The heavy economic and social outlook predicted for the coming year is in line with the ongoing Saturn-Uranus opposition and Pluto’s recent entry and long-term stay in Capricorn.  We can all see where things are going on a material level.  But life is about the interplay of the material and the spiritual, and Jupiter’s entry into Aquarius on Monday will go some way to offsetting the material problems by bringing a resurgence of the human spirit and understanding.  Last year we saw the triple conjunction (Aquarius Convergence) of North Node, Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius, and Jupiter struggled for expression in Capricorn.  This year we see the next phase of the Aquarius Convergence, with Jupiter travelling through the more liberating sign of Aquarius and touching the North Node (karmic reward), Chiron (miraculous healing) and Neptune (spiritual renaissance) as it does so.  How aspects play out depends on a personal level on factors like consciousness and experience.  On a collective level correspondingly, collective consciousness.  The undeniable challenge of Saturn opposite Uranus this year is to be open to changes that the dismantling of outworn structures will bring.  But what I am seeing is that more and more people are finding their intuition, higher selves and divine guidance and trusting that they will receive guidance as to how they can alleviate and deal with matters which should arise in the future, and what new structures to build with the new energies.  Jupiter in Aquarius brings about a counterforce of light, a wave of people waking up to who they truly are and assisting a rise in overall consciousness which hopefully might make a difference.  If you are planning your year ahead, it may be helpful to know that Jupiter conjoins the North Node in February, bringing results for people’s efforts at spiritual growth and planetary initiatives.  Then in May/June/July Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune are conjunct which could bring very unusual circumstances, both in personal and planetary life, a potent concoction of planets which can bring forth alchemical changes.  With planets retrograding and then re-meeting, more conjunctions occur in December between Chiron and Neptune, and Jupiter and Neptune, so more chances to reap the benefits of these combinations.  If you have planets in Aquarius in your natal chart, they will be lit up by Jupiter this year, but even if you haven’t everyone will receive a helping hand from the Universe in some area of their life depending on where Jupiter is travelling in the natal chart.  If you know your Ascendant, the following signatures may help you see where the support is for you this year: Ascendant in Aquarius – in your personal growth and humanitarian projects.  Ascendant in Pisces – in your understanding of the inner world you inhabit, and bringing forth the treasures of your higher or deeper levels of self.  Ascendant in Aries – in friendship, in understanding of the roles you play with others, and in group efforts and leadership.  Ascendant in Taurus – you can plan ahead confidently in your career for this coming year, and make joyful life choices.  Ascendant in Gemini – in your understanding of life, philosophy and acting as a bridge between religions.  Ascendant in Cancer – in resourcefulness of the spirit and in application to the material and practical.  Ascendant in Leo – a blossoming of your personal relations, and reaching out to the world from the heart.  Ascendant in Virgo – in health, healing and community projects, or in Buddhist terms the dharma and the sangha.  Ascendant in Libra – in allowing your creativity, joy and imagination to come forth and in expressing your life more vividly.  Ascendant in Scorpio – in fostering the home and hearth, perhaps establishing your home as a centre of light, and in honouring the legacy of the ancestors.  Ascendant in Sagittarius – in a renaissance of your verbal or written expression, a flowering of communication and in acting as a link between people through travel.  Ascendant in Capricorn – in your inner and outer richness and understanding of the relationship between materiality and spirituality.  In wishing you all a Happy New Year, I would say try to understand the need for changes that appear in your life, and be heartened by the spiritual support which is available.  And Aquarius, this is your year!

