 by Nina Bouska Nina Bouska and Maya del Mar became dedicated astrology students together nearly 40 years ago, and have met regularly with others from their first class ever since. This free version of the forecast
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Subscriber. INTRODUCTION Many of us are beginning to notice the effects of the opposition of Saturn to Uranus. This once every 40-some-year aspect is now applying by an orb of less than 6°. In its most simplistic delineation, the face-off between these two represents the eternal battle between the old and the new, the tendency to cling to “the devil we know” while lusting for the hitherto untried. The dominant patterns in most of this month’s charts emphasize this configuration, challenging each of us to make the multiple choices encompassed by that kind of dilemma in many areas of our lives. Old habits, accustomed situations, and predictable projections must be weighed against infinite possibilities and new ways of being. It will be most apparent to those of us with planets in the mutable signs, especially those with important points around 18° to 24° of Virgo and Pisces, and will almost as strongly affect similar degrees of Gemini and Sagittarius. Because of the planets’ retrogrades, this time around opposition is particularly long-lasting. Its effects will build through five exact contacts, which begin November 4, 2008 and extend through July 26, 2010—then we’re left to consolidate the changes. Saturn turns retrograde mid-month, which it does every year, for about four-and-a-half months. It will turn direct again May 2. In the meantime, we’ll benefit by exercising the “re” modes—review, reconsider, reorient, rearrange, retrench, etc.—around our duties and obligations. It may help us work up to the important choices and decisions we’re going to have to make in the next couple of years. As the third major aspect for December, Jupiter closes its conjunction to Pluto on December 11. This one has been building for a month or so now, putting some muscle into our urge to get to the bottom of things and exercise our will power to make the adjustments and alterations necessary to accomplish our desires. This aspect occurs every 12-13 years. Its most recent occurrences were late in the year in 1968, 1981 and 1994. If those years stand out in your memory, this is a significant transit for you.For the past year Jupiter, as ruler of Sagittarius, has been casting its expansive spotlight, both as news and entertainment, on Pluto-ruled realms such as other people’s money, tawdry sex and mindless violence as well as secretiveness around control and power issues. Beginning in 1995 with the all-too-public tribulations of O.J. Simpson, Pluto has been disrupting and exposing the inner workings of Sagittarian fields—law and the courts, education, travel, interactions with foreigners, religious ethics and practices. Now, as these two join in the last degrees of this expansive sign, we could expect to see more of all this. As Jupiter moves on into Capricorn midmonth, with any luck we’ll see more restraint. (Except as otherwise noted, all interpretations here are based on a natural chart, using the beginning of Aries as the ascendant, and times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. A Void of Course Moon makes no significant aspects until it enters the next sign. Its void period is thought to be a poor time for starting new projects or making concerted effort toward existing plans.) We start the month with a Quarter Moon, the Last Quarter square to Sun becoming exact at 4:44 am PST. Only minutes before, at 4:21, Mercury moved into Sagittarius, putting a four-planet emphasis on the most irrepressible of the three energetic fire signs. With both Mercury and Sun in Sag, opinions are apt to be voiced with a candor that some would consider tactless. Take extra care not to offend someone important to you over the next couple of weeks. Just a bit earlier, Moon’s conjunction to Saturn in Virgo was exact, so both of them now square Mercury and the Sun, and oppose Uranus to create a challenging t-square that lingers through the coming week. The things we have to do now, particularly around home and family, may seem onerous but if we pay attention to our curiosity we could learn something surprising and fascinating. In the nation’s chart, the Sagittarius ascendant sits midway between the conjunctions of Sun-Mercury and Jupiter-Pluto, suggesting a tendency to store problems in the closet or hide them behind a determinedly optimistic point of view. Jupiter is now squaring Neptune the U.S. natal chart, intensifying this