Navigating 2020

Blessings everyone,

Hope to hear that you and your family are all well and holding a steady course during the current events.

Here are some astrological dates, periods and my interpretation of them to help us navigate this tumultuous year. Predictions are often best grasped in hindsight. Why then would we bother? Well, because it is a useful and precautionary tool to help us consciously manage the events as we are experiencing them. It’s like knowing that there will be a chilly South Easter blowing and taking something warm with you, or knowing that it will be raining and therefore having your umbrella at hand. My 1st January, welcome to 2020 blog serves as an important introduction to the information below. The turmoil of 2020 will be the catalyst for fundamental changes to humanity and how we have been doing things. We are in the thick of profound shifts of consciousness on so many levels (inside and out). Hopefully, many positive things could come from this time i.e. going back to the basics, some respect for life, each other and nature. Our vulnerability in the face of such painful challenges may trigger insecurity. However, it’s not a time for panic and fear but a time for conscious behaviour, reflection and solidarity. Let’s practice social-distancing until it’s not needed anymore, but also social responsibility. How can we look out for each other; some food for someone that has not got or a message to someone that is alone or in angst during this period? We are in the midst of the experiences now, so let me go there…

I hope to serve you with the information as I understand it:

1. 12th (mid) January: the conjunction of Saturn to Pluto in Capricorn. We have been through the pivotal change (shift) energy in the middle of January 2020 (personally and collectively). On the day, Mercury (the messenger, communication, trade and travel) swept through the volatile conjunction. During those days, world leaders were in meetings, navigating political pressures and possibly avoided some radical war. However, also over this period, as we now know, the coronavirus (COVID-19) spread across the globe through, for one, travel.
2. 17th February – 1st April: Mars enters Capricorn. Mars represents fire, assertion, impatience, self-preservation, speed, war, action and doing. It joins the pressure cluster and has volatile consequences. The culmination or peak period is from the middle to the end of March. It meets up with the north nodes (fate), Jupiter (arguably the saving grace in the story, but also the energy that is inflating and expanding everything), then it meets up explosively with Pluto. It did not surprise me to hear that North Korea launched test missiles on the 21st March. Astonishing so, given the stress that the whole world is under. The following days need to be noted: 19th, 23rd and 31st March/1st April. These are the peak days in terms of spreading, outbreaks and/or fatalities of the epidemic. So, please be vigilant for at least – the next 3 weeks. Things come to a grinding halt during the Mars/ Saturn conjunction (31^st March/1^st April). By then, we all have been heading towards slowing down and at this point will “STOP” abruptly. Hopefully, the spreading of the virus also! The positive results of this halt should be evident in the not too distant weeks to come. The week of 23rd March is flagged due to the New Moon in Aries (daring, individualistic, getting things going, impulsivity and rash), Saturn ingresses into Aquarius (air sign related to information, technology, groups, larger social order…) from the structural, grounded Capricorn earth sign that it’s been in the past 2 years. At the same time, it’s the Mars/Pluto conjunction and ensuing Mars/ Saturn conjunction. We hope that everyone manages to keep their cool over this period. We would be wise to channel our pent-up emotions positively and creatively. We could also see some drastic and forceful measures by some local and world leaders during this week and further restrictive measures could be put in place which could last well into, if not the whole of April (this new moon cycle ends 22nd April).
3. 13th May – 24th June (Venus retrograde between 5 degrees – 21 degrees Gemini): It is my understanding that although there is already some handle on matters over the month of April, the COVID-19 epidemic starts to settle over the Venus retrograde period in May (May is the process, but we feel more secure by JUNE). Venus represents the archetype of relating/ions, our values, worth, the pleasure principle, love, finances etc. Therefore, this period is one where we re-evaluate our worth and values, re-meet up with friends, re-look at finances etc. Gemini is an air, communicative, relational and social sign. The watchwords here are value system (worth) and relationships. What do we value and has meaning? How do we go about our relations, communication and interactions? What have we taken for granted previously in life and how do we consider others and share resources? Past spending habits i.e. luxury goods, unnecessarily office space (when we could be working from home), fuel saving etc. will be re-evaluated. The positive impact on mother earth should be noticeable by now, due to our imposed conservation. By now there will be much financial distress which makes it an opportune time to reach out socially (with awareness) and financially (i.e food) to those in need, to alleviate distress.
4. 9th September – 13th November (15 degrees – 28 degrees Aries). The planet Mars goes retrograde.  Those whose charts are directly affected will feel it brewing from August to the end of December. Mars signifies. Anger, drive, ego, war, cuts, burns, heat, anger, surgery etc. All things hot, inflamatory and forceful. This is a testing period that has a direct link to the matters of January and March (COVID-19 spread and lock-down). There may be a global surge in the infections, however, things are never either/or but rather AND. Therefore, it’s also a time to clean-up matters left undone, due to or relates back to March 2020. Getting to finish things i.e. anything that could not happen due to the lockdown and virus outbreak gets to be done here. It’s a time to complete and round off projects in 2020. When Mars goes retrograde we want to move forward, but we need to clear up, redo or finish something (i.e. finish a project). We may get frustrated, angry, agitated and rebel. Patience is the watchword over this period. Understand that life is giving the opportunity for a natural pause to finish matters, albeit that we’ll all be quite tired of the year’s events and delays by now! The best way to get through these months is by cultivating tolerance and consciousness. Understand that life is not moving forward, until 2021. Most probably a slow and cautious start at that!

