Saturn
– Saturn into Aquarius (22 March, GMT 3:58)
– Retro in Aquarius (11 May, GMT 4:09), back in Capricorn (1 July, 23:37)
All these ‘themes’ we are living right now on Earth – distance, restrictions, confinement (prison being its extreme), solitude, taking care of other people’s things, responsibility are Saturn’s significations. The collective is urged to be separate and isolate. The recommended 1.5 meters’ distance around you is Saturn’s ‘ring not pass’.
This year, Saturn is moving between its ‘template’ sign (Capricorn) and its other sign (Aquarius). Some think that Saturn in Aquarius is going to be not as heavy as in Capricorn, but it’s just a different expression. A more human expression.
Saturn goes retro in Aquarius on 11 May, and moves back to Capricorn on 1 July. We have to wait until mid December for Saturn to be back in Aquarius again, after being direct end September. Both dates are close to the Sun’s ingress into Libra (22 September) and into Capricorn (21 December). These are going to be important turning points for the crisis we are living collectively.
Jupiter
– Jupiter-Pluto conjunction – I (5 April, GMT 2:45)
– Jupiter retro (14 May, GMT 14:32)
– Jupiter-Pluto conjunction – II (30 June, GMT 5:46)
The above dates are evenly distributed in these 3 months. The last time we had Jupiter-Pluto conjunction was 11 December 2007. Because of Jupiter’s retrograde, Jupiter and Pluto conjunct three times this year (third one happens later in November). The first two conjunctions take place at 24 degrees Capricorn: bound of Saturn, close to Jupiter’s fall degrees.
Jupiter is for exuberance and exaggeration, while Pluto is for annihilation and purification. A massive operation is under way, for re-birth and re-formation.
Venus
– Venus into Gemini (3 April, GMT 17:11)
– retro in Gemini 21° (13 May, GMT 6:45), direct in Gemini 5° (25 June, GMT 6:48)
This is also a retro year for Venus (as well as for Mars). Due to her retro, she stays in Gemini from 3 April all the way to 7 August, when she enters Cancer. That is a long time for Venus to be in Gemini. All things Venus, i.e. women, love, beauty, art, pleasure, marriage, luxury, personal hygiene (!) etc. will not be straight forward during her retro. Mercury’s influence (as ruler of Gemini) is important: on 18 June, Mercury goes retro, making the last week of Venus retro double trouble (or is that quadruple trouble).
Mercury
– Mercury into Aries (11 April, GMT 4:48)
– into Taurus (27 April, GMT 19:53)
– into Gemini (11 May, GMT 21:58)
– into Cancer (28 May, GMT 18:09)
– retro in Cancer 14° (18 June, GMT 4:59)
Finally out of ‘dreadful’ (for Mercury) Pisces, Mercury moves through first 4 astrological signs, more or less happily. Two important periods from Mercurial perspective: when Mercury enters its own sign of Gemini, anticipating the week of 3 planetary retros (Saturn, Venus and Jupiter) and when Mercury goes retro, a few days before the Sun’s ingress into Cancer and a subsequent solar eclipse in Cancer 0°. First is a strong and happy Mercury despite the rest, and second is not so much, preceding a dark and difficult new moon.
Mars
– Mars into Aquarius (30 March, GMT 19:43)
– into Pisces (13 May, GMT 4:17)
– into Aries (28 June, GMT 1:45)
First half of these 3 months, Mars remains in Aquarius ruled by Saturn, while second half in Pisces ruled by Jupiter. He is stronger in a water sign Pisces (as triplicity ruler), but becomes even stronger from end June, in its own sign of Aries. Mars starts slowing down mid August, preparing to go retro on 10 September. Due to its retro, Mars stays in Aries (direct-retro-direct) for the rest of the year! Martial back and forth will certainly influence war-zones and war negotiations in the world.
The Sun
– into Cancer (20 June, GMT 21:44)
Four important sign ingresses of the Sun throughout the year are Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. They constitute the axes of the cycle, marking important timings on Earth.
In the Cancer ingress chart (with Ascendant chosen for the Netherlands), the 6th house of disease is ruled by Mercury, itself in Cancer, retrograde in the 7th (open enemy). Venus ruling the 10th (government) is also in the 6th, as well as the Moon (body/population) – all focus is on disease/health issues.
The Moon is exact square to Mars ruling the 4th (home) and the 11th (friends, hope and wishes). The Moon/Mars are also making contact with Jupiter at 25° Capricorn, in the 1st (life) but retro and fall in Capricorn. Note that every planet except for Mars is retrograding: sabotage, collapse, delay and repetition are all-around message.
The Moon in proximity of its nodes is about to become new in Cancer 0° the following day (21 June, GMT 6:41). It is an eclipse which belongs to a difficult cycle (‘Saros 4 North’), with “restrictions, inhibition, restraint, separation” as its trademarks, and the blocked individual is “very prone to misjudge their strengths or the situation” (B. Brady, ‘Predictive Astrology’, 1992). Our collective struggle continues.