The Year Above / Astrology of 2019: Heroes in a Dark Time

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

— J. R. R. Tolkein, The Fellowship of the Ring

Outgunned, outnumbered, and running out of time, our heroes are up against the possibility that all their efforts may not be enough. It might be too much. The bad guys might win.

But something shifts. Something changes. Deep within their hearts, a spark turns into a roaring flame, and in the face of impossible odds, inspiration and hope drive them forward in the fight to beat back the darkness.

Inspiration and hope are funny things. They emerge ex nihilo in the strangest of places, often without rhyme or reason. They’re not known for being based in reason. Rational, realistic views on life tend to preclude this kind of thinking much of the time.

But inspiration and hope can move mountains, defy the odds, make the impossible possible — in the right time, at just the right moment.

Jupiter spends all but the last month of 2019 in Sagittarius. In the archer’s sign he does what he does best: inspires hope and faith in that which cannot be readily seen — divinity, justice, the spirit, the soul, gods, angels, a better future, a brighter tomorrow, a light at the end of the tunnel that will emerge if you just make it a little further through. He is lord of philosophy and expansion, particularly expansion of one’s mind, but also expansion of one’s world and life and viewpoint.

Jupiter also spends much of 2019 in a square with Neptune. Neptune is idealism taken to an extreme—she can influence us to fantasy, escapism, and delusion. In aspect with Jupiter, she can bring that unreasonable, illogical hope that things will get better a newfound freedom from the reality around it. In aspect with Neptune, Jupiter finds it easier to believe in hope for hope’s sake, to fight for what he believes in even when the odds are utterly stacked against him, to go for the grand prize even if it’s the furthest thing from reasonable.

We need that energy in 2019. We need people who are empowered to fight for the impossible dream that things can be better, that life doesn’t have to be this dark, that the good guys can win in the end after all. Because it is only when we fight against those impossible odds that all of us, together, save the future.

2019’s other major characteristic is the Saturn-Pluto conjunction which perfects in January of 2020, but has been in effect for all of 2018 and will continue to be felt until the end of 2021. I get these dates from Richard Tarnas’s excellent 2006 book Cosmos & Psyche, which speaks to a number of historical cycles connected with outer planet transits. (In researching the Jupiter-Neptune cycle, I found this paper of his which can give you a taste of what he writes in that book, which you should absolutely read if you haven’t already.) He tends to use particularly wide orbs (range of degrees where an aspect is active) as that is what his historical research has found to be most descriptive; based on his arguments, I am inclined to agree.

Section V of Tarnas’s book is devoted to the Saturn-Pluto cycle. Taking a couple of brief excerpts from his treatment of the topic:

“…the Saturn-Pluto cycle coincided with especially challenging historical periods marked by a pervasive quality of contraction: eras of international crisis and conflict, empowerment of reactionary forces and totalitarian impulses, organized violence and oppression… Profound transformation was a dominant theme…” (209)

“As dark and problematic as was its shadow… [the Saturn-Pluto] archetypal complex seemed equally capable of constellating actions, transformations, and enduring social-political consequences involving extraordinary moral determination as well as sheer physical and volitional effort… [S]uch periods seem to coincide consistently with a collective sense of stern purposefulness and determination, a galvanizing of the will against overwhelming odds, grim resolution in the face of extreme danger.” (257)

In other words—Nazis, but also the French Resistance to the Nazis. AIDS, but also ACT UP. The terrorist attacks of 9/11, but also the heroic efforts of first responders to that attack.

It isn’t news to anyone that we live in dark times. Authoritarianism, totalitarianism, and fascism seem to be rising up around the world. Many governments have such leaders already. This is what happens during Saturn-Pluto periods. But in spite of all that, we have an impulse towards bravery and strength of character, alongside a little voice in the ear whispering to us that we should hope, that it doesn’t have to be this way, that things can be better. “We can turn this shit around” as Tank Girl says.

And so we must. Drawing upon the unreasonable idealism of Jupiter-Neptune and the steely resolve of Saturn-Pluto, we must fight against the dying of the light, and bring into our little corners of the world a piece of joy, of optimism, of brilliance.

Because we can. Because all of us have these strengths within us. Because we can make the world a better place in spite of empowered forces of authoritarian oppression.

Because all of us together are heroic, and that’s what heroes do.

