To perform this forecast, I have chosen to look at both the Transits and Progressions of the United States chart (Sibley, 7/4/1776, 5:10PM, Philadelphia, PA) using the Whole Signs system as written about in Astrology and the Authentic Self by Demetra George. In terms of global transits, 2011 will be much quieter year than the last three (2008 to 2010), which included, significantly: Pluto's transit into Capricorn (January 2008); a Saturn (Libra), Uranus (Aries), Pluto (Capricorn) T-square with Saturn opposing Uranus (2009-2010); Chiron/Neptune conjunction in Aquarius; Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in Pisces; and Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto all moving towards and/or back and forth over the ingress point between signs (Virgo/Libra, Sagittarius/Capricorn, Aquarius/Pisces, and Pisces/Aries). Jupiter separates from Uranus and will move entirely through Aries, Saturn nearly completes its journey through Libra, Chiron permanently enters Pisces and begins to separate from Neptune, Uranus moves permanently into Aries, Neptune and Saturn trine by the end of the year, and Pluto settles more firmly into Capricorn. The ass-smacking square between Uranus and Pluto will not ramp back up until 2012.
While the global transits basically give us a breather, we need to take that time to "batten down the hatches", "stock the root cellar", "pay off our debts", and any other save and conserve measures to protect us from stormy weather and rainy days. The Cosmic Storm brewing with Uranus/Pluto is going to be much more volatile than the last one, when they were conjunct in the 1960s. We will also get a feel for the new way of things as the world economy continues to be stagnant overall and contracting (debt unwinding will become the business as usual if we can detach ourselves from debt accumulation as business as usual). Uranus and Pluto will square in 2012 and dance a "square dance" 7 times until 2015. Given how the global economy represents a "fragile" complex system at this time and entropy is on the rise, we may see many different avalanches over the course of those 3 years depending, largely, on what each world government and the banking system decide during the next two years. If we stick with business as usual (debt to pay for debt), it won't be a pretty picture.
The US, in particular, is going to continue to feel strains, both from the transits and certainly from progressions. I have written about the pVenus/pMars opposition, with tSaturn conjunct pMars, in a previous post, which augers, I believe, a time of fighting to deny the changes we need to make to get society to a healthy place. Mars and Saturn together often indicate war and aggression and tSaturn will be dancing over nSaturn in one hell of a Saturn Return. A lot of what we can expect from 2011 will be set up in the November 2010 election. I suspect we will actually get more of the same even if the Tea Party has major victories and the Republicans return to power in the Congress. Pluto in Capricorn is showing us that the big systems are failing and "work from within" is not likely to bring about any significant change. But what does work from outside look like? It looks like Uranus in Aries in the 5th House of Creativity! America does have tremendous resilience, but what we need is truly revolutionary thinking, not the watered down change offered by Lobbyists for corporate interests.
Whatever we don't do in 2011 to right the ship will only show up in more "men, women, and children overboard" in 2012 when the next Presidential election occurs right near the time of the first exact square of Uranus/Pluto. 2011 will truly be a Year of Adjustment, so let's look at the significant Hot Spots for the year. Follow this link if you want to see all the monthly charts cast for 2011.
Progressed Venus conjunct Natal Chiron opposes Progressed Mars, Transiting Saturn, and Natal Saturn
This set of configurations represents one of the two Heavy Action areas of the US 2011 chart (the other one involves pMercury, tNeptune, and tChiron conjunct nMoon). pVenus will progress from 20d29m in Aries in the 5th House to 21d30m over the course of the year, forming a 1d Separating Conjunction with nChiron. On a societal level, our 1 to 1 relationships and our contracts have merged with the wounding energy of Chiron in Aries (doing whatever we want as individuals without regard for others, and suffering the consequences). The shadow expression of Chiron in Aries is a wound that comes from doing whatever we want (Aries/5th). Our greatest asset, Aries independence and creativity, is our greatest potential harm, as deregulation has opened the door for theft at an unprecedented level, one that threatens not only US economies, but world economies. With pVenus conjunct, we will, at this time, feel the high or low vibration of nChiron in Aries in our 1 to 1 relationships, our marriages, and our business dealings (note the recent review of foreclosure proceedings).
Opposed is pMars at 18d34mR (retrograde) in January and 18d31mR in December, less than 4d Approaching Conjunct to nSaturn (at 14d48m) and in tight opposition to pVenus. It is a time to strike balance with masculine and feminine energies or watch them go "back and forth" against each other, vying for the upper hand. Mars and Saturn represent the Great Malefic(s) and here they are conjunct, doubly so since tSaturn is at 17d6m in January and not even 3d Separating Conjunct from nSaturn. "We have seen the enemy and he is us." Mars retrograde can mean holding back action, reviewing plans, or becoming impotent. Unfortunately, pMars will remain Retrograde until 2086 (having gone Retrograde in July of 2006), for an 80 year span. pMars will re-conjunct nSaturn and move all the way back into Gemini. If American is an empire, then this span will likely show its fall from power or impotence on the world stage over the duration of the time. We are likely to see our "gains" diminish as this progressed energy moves longer and longer through the Retrograde phase. The positive shift is learning to live with less, re-tooling and rethinking our ambitions.
