JULY 2012 GENERAL FORECAST

The Uranus-Pluto square, discussed in last month’s general forecast, is now drawing apart slightly, but the planets remain within one degree of exact square for the whole month. The intensified urge toward self-determination by individuals, social groups, and whole nations, continues through this period, with demands for drastic and immediate change by any means necessary. The full moon on the 3^rd is a potential flashpoint, but the new moon on the 19^th is more interesting. This coincides with a T-square of Mars, Uranus and Pluto, Mars being in Libra opposite Uranus and square Pluto. This adds the assertive, dynamic, competitive, violent energy of Mars to the ongoing Uranus-Pluto transit. All these forces are channelled into the collective mind of Humanity through the New Moon. We can expect the ongoing desire for revolutionary change to be expressed assertively and forcefully at this time, with the revolutionaries feeling a sense of expansiveness and optimism as the Moon waxes.

Given the ongoing turmoil of the Arab Spring, and the various social and demographic factors that make the Arab world more prone to revolution, we would in any case expect the Arab world to be the likeliest focus for these forces. However, this transit is focused even more intently on the Arabs in particular, and Muslims in general, because it occurs right at the start of Ramadan. The well-attended prayer meetings during this period provide a ready-made crowd.

Elsewhere, the Olympic Games commence in London on the 27^th, amidst massive security. Over 30,000 police, soldiers, and private security guards will be deployed to protect the Games. Despite the upbeat comments of politicians, the Games are deeply unpopular among many ordinary Londoners, who resent the expense and disruption. Youth unemployment remains very high, especially among ethnic minorities, and the police force in London is widely resented. The increased security around the Games is therefore a potential flashpoint for a repeat of last year’s riots, which were the worst in recent British history.

The energies of alienated British youth could conceivably be diverted into the collective experience of the Games, although of course the vast majority will only see them on television. If black British athletes are especially successful, this could defuse tensions to some extent insofar as members of that ethnic group identify subconsciously with their success.

THE AGE OF AQUARIUS AND THE GREAT YEAR

New Age literature contains a lot of vague talk about the so-called “Age of Aquarius” and the “Great Year”. I believe there is no real evidence for these concepts, and in this article I’ll be explaining why.

The “Great Year” refers to the idea that history is divided into very long, recurrent cycles or “Great Years” of 25,920 years each. Each cycle is divided into twelve equal periods or Astrological Ages of 2160 years each, named after the signs of the zodiac. Proponents of this theory claim that we are now passing from the Age of Pisces into the Age of Aquarius.

Before discussing the supposed qualities of the Astrological Ages, I must give a brief explanation of the basis of this idea. The explanation is quite technical, so bear with me. Firstly, you need to understand that the signs of the zodiac do not correspond with the constellations whose names they bear. The signs are equal divisions of the ecliptic, which is the path along which the sun and planets appear to move. Each sign covers exactly 30 degrees, making 360 degrees total, which is a full circle. The signs are marked off from the First Point of Aries, which is the beginning of the zodiac. The First Point of Aries is simply the exact position of the sun, at sunrise on the Spring Equinox (20^th March).

The constellations, on the other hand, are groups of stars that we can easily see in the night sky. Most constellations are nowhere near the ecliptic, and are therefore not included in the zodiac. For example, the most recognisable constellations in the Northern Hemisphere are Orion and the Plough (also called the Great Bear and the Big Dipper). The path of the sun and planets does not pass through these constellations, so they are not included in the zodiac.

Here’s where it gets confusing. The constellations after which the signs are named no longer correspond to the signs, because the First Point of Aries, from which the signs are measured, is continually slipping backwards! When astrological terminology was decided, the sign of Aries coincided with the constellation of Aries. But since that time, the First Point of Aries (beginning of the sign) has slipped backwards through the whole constellation of Pisces and on into the constellation of Aquarius.

Proponents of the “Great Year” concept define the “Age of Aquarius” as the period during which the First Point of Aries is in the constellation of Aquarius. So when did this begin? We have a problem, because if you look at a map of the night sky, you’ll see that the constellations do not have any definite boundaries. Astronomers have arbitrarily defined which stars are in Aquarius and which are in Pisces, but have not clearly divided up the space between them. So we don’t know where one constellation ends and another begins! And even if we did, the division would simply be an arbitrary line, drawn by astronomers, in the same way that early administrators drew straight lines across the maps of Africa and America to divide them into countries and states. Incidentally, some constellations are much bigger than others, so they could never correspond to the signs as these are of equal size.

Because the boundaries of the constellation of Aquarius are not clearly defined, there is no agreement as to when the First Point of Aries passed into this region. The idea became popular during the Hippie Era of the 1960s, and was brought to public notice by the very catchy song “Age of Aquarius”, the theme tune of the musical “Hair”. Many people have a vague notion that the Age of Aquarius began around that time. But others argue for a variety of other dates, from as far back as the Nineteenth Century to several hundred years into the future!

We can already see, surely, that this concept of the Astrological Ages is so vague as to be pretty useless. But I will now discuss the claims made about the different Ages, to demonstrate that even if the Ages could be clearly defined, they would have no real significance.

Leaving aside the promised Age of Aquarius, as this may not have even started yet, let’s consider the Age of Pisces, which covers approximately the last 2160 years. This period covers the entire history of the Christian religion. It is therefore claimed that Christianity is a Piscean religion, and that Piscean qualities have defined the last 2000 years or so throughout the entire world.

This idea is based on a profound ignorance of religious history. Firstly, Christianity did not dominate the last 2000 years at all. As late as 1500, three quarters of the way through this “Age of Pisces”, Christianity was only prevalent in Europe, which is a quite small part of the whole planet. Secondly, the Piscean qualities could be summarised as “emotional receptiveness”, and Christian civilisation has most certainly not shown these qualities through most of its history. In fact, Christianity has been the most coercive, authoritarian, and downright cruel of all the main religions. For centuries, Christian priests have warned Christian rulers to harden their hearts against the cries of tortured heretics, Jews, Pagans, and indeed other Christians. And Christianity’s repressive tendency did not result from centuries of moral decline, but was there almost from the beginning. Christians were persecuting one another for obscure doctrinal “errors” even before the brutal Emperor Constantine made Christianity the State Religion of the Roman Empire in the Fourth Century CE. For most of the past 2000 years, Islamic societies have been significantly more tolerant than Christian societies.

The previous Astrological Age was supposedly that of Aries, extending from about 2000 BCE to round about the birth of Jesus Christ. It is alleged that Arian qualities of assertiveness and single-mindedness define this period, because great empires were being expanded through military force, using iron weapons (iron is the metal associated with Mars, which has the most affinity with Aries), and monotheism was being imposed, especially among the Jews who sacrificed rams as part of their religion. This is even more nonsensical than the “Age of Pisces”. Firstly, the expansion of great empires wasn’t only seen during the “Age of Aries”, but in fact continued even more forcefully during the “Age of Pisces”. Secondly, the fact that Jews sacrificed rams can hardly define an entire age of world history, since Jews were then, as now, a minute fraction of the world’s population. Thirdly, the only attempts to establish monotheism during this period were those of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten, and the Jewish “reformers” such as King Hezekiah, King Josiah, and the prophets Ezra and Nehemiah. (There is no evidence for the existence of earlier Bible characters such as Moses and Joshua). Akhenaten’s eccentric campaign to make Aten (the Sun God) the sole deity of Egypt lasted only for his own lifetime, after which the people returned to their polytheistic traditions. As for the Jews, even the Bible states that they constantly returned to the worship of many Gods and Goddesses for most of this period. They were in any case a very small and insignificant nation at this time.

The previous ages of Taurus (4000 to 2000 BCE), Gemini (6000 to 4000 BCE) and so on, have even less basis in reality.

OK, you might ask, so this “Great Year” theory doesn’t amount to much- but it’s harmless isn’t it, and fun to think about?