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The Week Above - November 4th-11th 2018 (Election Day Astrology)

The Week Above is a weekly astrological "weather report" detailing the major planetary configurations for the week ahead. All times given are in Eastern Time. There will be references to your birth chart and your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs throughout. If you aren't sure of what that means, check out Astrodienst for free online chart drawings, and Cups & Crowns for the basics of how to understand a drawn chart.

If you enjoy my writing and find it valuable, consider supporting me on Patreon. Future posts will feature horoscopes for all twelve signs if certain goals are met.

Strap yourselves in for this one, friends, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.

The Lunar Nodes enter Cancer and Capricorn and Uranus returns to Aries - November 6th

Election Day in the United States is going to be a big shift, but I’m not predicting puppies and cupcakes here.

On Tuesday, the Lunar Nodes, which have been transiting the signs of Leo and Aquarius, shift into Cancer and Capricorn. In a sense, the Lunar Nodes by transit indicate an arc of collective evolutionary focus. The South Node tends to disempower the sign it transits through, sinking it down into a place that is alternately sapped of energy and given over to its basest instincts, with occasional moments of being on the beam so strongly that being itself is the most natural thing in the world. But mostly all that sign’s shortcomings get revealed. Since May of 2017, that South Node has been in Aquarius, doing all that to the territory of humanitarianism, collective thinking, technology, social networks, futurism, pariahs, and genius. Many of the themes of abuse of technology and abusiveness of technology companies, the agonies of social media, and the splitting away from collective unity got underscored over and again during this time, reemphasized and the humor taken out of it.

Until May of 2020, the South Node will be in Capricorn, sign of authority, ambition, and patriarchs, among many other significations. It’s gonna be an interesting time.

The North Node of the Moon, by transit, tends to hand a six-pack of energy drinks to whatever sign it’s in. It energizes that sign, activates it, makes it want to go go go move move move get shit done, but can also cause that sign to rev its wheels until they burn right off, become overactive, or just get overwhelmed with anxiety. Since May of 2017, the North Node has been in Leo. This is the territory of ego, self, self-centeredness, being centered in oneself in a more spiritual sense, shining in the spotlight, creative self-expression, children, and charisma. Perhaps this speaks more to the negative qualities of this point in history than necessarily the nature of the North Node of the Moon (which is generally considered a positive point in most Western texts, but this may have more to do with Western society’s biases of “more is always good”), but its most visible influences have not been great. Egotism, autocrats, anxious children, all have been spotlighted during this time. Anecdotally, I’ve also witnessed an increased willingness to pay artists for their art as part of left-leaning discourse, and otherwise give credit where credit is due. But I’ve witnessed a politics of “me first, then fuck you” from the right (and certain less-mature segments of the left tbh) get widespread as well.

The North Node will be in Cancer from Tuesday until May of 2020. Cancer is the territory of homes, families, cliques, mothers, emotional nurturing, the womb, feelings of security, and caretaking. On one hand, it’s a scary time for abortion rights. On the other hand, mothers enraged could be exactly the thing the world needs right now.

Now let’s get into Uranus.

Uranus’s initial entry into Aries 8-ish years ago coincided with the Arab Spring. Uranus in Aries is a hot, fiery, revolutionary energy that’s prone to burning hot and burning itself out. Uranus in Aries likes to break shit. Uranus is Aries is on fire with the urge to make things be different, by force if need be. Uranus will be in Aries for exactly four months, returning to Taurus on March 6th and staying there for another 8-ish years. This is Uranus in Aries’s last hurrah before Uranus starts shaking things up in a much earthier, more aesthetic way.

The Nodes square Uranus at 12:47pm EST, then shift signs at 1:09pm EST, then Uranus shifts signs at 1:59pm EST. The whole shift happens suddenly over the span of a lunch break to go vote. All of these major changes happen very, very fast.

Vote, by all means vote, but know that big changes do not happen easily. Shifts happen, but we’re too deep into the muck at this point for a single election to get us clean again. And whatever happens, a lot of people are going to be very, very angry, and seek out a vehicle to express that anger, possible the kind of vehicle they can set fire to. Probably not everywhere, all at once, but enough places to make folks stand up and take notice.

Things shift rapidly on Election Day, but not entirely, and not in a way that functions as a magic “make it all better” button. There’s more work to be done, and help is in fact on its way. Chin up, eyes on the goal, you got this.