propensity. It’s apt to be noticeable not only in our current elected leaders but those who are striving to be elected, even though honesty and truth-telling are fundamental qualities of Sagittarius. Vesta sits on the cusp of the second house, keeping concern about the economy in high focus. While commonly associated with maintaining health and spiritual integrity, especially in women, Vesta also is dedicated to heritage, preservation and conservation. In this chart she is tightly square to Eris, goddess of chaos and consternation, in the fourth house of home and family. The escalating rate of home foreclosures may finally get the attention it deserves, although for millions of people it is already too late. Waning trines between Venus and Neptune (a host
of spin doctors) and between retrograde Mars and Uranus (a
cosmetic approach to backing off from an aggressive military
stance) soften the harshness of the Moon-Saturn opposition
to Uranus. The common people (symbolized by Moon) and their
elected representatives in Congress (signified by Saturn) have
more power and ability to make revolutionary changes than they
realize or are willing to exercise—if they “thought
it would make a difference,” if it weren’t “just
too much trouble,” they could join the movements that
are trying to demand necessary changes. But those changes will
come only when enough of us make our views known by mail, email,
phone, in the streets and at the ballot box. For the Sun at 9° Sagittarius: A mother leads her small child step by step up a stairway; the need in any social situation to assist the less evolved in their management of problems which society requires its members to solve. Rudhyar notes that stairs present a manmade rather than natural difficulty, and that social and cultural difficulties can be mastered. If you’re going to make a Christmas pudding or fruit cake this year, this is the day known to generations of Britons as “Stir Up Sunday” (this year not merely the Sunday before Advent but the Sunday that is Advent), when the holiday confection was traditionally set up to allow it plenty of time for steeping in brandy or whiskey and mellowing the candied fruits. It’s a good day too for planning and preparing other niceties of the season, with a vibrant, gregarious (and quite possibly spendthrift) Venus-Jupiter connection ushering in the day’s activities. Moon goes Void of Course at 6:12 pm on a Moon square to Pluto that nags at us until Moon moves into Libra at 10:10. We’re in a good space mentally today, starting the day with Moon in an accommodating sextile to Mercury. Moon in Virgo is still a stickler for details, Mercury in Sag takes a broad view, and we’re able to blend the disparate modes into productive activity. We might get a bit testy by mid-afternoon, but all in all, it’s a pleasant day. A pretty quiet day. Astrologically, the only major aspect is a comfy trine of Moon to Neptune that allows us to fantasize about good things to come. Rather than mindless daydreaming, let’s turn it into creative visualization, which can have remarkable power to help turn our hopes into realities. Venus’ sextile to Pluto gives impetus to both decorating and tidying up. Moon is void from 6:48 am until 10:31 when she enters Scorpio. Hanukkah observations are in order for those of the Jewish faith and the move into Scorpio by both Moon and Venus (at 5:29 am) can make feelings intense. Hanukkah always includes within its eight nights the darkest night of the year, not the winter solstice itself, but the New Moon closest to the winter solstice. We may also find the day marked by intense emotions, even an occasional outburst or an unexpected display of affection. The t-square remains the dominant pattern in the chart, carping at us to do the right thing by ourselves and others. It is today joined by a grand trine formed by Moon, Mars and Uranus. Moon’s trine to Mars should spur us to act on the inclination to offer some of our own bounty to those less fortunate; Mercury’s square to Saturn makes us consciously aware of the rigors of moving through daily life with limited resources. Fewer and fewer of us have personal memories of the significance of this day in 1941, but Moon is void all day—from 2:17 am until her move into Sagittarius at 11:11 pm—and something in the atmosphere makes us poignantly aware of the costs of war on both an individual and national level. Last month’s skirmish over revelation of the “hidden” monetary costs of this current melée in the Middle East (upwards of $1.6 trillion—not including the obvious known costs) has led many of us to worry about our children’s and grandchildren’s