Astrology of 2018

So, do you know who Dorothy Morrison is?

If not, you should.  She has authored several books, has an amazing set of products, and is a member of the Coventry family.

She recently called me in frustration and asked me the following question:

Is 2018 going to be better?

And, I responded calmly, “No.”

Now if you know Dorothy, the great Taurean she is, that answer was just unacceptable, and she will do everything she can to make the most of it – because that’s what witches do.

And, you should make the most of it as well!

Every year we get cosmic obstacles that need to be worked through for change and self-fulfillment to occur. Invariably, since the New Years chart is a collective map, and signifies energies that we all will experience on one level or another.  Some personal charts may be more influenced than others, and I suggest that you get to know your chart.

This year, the biggest highlight was the spectacular eclipse season, Jupiter moving into Scorpio, and Saturn returning home to Capricorn.

2018 will have its own astrological signature, and although we do not have the cosmic spectacles that we had this year, two more planets – Chiron and Uranus – change signs, and we are at the start of a new ball game that will conclude in 2023.

Before I dive in, I would like to do a bit of a recap because I think it is helpful to understand the big picture in astrology.  We tend to look at the day to day events, and although these events have meaning, they often are not helpful in creating change and happiness.

And, what do we all want?  TO BE HAPPY!

Clash of the Titans

Recently a client was discussing the current state of the world with me.  She told me she was very nervous and that this was causing her distress.  She asked me whether this was the transit of Saturn and Neptune that was making her this uneasy.  I discussed it with her for a while, but there is no really concreate answer for this.   It comes down to this:  what comes first, the chicken or the egg?  I personally am convinced it is the rooster.   However, there is much in the cosmos that we must consider.

At the beginning of 2008, Pluto moved out of Sagittarius and into Capricorn.   During its transit through Sagittarius, we experienced a rise in terrorism, terrorists using planes as missiles, two wars in the Middle East, a massive Hurricane that hit the Gulf of Mexico and destroyed much of New Orleans and the Mississippi coast.

Pluto is the planet of survival and it will uproot issues within the sign it is transiting and eliminate what is no longer working.  Sagittarius has to do with religious idealism, higher education (whatever that means), and our relationship with things that are foreign.  Essentially, the transit of Pluto in Sagittarius was a clash of civilizations.

As Pluto moved into Capricorn, the issues regarding hierarchy, class status, and government became the object of Pluto’s crosshairs.   We had two very different Presidential candidates – Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton – that did not fit the mold of what Presidents normally look like (white men), and the stock market crashed and led us into the Great Recession.

Barack Obama would eventually become President of the United States, but there were several issues that came out of his Presidency; most notably, was whether he qualified to be President of the United States or not.  And, although recently, Donald Trump has claimed that Hillary Clinton was responsible for the beginning of ‘birtherism’, she was not.    It was a politician from Illinois named Andy Martin, who claimed that Obama had multiple citizenships and was a Muslim.  Of course, on March 23, 2011, Donald Trump effectively started his Presidential Campaign for 2016 appearing on the View claiming that Obama had something to hide on his birth certificate.  He went on to claim that investigators had proof that Obama was secretly born in Kenya forcing Obama to release a long-form birth certificate, and despite the proof, Trump continued to claim that he was unsure of whether Obama was an American.  During the 2016 Presidential Campaign, he refused to answer questions about it and deflected interviewer’s questions.  Eventually, he admitted that Obama was a US citizen.

On the surface, questioning whether Obama was an American was simply a civic questioning of who can be legitimately elected President.  But beneath the surface, was a larger issue about hierarchy, class status, and nativism.

As Uranus began its square to Pluto in 2011, the issue about government corruption became the focus of the evening news with groups such as Occupy Wall Street, labor union squabbles, and revolutions in the Middle East.  Uranus in Aries is concerned with freedom, and its combination with Pluto became a stew that everyone wanted to taste.  The rights of LGBT citizens, women’s pay issues, marriage equality, and religious issues all resurfaced, but the feeling was not about the desire to have them, but more about people denying individual rights because of special interest groups that politicians were beholden to.