New Moon in Scorpio - November 7th

This is not a big, loud lunation.

This is a quiet one. Trine Neptune in Pisces. Loosely sextile Pluto. Smack in the middle of Scorpio. Big things are happening, absolutely—it’s on the world axis, one of a few degrees of very public face—but these things happen in the dark and we just find out about them later. If you want to take political action you don’t want folks to know about right away, this is the time for it.

Not that I’d recommend you do anything untoward. Of course not. But I certainly expect some power players to be doing exactly that, and news stories to show up about protestors pulling off some kind of heist.

This is a heist moon. Secrets bandied about in the darkness taking hold of what isn’t theirs. Shifting shadows. Thievery. Sabotage.

Hey, I’m as anti-capitalist as the next astrologer who’s seen the writing on the wall, but I am not the guy with the mask. I’m the guy with the light in the darkness.

And this is quite the darkness.

Of note: This New Moon is exact just over 15 minutes after Jupiter’s exact trine to the Lunar North Node / sextile to the Lunar South Node. New beginnings are available to you for things you want to stay hidden, but ultimately a more monastic type of seclusion is called for here. The secret voice of the divine from the mountaintop. The Hermit. Spiritual truths only available in quiet contemplation. It’s a beautiful time to sit and contemplate your own mortality, because peace is available from that contemplation on this moon that isn’t always easy to come by. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but a worthwhile exercise when the time is ripe for it.

It seems to be ripe for it on the 7th.

Jupiter enters Sagittarius - November 8th

Jupiter entering Sagittarius is the astrological event of the year, at least in terms of being highly-anticipated and looked forward to more than any other. Here is the hope we’ve been waiting for. It’s a big, positive shift and deserves its own post, which you can read here.

Venus trines Mars - November 9th

Not as big an event as the other stuff this week, but still worthy of note.

Mars and Venus do a little dance around the zodiac, with Venus usually the faster-moving partner, except when she’s retrograde. Their retrogrades this year stepped on the toes of the same few degrees of the zodiac, around 9-10° of the Fixed signs, where they made their last aspect, a square. Their trine on the 9th will be the last major aspect Venus and Mars will make until their next trine on January 18th.

It’s a rare moment of harmony between masculine and feminine energies, or at least it seems more rare these days. Expect male energy to be a bit better behaved, or at least a bit more charming. And feminine energy to be a bit more comfortable making its desires known. Venus is still retrograde, of course, but she’s far out of the worst of it, already arisen as the Morning Star, emergent into the light and emerging further into the light every day. Her trine to Mars just emphasizes that she’s back in business and ready to mix and mingle and have some fun.

Up to you if you want to join her, but it’ll be a Friday, and that’s Venus’s day. Go out, have some fun, get a pedicure, fuck a stranger, dance on a table, impulsively redecorate your living room, enjoy your life however you do you. It’s a good time for it.

And we need these moments to celebrate joy, don’t we?

The Week Above - October 28th-November 4th 2018

The Week Above is a weekly astrological "weather report" detailing the major planetary configurations for the week ahead. All times given are in Eastern Time. There will be references to your birth chart and your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs throughout. If you aren't sure of what that means, check out Astrodienst for free online chart drawings, and Cups & Crowns for the basics of how to understand a drawn chart.

If you enjoy my writing and find it valuable, consider supporting me on Patreon. Future posts will feature horoscopes for all twelve signs if certain goals are met.

Mercury conjunct Jupiter, trine Chiron - October 29th

The mind is a funny thing.

We sometimes see what we expect to see, and then in seeing it, use it as a mirror to support our pre-existing self-image.

This is not one of those times.

Jupiter’s time in Scorpio has been an eventful one. Widespread adoption of occultism, #MeToo, secrets coming into the stark light of day, all being dealt with and considered collectively. Jupiter in Scorpio has been asking us to think deeply about our secrets, our darkness, our underbellies, and give them their spiritual, mindful, and judicious dues.

On Monday, Mercury makes all of this much, much louder. It is easy to think precisely about deep topics, particularly deep into the underworld. And it is easy to hear the voices bringing our attention to them. Truth, particularly that which we might turn away from, comes into stark, undeniable focus.

Expect a news story or two of “Actually, this is who we are, and it’s time we admitted it.”

