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Copyright Astrodienst AG 2000. All rights are reserved.
02-Jul-2002
Chapter I.
INTRODUCTION
Embracing the Future
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once wrote that nothing is certain
except change. In the last two decades we have been forced to acknowledge
this ancient truth, for many of our time- honoured and reliable religious,
economic and social structures and definitions of reality have undergone
major upheavals. Because human beings instinctively fear change, we imagine
global disasters as we move into the future, or global redemption through
the miracles of technology or some extraordinary new spiritual or political
revolution. We are filled with both anxiety and hope. Is this really a time
of great opportunity, spiritually and materially? Or does it seem so merely
because we believe it to be so?
Astrological cycles do not take account of human calendars, and the movements
of the planets have their own logic and timing. If we were to take any
six-year period in history, we might find any number of possible planetary
configurations which give a particular flavour and meaning to that time.
But the fact that we place such importance on our recent entry into the
21st century means that we will perceive the flavour and meaning of this
time through specially orientated vision. We expect a great deal from
the next decades, for either good or ill; and therefore, from a psychological
perspective, we are particularly attuned to the currents of the time and
perhaps able to respond more acutely, with greater hopes and increased
creativity. What is the special flavour of this time? What can astrology
tell us as we move further into the 21st century? First of all, this time
is extraordinary because it happens to coincide with the changing of the
astrological ages. Most people have heard about the Age of Aquarius, but
what does it really mean?
The advent of the Aquarian Age
The changing of the ages is governed by the movement of the spring equinoctial
point (the first degree of the zodiac) into a new constellation. This
happens roughly every two thousand years. It is presently shifting from
the constellation of Pisces to the constellation of Aquarius. At the dawn
of the Christian era it shifted from Aries to Pisces. Such huge cosmic
movements are reflected in human affairs first and foremost through the
ways in which we perceive God, and the world-view which we deem to be
"true". If we look back through history, it is obvious that at the dawn
of the Age of Pisces the perception of reality shifted in a radical way,
reflected in the birth of new religions (not only Christianity, but also
Islam) and a profoundly different vision of life's essential meaning and
purpose. Vast changes such as these do not occur on Thursday at 3.00 PM,
but stretch over a period of a couple of centuries, and the transition
time is often one of chaos during which old values and old gods begin
to lose their value and meaning, and new ways are sought by an increasingly
anxious and disorientated human family.
What, then, might this shift from Pisces into Aquarius mean for us all?
Aquarius is a sign belonging to the astrological element of air, and this
signifies that mind, rather than heart, is likely to begin to assume the
highest value. Human ingenuity and human inventiveness, reflected in technology
and a greater understanding of how the cosmos works, are important dimensions
of the Aquarian ethos. Human brotherhood is also immensely important.
The values which propel nations into recognising not only each other's
rights but also each other's similarities is likely to be reflected in
an increasing sense of globalism, of being "citizens of the world". Aquarius
is also the sign of the mass, and this means a levelling of extremes and
a seeking of common denominators in education, money, fashion, the arts,
and all other spheres in which human creativity and effort can make their
mark. Is this then a "good" or "bad" age? That depends on what we make
of it. Each of us, in this exciting, challenging and sometimes frightening
time, has the individual challenge of responding to and working with the
new energy which is presently causing such profound changes in science,
religion, communications, and social and political structures.
Chapter II
The planetary configurations
Each of us has an individual horoscope which will be affected by the
shifting planetary pictures which occur over any six-year period of time.
These planetary configurations, although not directly linked with the changing
of the astrological ages, need nevertheless to be seen in that context.
And they do indeed seem to support the vast shift in human consciousness
which is presently occurring. The three outer planets -Uranus, Neptune,
and Pluto - are, for the next few years, all in what are called the "dynamic"
signs, meaning the elements of fire and air. For many years they were in
the "receptive" earth and water signs, and not since the late 1940's have
all three been in fire and air. What does this mean for us all? After the
last World War, a new spirit was abroad, fuelled in part by the darkness
and suffering with which so many people were afflicted, but fuelled also
by a fiery spirit of hope and innovation, and an airy dream of harmony and
peace in the world. There is a similar spirit abroad now. These three outer
planets, all concerned with collective movements and trends, seem to be
offering us a vision of a reformed and brighter world.
This does not mean that we will all sail into the future full of joy
and free of problems. In many areas of the world there is a great deal
of suffering, and individuals may still have to cope with challenges which
may prove painful and frustrating. Also, the kind of vision which is presently
infecting so many people is not necessarily congenial to everyone. Idealism
and vision may also be accompanied by a lack of recognition of individual
rights and feelings, and the elements of fire and air, while strong on
vision, may occasionally lack an appreciation of time and human frailty.
Some people may feel pressured and overloaded by the qualities of the
time, as though they are expected to learn everything all at once and
give up hard-won values and security because the collective demands it.
To understand and get the best from this unusual grouping of outer planets
coinciding with the changing of the ages, we need first to understand
ourselves, and how these planets will affect us individually.
Pluto in Sagittarius
Pluto is the great bass drumbeat of the planetary pantheon, taking a
leisurely 249 years to travel around the zodiac. It entered the sign of
Sagittarius in 1995 and leaves it to enter Capricorn in 2008. Thus most
of the first decade of the 21st century is dominated by this important
movement of Pluto through the sign of Sagittarius the Centaur, concerned
with religious, spiritual, philosophical and moral questions. Pluto symbolises
those deep underground forces in the collective psyche which break down
and renew that which is old, outworn and past its time. It works like
a machine dredging the bottom of a pond, bringing to the surface everything
which is rotten and ready for the compost heap, so that new life can emerge
cleaner, brighter and stronger than before. While it moved through Scorpio
in the second half of the 1980's and the first half of the 1990's, we
experienced a darkening of our vision of life. Now we have reached a point
where we are seeking a new vision of God, a new way of defining right
and wrong, and new ways in which to understand and communicate with each
other. On the global level, we may expect many conflicts and transformations
in the sphere of orthodox religion, with a heady mixture of sectarianism
and impassioned truth-seeking, fanaticism and a greater tolerance of the
many ways through which we may approach the divine. We may also expect
new attitudes toward law and the legal systems in every nation, as well
as changes in our attitudes toward knowledge and education. And in the
sphere of communication the internet has already made its mark.
The profound moral and spiritual dilemmas which Pluto raises as it travels
through Sagittarius may be seen on many levels in the outer world. They
may also challenge you in very personal ways, and you may not initially
realise that the issues you are confronting are not only your own, but
also shared by many people struggling in their own individual ways to
redefine what they understand as truth. Even if Pluto's movement affects
very personal spheres of your life, it may be worth ultimately asking
the question, "What is the deeper meaning of what I am going through?
What am I meant to be learning? How can I use this time to redefine what
I believe to be right and wrong, truth and falsehood? And what is the
nature of the God in which I believe?"
Unlocking the inner child
As Pluto makes its long transit through Sagittarius, one question is
likely to resonate over and over again in your life: Who are you, really?
What makes you a special individual? The transformative nature of Pluto
is most likely to express itself in the sphere of your expression as an
individual, and this includes those ways in which you are able to be creative
and find suitable vehicles for giving form to what you feel matters most
deeply to your heart. This time may reflect a new creative birth, when
you discover a talent you didn't know you had, or find new artistic ways
of expressing what is within you. New business enterprises, new creative
projects, and new confidence in your right to be yourself may be some
of the finest fruits of this process. Whether the children which are born
of this time are physical or imaginative, it is, on the most profound
level, a time of birth, and although the gestation may be a long one,
you are likely to emerge with a profound sense of your unique value as
an individual.
No birth can take place without some struggle, however, and it may be
that certain patterns in your life need to come to an end. Matters of
love, even if they are happy rather than distressing (and happiness is
just as likely as crisis during this time) may require you attend to old
psychological attitudes inherited from your family background -- attitudes
which you might do better without. You may also need to think long and
deeply about what kind of parent you are or would like to be, and what
kind of child you once were, and what you expect and need from your own
children. It is really the child within you which is being activated and
brought to the surface by the processes reflected by Pluto's movement,
and you may need to face all those issues concerned with the blocking
of childhood needs and the stifling of childlike dreams and inspirations.
Your ability to express the child within is a measure of your ability
to be creative and joyful in life. Do you know how to play? Can you experience
the joy of a child, the sense of wonder at life, and the confidence to
express your vision in creative forms? Or are you hemmed in by worrying
about what others think, or by unrealistic expectations and standards
which paralyse your self- expression? This ability to express yourself
without material gain or ideological justification reveals who you most
truly are, and it is this which you are likely to discover over the next
few years. Every human being has some sphere where he or she can be creative,
and you may need to discover this on new levels.
A quiet but thorough cleansing process is taking place
within you, and many old emotional patterns and habits from the past are
passing from your life. You may see the surface effects of this in ordinary
everyday spheres where you have been trying to "kick" old habits - or
an old relationship - and suddenly find it is easy to do so. But this
is only the surface of a deeper change. You are reconnecting with your
real emotional and instinctual nature, and moving away from those responses
which you learned in childhood either as a result of family pressure or
as a means of emotional survival. This is likely to make you a much more
authentic person in terms of your feeling needs and expression. There
may be important repercussions in your relationship life, although there
may well be no external crisis or drama which you can link with the changes
occurring inside. But your increased self-confidence and emotional self-
knowledge could allow you to find greater fulfilment in relationships.