well-being. The Lights’ squares to Uranus and Neptune make it seem critical to appreciate and express our gratitude for what we now have. Moon and Mars both aspect Saturn today (Saturday is named for Saturn) so there’s work to be done and care to be taken. It may well be that a family member or neighbor needs our help, or at least our attention. Moon and Mercury moving into Sun’s space suggest that simply listening with full awareness can do a world of good. Mars and Venus are beginning to hook up to help us put both our active yang and receptive yin energies into such efforts to make them most effective. The continuing t-square is joined by a predominant kite pattern for this New Moon chart at 11:40 am PST. Once again, it’s time to plot out our goals for the coming month. Mercury is creeping up on the conjunction of Sun and Moon; Venus and Mars are linked to Saturn to form the crossbow of the kite aiming at Uranus. So all of the personal planets are collaborating to help us set up a productive program. Sun-Moon are also sextile Neptune, pulling in our dreams and imaginative creativity. Only Jupiter and Pluto sit out of the picture doing their own thing. A stellar goal here might be to dig some of those offbeat ideas out of the cobwebby corners of your brain and examine them in the bright light of day to broaden your understanding of their motivations and see whether they’re worth keeping or worth acting on. Another approach favored now is to start a comparative listing of what you like and don’t like about the changes that are under consideration. (Or, if you’re into using the tarot, try the options spread now, laying out the full deck to make a column for each option you’ve been contemplating plus one for the option you haven’t thought of yet. It can be remarkably helpful.) This is a time for formulating long-range plans for the goals we’d like to pursue in the coming year. The nation’s New Moon chart has Pisces rising, with Uranus barely in range of a conjunction to the ascendant trying to keep our idiosyncrasies in the closet. Jupiter and Pluto are highlighted on the midheaven, newly into the tenth house of status and influence in the world, painting a stronger portrait than we saw in last month’s New Moon chart. It seems that some U.S. actions in the past month have been well received by international communities and our colleagues are ready to let us try for more. Secrets are out, and backpedaling on issues of super-surveillance in the name of security may be apparent. Venus is on the cusp of the eighth, trining Mars in the fourth and Uranus in the twelfth—a new call to moderate our reliance on other people’s money both individually and as a nation. Saturn in the sixth, challenging the me-first fixations of Uranus, will continue to hammer away at the issues surrounding the need for universal health care in the U.S. If you haven’t yet seen the film “Sicko,” you should. For decades, the United States has been slipping in international rankings of life expectancy, as other countries improve health care, nutrition and lifestyles. At the same time, we spend considerably more per capita on health care than any other country. Mars in the fourth signals unrest at home, perhaps dissension stemming from the increasing interest in primary elections with all their promises, problems and politicizing of “family values.” The Sabian symbol for the New Moon at 18° Sagittarius: Children playing on the beach, their heads protected by sunbonnets; the protection society affords to as yet immature individuals as they begin to deal with the powerful energies of their unconscious. Rudhyar says, “It brings a realization of the value of protectiveness, yet also evokes the negative possibility that too much protection may be unhealthy and defeat its purposes.” Moon goes void at 7:36 am as she conjuncts Pluto only 25 minutes after passing Jupiter. This volatile configuration holds sway until she saunters into Capricorn at 10:51, bringing everybody down a notch. Probing questions may be proffered too bluntly late this afternoon, and you or someone is a bit miffed. It’s short-lived. Moon roars through contacts with all the other planets today before she goes void again at 3: 57 this afternoon. Her opposition to Mars and trine to Saturn occur before most of us are out of bed, and the other aspects are mild. At 11:26 am PST, Jupiter closes his conjunction to Pluto, an aspect that has been in effect for many months and will continue to exert influence for months to come. “The king of the Gods meets the king of the Underworld,” says astrologer Bill Streett, “and the results are quite striking.”