The square between Uranus and Pluto would eventually be enhanced by the square between Saturn and Neptune.  Saturn and Neptune tend to bring out ‘populism’ and fear of ‘unknown entities’ regardless of what the aspect is.  At the turn of the 20^th century, Saturn was in opposition to Neptune and a wave of populism was ignited by Theodore Roosevelt who brought the issues of the “little guy” onto the national stage.    During the mid-30’s, a rather curious Governor turned Senator from Louisiana – Huey P. Long – road another wave of populism, and if anyone was a predecessor to Donald Trump, it would be Senator Long, who had an ongoing war with the media that he considered corrupt and adversarial.  And, this past square between Saturn and Neptune involved individuals on the left and on the right who felt that they were left out of the conversation and that their needs were not addressed, and these groups formed the base for both Senator Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump.

When you combine all these aspects (and for sake of brevity, I am not going to go into Uranus conjunct Eris), then you can clearly see how we have got to the point of hyper-partisanship we are in.   This is not just a US phenomenon; it is happening in other countries as well.   But, the issues of government corruption, the general population is left out of the conversation, and the battle between the have’s and the have not’s rages on.

Will it continue in 2018?

Unfortunately, yes.

Planetary Sign Changes for 2018:

I have already written about Jupiter in Scorpio and Saturn in Capricorn, so I am going to refer you to those articles for review.  In this article, I would like to discuss two other sign changes which are important and should be considered – Chiron moving into Aries and Uranus into Taurus.

In April, Chiron will move out of Pisces and into the sign of Aries.   Chiron is an interesting planetoid, which I feel reflects where life has been unfair and wounds that ultimately are incurable. Although the wounds of Chiron seem to be manageable through acceptance.  While Chiron has been in Pisces, our loss of faith in a world that has seemed to be against us created wounds that have resulted in bitterness and disappointment in others, our bosses, our local towns and cities, and the government.  Since Chiron is moving into Aries that energy is going to shift, and rather dramatically.  Rather than our being disappointed in others, there is a deep sense of disappointment that occurs within ourselves.  We will feel blocked and our sense of individual expression will be stymied and stifled leading many to give up on pursuing life because of resistance from the outer world.  Although finding a personal identity may be difficult while Chiron is in Aries (and it is in Aries longer than any other sign), it is necessary for us to strive towards being our own person and realizing that although we may feel, at times, alone in the world, it is that sense of separateness that urges us upon our own journey.

In May, Uranus is going to move from Aries and into Taurus.  Uranus is a rather interesting planet because many astrologers have given it the keyword, individuality.   Personally, I find nothing individual about Uranus because it’s an outer planet that is concerned with collective ideals and operates on behalf of the collective rather than individuals.  Uranus likes to break free of social norms that have become stale and is concerned with fresh ideas for the sake of progress.

While Uranus is in Taurus, it is going to come face to face with earthy reality in its most fixed form.  Taurus does not like change and it rules areas of life like money, resources, the banking industry, and our values.  So, this is going to be an interesting transit (let me get Dorothy Morrison a Klonopin) to say the least because during the past few years the economy, financial sector, and markets have been on the rise, and the last time Uranus was in Taurus was during the 1930’s, which historically is known as the Great Depression.

So, you can expect changes in areas that Taurus rules and we might even see a LARGE correction with the markets, but the underlying urge of Uranus in Taurus has to do with relying upon inner resources and not outer ones.  Of course, since money is one of the most powerful symbols of security, our ideas of what it means to be secure and stable in life might also go through changes.  It is necessary while Uranus is in the sign of the bull for us to redefine what money means to us and rely upon resources that might ultimately be more meaningful, so we can experience a true freedom in life.

Overview:

2018 bring us a new set of aspects to ponder.

Jupiter trine Neptune:

Jupiter trine Neptune could be the saving grace aspect of the year.   I am not going to sugar coat things; it’s going to be tough.  However, Jupiter and Neptune are the two planets that are associated with our belief in life and our connection to a spiritual existence.  Jupiter trine Neptune is uplifting and an aspect that is needed when we are going through a crisis.  It lets us focus on the positive and not get too bogged down by the events of everyday life.    We all need to have faith in life or we would fall into a dark hole of depression, so no matter how difficult things get, we need to always keep our eye on what we can do to change our personal tomorrows, and the need to accept that WE CREATE OUR OWN MIRACLES.

