Current Transits for January 2012 Current Transits for January 2012Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Happy New Year, 1-1
Full Moon at 18Cn25, 1-9
Jupiter Semisextile Uranus, 1-17
Ceres enters Aries, 1-19
New Moon at 2Aq41, 1-23
Mars Retrograde Station at 23Vi05, 1-23
Juno enters Sagittarius, 1-29
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
Happy new year and welcome to 2012! This is a year with a reputation before it even starts, so let's hope it doesn't scare people off too soon. It certainly starts out quietly enough, but after a few days we begin to see some of the big themes in action. As if you weren't paying attention in 2011, there's a large group of outer planets (everyone except Pluto, it seems) that makes its presence known and doesn't seem to quiet down all month. This results in a planetary storm that varies in strength and focus throughout January as the faster planets move through the pack. Beyond the storm, there's not much news in a traditional sense. Of course, we are entering the election season finally with the Iowa caucuses on Jan 3 -- the crazy season starts early this year. Taking a more long term view of the coming year, there are two main events that caught my eye about 2012 (besides the hoopla surrounding the winter solstice in December). Neptune ends his transition from Aquarius into Pisces on Feb 3 when he settles into Pisces for the next 14 years. The other coming attraction is the square of the subversive planets Uranus and Pluto that kicks in on Jun 24. This square repeats 7 times between now and 2015 and promises to add a crazy, chaotic energy that will disrupt current circumstances in many unforeseen ways. We're already beginning to feel this aspect (it's been in orbs for some time now), but it's effects will certainly intensify as the year progresses. This should be an interesting journey in 2012 -- get ready for the trip!
The list of events to discuss this month is pretty meager. There is one "big aspect", one station and two asteroids changing signs. Curiously, there are no retrograde planets between Dec 25 and Jan 23, one of those rare times when life flows along more smoothly than usual.
According to the waveform, 2012 starts on a quiet note. There are several details in this chart that say otherwise, however. Due to the tradition of starting the year at local midnight, all people see pretty much the same chart (except for the Moon position) around the world, with planets in the same houses. The most critical aspect is the conjunction of the Sun and Pluto deep in the 4th house. (This aspect will be a persistent feature in new year's charts for the next several years.) Pluto promotes powerful transformations in the world, a force of evolutionary change that can't be held back. I wonder if a similar aspect in the 2011 chart was a catalyst for the Arab Spring movements a year ago. If so, we can expect the pace of change to pick up this year. The Moon in Aries is just reaching its first quarter phase (a Sun-Moon square), so there's an underlying mood of tension and impatience in the air. Mercury is exactly square Mars -- cool headed thinking is in short supply now. Not only are we dealing with another large outer planet grouping, but most of the planets are below the horizon in this chart. Both of these hint that there's a lot going on below the surface, out of sight. This can mean much activity happening at an unconscious level, both individually and in a collective sense. When crisis points flare up (as they always do), they can seem totally "out of the blue" if you're not paying close attention. Of course, it's only 355 more shopping days to the winter solstice and all the 2012 hoopla. Given how this myth has taken hold of the mass mind, not always in a healthy way, you can expect people to be getting really crazy as we get closer to the solstice. This could be an "interesting" year indeed...
A few days after a significant Koz Alert on the 7th is the full moon. The storm has quieted down a bit, but not much. The place to start with the full moon chart is, of course, the outer planets. Saturn is closely opposite Jupiter in the sky, trine Neptune and Chiron, and quincunx Uranus. Mercury is sextile to both Saturn and Neptune, so it is acting as the trigger planet that activates that pack of slow moving planets. After that, the chart starts to thin out quickly. The Sun makes some minor connections to Chiron (an octile) and Uranus (quintile), but otherwise the Sun, Moon and Pallas form a separate grouping of their own. Mars, Juno, Venus and Ceres combine to form a third loose group. Pluto is off by himself for the most part, although Mercury will pass over him in a few days.
There are a number of contradictions in this chart. With the Sun in Capricorn, there's an attempt to look at current situations in a practical fashion, but the Cancer Moon brings in a strong emotional outlook that tempers it considerably. The outer planets themselves are a mass of influences that pull us in different directions. Jupiter opposite Saturn, both considered social planets, hint at stresses and tensions in society at large that have been building over the last decade (since their conjunction in 2000). You can see this in the rhetoric of the Occupy movement, how the people at the top have prospered at the expense of the majority below them. Saturn is a planet of contraction and deprivation, as well as an indicator of a more practical attitude. At the end of Libra, this sense of being held back is seen not only in person-to-person relationships, but also in the legal and economic frameworks that define them. The anger over these restrictions has been spilling over into the streets in recent months as well as affecting our politics at all levels. Working people are resigned to just hanging in there as best they can until the larger economic trends improve for the average person. This contrasts with the role of Neptune, currently in Aquarius but about to enter Pisces for the next 14 years. Neptune is a more idealistic planet, more concerned with the way things should be than how they actually are. In Aquarius, this takes on a more ideological direction based on how our social networks should promote the common good. When he moves into Pisces, the need to actually care for the people falling through the cracks will become more important than arguing over who has the best visionary plan for the future. Compassion butts heads with ideology. Uranus also adds a revolutionary spirit to the mix, an impatience to get things moving again.