As these two relate to politics “they tend to correlate with either stunning successes or, conversely, extreme downfalls. In business and economics, the Jupiter-Pluto aspect is a titan's aspect, a captains of industry aspect, and it can correlate with extreme business deals and mega-mergers—anything excessively large and excessively expensive can be an expression of this aspect.” In a U.S. chart for the moment, this event takes place in the eighth house, where the Sun of our ego and our Mercury-ruled communication also reside. The eighth house rules support from others, both financial and moral. It reflects the value system of others, and their opinions of ours. It represents extreme conditions, drastic changes and control and power issues. It signifies death and all matters pertaining to death as well as mysteries, secrets, ulterior motives and the investigation of these things. Sound like the headlines? Moon moves into Aquarius at 9:01 pm PST, which is just after midnight on the east coast. There is but one exact aspect during the day, a comfy sextile of Venus to Saturn. But Venus has been forming a grand trine with Mars and Uranus that will persist through the First Quarter Moon next week, and this sextile marks a tightening of the kite pattern that is demanding individualized and independent action from Uranus. Review the early days of last month’s forecast for my projections of what this means. A couple of astrologically quiet days, although Moon briefly forms a yod outletting in Leo, then once again occults Neptune, a generous and outgoing period that should be thoughtfully used to help others. If you’re blessed with dark sky, you may get a glimpse of the Geminid meteor showers tonight or tomorrow night. (If you’re not, speak to your city fathers about the mission of the International Dark Sky Association). This shower is one of the few that is as good to watch in the evening as after midnight. A waxing crescent moon may diminish the show in the earliest part of the evening, but leave most of the night dark for good meteor-watching. Moon sextiles Jupiter and Pluto and goes void at 3:51 am PST, so we may not even notice the ebullient vibes. She goes into Pisces at 5:15 am and moves on to reinforce the ongoing grand trine/kite pattern this evening. There could be a good deal of partying going on as Venus is also easing into a square to Neptune and eager to exercise her seductive ways from midway in Scorpio. Neptune can be so suggestible when Venus winks. The same pattern continues, and today echoes much of yesterday’s attitudes and activities. The Moon-Uranus conjunction is exact early this morning, so we may encounter some off-the-wall and rebellious incidents. The First Quarter Moon is exact at 2:17
am PST. Shortly after Sun joins Mercury to help
us get ourselves in gear for action, Moon squares Pluto and
Jupiter to make things a bit extreme. She soon goes briefly
Void of Course, at 10:27 am, calming the atmosphere, and
enters Aries at 10:52. It’s an active day, but one
with a lot of light moments. There is more than ample reason to be concerned. The dollar is weak and getting weaker, the economy is contracting. Over the last couple of years Russia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and our other allies around the world stopped buying our debt bond issues. But our deficit continues to escalate as, almost single-handedly, China has kept the dollar solvent in order to protect their balance of trade. China now controls 44% of our foreign debt (Japan controls almost as much). Only last month in response to recalls of defective products, Xu Jian, vice-director of the Chinese central bank issued a statement saying, "The world's currency structure has changed. The dollar is losing its status as the world's currency." Affirming a possibility of dumping US dollars, Cheng Siwei, vice chairman of China’s National People's Congress, said "We will favor stronger currencies over weaker ones, and will readjust accordingly." Such a move is called its “nuclear option” and would not only initiate a major recession in America, it would also severely affect China’s own economy as well as most others in the world. We’re not apt to see it happen soon, but we need to get our individual debt under control and we need to elect leaders who will help our nation be much better prepared to meet the threat. Venus is nearing Black Moon Lilith, a theoretical point marking Moon’s furthest point from Earth, in the house of secrets and undercover dealings. Lilith has collected a plethora of dichotomous keywords, ranging from good to horrid, but is generally regarded as leaning toward the unfavorable. British astrologer Philip Graves says Lilith is “associated with the unveiling of illusions, the illumination of self-defeating behavior patterns, the exorcism of self-centered desires, and coming into closer contact with Earth wisdom.” The Sabian symbol for Moon at 26° Pisces: Watching the very thin Moon crescent appearing at sunset, different people realize that the time has come to go