Well no- actually this idea could potentially do a lot of harm. If the wonderful  “Age of Aquarius” is as inevitable as tomorrow’s sunrise, then why not just sit back and wait for it to happen? Why bother to change the world by our own efforts, especially if our own safety and comfort is put at risk? This encouragement of apathy is the seductive danger of this and many other “New Age” concepts.

 

 

JUNE 2012 GENERAL FORECAST

This could potentially be a very disturbed and eventful month, as Uranus and Pluto reach their first exact square aspect on the 24^th. If you’re new to this site, then you should refer back to my previous articles about the ongoing Uranus-Pluto square, which lasts from 2010 to early 2017. Briefly, this transit combines the individualising power of Uranus with the ruthlessly intensifying power of Pluto. Uranus focuses individual and social groups, including entire nations, on their individual, unique qualities that distinguish them from others. This influence stimulates resentment of unfair or dismissive treatment, and a desire for personal freedom and autonomy. Even minor differences may be exaggerated as a means of self-expression, and trivial slights, grudgingly tolerated hitherto, will no longer be accepted. This is an original and innovative influence, because it prompts rejection of the outside influences and established customs and traditions that stifle innovation and retard progress. Radicals and revolutionaries identify with Uranus, while fearful reactionaries project the power of Uranus onto those same radicals, seeing even their most moderate and reasonable demands as a doorway to chaos and destruction. Either way the stage is set for conflict. Repression only increases the pressure, till the bottle bursts!

Last year, the planets never reached exact square aspect, but they did come within one degree of exactness for a brief period. On the very night of their closest approach, a devastating wave of riots broke out all over England, worse than anything in recent history. Elsewhere in the world, the Uranus-Pluto influence has manifested in the “Arab Spring” revolutionary wave, the worldwide “Occupy” movements, and the extreme right-wing populist candidates seeking the Republican nomination for the forthcoming presidential election in the USA.

In addition to the exact transit on the 24^th, the other likely flashpoints this month are the full moon in Sagittarius on the 4^th, and the new moon in Gemini on the 19^th. Occult science teaches that all the planetary energies are “channelled” into the Earth through the Moon, and may therefore not show their full effects until the full or new moon nearest any transit. Since the exact transit comes after the new moon, this suggests that its full effects could be delayed till next month. Certainly my own experience is that people generally are simply much more volatile around the full and new moons, prone to impulsive actions. How does a peaceful demonstration become a riot? Perhaps by just one impulsive action of a demonstrator or police officer, which triggers further violence in an escalating chain reaction. In a dry summer, one cigarette end is enough to start a fire that burns many square miles.

These conflagrations should be anticipated in large urban areas with high unemployment, especially youth unemployment, high proportions of young people, readily available means of rapid communication (I-phones), perceptions of increasing distance between haves and have-nots, and a mood of prevailing cynicism with regard to those in power. Personally I think that further rioting in England is highly likely, and even more so in the southern European countries which are suffering even higher youth unemployment and drastic “austerity measures” imposed by faceless international authorities. I’d also anticipate an upsurge of violence in the Arab world, but probably not in Iran, where external threats of Israeli and/or American air attacks will tend to align the public with their government.

In England, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations might actually defuse the rebellious energies to some extent. This might sound unrealistic to non-British readers, but the fact is that we British have a curious, rather ambivalent attitude toward the monarchy, and a generally favorable atttitude to the queen herself, on whom the celebrations will be focused. However, the celebrations could still backfire if the government attempts to obviously to channel their positive energies for their own ends.

In America, the Republican Party will be continuing their long and very complex process of choosing their candidate to oppose Barack Obama in the November Presidential Election. The real battle will be between the libertarian Ron Paul with his very dedicated, well organised, youthful, internet-savvy followers, and Mitt Romney, the multimillionaire candidate who has all along been favoured by the Party establishment. It looks like Ron Paul will be “nominated from the floor”, but can he really hope to beat Romney in a convention full of millionaires? Certainly he still intends to try, so I’d expect feverish activity ongoing through the month as he attempts to channel the Uranus-Pluto thought-currents.

Other than the Uranus-Pluto square, there’s also a brief Jupiter-Neptune square around the middle of the month. This is a vague transit anyway, and will last only a few days. I expect a brief upsurge of expansively spiritual ideas, idealistic notions of the unity of humankind, calls for greater altruism by religious leaders, and so on. Without any Saturn input to ground these fine notions in practical reality, they will have little or no impact on the world.

PISCES 2013

These sun sign forecasts are divided into three groups, based on birthdate, for greater accuracy.

2013 EARLY PISCES (Born around 19^th-28^th February).

 Neptune is your big influence in 2013, with a once in a lifetime conjunction to your natal sun, lasting the entire year. This conjunction forms the background to all your other transits, and is focused on those born earliest in Pisces. Like all Neptune transits it’s a once in a lifetime experience, due to Neptune’s orbital period being much longer than a human life. The conjunction is a harmonious aspect, although being the most powerful of all aspects it can still be difficult to handle, especially as Neptune has more affinity for Pisces than for any other sign, so the sign and planet combine their qualities very readily. With intelligence and care, however, this year should be seen as an opportunity to benefit from Neptune’s influence.

Neptune’s basic power is to “dissolve boundaries”. This includes the boundaries between people, between reality and imagination, and between the spiritual and material worlds. So a harmonious Neptune transit suggests increased empathy with other people. As Pisces is the most responsive of the water signs, your empathy especially relates to other peoples feelings, rather than their thoughts. Don’t assume, however, that empathy is always entirely beneficial. You may find yourself empathising with other peoples’ negative emotions, like rage and hate, so you’ll need to remind yourself that these emotions are potentially destructive, even if you feel you understand their origins. You also need to learn to distinguish other peoples’ feelings from your own, so as to avoid being “infected” by their negativity. There are ways to “brush off” the bad feelings that may cling to you after meeting sad or angry people, and also ways to “insulate” yourself when you feel vulnerable.

Because Neptune also dissolves the boundaries of reality, its influence also frees up your imagination, enhancing your powers of creativity. So this year is a good time to develop your creative talents, which by the way would be a good outlet for the emotions that you’re picking up from other people.

The barrier between the visible and spiritual worlds is thinner at this time, increasing your spiritual sensitivity. This has both positive and negative effects- you don’t want to be an “open channel” for every spiritual influence, and you do need to keep at least one foot on the ground. Mere emotion is often mistaken for a spiritual impulse, especially where wishful thinking is involved. You need to learn the ways of “grounding” yourself, and closing down your sensitivity when it could overwhelm you. Practical activity will help, especially outdoor work such as gardening. Some books recommend eating as an easy way of “shutting down the psychic centres”, but this results in many mediums becoming very obese, so I don’t advise it.

January sees Neptune conjunct, Jupiter square, and Pluto sextile to your natal sun. Jupiter and Pluto are focused on the later-born members of this group, so I’ll discuss these separately. Pluto somewhat intensifies the natural qualities of your Piscean sun-sign. You’re feeling altruistic, ready to sacrifice yourself for the greater good, or for a great ideal. Jupiter magnifies your trust in others, and your estimation of their worthiness, perhaps too much so. There’s some risk of being used by others for their own ends. Take advice from level headed friends, even if they seem to lack compassion and imagination.

Pluto moves ahead in late January, leaving Jupiter and Neptune in play through February.

In mid-March Jupiter moves on, while Saturn’s influence appears in the harmonious trine aspect by the end of the month. Saturn draws your attention to the limitations that inevitably accompany our lives in the material world, but in the trine aspect this should motivate your practical efforts toward achievable goals, rather than just making you despondent. This is an opportunity for practical creative work and offering useful help to other people, rather than just sympathy.

