‘Saturn Devours One of His Sons’ By Peter Paul Rubens c1637 {{PD}}

Why do we so rail against those in authority, whether we’re in our ‘terrible twos’, teens, or full-grown, seasoned, and presumably autonomous adults? This is what we’ll face today: why does every encounter and situation make us feel as if we’re running smack into parental controls, a restriction of our own ability to choose, as if we’re being told we’re not smart enough, that we don’t have good sense enough–and what does that guarantee? That we’ll try to ‘show them’. Not a good position from which to prove ourselves, not. at. all. Realize there’s something off in our reasoning that needs adjustment; also know that being creative, rather than gaining more power, is the real answer to our situation.

(Pluto sesq Juno, Mars contra-parallel Ceres, Venus semi-sq Neptune, Mercury qnx Pallas)

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

Happy Solar Return to those born with the Sun at 12 Pisces! (See your birth chart for your Sun degree!) Looking ahead, it all just seems like a matter of luck, doesn’t it? Well that would be wrong, if we’re using that as a reason to sit back and do nothing. You may feel you’ve done all you can, but the reality is you’re suffering a brain fog that makes it almost impossible to sort out what to do. The good news: just after your birthday, Mercury retrogrades–and this time, that backward motion frees your thinking–it’s a kind of delayed reaction wake-up that reverberates throughout the entire year ahead. The whole period through to your next birthday is one where things reach a peak or crisis, and then suddenly you see what to do, where to go, how to feel. Hints for success: Love is out there–let it come to you on its own timetable and form; and, though wounds may seem an oversized part of the psyche right now, it’s better not to show them to everyone you meet–you don’t have to hide them, just don’t use them as credentials.

‘The Sense of Sight’ By Philippe Mercier c1745 {{PD}}

I don’t want to say all your dreams will come true–that’s the kind of hyperbole that may get Pedro elected but will ruin the credibility of astrology, and to a large extent, its usefulness–but I will venture this: Love or Money, jealousy or envy, the values picture, greed, affections, a ‘crush’, or desires activate the ideals and illusions–and you have a good chance of getting what you visualize, dream of, hallucinate, or want to hide from–so yes, what we fear and conjure is an issue, too. Venus does her dance, and our imaginations soar–the result depends not just on our relationship to the Truth, especially our own awareness of our real motives and goals, but on our ability to separate our wants from the rights of another. Passion and creative energy may combine in such a powerful way that they become a kind of glitter bomb that goes off suddenly and gets everywhere–meaning we’re so assertive that others lose the chance to say no, not participate, or have a say of their own. Instead try to craft a bold vision, something aligned with ideals, that draws on the best of your most original inclinations, talents, knowledge. You may be hit today with enough surprises, shocks, sudden revelations, and deceptions that staying centered may be a challenge–but if energy goes into creating, clearly and in detail, the vision of some ideal you desire, rather than making an internal cyclone external, you can wake up tomorrow with a dream realized, or at least a plan for the dream, ready to implement.

(Venus sxt Neptune, Sun sxt Uranus)

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

Happy Solar Return to those born with the Sun at 28 Aquarius! (see your birth chart for your Sun degree!) What’s all the excitement about? You may be in a big hurry this year to make things happen, but look carefully before proceeding; chances are this urgency springs from an old wound–and if so, better to take a step back, as guaranteed this won’t be the way to get ‘it’ done. It’s time instead for concentrating on the way forward, and the guideline is this: what you care about, what moves you, must act as your unerring compass through to your next Solar Return. You’re shaping your fate, right now, and your conscious judgement is just a tad ‘off’. Emotional responses and emotional investments are the way to measure the wisdom of potential answers to the choices before you.

‘Devil’s Bridge’ By Carl Blechen c1830 {{PD}}

We may start (or continue!) to question what it is our life is building toward, because suddenly we become aware: of the direction our impulses are taking us, of any ‘unhealthy’ thoughts we’re having, of plans that ignore our inner, knowing voice, of a sort of passive-aggressive contrariness where we try to force others (very subtly, of course) to make happen what we’re loathe to do ourselves. It feels as if everything we do is sullied by necessity or less than ideal conditions, held together with spit and a song, but the shakiness of our inner vision is due almost entirely to fear of the future. This springs from a current hyper-awareness of ourselves as just one tiny speck in things, a speck that doesn’t enjoy the control of our circumstances that we typically persuade ourselves we have. Something to know: the mind won’t be our friend today, in terms of helping us stay rational and sane! Instead send out those intuitive feelers, try to sense your environment rather than mentally assess it, and avoid making any decisions or pronouncements at this time–they’ll either be made in fear or ignorance of actual surrounding conditions, and so wildly inaccurate as to their effectiveness.

(Mars contra-parallel Vesta, Mercury contra-parallel Hygeia and Sedna, sesq NN, parallel Zeus, Sun contra-parallel Mars)

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

Happy Solar Return to those born with the Sun at 27 Aquarius! (this year in effect late afternoon Pacific time of the 15th through evening of the 16th–see your birth chart for your Sun degree!) Are you stuck between a rock and a hard place? You seem to be resisting your own instincts and inner knowing–and something’s got to give, as hurts over unreliability, rebellion, or recent revelations peak. This coming year may require from you some very careful and deliberate efforts to repair matters and relationships, as current stresses have caused damage you’re only beginning to be aware of. Know that you never meant harm, and that will show to others through this year’s gently caring emotional approach, and so go a long way toward making repairs. Even better, something you truly desire is on the horizon–be aware of ‘the facts’, and be ready to get way more than you bargained for.