ahead with their different projects; a keen appreciation of the value of individualized responses to any challenge of life. “In any society that glorifies individualism,” says Rudhyar, “none should try to compel other individuals to conform to a single pattern of response.” For the Sun at 26° Sagittarius: A flag-bearer in battle; the nobly accepted subservience of the individual to collective values and goals. “Whoever carries the flag has to feel himself (or herself) the representative of the integrity and unity of his group. His personal life and his welfare should be totally submerged in and identified with the welfare of the greater whole.” Jupiter moves into Capricorn today at twelve minutes after noon, calming his natural ebullience and extravagance and introducing what should be a pretty good year for those with a Capricorn Sun. Otherwise, this is an astrologically quiet day; the only other aspect is a dreamy Moon sextile to Neptune this evening Early this morning (6:11 am PST) Saturn turns retrograde. (A fascinating photo of Saturn retrograde, which can be seen also as an animation, is offered by Astronomy Picture of the Day.) Saturn’s retrograde stations in 1977 and 1978 also occurred in Virgo in December and persisted into midspring, so if those are memorable times for you this may be a significant event. Those born with Sun, Saturn (‘48-49 and ’77-78) or Pluto (1957-71) in Virgo may be particularly affected. Saturn’s entry into Virgo in September initiated a seven-year period of intensified focus on health needs and healthcare and these Virgo-weighted people can be instrumental in bringing about needed reforms in these fields. Today, retrograde Mars is at the closest proximity to Earth of its two-year orbit. The Red Planet will continue to appear larger than usual for the next several days, bringing us to wonder and speculate about its second and third oppositions to Pluto just after the end of the month and again in early March. While this opposition occurs roughly every other year, it seems particularly potent this year as it’s positioned on the cardinal axis of 0° Capricorn-Cancer. This positioning has occurred only once before in the past thousand years, in 1024, so it’s hard to look for precedents. Mercury conjuncts Pluto just before Moon makes a trine to that lord of the underworld and goes void of course at 11:33 am, illuminating Pluto’s unrelenting drive toward constructive change no matter how much the process hurts. Moon moves into Taurus at 1:38 pm, coming into a brightening trine to Jupiter to keen our optimism and bolster our aspirations. Mercury also slides into no-nonsense Capricorn this morning and conjuncts Jupiter early this afternoon. The days are short now, darkness comes early and even holiday festivities have a hard time allaying the shadowing edges of our moods. Sun’s meeting with Pluto late afternoon can make the gloom deepen or throw light into dark corners to allow us to see possibilities we’ve never seen before. Which of those manifests probably depends on our own personal fortitude and viewpoint. FRIDAY DECEMBER 21 and SATURDAY DECEMBER 22 In the Pacific and Mountain time zones, Friday is the day of the Winter Solstice, at 10:08 pm PST. In the Eastern and Central time zones, it’s already tomorrow when the Sun moves into Capricorn, at 1:08 EST. While many astrologers consider the entry of the Sun into Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, as the beginning of the astrological year, many others including myself adhere to the “rebirth of the Sun” at the Winter Solstice as a more appropriate designation for the New Year. The sun is at its weakest in the northern hemisphere because Earth’s axis has tilted to its southerly maximum, when it appears to halt briefly before the days begin to lengthen. (In the southern hemisphere this is the peak of summer, and the day with the year’s shortest number of hours of daylight occurs in June.) A chart for the solstice is commonly used as a predictive tool for the year ahead. This year’s chart carries the major aspects we have been looking at. Saturn is opposing Neptune. Jupiter and Pluto are conjunct—now with Sun also there. A disturbing opposition of Mars to Jupiter-Pluto is growing in intensity; even retrograde, Mars can goad action in a team so given to excess. A pair of sesquiquadrates, an aspect not included among the classics but increasingly considered to be important by modern astrologers, links Venus and Neptune to Mars in a yod-like formation; it outlets, only a few degrees from the power duo of Jupiter and Pluto, to further aggravate their itchiness. We can look to a lengthy period, quite possibly all year, of being beset by the need to make choices, not the immediate day-to-day decisions we consciously recognize but the fork-in-the-road channels that lead to new lifestyles. Opting for the easy way out is all too easy and the results could be regretted for a long, long time. Most of us can look back on at least one such selection in the past and the accompanying vow never to