Saturn and Neptune dominate the scene in April-June, joined in early July by Jupiter (now in trine aspect) and by Pluto in mid-July. Jupiter works his way across the whole group, while Pluto is focused on the later-born group members. In mid-July Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune form a Grand Trine in the water signs, focused intensely on those born around 23^rd February. This is a brief period of powerfully flowing emotional energies, combining empathy and spiritual awareness, faith and generosity, and a practical outlook. Great things can be achieved, especially if you’re already working on them.

Jupiter moves on in mid-August, leaving Saturn, Neptune and Pluto in play till Saturn also moves on at the end of September.

October sees Neptune and Pluto dominating the picture, their influences separating as Pluto moves ahead while Neptune remains focused on the early-born group members. Pluto mildly intensifies the self-sacrificial tendencies of those born later in this group, while Neptune’s long standstill in November focuses its influence intensely on those born around 21^st February. If you’re one of these, this could be a strange period, and you may need the help of trusted friends to help you stay in contact with reality. Your imagination is working overtime, so any creative work would be a good outlet for those energies, preventing them from going to waste.

Pluto moves out of this group in late November, leaving Neptune as your sole remaining influence. But Neptune is moving a bit faster now, and the latter born members of this group can feel themselves gently floating back towards the solid ground.

2013 MID PISCES (Born around 1^st-10^th March).

 From January Saturn trines your natal sun, joined in February by Pluto in sextile aspect, and by Jupiter square in late March. Saturn focuses attention on the limitations inherent in our lives on earth. But in the harmonious trine aspect he’s potentially a useful grounding influence, motivating practical activity and counteracting the Piscean tendency to wallow in emotion. Pluto rather intensifies your Piscean qualities, maybe in a self-sacrificial direction, and Jupiter adds an overflowing confidence in self and others, a willingness to think the best of people which could leave you vulnerable to exploitation.

At the end of March Saturn slips back, leaving Jupiter and Pluto dominant through April-May. Without Saturn’s grounding influence you’re more at risk of being taken for a ride, so consult with your more hard-headed friends before making any big financial or emotional commitments.

From June to mid-July your natal sun has only a sextile aspect from Pluto. Your naturally Piscean qualities are mildly intensified. You’re very responsive to other people’s feelings, but as this is a very mild aspect your rational mind is not entirely overwhelmed.

In early August Jupiter reappears, now in trine aspect, and remains as your natal sun’s only influence till the end of September. Life feels joyful, everything feels easily achievable with little effort, everyone you meet seems worthy of your trust. Some of these impressions may be illusions, so again, take warning from your more hard-headed friends! Incidentally, as a Piscean you really do need those kinds of friends, even though they’re not really on your wavelength.

Saturn reappears at the start of October, joined by Pluto at the end of November. The effect is much the same as in March, but with Jupiter in trine now there’s less risk of rash over-commitment and gullibility.

2013 LATE PISCES (Born around 11^th-19^th March).

 This is a very quiet year for your natal sun, although there may of course be life-changing transits to your natal moon, planets or ascendant that would be revealed by an individual birth chart analysis.

The only transit to your natal sun is Jupiter in square aspect during May-June, moving swiftly through the whole of this group. His brief visit brings an overflowing confidence in self and others, a willingness to think the best of people which could leave you vulnerable to exploitation.

AQUARIUS 2013

for greater accuracy, these sun sign forecasts are divided into three groups according to your birthdate.

 

2013 EARLY AQUARIUS (Born 20^th-31^st January).

 January to mid-March Jupiter trines and Uranus sextiles your natal sun, both focused on the later-born half of the group. These are both harmonious aspects, so I’ll focus on their potentially helpful effects. Jupiter’s influence is “expansive”, increasing your self-confidence, and your faith in other people. You’re always motivated mainly by powerful ideas, which you often build into a complex system. Jupiter expands this tendency- you may think you have arrived at a perfect explanation for the whole of life. The “individualising” influence of Uranus focuses your mind upon your own unique qualities, making it easy to believe that your ideas are correct, even if they’re very different from other people’s. Beware of alienating others through apparent arrogance, and try to make room for other people’s feelings in your “grand scheme of things”.

Jupiter moves on in mid-March, but Saturn appears at the end of the month in square aspect, combining his influence with that of Uranus through April. This could be a difficult period (see below), but if you make the most of Saturn’s “grounding” influence you can hopefully direct your innovative, individualistic Uranus energy towards practical, achievable goals.

From May to September Saturn is your only cosmic influence, squaring your natal sun, moving slowly and reaching a standstill in early July, focused on those born around 24^th January. This will be the most noticeable transit to your natal sun this year. Saturn has the opposite effect to Jupiter, drawing your attention to the limitations intrinsic to a life on earth. For any planet, the square is the most difficult aspect. Your plans are frustrated, progress is slow, with many setbacks, rules and persons in authority seem determined to obstruct you. There are two lessons to be learned from this transit, and this by the way is the deep message of astrology. Firstly, whatever happens, it will pass. No transit lasts forever- although time does seem to pass more slowly during hard Saturn transits! Secondly, as Nietzsche said, “what ever fails to destroy me, can only make me stronger”. Even if you make no progress for the whole summer, you will gain strength and build your powers of endurance simply by standing your ground.

Saturn moves on at the start of October, and Uranus returns, still in sextile aspect, and remains your natal sun’s only influence till the year’s end. He comes to a long standstill in mid-December, focused intensely on those born around 28^th January. Life seems a great deal easier with Saturn gone, and if you’ve built your powers of endurance over the summer, you can shoot forwards now that the brakes are off, implementing your innovative, individual ideas.

 

2013 MID AQUARIUS (Born 1^st-10^th February).

 Your transits this year are more or less the mirror image of the Early Aquarians, as Saturn and Uranus slip backwards and forwards between your “territory” and theirs.

Saturn squares your natal sun in January-March, focused on the earliest-born part of the group. Saturn makes a long standstill in February, focused intensely on those born right at the start of February. This will be the most noticeable transit to your natal sun this year. Saturn has the opposite effect to Jupiter, drawing your attention to the limitations intrinsic to a life on earth. For any planet, the square is the most difficult aspect. Your plans are frustrated, progress is slow, with many setbacks, rules and persons in authority seem determined to obstruct you. There are two lessons to be learned from this transit, and this by the way is the deep message of astrology. Firstly, whatever happens, it will pass. No transit lasts forever- although time does seem to pass more slowly during hard Saturn transits! Secondly, as Nietzsche said, “what ever fails to destroy me, can only make me stronger”. Even if you make no progress for the whole summer, you will gain strength and build your powers of endurance simply by standing your ground.

Jupiter trines your natal sun from mid-March to mid-May, moving swiftly through the whole group. This will be a relief after Saturn’s frustrating standstill. The brakes are off and you shoot forward, feeling confident in your own system of ideas. All the better if you’ve kept up your efforts for the first three months, exercising your strength against resistance.

Uranus appears in the mild sextile aspect at the beginning of May, and remains the only influence on your natal sun from May to September. Uranus has an “individualising” quality, drawing your attention to your own unique qualities. You feel able to express yourself in innovative ways, which may appear a bit eccentric to some people. However, Uranus is the planet most in sympathy with your Aquarian nature. You’re reasonably satisfied if your ideas make sense to you, even if the world is out of step!

In October Uranus falls back out of this region and Saturn reappears in square aspect, moving forwards through the whole group. Saturn remains your natal sun’s only influence till the year’s end. So life gets more difficult again, slowing down, with many obstacles and a fair amount of opposition. You need to “own” the energy of Saturn by working systematically to establish your ideas on a solid, practical footing. This should be easier for you than for most other sun signs, as next to Uranus, Saturn has the best affinity with Aquarius.

 

2013 LATE AQUARIUS (Born 11^th-18^th February).

 This is a very quiet year for your natal sun, although of course you could experience life-changing transits to your moon, planets or ascendant.

