Winter 2010-11 Starspeak Forecast
"Where there is love there are always miracles.” — Willa Cather
The old year is ending, its daylight hours dwindling until the winter solstice, when once again the life-affirming forces of light begin to multiply. The eternal rhythm of the seasons continues on. It is as though the cosmos conspires, in the hour of greatest darkness, to tilt the balance. Through some mysterious force of faith and will, light always manages to return.
Curiously, over the entire course of the year 2010, it is only at the very end of December that there are no retrograde planets. The unfettered planetary energies propel us headlong towards the fresh start of a new year. Get ready for an evolutionary spurt. The “all systems go” atmosphere coinciding with 2011’s arrival suggests that, yes, many exciting changes are coming.
December 2010 (Capricorn Dec 21-Jan 19)
A perfect sextile between Mercury and Venus bestows confidence and grace as the month begins. Knowledge as well as speaking and listening skills are valuable resources. The cheerful mood continues through Thursday the 2nd. On the morning of the 3rd a tense square aspect between Mars and Uranus warrants extra caution around automobiles and machinery. Computers are vulnerable. Air travelers may face delays. Take necessary precautions. To be safe, back up files and prepare alternate plans.
The weekend of the 4th and 5th is pleasantly quiet. The lunar cycle is at its monthly ebb. The Sagittarius new Moon, underscoring the advantages of both a good education and confidence, occurs on Sunday at 12:36PM. Mercury’s conjunction with Pluto assists those searching for self-knowledge or a financial boost but can cause some minds to grow uncharacteristically obstinate. Liberating Uranus resumes forward motion Sunday night. Change is in the air.
The week of the 6th holds unusual potential. Mercury is now slowing, to begin a retrograde on Friday the 10th. As the Winged Messenger stations, the sextile with Venus holds. The Sun is in a productive aspect with Saturn. Approaching Mercury and Pluto, Mars enters ambitious Capricorn on Tuesday the 7th. The threesome all harmonize with Venus. Goals are within reach.
The powerful grouping of Mars, Mercury and Pluto reaches maximum intensity on Monday, December 13th. This is a stressful day. The morning’s first quarter Moon sets the tone. Emotions are on a razor’s edge. People know what they want. Competition is fierce. Challenges to conventional wisdom repeatedly make the news this week. Nothing seems to come easily. Balance and proportion seem lacking as the Sagittarius Sun tests Jupiter on Thursday the 16th. That afternoon the Taurus Moon becomes a calm and prospering presence.
The tranquil spell lasts through Saturday’s early morning hours when the Sun sextiles Neptune. The work of humanitarians, artists and individual meditations are enhanced. Then, during Saturday afternoon, a solar square to Uranus stirs up more uncertainty. Agreements are hard to come by, stability lacking. The Moon is waxing full, increasing the risk of dangerous seismic activity.
The Sun and retrograde Mercury conjoin on Sunday the 19th. Backpedaling Mercury is poised to again square Uranus and Jupiter. Rapidly evolving circumstances warrant changes in holiday plans. Mental states and nerves remain on edge. Relax, and adjust your thoughts and attitudes to new realities.
The eclipsed full Moon in Gemini is exact at 3:13 AM on Tuesday the 21st. Priorities are shifting as countless individuals, households, businesses and nations struggle to get their budgets under control. Underlying the obvious concerns about solvency and stability are deeper issues; among them, who controls the purse strings and the decision-making process. Government obligations to society’s most vulnerable citizens, children, the poor and elderly, and how tax burdens are apportioned are much discussed.
The 21st also happens to be the winter solstice, the Sun’s arrival in Capricorn, the beginning of winter and the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. The day feels buoyant, hopeful, but handle co-workers with care. Everyone benefits from kindness, especially when holidays stresses are upon us.
Travel, including local outings and long distance trips, proceeds smoothly on the 23rd and 24th. The mood on Saturday is warm and mellow, quietly down to earth as the Capricorn Sun and Virgo Moon compliment one another. The dominant weekend aspect is Sunday’s solar conjunction with Pluto. Man’s search for meaning may sometimes get lost in the holiday hoopla, but not this year. Intention is strong. Much thought goes into finding appropriate and useful gifts.
