Once again it’s time to write a forecast on ‘what’s coming up this year’, from an astrological point of view. I could write of disasters, wars, popular uprisings, economic crises, revolutions and corporate greed and collapse. I could write of environmental devastation, overpopulation, violence, crazy weather patterns and social and family breakdown. But instead as we ‘celebrate’ the centenary of the First World War (1914-1918) I’d like to encourage you to use the astrological energies of 2014 to create your own future and to become the change you want to see in YOUR world – in OUR world. In order to make sense of modern day life and its relentless competition, uncertainty, constant change and stress, it is fine to be aware of global trends and events, but I believe the real magic happens when we opt out of consensus reality and start looking at what’s going on inside.
Through my work as an astrologer over the past 20 years I have had the privilege of meeting thousands of people who ask me about their future and as a result I have come to understand the world through the eyes of those I meet and their passions, problems and concerns. What has become apparent to me is that though we all live in the same world, our lenses are all a different colour. 2013 has been a hard year for many, while others have seen their wildest dreams come true. So now when a client asks me about what the future will hold, I find myself asking them: ‘What do you have in mind?’ because while a hundred years ago life was largely prescribed by a person’s economic, social and family circumstances, today (at least in Australia) that is no longer the case. 2014 marks the beginning of a period where we can become far more conscious of how we respond to worldwide trends and events and what better cosmic event to kick start this change than the Solar Flip, reported in the UK’s Independent newspaper in late December.
Apparently the sun, center of our solar system is about to flip upside down as its magnetic field reverses polarity sending ripple effects throughout the solar system. According to NASA, this event occurs every 11 years (the last one was in 2003) and its impact will resonate well beyond Pluto and past the NASA Voyager probes positioned near the edge of interstellar space. One of the most noticeable effects on Earth will be a boost in the occurrence, range and visibility of auroras - the Northern and Southern Lights. But there are other more long ranging planetary patterns in force as can be seen from the table below.
Major Planetary Placements of 2014
The Uranus-Pluto Square – Creative Destruction
You may have read some of my previous articles on the Uranus-Pluto square – the major astrological event of the decade and part of a larger cycle that deals with revolution and change and which began in the late 1960s. The Uranus-Pluto cycle has the dual function of destroying old ideologies and structures and creating new ones and as Uranus and Pluto move backwards and forwards in the heavens, they form a 90 degree angle or square no less than seven times between June 2012 and March 2015.
We have already experienced the first four clashes and have three more to go in April and December 2014 and March 2015. Uranus combined with Pluto is an intensely creative and electrically-charged energy and causes our thoughts to manifest all around us, challenging us to think carefully about exactly what we want to create. The power of the mind (especially the subconscious mind) taps into quantum forces - we can choose to create miracles or choose to create chaos. Since the first Uranus-Pluto square in 2012, human conduct has been mirroring the collective and individual mind back to us. In order to avoid the negative manifestations of this energy (which include war, revolution and personal crisis/illness) we can:
* Change personal and professional goals to meet the new challenges
* Form associations with people of common purpose and like mind
* Seek new, positive opportunities opened up by the radical changes
* Avoid associating with lazy and unreliable people
* Build relationships based on trust, love and respect
* Practice tolerance and humility and learn how to resolve conflict
* Be flexible and open to change
The Uranus-Pluto square will have the greatest effect on those with a predominance of cardinal signs - Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn - many of whom will experience massive frustration and a desire to "re-start" life in the areas of home, career, and personal and professional relationships.
Revival of Ancient Healing Techniques
With Neptune and Chiron both in spiritual and creative water sign Pisces we can expect an increasing revival and discovery of advanced healing knowledge that existed before the planetary upheavals of 12,500 years ago wiped out large sections of the population. Energy healing, crystal healing, sound healing, colour healing and hydrotherapy are just a few examples. Good news for those who work in these areas.
Sustainability
Water conservation as a political issue will only grow in importance, especially in waterstarved areas such as the Middle East and Australia. Uranian inventiveness will hopefully produce all sorts of creative solutions. We can also expect further research and development into hybrid cars and better vehicle emission standards.
Politics
Revolutionary Uranus in fiery Aries has helped shift the balance of power with the overthrow of oppressive regimes in the Middle East. This trend is likely to continue as the tools of social networking and international communication put the power back in the hands of individuals rather than governments.
Powerful Pluto in practical earth sign Capricorn continues to challenge the power base of banks, governments and corporations. With Saturn in Scorpio backing up Pluto in Capricorn, the advice is to pay down debt and limit unnecessary spending. Companies with strong fundamentals and sound business practices with excellent customer service will continue to thrive.
Media
With Neptune in Pisces continuing to dream up new forms of creativity we can expect:
• Exponential growth in online video for both pleasure and business with YouTube channels competing with TV channels.
• Smart TV sets bringing websites and internet videos to bigger screens.
• TV gradually ceasing to be the cultural glue that binds a society together with everyone watching programs of their choice on different media at different times.
• More magazines and newspapers appearing only online instead of in hard copy format.
Nostalgiaville
The popularity of the hashtag #throwbackthursday shows how people now love looking back into the past. We’ve always had a soft spot for old school, but with regular Uranian technological breakthroughs now a part of life, most of us simply can’t keep up. We are now starting to look for ways to escape the 24/7 digital world.
Frankie magazine (a hard copy publication whose sales are rising) has tapped into the longing for the good old days when things were less complicated, quality products were built to last and life had a sense of organisation and predictability. Frankie features colour-in posters, patchwork quilts, knitting patterns, quirky retro items, home-baked cookie recipes and all things nostalgic. On this theme, my nephew, who like most youngsters is attached to his laptop, iPod and Gameboy by an umbilical cord, was recently asked about his favourite moment of the holidays. He selected the day we drew up a menu plan, went shopping at the market with a list and a budget, bought food then cooked and ate it together by candlelight. He said it was ‘romantic and special and he liked us all being together’… food for thought!
Sex vs Romance
I was heartened to read an article this week that proclaimed ‘the return of the bush’ following a survey finding that most men preferred women with pubic hair! The article also cited doctors describing the horrendous infections resulting from pubic hair removal. With sex now like dial-a-pizza (a friend recently told me about a 25 year old guy he worked with who’d had 150 one night stands but still felt dissatisfied) it’s refreshing to know that the ‘natural look’ is making a comeback. Romance is also making a comeback. Neptune in Pisces is quintessentially romantic and favours Venus (love and romance) over Mars (just sex). Statistics show that Americans spent $2.1 billion a year on unwanted hair removal last year… imagine how many candlelit dinners you could buy with that!
Goodbye Middle Man
People complain about the demise of major retailers and businesses such as Holden, but under revolutionary Uranus in Aries, most of us have radically changed our buying habits and will continue to do so. E-bay, Amazon, Gumtree, Airbnb and Couchsurfer are just some of the names changing the old marketplace rules. Plus anyone can now produce art, music, video, films, clothing, books etc and sell it to pretty much anyone in the world. Etsy, the runaway-success consumer-to-producer online marketplace illustrates the emerging desire for consumers to connect with producers on a more emotional level. More and more people are using their purchasing power not just to acquire things, but to join communities and share experiences and stories.