As a side note: I had a powerful learning experience walking into the South-Easter wind during the Mars retrograde in 2018. During this walk, I resisted the wind’s flow and felt that I had to conquer its force. It threw me around and I was unsteady on my feet. During a subsequent walk, I was contemplative, and I hardly noticed the wind. Therefore, it was an easy walk and it didn’t nearly affect me as much as the previous time. Thus, the more we resist the direction of life’s flow the harder the experience becomes. Let’s breathe through it and know that the end of the year is in sight.

5. I do believe this phase (4) is going to be a challenge though. Embedded in these months is also the last Mercury retrograde for the year. These dates are 14th October until 13th November. Thus, communication, travel, paperwork, documents, commerce and contracts all get a re-look and technology may go awry. Thus, action (Mars) and communication (Mercury) are compromised unless we understand that it’s a period of sorting out and wrapping up past matters! 

6. 20th – 24th December (exact date 21st December = solstice): Jupiter Saturn conjunction (0 degrees Aquarius). We head into 2021 with the energy of disciplined expansion. Aquarius is an air sign, informational and relational sign. In essence, we are stepping into the age of technology in ways unprecedented. Aquarius is an aloof sign, which points to the effects of COVID and social distancing to be felt for at least 2.5 years (this may be the time that it takes us to get used to the social dynamic). The conjunction may also be about spreading new and technological information, innovation and growth in this area, online education, humanitarian matters and it paves the way for an expansion of consciousness on a large scale. As an astrologer and student of transpersonal psychology, this is a hugely exciting prospect and may well be what and why we have been born into this life-time. The years to follow may see the reunification of science and spirituality or science and transpersonal thoughts. This energy sets the scene for the years to follow.

A note of caution is important here. On the very day of the conjunction, the planet Mars squares Pluto. That’s an explosive imprint and follows the cycle of the COVID restrictions and lockdown over March and the retrograde period Sept/-Nov. Thus, my thoughts are that we may head into another wave of lockdown and/or that we may get to the festive season and let our guard down. Saturn (contraction and closed spaces) meets with Jupiter (expansion). Meetings with groups, friends and family could go awry as the virus spreads in these close encounters. Please remain mindful during the festive season.

Also to mention that the connection between Saturn and Jupiter will spend the week before the Aquarian conjunction at 29 degrees in Capricorn. Therefore, the energy of simultaneous contraction and expansion will directly implicate people with latter degree cardinal planets or angles of your chart in the latter degrees. Use this pressure cooker of energy wisely to extract the best possible outcome over a 20-year cycle. Quiet contemplation and setting intentions may be a wise and practical solution for this time of year.

In essence, 2020 will revolve in some form or the other around the COVID-19 epidemic and restructuring of life as we know it. Post the trauma, disbelief and adjustments, we will understand the personal and collective expansion of consciousness. I wish us all safe passage through the year so that we can be part of a positive and needed rebuilding, to follow.

Blessings

Nancy