Monday the 27th can feel chaotic. The Moon faces a series of challenging contacts, culminating with late night squares to Pluto and the Sun. A partner may be in difficult straits, inconsolable. Fiery Mars is reaching a squared position with Saturn. Old frustrations may surface this week. The Mars/Saturn square is exact Wednesday morning and that night Mercury reverses course, returning to forward motion. Look for big improvements in communications on Thursday and Friday. During the afternoon of the 31st a lunar trine to Uranus has all eyes looking to the future. The Moon slips into friendly, outspoken Sagittarius as New Year’s revelers bask in the warmth of party lights. Happy New Year!
January 2011 (Aquarius Jan 20-Feb 17)
There’s an old rule of thumb in astrology. Planetary conditions at the time anything begins contain clues as to what will come. The horoscope for the stroke of midnight, New Year’s Day, points to continued cultural clashes, and the gradual phasing out of outmoded ideologies, policies, technologies and alliances. Some things end due to necessity, either we can’t afford them or because evolution is in play. Saturn, the planet of fear, limitation and responsibility, occupies a key gateway to the New Year’s chart. Progress is slow. Changes are lasting. Thoughtfulness is recommended. We must trust that whatever is lost was meant to go.
The late stage of the Moon in its cycle indicates that the first days of 2011 are a time of assessing and integrating. Relax. Enjoy the holiday weekend. It isn’t until the pre-dawn Capricorn new Moon on Tuesday the 4th that the new year gains solid footing. A new Moon solar eclipse in close proximity to Pluto and Mars confirms suspected corporate and political skullduggery. Political upheavals follow. Fortunate angles between Venus, Jupiter and Uranus emphasize the benefits of technology, friendship, community support and kindness. However, loving Venus’ square to Neptune cautions against making rash moves or trusting blindly in any cause or person.
Productive trends take hold from the 4th through the 6th. Then, on the morning of the 7th, the Sun squares Saturn. Pause and take a look around you. Carefully consider your priorities and your obligations. This is not a day to be shirking responsibilities, although it may be wise to better define your professional and personal boundary lines.
Mid-January is fruitful, although minds tend to be scattered on both Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th. Stay focused. Fine angles from the Sun and Mars to Uranus and Jupiter make the time fly. Moods are upbeat. The thought of travel seems enticing. Psychic and healing powers become more evident. Technological advances are wondrous. Curiosity and restlessness also grow with the waxing Moon.
The full Wolf Moon in Cancer is exact at 4:21 PM EST on Wednesday, January 19th. Falling at the last degrees of the Cancer/Capricorn axis, the Sun/Moon opposition spotlights that which has been irrevocably lost. The inevitability of change for the better is also written in the heavens. The Jupiter/Uranus tandem rides high overhead, a beacon of hope and a reminder that we have the ability to reinvent ourselves using a variety of tools. Chief among them is knowledge. Our thoughts and attitudes go a long way in describing our life’s script. Change your mind and change your result. Mercury’s conjunction with Pluto provides us with intelligent insights, resilience and willpower.
The Sun arrives in the independent, friendly sign of Aquarius during the early morning hours of Thursday the 20th. While there is the usual post-full Moon letdown to contend with, this is a cheerful day. The late afternoon and evening hours are notably pleasant and well suited for combining business with pleasure.
Jupiter returns to Aries on Saturday the 22nd. During the next six months the movement of this protective and prospering planet bodes well for those born under the fire signs or having an emphasis on fire in their natal horoscopes. A sextile between Venus and Saturn during Sunday afternoon suggests that for many folks this will be an enjoyable weekend.
Tend to duties as January’s final full week begins. The Moon passes by the ringed planet Monday night, just as Saturn prepares to retrograde shortly after midnight on Wednesday the 26th. These are definitely a challenging few days. Mercury’s Wednesday morning square to Saturn can be downright depressing, especially if you’ve been letting things slide or have broken rules. That same day the last quarter Scorpio Moon adds to tensions. Work is the key. Get busy. Focus on solutions.
The remainder of the month is easier. Throw a party or woo a sweetheart on Saturday night, the 29th as the Sagittarius Moon makes a glorious conjunction to Venus. Good times are assured! After a fun weekend, it’s right back to business as usual on the 31st.
