Dear friends, Chers amis,
Welcome to 2021! What a start to this wild New Year! I will be very honest; this is a very intense and powerful New Moon, no bones about it. It is very easy to feel bowled over by these energies, but thankfully, we can always look up to the Stars and find guidance and inspiration. Thank you for joining me as we explore the dynamics of this very important New Moon and the core themes in the astrological skies of 2021.
This the first New Moon of the year and the kick-off of a big new chapter in human history. In the Eastern Time Zone, the Moon will come to a perfect alignment with the Sun at exactly midnight, the witching hour. I find this particularly interesting because Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, will be in a tight conjunction with the Sun and Moon at this time, which will set the tone for this whole lunar cycle. You may be thinking: “Pluto, again? Didn’t we have enough of him already?” Yes, Pluto is still in the picture and reminding us to stay strong, resilient and vigilant as we are still in the beginning phase of a massive deconstruction of world systems and structures that have simply outlived their usefulness. We need to make room for the birthing of a new consciousness, a new society built on compassion and cooperation. Now here is some good news! Many astrologers are saying that January will be the most challenging month of the year, which means that the cosmic weather will open up a lot more later in the month and into February. Hang on, intrepid explorers! We are strong, especially when we remember that we are never alone in this journey. In 2021, I trust that humanity will receive all the new information, intelligence and inspiration that we need to begin the reinvention of planet Earth. Whenever I feel lost and depleted, I inevitably come back to the bigger picture and remember that this confusion and chaos is accelerating the awakening of humanity at a level and speed we have never before seen on this planet.
Since the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on the Winter Solstice, the Stars are beginning to shift our awareness to the importance of Aquarius in 2021. However, this New Moon shines a last and strong spotlight on the function of Capricorn. We have seen enough of the shadow side of the Sea-Goat related to the abuse of power and the grip of control at all costs. It is now time to integrate the best qualities of Capricorn moving forward. To what extent can you completely embody the cool-headed Captain of your own ship and the Ambassador of integrity in your life? With a laser-sharp focus on our life mission, standing peacefully on the mountain of self-mastery, Capricorn inspires us to be the strongest, most grounded, mature, responsible and ethical person we can be.
Tonight, we will have the opportunity to set exceptionally potent intentions for our own evolution and for our home planet Earth. What kind of person do you want to become this year, and 5 years from now? What is the best vision you can hold for the world? The world needs us to envision a brighter future for all. Take your time to create a sacred space where you can tune out the noise from outside, tune in to your higher self and gain crystal clear clarity about your intentions. Pluto is inviting us reflect on the light and shadow of power, passion and purpose. How much power do you believe you have? Where is your balance point between personal empowerment and external powerlessness? These are deep questions worthy of deep self-inquiry. It is important to remember that our New Moon and New Year intentions can be simple or profound. I believe that the new world we are creating is more about the quality of being then the quantity of doing. What do you believe from the truth of your heart and deep soul essence?
One of the strongest emotions on the planet for many months now is fear. With Pluto so prominent in the collective atmosphere since early 2020, we need to address the deepest fear of all, which is the fear of death. We need to ask how willing we are to live beyond the threshold of fear. In the words of Matt Kahn, “At a time in history when fear, concern, worry and polarity are so justifiable and relevant, it is actually the greatest opportunity to step beyond it. Instead of being scared to death, we can get to the death of being scared.” (Matt Kahn, Entering the Light) What if at the darkest hour, you took the biggest and boldest leap into the light and anchored a higher frequency of love? To help us release the heavy emotions that 2020 has brought to the surface of our awareness, it is helpful to create healthy boundaries, but also to consciously express forgiveness and compassion to everyone.
This New Moon is also crackling with tension. We have already seen a lot of this tension exploding on the world stage in Washington and all over the globe. Every planet, including the Lunar Nodes, is forming a 90 degree square aspect to another planet, creating a super charged cosmic circuit board. Venus in Capricorn is square to Chiron in Aries. This connection is stimulating the need for healing our ability to relate to others and ourselves with with as much courage and integrity as we can muster. There is a super heavy square between Mars and Uranus in Taurus on one side, and Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius on the other side. We are experiencing a tremendous amount of friction, but there are also lots of very dynamic and creative, inventive drives all month and all year long. These configurations could reveal many sudden changes in public policy and/or a flurry of surprising announcements and disclosures of all kinds. Expect the unexpected.
The core astrological story of 2021 will be the on-going square between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus. There is a multitude of possible interpretations in this cosmic interplay. For millennia, Saturn had always represented the boundary, limit and threshold of our solar system and human consciousness. Saturn symbolized maturity, finality as well as order, stability and control. Without Saturn, there would be chaos everywhere, all the time! But too much emphasis on Saturn stifles individual freedom and expression. The antidote to Saturn is Uranus, the discovery of which in the late 18th century, coincided with the great French and American revolutions that rocked the order and stability of Saturn. Uranus represents freedom, truth, equality, liberation, innovation and awakening. So you can see the fundamental tension between the natural impulse to maintain old stability and control, and the impulse to freely create new forms of expression. When we look at history, we can see many examples of periods of rapid change when Saturn aligns with Uranus in various geometric alignments. For example, in 2008-2010, Uranus was in opposition to Saturn, and we had a global financial crisis. In 1988-1989, Uranus was conjunct Saturn and we witnessed the crumbling of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union shortly after.
Astrologer Lynn Bell says that “when these two powers collide, the old system often doubles down on control in order to avoid falling apart. If the system is inadequate, the Uranian impulse for change may break it apart until a new flow can be established. What structures in our lives are so damaged that they can no longer support us? Do we hold and try to keep it together or do we let it all fall?” (Lynn Bell, Pulled between Fear and Freedom: the Astrology of 2021) Ultimately, freedom is not about what is outside us. We always have the freedom to choose what we pay attention to, which orients our consciousness towards fear or freedom, control or creative empowerment.
I will have many more insights to share as we go deeper into 2021, but if you would like a more complete picture of the cosmic currents every month, I invite you to join in my Patreon community.
I am also happy to announce that I am teaching a new online astrology course starting Thursday, January 21st: Evolutionary Astrology Level 1: Journey of Self-Discovery. You can visit my Facebook page or my website for details on this course and my Patreon offerings.
I am visualizing all of us standing on our own mountain of strength, sending love and connection around the world.
Peace and New Moon blessings,
Richard 🌟
Comments