Pow!  Today’s aspect of Mars conjunct Pluto starts the week with impact.  You won’t forget this day, or this week in a hurry.  It’s a week of change, seeing migrations of planets, and the limelight leaving Capricorn and re-focussing on Aquarius, as a prelude to Jupiter’s entry into that sign next week and next year.  There can be a burst of energy today, best applied to your own needs, well-being, internal dynamics and projects.  When in interrelationship, this can become a collision course.  You may be standing back from a potentially explosive situation involving others.  Be in charge of your own anger and emotions, if so.  Yesterday’s New Moon may have been revelatory and released information and emotions which need to be dealt with or transformed in some way.  The Moon enters Aquarius tomorrow (Monday 29th) which gives a trailer of what is to come this week and this year in terms of an Aquarian harvest or clean-up.  It gets you into the Aquarian mood, and sets you thinking about the future in a more positive way, giving you a vision beyond the current reality.  New Year’s Eve (Wednesday 31st) has an upbeat conjunction between Mercury and Jupiter, while Saturn is taking a retrograde step.  You may take one step forward and one step back, leaving you entirely in the Now on your board game.  Mercury conjunct Jupiter may bring good news, widening visitas (such as a pile of travel brochures), philosophical insights, and help in understanding something you might have felt was beyond you (the right teacher may turn up at the right time).  On the other hand, Saturn Stationary and turning back, may force you to look back over the year to evaluate the reasons for the current state of play.  Don’t start your new diary until you have digested the lessons of the old, or at least started the digestive process.  Mercury the Messenger enters Aquairus on New Year’s Day (Thursday 1st January), with a new message and a new vocabulary, proclaiming the Year of Aquarius.  For Jupiter enters Aquarius on Sunday, which is just out of my brief for this week, but is definitely felt in the air this week.  It would be a good day for an upcoming politician to make a memorable speech, or on a more mundane level for you to catch up with letter-writing and contact those who might have fallen through the cracks of the seasonal communication grid, and to offer more than platitudes.  It would be a good day for a blogger to write a blog on, say, Jupiter entering Aquarius, if she (I) have time and am not doing too much travelling.  I will put a note in my diary to that effect.  Another change arrives on Saturday (3rd January) with Venus leaving Aquarius and entering Pisces.  Aquarians will miss the affection of Venus, but can look forward to receiving the bounty of Jupiter (fair exchange?).  Meanwhile, Piscean hearts are warmed and love takes an idealistic, courtly turn.  Put on the madrigal CD…

Happy Winter Solstice!  And good luck to those rehearsing Christmas Pantomimes.  The event of today is the Sun’s entry into Capricorn, which happens lunchtime in the UK, early morning in the US.  Many of us are feeling drained (I have lost count of how many people complained of tiredness this week at the Customer Service desk), sleep-deprived and light-deprived, and today marks the point of reorientation to Light.  Some of us may be disorientated by the reorientation initially, and others are ready for this reverse process.  Still others are ready or not ready for Christmas, and last minute re-scheduling, negotiations and present-swapping are still in process.  And it happens every year, but this is the first year the Sun has entered Capricorn since Pluto arrived in that sign, so there is a more serious, parsimonious and thoughtful note this year.  Which is why the scriptwriters and the chorus line of the Panto will have to work harder to ignite the winter cheer.  Make an effort to provide that lightheartedness and humour though, as it provides a space where healing and miracles can more easily flourish.  The Sun reaches Pluto tomorrow (Monday 22nd), and the full significance may begin to dawn on us of Pluto’s presence in Capricorn.  A tone will definitely be set.  I shall be handing out chocolate pigs on the train, in honour of the family of pigs whose life cycles we have followed this year.  You may want to mark it in a different way, but it is a good time to set your intention, and be aware of your true intentions.  Wednesday 24th (Christmas Eve already) brings a helpful sextile between Mercury and Uranus, making Christmas travel intuitive and snappy, and providing a vibrant start to the festivities.  Christmas day itself has no aspects, not even a teeny minor one, as the planets are having a day off from making aspects even with the Moon.  A quiet Christmas can be had by those who choose it, or find themselves in silent retreat.  They may access the spirit of Christmas even more readily than those playing charades and pulling Christmas crackers.  Some choose their Christmasses, and some are swept along by the tribe vibe, but remember intention and lightheartedness are useful whatever the situation.  Boxing Day (Friday 26th) brings a sober but constructive trine between Mercury and Saturn.  Any excess on Christmas Day will bring the desire to recycle the leftovers efficiently: everything can go into a risotto, followed by an Eton mess.  Unless you are having a raw vegan Christmas, in which case consult the website of the Fresh Network http://www.fresh-network.com for ideas.  It is also a good day for planning, so if you are ahead of the game you can plan next year.  Saturday (27th) is the most astrologically active day, and may coincide with the first performance of your Panto.  It will be a first in some way, as a New Moon in Capricorn takes place.  Early in the morning (UK time) Mars enters Capricorn, giving impetus to any planning that you have been doing since Christmas Day.  Just after Noon, the New Moon arrives.  Make a wish for the year ahead, and hope that Barack’s new initiatives on climate change will bring about real change.  And only 7 minutes later, Venus conjuncts Neptune, an aspect of inspiration.  In the Panto, the good fairy waves the magic wand: there is a moment of seeing the world as it could be.

