential self-
engendered difficulties.
In exploring your inner world, you may need to look back to
the background from which you come, and the family
expectations and assumptions which you have probably carried
since your early life. Perhaps you have tried to be too
sympathetic, tactful, and responsive to others, when in fact
you have a much more self-sufficient and independent side to
your nature which needs to be expressed more fully. The
realisation that there is a gap between who you are and how
others see you may cause you considerable pain at the moment,
and you may be deeply aware of how important dimensions of
your personality have been undermined, suppressed, or
unappreciated during the course of your life. However, rather
than blaming others for making you what you have become, it is
up to you to recognise, honour, and express what you discover
within yourself. You may encounter difficulties with family
members, or experience a loss of or separation from someone
close to you; and this could provide the trigger for some
painful realisations. Try to work with what is happening
inside you, rather than attempting to push ahead in the world.
Give yourself time to heal, and you will find that you can
leave the past behind at last, and bring with you all that you
truly are, but were perhaps unable to live before.
Chapter IV
CONCLUSION
The Greek philosopher Herakleitos once wrote that nothing is
permanent except change. The human psyche is always in a
process of change and unfoldment, and the planetary
configurations which reflect your pattern of development over
the next year will change to new configurations which reflect
new patterns over the years to come. When we miss
opportunities, they usually come back again in a different
form and on a different level, because life not only changes
but moves in cycles, reflected by the planetary cycles in the
heavens. Whatever "fate" might be, it is not a rigid design
which denies us freedom to choose, grow, make mistakes, re-
choose, and grow again.
Each of the sections given above describes planetary patterns
which, at core, will be shared at some time and in some way by
other human beings. What we experience is not as unique as we
might think; we all go through joy, pain, good fortune, loss,
loneliness, togetherness, light and darkness, and we all have
certain needs and drives in common. But the timing and
distinctive expression of your constantly changing growth
pattern is unique to you, and so too are the individual heart,
mind, body and spirit which experience that pattern. Whatever
might occur in your outer life over the next year, finding
meaning in it, and connecting that meaning with who you are
and what you really seek in life, can unlock previously
unsuspected funds of energy and creativity, and can give you a
greater range of choices in the future. We are taught as
children to "use time wisely". What does this mean? Perhaps
the most profound meaning is that time has qualities, and each
moment of time has a special meaning for us as individuals.
And understanding and working with these qualities and meaning
can transform how we experience the circumstances of our
lives.
APPENDIX
Suggested further reading
On planetary cycles and movements:
«The Gods of Change» by Howard Sasportas (transits of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto)
«Transits: The Time of Your Life» by Betty Lundsted
«Transits» by Rob Hand
On individual planets and their meaning:
«The Astrological Moon» by Darby Costello
«Prometheus the Awakener» by Richard Tarnas
«Venus and Jupiter» by Erin Sullivan
«The Inner Planets» by Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas
«The Luminaries» by Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas
«Exploring Jupiter» by Stephen Arroyo
«The Outer Planets» by Liz Greene
«Saturn» by Liz Greene
«Neptune» by Liz Greene
«Chiron and the Healing Journey» by Melanie Reinhart
On the subject of fate:
«Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle» by C. G. Jung
«The Astrology of Fate» by Liz Greene
Other Astro*Intelligence reports written by Liz Greene can enhance the value of this report, because
the greater your understanding of yourself, the more intelligently you can work with the meaning of
the time. For an in-depth analysis of your birth horoscope, you can order the Psychological Horoscope
Analysis. For deeper insight into your relationships, the Relationship Horoscope can offer a new
perspective. If you are still looking for your vocation, Career and Vocation can provide new impulses
for you. And for a greater appreciation of the unique personality of your child, or of your own
childhood, you can order the Child's Horoscope.
A wider view of your personal perspectives for a period of six years is offered by the Long-term
Perspectives.
You can order these reports at the same sales point from which you received the report you are
reading.
Technical Information
In order to create this analysis, the following astrological factors have been examined:
- major progressed aspects (conjunction, opposition, square, trine, sextile) of the Sun, Moon,
Ascendant, MC, Mercury, Venus and Mars to natal planets and angles.
- major aspects ( conjunction, opposition, square, trine, sextile) of transiting Pluto, Neptune,
Uranus, Chiron, Saturn, and Jupiter to both natal and progressed planets and angles.
- conjunctions and oppositions of transiting Mars to both natal and progressed planets and angles.
- aspects between progressed planets, especially progressed new and full Moons.
Special importance is given to stations of transiting planets close to natal planets and angles.
Importance has been given not only to the nature of the specific progressed or transiting planet and
aspect, but also to natal configurations which echo the progressed and transiting aspects, to house
positions of natal, transiting and progressed planets, and to the overall balance of elements and
configurations in the birth chart. Internally the results of the Psychological Horoscope Analysis are
used for the evaluation of each chart.
Because the importance of any transit or progressed aspect is not limited only to the time of the
precise aspect, but extends for some time before and after, orbs of aspect have been used. These
recognise the buildup and gradual diminishing of the energy of a particular planetary movement.
Consequently some configurations are described which may not reach exact aspect until the following
year, but which are already beginning to show their effects, or which have already made an exact
aspect in the previous year.
The report which results from these considerations is assembled from selected interpretation text
sections. Not all transits or progressions which occur during a year are included in the printed
report, only those selected by Liz Greene's model of interpretation. As in all works by Liz Greene
the Placidus house system is used.
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