Forecast for 2011
Whether you are now shuddering in the afterglow of orgasmic pleasure or quaking with the onset of PTSD, 2010 will most likely remain a red letter year for all of us. Astounding insight, intense pain, sudden changes – the energy of last year certainly gives us a lot to work with in the coming years.
Integration and implementation are the astrological passwords for the year ahead, a time to put our collective feet on the new ground that has shifted beneath us. In 2011, we can put into practice the ideas and visions so recently awakened and begin to cultivate the new growth. Begin this year by asking yourself, who am I becoming?
The planets Jupiter and Uranus re-enter Aries this year. Charging ahead with bold new plans and strategies may feel really satisfying after the chaos and uncertainty of the previous year. Aries shoots first and asks questions later. Many people may be totally shell-shocked from last year’s upheaval, so we have to be ready to deal with the trauma, the panic and/or the impulse to shut down.
Checking in with our own hidden motivations is also important as we enter this brave new world. Acting from fleeting fancies or pure selfishness often means ignoring the consequences. With Pluto in Capricorn, the consequences (“buy now, pay later”) are always going to be far worse if we put them off. Deal with known issues at the beginning and you’ll have less mess tomorrow.
Taking it slow may not feel like an option because we are ready to move into our new lives. But when Jupiter enters Taurus in June, we will have to put on the brakes and touch back into reality to see if what we are creating is sustainable.
Gaia is talking, but is anyone listening? Jupiter in Taurus may mean progress on some of our most challenging planetary predicaments (aka, Climate Change, access to clean water, food source integrity). Taurus rules our living systems, but it also rules material wealth. If we can see through the false economy vs. ecology argument, Jupiter’s expansive influence could help us move toward solutions that hold positive outcomes for both jobs and the environment.
Saturn, the planet of authority and structure, continues to plow the fields in Libra well into 2012. Saturn will keep up the steady pressure in our relationships, creating friction and suffering wherever a change is required.
There is no getting around the issue that we have to share the planet with people we personally might classify as nut-jobs, assholes or incompetent nincompoops. Even when we try to engage them with civility and compassion, they will continue to make us mad. Again and again, Saturn demands that we “get real” by cutting to the heart of matters and showing us that sometimes WE are the nut-jobs, assholes, etc. This year is about learning to talk without using talking points and to see others without resorting to easy classifications and stereotypes.
Saturn does not let us cut corners. Not ever. We have to do the legwork or we won’t get the cookie. This configuration is kind of like learning to breathe through a temper tantrum. This year, Saturn asks “How can we use the language of peace while dealing with inherently violent institutions and situations? How do we maintain strong, healthy boundaries? What does real peace look like anyway?”
The planet Neptune gives us a few clues as it moves into its home-sign of Pisces from April to August. During this time, be ready to let the fountains of inspiration and vision pour forth. This break from Neptune gives us a dose of stress-relief and spiritual assistance in the form of insight into the interrelatedness of all life.
When we are suffering from burn-out, despair or stress, we have to rely on trust and entertain the idea that “we are all One,” that we are all in this together. This Neptune in Pisces wave of universality is a strong antidote to all the “Me, me, me” energy of Aries.
For the next year, all of us will feel more drawn to seek out the deeper meanings of life. Even those of us who claim no spiritual path have to learn how to rely on inspiration and intuition. Connecting with Higher Self energy pulls us out of the lower chakras – which are focused on individual survival – and into the upper realms of collective well-being, stretching us into a grand new adventure to reveal the next chapter in the story of Now.
While it is a less intense year than 2010, we still have to be on our toes. The threads we worked so hard to get a handle on can easily unravel. Some unraveling is necessary. Goddess knows we need change. In 2011, a strong sense of self doesn’t have to mean selfishness and greed. Instead, it can be heart-centered. If we take the time to cultivate healthy self-esteem and liberate our desires, then maybe we won’t all devolve into screaming adolescents. Just maybe.
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