I came out of a 3-day spiritual retreat last night to watch the final of X-Factor (UK) and listen to Alexandra Burke’s heartfelt and triumphant rendition of  “Hallelujah”…One of the extraordinary things about her story is that she was written off 3 years ago and embodies the “never give up” frame of mind, so I couldn’t resist a peek at her chart.  I think this twist in her life is down to her natal Saturn-Uranus conjunction common to all those born in her year (1988).  We have all collectively been through the Grand Cross of last Friday, and conducting a straw poll, about 8 out of 10 of us did find it heavy going, but Alexandra is one of those who came through able to manifest her potential.  In fact the Grand Cross directly connected with her Mercury in Virgo, and I think it is her intelligence and focus which (from an astrological point of view) has brought her to this success.  Before perusing the week ahead, take a pause to sense what you learned from last week, especially Friday’s planetary shenanigans.  Don’t worry if, like me after my retreat, you are completely blank about the lessons, it’s the willingness to learn that counts.  For many, it all seems a bit overwhelming and bewildering, and almost impossible to make sense of the complexity, and rummaging in my postbag descriptions range from “purifying” to “twinkly” so that is roughly the range of experience.  What can we do?  Sometimes if there is not a lot you can do physically, accessing your own inner peace is a start.  Because from there, you will ensure that any actions you take will come from the vibration of harmlessness, and any thoughts you direct will assist care and protection, whether towards babies in a vulnerable setting, homeless on the streets, or the suffering in the third world (remember to get the cheques out too to back up your kind thoughts).  This leads directly but ramblingly to tomorrow’s (Monday 15th) square of Mars to Saturn, which takes place in the evening in the UK, but in the afternoon in the US.  Mars and Saturn together can result in harsh action, and this may be reflected in the headlines of the day, but in oneself it is a call to harmonize thought and be aware of our actions.  It’s a reminder that every thought and action has a consequence, and is about creating right action ( to some extent through awareness of its opposite).  So kindness is its antidote.  Hopefully these lessons will be learned because there is a very kind sextile the next day (Tuesday 16th) in the shape of Mars sextile Neptune, this being a very direct compassionate “Crisis at Christmas” type of intervention.  Action and compassion are working together in this aspect, and thoughts and prayers may see results, too.  Time to focus on the innocent babe, the struggle of the homeless, the unspeakable suffering in the third world, but with a little muscle and less defeatism.  The sextile though speaks of balance, and subtlety, and small victories will speak volumes.  This aspect will have to carry the week, as there are no major aspects for the rest of the week, but it’s a fitting one for the run up to Christmas.  So there I have to leave you…right on the brink of next Sunday’s Winter Solstice…like any soap opera.

