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by Terry Lamb, M.A., C.A.

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New to astrology? Read on and ignore the technical bits. There's plenty here for you too! Why don’t I write horoscopes for each sign?

NOW I GET IT. The triple conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune in Aquarius is about freedom. We want to — must — be freed of our burdens, whether they are possessions, unhealthy relationships, or old buried wounds of body, mind, or spirit. Over the past year, these burdens have been amplified in our nature so that we can see them. Most of the time, we are frogs in the boiling pot of water. Because it heats of gradually, we adapt, thinking that it’s not so bad and this is the best it can be. While this is testimony to our innate optimism, it is also a danger: Conditions may become so bad that we are in real danger. Under Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune, such gradual development cannot go unnoticed. We are taken deep into our core, where all the “energy parcels” that we have accepted that are not-us stand out. As we come to know our truest nature, all masks are revealed and must be expunged.

As we reach the end of the year, we also reach the end of these three planets’ conjunction. At least, Jupiter moves on. Yet, we will continue to benefit from what was unveiled in our inner landscape and continue to prune and fertilize, plow under and plant new seeds. In fact, this is more than a one-year process; it is the start of several new cycles: Jupiter-Neptune, Jupiter-Chiron, Chiron-Neptune, and Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune.

A Plethora of Possibilities
These cycles vary in length: Jupiter-Neptune is 13 years; Jupiter-Chiron 14-20 years; Chiron-Neptune 65 years. The triple-conjunction cycle Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune is irregular, occurring as infrequently as once in 110 or so years. However, the last time we experienced it was only in 1945-46 — 63 years ago. So, depending on how you look at it, we are starting a healing cycle of varying length but at least 13 years in duration. We have lots of time to unfold the reality we have discovered inside. These cycles also have to do with idealism, spiritual and religious movements, cultural trends (fashion, fads, entertainment, art, etc.), personal spiritual development, the conditions of the disadvantaged, the use of liquid and gaseous substances (water, oil, natural gas), transmissible diseases, and idealism.

They are also detectable in world affairs as (wounded) religious and spiritual movements, a growing social awareness and acceptance of subtle healing methods, and the unfortunate results of self-deception coming to light. The sweat lodge accident in Arizona occurred, the swine flu flourished, and the health care reform process has been highlighted as these planets were recently activated.

This planetary period is especially important for those born in 1945-46, when the last triple conjunction happened. At that time in Libra, this age group is receiving a beneficial trine to their conjunction, bringing overall harmony but still life-changing events into their lives.

There is one more year of interaction between Chiron and Neptune, but in December we see Jupiter makes its final farewell as it speeds past the two slower-moving bodies. In January, expansion builds on expandability when Jupiter moves into Pisces, one of the signs it rules. While this saturates us with these planets’ energies, we may not notice them until we have perspective on them months or years from now. The most we may notice is a big snowstorm or lots of fog as they congregate on December 7 and 21. If we are alert, we can become more conscious of the ways we cripple ourselves through self-deception. As each of us lifts these burdens from our psyche, social change is created.

Uranus has slipped into relative anonymity since Saturn moved into Libra, but this is not a state it will long maintain. In fact, as we enter December its electrical energy charges us up and boosts us into the future when it returns to forward motion on the 1st. As it stands in one place, we feel its beams in concentrated form as a pressure to free ourselves from situations we’re just tired of. We don’t feel as if we can stand it any longer — yet stand it we must until the forces of the universe open to us. They are about to do so — don’t weaken your resolve at the last moment. Stay with your path! We see some action mid-month when the Sun and Venus square Uranus.

The Planets Buddy Up.
Last month we had several times of exceptional flow, when balmy trines ruled the day. This month, however, as the planets move into a tighter formation, we see more sextiles, the aspect of opportunity. With sextiles you have to grab for the brass ring, while the benefits of trines tend to land in our laps on their own. The 11th-12th and 21st are particularly harmonious. (See Chart B.)

Can You Say “Refranation”?
Mars turns retrograde on the 20th in Leo, just shy of opposing Chiron, Jupiter, and Neptune. This is called refranation in astrologese — Mars refrains from contacting these planets. This means that events that we expect to occur when they come together will be delayed, avoided, or cut short.

There is a variety of experiences possible with Mars retrograde. People become more aggressive — or they become more passive. We regret taking an action — or not taking an action. We have to wait — or hurry. We feel foolish because we were too enthusiastic — or think we missed the chance to experience real joy. Mars retrograde is a time of adjustment toward the center — or a time for extreme behavior. One thing is true: We will feel the urge to change the way we go after the things we want — and we may change what it is that we want.

