The lunar eclipse at the Cancer full moon in the early hours of the New Year will help us put 2009 into perspective. Eclipses bring hidden energy to the surface and offer renewed clarity. The keyword for this eclipse is ‘deconditioning’ – the need to develop original, independent thought, including the ability to make fun of petty cultural habits and beliefs and to laugh at one’s own sense of self-importance. Last year’s triple conjunction of Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron in humanitarian Aquarius prepared and cleared the way for the next stage of planetary evolution. The message is unequivocal. ‘United we stand, divided we fall.’ The 2001 World Trade Centre bombing, the ensuing war on terror and the more recent financial and environmental meltdown are all events that have made us realise we are interconnected on a global level, whether we like it or not. The message for the coming decade is therefore the importance of individual and independent thought coupled with united action.
Of course, this is easier said than done. After a whole century of focussing on the rights of the individual, of women, of animals, of children, of gays, of blacks, of the disabled and sick, of indigenous people, of third world countries etc we now need to work together to ensure the survival of our species and the future of our planet. We talk of the evolution of humanity and the new vibration post-2012 as though these are spiritual concepts, but this new world order is essentially a practical one, albeit based on different paradigms. So how does our solar system reflect this emerging reality? After two years of financial belt tightening, downsizing and corporate collapse, we are feeling the full effects of Pluto’s transit through practical earth sign Capricorn, which began in early 2008 and will be with us until 2024. ‘Saving is the new Spending’ according to the UBank ad and that mantra will be with us for some time to come.
The recent global financial crisis is a taste of the sort of thing we can expect in a world out of balance, but still somewhat abstract compared to what will happen if we run out of oil, ground water, fish stocks etc. Though our chances of reversing environmental damage are zero in the short term, we can choose to view our situation in a completely different way. Everyone knows that we face major adjustments in the direction of making do with less, but the impact of that reality has not yet hit. We still drive our cars to work, take our foreign holidays, water our gardens, devour our steaks and enjoy our imported consumer goods produced by cheap Third World labour. Economically the way of the future is towards shorter supply lines, barter, working closer to home or from home, farmers markets and community swaps. Any business ideas based on these principles will thrive.
We also need to realise the future is in our hands, not in the hands of centralised government. Our existing systems are incapable of preserving our current way of life, but most have a significant reluctance to embrace alternative systems. Meanwhile, Neptune continues his fourteen year journey through air sign Aquarius, which began in 1998 and will end in early 2012. This period has been marked by a mass unleashing of creativity in communication, music and the arts as a result of easy access to the new technologies of the past two decades, particularly the internet and mobile phone. The shadow side of Neptune in Aquarius is the blurring of the boundaries between public and private life. We have sacrificed our personal freedom and privacy, paving the way for identity theft, spying, stalking and increased government control over our personal and financial affairs. The full extent of these consequences are yet to be revealed. After all no one foresaw how the invention of the car and plane would lead to the mechanised warfare of WW1 or how the invention of the contraceptive pill would produce massive changes in family structure. Once a person is defamed on a website or a drunken, topless photo appears on Facebook, the whole world knows about it and judges accordingly.
Neptune in Aquarius has also brought about an increased interest in the spiritual side of life and a rise in the number of films and artistic projects dedicated to this subject. Finally the real mover and shaker of 2010 is Uranus, ruler of revolution, technology and higher mental frequencies. Uranus will enter entrepreneurial fire sign Aries in the middle of the year after a seven year stint in water sign Pisces. War will be declared on oppressive situations and many who have borne the international events of the past few years stoically will begin to protest and demand justice and revolution. Those who channel their creative self-expression into the arts will find the new vibrational energy inspirational, while those whose whole life is a creative project will be able to make sweeping changes. Jupiter and Chiron both enter Pisces this year ensuring that the transformational Arian energy is expressed with a sense of compassion.