Overview
2021 is not the endurance ordeal of 2020 but there is no point in pretending that 2021 is the reward for getting through the last year. This year has more positive highlights and things are moving along at a much faster pace now so we can get a better feel of what we have to work with.
It could be a bit of a roller coaster ride as we adjust and re-adjust to all the dynamics that are on the Astro schedule this year. We get a good mid-year taster of some of the benefits coming along in 2022 but we’ll have to wait until 2023 to feel we have come through and out the other side of something big. 2021 brings many twists and turns and some unexpected events that alter the course of our lives to varying degrees, but we have plenty to be optimistic about as long as we stay with the Aquarius trend of the current times. Taking a step back from the emotive scenes we are bombarded with through the media and getting some perspective that reconnects you to your local reality and your community is the best remedy for any of this year’s turbulence. Being open-minded, open-hearted and allowing the creative solutions to flow is the way to make an opportunity out of a crisis. That’s the main message and the way ahead this year.
Saturn in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus.
Exact on 17th February, 14th June and 24th December
We have one dominant theme this year that gives us the signature for 2021. This dynamic suggests we are in for a rocky ride in 2021 as the square between these very different planets is in the background throughout the year.
Saturn (tradition) is challenged by Uranus (change) and the main topics are around reformist ideals and social constructs (Aquarius) versus the security of material resources and the body’s basic needs (Taurus)
Square aspects demand action and they get our attention so we DO something to arrive at a new position or perspective. This energy asks for change so we can have a new experience.
The two planets involved have very contrasting energies and the constraints and stability of Saturn will thwart the rash overthrow of Uranus whilst Uranus will provide the unexpected twists and turns than any good plot requires ensuring Saturn doesn’t provide a dreary and predictable conclusion to this chapter of our lives.
To understand better what the planetary patterns are telling us we can take a look at the nature of the planet and the sign it’s in to give us some direction. Saturn is the planet of stability and consolidation It describes the condition of being human, the restriction, limitation and obligations of being in a world where we are confined by time, space and being physical, along with all the needs and responsibilities of living in the material world. Saturn teaches us how to get along within these confines and we learn and grow as a result, on a personal level and in an evolutionary sense. Experience can ultimately bring us maturity and a sense of right action, wisdom and self governance.
Aquarius is a fixed air sign, which describes the realm of our thoughts. It operates with detachment and rationale. Aquarius is all about knowledge and the ability to construct new concepts into a plan or system for the apparent greater good. We use this to plan for our future by looking ahead at a variety of possibilities. Imagination allows us to organize systems and structures to benefit us all in preparation for what happens next.
With Saturn in Aquarius there is the theme of social reform and technological advances that alter the way we live our everyday lives, our work needs and our social structures.
Uranus is the planet on the far side of Saturn in our solar system so it represents the next level just beyond our physical existence. It is the planet of our higher mind that taps into the grand design. It is innovative and experimental, often bringing flashes of inspiration or fantastic new ideas. It is the planet of change and disruption. It makes radical shifts to oust the existing patterns, thinking, habits or social and political structures. It inspires reforms and revolutions and breaks out beyond boundaries and conditions that prevent freedom. It is the planet of the authentic self and true individual expression. On a personal level it is all about having the ability to walk the talk or step out of the consensus conformity to be an independent thinker.
Taurus is a fixed earth sign and describes our physical experiences, the state of being human in a material environment. It represents the physical senses and the needs and wants that come with having a body. Taurus is about having the practical skills and resources required to live harmoniously in the natural world. Food, shelter, warmth and social connections are fundamental for humans to survive and thrive on a physical level. Basic security is the Taurus domain.
So as the “warp speed” plans to move humanity into a digital “smart” world get challenged by unforeseen delays and resistance, we may find that all is not going to plan when it comes to resetting our social and economic systems. On the other hand, it is all going according to plan if we allow for the chaos factor of nature and the random wild card element that has always made essential digressions and pushed evolution to its next level when required.
There will be a strange mix of ideals, ethics and personal values as many previous choices and preferences will reverse or at least overlap in ways that couldn’t have been expected before now.
Those who would be natural freedom seekers and outsiders will find themselves wanting to conserve a status quo or be defensive of traditional values. Whilst many previously conservative people will be the first to adopt the “new normal” as society is reformed at an astonishing pace.
Some of the biggest causes of division that we will experience this year will be a clash of moral or ethical values and fighting over what we value. Opinions and beliefs will become even more divergent or extreme, and each will believe they are right. The problem arises when one side wants to use force to ensure the compliance of the other. The tensions will rise and lines will be crossed. There is little doubt that we will see a lot more rebellion and resistance in 2021.