It may come as a surprise to you just how many responses which you thought
were natural and "you" have been, in fact, the products of your upbringing.
Now you have a chance to leave these behind. This inner process could
prove enormously healing and strengthening, and the positive repercussions
may reverberate for many years to come.
Greater energy and an increased capacity to concentrate
that energy may be some of the gifts of this valuable time. You may discover
that you have more strength and tenacity than you thought, and this could
allow you to make that bit of extra effort which could help you to achieve
goals you might have thought impossible in the past. Somehow life is likely
to seem deeper and richer, and your instinctual responses are likely to
be stronger and your passions more emphasised. You may also feel you want
to commit yourself more intensely to some project or goal which requires
a great deal of endurance, patience and hard work. If so, then go for
it; for you have the necessary combination of intensity and stamina which
could indeed take you where you want to go. And you probably won't have
to push others out of the way to get what you want, either; there is no
inherent conflict in the energy which is available to you now, and you
may find that others wish to follow you or support whatever plans you
have in mind. Important opportunities may come your way, and it is up
to you to take advantage of them and put in the necessary hard work and
commitment.
Changing attitudes and perceptions may deepen your
thinking and lead you to seeing things in much greater complexity and
profundity. All things psychological may interest you, even if this also
involves financial concerns; for you are very open right now to the deeper
levels of life, and could make good use of the insights you gain. Certain
old attitudes from the past may quietly drop away, and you may feel rather
intolerant of others' insincerity. For a while you may need plenty of
time for quiet reflection, and this could make you wish to withdraw a
little from social contacts which are too superficial. Trust your instincts,
and follow the path of your interests right now. They could lead you to
a radically transformed view of life, which may indirectly lead to important
external changes later. Most importantly, your need to see and understand
the truth, about others and about yourself, may alter in a very positive
way not only your perceptions but your way of communicating to others.
Neptune in Aquarius
Neptune takes 165 years to make its cycle around the zodiac, and it is
now in Aquarius for the first time since 1834, having entered the sign
in February 1998. It leaves Aquarius and enters Pisces in the spring of
2011. This planet reflects the constantly changing and constantly repeating
cycles of collective dreams and aspirations, and we can see its subtle
emotional effects in those things which seem to promise redemption, peace,
perfection, and freedom from suffering. Neptune reflects our longing to
merge with a greater whole and lose the painful sense of isolation which
accompanies any individual journey in incarnation. Thus the sign through
which Neptune passes describes, on many different levels, those qualities,
objects and people which we believe will lift us out of pain and loneliness
and lead us into the Paradise Garden which we lost once upon a time long,
long ago. What we perceive as fashionable is also reflected by Neptune's
current zodiacal sign, and music, art, and interpretation of beauty all
change and shift like Neptune's waters as we alter our vision of what
will satisfy our eternal longing.
When Neptune moved through Aquarius in the last century, it was the first
time the phrase "United Europe" was used in a political sense. During
that earlier transit, dreams of an end to global conflict were accompanied
by a heightened feeling of brotherhood and spiritual unity among men and
women of every different race and nation. At the same time, a passionate
spirit of nationalism swept Europe and America, putting an end to the
dreams of global unity. As Neptune moves through Aquarius once again,
we are once again dreaming dreams of a worldwide unity which will end
all conflict. Sadly, not all of Neptune's dreams come true, and sometimes
there is bitter disappointment as our heightened perceptions of what could
be possible collide with the reality of the world and the limitations
of human nature. For the first time in over a century and a half we are
filled once again with a vision of human unity which could yield many
immensely creative results. But such a vision could also make us blind
to recognising our limits. What we see as beautiful, fashionable and desirable
is also changing. As a collective we are losing our sentimentality about
the past and focusing on that which is new, innovative, technologically
advanced, and able to create a more efficient and interconnected society.
Idealising others
The subtle mixture of magic, mystery, and occasional confusion and disappointment
in others which Neptune symbolises as it moves through Aquarius is most
likely to affect you in the sphere of your relationships. This means not
only personal bonds, but also the contacts you make in work and with the
public in general. In all spheres where you are involved with others,
you may find an increased sense of connection, an empathy and emotional
understanding which makes you feel linked with humanity in general and
perhaps even with the natural world. Your ideals about human potential
are also likely to be especially high during this time, and it is here
that both your greatest rewards and greatest disappointments may lie.
You may feel as though you want to be involved with others' welfare in
a new and more committed way, and spiritual ideals may inspire you as
they never have before. But you may also expect too much from others,
especially those close to you, and this could lead to a sense of disillusionment
when you discover that other people are mere humans like yourself, and
cannot offer you a path to redemption. However much you feel "tuned in",
you will still need to retain a firm sense of boundaries and a realism
about what is possible.
Neptune's movement through this sphere of your life is slow and subtle,
and you may not experience any great crises or confrontations which force
you to alter your perception of other people. But it is likely that a
gradual change will occur which is ultimately of a deeply positive and
healing kind - even if you go through one or two experiences which make
you feel disappointed or let down. Your receptivity to others is increasing
and so is your capacity to feel compassion. You may also learn how to
let go and recognise the importance of sacrificing your own will and wishes
in order to help others to find greater fulfilment. All this is really
another way of saying that over this important time, with Neptune moving
through a sign connected with humanity and human welfare, your heart is
opening and your sense of relationship with the human family is deepening.
But do try to keep your eyes open and your mind clear in all your dealings
with others. Don't throw away common sense. No human being is able to
provide perfect love; we are all flawed and able only to be what we are.
And no disappointment can justify deliberate deception, so if you are
feeling disillusioned with someone, let them know what the problem is,
rather than seeking a solution through evasion or dishonesty. If you can
keep these few basic factors clear, you will discover that the increasing
sense of responsibility and interaction occurring on a global level is
also occurring within you, allowing you to feel part of a larger life
in a way you probably never have before.
Learning to let go
During this important time you are most likely to experience the magical
and mysterious qualities of Neptune in your intimate relationship life.
Gently and subtly, the emotional barriers between you and others are changing
and becoming more fluid, and this opens the possibility for deeper emotional
and sexual exchange as well as an increasing awareness of the unity of
all life. Neptune is not an altogether easy influence, however, and sometimes
emotions may rise to the surface which concern the past, especially any
losses you may have suffered when you were much younger. A sense of life
being cyclical, and of having to let go, may sometimes make you a little
melancholic. But this is more than compensated for by a deepening awareness
of life's mysteries and a profound sense of what supports you invisibly
from within. You may sometimes feel as though you are no longer properly
rooted in life, and your thoughts and fantasies may move into more boundless
terrain. Such feelings can be very powerful and disturbing if you are
used to being a matter-of-fact, prosaic sort of person. But this kind
of emotional opening could transform your relationships and your view
of what life is really about.
Another keynote of this transit of Neptune is, for you, the issue of
sharing. This means not only emotions, but also resources, and issues
may arise which concern joint financial matters and areas where you need
to learn to be more fluid and open in your dealings with others. Some
confusion is probably inevitable as you grapple with what you really want,
what you have outgrown, and what you need to let go of in order to progress
in your life. Letting go of the past - whether in the form of people you
have been holding on to, emotional attitudes which you are reluctant to
relinquish, or an old pattern involving money and security -may be part
of the subtle effects of Neptune. Try not to fight the direction in which
your heart and imagination are leading you. The kind of deep emotional
renewal which could be yours over this time can only come if you make
room for the changes which need to take place; and making room may mean
being willing to be less rigid in many of your interactions with others.
This does not mean being gullible or passive; but if you are willing to
recognise and contain the kinds of deep feelings and inner experiences
which may come your way, you are likely to connect with a deep and abiding
sense of faith in life's meaning.
Heightened idealism is likely to make you feel unusually
restless and discontented about the course your life has taken so far.
You may feel you have somehow not fulfilled creative potentials, or that
you need to be more involved with human welfare on the broader level.
You may also have many questions about the role you have been playing,
and may feel confused about where you are going. This could eventually
result in a new direction, and one of the most positive implications of
this time is the dissolving of rigid expectations and the opening up of
the imagination. You might indeed find more meaningful work, and a greater
sense of connection with the larger cosmos. But because there is a breaking
down of old, rigid structures and attitudes within you, you might be wise
to refrain from major decisions or impulsive actions at the moment. Feelings
of vulnerability could make you want to make changes which are premature,
and anxiety could impel you to try to force things at a faster pace than
they need to go. Take your time, avoid ambiguous entanglements of a financial
or emotional kind, don't be afraid of occasional feelings of lostness
or confusion, and keep your focus on the inner spiritual and imaginative
potentials which are wanting inclusion in your outer life. This could
be an enormously creative and transformative time during which your entire
sense of who you are and what you wish to make of your life are gently
but irrevocably changed. Just remember to keep your eyes open and your
feet on the ground.
Feelings of compassion toward others, and a willingness
to let go of past hurts and resentments, could make this time one in which
you experience a gentle inner healing and a new sense of belonging. Your
heart is open and others are likely to respond to you, too, with an open
heart. This could mean a time of deep tranquillity and emotional closeness.
Even if the usual external problems interfere, you are likely to feel
somehow supported by something higher or deeper in your life. New friendships
and a deepening of family bonds could increase your sense of being surrounded
by a benign and loving humanity, and this could heal many old hurts and
feelings of isolation which might have plagued you in the past.