The only transit to your natal sun is Jupiter in trine aspect, moving swiftly through the whole group from mid-May to the end of June. This brings a brief burst of expansive energy, with great confidence in self and others, and a willingness to think the best of people. There’s some danger of gullibility and carelessness, so don’t be too ready to abandon systems of ideas, including rules of thumb, that have previously kept you out of trouble.

CAPRICORN 2013

For greater accuracy, these sun sign forecasts are divided into three groups according to your birth date.

 

EARLY CAPRICORN (Born 21^st-31^st December).

 Pluto and Uranus are the most powerful transits to your natal sun this year, with Pluto conjunct and Uranus square to your natal sun, sliding backwards and forwards between the Early and Mid Capricorn groups. Either of these transits would be a unique, life-changing experience, but you’re experiencing them both together, putting you very much in tune with the revolutionary changes which the Uranus-Pluto square transit is bringing to the world. The most persistent influence for you this year, however, is Neptune transiting sextile to your natal sun.

I’ll begin with the Neptune sextile, since although this is the mildest influence, it’s also the longest lasting, persisting through the entire year, and forming the background of all your other transits. Neptune’s basic power is to “dissolve boundaries”, including the barriers between people, the boundaries between imagination and visible reality, and the border between the physical and spiritual worlds. In the mild sextile aspect, channelling this power constructively should be comparatively easy. Your empathy with other people should be enhanced. Since your earthy sun sign connects you strongly to the material world, you should be especially able to empathise with the physical needs and suffering of others. Creativity should also be enhanced by this influence, so this would be a good time to develop craft or artistic skills. It’s also a good time for developing your psychic powers and intuition, which you might know already as a “gut feeling” that guides you sometimes.

The year begins with Pluto conjunct, Uranus square, and Neptune sextile to your natal sun. Their exact focus differs slightly, but the whole group will feel their combined influence to some extent. Pluto intensifies the basic qualities of your Capricorn personality. You’re intensely focused on practical goals, with great powers of endurance and grim determination. Uranus focuses attention on your individuality and uniqueness. It urges you to “be yourself”, breaking free from old customs, habits, rules and authorities. It’s a rebellious and revolutionary influence, especially when intensified by Pluto. The present Uranus-Pluto square is affecting the whole world, directly or indirectly, as we see in the “Arab Spring” and many other ongoing events. Everyone is feeling it, directly or indirectly, but you are affected on a very personal level. The mild background Neptune influence may enhance your empathy with the disadvantaged, and your ability to lose yourself in any mass movement in which you may participate. Not all of those affected by the Uranus-Pluto transit will be revolutionaries or reformers. But the Neptune influence makes it less likely that you’ll use these energies purely for your own individual advantage.

In February Pluto moves ahead into Mid Capricorn, leaving just Uranus and Neptune through February-March. You’re feeling much the same energies, but less intensely. However, any Pluto transit will have stimulated major advances in your realisation of your true self, with permanent results.

Saturn joins them in sextile aspect in early April, then Uranus moves on ahead at the end of April.

In May-June the Saturn and Neptune sextiles are a joint influence, focused intensely on those born around 27^th December as Neptune comes to a standstill in early June. The mild Saturn influence draws attention to practical limitations, but in a potentially constructive fashion, helping you to focus on achievable, realistic goals, still motivated by Neptune’s background influence of creativity and empathy. In any case your serious Capricorn personality has a strong affinity for Saturn, and can see him as an ally, not an oppressor.

In July, Jupiter appears in opposition to your natal sun, moving swiftly through the whole group. Pluto meanwhile slips back into this group, again intensifying your serious practical efforts and powers of endurance. Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune form a Grand Trine in the water signs in the middle of the month, focused very intensely on those born around Christmas. Jupiter’s brief visit brings a surge of expansive energy, with great confidence and generosity, but in the tense opposition aspect this may cause some impatience with those who don’t immediately sign up to your ideas.

Early August sees all four planetary influences still combined, but Jupiter soon moves ahead into Mid Capricorn.

September has Saturn, Neptune and Pluto in play, with Saturn and Pluto focused on the later-born and Neptune on the earlier-born half of the group. The later-born may be inspired to practical, constructive, serious efforts to regenerate their personality, sloughing off the limitations that have held them back for many years. The earlier born may feel a mild tendency to drift. Serious application to creative work should mitigate this danger.

Saturn moves on at the beginning of October, followed by Pluto in late November, but Uranus returns, reigning with Neptune till the year’s end. The New Year finds you still inspired to realise your individual goals and express your unique qualities in an innovative way, but hopefully with some empathy for those who may feel threatened by the changes you are making. You’re only becoming what you always were, freed from external limitations. But the “real you” may take some getting used to.

 

MID CAPRICORN (Born 1^st-10^th January).

 Pluto and Uranus are the most powerful transits to your natal sun this year, with Pluto conjunct and Uranus square to your natal sun, sliding backwards and forwards between the Early and Mid Capricorn groups. Either of these transits would be a unique, life-changing experience, but you’re experiencing them both together, putting you very much in tune with the revolutionary changes which the Uranus-Pluto square transit is bringing to the world.

January sees Saturn in sextile to your natal sun, joined by Pluto conjunct your natal sun in the last third of the month. Both are focused on the earliest-born members of the group. Pluto simply intensifies your serious, practical Capricorn personality, giving great powers of endurance. Saturn’s application to the real and achievable assists you in this process. Capricorn has great affinity for Saturn, as an ally, not an enemy or oppressor.

In February Saturn slow to a standstill, focused intensely on those born around 1^st-2^nd January. This is an opportunity for powerful effort, breaking down the biggest obstacles you face at present.

Saturn and Pluto’s combined influence continue through March.

In April Saturn slips back into the Early Capricorns, but Uranus appears in square aspect towards the end of the month. Uranus draws your attention to your unique qualities, prompting you to express yourself in innovative ways, uninhibited by customs, conventions, and other peoples’ expectations. The square is an uncomfortable aspect, so you could be very impatient with anyone who isn’t quick enough to see the world as you do.

As Uranus combines his influence with Pluto’s, you’re drawn into the great Uranus-square-Pluto transit that is stirring up the whole world from 2010 to 2016. As I wrote this in April 2012, it’s already brought the “Arab Spring” revolutions, the American “Tea Party Movement”, the British riots of August 2011 and the Libertarian and Extreme Conservative campaigns of Ron Paul and Rick Santorum in the 2012 American Presidential election campaign. Since Uranus is in your sun sign, you’ll be affected very personally by this great cosmic event, and you’ll identify with it, not oppose it. On a personal level, the Uranus-Pluto combination indicates an intensified desire for personal freedom and fulfilment. You want to manifest the individual qualities that make you unique- a person whom the world has never seen before and will never see again in exactly the same form. You want to innovate, to be original, to be recognised for who you are, and you’ve no patience with the customs, traditions and authorities that obstruct you. You want to ruthlessly sweep them all away!

Pluto and Uranus combine their influence through May-July, reaching exact square with each other on 20^th May, focused most intensely on those born around 1^st-2^nd January.

From mid-July Pluto slips back out of Mid-Capricorn, but Jupiter comes into play in mid-August, in the tense opposition aspect. Uranus comes to a standstill in mid-July, focused intensely on those born around 3^rd January. You feel very restless at this point, impatient for immediate change. With Jupiter’s input everything seems easily achievable, and you can’t understand how anyone could be so slow and stupid as to disagree with your goals! You need to consciously use all your powers of self control, to avoid unnecessary conflict. Given your serious character, and the help of Saturn’s “grounding” influence, this should be easier for you than for other sun-signs.

August to mid-October sees the continued influence of Jupiter and Uranus. In late October Jupiter moves ahead and Uranus falls back, leaving only Saturn through November. Other folk may find you too serious for their liking, but serious is not the same as miserable or depressed. You enjoy effort and endurance, and can achieve very real progress till the year’s end.