We will see many issues that highlight our access to resources in 2021. We will have serious questions about who “owns” the land, homes, property and even the money. Who has the “right” to access these resources will be a point of contention. It’s not just about the big things and global resources, it’s also about the basics at a local level. Who owns our food, or the ability to produce it from a garden or farm and our water and fuel supplies too. There will be argument and clashes, confrontation and riots over these things, all around the world. The global economic systems will be under stress and our local systems will need to step up to fill the gaps.
The issue of ownership and fundamental rights will become a major topic of divisiveness this year. There will be those that seek to overrule personal needs and wants, as we are asked to sacrifice all that we hold dear for the so-called “good of all”. Some will continue to trust those people or organisations that preach that the new ways are necessary to maintain personal and collective safety and security.
As people in their masses seek to be saved from the things they fear most, they will surrender their autonomy in exchange.
Not everyone wants this new system which involves little or no personal governance. Many will choose to fend for themselves by pooling their skills and resources on a local level so they can maintain their ability to manage their community systems and structures. Each will see the other as a threat to their survival and this can bring out the more basic survival instincts in people.
This is certainly a time when we must consider deeply our relationship with our environment and how able we are to harmonise with nature. We need a new approach which integrates technological advances with the natural rhythms and cycle that we have become estranged from. We need to adjust the way we organise our social patterns and how we share our resources so there is a more balanced and cohesive system in place. The planetary signatures do speak to us about “now” as the time for this. There is a massive and seemingly necessary shift occurring and a new paradigm being initiated. We are at a point of choosing which way we want to proceed.
What we currently see being promoted by the media is only one way forwards Those who hold influential positions are all singing the same tune and no one else is getting the chance to be heard or seen. Being given only one option for our collective future is not a choice, it is a dictate.
Will we become more aware and connected with our deeper and more refined spiritual nature and intuitively find the balance and harmony required. Or will we insist on following our fearful mind and self-limiting beliefs to design what we are told is the right and only way?
Neptune misinformation and confusion
A theme that carries over from 2020 is that we are being kept in the dark or just can’t see our way ahead with clarity.
Neptune the planet of mystery and illusions is in a challenging square to the Moon’s nodes since mid-2020. The nodes represent our destined path and what we are growing into for our future as well as what we are releasing from the past. When Neptune is involved there is often an inability to see what is going on behind the scenes and it’s as if things are being distorted leaving a sense of unreality to whatever is happening. Certainly, it may not appear that we are deluded or mistaken because the illusion is very effective. We just know that things don’t add up or they make no sense when we try to put the pieces together. This dynamic concludes in early February. Once this veil is lifted many things may become apparent. There is likely to be revelations of deeply held secrets or deliberate deceptions. We should at least get some clarity and see where we are heading now. There may be a backlash as some people feel cheated or angry at being taken advantage of over the past months.
Some of the barriers to feeling compassion and empathy are going to lift and we may be more able to resonate with others despite being of differing opinion.
For many people, this phase will have helped them look more deeply for the hidden truths in life and brought them a sense of connection with something more spiritual or of greater meaning.
Mars is on the move again
After spending an extraordinary amount of time in one sign in 2020, nearly half the year in Aries, Mars is now going to transit eight signs in 2021 serving as a timing trigger. This movement from the action planet signifies the fast pace of change and the rapid evolution of events that we can expect this year. It is also the planet of friction and conflict. Not all conflict is war but this planet makes some very volatile contacts with several other planetary big shots as it whizzes by. Mars travels through each sign and stirs things up. The nature of each sign gives us the clues as to how well this goes. It triggers the Uranus in Taurus position on 18th January which can ignite some heat around bodily integrity and food resources. This opens up the challenges that we will be facing surrounding these topics this year.
When Mars challenges Jupiter on 19th January we could see some heated action and conflict around justice and social reforms and then some shift or resolution, a finale of sorts, from the opposition on 28th July.
On 1st July Mars opposes Saturn and this frustrating energy can cause the pressure to break something apart during the few days either side. In the fire sign of Leo, it could be a literal firewall problem. some resistance to the enforcement of restrictions or significant leadership changes.
In late October and early November Mars moves from the air sign Libra to the water sign Scorpio as it makes a powerful and challenging square to Pluto, then Saturn followed by an opposition to Uranus. This is certainly going to be a turbulent few weeks and a peak period of disruption this year We can expect power clashes and maybe riots or civil disturbances during this time. There could be natural events that create upheaval as the Lunar eclipse also falls into this time frame. 20th October to 20th November.