It's important that all these big picture, theoretical issues take on some concrete form in our day-to-day lives if they are to have any practical meaning for us. That's the role of the trigger planets in a chart, in this case Mercury. I tend to describe the faster moving planets as "triggering" the pack into action and bringing their influence into the open, but there's a flip side to this description that needs to be mentioned. The quicker bodies are also called "personal planets" by astrologers, meaning they represent normal, everyday features of our personalities we all recognize, such as thoughts, feelings and acting on our desires. This is in contrast to the outer planets, which are more likely to operate on an unconscious or collective level that lies below the surface of daily life. The personal planets bring those deeper issues to the surface to be recognized, felt and directed towards meaningful activity. They ground all those vague, impersonal influences in the mundane and give them concrete form. It's curious that the swifter planets are operating independently this month instead of as a group. We get glimpses of the deeper issues through one aspect of our lives, then another and another, but there's no integrated, full body response that takes it all in at once. For now, we're simply thinking about such higher concerns, as Mercury represents the thinking mind. We're just trying to understand the greater forces at work in the world and in some limited way wrap our minds around what is happening. There is no coherent story or compelling narrative that captures the big picture for people currently. Given the heated election situation, this narrative is being created and manipulated mostly by politicians to advance their own agendas, sad to say. The average Joe doesn't have a clue, for the most part. Hopefully, wiser heads will gaze deeply at this big picture and help make sense of it for the rest of us. More likely, people will simply get distracted by the next story that grabs their attention and fail to assimilate the deeper issues as one trigger planet after another contacts the outer planets that make up the storm pattern. Venus is next, then the Sun (at the coming new moon), then Mercury again. Mars (constructive action) seems to be the one mode of anchoring these influences we aren't trying this month, unfortunately. One word of advice: turn off your electronic devices, tune out the big stories on the news occasionally, and focus on how you can ground these high spiritual energies in a concrete manner in your own life. It's a crazy world right now, but only you can make your private world a little saner. Don't get distracted by the circus going on around you.
Jupiter is semisextile Uranus on the 17th, the third of 3 such contacts. The previous contacts were on 2011-6-28 and 2011-12-12. While Jupiter and Uranus can both be considered mental-intuitive planets, they operate in very different ways. Jupiter is typical of the conventional wisdom of our society, the common sense that we all share. As such, there's not a lot of creativity here, as we simply keep utilizing the traditional answers and approaches to life, even as circumstances change rapidly. The mainstream point of view is rarely on the leading edge of innovation. Uranus, on the other hand, is the rebel or eccentric that goes his own way and cares little for what most people believe. He enjoys change for its own sake and is always challenging conventional thinking. As we progress through the 13 year cycle for these two planets, which began back in Jun 2010, we constantly need to find a new balance point between old wisdom and fresh insight. The tendency is to swing towards one planet or the other at any given time. Moving in the Jupiter direction locks us into old patterns of thinking because "that's the way we've always done it!" The Uranus path promotes change and overhaul for its own sake, without regard for whether such shifts are useful and desirable, the path of the rebellious teenager, so to speak. The conjunctions in 2010 that kicked off this cycle favored a strong innovative streak at first before backing off somewhat. This semisextile that we're finishing up now is also rather ambiguous in its effects. A semisextile rarely expresses its energy cleanly or precisely. It brings planets together in a way that emphasizes the disagreements and inconsistencies between them, not allowing either planet to display its best behavior. This aspect is particularly obvious at the political level (this cycle has strong influences on society at large). The problems that humanity is facing are frequently caused by the conventional thinking of the past. But this same thinking is also suspicious of the "radical solutions" that Uranus proposes, since they don't make sense in a traditional way. Meanwhile, agents of change have no patience with the slow pace of change -- society never evolves quickly enough for them. And while people bicker, the problems remain unsolved. What a way to start the political season! The necessity for new perspectives will become more urgent as the Uranus-Pluto square checks in this summer, I suspect. You have more of a say in your own life as to how you find this point of balance. Question your old assumptions and habitual thinking patterns, but do so in a manner that is balanced, sensible and sane (sometimes Uranus is crazy). Such mental housecleaning will be very useful later on in the cycle.
Ceres moves into Aries again on the 19th, as she finishes up a retrograde cycle that straddles the border. She first entered Aries back on 2011-7-11, then backed up into Pisces on 2011-8-10. She will be in Aries until Apr 9, when she moves into Taurus finally. The passage of Ceres the Great Mother through Aries has been greatly complicated by that retrograde station that sent her back to Pisces for 5 months. Aries is a very me-first sign, very much at odds with the nurturing qualities of Ceres herself. She seems to be saying take care of yourself, but then turn your efforts to helping others as well. Pisces is much more selfless and altruistic than Aries will ever be, but it's also more passive and less forceful in the way it shows it. The retrograde cycle is tying these two approaches together and making us look them over more carefully. Hopefully, you've had some time to ponder what you can do for the greater good during this time. Now that Ceres is back in Aries, it's time to get more active again. Considering that the first planet she meets in her new sign is rambunctious Uranus, you may find some unexpected openings for lending a hand. Get busy, but leave your ego out of the picture.