A craving for harmony and peace is likely to make you
seek kinder, less stressful ways of pursuing your goals and interacting
with others, and the spirit of unity which is presently at work in the
collective is likely to affect you personally by bringing out all that
is gentlest and most peace-loving in your nature. Goals of a more altruistic
kind may affect your future aspirations, and you may wish to become more
involved in human welfare in direct and practical ways. You may also want
to spend a lot of time dreaming, and this might not be a bad thing, since
your intuition and creative capacities are likely to be heightened. All
artistic projects could benefit from the imaginative stimulation which
you are presently experiencing. Although it might not be too good idea
to be too passive or indolent - after all, you still live in the world!
- the ability to flow with the time can help you to deal with any necessary
changes and challenges in a serene and tactful way.
Inspiration and openness to the inner realm could make
this time enormously productive in terms of any creative work you might
undertake. You are also likely to be unusually receptive to the feelings
of others, perhaps almost telepathically so, and your response to the
atmospheres and hidden levels of any human interaction is likely to be
acute. This could also be a time when your interest in the inner world
deepens, perhaps through studies such as psychology or astrology, or practices
such as meditation. Your grasp of practical matters may need some attention,
as your mind may be inclined to wander on higher planes and details may
bore you. Make sure you don't ignore important matters which need attention.
But that caution having been given, try to make as much use as you can
of the inner resources which are now at your disposal. Your rational faculties
are blending with a heightened intuition, and this could opens many doors
to knowledge normally not accessible to the intellect alone.
Uranus in Aquarius
Uranus spends seven years in each sign of the zodiac. It entered Aquarius
in 1995, and remains there until 2003 Then it moves into Pisces, where
it remains until 2010. Its passage through Aquarius is coincident not
only with the advent of a new century and a new Millennium, but also with
the great movement of the vernal equinoctial point into the constellation
of Aquarius. Thus this planet, carrying its Promethean vision of a brave
new world, is particularly important as a herald of things to come. Prometheus
stole fire from the gods and gave it to human beings, and Uranus symbolises
the human capacity for vision and foresight which, coupled with innovative
thinking and a global perspective, heralds breakthroughs in science, technology,
social and political structures, and the arts. Although sometimes revolutionary
in an erratic and even violent sense, Uranus is at home in Aquarius. The
electric and inspiring energy which it reflects moving through this sign
is generating major discoveries and important social changes which will
improve the quality of our lives and transform social interaction through
fairer laws and greater equality of opportunities for everyone.
Uranus in Pisces
Uranus spends seven years in Pisces, and the sense of excitement, tension,
immanent change, and greater freedom that occurred as the new century
dawned gradually gives way to a subtler, deeper shift in collective thinking.
Because Pisces is concerned with the realm of the spirit and those levels
of reality which lie beyond the mundane world, we may find that religious
and spiritual concerns become a priority on a global level. We may also
experience major new artistic movements, for Pisces is the sign of the
creative imagination. Changes in the structures of orthodox religions
are likely as the collective psyche is awakened to a quest for more inclusive
spiritual values. There is some anxiety reflected by this seven-year transit
of Uranus, because its disruptive, innovative energy, moving through Pisces,
affects us on emotional rather than intellectual levels. This means not
only shifts in the ways in which we perceive God, but also a potential
time of artistic flowering as the human imagination seeks new forms and
vehicles through which to express itself.
New insights
The technological, artistic and spiritual awakening which Uranus in Aquarius
and Pisces heralds may show itself in subtle ways in your life -especially
in the sphere of your emotions and your relationship to your deeper passions
and hidden motives. It is possible that you may sometimes find this a
little uncomfortable, especially if you have little psychological experience.
You are likely to experience strong feelings and shifts in emotional attitudes
which are unfamiliar and which leave you wondering whether you have as
much control of your life as you thought. But try not to become anxious
or alarmed if you begin to discover depths in yourself which you didn't
realise you had. Because the energy of Uranus is concerned with expanding
vision and developing broader perspectives on life, the experiences you
have on the emotional level will probably lead to a deeper and more inclusive
understanding of yourself and other human beings. And this could open
the door to a genuine interest in and desire to study the realm of the
human psyche and the mysteries of life. Anything which rises up to awaken
you from within has always been there; it is not as if something new from
"outside" is invading your life. You are becoming more conscious, and
this is the most positive and dynamic dimension of this planetary movement
in your life.
You may also find that certain patterns change in your relationship life.
You may achieve a greater detachment and recognition of the necessity
of endings and new beginnings, and you may also learn a great deal about
when and how to let go when it is time to move on - both materially and
emotionally. This could result in greater emotional freedom and a growing
capacity to objectify your feelings rather than being swamped by them.
You may also find it easier to define your boundaries within close relationships,
with less fear of loneliness and a greater ability to experience your
separateness without a sense of loss or threat. These are all changes
which may occur in your basic emotional attitudes, and it could free you
from old family patterns that might have imprisoned you in the past and
restricted your emotional expression. Most important for you during this
critical time is a willingness to be open to change, especially in the
ways in which you deal with others and the attitudes you take toward deep
relationships. Any changes which occur in your personal life during this
time are likely to be necessary and ultimately enlightening and freeing.
A new world-view
During this exciting time you may experience a profound awakening on
intellectual and spiritual levels. Your world- view is likely to change
quite radically, and you may find yourself open to many new ideas which,
in the past, you might have dismissed as "cranky" or irrational. The deeper
nature of this change is connected with a more holistic vision of life,
where the connections between different spheres of knowledge begin to
become apparent and your understanding is more inclusive. Included in
this expanding and holistic world-view may be incidental side-benefits
such as an interest in languages and a deepening appreciation of the customs
and attitudes of different nations and peoples. Subjects such as psychology,
astrology, metaphysics, and philosophy may draw you strongly, and you
may even feel you have been the recipient of a real revelation about the
nature of life and the universe.
Education may also become increasingly important - either because you
have realised that you need a very different and more inclusive kind of
intellectual training, or because you have realised you did not go far
enough in your mental development in the past. Changes in your attitudes
may be reflected in starting, or finishing, a particular approach to knowledge.
On a deeper level, your moral and ethical attitudes may also undergo change,
and you may find that you have outgrown previous religious or spiritual
convictions because they were not inclusive enough. This time is likely
to prove enlightening and rewarding, especially in the sphere of your
attitudes toward life and your philosophical overview. Try to take advantage
of the opportunities that come your way to expand your reservoir of knowledge,
whether this is through study, travel, or exposure to other cultures.
It could prove one of the most stimulating and mind-expanding periods
of your life.
Unusual new ideas and creative inspirations are likely
to make your outlook much broader and more inclusive, and you may be especially
open to subjects such as astrology, psychology, or exciting new research
in scientific or technological spheres. Your usual common sense is beautifully
combined with inspiration and intuition at the moment, and this could
be an excellent time to engage on new projects, especially those involving
communication skills. The subjects you are interested in may prove to
be catalysts for transforming your world-view, and you may also discover
new talents which are worth developing for the future. Take advantage
of this potentially enormously productive time by applying your mind to
new things and taking seriously the expanded vision which you are likely
to experience.
Your expectations of others are undergoing some deep
changes, and this may affect how you feel about the people close to you.
Your values are shifting and you are freeing yourself of certain restrictions
and unrealistic expectations which may have interfered with relationships
in the past. For a while you may feel quite restless or irritated with
the status quo, especially if you are in a long-standing relationship
which needs a bit of renovation and a new way of interacting. Try not
to act too impulsively on such restless feelings, since it is really you
yourself, rather than those around you, who are in need of change. You
have a wonderful opportunity to be clearer and more honest about what
you feel and need, and this could vastly improve any close bonds in your
life as well as opening up new creative possibilities. It may also be
necessary for certain relationships to change or pass from your life,
if they have been based largely on security needs or if your heart is
not really there. And exciting new contacts may also come your way at
this time - not necessarily built to last, but deeply important as catalysts
for your growth. Any changes which come your way right now are probably
right and necessary, even if at first you don't see it that way. Let go
of what needs to be let go of, and face the future with confidence; your
sense of self-worth will be greater and your ability to express yourself
to those you love will be greatly enhanced.
A need to break free of old restrictions may necessitate
some important changes in your life - not least in the area of situations
which have made you feel secure in the past. Things which previously provided
a sense of safety may now seem constrictive, because you are changing
and have more inner confidence and therefore the need to explore new potentials.
You may face some external challenges which require you to make important
decisions, and this could leave you feeling a little anxious. But don't
be afraid of the future. A fresh wind is blowing through your life, and
anxiety is a perfectly natural response which reflects the resistance
all human beings feel when faced with change. You might also discover
some insights into why and how you have blocked yourself in the past through
fear or inhibitions which spring from much earlier in your life. Try to
let go of what you have outgrown, and let yourself benefit from a more
detached and broader vision of the future which can allow you to utilise
previously unlived potentials and talents. New possibilities
and potentials are likely to make this time exciting and rewarding, especially
because you can take advantage of opportunities without having to make
any wrenching changes in your life. Your goals and life direction may
change, and all kinds of new ideas may make you want to develop an entirely
new path. The likelihood is that the right people and situations will
appear which can help you to pursue these new goals in a hopeful and confident
spirit, because you yourself are ready to receive them. Don't let this
very creative and valuable time go by without trying at least one new
thing - especially if it involves learning something new or trying out
a new creative project which involves you in group or humanitarian projects
and requires resources you didn't realise you had. Your image of yourself
and of life is changing and becoming bigger and brighter and freer. You
are probably more aware than ever before of how large and diverse the
world is, and how interconnected people are regardless of their national
or racial background. If you can find the courage to try out new things,
you will truly change the shape of your future for many years to come.
