Ask any astrologer what’s happening in 2011 and they’ll babble excitedly about the Uranus- Pluto cardinal square; the shift of Uranus into Aries and Neptune and Chiron into Pisces, not to mention the continuing drama of Pluto in Capricorn and its effect on global financial markets. But what does it all mean?
As we farewell the Year of the Tiger, the solar eclipse at the Capricorn new moon in the early days of January will help put 2010 into perspective. Eclipses bring hidden energies to the surface and offer renewed clarity. The keywords for this eclipse are ‘ambitious group projects’ and ‘historical perspective’. The message for the year ahead continues to be the importance of individual and independent thought coupled with united action. We need to work together to ensure the future of our planet, basing our actions on permanent values and true principles rather than cultural or political trends.
Uranus-Pluto Square – Freedom of Expression & Refusal to Conform
The Uranus-Pluto square in Aries/Capricorn in mid 2010 set the scene for 2011, taking us on a journey back to the late 1960s when the cycle began with the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in Virgo. The combination of these two planetary energies produces a burst of individual freedom of expression and a refusal to conform to existing conventions. In the 1960s this manifested as hippies with long hair smoking marijuana, psychedelic drugs, subversive music, the civil rights movement, anti war protests, a backlash against traditional religion and desire for more sexual and emotional freedom. Many people used their new freedom in a reckless manner, but others made valuable breakthroughs embracing new dimensions of self- expression and authenticity. Freedom from convention and oppression is a major leitmotif of Uranus-Pluto.
I envisage sweeping changes in the following areas over the coming decade:
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Loss of confidence in traditional corporations, the police force, banking systems and large government bodies replaced by a new focus on small business, personal responsibility and grass roots activism.
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A rise in community and local initiatives with a greater focus on flatter management structures, transparency and cooperation.
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Education moving from bricks and mortar universities to on line learning and independent and home study.
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Increased moves towards environmentally sustainable living, new energy sources and a healthier lifestyle with particular attention to the food we eat and the type of health care we choose.
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Growth in the power of technology to link people and communities and spread and share information leading to a reduction in hierarchy and less focus on academic and professional status.
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Major religious organisations will lose their power unless they adopt a more flexible and inclusive approach.
Another Uranus-Pluto theme is the need to adapt to new and unfamiliar situations. In the next ten years our physical infrastructure and social institutions will be severely challenged and forced to adapt or become redundant. The middle of 2010 when Uranus first entered Aries offered us a glimpse of the shape of things to come with floods in Pakistan, a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, public debt spiralling out of control in several major nations and our own Federal Government leadership crisis. Millions of people have been affected by these happenings and billions of dollars lost. Common to all these events was a sense of fear about whether we could cope combined with a loss of confidence in the authorities supposed to be in charge. With Uranus in impulsive Aries, the drive for renewal and change will be intense, abrupt and even violent. Those who have the most to gain from revolution will find this liberating, but others will find the upheaval both challenging and upsetting.
I believe 2011 marks the real beginning of the 21st Century. Here are my predictions for the year ahead.
Fashion & Beauty
With Aries and Pisces influencing collective tastes we could see a move towards sporty, adventurous styles in vibrant colours coupled with a taste for military fashion and short cropped hair (Uranus in Aries). At the other end of the spectrum, ultra-feminine, romantic styles with pinks and pastels worn with long flowing hair (Neptune in Pisces).
Money & Finance
My advice is to pay down debt, build up savings and avoid speculation as the collective energies this year are so unpredictable. Many will be tempted to take risks under the impulsive Uranus in Aries energy, so do your sums and don’t invest money you can’t afford to lose. As interest rates rise, housing becomes more unaffordable, employment less predictable and people become more debt ridden and dependent on credit, it is entirely possible that we could experience further recession and an increasing divide between rich and poor.
The Arts
The Arts will flourish as Neptune in Pisces stimulates our appetite for film, fashion, beauty, glamour and music. The trend is towards fantasy and escapism, coupled with adventure and excitement. Movies such as ‘Avatar’ and ‘Twilight’ are examples of this. Pisces is a quintessentially feminine energy, meaning more female artists and performers will get the chance to take centre stage.
Government & Politics
Uranus in Aries accelerates the pace of social change, boosting the collective urge to rebel against the status quo and create new forms. Secrecy is out and transparency in. Individual rights and freedom from centralised government are core themes. Any government that acts in an autocratic or unfair manner will be faced by massive grass roots protest fuelled by the power of the internet and social networking.
Media
Whatever you may think of Wikileaks, Julian Assange and his followers have changed the rules of journalism and reporting. We have all grown up with media censorship, classified information and government secrecy. New technology has given us access to real time, on the ground information undermining the power of spin doctors, repressive governments and censorship bodies. The invention of the printing press changed the face of history by making books accessible to everyone instead of a few clergy and those rich enough to attend university. It seems incredible now, but many were threatened by the invention of the printing press, just as many are now threatened by the widespread dissemination of information on the net. Information is power.
Environment
With Pluto in practical Capricorn, it’s time to get real about looking after our planet instead of viewing environmental activism as some kind of left wing, green pastime. Think more farmers markets, more interest in home cooking and a crackdown on ‘environmental wallies’. Given the unpredictability of Uranus and the fiery nature of Aries, we should prepare for an increase in heat waves, droughts, floods, earthquakes, cyclones and other ‘Acts of God’.
Social
As our population grows and resources and living space become more costly and scarce and people more debt ridden and dependent on credit, the collective rage is likely to explode. We could see a backlash against immigration and a rise in public demonstrations similar to the ones recently witnessed in the UK over the massive increase in university fees. Also protests from the disabled and those who’ve been exploited economically demanding fairer treatment. Australian banks have recently been forced to drop excessive fees as a result of consumer pressure.
Religion/Spirituality
Neptune’s imminent move into Pisces is likely to herald a mass spiritual awakening. Sound healing, colour healing, dreamwork, meditation, yoga, altered states of consciousness and the sacred feminine will all become more and more mainstream, just as Neptune’s transit of air sign Aquarius (1998-2011) made technology fashionable and widely accessible. We could also see an increase in religious fundamentalism and cults as a knee jerk reaction to a rapidly, changing world.