The storm continues unabated by the new moon. The outer planets are still the main story, triggered this time by the Sun and Moon in Aquarius. Mercury, Venus and Mars form a loose pattern among themselves, but are unconnected to the main action. Pluto is also rather isolated.
At first glance, there may not seem to be much difference between the full moon and new moon charts. Except for the trigger planets, the charts look very similar. However, there is a big difference between Capricorn and Aquarius. Capricorn is typically rather drab and conservative, looking to maintain and perfect the existing status quo. Aquarius is more progressive minded and seeking to radically change current circumstances. There's an urge to look for novel solutions to problems instead of keeping to the old way of doing things. People are fed up enough to want to take matters into their own hands and get involved personally in a way they haven't before. There's also a more optimistic and forward looking mood in the air than previously, a hopeful sign. Of course, Mars is about to stand still later in the day, so putting this optimism into action may be a bit dicey. Mars retrograde is all about learning to use power more wisely and skillfully, so any efforts now are apt to have mixed results and unforeseen consequences that need to be cleaned up later. Don't get too carried away with your enthusiasm -- discretion is still necessary.
On the political front, many of the early caucuses and primaries will have taken place by the new moon already. The media and political crowd may be anxious to declare some kind of winner or front runner already, rather than let the process play out on its own time frame. That's too bad, because the early events represent the older Capricorn energy, so any "winner" is apt to reflect situations and interests that may not be relevant in coming weeks and months. Electing the right man for fading influences is a rotten way to govern. On the other hand, the election process may still be undecided at this point and the debate can continue. Let's hope we don't jump to conclusions too quickly in order to ratify a narrative that doesn't serve our needs. Give Aquarius his due...
Mars reaches his retrograde station of 23Vi05 on the 23rd. He backs up until Apr 13, when he goes direct at 3Vi40. A retrograde cycle is always a clue to pay closer attention to some planetary energy and its role in your life. Mars is the principle of getting things done, of using your will power to impress your desires upon the world. Applied properly and in service of important goals, your Warrior is a vital asset in life. Without his "get up and go" attitude, we'd never accomplish anything. People tend to dump on him in modern times, however, equating his drive with a corrupt male dominance that is only a minor aspect of his symbolism. Needless to say, this coming cycle is a lesson in the proper use of power and how to best harness it. Curiously, the entire cycle is in the sign of Virgo, a sign not generally known as conducive to Mars energy. I've found over the years that this placement is actually much better than it seems. Mars is an action figure whose first response to a situation is to apply brute force until something gives. While that works sometimes, it's often not the best approach. Virgo prefers to step back a moment and study the situation, figuring out the easiest and most skillful way to accomplish your goals without running roughshod over others or causing other collateral damage. This placement works smart, not hard. The other lesson of Virgo is that she operates in service to a higher goal instead of focusing on more self-centered aims. Many of the problems with Mars energy can be tamed if you simply remember that he makes a good soldier and a lousy general. Don't let your ego rule your decision making during this time. When he's given a meaningful task to accomplish, Mars can create much good. On the downside, Mars can feel restricted or hemmed in when he's in VIrgo, as he likes to be in control and take charge. You may often feel frustrated in coming months. Be patient, don't feel you need to make all the decisions. This is a time to hone your skills and refine the way you wield power in your life. It requires humility, not arrogance. When you encounter restrictions, step back and understand why your efforts are backfiring. Even an Old Warrior can learn new tricks...
Juno enters Sagittarius on the 29th. Due to an upcoming retrograde cycle, she backs up into Scorpio once more on May 17 where she'll be until reentering Sag on Sep 16. She doesn't reach Capricorn until Dec 18. Here's another complicated story due to Juno going back and forth across the border between two signs. Juno is the Queen of Relationships, the woman who loves to be in love, but on on a firm basis of equality and trust. She gives her affections freely when she feels the relationship is healthy, but if she detects even a hint of unfaithfulness or being taken advantage of, she can turn cold and vengeful in a flash. Between Scorpio and Sagittarius, she's going to be on a major emotional roller coaster this year. In Scorpio, the powerful emotional currents can easily make her suspect the worst about a partner's behavior. Jealousy is easier than trust under this placement. But things change so much when she's in Sagittarius! The tendency now is to lighten up, give partners some slack, not take relationships so seriously. She can give the other person more freedom to interact with others instead of keeping them on a tight emotional leash as she feels less of a need to control her partners. Of course, she requires more freedom of her own to open up to other people as well. This is a circumstance when loosening emotional bonds is healthy. Carried to an extreme, this can come across as a fear of commitment, but I wouldn't worry about that end of the spectrum so much. That this is a tricky balancing act to get right should be apparent when Juno backs into Scorpio's moody swamp again in May before finishing up in Sag in the fall. Don't take partnerships so seriously this year -- big soap operas aren't worth the problems. Learn to truly enjoy your loved ones...