- - -
Chapter III
Inner Changes
Not everything happening within and around you is linked with the
great cycles occurring in the heavens over the next few years. You also
have your own highly individual pattern of development, and certain challenges
and changes are likely to occur because it is the right time for them
to do so. This profound inner pattern of growth is unique to you, and
although there is likely to be some overlap with the changes going on
in the world, in this sphere you may find that your experiences are entirely
your own and the creative possibilities inherent in them depend almost
wholly on your understanding and willingness to work with who you are
and what you are becoming.
The Years 2000 and 2001
The themes reflected by the planetary movements in your birth chart
during the next six years are given below in chronological order. Some
are themes with which you have already become familiar in the last year
or two, and they may last for many more years; we will begin with these.
Some themes are new, entering your life only now, and are of shorter duration
– although they may seem very intense at the time.
Happiness at home
This could prove an extremely rewarding time in your personal life. Although
you may have to make certain choices between personal values and professional
goals, nevertheless this is a period when you could experience a great
deal of happiness in your relationships as well as a harmonious and pleasing
environment. Your energy is probably moving away from worldly goals at
the moment, and the emphasis is shifting from playing a particular role
in the world to establishing your own individual values and personal tastes.
The more you move with your own natural rhythms, the happier and more
fulfilling the time is likely to be. But if you try to cling to an image
or a role which is now changing, you may create problems and conflicts
with those close to you, and may experience quite a lot of emotional disappointment
before you realise how important your personal ideals are to you.
You have always needed to find creative outlets and hobbies which make
life fun and pleasurable, and right now you may have an excellent opportunity
to develop your creative talents. You might also be thinking of beginning
a love affair, or having a child - both being potential expressions of
your deep need for love, beauty and magic in your life. If you should
encounter conflict or disruption right now, it may well be because you
need to alter or break free of certain patterns which have been blocking
your happiness. You may form a new relationship at this time, or wish
to settle down and create a new home life; or you may leave or lose an
old relationship where you have been unhappy for a long time. If you do
not experience any particular personal dramas, your relationships are
still likely to be the focus of your life right now. Even if you have
been a 'workaholic' in the past, you are probably not inclined to pursue
this course in the present. Take your emotional needs seriously, and put
your heart and your energy into those people and things which make you
happy. After all, you deserve it.
A time of testing
This is a critical period which represents a testing and challenging
of your identity and goals. It also concerns your sense of self-sufficiency
and inner authenticity, and will reveal just how capable you are of defining
who you are and what you want. You are in the midst of what is euphemistically
known as 'mid-life crisis', and you may be challenged not only by external
pressures (work, finances, social position) but also by fears arising
from within (growing older, dealing with disillusionment or boredom in
close relationships, facing difficult issues connected with children who
no longer need you as much as they once did). These challenges and pressures
may make you feel old, inadequate or unprepared for the next phase of
your life, and you may be inclined to cling too tightly to the past because
you are afraid you won't be able to cope with the future. You may be called
upon to stand firmly by your own values in the face of life's limits,
and the degree to which you are able to sustain your faith in what you
are and have is a measure of how true you have been to yourself.
If the creative endeavours you have undertaken really reflect your deepest
ideals, vision and values, then you have nothing to fear from this time
of life. In fact you may experience great satisfaction in having created
a truly individual path which reflects your own identity. But if you have
been false to yourself, or have built on shaky or borrowed foundations,
you may find that your security, inwardly and outwardly, is buffeted or
undermined by events, people, or your own emotions; and you may have to
relinquish certain elements of your lifestyle and certain attitudes which
you are better off without. You may also have to relinquish relationships
which are based not on real affinity but on a blind need for security
and safety. This may be a painful process, and you may not feel very self-confident
or hopeful of the future as a result.
The meaning of this time is not simply external hardship or challenge,
although you may have to carry extra responsibilities or fight for what
you believe you are entitled to. This period in your life reflects how
mature you are, how honest you have been with yourself, and how able you
are to make decisions based on trust in your own heart and soul. To the
extent that you have identified with the collective around you in order
to feel safe and 'normal', you may have a hard time right now. But if
this is the case, try to be honest with yourself, for you have the opportunity
to rectify your past mistakes and build more solidly for the future. The
worst thing you are likely to discover is that, in some sphere of your
life, you have been a fake. That may be a painful realisation, but it
can provide the impetus to deeper and lasting self-respect. To the extent
that you have remained loyal to your own individuality, even in the face
of loneliness or the disapproval of others, you will probably be rewarded
by a renewed sense of inner strength and confidence. Most likely you will
experience both things, as no person gets it wholly 'right'. This is an
extremely important and potentially very constructive time, and any difficulties
you encounter may be seen as a testing ground and a source of profound
learning and maturing.
Childhood's end
This period could prove a challenging one, with increased responsibilities
and a feeling that you are struggling on your own with little support.
Although it is a constructive time of inner consolidation, it may not
always be enjoyable. Your goals and aspirations may be in conflict with
an element of fear and defensiveness in your nature which is pulling against
further growth and change. This could cause you to feel particularly insecure
and uncertain about where you are going. It could also make you unconsciously
set up situations where you are hemmed in by circumstances or relationships
of your own choosing, which somehow seem to be blocking your progress.
You may encounter obstructions at work as well as in your personal life,
but any external friction will probably reflect the conflict you are experiencing
internally. This is not a good time try to push ahead at work, or make
major decisions or expansions in business or speculative ventures. Your
energy is not flowing out into the world right now; it is turning inward,
and your focus really needs to be those hidden elements within yourself
which have never really trusted people or life.
You have probably always had a certain difficulty in expressing yourself
spontaneously, both in creative endeavours and in matters of love. This
may be due to early experiences where your pride was hurt or your emotional
needs rejected, and you may have learned to exercise a rather stringent
control over your feelings. At the moment your insecurity is being triggered,
and you may feel ignored, rejected or overlooked by others. However, despite
the rather gloomy emotional atmosphere, this is a time when inner reflection
could prove extremely constructive and helpful. You may not be able to
change or prevent certain events from occurring in your external life
which force you to face your own separateness as an individual. But you
can examine your responses to any situations which make you aware of your
own limits in a painful way. You could learn a great deal about your defence
mechanisms, and the ways in which you might have tried to protect yourself
from hurt with too rigid or controlling an attitude toward life and people.
Try to let go and move with the changes occurring in your life. The more
you face yourself, the better able you will be to grow beyond your fears
and leave the painful experiences of the past behind.
Limits on love
Emotionally you may be passing through a somewhat stressful time, because
your ideals of love are being refined, shaped, and better adapted to reality.
This may require some careful reviewing of old attitudes, and it is likely
that you will experience some sense of hurt or disappointment - either
through the agency of another person, or through the criticism and denigration
you inflict on yourself. At the moment your ideals and aspirations in
love, and your definitions of happiness, are in conflict with the reality
of the world around you and with the limitations of human nature. The
result is that you are likely to feel let down, disillusioned and defeated,
especially in your love-life and your efforts to experience fun and pleasure.
You may feel insecure and unsure of yourself, or you may believe you will
never feel really happy again. You may interpret ageing as the end of
all possibilities for happiness, and may feel there is little left to
look forward to. These are entirely subjective states, and probably have
no basis in actuality; but they may seem very real to you at the moment,
and your negativity about yourself may exacerbate any external situations
of stress or conflict you are experiencing. Another person's withdrawal
or rejection does not mean you are not worth loving; but at the moment
you may see it that way. Because you expect others to hurt or betray you,
you may be approaching them with suspicion, mistrust or resentment - even
if they have done nothing to merit this. You may not realise you are doing
it, and you may not recognise the effect unconscious defensiveness and
mistrust can have on another person. In this way you might be helping
to create the loneliness you fear.
Before you unleash destructive criticism at loved ones, try to recognise
whether you might be finding fault due to your own feelings of discontent,
and not because others have truly let you down. At the moment you could
be inclined to feel rather sorry for yourself, and may imagine that you
have done all the giving while others are selfish and self-absorbed. You
have probably tended in the past to fall into such aggrieved, self-pitying
moods, and may alienate loved ones because whatever they do they cannot
seem to get it right. This tendency to demand perfection in love may be
an instinctive attempt to redress experiences of neglect, rejection or
conditional love in your early life. A perception of others' insensitivity
during this time may be a deeply subjective and somewhat distorted interpretation.
If you experience separation or loss because a partner, lover or child
makes the decision to leave you, you might need to look very carefully
at the events and emotional interaction of the last year. You yourself
may have been contributing to the difficulties. You may also try to alleviate
feelings of unhappiness through finding a new partner who can provide
the kind of superhuman devotion which, deep down, you are probably seeking
at the moment. Be very careful in any new relationship you form at this
time. Loneliness and desperation may distort your judgement, and you may
wind up jumping out of the proverbial frying pan into the fire. It might
be better to endure a period of aloneness, until you know more about yourself.