do such a thing again. With Saturn newly retrograde, it is important to remember this. The Venus-Mars sesquiquadrate is building to an opposition, a month or so from now, a time when we have to recognize that no relationship is without problems, and that all problems are learning opportunities. It would be good to remember a wonderful old axiom: “If two people agree all of the time, one of them is unnecessary.” Some of us are not contemplating whether our best option is to leave or to learn. The Mars-Neptune sesquiquadrate is likewise building to an opposition, six months away, when we ourselves may question why we do what we always do, all the while knowing that it does not serve us well. Now is the time to start investigating whether those habits may stem from long outdated quests based on childhood rivalries, movie or TV heroes, parental directives or some other impetus that has long since become irrelevant. Their focus now on the power consortium of Sun-Jupiter-Pluto can give us the strength, insight and courage to wreak incredible changes in our ways of being. Awareness and unflinching honesty in looking at oneself objectively can work wonders. Moon’s next aspect is a sobering square to Saturn, followed by a disruptive square to Uranus. Not all that we encounter in living out this scenario will be light and airy, but an inventive, forward-looking approach to problem-solving is promising and readily available to us. Cast for Washington DC, the national solstice chart has Libra rising and no planets in the power positions near the angles. It may be worth noting that the Mars-Pluto/Sun/Jupiter axis spans the seventh (others) to twelfth (things not readily visible). All that we have said about the prominent aspects in the solstice chart is applicable to our identity as a nation as well as to individuals. On a national level especially they play as elevator music, underwriting the course of daily activities. Our nation needs to decide about leaving or learning, about what our motivations truly are. And we need to reaffirm as a people who, and how, we really want to be. The symbol for the Sun at 0° Capricorn: An Indian chief claims power from the assembled tribe; the power and responsibility implied in any claim for leadership. Rudhyar says it refers to the power in any individual to claim and assume authority in a vital group situation. “Is he ready to do this effectively and responsible? This is the supreme test of man in society.” The Sabian symbol for Moon at 5° Gemini: A revolutionary magazine asking for action; the explosive tendency of repressed feelings and root emotions. “Whether a revolutionary action is violent or peaceful, bitterly resentful or loving,” writes Rudhyar, “the one desire is to reach beyond established forms.” The Full Moon today, at 5:16 pm, has a chart that differs little from the solstice chart. Moon joins Mars in its opposition to Sun, Jupiter and Pluto, ramping up the tension between aiming for exaggerated goals or exercising our newly reborn sense of caution and common sense. Moon goes void of course after exactly opposing Pluto, just 25 minutes after noon PST. Again she carries that fabled Plutonian energy into her entrance into Cancer at 2:18 pm Pacific time. “Emotional energies which cannot find suitable release may accumulate,” says Astrology Weekly. “Others may sense an atmosphere of repressed violence and passion. There may be disputes concerning finances or family authority.” In the nation’s chart, set for 8:16 pm EST, we have Leo rising. A slash of red lines across the fifth-eleventh axis marks the oppositions of Moon and Mars with Sun, Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto. It’s held in check by a sextile and multi-trines linking Saturn, which—along with the fact that Moon’s conjunction with Mars is an occultation that dims Mars’ influence for a few days—allows us to get through the week with minimal confrontation. Still, the Uranus opposition to Saturn is highlighted by its isolation and indicates a demand for creative, on-the-spot adjustment to preconceived plans. The Sabian symbols: For Moon at 1:50 Cancer: A man on a magic carpet hovers over a large area of land; the ability to expand one’s consciousness by stabilizing one’s point of view at a higher level. “As long as the intellect restlessly searches for new horizons it is confused by its searching,” says Rudhyar. “Accepting a stable focus, the mind can raise its point of observation and see reality in a truer perspective.” For Sun in the same degree of Capricorn: Three rose windows in a Gothic church, one damaged by war; the necessary realization by any individual making a violent use of collective power that it will lead to the inevitable destruction of some of the values ensuring group integration. “The chief who claimed power from his tribe in order to lead or save it must reckon with the consequences of a too-impulsive use of this power in terms of violence,” writes Rudhyar. (George, et al., are you listening?) Calmer than the weekend, it’s still a high-tension