Current Transits for December 2014 Current Transits for December 2014Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Saturn Trioctile Uranus, 12-3
Vesta enters Capricorn, 12-3
Mars enters Aquarius, 12-4
'Full Moon at 14Gm17,12-6
Jupiter Retrograde Station at 22L37, 12-8
Uranus Square Pluto, 12-15
Juno Retrograde Station at 17Le07, 12-15
Sun Conjunct Galactic Center, 12-18
Uranus Direct Station at 12Ar34, 12-21
New Moon at 0Cp06, 12-21
Saturn enters Sagittarius, 12-23
Pallas enters Sagittarius, 12-27
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
Happy holidays to everyone! On the plus side, it appears there is more consistent energy to fall back on in December than we've seen since last spring. There are more storm patterns than transitions this month, a symptom that the planets are working together more closely than usual. The down side is that most of the planets that are active in coming weeks, not to mention the aspects they form, are of the disruptive and challenging kind, with the likes of Saturn, Uranus and Pluto in the starring roles. The biggest aspect to watch out for is the square of Uranus and Pluto early on the 15th. This troublesome contact has been active since the summer of 2012, playing a leading part in the chaos and turmoil we've seen in the world lately. Their action is to break down old, outmoded structures in the world, releasing all the pent up revolutionary change that has been held back for too long. Their influence is often painful and disruptive, but until the old patterns are broken up, nothing new can come forward to replace them. (Not saying the new tendencies are an improvement quite yet.) The winter solstice on the 21st is a busy day, astrologically. Uranus is standing still at his direct station just before the solstice and the new moon, which further emphasizes the chaotic energies. The last big story is when Saturn moves from Scorpio into Sagittarius on the 23rd. If nothing else, this is a major change in mood, as we leave the emotional swamp of Scorpio for the lighter atmosphere of Sag. Consider this shift a well deserved Christmas present -- we've been through a lot of trying times this year. Don't forget the Sun's passage over the Galactic Center on the 18th, a spiritual time with a curiously otherworldly feel. Take some time away from the busyness of the holiday season to get past the mundane world and its demands and get in touch with the spirit behind it all. Take it slow and easy, if possible...
December is a busy month. There are 2 "big aspects", 3 planetary stations and 4 sign changes to consider. The focus of activity most of the month is the trio of outer planets Saturn, Uranus and Pluto, especially the big aspects.
Saturn is trioctile Uranus on the 3rd, the first of 3 such contacts. The other contacts will be on 2015-5-4 and 2015-10-22. If you count the octile between Saturn and Pluto on Thanksgiving (Nov 27), this is the second of 3 "big aspects" in quick succession related to the outer planet trio. Saturn represents the forces of solidity and structure in our lives, the patterns that lock us into a way of living and looking at the world. It's our sense of being connected to and responsible for how we interact with the world, how we relate to the past and build for the future. Uranus is wild and unpredictable energy, a force that loves to overthrow existing structures and explore novel ways of behaving. As I love to say, Uranus never saw a status quo he didn't want to blow up. He's the chaotic influences that knock us off our well-worn Saturnian paths and force us to crawl out of our ruts. With Pluto in the mix, the trend for busting old patterns is even stronger. Since this is a trioctile aspect, these two tendencies, already as different as can be, are in a subtle, but undeniable conflict. It may appear as a series of choices to either hold onto the same old way of doing things or to toss everything overboard and try something new. In fact, neither of these options is ideal by themselves. We're dealing with an inner urge to change and grow in an organic way that honors our greater needs. The stasis of Saturn is a decision to stay the same in a rapidly changing world, an untenable option in the long run. Unbridled Uranian change, however, is wild and unruly, not to mention stressful and hard on the nerves. The middle path involves consciously picking and choosing which parts of our lives we'll let go of and what we'll replace it with. Curiously, much of this growth goes on unconsciously. As often happens, even though this is primarily an inner process of change, it appears the crises forcing our decisions originate outside of ourselves. The more consciously you engage with these changes, the more you'll see how they originate within yourself. One last clue: I've been noticing that Uranus often deals with the deeper parts of the nervous system responsible for turning sensory data into a sense of reality. It's how we create our world. Saturn is the end product of this reality-creation. Expect some deep-seated paradigms to crumble during this time.