You may need to face the fact that certain long- standing relationships
may no longer be viable - for you as well as for the other person. Be
careful not to blame others for all your feelings of depression, isolation
and unhappiness, or punish them by transferring your love elsewhere. Your
own expectations may need some careful reevaluating, for it is possible
that you have secretly carried an ideal of perfection that no relationship
could satisfy.
You could be given an opportunity to review relationship patterns that
go back to your childhood, so that you can heal old hurts and change destructive
ways of interacting. Deep down, you may secretly feel that you are not
worthy as a person, and that you must 'do things' to earn another's appreciation.
This deep mistrust of love, and of yourself, may be rooted in a difficult
emotional atmosphere in your early family life. You may be perpetuating
this pattern by trying to obtain guarantees of love; and at the moment
you might be recognising that such guarantees cannot be provided, either
by you or your loved ones. This is a marvellous chance to break free of
rigid or outworn patterns, so that you can be freer to give and receive
love with a real person instead of a fantasy paragon of perfection. This
time may be painful, but it could prove the making of you. Try to avoid
bitterness, cynicism and self-pity, and keep your pride at bay. The more
willing you are to change within yourself, the happier your future will
be.
Peaks and troughs
Swings from extreme optimism to extreme pessimism may characterise this
period, and you may alternate between feeling you must break free and
expand your life, and feeling you must resign yourself to obstructions
and responsibilities which you cannot escape. There is a conflict within
you which could ultimately prove extremely productive, but which at first
may appear in external life as a sense that all movement is blocked -
especially when you try to improve your financial situation and enjoy
life's material pleasures. Just at the moment when you probably want to
claim greater freedom and pursue future plans and dreams, things may seem
to happen which curtail your movement. You may also find yourself feeling
depressed and lacking in trust, both in yourself and in life. Your intuition
may not seem to be working properly and you may feel beset by ill-luck.
In the past you have probably experienced several of these bouts of pessimism,
when all the negative things are exaggerated and you fail to appreciate
the positive aspects of your life. This propensity for exaggerating external
situations and reading more into them than they actually contain is something
you may need to understand better on a psychological level, so that you
don't react impulsively and make rash decisions. Try not to take feelings
of depression and foreboding as indications that some doom is upon you.
It isn't. But at the same time that you are discovering that you want
a bigger and better life, you are probably being challenged to adapt your
plans to the limits of reality. You may also have to learn to wait and
build, rather than expecting life to simply produce what you desire like
a rabbit out of a hat. Your pessimism may make you fail to appreciate
the good things happening around you, and may also make you feel constricted
by your close relationships. But it is not likely that anyone is really
doing anything different; it is just that you may want more, and are discovering
you cannot have it all by three o'clock this afternoon.
This is not a good time to gamble with resources you cannot afford to
lose. Beware of the get-rich-quick or something-for- nothing impulse,
whether in relation to money or in relation to your emotional life. Right
now, nothing is for free, and you would be wise not to turn to this kind
of activity as a means of alleviating your frustration. Try to consolidate
what you have, but avoid risks if you can; your judgement is probably
not at its best right now because it is being distorted by both your fears
and your dreams. You may feel a little desperate, but desperation is no
state in which to make major decisions, especially regarding your material
and emotional security. Your vision of the future may be very gloomy because
your intuitive faculties are not working freely; and you may seek to escape
the doom-and-gloom atmosphere by overestimating what is possible. Expansion
at the moment may meet with frustration, or may bring more problems than
it offers solutions. Although you are probably anything but patient right
now, patience may be what you need most.
Certain elements of your life may be challenged and proven to be too
fragile or unreal to sustain themselves. This could apply to both your
professional and personal life. If you have been in a relationship built
on unreal expectations, or one which is uncongenial but helps you avoid
loneliness or financial instability, it may fall apart under the pressures
now placed on it. If you have been trying to sustain a business which
is unhealthy at the roots, it may collapse. You will lose nothing which
is built on solid ground. But factors in your life which are 10 per cent
solid and 90 percent dreams may prove untenable, and you may have to let
them go. You may also feel so restless that you wish to leave your present
environment, and you may want to make a move to a different home, community
or even country. This may be necessary and right, but try to remember
that wherever you go you will take yourself with you. The conflict you
are experiencing is not solely due to pressures in the environment. It
is a collision between your future hopes and your human limits; and if
you can work to achieve a balance between the two during this time, you
can build solid foundations for all your future endeavours.
A new cycle begins
You are beginning a new chapter in your life, not only emotionally but
also in your development as an individual. In the last few months you
may have experienced a sense of expectancy combined with feelings of restlessness
and dissatisfaction. Although no specific event may mark this new beginning,
your life during the next cycle - a cycle likely to take around fourteen
years to reach fruition - is likely to be coloured by new goals and ways
of relating to others, and, most importantly, a new emotional perspective.
The area of your development in which new seeds are being sown is your
ability to express your creative ideas in fulfilling and original ways.
In the past your capacity to trust your creative abilities may have been
somewhat dependent on the approval of those around you - even to the point
where you might have chosen creative partners, or put time and energy
into your children's abilities, rather than discovering and developing
your own talents. The cycle now beginning may be marked by a greater capacity
to express your imaginative gifts, and by a deeper sense of trust in yourself
as a unique individual.
The Years 2002 and 2003
The planets do not stand still, but continue to reflect new themes
entering your life. Some planetary movements began in the preceding year
and are still relevant and merit further mention; others are fresh and
will bring you many new experiences during this period.
Visions of a bright future
This is likely to be a time of mental expansion and restless energy,
when you can broaden your understanding of life and open your thinking
to an inclusive and universal perception of life. Your thinking is likely
to be particularly creative during this period, because you are able to
understand facts as well as perceiving the connections between them. This
can allow you to develop a deeper and more complex world-view, based on
a recognition of interlinked meanings and concepts. Although travel and
learning new languages might be attractive and constructive ways of utilise
the energy of the time, an exploration of new ideas is also important
- especially ideas which in some way relate to a religious, spiritual,
or philosophical overview of life. You may also feel it is the right time
to expand or enhance your financial resources, especially if this involves
following hunches and trusting your intuition about new opportunities.
During this time you may be able to synthesise apparently diverse spheres
of knowledge, in order to get a wider picture of the world as well as
of your own life.
You are likely to feel very optimistic, because your ideas as well as
the emotional tone behind your thinking is receiving an injection of positive
and forward-looking energy. You may tend to view long-term difficulties
and problems with an unusually hopeful and confident attitude, because
you can see beyond the immediate situation to the potential learning experience
inherent in it. Even if you are having to face uncomfortable issues in
your emotional life, your mental attitude is likely to be strong and positive.
This can allow you to turn even painful confrontations to positive advantage.
Because you probably believe everything will turn out for the best, you
may be inclined to be tolerant and receptive to others' points of view.
Since such an attitude is likely to win support from them, things in the
main will probably turn out well right now because your own attitude is
likely to have an enormous effect on the choices you make. On the deepest
level, this is not merely an enjoyable time. It can also teach you the
very real power of positive thinking, which can break through even the
stubbornest of life's impasses.
The reality of the psyche
You may gain considerable insight into the deeper levels of life right
now, and you may find that you can see through the superficial levels
of human speech and behaviour to the motives and patterns hidden beneath.
Your thinking is probably trenchant and penetrating right now, and you
are not likely to be fooled by sentiment, deception, or idealisation.
This could be an excellent time to pursue psychological knowledge, both
of yourself - through some kind of counselling or therapeutic work - and
of others. Your attitudes and world-view are changing radically, although
gently and subtly. Your perceptions may be highly complex and you may
see subtleties which you might previously have missed. And you may also
experience profound realisations about your attitudes toward money and
security, and the real nature of your resources and talents.
The only difficulty which this deep change in mental attitudes might
provoke is an intense feeling of loneliness, because others cannot see
what you see. For a while you may feel impatient with superficiality and
annoyed by hypocrisy, and you may find it increasingly hard to communicate
with those who, not long ago, were perfectly satisfactory intellectual
companions. Truth isolates, especially truth of a psychological kind;
and you may find that certain people close to you are threatened or disturbed
by the fact that you can see through their masks and smokescreens. This
could leave you feeling a little defensive and rather mistrustful, and
you may be inclined to keep your thoughts to yourself. Although you might
need to be careful not to become too closed and suspicious, at the same
time you may also learn how to communicate in subtle ways which do not
reveal everything. Although knowing how to keep secrets can be utilised
for deceptive and dishonest purposes, it is also essential in terms of
preserving the integrity of relationships and respecting the privacy of
others. And this positive aspect of self- containment could prove one
of the most creative potentials of this time.
Pleasure in companionship
This may be a time of deep emotional contentment. You have reached a
period of your life when you are able to value who you are and what you
have achieved; and this increased sense of self-worth can help you to
relate to others in a more open and generous way. This in turn is likely
to attract the spontaneous support and affection of those around you,
and you may be able to lay many old conflicts to rest and repair relationships
which have been damaged in the past. You may also make new relationships
which bring harmony, pleasure and companionship into your life, and this
is likely to be a happy time for socialising, enjoying the company of
friends and family, and taking pleasure in the beauty of the natural environment.
