Happy New Year, Now Get Real

Original link from bustle.com https://tinyurl.com/v35xzd8.

You might not want to listen to the omens in the form of your horoscopes too closely. That is exactly what the famous Aztec king Moctezuma did, and it contributed to the collapse of an entire civilization. At the time unusual planetary phenomena were occurring, and this coincided with rare, unfortunate events such as the burning of sacred temples. These were fearfully interpreted as ominous signs. Out of self-interest the court astrologers tried to deny this, and it got them imprisoned. These negative prognostications were also coupled with the order fulfillment of a previously prophecized messiah coming to fruition in the arrival of the deadly Conquistador Cortes. This created a toxic cognitive dissonance in the head of Moctezuma and the culture at large. On one hand, it was the end times. On the other hand, they were being saved. Sound familiar? The Spanish invader Cortes was instead less concerned with divinatory messages from the Gods and privileged reality and the ruthless means required of an explorer to totally destroy his enemy. 

The same planetary configurations that occurred 500 years ago are similar to the ones happening right at the beginning of this new year. One might look to the past and believe it will replicate catastrophically. But unlike repeatable things such as electricity and flying planes, the future is largely unwritten and undetermined. Moctezuma relied so heavily on the stars that he became enslaved to them. The heavens were no match for the guns and germs of Cortes. Nevertheless the planets incline even if they don’t compel, so it is said. So what is the message that led the Aztecs to crumble but from which we may reasonably learn? Two words—GET REAL.

Aries: March 21 - April 19 

Your social life will light up in 2020. However, this will take some juggling with your career. I generally recommend keeping a healthy distance between work and friends as technology demands much interconnection that leads to the privileging of career. However in your case, the co-mingling is to your benefit. You also have a powerful chance to act on your non-movable finances such as retirement funds.  

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

You have a great career year this year. However, I would not recommend doing a ton of travel. You have good fortune enjoying yourself at home and in your local community. A relationship or partnership gets very intense, but through this you transform and make progress.

Gemini: May 21- June 20

You make great strides financially as long as you protect your own money. You may experience losses, though, through joint finances or investments. You can handle this as long as you stay flexible. You’ll look back and realize those hard changes happened for the better. 

Cancer: June 21 - July 22

Continuing on from last year, you make gains personally, especially on a physical level. By mid-year the focus turns to your spirituality. What are the things you need to let go of in your life? When you let them go, you become free. 

Leo: July 23 - August 22

You’ll be happy to hear that by betting on yourself, you have good fortune this year. However, when the times are good, it is recommended you steer a more conservative course, especially in the area of health. Having daily discipline will help you acquire long term abundance. You’re also going to need this mindset for the career surprises that are in store for you. 

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

Your creative endeavors are emphasized this year. Adopting a long term, conservative approach helps you field the massive changes that occur in how you express yourself. Hard, destructive change helps creativity even if it is difficult. On a lighter note, your health is good this year even if you do have a bit of a sweet tooth. 

Libra: September 23 - October 22

As you are the sign of balance and relationships, the Goddess Juno asks that you adjust your partnerships with coworkers and set appropriate boundaries. These are demagogues who are deceptive. One coworker in particular is swaying the emotions of the team and you’re going to need to protect yourself. Think about your own long term security as a guiding principle. 

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21 

You are extraordinarily powerful this year. You may even be intoxicated with your potency. However, this may lead to fights with coworkers. This is a chance to look at the pain points that are holding the team back. When those battles ensue, step back and look at the underlying causes of what is causing the friction. Then, use those insights to go for the impossible. 

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

You experience some losses financially this year, but you’re able to handle this as long as you approach your immediate, movable finances with the year ahead in mind. You actually triumph by the end of the year. A structured, nimble, conservative approach here is good. On the flip side, your investments do well through the first half of the year. 

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

You have a good year financially and succeed in a relationship. However, even with this good fortune, your thinking may be a bit unfocused and this could lead to some misfortune. As I wrote in the opening paragraphs, the theme of the year is GET REAL. This specifically applies to you, but some of this absentminded, dreamy thinking will give you great insights into the true nature of reality. 

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

This year you are the lover. This is wonderful as you are one of the most heady, intellectual, scientific signs of the zodiac. You’ll be surprised that you experience love and romance on the home front. The irony is that even though you are one of the most surprising, freedom-loving signs of the zodiac, you have trouble accepting disruption when you can’t control it. 

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

You’re due for some changes in your social networks this year. The strong bonds will hold and the fair weather friends will crumble away. Don’t fight this as it’s necessarily to have those around you who can help support your goals and wishes. You really make gains in romance, however, regardless of what happens with your friends. 

This article relies in part by an essay written by Bruce Scofield in the summer 2019 magazine Mountain Astrologer. This article was originally published in Ambush Magazine and has been edited for formatting and convenience.

The New Darkness of Jupiter

Gustav Holst's Jupiter from The Planets

Hip, Hip, Hooray! Jupiter, the planet of optimism, expansion, knowledge, and luck, has moved into…Scorpio. At first glance, this seems like odd territory for such a grandiose, buoyant planet to find itself, Scorpio being the sign of darkness, sexuality, death, power, and intuition, but I’m optimistic for Jupiter’s transit through the sign of Scorpio this coming year.