Pluto reappears in December, focused on the earliest-born part of the group while Saturn focuses on the latest-born. The effect will be similar in either case- great seriousness, application to realistic goals, and increased powers of endurance. The earlier-born will feel especially impelled to “be themselves”, letting go of qualities that others have imposed upon them, that do not fit their natural personality.

 

2013 LATE CAPRICORN (Born 11^th-19^th January).

 A very quiet year for your natal sun. any life-changing experiences will come from transits to your natal moon, planets, or ascendant, which would be revealed by an individual birth chart analysis.

The only big event for your natal sun is Jupiter opposing it during his standstill in October-November. His influence will be intensely focused on those born around 11^th January. At this point you feel restlessly expansive, confident and open-hearted, with bigger, bolder, more emotional inspiration than is usual for you. You may feel unusually sentimental, and lacking patience with those who do not share your feelings. You would be well-advised to avoid big financial or emotional commitments till this brief transit has passed over. The big ideas that Jupiter has brought may not seem so realistic after he has left you.

 

SAGITTARIUS 2013

For greater accuracy, these sun sign forecasts are divided into three groups, according ot birthdate.

 

2013 EARLY SAGITTARIUS (Born 22^nd-30^th November).

 Neptune is the main influence on your natal sun, remaining in square aspect for the whole of this year, and focused throughout on the earlier-born members of this group. This powerful, once in a lifetime transit is the background for all the other, shorter transits that you will also experience this year. Squares are the most difficult transits to deal with, and so I’m going to start with the more negative side of this long transit. Neptune’s influence “dissolves boundaries”, including the boundaries between people. This might seem like a good thing, but in fact we do need some “insulation” between ourselves and other people. Without this separation, we can’t distinguish our own thoughts and feelings from other peoples’. We find ourselves drifting, like leaves blown on the wind. We fall under the influence of strong-minded individuals, or crowds. And even when our own lives are going well, we find ourselves “infected” by other peoples’ anger or depression. In extreme cases, the Neptune-dominated person seems to have no mind of their own, and to be incapable of independent action.

Neptune also dissolves the barriers between reality and imagination, and between the material and spiritual worlds. Again, this might seem like a good thing, enhancing creativity and spiritual awareness. The downside, however, is a tendency to believe whatever seems convenient or comfortable at the time, ignoring all contrary evidence. Neptune-dominated people are easily deceived, especially by themselves. And because they totally believe in their own story, they can tell it very plausibly to others. This is a big problem with “spiritual” people, who can mix up genuine spiritual knowledge with fantasy and outright deception, without even being conscious that they’re lying. Even when the “spiritual knowledge” is entirely real, you do not want to be a permanently open channel. People who have “sensitised themselves” excessively sometimes find normal social life impossible, and have to isolate themselves from the barrage of psychic influences.

Finally, we must consider the internal boundaries that are essential to a normal life, because these too are dissolved by Neptune’s influence. The boundary between “enough” and “too much” is one example. Losing this necessary boundary is one reason why Neptune is associated with excessive drinking and drug abuse. Being more easily influenced also contributes to this problem. In extreme cases, Neptune may stimulate an “anything goes” attitude, where people “lose their bearings” on the intellectual, emotional, and moral level. During strong Neptune transits, people often feel as if they’re simply “going crazy”. Their lives seem chaotic and out of control, blown hither and thither by each powerful experience or relationship. Their response to events can be out of all proportion, because life in general feels like a tidal wave, overwhelming common sense and even the self-preservation instinct.

For all these reasons, this is generally a bad time to embark upon any course of psychic or magical development, when self-deception would be a major handicap. You need to be developing your powers of self-control, and your ability to evaluate experience, to discern whether thoughts and feelings are you own, or somebody else’s. You need also to develop your awareness of being a unique individual. Any means of calming your emotions will be very useful at this time- this could be meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, weight-lifting, sports, walking, anything you like. The brilliant occult writer Dion Fortune recommended eating lots of food as a means of closing down psychic awareness and reconnecting with the material, however she herself became extremely fat in later life so I don’t think she was a good advertisement for this approach! Other methods of “grounding yourself” would be much better, such as any physical activity. On the positive side, Neptune does enhance creativity, so this would be a good time to develop your artistic talents, as in exercising these you would know that your productions are the fruits of your imagination. Last but not least, you need the support of more grounded people at this time, i.e. people who are not also going through a Neptune transit! You can discuss your ideas and feelings with these people to prevent yourself from going too far “off beam”.All of the above might sound a bit too negative, but there’s so much fatuous self-deception in the “New Age” world that I think a warning note is necessary.

I’ll now discuss the other transits, which will occur against the background of the Neptune transit. In January to mid-March, Jupiter opposes and Uranus trines your natal sun. Jupiter and Uranus form a somewhat separate influence to Neptune’s, being focused on the later-born members of the group. Jupiter is an “expansive” influence, increasing your confidence in self and others. However the opposition is a tense aspect, so Jupiter’s influence may not feel very comfortable right now. You may feel frustrated by other peoples’ inability to appreciate your big ideas, or to share your expansive generosity and trust in your good fortune. Other people may seem narrow-minded and mean-spirited, so it takes a conscious effort to listen to their cautious advice. Uranus, although in the harmonious trine aspect, exacerbates the problem, by focusing your attention on your own unique, individual qualities. This means you’re less willing to attend to anybody else, especially if they present themselves as an authority. Anyone attempting to advise you will need to be very tactful, but you should maybe try to meet them halfway. Consider it possible that your big ideas might not always be realistic!

In mid-March Jupiter moves on, followed by Uranus at the end of April. You’re left with Neptune as your only cosmic influence from May to September. You therefore feel less restless and frustrated, but inclined to drift, immersed in daydreams.

Uranus returns, still in trine aspect and still focused on the later-born group members, from October to December. You want to express your empathy and creativity in your own, unique way, but you can appreciate potential difficulties more than you did early in the year.

 

2013 MID SAGITTARIUS (Born 1^st-10^th December).

 January and February are a quiet period for your natal sun, although you could still experience life-changing transits to your natal moon, planets or ascendant, which would be revealed by an individual birth chart analysis.

From mid-March to mid-May Jupiter opposes your natal sun, working his way swiftly across the whole group. The opposition is a tense aspect, so Jupiter’s influence may not feel very comfortable right now. You may feel frustrated by other peoples’ inability to appreciate your big ideas, or to share your expansive generosity and trust in your good fortune. Other people may seem narrow-minded and mean-spirited, so it takes a conscious effort to listen to their cautious advice.

From late April he is joined by Uranus in trine aspect, affecting the earliest-born group members, and thus separate from Jupiter who is by now focused on the later-born members. Uranus, in the harmonious trine aspect, focuses your attention on your own unique, individual qualities. You want the freedom to express yourself, and to realise your full potential. Your free-spirited Sagittarian character is now even less inhibited than usual.

From mid-May till September Uranus is your natal sun’s only influence. His long standstill from June to August focuses his power intensely on those born around 4^th December. These people feel gently but powerfully impelled to express their full potential, breaking free from all remaining limitations. You’re feeling innovative and original, willing to experiment, your imagination overflowing with new dreams. Be aware that some people will feel threatened by the sudden changes you are making. Some old relationships may be lost, but make the effort to avoid destroying your relationships with those who genuinely care for your best interests.

October to December are again a quiet period for your natal sun. It’s time to consolidate the progress you made earlier, to build your dreams in the real world insofar as this is possible.

 

2013 LATE SAGITTARIUS (Born 11^th-20^th December).

 This year is very quiet for your natal sun, although you could of course experience life-changing transits to your natal moon, planets or ascendant. However these would be revealed only by an individual birth chart analysis.