You may experience a time of creative productivity. Such inner serenity
and confidence could heal many old insecurities and doubts, and could
renew your faith in life and in yourself. Whatever difficulties you may
have experienced in your emotional life in the past, over the next months
you have the chance to make peace with your own and others' mistakes and
shortcomings, and to establish a new level of trust and openness in all
your future encounters.
Feeling raw
On the emotional level you may be experiencing a deep sense of unease.
Although no external events may occur which cause such feelings, you may
sense that on some profound level you have matured and reached a greater
understanding of your own needs and nature; and you may find yourself
in conflict with older emotional patterns which you have now outgrown,
and with people with whom you have interacted according to those patterns.
This is a time for some deep reflection about how you have dealt with
your emotional needs in the past, and how you might need to make changes
in the future. You may be particularly aware of how you might have played
'safe' in terms of worldly goals, and perhaps have focused your ambitions
on those areas where you have known you would be accepted and validated
by those around you. Now you may feel more confident and willing to formulate
new goals which reflect your own individual skills, talents and interests.
You may also be conscious of the need to make changes in your personal
life, particularly in the ways in which you ask for emotional support
from others and in the ways you respond to their needs. Although no dramatic
events are likely to occur which shake the stability of your environment,
nevertheless your increasing sense of individual boundaries may put you
into conflict with those close to you. You are probably discovering that
your feelings are somehow being overlooked or ignored; but initially you
may not be able to express this realisation gracefully.
This period of your emotional development reflects greater emotional
maturity. Every important stage of growth is generally accompanied by
a conflict, great or small, with what has gone before; and this time is
no exception. You are becoming more real as an individual, especially
in your everyday life. For this reason the close relationships on which
you have depended may be a source of friction, especially with female
friends and partners, some of whom may seem to oppose the changes which
you deeply need. At the moment you are in contact with your deepest capacity
for self-nurturing and self-mothering. Old patterns of dependency and
need, acquired in your childhood, may feel constricting because you no
longer need them, but efforts to free yourself could result in anxiety
or even guilt. You probably don't wish to feel dependent on others to
provide the emotional validation you require. This could trigger a need
to prove your independence to yourself through fighting others. You may
be psychologically 'leaving home', even if you left your actual parental
home a long time ago; and you are preparing to begin a new emotional life
cycle, with new experiences, new contacts, and a much stronger sense of
your independent identity.
Learning self-sufficiency
During this period you are likely to discover a new sense of strength,
self-containment and serenity. But this process may challenge old habit
patterns. You may feel as though you are carrying burdens in your personal
life from which you cannot see any escape. You may also feel lonely and
unappreciated, and others may seem to be insensitive, unresponsive or
indifferent. However, before you descend into a trough of self- pity and
resentment, you may need to recognise the nature and meaning of the process
which is taking place within you. You are experiencing a period of emotional
maturing which could leave you with much greater self-sufficiency, and
at the moment you probably need to learn how to nourish and nurture yourself.
The more you demand that others do something to make you feel better,
the less likely you are to get what you want, for you are likely to be
as closed to them as you accuse them of being to you. And if you try to
hold on to relationships which are passing or proving unviable, you may
be doing so not because you truly want and need them, but because you
are afraid of being alone.
In the past, you may have depended too much on the good opinion of others
to provide you with a sense of safety and security. You may also have
expected too much from others, secretly hoping that they would provide
a kind of parenting which could keep you protected and sheltered from
loneliness and change. Now you may have to accept the fact that others
cannot provide unconditional love all the time, and you may need to be
able to take them as they are without becoming bitter or cynical, or blaming
yourself for being unlovable. You may also need to accept your own limits,
and understand that you cannot be available to everyone all the time.
Learn to value yourself and look after your own well-being, for at the
moment it is likely that no one is going to do it for you to the extent
you might wish. If you feel burdened with the responsibility to look after
someone else right now, you may need to learn to say no; or, if you cannot,
then you may need to learn to delegate responsibility or find a balance
which honours your own needs as well as those of loved ones.
You are probably feeling very restricted and trapped. There may be objective
reasons for this; but equally, you may be trapping yourself because you
find it so difficult to express what you want and don't want. You may
be too frightened of being separate and causing disharmony in your emotional
life. Yet if you are not honest with yourself and others right now, unexpressed
anger could place too much stress on your body, or you might inadvertently
alienate the very people you are so fearful of losing because your resentment
may show itself in covert if not overt ways. In some ways, you cannot
win right now: Your choices are between self-affirmation and the risk
of loneliness, or self-suppression and the risk of long-term resentment.
Whatever you do, you will pay a price; inner strength of the lasting kind
does not come cheap. But ultimately honesty about who you are will reap
rewards in the future, while dishonesty now will result in the same problem
reappearing even more powerfully in a few years' time. If you learn to
define your own needs, you may upset one or two people. You may even have
to say goodbye to one or two people, or put up with a period of coolness
or friction. But you will also discover that you have loyal and loving
support from those who truly understand you. And if you can stand on your
own feet, you will be able to enjoy relationships much more in the future
because you can grant greater freedom both to your loved ones and yourself.
The Years 2004 and 2005
You are continuing to change and grow, and the ongoing cycles of
the planets continue to weave their unique tapestry, not as a statement
of "fate", but always highlighting those dimensions of your life which
are ripe for development and expression.
Sobering up
This is likely to be a rather sober period, for you are in the process
of consolidating who you are and what you want, and may not feel especially
expansive or fun-loving. A deep reflective process is taking place within
you, and your personality is crystallising and taking on a much more solid
and defined form. Even if you have spent a lot of time in the past trying
to adapt to others, now you may find that you cannot do so, for your own
values, needs and personal identity may now be too real and definite to
allow such compromise. In fact you are likely to benefit greatly from
this process, even if you don't feel especially spontaneous or contented,
because you are becoming a much more authentic person. The process itself
is positive, constructive and will leave lasting benefits. The feelings,
however, may not be quite so pleasant, and you may feel restricted or
deeply dissatisfied in close relationships in which your increasing sense
of authenticity challenges previous patterns of too much placation and
self-sacrifice. You may also feel anxious that those close to you will
reject you if you establish strong boundaries, and this could make you
act in overly compromising ways when you are actually feeling the reverse.
You may discover great sensitivity and a need for close emotional involvement
with others, and you will probably not be able to mask these qualities
or hide them from those close to you, no matter how hard you try. If your
loved ones can accept and accommodate these important facets of your personality,
which are now crystallising and requiring more scope for expression, you
will be able to enjoy a deeper sense of commitment and stability. But
if you are involved in relationships in which you have maintained harmony
by stifling these dimensions of your nature, you may find that certain
bonds are no longer viable in your life. You may feel restricted, hurt
or simply misunderstood by those around you, and may feel you have to
choose between loyalty to self and dependency on others. In this sense
the present time may prove difficult and challenging, for in becoming
truer to yourself you may have to let go of people and situations which
are not right for you. Yet if such difficulties occur, try to remember
that you cannothide what you are indefinitely. The qualities you are integrating
more firmly in your personality are deeply important to you, and need
to be part of any relationship you enter or maintain in the future.
The importance of relationship
You may feel a powerful longing to experience closer emotional contact
with others during this time, and relationships may now assume enormous
importance in your life. Your usual fluidity and responsiveness may give
way to a greater need for discipline and self-sufficiency, and you are
likely to seek - and perhaps find - someone who seems to provide these
qualities and can help you to develop them within yourself. You may have
marriage on your mind; or, on a less personal level, you may feel you
want to share who you are and what you can create with a wider audience.
You are probably increasingly aware of the importance of others, and of
the need to adjust your own attitudes and ideas in order to interact with
them more deeply. On the inner level you are becoming more whole, through
recognising that you are incomplete without others' intellectual and emotional
input.
Your increasing awareness of the emotional reality of others could open
up and enrich your personal life; but on a more profound level it could
also connect you with the larger world of which you are a part. Social
issues may begin to concern you more right now, and you may be conscious
of your need to contribute something individual to the rest of life -
not through practical efforts alone, but through a deepening empathy with
other human beings. The English poet John Donne once wrote that no man
or woman is an island, and you may be very aware of this great truth at
the moment. You cannot develop as an individual without emotional interaction
with others, for otherwise nothing you believe in or aspire to has any
application to real life. You have reached the beginning of a new and
promising emotional cycle, in which your inner development is deeply and
inextricably bound up with the lives of others.
Conflict and tension
You are likely to be in a somewhat turbulent state. You may be acutely
aware of yourself as a separate individual, but these feelings are likely
to conflict with your need for harmony and closeness. Thus you may find
yourself inclined to assert your ideas, feelings and desires in a forceful
or even aggressive manner, while at the same time trying too hard to accommodate
the needs of others. Right now, however much you may wish to please others,
your primary need is to affirm yourself - not in a destructively egocentric
way, but as a statement of the person you feel you have become at this
stage of your life, and as a reflection of the talents and abilities you
have developed. Your sense of self is deeply connected with your family
background and your roots, although you may not have been fully conscious
of the power of the past. At this time you may be more aware than ever
of the nature of the psychological as well as material inheritance, both
positive and negative, which you must integrate into your future goals
and aspirations.