Vesta moves from Sagittarius into Capricorn on the 3rd. She'll remain in this sign until 2015-1-28, when she heads into Aquarius. Vesta and Capricorn are very similar energies in some ways. For starters, they are both inwardly directed, with a strong introverted streak. They also both recognize that power and authority at their best come from within. This is a time to disengage from the outer distractions that have little value and focus on practical matters of importance to yourself. It's easier to work by yourself than to involve others, particularly if their goals differ from your own. Be quiet and just get things done without the external hassles. It feels good...
Mars enters Aquarius on the 4th, where he'll be until 2015-1-12 when he shifts into Pisces. This is a placement with much potential, but also some problems. I like to say Mars makes a great soldier, but a lousy general. By that I mean he allows you to carry out your plans, but he's not very good at coming up with the plans in the first place or for seeing the big picture. Since Aquarius is an ideas man, he helps Mars out somewhat here. However, Aquarius also has some issues. Mainly, he's very absolute and set in his ways in the mental realm. His understanding becomes Truth with a capital T, the One Right Way to do things. He's not always that good at understanding where others are coming from, so when faced with a disagreement, Mars in Aquarius will overreact and assume the other is an implacable enemy, not a fellow human with a unique point of view. It's all too easy to overestimate the width of the disagreement, seeing a canyon where there's only a tiny crack. If you can't work alone, try to be more diplomatic and understanding (something Mars rarely does). This is a good placement for mental or abstract tasks, especially ones you can tackle on your own. Despite the problems, this is a useful placement. Make the most of it.
There's a towering Koz Alert of 572 units early on the 6th; the full moon is about 3 hours later. The Sun, Moon and Mercury join up with Chiron, Uranus and Pluto in a large fan structure to create a powerful Alert pattern. Most of the remaining planets are fairly weak in comparison. Jupiter is about to stand still. There's a lot of fire and air in this chart.
With a Sag Sun and Gemini Moon, the overall mood of this chart is rather light hearted and easy going. Since Mercury is so close to the Sun, the thinking mind is active, though concerned more with how current circumstances effect you personally in broad outline. Of course, Uranus is the strongest planet in the chart and the other outer planets are close behind. This full moon is not about you personally so much as the grander scheme of things. Life is changing rapidly under planets like Uranus and Pluto and we're just along for the ride, to a large extent. It's this large setting that we need to understand, not our tiny piece of the action. Uranus is teaching us to look at the bigger picture beyond the narrow confines of your ego's concerns. Pluto is reminding us that our spirits came into this world for a greater purpose than just your own creature comforts and personal gratification. Fortunately, all those Sag planets (4 of them) help us see the big picture better and when Saturn finally leaves Scorpio in a few weeks, this bigger perspective may seem much less threatening. Your relationships may be an important venue for seeing beyond your own concerns, as taking in the other person's perspective becomes more critical. Move past your own fears and limitations this month as part of the spiritual twists and turns of the coming days. Stay positive!
Jupiter reaches his retrograde station of 22Le37 on the 8th. He'll be backing up until 2015-4-8, when he hits his direct station of 12Le35. Retrograde planets represent a time when you need to reexamine how you express that planet, particularly when you do it badly. Jupiter has a number of expressions in our lives, any one of which may be effected in coming months. First of all, Jupiter is a social planet, especially in Leo. This station may induce people to close their hearts and pull away from each other. When we get tired of being alone, we'll come back to each other. He's also a mental planet, a sucker for pondering big ideas and grand schemes. If you're going to pull away from the world and pursue such important thoughts, at least make sure it's important enough to be worth your time. There's nothing worse that dreaming your life away and having nothing to show for it. Finally, Jupiter also deals with the material aspects of our lives, the stuff and goodies that make life more comfortable. Sources of wealth can dry up during these cycles and life can be tighter than usual. If you're in business for yourself and exposed to the risk of customers not showing up, it's wise to cut expenses and put some savings away to get you through the lean months ahead. People are colder, less exuberant and more inward than usual, at least until Jupiter goes direct again. We'll get through the tough times...
