2020: From Earth into Air and the next Reformation

2019 has been a particularly eventful year with an increasingly Saturnian and Plutonic flavour. Now more than ever there is a sense that we may be on the eve of destruction. This has been a year of preparing the ground for the pow-wow of planets in Capricorn and for the especially rare and karmic meet up between Pluto and Saturn in January. The current fires in Australia, as a symbol of the Pluto-Saturn conjunction, make it impossible to ignore the reality of climate change. While the conjunction is also associated with conservative empowerment, it is clear that there will be no papering over the cracks and a profound restructure is on the agenda. We can anticipate, and have already started to witness, contraction and boundary dissolution, while the Lord of Karma has already exposed a lot of the corruption that has characterised this point in history. The stage is set for much more of this Plutonic transformation towards the right use of power. Jupiter joined Pluto, Saturn and the South Node in Capricorn earlier this month for a one year residency, to help ensure that our faith and trust moving into the future is based more squarely in reality.

The turn of the decade marks a move from a focus on the weighty and materialistic earth element to the more ethereal and egalitarian air, featuring a shift in the Saturn-Jupiter cycle into Air. In common with 2019, 2020 is shaping up as a year to put plans into action, whilst recognizing that this may entail confronting some of our deepest fears and vulnerabilities. It’s a year to remain real, eliminate congestion and to step into the power associated with embodying our authentic selves and finding our individual role in this life.

I am writing this just before the Summer Solstice, when the Sun will reach its highest point relative to the celestial equator, coinciding with the passage of the Sun into the sign of Capricorn. This is an especially good time to meditate and connect with the Earth.

Shortly afterwards, on Thursday the 26^th of December, there’s a New Moon solar eclipse at 5 degrees of Capricorn. This eclipse is closely aligned with expansive Jupiter while harmonising with the innovative energy of Uranus, making it an especially good time for manifestation. With five planets in Capricorn and six in earth signs we haven’t had such a lineup in a very long time. This eclipsed New Moon highlights abuses of power— the theme of 2019 and 2020, and it’s important to recognise opportunities for one’s own empowerment at this time.

While the year 2020 begins with a striking focus on Capricorn, it ends with a shift into air energy.

The 13^th of January 2020 marks the beginning of a new Saturn–Pluto cycle, highlighting structural transformation. The two planets meet at 23 degrees of Capricorn symbolised as A Soldier Receiving Two Awards for Bravery in Combat. It pertains to a much needed balancing of accounts and the reward offered by society for the fulfillment of individual responsibility. This reminder of the constant give and take between society and the individual so welcome and clearly needed at this time. These two planets only exactly meet up once, also closely lining up with the Sun, Mercury, and Ceres. This conjunction is also occurring close to both planets’ South Nodes adding gravity to this powerful and particularly karmic historic moment. While pervading 2019 this energy will resonate for another year. Thankfully Jupiter joins up with the South Node of the Moon at this conjunction contributing a sense of hope. This cycle is bound to stimulate significant geopolitical dynamics that will affect the distribution of power in many structures on a global scale.

While a new Saturn-Pluto cycle occurs roughly every 33 to 38 years, this is the first one in Capricorn in centuries.and it speaks to the correct use of power and the distribution of resources. While corruption and the abuse of power will be exposed through this line up, it will take some time to fully play out.

In this year of new cycles seeding, on the 5^th of April, Jupiter and Pluto begin their new cycle when they come together at 24 degrees of Capricorn, a union which is repeated in June and November. There is an air of discovery associated with this pairing and perhaps at this time with the sobriety of Saturn and Capricorn in the mix humanity will get a clearer sense of what really matters.

Then towards the end of 2020, at the Summer Solstice the twenty year Jupiter Saturn cycle is re-launched at the first degree of Aquarius birthing a longer term shift from earth into air of these powerful social planets. Jupiter brings expansive possibilities while Saturn contributes the responsibility and time to manifest these in the material world. Together they represent the social planets and we may collectively and individually find a new sense of social purpose at this conjunction. At best the move from earth to air enables a new more meaningful paradigm for humanity to unfold, beyond the material focus as we move into the Aquarian Age. Although the earth cycle has been drawing attention to practical and financial matters, the Aquarius cycle will ideally bring more attention to culture, progress, and global emancipation. Capricorn is associated with hierarchical power structures, while Aquarius brings in a focus on freedom and egalitarianism.

The lunar nodes, points where the moon’s orbit crosses the ecliptic, pertain to our individual destiny and karma. They also speak to our inherited collective karma by transit. We are being challenged to learn the new lessons of the futuristic North Node while releasing the resisting energy of the past through the South Node. Achieving a balance between these two opposing lunar energies is one of the critical jobs our souls face. In contrast to the Capricorn focus at this time, the North Node in Cancer during 2019 and the first half of 2020 has been calling us home, to a better work life balance—harmonizing our need to belong (Cancer) with our need to control and excel (Capricorn), and our compassion with our competence. We have seen this manifest in both a stronger sense of a global community and with some of the excesses of corporate culture being up for review.

Another major shift into Air occurs when the North Node shifts into Gemini from May 2020 until January 2022.

The North Node in Gemini will bring new information, new opportunity and much curiosity. We must be willing to question dogmatic viewpoints, as well as being open to listening to and integrating new perspectives. We need to be ready to have our addiction to certainty or blind faith challenged as we listen more and are receptive to being amazed at what we hear.

Uranus the Great Awakener remains in Taurus until July 2025, continuing to bring changes in values, a revolution in building, a focus on technology, the earth and the body, and breakthroughs relating to electrification and the body. Banking and finance are indeed under the spotlight as is the use of land. Chiron will remain in Aries until 2026 where we are giving birth to ourselves with courage and in all our uniqueness. While healing the wounded masculine, Chiron in Aries is asking us to take on the power of individual choice and heal wounds associated with competition and identity.

In Chinese astrology from the 25^th of January we will be in the year of the Metal White Rat, reportedly a good year for founding and evolving.

We can anticipate great intensity and changes on many levels in 2020. Change is always challenging and we can’t ignore the destructive edge highlighted as a new world order is programmed. The Jupiter–Saturn conjunction in Aquarius will see new solutions and paradigms emerge. The focus on blind materialism that has driven our world since the 1500s and the financial and political abuse is surely up for a reformation over the next decade and beyond.