Among the various great returns in individual charts, the Saturn return is likely number one (Jupiter occurs every 12 years, Chiron returns at 50, and Uranus at 84). The Saturn return is the "big test" period of our lives when we evaluate what we have done and either give ourselves high marks or learn that we need to make some big changes. Considering the national and household debt, the state of education, the corrupting influence of banks and corporations, I think we will find this Saturn return about making some big changes. However, it will be hard, as hard as realizing your marriage is not good, but you don't want to give up the lifestyle you can only have with 2 incomes or 1 person supporting the other. Obligations, like children or family may add difficulty to making the necessary changes. Many people reach their Saturn returns, find their lives lacking, and keep staying the course. Saturn is not a change agent, that's what Pluto is for, which is making its way towards a future square (not in this year) with Natal Saturn in about 10 years. We are going to have to make dramatic changes to the "unchangeables" - Social Security, Health Care, Education, and the Military. If we "stay the course" or continue to rejuvenate the old course, we'll find ourselves hitting the iceberg without the number of life boats needed to save everyone. And like trying to turn the Titanic, it will be too late to make the turn when we actually see the iceberg!
What to do? If you are not a player at high level, and even if you are, you likely want the system to work and can't abide significant change, then you need to do your best to make changes on your personal level. Do away with debt any way you can and don't take on any new debt, buy a used car, rent a home. SAVE, SAVE, SAVE. If you do buy, but real assets and own them outright ... like land. We may all be farmers again one day. Network, build your personal tribe and community of support, consider joining an intentional community, get rooted and learn about your local community. Learn how to live more simply, carpool, learn to share resources; these strategies will help you regardless of how the future unfolds.
pMercuryR, tNeptune, and tChiron conjunct nPallas and nMoon
Progressed Venus conjunct Natal Chiron opposes Progressed Mars, Transiting Saturn, and Natal Saturn
This set of configurations represents one of the two Heavy Action areas of the US 2011 chart (the other one involves pMercury, tNeptune, and tChiron conjunct nMoon). pVenus will progress from 20d29m in Aries in the 5th House to 21d30m over the course of the year, forming a 1d Separating Conjunction with nChiron. On a societal level, our 1 to 1 relationships and our contracts have merged with the wounding energy of Chiron in Aries (doing whatever we want as individuals without regard for others, and suffering the consequences). The shadow expression of Chiron in Aries is a wound that comes from doing whatever we want (Aries/5th). Our greatest asset, Aries independence and creativity, is our greatest potential harm, as deregulation has opened the door for theft at an unprecedented level, one that threatens not only US economies, but world economies. With pVenus conjunct, we will, at this time, feel the high or low vibration of nChiron in Aries in our 1 to 1 relationships, our marriages, and our business dealings (note the recent review of foreclosure proceedings).
Opposed is pMars at 18d34mR (retrograde) in January and 18d31mR in December, less than 4d Approaching Conjunct to nSaturn (at 14d48m) and in tight opposition to pVenus. It is a time to strike balance with masculine and feminine energies or watch them go "back and forth" against each other, vying for the upper hand. Mars and Saturn represent the Great Malefic(s) and here they are conjunct, doubly so since tSaturn is at 17d6m in January and not even 3d Separating Conjunct from nSaturn. "We have seen the enemy and he is us." Mars retrograde can mean holding back action, reviewing plans, or becoming impotent. Unfortunately, pMars will remain Retrograde until 2086 (having gone Retrograde in July of 2006), for an 80 year span. pMars will re-conjunct nSaturn and move all the way back into Gemini. If American is an empire, then this span will likely show its fall from power or impotence on the world stage over the duration of the time. We are likely to see our "gains" diminish as this progressed energy moves longer and longer through the Retrograde phase. The positive shift is learning to live with less, re-tooling and rethinking our ambitions.