Uranus is square Pluto on the 15th, the 6th of 7 contacts for this tumultuous aspect. They first met on 2012-6-24 and their last contact was back on Apr 21. This series ends with the final square on 2015-3-16. Uranus is Trickster energy, the planet looking to find your weak spots and challenge them. Pluto is the power of your inner spirit that insists on you becoming who you must, with no consideration for the demands of the mundane world. And squares, as always, are an aspect of stress, tension and conflict. Both as individuals and on the larger global stage, people have been forced to their limits as the world falls apart around them. Much of the chaos and strife in recent years, especially in the Middle East, is due to this aspect. I described the April contact as a "dark night of the soul" time, a feeling that we can no longer handle this tension, but can't avoid it either. We're reaching the breaking point soon, a point where things fall apart, but the light at the end of the tunnel of something new may start to be visible. We've got a few more months of this square being active, though it will take several years yet before the energies dissipate. It's a tough journey, but an important one for the world. Don't let your ego get discouraged at not being in control. The currents we're in are much bigger and more important than any one person can understand. We can only grasp what we can and hope the rest takes care of itself. Give it your best shot.
Juno reaches her retrograde station of 17Le07 on the 15th. She'll back up the next 4 months until she goes direct again at 3Le13 on 2015-3-13. Juno is the Queen of Relationships based on committed love and mutual respect. So when she goes retrograde, you can be assured shaky relationships will be rattled. When Juno feels threatened or when she has doubts or suspicions about her partners, she responds with suppressed rage, mistrust and lots of jealousy and pettiness. It's pretty easy to spot when these emotional buttons are being pushed, but rather hard to convince Juno that the relationship is not as faulty as it seems to her. It takes a lot of effort to rebuild trust when it's been shattered. Many weaker relationships won't survive stresses like this. Do the personal work to strengthen your partnerships, if possible. If it crashes, let go of the other person gracefully, without drama and lingering anger. Sometimes love is not enough...
Each year, the Sun passes by the Galactic Center, currently at 27Sa03. The GC as a spiritual energy is so far beyond the planets we know, it's hard to even compare them. I've observed this conjunction for many years now and I'm always impressed by the mood of these times. Clear your schedule for a few days so you aren't distracted and can experience this subtle influence. This is a very high spiritual power with a distinctive otherworldly feeling, divorced from the noise and confusion of humankind. It often feels like an intense light that opens up the higher chakras. In many cultures, the GC was god himself. However you experience these matters, take some time off on the evening of the 18th and anchor this power in your own life.
Uranus goes direct at 12Ar34 on the 21st, about 20 minutes before the winter solstice and a few hours before the new moon. This ends a retrograde cycle that began back with his station at 16Ar30 on Jul 21. As mentioned earlier, Uranus deals with the deeper parts of the mental/intuitive psyche, the core paradigms, archetypes and mechanisms that convert our mental workings into an experience of a reality. As we reach the direct station, this part of the mind is not working properly. Common wisdom says to trust your intuition and your gut level reactions, but that's precisely what isn't working now and shouldn't be trusted. You can become aware of this malfunctioning of intuition by a sense that the world is crazy, or since Uranus is in fiery Aries, a feeling of anger, impatience or frustration. In effect, your sense of how the world should be doesn't match what is out there (and what is within yourself!) and is unable to make sense of things well. Your reality is too small for the world. Generally speaking, the craziness is inside yourself, though in some social situations, the people around you may be the source of the insanity. It's really hard to tell the difference right now. Rather than give in to the impatience, stand back from your instinctive reactions and let the world talk to you on its own terms. The flip side of these negative reactions is a feeling of curiosity and excitement, a sense that the world is exciting and intriguing in its wildness. Too many people think of Uranus as a difficult, even malefic planet, but done properly, Uranus can be a lot of fun. If the world is confusing, enjoy the confusion! It's a sign that you are less captive to your reality making than usual. Few people understand this remarkable freedom from the same old way of viewing the world. Such lightness of thinking is to be cherished.