The only influence on your natal sun is the Jupiter opposition in May-June, moving rapidly through the whole group. As he passes, for a brief period you will feel a sudden burst of expansive energy, generous, confident and optimistic, but maybe quite frustrated with other peoples’ reactions to your big ideas, as they may seem negative and narrow-minded. Rather than becoming angry with them, I’d suggest you note your big ideas for discussion and calm consideration in a week or two, when the Jupiter transit has passed over and you yourself can take a more balanced view of things.

 

SCORPIO 2013

for greater accuracy, these sun sign forecasts are divided into three sections according to your birth date.

 

2013 EARLY SCORPIO (Born 23^rd-31^st October).

 This year, the most important influence on your natal sun is Neptune, which is transiting trine to your natal sun for the entire year. Neptune’s influence is focused on the earlier-born half of the Early Scorpio group. This transit continues for the entire year, and like all Neptune transits it’s a once in a lifetime experience, due to Neptune’s orbital period being much longer than a human life. The trine is the most harmonious aspect, so this year should be seen as an opportunity to benefit from Neptune’s influence.Neptune’s basic power is to “dissolve boundaries”. This includes the boundaries between people, between reality and imagination, and between the spiritual and material worlds. So a harmonious Neptune transit suggests increased empathy with other people. As Scorpio is a water sign, your empathy especially relates to other peoples feelings, rather than their thoughts. Don’t assume, however, that empathy is always entirely beneficial. You may find yourself empathising with other peoples’ negative emotions, like rage and hate, so you’ll need to remind yourself that these emotions are potentially destructive, even if you feel you understand their origins. You also need to learn to distinguish other peoples’ feelings from your own, so as to avoid being “infected” by their negativity. There are ways to “brush off” the bad feelings that may cling to you after meeting sad or angry people, and also ways to “insulate” yourself when you feel vulnerable.Because Neptune also dissolves the boundaries of reality, its influence also frees up your imagination, enhancing your powers of creativity. So this year is a good time to develop your creative talents, which by the way would be a good outlet for the emotions that you’re picking up from other people.

The barrier between the visible and spiritual worlds is thinner at this time, increasing your spiritual sensitivity. This has both positive and negative effects- you don’t want to be an “open channel” for every spiritual influence, and you do need to keep at least one foot on the ground. Mere emotion is often mistaken for a spiritual impulse, especially where wishful thinking is involved. You need to learn the ways of “grounding” yourself, and closing down your sensitivity when it could overwhelm you. Practical activity will help, especially outdoor work such as gardening. Some books recommend eating as an easy way of “shutting down the psychic centres”, but this results in many mediums becoming very obese, so I don’t advise it.

From January to March there is only the Neptune trine, with no other influences on your natal sun. (There could of course be transits to your natal moon and planets, or to your ascendant, but these would only be revealed by an individual birth chart analysis).

From April to June Saturn conjuncts your natal sun, moving through the later-born half of the group, thus his influence is rather separate from Neptune’s. Insofar as they do combine, their combination indicates an opportunity to express your empathy and creativity in practical ways, and to organise and persevere with your spiritual development.

In July these planets are joined by Jupiter in trine aspect, then in August by Pluto in sextile aspect. Pluto affects the latest-born members of this group, while Jupiter moves swiftly through the whole group. Pluto’s influence is thus fairly distinct from Jupiter’s, simply intensifying the already powerful passions of your Scorpio personality. Indeed, Pluto is said to have the greatest affinity for Scorpio out of all the planets. You’re feeling fiercely passionate, and quite comfortable with extremes of emotion. Jupiter brings a burst of optimism and generosity as he passes, all the more so as your empathy for others is increased already by the Neptune trine. In mid-July Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune form a Grand Trine in the water signs, focused intensely on those born around 27^th-28^th October. These people will be feeling powerfully empathic and creative, with a burst of practical ideas for helping others and creating things of beauty. With Jupiter and Saturn both involved, there’s quite a good balance between idealism and reality.

By September, Jupiter has moved on, leaving the later-born to Saturn and Pluto, and the earlier-born to Neptune’s influence. Life seems a bit more difficult- you’re more aware of limitations and opposing forces, but you have the self-discipline to overcome them with sufficient effort.

Saturn moves on at the start of October, leaving Neptune and Pluto for the next two months. There’s now a tendency to drift, to wallow in intense emotion, including your intense awareness of others’ pain and sorrow. Practical efforts to do good will require more conscious effort at this time.

Finally Pluto moves on in December, leaving Neptune as the only influence on your natal sun. Things are less intense- there’s still a tendency to drift in oceans of emotion, but not so deep as previously.

 

MID SCORPIO (Born 1^st-10^th November).

 Pluto’s mild but persistent sextile aspect is a background feature for most of this year. Of all the planets, Pluto feels most “at home” in Scorpio, since both this sign and this planet are comfortable with intensity. Your Scorpio sun-sign suggests you’re governed by powerful, inflexible emotions, slow to arouse, but equally slow to let go of feelings and relationships. You could form very passionate attachments at this time, and passionate commitments to a cause. But woe betide anyone who betrays you! This is a time to understand that other people aren’t always being deliberately wicked when they take feelings less seriously than you do.

From mid-January to April, Pluto sextiles your natal sun and Saturn conjuncts him, both concentrated on the earlier-born members of this group. Saturn draws attention to the limitations that inevitably accompany our lives on earth. But the conjunction is potentially a beneficial aspect, focusing your energies on achievable, practical endeavours, and preventing you from drifting.

From May to July Pluto is the only planet transiting your natal sun, and is still focused on the earliest-born members of this group. Life seems easier with Saturn gone, but you may find yourself wallowing in emotion instead of getting on with things.

In August-September Pluto falls back, replaced by Jupiter in trine aspect as your dominant influence, moving through the whole group. His brief visit brings a burst of enthusiasm and belief in self and others, generous and confident. As always with Jupiter’s brief visits, it’s a good idea to note down any big ideas that occur to you, for later consideration. But beware of impulsive emotional commitments at this time.

In October Saturn returns, still in conjunction to your natal sun and still focused on the earliest-born group members, while Jupiter affects the latest-born, moving on to the Late Scorpio group during his long standstill in October-November. So one group is more aware of limitations and practical needs, while for the other group all things feel possible and everyone seems deserving of your trust.

Jupiter and Saturn stay with you till the year’s end, joined by Pluto in late November, by which time Jupiter and Saturn are both focused on later-born group members while Pluto still affects the earliest-born, bringing back a mood of emotional intensity.

 

2013 LATE SCORPIO (Born 11^th-21^st November).

 This is a very quiet year for your natal sun, although that’s not to say there won’t be major transits to your natal moon and planets, and ascendant, all of which can be equally life changing experiences.

Jupiter moves briefly into the Late Scorpio group during his long standstill in October-November, which focuses his powers intensely on those born around 12^th-13^th November. For those affected, considerable self-control is needed to avoid extravagance and recklessness

By New Year, Saturn is moving into your area, conjunct the natal sun for the earliest-born group members. He has only just arrived but you may already be feeling his effect, focusing your efforts on more practical and achievable goals in the real world, with a realistic appreciation of potential difficulties.

LIBRA 2013

2013 EARLY LIBRA (Born 22^nd-30^th September).

 In January-March, Uranus opposes and Jupiter trines your natal sun, both focused on the later-born half of the group. Uranus is an “individualising” influence, focusing your attention on your unique qualities. In opposition, Uranus stimulates a powerful sense of tension between your desire to express yourself and realise your potential, and your natural Libran desire to avoid conflict and maintain a calm and rational relationship with those who may feel threatened by the changes that you wish to make. Jupiter, in the harmonious trine aspect, should help you take a generous view of other people even when they are opposing you, understanding the fear that motivates their opposition.

April-June is a quiet period with no transits to your natal sun. There may of course be transits to your natal moon or planets, which would only be revealed by an individual birth chart analysis. Your naturally rational, harmonious personality appreciates the chance to cease struggling for a while. There’s a danger you might surrender the gains you have achieved before they have been properly consolidated.

