As we move into 2015 many people will gladly put 2014 behind them! On a personal level there are likely many high points to look back on with a sense of lasting achievement gained from undergoing the Herculean challenges it presented as the months unfolded. Having been required to, sometimes literally, weather the storms, it probably feels like we’ve just come out of one of the toughest years yet.
Whilst 2015 doesn’t bring the end of all tribulation – we still have some of the same astrological dynamics to work with – it does promise to be considerably less like an endurance test.
The major theme as we look ahead is one of new beginnings. We know that there is no going back, we’ve seen too much of the truth and it’s not pretty. But having turned our back on the last few years we are still not quite sure what we want for our collective future. So, much of this year is about making a start with tidying up the mess whilst we debate and consider the most desirable way forward. How we react and respond to events and situations as they arise will have a profound affect on our future experiences. There are some key astrological events that have extra significance during the coming year and they act as “doorways” or “cross roads” as we pass through these times.
We are currently in the midst of two important planetary configurations. The Pluto Uranus square which has been with us since 2012 is the epitome of revolution and it has almost finished it’s work. Breaking down the establishment with it’s entrenched corruption is the job of Pluto in Capricorn whilst Uranus in Aries is the rebel fighting for the right of expression and freedom from tyranny. Protests and demonstrations. Collective unrest has been the theme. Chaos, disruption and shocking events have left few untouched. Even those who saw no reason or had no intention to shake up their world haven’t been allowed to maintain a comfortable status quo. This extreme and unsettling phase has nearly reached it’s conclusion. From late November 2014 through to early April these two planets stay within range, with the final exact square on 17th March. We can expect many of the issues and tensions that have built up during the last months of 2014 to begin to ease from then onwards. The next few years are a time of renewal and regeneration involving the collapse of the old order of things and the construction of the new.
The second ongoing dynamic which has been with us since late September is the supportive and positive trine aspect of Jupiter in Leo to Uranus in Aries. It started around the potent Libra New Moon and will continue on through to late June. This influence gives a forward thinking, inspirational drive. The focus is on mind-expanding activities connected with consciousness growth. There will be plenty of exciting possibilities and great inventiveness during this period as hope and optimism for a brighter future inspires creative solutions along with the will to try a new path.
To add to this year’s theme of endings and beginnings we have the great teacher planet, Saturn changing signs when we say farewell to the old year around the winter solstice. This sombre planet takes about 2.5 years in each sign. On a mundane level it represents the social order, authoritarian influences and trends in law, social contracts and civic cohesion. It shows how the regulation of society influences or limits the choices of an individual. Whilst moving through the intense, fixed sign Scorpio we saw many examples where power had corrupted those entrusted with it and how lawful order was disregarded by those in authority. Saturn now moves into Sagittarius which is a fast paced, future orientated sign that has high ideals, seeks a greater truth and loves freedom to roam and explore new horizons.
Saturn went through this sign during 1926-29, 1956-58 and 1985-88. These were periods of increased international exchange with an emphasis on expansion of ideas and delimitation. Commitments, contracts and agreements to long term plans will need to be revised or renegotiated to fit with the more idealistic version of society that we want to create. Beliefs will be challenged and so called “truths” questioned during this phase. There may be a broadening of geographical boundaries but also new limits imposed or restriction of movement across existing borders.
As further confirmation that we really are heading into a new phase this year there’s a once in a lifetime event at the Spring equinox in March. Astrologers generally acknowledge the first degree of cardinal sign Aries to be the most potent in the Zodiac. As the Sun passes this point it is essentially the beginning of a new yearly cycle and also represents another turn on the evolutionary spiral of our unfolding consciousness. So this year on 20th March, to mark the occasion, there is a New Moon, Super Moon, total Solar eclipse – which occurs in the last degree of Pisces. This really is underlining the theme of endings and beginnings! The last time a Perigee moon (Super moon) occurred in the very last degree of the Zodiac was in 1901, the end of the Victorian era, which then brought an immense change in the social and political trends for a vast portion of the globe.
This coming solar eclipse will be visible throughout Europe, N.W. Africa and the middle East and the totality can be seen in the very North of Europe. The next visible eclipse in this area will not be until 2026. This event suggests that huge changes in the social and political structure of the entire European region will follow during the next months.
Other significant events later in the year include Jupiter moving into Virgo, which it does about every 12 years. The big planet Jupiter shows us how and where we become something more than we have been. Expansion, growth, nurturing of ideas or beliefs along with understanding and inclusion are all Jupiter’s business. In the sign of Virgo we want to perfect ourselves and adjust to our ideal vision. The downside of this is that we can get caught up with details and trying too hard to make it “right”. This could become especially problematic when Jupiter opposes Neptune in Pisces during early September. Here we have Neptunian dreams, idealistic visions and a desire to manifest a better future but with a tendency to lose sight of where we are going by either getting lost in the details, being hyper critical of others or becoming overly expansive, unrealistic and confused about what is really required.
This potential trend will likely continue on into 2016 as the challenging square aspect from Saturn in Sagittarius makes contact with Neptune in Pisces in late November 2015 and throughout most of the following year. Whilst practical Saturn is pushing for a reality check, saying let’s be serious and make a mature commitment to something worthwhile and tangible, Neptune is asking us to transcend all the material and mundane aspects of life and allow another reality to become apparent. The task here will be to become clear about what is real and what is an illusion. What is a practical solution and what is pure ideology.
This will be a trying time for many as the clash between capitalism and socialism is enacted on the social and political arena. On a personal level the need to balance physical reality with being spiritually aware will be uppermost for many. New ways of organising ourselves as a more inclusive society are being sought now as we attempt to put the old paradigm to rest, but there is no sound basis on which to build as yet. This will come as the required shifts in awareness become more prevalent in society and the current challenges are overcome. We are at a point of change, we are getting clear about what no longer works for us, but we may have to try out a few different options before we know what we truly prefer.
This year there are some zodiac degrees that are strongly highlighted Where they fall in your own birth chart will indicate the area of your life that is most activated. People with personal planets or significant points at those degrees will also be most affected. Aries Sun people born late March and early April will find it a particularly stimulating year. Late Pisces Sun people are in for an interesting year of new opportunities.
What’s in store for Ireland during 2015? Check back soon for 2015 part two.