Signs are how things happen, coloring planets and points, so Jupiter entering the sign of Scorpio means this usually upbeat, glass half full, largest planet will take on a darker, more intuitive, controlling, secretive demeanor over the next year. What does this mean for you? Scorpio is ruled by the planets Mars and Pluto, power planets that control war, physicality, and all aggressive action; and, the secretive, unseen, crystalline underworld dimensions, respectively. Jupiter always encourages you, gleefully, to expand, learn, and gallop forward, but this year, Jupiter being in Scorpio will demand, viscerally, that you make the hard, necessary changes required for you to truly rise. This is the terrain, to use Freudian language, of the Id. What is your body demanding of you that you’re not giving it? Denying your body and mind what it wants creates cognitive dissonance with the other parts of your psyche. Not all desires and wants should be acted upon, but they must be at the minimum considered, acknowledged, and dealt with to relieve tension. Acknowledging this darker, hidden part of yourself will allow your deepest, truest desires to emerge and subsequently to be grappled with. In fact, though these desires might be necessarily rejected by the ego after years of conditioning maintained through the superego, to use more Freudian language, they are in fact screaming out for love.

One of the most moving images recently to come through our computers is the image of Pluto’s broken heart, the modern ruler of Scorpio. All Pluto asks is that you deal with the depths of your soul and make the hard, necessary changes that need to be made to live the life you truly want, the big, expansive, Jupiterian life. But all too often you discard these instinctual feelings to do “the right thing” or what you think you “should be doing.”

Pluto's moving broken heart.

Fear not! Jupiter is here for the next year, and matters that are traditionally the harsh terrain of Scorpio, namely sex, death, inheritance, other people’s money and motivations, and investments, will be much easier this coming year if you heed the lesson of Jupiter and have a positive mindset, all while keeping the aggressive and controlling energy of Scorpio in mind and in check. What does this mean throughout the signs? Read on below.

Aries: This is an extremely powerful transit for you, as Jupiter will be transiting through your sector ruling sex, other people’s money, and transformations. As an already physical sign, being the ram, you might be so exuberant that you run yourself into the ground, one of your natural inclinations as an Aries. But Jupiter transiting through your eighth house, the natural house of Scorpio, asks you to stop and think about your pulsing, physical undulations and where they are perpetually leading you, but, ponder where you really, truly, deeply want to go and not simply act on physical impulse.

Taurus: Jupiter moving into Scorpio is a great chance for you to put your earthly, Taurean pleasures and gifts towards relations with partners, whether in business or marriage, and even adversaries. Taurus, you are gifted with the roots and flowers of the earth, and are often content within yourself. While this can be good, too much solipsism will drop the value of your possessions and materials, so put your value to work in relation to others and see yourself expand greatly.

Gemini: This is interesting, as it usually is with you, curious, communicative Gemini. All about flying and ideas, Jupiter in Scorpio in your work and service area this year asks you to apply, somewhat more soberly, all your flighty machinations. This may take some discipline, but your work will pay off dearly.

Cancer: Usually content to emote and feel from within, Jupiter asks you to express and dramatize your gifts of feeling and emotion this year. You don’t have to give up your self-protection and care, but if you’re being honest, you do want others to hear your song, and they want to hear it too, so invite them into your fold.

Leo: Usually you are the great, warm, dramatist, but Jupiter asks you to devote some more time at home this year and with family. Without a home base, all your creative, golden, warmth won’t mean as much if you don’t take care of your family and home sector of your chart. Plus, you have a big heart anyways, so give it to those who matter most.

Virgo: Heady Virgo, you can drop the analysis and burdens this year. You needn’t worry, rather put all that you’ve reaped, analyzed, and organized into action through commerce and communication. Open yourself up to where the work you slave over could take you, and Jupiter will help get you there, but you need to watch your martyrdom complex if you desire to expand and grow.

Libra: Jupiter just left your sign, but this is not a bad thing. The past year has been about making judgments and balancing the fruits that have come your way. Now the chips are down, and it’s time to possess that which you truly value and take only what’s necessarily. You’ll find it’s all you ever wanted in the first place instead of endlessly deliberating over what you think you may want.

Scorpio: Bam! This is a very powerful year for you, not unlike Aries, with whom you share a rulership in Mars. As harnessing and controlling your power is a perpetual issue for you, Jupiter can help, ironically, tame you, as you step into your power in more expansive, joyous modalities. It doesn’t all have to be darkness, doom, and gloom.

Sagittarius: One might be tempted to say that Jupiter in your house of dreams and the unconscious plane is a bad thing, but this may be an area for you that is yet untapped. Your ruler is Jupiter, and your MO is to know and seek, so allowing some unexpected unknowns to fortuitously appear will do you well. In other words, joyously embrace the mystery!

Capricorn: Jupiter moves through your house of friends, hopes, wishes, and larger groups. Here is a chance for you to get outside of your self-oriented, success driven nature and get out amongst the multitudes. It can’t be all work and no play, and you’ll be surprised how your new social networks and friends in fact drive and help your career from unexpected places.

Aquarius: While your futuristic visions are the necessary idealism we all in the greater society require, you do well during Jupiter’s visit to your area of career and public recognition to work on yourself and a more conservative path forward, a slow ascent to greater success rather than relying on the visions that live with your head in the clouds.

Pisces: Jupiter is your original ancient ruler, but this coming year, Jupiter visits your area of learning, knowledge, and travel. Usually content to live in your watery, dreamy, formless world, try to attain some hard knowledge with Jupiter this time around. Take a class, write, and/or go on an educational expedition rather than relying on more esoteric forms of knowing that are your natural realms.

Dan is a spiritual consultant, astrologer, and writer based out of New Orleans, LA. To explore the themes expressed above in your own spirit, and more, book an appointment by writing to dan@innermakeup.net or calling 504-313-8706.