Jupiter returns in July, this time in the more difficult square aspect and moving rapidly through the whole group till mid-August. Pluto also appears in mid-July, also in the difficult square aspect, focusing on the later-born part of the group until he moves on in November. Pluto is a purely “intensifying” influence, and its combination with your natal sun suggests an intense desire for harmony, fairness and rationality, with great intolerance towards anything irrational or emotional. You want everyone to see things as clearly and rationally as you do, and with Jupiter’s brief visit adding a surge of self-belief, you may think you can teach the world to think as you do.

September sees Pluto as your natal sun’s only influence- a very powerful one for those born around 2^nd-3^rd October, as he is at a standstill, square to your natal sun. You are powerfully stimulated to “become yourself” in a way you’ve maybe not achieved before. The positive and negative qualities of your sun sign are both greatly empowered by this transit. Pluto is a ruthless influence, and as a Libran you can be ruthlessly rational, just as a Scorpio character could be ruthlessly emotional.

Finally in October Uranus reappears, still in square aspect and focused on the later-born part of the group. These people are now experiencing the full force of the ongoing Uranus-Pluto combination that is stirring up the world throughout the years 2010-2016. Pluto ruthlessly intensifies the Uranian desire to express one’s own unique qualities and realise one’s full potential, uninhibited by customs, laws, authorities, or other peoples’ feelings, ideas and expectations. This influence is felt on all levels- international, social, and personal. You want change and you want it now! This may feel especially disturbing to your normally rational, balanced Libran personality, although your love of harmony and balance could itself provide the rationale for the changes that you wish to make. This assumes that you identify with Uranus. You may however find yourself in vehement opposition to this influence, fearing its disturbing, disharmonious, even chaotic effects. Either way you cannot possibly ignore it, and may even bounce back and forth between two opposing attitudes.

Pluto moves on in late November, leaving Uranus in charge till the year’s end. You’re still intent on personal liberation, and fully focused on the struggles of any group with which you identify, but without the ruthless, destructive intensity of Pluto’s influence.

 

2013 MID LIBRA (Born 1^st-10^th October).

 In January-February the Pluto square is your natal sun’s only influence. You are powerfully stimulated to “become yourself” in a way you’ve maybe not achieved before. The positive and negative qualities of your sun sign are both greatly empowered by this transit. Pluto is a ruthless influence, and as a Libran you can be ruthlessly rational, just as a Scorpio character could be ruthlessly emotional.

From mid-April he is joined by Jupiter in trine aspect, then by Uranus in opposition at the end of April. Throughout the summer, the Uranus-Pluto combination involves you very personally in the ongoing Uranus-square-Pluto transit that is disturbing the world throughout the 2010-2016 period. As I wrote this in April 2012, it’s already brought the “Arab Spring” revolutions, the American “Tea Party Movement”, the British riots of August 2011 and the Libertarian and Extreme Conservative campaigns of Ron Paul and Rick Santorum in the 2012 American Presidential election campaign. Since Uranus is opposite your sun sign, you’ll be affected very personally by this great cosmic event. You may identify with it, or you may oppose it. If you “own” the power of Uranus, the Uranus-Pluto combination indicates an intensified desire for personal freedom and fulfilment. You want to manifest the individual qualities that make you unique- a person whom the world has never seen before and will never see again in exactly the same form. You want to innovate, to be original, to be recognised for who you are, and you’ve no patience with the customs, traditions and authorities that obstruct you. You want to ruthlessly sweep them all away! You may however find yourself in vehement opposition to this influence, fearing its disturbing, disharmonious, even chaotic effects. Do not assume however that Libra would always be opposed to revolutionary change. Many revolutions have championed “rationality” as opposed to “outdated superstition”. The three planets’ combined influence continues through May, with the exact Uranus-Pluto square on 20^th May focusing intensely on those born around 4^th-5^th October. The harmonious Jupiter transit adds a note of open-minded generosity, with hopefully a willingness to see the positive side of those who oppose you due to their fear of change.

In June-July Jupiter moves on, followed by Pluto, leaving Uranus as your natal sun’s only influence through August. You’re still intent on personal liberation, and fully focused on the struggles of any group with which you identify, but without the ruthless, destructive intensity of Pluto’s influence.

In September Jupiter returns, now in the more difficult square aspect, and moving forwards then backwards through the whole group till the year’s end. With Jupiter adding a surge of self-belief, you may have high hopes that you can teach the world to think as you do.

Uranus falls back in mid-October, leaving Jupiter alone for a while.

At the end of the month Pluto reappears, leaving Jupiter and Pluto in charge till the year’s end. Their influences are however separate, with Pluto affecting the earlier-born and Jupiter focused on the later-born. So the earlier born group experience Pluto’s sheer intensity, bringing out the pure Libran quality in their personality. This may result in a ruthless insistence on rationality and objective reasoning, without emotional considerations, and a fierce pursuit of fairness and justice. The later born group also have their Libran qualities magnified, but in a more easy-going, optimistic manner, not so much struggling to be themselves, but rather feeling that no struggle is required, because the rightness of their thinking should be obvious to everyone. Exasperation can result when others nonetheless fail to see things as you do.

 

2013 LATE LIBRA (Born 11^th-22^nd October).

 This is a generally quiet year for your natal sun, so any major life-changing influences would be from transits to your natal moon, planets or ascendant. These would be revealed only by an individual birth chart analysis.

Jupiter is your natal sun’s only big influence. Jupiter trines your natal sun in May-June, moving swiftly across the whole group. As he passes, you feel a surge of intense optimism about yourself and others. You can believe that anything is possible, and see the good in everyone. Note down the big ideas that occur to you around this time, but don’t commit yourself till Jupiter has moved on and you can see potential dangers more clearly.

Jupiter returns in October-November, this time in the more difficult square aspect, coming to a standstill in early November, when he focuses intensely on those born around 13^th-14^th October. This could be a frustrating time, because you’re brimming with big ideas, and if anyone questions them it feels like they’re opposing you from sheer malice or stupidity. Even more so than in summer, you need to note down all your good ideas, but make the effort to hold back from forcing them on other people for the time being.

 

 

 

VIRGO 2013

These sun sign forecasts are divided into three groups accrding to birthdate, for greater accuracy.

 

2013 EARLY VIRGO (Born around 23^rd-31^st August).

 Neptune is opposite your natal sun for the entire year, so this powerful once in a lifetime transit forms the background to all your other transits. Neptune’s influence is focused on the earlier-born half of the Early Virgo group. This powerful, once in a lifetime transit is the background for all the other, shorter transits that you will also experience this year. Oppositions are potentially difficult transits to deal with, and so I’m going to start with the more negative side of this long transit.

Neptune’s influence “dissolves boundaries”, including the boundaries between people. This might seem like a good thing, but in fact we do need some “insulation” between ourselves and other people. Without this separation, we can’t distinguish our own thoughts and feelings from other peoples. We find ourselves drifting, like leaves blown on the wind. We fall under the influence of strong-minded individuals, or crowds. And even when our own lives are going well, we find ourselves “infected” by other peoples’ anger or depression. In extreme cases, the Neptune-dominated person seems to have no mind of their own, and to be incapable of independent action.

Neptune also dissolves the barriers between reality and imagination, and between the material and spiritual worlds. Again, this might seem like a good thing, enhancing creativity and spiritual awareness. The downside, however, is a tendency to believe whatever seems convenient or comfortable at the time, ignoring all contrary evidence. Neptune-dominated people are easily deceived, especially by themselves. And because they totally believe in their own story, they can tell it very plausibly to others. This is a big problem with “spiritual” people, who can mix up genuine spiritual knowledge with fantasy and outright deception, without even being conscious that they’re lying. Even when the “spiritual knowledge” is entirely real, you do not want to be a permanently open channel. People who have “sensitised themselves” excessively sometimes find normal social life impossible, and have to isolate themselves from the barrage of psychic influences.

