Some Thoughts on 2012 and 2013

Negotiating 2012 required a sound umbrella and a stiff upper lip.

Hurricane Sandy

Well, that was quite a year. We have all been buffeted by the stormy energies of the planets in 2012. In particular, the cardinal signs – Aries, Capricorn, Cancer and Libra – have been in a high wind. It's good that we're here, right now.

The intensity of 2012 was thanks in large part to the powerful square aspect between Uranus, the planet of electricity and revolution, and Pluto, the dark lord of the underworld. This aspect held as a background noise throughout the year – and promises to continue through until 2015. As with all astrological aspects, Pluto square Uranus can be beneficial, or malevolent, depending on the circumstances.  You have only to look at the Middle East to see how this works out. The revolutionaries triumphed in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya – but what has come next? And in Syria...

In Syria, children are dying.

In 2012, the Uranus-Pluto square was exacerbated by another factor. Saturn in Libra was in a tense relationship to those two planets. Since Libra is the sign of partnership among other things, this brought a lot of stress into personal relationships every time one of the faster moving planets activated any of these outer planets. Aries in particular will have done well to stay in a partnership.

According to traditional astrology, Saturn is at its best in Libra, so it ought to have been rather a pleasant transit. However, it did not seem that way to me. I saw a lot of people this year who were clobbered by Saturn in Libra.

In contrast, Saturn’s move into Scorpio in the late autumn brought some relief from this tension, since the teacher planet is now in harmonious relationship to Pluto. This is very much a can-do combination. Saturn is foundations, practicality, and Pluto is regeneration. Together you can see how they might work well. Let's hope President Obama can renew the US economy from the grassroots up, despite the political minefield he has to negotiate. Both these planets are about the long-haul, not quick fixes, so major shifts will have to take place. Jupiter is hovering around the US Uranus a lot in 2013, so big change is possible.

It was a good year for the Royals.
A  Capricorn institution,
currently with Pluto power.

Sadly, the shootings in Newtown Connecticut showed how bad things can be if  the planets of death are co-ordinating. They were (and still are) in a yod formation to Jupiter in Gemini, the sign of young children and the planet of many. As Jupiter transited the US Uranus, we saw a young man with a weapon (Mercury in Sagittarius opposing Jupiter) unleash death. I mention this because the astrology is so clear.

The yod does need to be activated by a faster moving planet, and the next one to pass from Saturn to Pluto and oppose Jupiter will be the Moon around January 8^th.  This yod carries on more or less widely through the spring. Think about where this is in your chart and how you can use this very active energy for good. Specifically which house does Jupiter transit for you?

The dire situation with the world economy is related to Pluto’s slow journey through Capricorn, so it is likely to continue to be critical for several years to come. As well as exposing the non-existent underpinnings of global capitalism and the mountain of debt, Pluto has been revealing corruption in all our major institutions – so far in this country: Parliament, the BBC, the police, the banks, the media… This will probably continue, especially since Pluto will actually conjunct the UK Sun this year. Meanwhile Saturn is already conjuncting the EU Sun and moving into the UK’s second house of income. Belt-tightening all round then. The UK Chancellor's austerity (very Saturnian) plan may really hurt.

Hullo Pluto: the Olympic opening ceremony.

However, Neptune’s move into his own sign, Pisces in 2012, has provided some benison. It’s just as important as the Uranus-Pluto square. While Pluto exposed corruption, Neptune helped heal some of the wounds with tears and truth and compassion. This is especially true for the victims of child abuse who have been able to speak out for the first time.

During the Olympics, Neptune, the planet of dreams transited the UK’s Pluto for the first time since the Great Exhibition in 1850, another popular triumph. Could there have been a more precise expression of Neptune (dreams) and Pluto (darkness) than the opening ceremony. The UK’s natal Pluto is also in the fifth house of sports and children. Perfect. That transit will happen again in 2013.

Neptune in Pisces has been joined by the healer’s asteroid Chiron, and together they offer us a way forward, with compassion, emotion, and art. Saturn is now in trine (by sign) to Neptune and Chiron, emphasising emotional and spiritual solutions to our current problems.

This on-going trine becomes super-charged this summer when Jupiter moves into the third water sign, Cancer, thus creating a water Grand Trine in powerful generational planets. This comes into effect at the end of June. This turns into a kite that includes Pluto in Capricorn by the end of July. Think about how this emotional, cleansing energy might work in your own chart. If you know about it now, you can prepare for the excellent opportunities this summer.

The Metropolitan Opera's pasticcio Enchanted Island opened last January, in time for Neptune's move into Pisces, which makes two major works based on The Tempest in 2012.