Early in the hours of this morning, while you were sleeping, Mercury was sextile Neptune.  Hopefully you were given dream guidance, but even if you were not, your higher mind would have been communing with other planes of reality and gathering information for you to bring into consciousness to help you today or throughout this week.  Something today may remind you of a snatch of a dream you might have forgotten, or suddenly connect you with the symbolic signficance of something which has been puzzling you.  Today is the last day that Venus is in Capricorn and traditional loyalties such as care of the elderly need attention.  But late tonight (in terms of UK timing) Venus enters Aquarius, and social forces become more dynamic, networking is stimulated, and the Christmas social round gets into gear: drinks and nibbles with the neighbours etc.  The calendar for December becomes choc full.  Wednesday 10th at midday brings up a square of the Sun to Uranus, part of ongoing patterns created by the planets currently applying to the Uranus-Saturn opposition.  All part of the continued dismantling and rebuilding on this construction site which is our current reality.  Sun square Uranus is a disruptive element, a spanner in the works.  If you are earnestly constructing something (e.g. a relationship), leave a whole day to deal with this loophole or process its implications.  It’s the sort of day you wait all day for the gas man and then two arrive.  Catch up with yourself on Thursday (11th), do what you intended to do on Wednesday.  Friday (12th) on the other hand, seems exciting enough if that is what you want, but could also be chaotic.  The building site could become like Picadilly Circus.  First of all Mars squares Uranus, and you may want to do something one way, but someone else will want to do it another way, and the Universe may override you both.  Then Mercury leaves “always look on the bright side” Sagittarius and enters Capricorn, so you could get a handle mentally on what is really going on, even if you are not mastering the energetics of the situation.  The afternoon brings a Full Moon in Gemini, which is opposing the Sun and squaring the Saturn-Uranus opposition, showing up a Grand Cross.  Not for faint hearts, I feel.  But many Astrologers are looking at it more brightly, and a positive outlook is to be encouraged and fostered.  It will be a long day, Friday, for in the evening Mercury conjuncts Pluto, and you could probably write a book about what you have learned that day.  Certainly, there’ll’ve’been much food for thought.  The early hours of Saturday (13th), having been kept up all night with insomnia, brings Saturn square the Sun (tiredness and sluggishness).  Don’t plan a full programme for Saturday unless you can guarantee you will have the stamina for it without artificial stimulants.  You may want to sleepalot.  The main benificent aspect of the day (Sun sextile Neptune) favours a midday meditation or you may even feel like going back to bed in the afternoon for a siesta.  If you are committed to a social engagement, it could have a dreamlike quality about it: for instance you may be meeting with kindred spirits and slip into a world of your own.  Something creative could emerge from this meeting of minds, e.g. a script for a new play or musical, or an advance idea for next year’s panto.  Otherwise, it’s a good moment to put the Star or Angel on top of the Christmas tree and make a wish.  Focus on your highest aspirations for the planet now, while Neptune at the end of the week, as at the start of the week, is wielding its magic.

Of course the dust has not begun to settle on Pluto’s entry into Capricorn, but the aspects of ordinary life must go on…Venus trines Saturn today, which gives us a chance to re-establish relations, take stock of loyalties and also to look at our material values.  The love that underlies our soul connections (we are one) is more real than the divisions that separate, and that is something we can feel under this trine.  A note on trines: every time one comes up, and I say something nice about it, my Customer Service desk gets at least one query.  Almost always, someone pipes up that they didn’t get their money’s worth from it.  We are looking into ways to ensure heightened customer satisfaction, but aspects which occur in relation to your own personal birthchart will always take precedence over the aspects which apply to the general population, and may even counteract a trine.  Moving slowly on…there are two conjunctions applying this week, which we are working our way towards.  The first occurs tomorrow (Monday 1st December), and it’s that goodwill ambassador Venus conjunct Jupiter, which takes place at 22 degrees Capricorn.  This is the aspect under which celebrations, marriages and mergers take place.  A modest social gathering can also benefit from this aspect, but if you are breakfasting alone (in the UK) you may experience a heartswell of love for all humanity.  If elsewhere in the globe, it may be lunch or evening meal when this happens.  The goodness ripples out from this aspect, and peace and humanitarian efforts may therefore benefit.  Mantra for tomorrow: “Good will to all beings”.  If you are on your way to work, commuters turn out in full force, not one sickie among them, and nobody complaining of Monday morning blues.  Hopefully, that will set the tone for the week and the month, but by Friday sticking points emerge.  The international diplomacy may encounter hard lines, the loyalties of the beginning of the week will start to show cracks.  Do all you can to move harmonic processes along early in the week, but be aware of any developing fault lines of resentment.  Remember the motto, and add “Love conquers all” and “Everything is occurring in accordance with Divine Will”.  Friday (5th) brings first of all a square between Mercury and Uranus: the first thing you need to do is to establish a common language, because otherwise misunderstandings will follow upon misunderstandings.  If you are working abroad for instance, then make sure you have the basics of the local lingo, and speak simply and clearly.  Travel could be disrupted, e.g. you may misread the time table or receive conflicting travel information – check them out.  The evening (UK time) could bring inflamed passions with Sun conjunct Mars (13 degrees Sagittarius).  After your morning journey, you would be advised to meditate before the evening’s exertions.  Someone may get overheated, and it may even affect their health, and hopefully it’s not you.  So you need to have an air of cool calm collectedness in order to assist the atmosphere and avert a crisis.  Remember you read this.  It’s no good coming to my Customer Service desk, and complaining, and then I will ask you if you meditated, if you didn’t.  Saturday (6th) could be under a bit of a cloud (possibly from the previous evening’s storm), and again if you are travelling there may be problems, but not so much disruption as delay, with Mercury square Saturn.  That aspect occurs in the evening in the UK, so if you are returning home after a jaunt of Christmas shopping in the City, allow plenty of time if you want to get back in time to see your favourite reality TV show, or to switch it off if you are one of those who avoid them.