The Great August Grand Earth Trine:

Last year, we had the Great American Eclipse in August, and this year we have another astrological phenomenon that takes place.  The Sun in Virgo, Uranus in Taurus, and Saturn in Capricorn all form a triangle in the heavens, which is called a grand trine.

On one hand, I am always suspicious of trines.  Trines make things very easy and some of the most horrific events in the world have occurred under them, including 9/11.  The financial industry will continue to climb throughout the first part of 2018, but this trine makes me a bit uneasy.  So, it is something to keep our eyes on.  However, trines can also be favorable.  Since this aspect includes the Sun, individual destiny is part of the equation.  We can use this aspect constructively to learn from the past and make better decisions in the future.  Uranus can give us insight and Saturn can give us the ability to bring form and structure into our lives.   This combination could also reflect that we need to shut down the events of the outer world (not ignore them, but instead limit the control they have over us), and focus on how we are creating our personal worlds.  Regardless, one of the main themes of the year is that it is not up to ‘THEM’ to create our realities, it is up to ‘US’.

5 Eclipses:

2018 brings us 5 eclipses.  I am not going to cover theme significantly this year because they are in the signs they were in last year – Aquarius and Leo.   However, I will cover them during eclipse seasons and the first one begins on January 31.  So, watch this space for those posts.

The Chart for 2018

I am going to change things up a little this year with my forecast.  Normally, I would use the chart for January 1^st and then read the energies that are available in that chart.  However, I could never really get past the fact that Libra is always rising, and the Sun is around the 4^th house of the chart.  The bulk of the planets would be below the horizon, which could reflect internalized energies that burst out onto the world stage, but I never felt that was good enough.

After studying several mundane astrology books over the last year, I have concluded that the chart that should be used to chart the new year is the Capricorn Ingress, which occurs on December 21^st when the Sun moves into Capricorn and is considered the most important ingress chart and the beginning of a new cycle.

Let me provide you a paragraph from ‘Mundane Astrology’ by Baigent, Campion, and Harvey:

“However, in modern times the great pioneer of astrology in Germany, the highly innovative Alfred Witte, and Britain’s leading astrologer Charles Carter, both independently suggested that in fact the more fundamental ‘birth’ of the year might be considered to be at the winter solstice, when, on entering 0 Capricorn, the Sun actually begins its journey northwards.  This agrees with Julian’s reasoning in the fourth century.  This is after all the time of the year when we do in fact symbolically celebrate the ‘birth’ of the year with Christmas, and the ‘New Year’ festivities.”

Let me explain what an ingress chart is.

An ingress chart is a frozen moment in time.  It is when the Sun moves into one of the cardinal signs (Aries, Libra, Cancer, and Capricorn) and is known as the change of the seasons.  Sorry to all of you that believe summer starts Memorial Day weekend, it does not.  It starts when the Sun moves into Cancer, which is on June 21^st.

These charts are used in both Mundane Astrology (political) and Astrometeorology (Weather), and they are collective charts.  However, we are all influenced by the collective and we can read them for personal astrological trends as well.

The sign that rises in an ingress chart reflects the people.

It’s us.

In this case, the rising sign is Pisces, which reflects that there is a deep emotional sensitivity to movements and trends that are going to occur over the next year.  With the current political atmosphere and with nobody willing to budge, you can expect ‘true believer’ syndrome to continue and possibly stronger than ever.  People have picked sides and they are going to stick with those sides regardless of the situation or consequences.

The ruler of Pisces is Neptune and it sits on the Ascendant of the chart.  I have mentioned Neptune frequently over the past few years because of the Saturn square Neptune aspect in the heavens, and it is the planet that I associate with redemption. Neptune tends to be projected on select mouthpieces that are willing to speak the language we as a collective want to hear.  He is a redeemer god, and Neptune being strong in a chart reflects the need for us to seek out other people to do our fighting for us.  In many cases, messianic figures are not going to be able to deliver in this type of atmosphere and it historically ends badly for them.  Further, you can expect more conspiracy theory activity on the state of the world, and #fakenews will continue to be the phrase de jour of anything that has been communicated that one does not particularly like or agree with.