For yourself, write or speak with someone you trust on the topic of old hurts coming up. After conjoining Jupiter, Mercury goes on to trine Chiron Monday, adding voice to the pain and making it easier for that pain to be expressed. A good day for therapy sessions.

Mercury enters Sagittarius - October 30th/31st

(Note: On the East Coast of the United States, this happens between midnight and 1AM on the 31st. In other time zones the ingress will be on the 30th.)

The mind is a funny thing.

Those of analytical bent enjoy their analysis because of its precision. There are details to sort out, tasks to be considered, files to organize. The analytical mind can find pleasure in keeping itself up-to-date and on task.

This is easier some times than others.

On Halloween, Mercury enters Sagittarius, a sign it struggles in. Mercury, planet of seeking specific information, gets lost in the vast, poorly-labeled grand libraries of Sagittarius. The analytical mind gets overwhelmed with too much information and too many directions to go in, the details sacrificed for big-picture thinking, the balance between big ideas and small necessities a constant juggling act.

Boy are those libraries fun though.

Mercury is going retrograde later in the month while they’re in Sagittarius, so expect this week to bring you hints of what’s to come from the Trickster’s time in the Archer’s sign. It’s a good time to organize things if you’re ready to get distracted reading them partway through. Otherwise, you might have a hard time getting to where you meant to go.

With Jupiter this close to the Messenger Deity, it’s gonna be a fun time, even with the confusion. More on that in a future post.

Mercury remains in Sagittarius until the end of November, returning on December 12th. This transit will affect you most if your Sun, Moon, Midheaven, or Ascendant is in Gemini or Virgo, or in close aspect with Mercury in your natal chart, or if you are an investigator, lawyer, writer, analyst, accountant, journalist, or involved in communication or transportation otherwise.

Venus opposes Uranus and enters Libra - October 31st

The heart wants what it wants, and sometimes it is very clear what it does not want.

Breakups happen. Not every relationship is meant to last. Sometimes you wake up in the morning, look at the person or the thing you thought you wanted, and gasp in horror from the newly shifted desire.

Other times you fall madly in love out of the blue with someone or something you never thought you’d want in your life and shift everything around to accommodate it.

For many folks, this is one of those weeks.

This happens right before Venus gets back to her home turf of Libra. In Libra, Venus is happy. She has what she needs to get things done the way she likes to do them. Beauty is more beautiful, charmers are more charming, lover are more loving.

Granted, she’s still retrograde until November 16th, when she stations direct close to the fixed star Spica, but more on that when we come to it.

Still, Venusian matters of love, of beauty, of pleasure, worth, and value get nicer and sweeter after Halloween, and this underworld journey we’ve all been on this month starts to show some real potential for emergence into Light this week. Hope arising from the Darkness. Let it be so.

Venus remains in Libra until December 2nd. This transit will affect you most if your Sun, Moon, Midheaven, or Ascendant is in Taurus or Libra, or in close aspect with Venus in your natal chart, or if your Ascendant is in Aries or Scorpio (thus making Venus ruler of your house of partnership) or if you are a model, beautician, sexuality professional, artist, decorator, newly in love, or otherwise deeply involved with the realms of beauty, love, sexuality, or desire.

Jupiter trine Chiron in aspect with Juno and Pallas - November 1st

We learn most from our wounds.

Chiron, the great healer, the great wounded one, was also known as a great teacher. The deepest pain is often the bearer of the most important lessons.

But to understand these lessons we must consider them closely. What is there to be learned? What is there to simply leave behind? What are we not finished with just yet? How can we take this pain and turn it into medicine for others?

How can we take this pain and turn it into medicine for ourselves?

We can’t do it alone, that’s for sure. We need other people in order to heal ourselves, or even just to learn how to sit comfortably with our wounds.

This is a week of learning to find medicine in those wounds, wisdom in the pain, teachings in the tears. This is a week where we’re gifted clarity in the processing of it all.

Again, a good time to see your therapist.

And just generally? Take care of your emotional and psychological well-being this week. Drink water. Go for a walk. Phone a friend. Whatever helps you feel good and whole within yourself, do more of it this week, even if you don’t feel like it. It’s an important week for that. The dead are closer to the living this time of year. Halloween is a time to honor the dead, not just drink in costume. It’s a time when grief becomes more apparent for many of us. So be kind to yourself and check in on your loved ones. We all need it sometimes, and this is a good time to show that kind of love.