You may meet others who in some way epitomise a strong spirit of self-affirmation,
but your attraction toward them is liable to be ambivalent and composed
of a curious mixture of fascination and annoyance. This does not mean
that such relationships are inauthentic or 'bad'. But you probably need
to live out your own special gifts and talents, rather than turning yourself
into the devoted acolyte of a charismatic or gifted personality. This
is a time when you could, despite some tension and emotional unease, experience
a renewed sense of confidence in who you are and what you have to offer.
Try to take advantage of such feelings by developing your creative abilities
as much as possible. You may discover new creative avenues which you didn't
think existed, or which you were afraid to pursue because others needed
your emotional time and energy. This period may not be especially pleasant
on the emotional level, because you may experience internal conflict.
But it is an important time because you could recognise on an emotional,
not merely intellectual, level, the outlines of your unique individuality
and the deeper sense of purpose which can allow that individuality its
fullest expression in life.
Struggling against limits
You may be struggling hard at the moment to handle burdens which are
making you feel trapped. The outer world may seem to be conspiring to
keep you confined, and you may feel frustrated or depleted. Yet at the
same time you are probably discovering new reserves of strength and tenacity,
and may feel determined not only to prove that you can manage your load,
but that you can also turn it into something constructive. You are undergoing
a process rather like steel being tempered. You may be taking a bit of
a pounding, but it will leave you much tougher, more realistic and better
able to make your own way in life. And you could also discover a much
greater sense of self- confidence if you reflect on the paradox of your
situation. You are probably finding out just what you really want through
having it denied you. This is often a more effective way of discovering
values and objectives than any amount of idle speculation or dreaming
when things are going well.
You may be intensely aware of yourself as a separate individual responsible
for your own life, and this awareness could prove extremely important
in helping you to use this time to lay groundwork for the future. Things
are not likely to go smoothly or easily, but every inch of ground you
gain, you will keep. You may experience a powerful need to affirm your
identity through creating a domestic and family environment which reflects
your deepest values and needs and helps you to move beyond the constrictions
of your childhood and family background. At the moment something may always
seem to obstruct your path when you pursue these aspirations. You may
sometimes get the feeling that mysterious roadblocks are ensuring that
you keep to a route not of your own choosing, but preordained by forces
within or outside yourself about which you know little. And it may be
that something wiser inside you is guiding you, even though the guidance
may appear to come in the form of what you can't do rather than what you
can. You probably do need to stand your ground at the moment, and it may
be right for you to struggle to achieve a cherished goal; but this does
not mean fighting against your deeper needs and nature. You may need to
reflect long and deeply on what you are trying to achieve and why, so
that you be sure you are fighting for something which truly matters, rather
than attempting to prove that you can beat the opposition. Then you can
place your strength and determination in the service of who you really
are rather than on whom, in the past, others expected you to be.
This may not be a particularly good time to begin new creative ventures,
because your energy and self-confidence are likely to be low. But refining
skills, and finishing projects which require a period of hard and perhaps
boring work, may be appropriate right now. This is also not likely to
be the best time to begin a new relationship, as the people to whom you
are attracted at the moment may reflect your own sense of heaviness and
cynicism. If you believe that life should be hard, you may choose companions
who make it hard for you, rather than those who can help you to find happiness
and contentment. But working at ongoing relationships, and establishing
new and more flexible roles, may prove very rewarding right now, because
you are able to define yourself more clearly as an individual and can
therefore be more honest with your partner. You may need to consolidate
what matters to you, but you may also need to relinquish situations or
relationships which are proving to be wrong for you. This is a period
of weeding out, battling on, and coming to know yourself and your strengths
and limits on much deeper levels. Try to have patience. Any feelings of
weariness and hopelessness you experience are subjective, and the time
of stress will pass. You are really fighting to discover who you are and
what you want from life. Try to be clearer about this before you make
major decisions. The more patient and calm you are inside, the better
you will feel, physically and emotionally, and the sounder the groundwork
will be that you build for the future.
- - -
Chapter IV
Your Generation Group
You are an individual, unique and special, yet you are also part
of a vast human family which shares the same hopes, aspirations, and needs.
Between these two extremes - the individual and the collective - you also
belong to a particular age group which differs from others. The three
outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, define different "generations"
in terms of progressive vision, spiritual and imaginative longings, and
survival instincts. The well-known "generation gap" is not caused merely
by differences in age, but also by the placement of these important planets
in the individual's birth chart. Your Uranus generation consists of people
born within a seven-year period when Uranus moved through a particular
sign. Your Neptune generation consists of people born within a fourteen-
year period when Neptune moved through a particular sign. And your Pluto
generation consists of people born within anything between an eighteen-year
and a thirty-year period (Pluto's orbit is irregular) when this outermost
planet moved through a particular sign.
The generation with Uranus in Leo
Because Leo is a sign concerned with self-expression and the importance
of individual creativity, the innovative quality of Uranus marks you and
those of your age group with a strongly autocratic and self-assertive
attitude toward all matters which touch on your personal self-expression.
You may find it hard to join with the crowd, especially if this means
compromising your ideals, and you may have experienced a certain amount
of conflict with family members, educational authorities, or anyone, for
that matter, who expects you to conform and stifle your independent outlook
in favour of the group. Even if this deeply inspired and self-determined
quality is at odds with other, more adaptable qualities in your personality,
nevertheless there will be times when you simply cannot deny the inspired
vision which makes the world seem a potentially brighter, more dramatic
and more exciting place than collective opinions might tell you it is.
Don't be afraid to be loyal to your inner dreams when it's really important,
and don't neglect your creative potentials, however much pressure the
material world places on you; for you can draw great rewards from this
quality of romantic vision and inspiration which you share with your Uranus
age group.
Certain cherished ideals about how life "ought" to
be may now be challenged, and you have the opportunity to look carefully
at your beliefs and find a way to weed out those which are unrealistic,
impossible, or simply the product of personal rebelliousness or self-will.
At the moment your entire Uranus generation is being challenged in this
way, and this could help you to understand your connection with the age
group into which you have been born, and the ideals which you share with
them. Yours is a fiery and self-willed generation, and you may now need
to learn more about how deeply interconnected you are with others. Some
disillusionment with others or with the world in general may trigger a
certain amount of soul-searching, and you may feel you need to let go
of attitudes which are no longer tenable or which do not stand the test
of experience. This is an essentially positive process, although you might
feel a certain amount of inner resistance against accepting the ordinary
limits of human nature and human emotions. It is an excellent time to
re- evaluate all your beliefs - spiritual, political, and social - and
to look at where you may need to combine idealism with a greater compassion
for human fallibility. The result could be a much stronger commitment
to those ideals which stand the test, and a deeper feeling of belonging
which links you with those who share your vision.
... with Neptune in Libra
Neptune moved through Libra between 1942 and 1957, and you, in common
with those born during these years, are one of the world's dyed-in-the-wool
romantics. Because Neptune symbolises the dreams and redemptive longings
of an entire generation, you, in common with your age group, look to a
dream of perfect love, perfect beauty, and a perfect society as the vision
which gives your life meaning and communicates to you the reality of a
transcendent dimension of life. Sadly, all dreams of perfection are doomed
to some compromise in this weary old world, and it is likely that you
have had your share of disappointments and disillusionment as you have
pursued your ideal loves and your ideal political or spiritual philosophy.
No doubt you have found the individual resources to cope with these disappointments,
which are due more to your high expectations than to your or other people's
personal failings or mistakes. Consciously or unconsciously, you share
the hope of a perfect world with all those born during the 14-year transit
of Neptune through Libra, the most idealistic and perfectionist of all
the zodiacal signs. This transit began toward the end of the Second World
War, and in part reflects the dream of peace which arose out of the suffering
and sorrow of that conflagration. But even if there is a deep core within
you which sometimes gets bruised when life, and people, turn out to be
less civilised than you had hoped, your dream of beauty and harmony will
never die, and you will go on seeking it wherever you can catch glimpses
of it. This profound idealism gives you a gentle, refined spirit and a
recognition of all that is beautiful in life. More than any other generation,
yours is capable of recognising the beauty hidden within even the most
difficult and unprepossessing of situations. Such a gentle and enlightened
spirit is worth whatever disillusionment you may encounter along the way.
Your imagination and openness to the realm of the spirit
may be strongly activated right now, and important inner experiences may
give you a profound sense of connection with something higher and deeper
that infuses your life with meaning. You may be unusually inspired in
creative pursuits, and if you are an artist you may find this time particularly
rewarding because you are able to touch a very deep level in others as
well as yourself. This is in part because you are particularly receptive
to the dreams and aspirations of your Neptune generation group, and the
longings which stir your soul are also stirring many others of your age
group. Spiritual pursuits may hold a strong appeal, and you may feel deeply
connected with all those who share your ideals and long for your particular
vision of perfection and peace. These subtle changes are not likely to
herald or be precipitated by big, dramatic events. But they are important
nonetheless, and to get the most from them, it might be helpful to listen
to the inner voice which draws you into creative or mystical pathways.
You are also likely to meet like-minded souls with whom you can share
your dreams as well as your vulnerability, and this could offer you a
deeply healing sense of belonging to a greater whole.