Among the various great returns in individual charts, the Saturn return is likely number one (Jupiter occurs every 12 years, Chiron returns at 50, and Uranus at 84). The Saturn return is the "big test" period of our lives when we evaluate what we have done and either give ourselves high marks or learn that we need to make some big changes. Considering the national and household debt, the state of education, the corrupting influence of banks and corporations, I think we will find this Saturn return about making some big changes. However, it will be hard, as hard as realizing your marriage is not good, but you don't want to give up the lifestyle you can only have with 2 incomes or 1 person supporting the other. Obligations, like children or family may add difficulty to making the necessary changes. Many people reach their Saturn returns, find their lives lacking, and keep staying the course. Saturn is not a change agent, that's what Pluto is for, which is making its way towards a future square (not in this year) with Natal Saturn in about 10 years. We are going to have to make dramatic changes to the "unchangeables" - Social Security, Health Care, Education, and the Military. If we "stay the course" or continue to rejuvenate the old course, we'll find ourselves hitting the iceberg without the number of life boats needed to save everyone. And like trying to turn the Titanic, it will be too late to make the turn when we actually see the iceberg!
What to do? If you are not a player at high level, and even if you are, you likely want the system to work and can't abide significant change, then you need to do your best to make changes on your personal level. Do away with debt any way you can and don't take on any new debt, buy a used car, rent a home. SAVE, SAVE, SAVE. If you do buy, but real assets and own them outright ... like land. We may all be farmers again one day. Network, build your personal tribe and community of support, consider joining an intentional community, get rooted and learn about your local community. Learn how to live more simply, carpool, learn to share resources; these strategies will help you regardless of how the future unfolds.
pMercuryR, tNeptune, and tChiron conjunct nPallas and nMoon
Pallas is not a commonly used energy point unless you are a student of Demetra George after she published Asteroid Goddesses, which I am. Pallas represents logical thinking, strategy, the art of planning with the mind and it is tightly conjunct the US Natal Moon in Aquarius in the 3rd House (of Communication) and nearly conjunct the 4th House cusp (of Family and Culture). Americans are "Idealists at Heart" and we certainly have the rhetoric for community activism. We have also been on the forefront of many changes in community, though not so much of late, probably an impact of pMercury being Retrograde since late 1994. (though gay marriage is staggering forward even as the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell failed). Retrograde Mercury is also a time for re-evaluation, slowing down, reviewing, and listening! It is the listening part that America struggles to master, especially since it has such good luck (Part of Fortune conjunct Mercury in Cancer in the 8th) talking and speaking as a moral authority (the mother sign) in its relationships (8th House).
Now, however, is a time to take care of our own, our deep self with the pSun moving through the 4th House and Pisces (6d). American will be "feeling itself" in the home. The financial crisis has not only thrown people out of homes, it has driven people back home, trapped people in homes, and opened up wounds in families. Chiron and Neptune represent a very dynamic combination, much in the same way that Uranus and Jupiter (in 2010) presented. Unfortunately, the shadow side of these energies represent wounding and delusion and often get more press and play than the higher vibration healing energies available in both. They will both be Direct at the beginning of the year and the end and Retrograde in the middle. Chiron will move into Pisces while Neptune will remain in Aquarius. Most likely, the illusions of the past will hold fast as businesses and government try to reanimate the consumer monster (debt supercycle), military superiority (failed, failing, or unproductive wars), and world authority (while owing everyone else for buying our bonds). At home we will need to do some serious, deep healing and embrace compassion (Pisces) instead of idealism (Aquarius). The size and duration of unemployment, and more importantly, underemployment will keep distractions to a minimum as communities and families slow down and turn inward.
In essence, these energies suggest a countrywide turning inward phase. Coupled with the Saturn Return, America is in for a year of navel gazing while the "powers that be" try their level best to keep the population gazing at the TV. Distractions may prove harder to come by, especially after the new Congress fails to accomplish anything of import; they will slash programs, but not the budget!
Other Hot Spots of Note
- tNorth Node conjunct nAscendant - Learning to re-present ourselves to the world. We will know we need a "new look" out in the world.
- pMoon approaches nSaturn - Emotions start to have more of a role in the rules, when pMarsR hits we could have a "boiling point".
- Lunation Cycle - Full Moon - Analyze and Perfect, develop a plan. We need a long range strategy, but will we get one? We, as a country, are very used to operating in the Hedonistic Now, and what we need is a "long view". If we don't start developing one now, when this cycle end s(around the same time Pluto gets out of Capricorn), we may really see a fallen empire in 15 years. The potential is in the energy for amazing change, but leadership is going to have unite and lead instead of divide and stagnate.
- pAscendant ingress the 10th House. We need new work, and not just for the unemployment problem, but a new way of thinking about, distributing, and enacting work. We need, entering Virgo, to bring manufacturing back into this country, adjust the wages, do whatever is needed, but we need people here producing instead of consuming.
2011 will be the quiet before the storm and there will be a storm in 2012 because a soaring stock market and high unemployment are an explosive combination showing the elimination of the Middle Class. Frustration will likely be the brew of 2011 unless local communities and individuals can begin to create new opportunities and compassion as the world shifts and sifts through an ongoing economic struggle.
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