No matter what, it is a fascinating time to observe behavior among those who do not know that Mars is retrograde! Mars’s retrograde at 0°–20° Leo does not contact any other planets but Mercury, Venus, and the Sun. This means we won’t have huge issues coming to light from this part of the zodiac (that will be reserved for other planetary interactions). It brings us a lesson of balancing the process of giving and receiving in our lives. Are we giving to the right people the right things and amounts? Is there an even exchange? If not, does giving in those circumstances drain you or throw you off balance? How did you find yourself in this situation and is it time to change it? Key dates for this retrograde are:

 December 17              Venus trines Mars                  observe relationship events/activities now; things won’t proceed as planned — let go of conventional thinking about how relationships are supposed to work

 December 20              Mars turns retrograde             observe events (around) today to tune into what will come for the rest of Mars’s Rx.

 December 21              Mercury quincunxes Mars      This 1st of 3 contacts sets up a 3-stage experience with missed communications or misunderstanding. Watch what occurs to know what to expect. Issues that arise now will resolve as the 2nd and 3rd contacts come about.

 December 26              Mercury turns retrograde        This will be felt as a development in the situation that emerged around December 21.

 December 31              Mercury quincunxes Mars      This is the 2nd of 3 contacts, where the misunderstanding becomes more noticeable and may require action.

 January 25                  Mercury quincunxes Mars      This is the 3rd of 3 contacts, and the misunderstanding is resolved.

 January 26                  Venus opposes Mars              Relationship matters are clarified and may bring separation.

 January 29                  Sun opposes Mars/Full Moon      Events that have developed since around Christmas reach a peak.

Other dates will be highlighted when Mars makes contact to your personal chart.

Mercury Does His Sundance Again.
Mercury retrogrades every 4 months for 3 weeks, and it’s time again for him to plunge into the light of Sun and emerged cleansed as a morning star. This sojourn is in Capricorn, where we will find new approaches to discipline and discover the limits of pragmatism and bottom-line thinking. Mercury’s only entangling tango is with Mars, noted above. However, it is close enough to be an influence in the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse that occurs on December 31 (see Chart C).

Time to Set a New Course: Pluto Re-Emerges from Hades.
A new year-long cycle of transformation commences when the Sun conjoins Pluto on the 24th. To get a better idea of what this cycle brings, think about what you started last year around this time. This cycle (as with all the others) reaches a crescendo at the halfway point, this time on June 25. This will be a cycle more memorable than many, since this peak ties in very closely to a lunar eclipse. Over the coming year, we will receive a call to action that will result in substantive changes in our daily lives. Events that occur in society, the economy, and the world in general may shape our experience and direction.

As the Sun reaches Pluto, it also squares Saturn, reiterating the square we had in mid-November. Venus echoes this process, bringing this transformative process to bear in our social/relationship experiences as well. Transformation is the process of total change, and although it sometimes happens in one overwhelming gasp of experience, it can just as frequently come in dribs and drabs. Even after a wave of all-encompassing alteration however, we still have to sort through and eliminate old behaviors and belongings that are no longer relevant to our new circumstances.

While Pluto in general brings change, Saturn-Pluto makes it more likely that we’ll be willing to step outside our comfort zone in order to effect changes that have long been necessary, yet we lacked the drive to launch them. Now we have it, even if it’s because we’re being pushed by something we want to avoid rather than being pulled toward that which we want to fulfill. Look to January 13 and 31 for the next set of developments in matters related to Saturn-Pluto in our lives.

Another New Chapter Begins.
We awaken to new possibilities on the 31st, as a Lunar Eclipse takes us deep into our unconscious, where all the answers lie. This eclipse belongs to the same family as the ones we experience in July and will build on what we started then. In Cancer-Capricorn, we feel compelled to develop connections with others as we recognize that our ties with others are our real wealth. We humans are interdependent creatures; we are neither wholly independent nor can be become completely reliant on someone else. We must have something to contribute even as we accept the contributions of others in order to live in balance.

If we lack a feel for how to belong somewhere, we have difficulty forming bonds with others. This usually comes from experiences at or near birth where we did not bond with our parents for whatever reason. If we aren’t given the place in the family that this early bond creates, we have a hard time finding it in other situations in our life, until we recover this missing link. The eclipses in Cancer and Capricorn give us a chance to recover it, and no, we don’t have to go back to our family of origin to get it.

As this eclipse occurs, Pluto, Venus, and the Sun are connected, so there’s an emphasis on revelations that lead us to alter our relationships with others. We may find that someone we have been relying on is not a good support for us, or that someone who had been in the background has emerged as more significant than we thought. Whatever the changes, our lives will be more authentic for our efforts.