This dovetails into the Moon sitting in Aquarius in the 11^th house, which needs people and needs a group.  We all want to belong and be apart of something, but the price that we often pay for group acceptability is losing our own individual identities in the process.  This is not to say that we shouldn’t belong, or we should shun everything we participate in; instead, it means that we should stay true to our own values and our core identity.

Politics:

The Sun sits in the 10^th house conjoined to Saturn, and I would like to quote from ‘Mundane Astrology’ again:

“Saturn or Uranus in the tenth or fourth house, with the Sun in one of the four angular houses.  Signifies fall or overthrow of governments, revolutions; changes of government; beginnings of new historical periods; deaths of leaders.”

This does not bode well for Donald Trump who is currently embroiled in an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and a resurgent sex scandal.  The Sun is the natural ruler of the leader of the nation in a mundane chart, and it is conjoined to Saturn implies frustration, limitations, and great difficulties – all of which President Trump abhors.  Could this lead to an impeachment or resignation?  With this combination it is possible.  It could also reflect difficult problems with our current government, which is equally as culpable as Trump to the current problems that the country faces.   It is becoming painfully obvious, that regardless of party, most politicians are interested in themselves and their own self-interests.

Job Growth:

Despite the claims of politicians, if a tax bill is passed, and it most likely will with Mars in the 8^th in sextile to Sun conjunct Saturn, jobs will not flourish as expected.  The sign on the 6^th house (jobs) is Leo and its ruler is the Sun conjoined to Saturn. As I mentioned earlier, this means frustrations and limitations.  Job growth could subside or go down in the next year, and the mass hiring of people that politicians are promising with the tax cuts will not happen.  Most likely, corporations will use the funds they receive from tax cuts to purchase back their own companies stock.   Remember, corporations are not beholden to employees, they are beholden to their shareholders.  Of course, this could lead to some disillusioned voters who elected Trump on the promise of bringing back jobs to the mid-west and could lead to Democrats taking over the House and Senate in 2018.

Finances:

The financial outlook for the next year is rather curious.  The 2^nd house is ruled by Mars, which is in the 8^th house of other people’s money.  This usually means debt.  It is conjoined to expansive Jupiter, which could reflect increased debt or an increase in lending might begin.  My concern is that shocking Uranus is on the 2^nd house cusp and rules the unfortunate 12^th.  Could we be setting ourselves up for a situation like the one in 2008?   Pay close attention to your financial situation when Venus goes retrograde in October.

Media:

If I was a 17-year-old in high school, and I was preparing to go to college, the last career I would consider right now is one in journalism.  If you thought accusations of FAKE NEWS was over the top in 2017, buckle your seat belt!  Cancer is on the media 5^th house cusp and its ruler is in the 11^th house and on the cusp of the 12^th.  In its quest to get the headline and eyes faster than anyone else, many media companies will have difficulties throughout 2018.  Many organizations that are not in favor of the administration may go through hostilities and possible attempts to silence the media may occur.  Coverage of the 2018 elections will be off the charts and will start immediately after Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.   It’s going to be a bloodbath!

How Does This Affect Me?

Yes, an ingress chart is a collective chart and it tends to influence events on the world stage.  However, those events ultimately have a great impact on your life, and as a result, you need to know about them.

It’s not suggested to sit with your head in the sand, allowing the world around you to dictate how you live your life.  It is up to you to understand how things are working to operate your life effectively.  All astrology charts are maps, and you can use maps to get to your destination.

Perhaps, one of the biggest aids will be to learn about your own horoscope.  Energies are constantly changing, and they influence us in different ways, for good or for ill.  It’s up to us to use the tools that are given to us; to make our life easier, and know how to manage in advance what is coming.

I wish each of you an amazing New Year!

Storm Cestavani
December 14, 2017