February 2011(Pisces Feb 18-Mar 19)
While February begins lazily, with the lunar cycle near its end, there is plenty going on overhead. Venus is forming simultaneous aspects with Neptune and Uranus. The Neptune and Venus aspect makes feelings more tender and empathic, the one with Uranus, more fickle. On Tuesday the 1st fortunate lunar angles to both Uranus and Jupiter provide healthy perspectives, enough to laugh away potential trouble.
Groundhog Day dawns with the aforementioned Venus square to Uranus in full sway. Even groundhogs may have trouble making up their minds. I daresay the little creature’s prognostications are off base. Regardless of the weather, another beneficial aspect, between mental Mercury and Uranus, keeps hope alive. Thus the stage is set for the new Moon in Aquarius the night of the 2nd and the start of a new activity cycle.
The cool Aquarius Sun is conjunct fiery Mars the morning of the 4th. The duo empowers those wishing to make things happen. Group actions and global planning are especially favored. Those who serve their communities in any way feel inspired. A very favorable solar trine to Saturn, exact on Sunday the 6th, is a stabilizing factor during this entire first week of February. Plan now for the long haul.
Extravagance is hard to resist Sunday afternoon. Be generous, but not foolish in your giving. For a few days, life is mellow. As midweek nears, Venus moves into conjunction with obsessive Pluto. Love can become overheated; lust for power or money a compulsion. Pluto’s energy is used best when everyone goes away with something positive to show for his or her efforts. Love can also be a powerful healing agent this week.
A change of scene is recommended and would be mentally refreshing the weekend of the 12th and 13th. Monday the 14th, Valentine’s Day, finds the Moon in her own sign of Cancer. Feelings tend to be heartfelt, and deeply nostalgic. Evening sees the Moon opposite both Pluto and Venus. This alignment fosters intimacy and intensifies connections. Tread softly.
A magical atmosphere blossoms as the Moon grows bigger. The Sun is nearing mystical Neptune, reaching a conjunction early on Thursday, the 17th. Dreams may be telling this week. Keep a journal or recorder on your night table. Humanitarian impulses are also empowered. Look skyward tonight and take in the lunar rays.
The full Moon in Leo occurs on Friday the 18th at 3:36 AM EST. The Moon, at twenty-nine degrees of Leo, opposes a stellium of planets, the Sun, Mercury, Mars and Neptune, all in late Aquarius. Again, the sense that we stand at the threshold of a new era, with divine promise and major unknowns, is inescapable. Take steps to be sure the food and beverages you eat and drink are healthy and pure around this time. Because Venus is also at odds with Saturn, some partnerships wilt under the strain of uncertain times.
Friday evening brings a release of tensions as the Sun enters Pisces. The first hints of spring may be apparent. Longer days and breaks in the weather soon become more prevalent. Tidy up your nest on Saturday the 19th. A busy social calendar is likely. The close proximity of Mercury, Mars and Neptune continues to sound alarms about the purity of food supplies. Blizzards, wild weather and flooding are potential risks this weekend. Be safe.
Mercury zips into Pisces on the 21st and Mars follows suit the next day. Life has an easy flow from the 21st through the 23rd but Thursday the 24th is challenging. That evening’s last quarter Moon in Sagittarius cautions against speaking too bluntly or avoiding, rather than facing responsibilities. Hang tough and get your work done. Efforts are productive and appreciated by others as the creative Pisces Sun and Mercury sextile Pluto. Disagreements over style or content, or both, are to be expected. During Friday afternoon of the 25th, Jupiter, a font of high-mindedness, is square to Pluto. The tiniest of planets is now solidly ensconced in pragmatic Capricorn. Keep the big picture in mind. Progress is what matters today.
After a peaceful morning, a midday disruption or change of plans can be mildly annoying on Saturday the 26th. Mellower vibes soon return to dominate most of the weekend. Monday the 28th is an excellent workday. The diligent Capricorn Moon keeps everyone on track while a pending alignment of Venus and Uranus promotes unusual goodwill and spirited cooperation. Make the most of a day filled with great potential.
Eric Linter offers a complete range of astrological services, including his “On Top of the Stars Monthly Guide” for making inspired career and personal decisions. Consultations are available in person, by phone or on audiocassette. Contact Eric at 508-541-4115 or email at stars@ericlinter.com. Visit http://www.spiritofchange.org and read Eric’s daily astrology reading.