Jupiter in Pisces provides a preview
Jupiter just arrived in Aquarius at the end of 2020 to make its grand conjunction with Saturn. It takes about a year to transit one sign so we have this expansion of Aquarian themes for 2021.
Aquarius does not get entangled in sentimentality or get swayed by emotional reactivity. It casts a clear and detached mind over the issues it perceives and seeks a progressive solution that will benefit humanity. So there is a high level of innovation with new technologies that are designed to create a better world for our future. At worst there is an exaggerated level of ideology and altruism with a sense of almost divine righteousness.
Jupiter briefly moves into Pisces, on 13th May until 28th July when it starts the retrograde back into Aquarius and it won’t return to Pisces until 29th December. But this short spell of the benevolent planet in its own sign of Pisces is like a breath of fresh air amid so much unrest and restriction. Pisces is a creative and even mystical sign that connects to other dimensions with ease. It can be inclined to want to escape the material world in exchange for something more spiritual. Its true expression is more towards freeing the spirit from the confines of the mundane and expressing a more intuitive and compassionate connection with the world and its inhabitants. Jupiter in Pisces allows us to reach out and expand on our higher aspirations and goals. Our imagination is strengthened and we can be highly intuitive and inspired. We seek broader and better horizons that are aligned to values beyond the material world. It takes some of the fear away and replaces it with optimism and faith in a brighter future. There is a sense of being guided or aligned with a divine force.
The retrograde of Jupiter back into Aquarius will allow us to return to the business of reforming and working on our connection with humanity before we get to working on reconnecting to our divinity during the Pisces transit.
Mercury Retrogrades to get us thinking
30th January to 21st February in Aquarius
29th May to 22nd June in Gemini
27th September to 18th October in Libra
In 2021 Mercury has three retrograde phases which in itself is nothing unusual but this year they all occur in the air signs.
This emphasis on our thoughts goes along with the Aquarian theme and the power of our mind and thoughts being of great significance. Mercury represents our ability to process information and make sense of what we hear or see. In a time when so much of what we are presented with as fact or knowledge is actually distorted to support an agenda, we really do need to approach information with clarity and discernment. Many responses to ideas, opinions and suggestions are rebuked with an emotional reaction rather than a level headed assessment. During these Mercury retrograde phases this year there is likely a need to review what you thought you knew to be true. Many presentations of news and truth are revealed to be less than honest during 2021 and during the Mercury retrograde phases, we are likely to see some of the supposedly reliable sources unravel.
Use these retrograde phases of 2021 to meditate and contemplate. Take time out to research or re-examine information you use to make your choices. Be prepared to reconsider and re-evaluate everything.
More than ever now it is important to be aware of what you think and where your attention and mental energy is focused. Your attention creates more of what you focus on. Keep your attention away from the issues that make you feel powerless.
The very thoughts that you think are powerful in creating your version of reality and so if they are mostly fearful or anxious your world is a much more difficult place to navigate. Whereas if your thinking is peaceful and you possess an open mind you will be assured of a much more enjoyable experience in life.
Eclipses start a new cycle
26th May Lunar eclipse in Sagittarius
10th June Solar eclipse in Gemini
19th November Lunar eclipse in Taurus
4th December Solar eclipse in Sagittarius
This year’s eclipse cycles bring the ending to the previous Gemini Sagittarius polarity in exchange for the Taurus Scorpio one which becomes the eclipse pattern for 2022.
Sagittarius represents the imaginative thinking and exploration of new ideas and experiences that expand our understanding (ruled by Jupiter). Gemini represents the interpretation of information that requires a comparison of ideas and provides contrast and options. (ruled by Mercury)
The eclipse cycle moves into a Taurus Scorpio phase for 2022. The 19th November Lunar eclipse gives us a head start on the coming year trends. We begin to discern between actual reality and overly emotional responses to what we think is reality.
A big signature of 2020 and 2021 is the way we are reacting to anyone who is coming from a different perspective and opinion.
One of the big lessons for us all is to refrain from this divisiveness and to stop needing to be “right” and make the other wrong to prove our self.
Being truly awake and aware does not exclude deep feelings, compassion or empathy but it does not involve any emotionalism and reactivity. This is a truly freeing way of interacting with the world and others as each moment is fresh and untainted by any imprints or residues from the past.
The November eclipse comes amongst several other tense alignments and we may not see the full effect of this eclipse until it unfolds in the early months of 2022. There may be some purging and transformation on many levels that will clear a path for what is to come in the following year.
We can see that 2021 is really a preparation year for the next several years that follow. Doing the groundwork this year will help to design the future that is wanted by ordinary people who want to live ordinary lives. Remembering that we are each extraordinary, unique and powerful is the way to achieve this.