December In Depth

December 1-2
The Full Moon in Gemini brings a peak of activity that is underscored by Uranus’s station direct. Now that this planet of surprises is moving forward again, we can renew our efforts to bring about changes in our lives that bring us closer to our life purpose. If you’ve felt like you have been wandering aimlessly, your days of purposelessness are about to end. The Full Moon contributes to a forming mystic rectangle, which is supported by Saturn, Venus, and Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune in Aquarius. This means we get support for our continued healing process, with the emphasis on transmuting old energies. This means we don’t have to go through the obstacles: If we understand them, they melt away. Venus also enters Sagittarius at 2:04 pm, lifting our spirits and prospects in relationship. Through the 16th, we can use Venus-Mars in electional charts, as they are forming a trine.

December 3-7
The Moon takes us on a tiptoe through the cardinal energies, featuring Saturn and Pluto. We get a new angle on the challenges we face, and our connections with others show us a way out, if we are alert and say “yes”. Mercury enters Capricorn at 9:25 am on the 5th and immediately enters Pluto’s domain. Our thoughts will be our lifeline into the unconscious through the 7th, as Mercury reaches Pluto, then Saturn. Here’s to problem-solving!

December 6-7
The Moon aids and abets Jupiter as it makes its conjunction at 1:11 pm on Monday the 7th. This results in a build-up of energy that culminates in a release of understanding. We may see a new way forward in several areas of our life.

December 8-9
Remember Uranus? We’ll get a little jolt these days as the Moon makes contact with this still nearly stationary planet. Whatever you experienced on the 1st will progress a little further now.

December 9–10
The Moon hits up Saturn-Pluto again, feeding our sense of a weekly rhythm, where Wednesdays and Thursdays are a bit more intense than the others days of the week. This pattern continues next week, slipping to Thursday-Friday by Christmas.

December 11–13
Observe what you experience on the weekend, as the Sun trines Mars in preparation for the latter’s retrograde, which starts next Sunday. Don’t be in a big hurry to make something happen before then. Go with the flow. The 11th and 12th place nothing but harmonious energies at our disposal.

December 14
We get one final blast from Uranus before we settle into a more stable pattern with this planet for a couple months. If your life needs a jolt out of doldrums, your opportunity comes today. The Sun harmonizes with Chiron, Jupiter, and Neptune today and tomorrow. Doors open more easily now.

December 15-16
Venus and Mars come into harmony over these two days of the New Moon. This bodes well for the support of others and harmonious outcomes as we flow through the holiday season. Don’t expect our friendships and partnerships to develop without obstacles, however, as Mars’s retrograde is nigh. It’s more worth having if we have to work for it, and this gives us a chance to work out process issues up front rather than putting them off until the relationship is more set in its ways.

December 18-20
We’ll be feeling Mars’s retrograde — what it is for us, the issues and solutions as it makes its station now. Meanwhile, Venus follows the Sun, sextiling Chiron, Jupiter, and Neptune to bring new openings in relationships just in time for parties, family visits, and reunions with friends.

December 21-28
It’s all about Capricorn, Pluto, and Saturn as the Sun and Venus move into this first sign of winter at 9:47 am on the 21st. Today the Sun’s standstill (sol-stice) marks the ancient holiday of Yule and the return of the light in the North and the diminishing of the light in the southern hemisphere. It marks a time of hope (North) or culmination (South) as we follow the seasonal rhythms of our Planet Earth. On Thursday (the 24th), the Sun reaches Pluto to start a new yearly Sun-Pluto cycle. On Christmas Day, the Sun squares Saturn to more fully reveal the long road ahead of us before we reach our latest goals. Meanwhile, Venus enters Capricorn at 10:17 am to start the process over again within the realm of relationship. It’s time to plunge into the depths to find the true answers to the many questions that arise now.

On Saturday at 6:38 am, Mercury begins its retrograde period, which lasts until January 15. It is couched in harmonious energies, so it may be one of the mildest retrogrades yet! Venus conjoins Pluto on Sunday and squares Saturn on Monday to bring yet more insights into what lies ahead.

December 29-31
We feel the impending Full Moon, which is also a Lunar Eclipse, arriving on New Year’s Eve at 11:13 am. (Although this is touted as a Blue Moon, a true Blue Moon is one where the Moon is full twice in the same sign rather than the same calendar month.) It will be a day to party with care (and perhaps more modestly), since people tend to engage in more instinctual, less conscious behaviors around the time of eclipses. It is an excellent time to become aware of old baggage and let it go as we turn the page to a new year.

December ends one chapter of life and opens a new one for us as we flow with the rhythms of both planets and seasons. New experiences lie just around the corner as 2010 brings to us several new planetary patterns to work with.

Significant Planetary Events

Uranus is retrograde. Saturn is in exaltation. Mercury and Venus are in detriment.

All dates are based on Pacific Time.
Blue = harmonious/Red or orange = challenging/intense/black = neutral
Events in bold are more significant.

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© Terry Lamb