Finally, we must consider the internal boundaries that are essential to a normal life, because these too are dissolved by Neptune’s influence. The boundary between “enough” and “too much” is one example. Losing this necessary boundary is one reason why Neptune is associated with excessive drinking and drug abuse. Being more easily influenced also contributes to this problem. In extreme cases, Neptune may stimulate an “anything goes” attitude, where people “lose their bearings” on the intellectual, emotional, and moral level. During strong Neptune transits, people often feel as if they’re simply “going crazy”. Their lives seem chaotic and out of control, blown hither and thither by each powerful experience or relationship. Their response to events can be out of all proportion, because life in general feels like a tidal wave, overwhelming common sense and even the self-preservation instinct.

For all these reasons, this is generally a difficult time to embark upon any course of psychic or magical development, when self-deception would be a major handicap. You need to be developing your powers of self-control, and your ability to evaluate experience, to discern whether thoughts and feelings are you own, or somebody else’s. You need also to develop your awareness of being a unique individual. Any means of calming your emotions will be very useful at this time- this could be meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, weight-lifting, sports, walking, anything you like. The brilliant occult writer Dion Fortune recommended eating lots of food as a means of closing down psychic awareness and reconnecting with the material, however she herself became extremely fat in later life so I don’t think she was a good advertisement for this approach! Other methods of “grounding yourself” would be much better, such as any physical activity. On the positive side, Neptune does enhance creativity, so this would be a good time to develop your artistic talents, as in exercising these you would know that your productions are the fruits of your imagination. Last but not least, you need the support of more grounded people at this time, i.e. people who are not also going through a Neptune transit! You can discuss your ideas and feelings with these people to prevent yourself from going too far “off beam”. All of the above might sound a bit too negative, but there’s so much fatuous self-deception in the “New Age” world that I think a warning note is necessary.

I will now review the other transits, against the background of the year-long Neptune opposition. In January-March Jupiter squares your natal sun, focused on the later-born half of the group. Pluto also trines your natal sun till about halfway through January, focused one the same people as Jupiter. Although Jupiter is conventionally seen as beneficial, the square brings out his more problematic side, and must therefore be handled cautiously. Jupiter’s influence is “expansive”, expanding your belief in self and others, thus increasing self-confidence, trust, optimism and generosity. Where Jupiter is in hard aspect to the natal sun, this expansive influence can be “out of tune” with your conscious awareness, and thus liable to excess. There’s a risk of being overconfident, commencing ambitious ventures without sufficient preparation. You could also be too trusting, vulnerable being exploited by parasites and fraudsters. Neptune exacerbates this danger, by making it harder to distinguish your own needs and feelings from other peoples’. Your increased empathy could be exploited, you could be swept away by other peoples’ big ideas. Pluto could be a mitigating factor, intensifying the natural caution and attention to detail of your Virgo consciousness. You could find yourself accused of being more fussy and overcritical than usual, but you maybe need this to counterbalance Jupiter’s careless optimism.

In April-June, Jupiter’s influence is replaced by Saturn’s in the mild sextile aspect, again focused on the later-born half of the group. Saturn, who is often stereotyped as a harmful influence, could actually be very helpful to you now. Saturn draws your attention to limitations and difficulties, compelling a more practical, realistic and self-disciplined approach to life. You can use his mild influence to motivate you to the effort and organisation needed for effective helping and creative work.

Neptune reaches a standstill in May-June, focused intensely on those born around 28^th-29^th August. This could be a very strange period, when you’re not sure what’s real or unreal. Your psychic faculties are enhanced, but also your ability to deceive yourself and others. Note down your dreams and visionary ideas, but do not act upon them for the time being- at least, not before consulting with your most level-headed friends.

In July-August Jupiter returns in the mild sextile aspect, moving rapidly across the whole group, giving each of you a brief burst of increased optimism. Note down the big ideas you have around this time, and consider them more cautiously a week or so later. Pluto also returns until the end of November. In mid-July, Jupiter Saturn and Neptune form a Grand Trine in the water signs, focused intensely on those born around 27^th-28^th August. This is a very harmonious configuration, allowing an easy flow of emotional energy. You’ll be feeling more emotional than usual, empathic, generous, imaginative, but grounded in reality. The combined influence of Saturn, Neptune and Pluto continues through September, enabling well-organised creative efforts, and practical altruism.

Saturn then moves on, leaving Neptune and Pluto in October-November, and finally Neptune alone in December. Expect a gradual easing of pressure, and perhaps a sense of drifting by the year’s end. Excessive day-dreaming could be a problem.

 

2013 MID VIRGO (Born around 1^st-10^th September).

 This year there’s a lot of scope for progress, with mild aspects from Saturn helping you to focus your energies on practical, achievable goals in the real world. Saturn draws your attention to the limitations than are unavoidable while we’re living in this world. But in the mild sextile aspect, these limitations are challenges to be overcome, not immovable obstacles. Saturn sextiles your natal sun from mid January, focused on those born around 3^rd-4^th September.

In February, Saturn is joined by Pluto in trine aspect, focused on the same people. Pluto has a purely “intensifying” influence, increasing the natural qualities of your natal sun. You may be criticised for being even more cautious than usual, more attentive to small practical details. But you can also be more attentive to the fine detail of other peoples’ practical and physical needs, which others can easily forget. Combined with the mild Saturn aspect, this is a good time for learning any practical and detailed work, especially of a caring nature.

In March-April Jupiter joins the mix in square aspect, moving rapidly across the whole group. This is a more problematic influence, because in the difficult square aspect Jupiter’s “expansive” power can be excessive, causing overconfidence and gullibility. Saturn’s awareness of potential danger, and your naturally cautious Virgo qualities, should mitigate this problem.

In May Saturn moves on, followed by Jupiter in June, leaving Pluto as your only influence through June-July. You own personality is expressed very clearly around now, shedding layers of inhibition left over from the past. Some people might not be comfortable with this, but you’re only becoming more of what you were already. Who else would you be?

From August Jupiter returns, this time in the mild sextile aspect, moving more slowly forwards then backwards through the whole group till the year’s end. Expect periods of increased optimism, generosity, and confidence, lasting a few weeks. Given your habitual caution, you shouldn’t be endangered by this influence.

In October Saturn returns, still in sextile, moving forwards through the whole group. Jupiter comes to a standstill in late October-early November, focused on those born around 12^th-13^th September. Expect some big ideas around this time, but don’t implement them till Jupiter’s moved on a bit, and you can think more realistically.

Finally in December, Jupiter and Saturn are rejoined by Pluto. He is focused on the earliest-born part of the group, while Jupiter and Saturn affect mainly the later born members. So the earliest born are busy just “being themselves”, realising their hidden or suppressed potential, while the latter born are empowered for active, practical achievement in the world around them.

 

2013 LATE VIRGO (Born around 11^th-21^st September).

 For all the sun signs, the last third of the sign is the quietest area this year. Wise souls will take this opportunity to prepare themselves for the big transits they will be experiencing from 2016 onwards. Strengthening your genuine friendships, and learning ways to control your emotional reactions, would be a good start. In the meantime, Jupiter is the only big influence to your natal sun this year, squaring your natal sun in May-June, moving rapidly through the whole group. Each of you will experience a sudden burst of optimism at this time, when everything seems easily achievable and everyone seems trustworthy. This may be illusory, so I’d advise making no serious commitments until the transit has passed.

Bear in mind that these are only sun sign forecasts. You might well be experiencing transits to your natal moon, natal planets, or Ascendant, all of which can be almost as powerful as transits to your natal sun. These transits would be revealed by an individual analysis, based on your exact date, time and place of birth.