You’ll need your Ascendant for this! To recap: Pluto goes into Capricorn tomorrow, for a 15-year stint. It’s a new phase of life for many of us, and a deeper focus in the house which Pluto has been occupying in your chart, and may occupy for a few years yet.

Ascendant in ARIES: To the extent to which you see yourself as a Philosopher you must now walk your talk. You may have been playing a joyrider, and need to become a legitimate driver.

Ascendant in TAURUS: The shift in your life concerns the use of your life force and the resources which have been attached to your relationships. In your desire to be supportive, try not to allow yourself to be manipulated.

Ascendant in GEMINI: As a twin, relationship will become a serious focus for you. If unattached, you could become involved in a major commitment.

Ascendant in CANCER: The change occurs within your area of health and working conditions, and takes you from a more casual attitude to that of more assiduous attention.

Ascendant in LEO: Whereas your creativity has been fuelled by your joy, added to that will be a seriousness of purpose. Give up the day job to pursue your creativity, letting it support you though that may seem risky in the economic climate.

Ascendant in VIRGO: In matters of home and family, you may have been complacent or too cosy. Now’s the time to make the important long-term move you’ve known for some time is on the cards and in your destiny.

Ascendant in LIBRA: Looking back your communications may seem semi-serious, tongue-in-cheek, hedging your bets. But now your communication will be for real, and your words reflect a deeper knowing.

Ascendant in SCORPIO: Finance, always crucial to a Scorpio Ascendant, will become a more gargantuan preoccupation. You will see more graphically how you manifest and demanifest, how you control money or it controls you.

Ascendant in SAGITTARIUS: Pluto in Capricorn taking place in your 1st House may literally see you growing up overnight. This is not to lose the fun-loving side of your personality, but to add qualities and responsibilities.

Ascendant in CAPRICORN: If it seems you’ve been battling to understand your own psyche in recent years, this process will come to maturity. You’ll find new landscapes within yourself, not instead of but complementary to those you’ve been accustomed to.

Ascendant in AQUARIUS: This is literally the time of your life. Pluto enters Capricorn in your natural house, that of the wider group. Your role in society now mushrooms, reflecting a major life purpose in Networking. Some have leadership thrust upon them.

Ascendant in PISCES: You have been clearing the ground for yourself, some of you for years, to free yourself for a role in what you instinctively sensed would be a New World Order. Your role may be simply one of exuding silent wisdom, but your impact nevertheless becomes more profound.