day of picking up the pieces and tidying last minute arrangements. Even a novice astrologer could look at the patterns in this chart and see stress. The saving grace is Uranian ability to invent on the fly, intuitively making things comfortable and appealing. Christmas Day’s chart is visibly more laid back than those of the past week or so, with trines dominant despite the continuing oppositions from Mars. Plus, Moon goes void at 5:17 am on a pleasant trine to Venus and the vibes are low-key all day. Moon moves into sunny Leo at 3:52 pm. The first day of Kwanzaa, and for those of us observing this week-long celebration of our bounty, the stars are shining kindly. While most of the foregoing aspects hold, the only classic aspect today is an energetic, upbeat connection of energy and congeniality. It’s Boxing Day, and therefore a holiday for most, in the United Kingdom. Moon opposes Neptune, and both square Venus—one of the most comfortable t-squares possible—a pervasive feeling of well-being could override the stress-laden aspects that are still in effect. Moon goes Void of Course at 6:54 am, again on a Pluto aspect, and a nagging restlessness resurges. Change is in the air, underwritten by a subliminal sense of foreboding, and we can’t put a finger on it. Moon moves into Virgo at 6:44. In one way or another, it’s back to the grind. There’s work to be done, accompanied by a sense of both sadness and relief at the imminent passing of another year, another cycle. Moon conjuncts Saturn to help us buckle down and put things in order for a new beginning, with helpful trines from the consortium on the cusp of Capricorn. Not a lot of celestial activity today. Overall, it’s a “Whew!” day. Relaxation is in order. Moon gazed across the chart at Uranus while we were sleeping, and by evening Mercury comes sextile to that innovative rebel, so some kooky ideas will probably keep cropping up all day. SUNDAY DECEMBER 30 and MONDAY DECEMBER 31 A second Last Quarter Moon for this month! Talk about cycles! My, how they move along. The square is exact just before midnight on the west coast, 11:51 pm, which is 2:51 am Monday on the east coast. We’re supposed to be consolidating the progress we’ve made on pursuing our objectives as wrought at the New Moon December 9. If we’ve done our homework well, today we can outline the New Year’s resolutions we’ll vow on New Year’s Eve. Start jotting down a meaningful list of strategies and progress markers that can guide you through the coming year. The heavens have put forth a powerful chart to help you. Moon does her thing with Pluto in the middle of the night and this time goes void on a bonnie sextile to Venus, letting us focus for awhile on what we’d like to see. Her trine to Saturn helps us add a note of practicality and feasibility to the mix, and her entrance into Libra (at 5:37 am PST) helps us weigh the pluses and minuses of alternatives. Venus, who reflects our desires, moves into Sag, where the sky’s the limit. We may have to put some conscious thought into exercising Saturn’s wisdom, but that old man is still tied to Uranus so we can come up with some novel solutions. Mars has backed up to the hypersensitive first degree of Cancer, to remind us of the importance of roots and foundations. Then Moon sets up a compelling t-square from midway between Mars and the congregation of Sun, Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto—a go-for-it signal. Whatever has been building up may become undeniable now. In the chart set for Washington DC, Scorpio rises. Neptune, at the nadir on the base of the chart, is the only planet in a power position on an angle, although the Black Moon Lilith is the ascending body and Ceres is conjunct the descendant. Would they be so crass as to give us another hypothetical terrorist threat for New Year’s? A quincunx links Mars in the eighth house and Venus nearing the cusp of the second; this could indicate a looming economic crisis that would not be all that hypothetical—or it could mean that what we, or the leaders of our nation, want and what we can afford are not the same thing. We need to adjust our sights to fit our means. Trines from Saturn to the consortium of Sun, Mercury, Jupiter, Pluto are trying to hog the limelight, offering hope that a steady hand in command could maintain order. The Sabian symbol for the Moon’s position at 10° Libra: Having passed safely through narrow rapids, a canoe reaches calm waters; the self-control and poise necessary to reach a steady state of inner stability. Rudhyar says this symbol “hardly needs to be commented upon,” and it suggests “the perfect and smooth working of the intellect ruled by logic and simplicity of means.” The symbol for the Sun at 10° Capricorn: Albatross feeding from the hand of a sailor; the overcoming of fear and its rewards. “Every living entity plays a role in the world’s ritual of existence…” writes Rudhyar, “the communion of love and compassion can bring together the most disparate lives.”
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