While not a huge Koz Alert like the full moon, the 21st is an active day. Uranus goes direct, the solstice happens and then the new moon appears, all in the space of a few hours. On top of that, Venus and Mars are forming a fan-shaped pattern with Pluto, Chiron, Uranus and Saturn -- there are a large number of triggering aspects on the 20th and 21st. The new moon point is loosely connected with this fan. There are 6 bodies in earthy Capricorn.
With Venus and Mars in such a strong position, you'd expect a romantic mood in the air -- the mistletoe should get quite a workout! Don't get too hopeful, since all that down to earth Capricorn energy puts a damper on the romance and charm. Further, with so many outer planets influencing the love birds, the course of love can be rather complicated. Once more, Uranus is the kingpin of this chart. There's a crazy, exciting atmosphere that challenges the world that exists now, opening the doors to a better world that is still in the making. It's not unusual to feel resistance to such unexpected changes -- I'd expect Capricorn to put up a struggle against sudden shifts. Move slowly, if your emotional makeup requires it, but don't think you can hold back the transitions indefinitely. Since Venus is conjunct Pluto, emotions run deep and bring up atypical feelings. There's more going on here than we can see on the surface. Be patient with the process...
Saturn leaves Scorpio and enters Sagittarius on the 23rd. This new toe hold in Sag is temporary, as Saturn will retrograde back into Scorpio on 2015-6-14 before entering Sag for good on 2015-9-17. His stay in this sign continues until 2017-12-19, about 3 years from now. The Saturn cycle is quite long, over 29 years in duration. The last time he was in Sag was 1985-88. Basically, the focus of what we are most concerned about, what we consider important and worth our disciplined effort, is changing. Scorpio is absorbed by the inner world, especially the emotional domain, where the ego gets trapped. Sagittarius wants to leave these limitations behind and pursue freedom of all sorts. Of course, you bring your past with you when you make these shifts, so this is really learning to be free of your own limits and beliefs. When you decide to move beyond yourself, you need to make your choices of what's next deliberately and carefully -- this is not wildly chucking everything and trying any path that crosses your own. Core beliefs are up for review. This will be most easily seen in the religious or spiritual realm, for better or worse. Saturn can be very conservative, so fundamentalism of all stripes tends to flourish under this placement. Try not to repeat the mistakes of the past -- repetition of the same old karmic lessons is not growth and progress. Approach the coming years as a time to be lighter, to be free of the misunderstandings that make you unhappy, to encounter the world with a more open heart and mind. We haven't finished with Saturn in Scorpio completely, but I'm sure you're enjoy the change in mood. Sag is so much more fun!
Pallas heads into Sagittarius on the 27th. She'll be in this sign until 2015-4-8, when she enters Capricorn. Pallas is the part of the psyche that views situations in entire gestalts, intuitively sizing things up in a single glance. When you need to figure out how to do something, ask your Pallas. Sagittarius is also good at this big picture kind of understanding, so this placement works well. The downside is that Sag doesn't pay attention to details, which are important if you want your project to work out properly. There's also an artistic streak to Pallas, so you may want to express some big idea of importance to you. Just be practical in how you express yourself, as grand visions don't become real by themselves. Let your intuitive side loose, but put in the effort to bring the vision to earth.