... and with Pluto in Leo
Pluto moved through Leo from 1937 to 1958, and you are one of the group
of people born with the planet placed in this fiercely independent, self-expressive
sign. Although you are a unique individual with an individual birth chart,
this placement of Pluto means that on the basic survival level you share
certain responses to life with others of your generation group. And what
intense responses they are! Whatever might be happening in the world,
those born with Pluto in Leo are determined to be individuals, whatever
the cost. This might not be something you are especially concerned about
when times are quiet. But when crisis strikes, or when your life is in
upheaval, there is a fiery core within you which insists that your vision,
your values, your dreams and your unique identity matter. You are not
prepared to lie down and sacrifice your life potentials just because others
think you should. The Pluto in Leo generation has been called "the ME
generation" by those who either cannot or will not give such value to
self-expression and the importance of becoming a unique individual. Yet
despite the envy of those born in earlier generations, this does not mean
you are "selfish". The impetus of Pluto in Leo toward self-expression
is not really concerned with pleasing yourself or being insensitive to
others' feelings. It is a profound unconscious knowledge that each person
has a special destiny and purpose in life, and unless you can discover
this, nothing can ever be really rewarding. It is a paradox that an entire
generation shares this collective sense of being unique - but that is
what characterises you and your age group.
Some upheaval is likely in your life right now, but
it is undoubtedly necessary change which is long overdue and which could
free you to pursue a much more interesting and inspiring future. You are
entering a new chapter of life, when you need to let go of certain attitudes
from the past and try out new possibilities and potentials which you would
not have thought feasible in the past. You are also likely to discover
new inner resources of strength and resilience which allow you to take
chances on things you might always have wanted but never before had the
courage to try. These resources are not yours alone; they are part of
the inner gifts of your Pluto generation, and many others are being challenged,
like you, to affirm their deepest emotional loyalties. Don't cling to
the past. You have outgrown certain situations or attitudes and although
no human being likes to face the unknown without guarantees, you may well
discover that the only real guarantee is your own inner toughness and
survival instincts. This period could help you to build a deep and enduring
self-confidence which arises not from dependency on external structures,
but on a profound inner knowledge of your gifts and strengths, which you
should have many new opportunities to discover and utilise.
- - -
Chapter V
What is happening in your environment
The changes which are occurring around and within are likely to have
specific repercussions in the country in which you are currently residing,
and while you may not be directly involved in these changes, nevertheless
they may affect you in subtle ways.
(Note: If you wish to read the text for another country than chosen above,
please read the hint at the end of the Appendix).
The national chart of Switzerland
In the horoscope for Switzerland, Pluto, as it moves through Sagittarius,
will reflect extremely important shifts in the nature of the structure
of government and the role the country plays in the world. This may be
reflected in an increased involvement with the European Union, which,
if it occurred, would inevitably involve major changes in many areas of
Swiss life. Whether or not you favour these changes personally, they are
a reflection of a larger global trend toward broader horizons and increased
communication and interaction between nations as well as between individuals.
The ultimate results are likely to be extremely positive, although some
conflict and resistance are probably inevitable. Switzerland's Sun is
placed in the versatile, shrewd, orderly, and cautious earth sign Virgo.
The dynamic energies of Neptune and Uranus moving through socially innovative
Aquarius and Pluto through visionary Sagittarius are likely to be met
initially with some anxiety and mistrust. Yet although some of the changes
may seem to fly in the face of tradition and the values of the past -
for Pluto also affects that aspect of the Swiss chart concerned with security
and stability rooted in the structures of the past - it may be that the
time has arrived for renewal and a moving toward the future with optimism
rather than a sense of victimisation or oppression. And as Uranus moves
through Pisces the immensely imaginative and creative qualities of the
Swiss may be expressed through new artistic channels which are increasingly
made available to a world community.
(Data used: 12 September 1848, 11.12 am LMT, Bern)
- - -
CONCLUSION
"No man is an island," wrote the English poet John Donne, and the planetary
configurations over the next few years bear witness to this profound truth.
We are living in an epoch when our relations with each other as part of
a human family are changing our definitions of reality and providing the
basis for the coming generations to perceive life in a more global and inclusive
way than ever before. All births involve some struggle and suffering, and
only the very naive could assume that such major changes in spiritual, social,
technological and scientific spheres as we are experiencing now can flow
smoothly and without pain or sacrifice. However, we are not "pawns on the
chessboard of the gods". It is up to each individual to take the astrological
configurations of the new century and work with what they symbolise in as
conscious and constructive a way as possible. No planetary aspect is intrinsically
"bad", and even those which reflect a time of personal questioning and conflict
can yield positive results that enhance life.
The juxtaposition of the changing of an Astrological Age with the changing
of the human calendar into a new Millennium provided, and continues to
provide each one of us, with enormous challenges. At worst, we may do
what human beings have always done - seek our redemption through external
political and spiritual authorities, blame our difficulties on others,
and refuse to take responsibility for our own individual choices and dilemmas.
At best, we may take advantage of the placements of the slow-moving planets
in dynamic fiery and airy signs to expand our vision, recognise the larger
whole of which each of us is a part, and make the best individual contribution
possible to that larger human unity. There is an old saying that charity
begins at home - that is to say, within. Change, too, begins within, and
living the dynamic spirit of these times in a creative way means, first
of all, living it in one's own life in one's own way, according to one's
own highest values. If each of us were able to do even a little of this,
then we might truly see that giant's step in human progress of which the
planetary placements now stand as a symbol and a goal.
APPENDIX
Suggested further reading
On planetary cycles and movements:
«The Gods of Change» by Howard Sasportas (transits of Uranus,
Neptune and Pluto)
«Transits: The Time of Your Life» by Betty Lundsted
«Planets in Transit» by Robert Hand
On individual planets and their meaning:
«The Astrological Moon» by Darby Costello
«Venus and Jupiter» by Erin Sullivan
«The Inner Planets» by Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas
«The Luminaries» by Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas
«Exploring Jupiter» by Stephen Arroyo
«The Outer Planets» by Liz Greene
«Saturn» by Liz Greene
«Neptune» by Liz Greene
«Chiron and the Healing Journey» by Melanie Reinhart
On the subject of fate:
«Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principl» by C. G. Jung
«The Astrology of Fate» by Liz Greene
Other Astro*Intelligence reports written by Liz Greene can enhance
the value of this report, because the greater your understanding of yourself,
the more intelligently you can work with the meaning of the time. For
an in-depth analysis of your birth horoscope, you can order the Psychological
Horoscope Analysis. The Horoscope Career and Vocation will
be very helpful to plan and develop your professional career. For deeper
insight into your relationships, the Relationship Horoscope can
offer a new perspective. And for a greater appreciation of the unique
personality of your child or of your own childhood, you can order the
Child's Horoscope.
A more detailed analysis of your personal perspectives and inner soul
themes for a period of 12 months is offered by the Yearly Horoscope
Analysis. This report contains some of the same text material as
you find in chapter III of the Long-Term Horoscope, but because
it focuses on only one year, it is much more detailed.
You can order these reports at the same sales point from which you received
the report you are reading or from one of many other licensed distributors
in many countries of the world.
On the Internet, you will find more information about these reports and
other valuable astrological services at the web address given on the front
page of this report or by searching for the keywords "astro*intelligence"
or "Liz Greene".
Technical Information
In order to create your Long-Term Horoscope, the following astrological
factors have been examined:
- the transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto through signs and houses
and their most important aspects to the natal chart,
- major progressed aspects of the Sun, Moon, Ascendant, MC, Mercury, Venus,
and Mars to natal planets and angles.
- the Saturn transits which are important for inner development,
- the transits of outer planets over typical generation placements.
The report which results from these considerations is assembled from
selected interpretation text sections. As the Long-Term Horoscope covers
a period of six years, only the most important constellations are included
in the printed report, only those selected by Liz Greene's model of interpretation.
Otherwise - with a more detailed coverage as for example in the Yearly
Horoscope Analysis - the report would be 200 pages long and result rather
in confusion than clarification. As in all works by Liz Greene, the Placidus
house system is used. In chapter III, some of the same text as in the
Yearly Horoscope Analysis appears, while all other text is unique for
the Long-Term Horoscope.
The transit graphics
The timing of the transits and progressions within the focus period of
this report is visually represented by 'transit bars'. They are printed
in the graphical overview on page 4 and on the bottom of each page where
the interpretation of a transit or progression is given.
A transit bar begins at the moment when a moving planet enters for the
first time into the orb of a natal planet, and it ends when the moving
planet finally leaves the orb and does not return into it (until the next
full cycle). When the planet is in orb, the bar is represented by a full
line. A planet can leave the orb and return later into the orb. During
this time, the bar is represented by a dotted line. A planet can change
its direction of movement; when it becomes retrograde, this time is marked
with 'sr' for 'stationary retrograde'. When it becomes direct again, the
time is marked with 'sd' for 'stationary direct'. The moment when a transit
(or progression) becomes exact is market with a little ' on top of the
transit bar.
Other Country Charts
Chapter IV discusses the horoscope of the country into which this report
is delivered. This may not be the country where you live or in which you
are most interested. The country charts are not written individually for
your horoscope, they are the same for all inhabitants of a particular
country.
Currently available are the charts for about twenty countries, which cover
about 99% of places where our customers live. You can request a copy of
all available country charts at the same sales point from where you received
this horoscope. You can also access the text in the Internet at http://www.astro.com/samples/,
and you are permitted to create a printout for private purposes.
All data for national horoscopes comes from The Book of World Horoscopes
by Nicholas Campion, Cinnabar Books, Bristol, 1995. Further information
about the basis of these horoscopes may be found in the book.
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