Happy New Year!  I wish each of you a peaceful, healthy and joyous New Year.  2011 promises to be a very active year astrologically — but we’ll take it one month at a time.

Eclipse

Eclipses come in pairs, and as you all remember (!) we had a lunar eclipse on December 21st — on the Solstice.  (I didn’t realize that it was the first time in 456 years that an eclipse occurred on the Solstice.)  So we ended 2010 with an eclipse and we’ll begin 2011 with one — a solar eclipse on Tuesday, January 4th at 4:30 a.m. at 13 degrees Capricorn. Solar eclipses always occur at a new moon, so both Sun and Moon will be at 13 Capricorn.  At this time our essence and our emotions will be using the mode of expression.  We may be more practical, feel we need to plan for the future and want to start new things, but not before we’ve considered every detail of the project. This is a partial eclipse of the Sun that will be visible in Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, easter Asia, northwestern China and India.  So we’ll miss seeing it, but those with planets from 10 – 16 degrees Capricorn, Libra, Aries, Cancer, Taurus or Virgo will be more affected by it. Each sign as a degree – or degrees — that are more sensitive than others.  For Capricorn (and Libra, Aries, and Cancer) 13 (and 26) degrees are particularly sensitive.  In addition, this eclipse will occur very near Pluto and will square Saturn in Libra.  A square is a relationship between planets that is strained and requires cooperation between them.  Think of how earth and air can relate to one another, and you’ll get an idea of the challenge of the relationship between these planets.  Anytime there is an eclipse it disrupts the flow of energy in the magnetic field around the Earth.  Interesting that this eclipse occurs with a new Congress, governors, etc. beginning their work.  It certainly makes the energy more intense.

Direction Change

Saturn:  We start 2011 with all planets going in direct motion — full steam ahead!  The results of the times of reflection during retrogrades (including Mercury’s which ended yesterday) should make themselves felt now.  Saturn will throw a little monkey wrench in the party when he goes retrograde on Wednesday, January 26th at 17 degrees Libra.  What will happen over the next 6 months of his retrograde motion is that Saturn will come into a closer relationship with Pluto as he appears to go backwards in Libra.  He’ll change direction again in June.

Neither Mars nor Venus will change direction at all this year.  This balance between masculine energy (Mars) and feminine energy (Venus) will continue to move forward, without any periods of inner reflection or regrouping.

Sign Change

Sun:  The Sun enters Aquarius on Thursday, January 20th at 5:19 a.m.  Aquarius is an air sign, somewhat stubborn — a visionary, interested in changing the world for the better (as each individual Aquarian believes it should be. . . ), can sometimes have a difficult time shifting position if things don’t work out the way s/he thinks they should.

Jupiter:  Jupiter has been hanging out with Uranus in a very tight relationship near the end of the sign Pisces.  However, Jupiter moves faster than his buddy Uranus does, and he will move into Aries on Saturday, January 22nd, tightening the tense relationship with Pluto.  This time it’s fire (Aries) and earth (Capricorn) that have to figure out how to work together.  Uranus will enter Aries in March.

Please feel free to share this — and remember that your free will operates at all times.  The stars provide energy that may feel like the path of least resistance, but you are in charge — always.

Peace,

Margaret

“The sun shines not on us, but in us.”  — John Muir