Mercury emters Sagittarius today, and if you have felt stuck recently, this move may help to shift your mental patterns. Wider horizons may beckon: you may fancy a weekend in Paris, or may be thinking of booking a winter ski-ing holiday. New philosophical territories too may open up: the chance of an online Zen cafe encounter, or looking at a different strand of Buddhism than you are accustomed to. Tuesday (25th) brings a conjunction between Mercury and the Sun, so this may be the actual day to venture forth into your new mental or physical territories. There will be enthusiasm, and anticipation, and a burst of mental activity. The light from the ski slopes may be very intense, so make sure you are wearing your sun shades. The inner light from the Buddhist temple may also bring up some of your inner shadows, so give yourself spaces on your journey to attend to your process. Thursday 27th is a date that by now I hope you will have etched in your diary as the entry of Pluto into Capricorn (semi-permanently it might seem). There are plenty of blogs (as well as mine) out there on the blogosphere, so there’s no excuse for ignorance! It is a watershed, and on the world stage Pluto in Capricorn is part of the astrological dynamic behind the new Presidency in the U.S. and what will ensue, plus the worldwide economic collapse (together with the ongoing opposition between Saturn and Uranus), and not forgetting the climate problems of planet Earth. Pluto in Capricorn will need a new attitude from you – you will need to seem more grown up, while nurturing your inner child like never before. A whole new you. It’s a gargantuan opportunity, Thursday. For the entry of Pluto into Capricorn is followed by a timely step from Uranus (eat your heart out John Sargeant). Actually, it won’t be moving, it will perform a statuesque pause (stationary position) before turning direct. This will enable us to contamplate the amazing role Uranus in its retrograde motion played in the opposition with Saturn on November 4th in dismantling the long Bush Presidency, and thence to ponder on what else Uranus could achieve. Take a long deep breath, then pause, before the exhale (Uranus turning direct) which takes place on Friday. Meanwhile, as you reach that pause, make your New Moon wish – yes, Thursday also waves the magic wand of the Sagittarian New Moon. This is the global wishing season, where what you wish for yourself you also wish for everyone. What you wish for Earth you also wish for all planets: peace and harmony are possible suggestions. Friday (28th) brings a good follow-up aspect to those of Thursday: Venus sextile Uranus around commuter-time in the UK could bring lively conversations on the train – if you thought you knew your fellow-commuters already, they might surprise you with revelations this morning, or their absence might spark speculation. The early hours of Saturday (29th) could bring a wide-awake early start and more travelling possibly as Mercury conjuncts Mars. Incisive, decisive activity could take place in and out of the home. Get the mundane chores out of the way early and you’ll be free to engage in the witty repartee with a clear mind over lunch. With Mars representing the meat eaters, and Mercury representing the Vegetarians, there will be fun, but you will need a sense of humour to get it.

Pluto the long-stay planet is parking itself in Capricorn from Thursday 27 November. Here’s a guide to the psychological slant for each sign:

Aries – The pace of Pluto in Capricorn won’t suit the energies of Aries, which likes a quick fix. Try to keep your creative fire flowing in ideas and new projects, and hope others will pick them up. If you are a Life Coach for an Aries, advise them they will need to develop patience over the next 15 years. Gradually they will learn to follow through.

Taurus – You’ll be in tune and sometimes supported by the energies of Pluto in Capricorn, and have the long fuse which Aries lacks. If people have seen you as their rock in the past, you will be seen as a mountain in the future. This may cause inner conflict if you are not fond of the limelight, but you need to acclimatise to the prospect of your 15 years of fame.

Gemini – The heavy landscape of Pluto in Capricorn is not a natural climate for the Gemini butterfly. Keep your lightness of being – we need you to stay on the mental plane as a communicator of information (the old style oral tradition). We also need the charms of your other animal totem to provide the monkey-mind mischief humour you’re so good at. You will keep us on our toes.

Cancer – Your instincts and understanding of Pluto in Capricorn energy put you in a pole position with any dramas that are going on. You are used to life being an emotional roller-coaster, and process it in your own unique way. But make sure that you are not the fall guy, because at the end of the day you are your own person, and it’s not necessarily your drama. Just lend what assistance you can.

Leo – Pluto in Capricorn is not a hedonist’s paradise, but you may take pride in your natural leadership being sought out as well as your opinions, wisdom and warmth being acknowledged. No one will take away your crown as King of the Jungle, but you will perform your role with more Shakespearean gravitas.

Virgo – The sojourn of Saturn through your sign is helping you prepare for Pluto through Capricorn, and if you wonder if it’s possible for you to be even more organized, you’ll see that you can be (without tipping over into obsessive compulsive disorder). But it will be with a deeper sense of knowing what belongs where.

Libra – The soft glow of harmony that you like to create in your life will be challenged by the harsher lighting of Pluto in Capricorn, but that may serve to sharpen and refine your diplomatic skills further. If you are an interior designer rather than (or as well as) a diplomat, it will develop your colour palette range beyond your current spectrum.

Scorpio – As Pluto is your ruling planet, your perceptions may become even more acute to the realities of life – in some respects you may regard yourself as being on the coal face, but it will enable you to understand and make sense of your life to a greater extent, and also to live out your life purpose.

Sagittarius – Dear Sag, can it be time to abandon the rose-tinted specs, for say purple? Recent events have highlighted the bizarre, almost macabre threads of life you have hitherto ignored. But if there’s a colour between purple and pink, hey you’ll find it!

Capricorn – With much of the action taking place in your sign, you may be tempted to take the egocentric view of life (everyone’s line of least resistance) as you pioneer your way into the New World Order. You’ll gradually notice the other populace however, and ease into the leadership role you were born for. Keep the vision!

Aquarius – Aquarius may just leap-frog over the whole Pluto in Capricorn thing, so attuned are they to the Golden Age of Aquarius. Most likely sign to rise above it, and Jupiter in their sign next year brings lift-off.

Pisces – Your deep sensitivity will feel each seismic shift of the human race during this period, but at the same time you’ll be strengthened by your awareness of the developing interconnectivity, and inspired by the emerging qualities of the human heart. If you feel you are losing the plot, move to the ocean, and adopt a whale.

Next week: The Ascendants and Life Focus

It’s a dynamic day for Mercurial types, Geminis and Virgoans. The day started with Mercury trine Uranus, information flying fast and furiously across the globe, the internet alight with information. Make sure you get the full story, the full truth: there is a window today for truth to emerge before the webs of illusion start to re-group. Mars also entered Sagittarius this morning, galvanizing Sagittarians in particular into action, and just pressing the refresh button generally. Intensity and secrecy are no longer the focus of our energies, and getting things out into the open takes priority. The change may bring a sense of relief. If all this has passed you by because of a Sunday lie-in, then there are more Mercury goodies to come, so you don’t need to feel you have missed out on the day’s possibilities. Mid-afternoon (UK time) brings Mercury sextile Jupiter, which is very good for doing business as I said last week, or expanding your geographical horizons, perhaps visiting a jungle on the other side of the world…Any sort of communication is favoured, and channelling (a fast-growing New Age leisure activity) may bring uplift and optimism. In a similar pattern to last week, you may be setting up important projects for later in the week, but past the ideas stage and into the finer detail stage. Confidence in your plans and consolidation come at midnight or in the early hours of tomorrow (Monday 17th) morning, when you can realize that your belief in your product or business plan was not unfounded and indeed is progressing safely, with Mercury sextile Saturn. Recognize this pattern from last week? If so, you might know what is coming: on Monday evening Mercury squares Neptune, and the flaws and loopholes come into view, the illusions and cover-ups are exposed. But hopefully, as last week, all is not lost, because the main dish of the week (Jupiter trine Saturn) is a wholesome fare (see my September blog “Jupiter trine Saturn – finding balance”). In fact, you may be able to laugh about it, as I did about my loophole last week…Friday’s Jupiter trine Saturn is the last of 5 passes of this aspect, and may be the fruition of months of preparation. It is about finding balance, balancing opposites, finalizing plans, maybe making the best compromises and finding the optimal paths. The aspect occurs at lunchtime in the UK on Friday (21st), and early evening in the US, so plan accordingly, and adjust for other parts of the globe. Before you sit back in your armchair, perhaps catch sight of the Celebs in the Jungle, and breathe a sigh of relief at a job well done this week, there’s just one more thing: before you retire on Friday night the Sun goes into Sagittarius brightening the mood and allowing some optimism to steal into even the most cynical of minds. Pluto enters Capricorn soon, and hope needs to be nurtured. Maybe you’ll see a result for a candle that you lit while the Sun was in Scorpio.