The Turning Wheel - Astrology for rEvolutionaries - Astrology Forecast for 2011 by Rhea Wolf
Whether you are now shuddering in the afterglow of orgasmic pleasure or quaking with the onset of PTSD, 2010 was likely a big year for you. Astounding insight, intense pain, sudden changes—last year certainly gave you a lot to work with.
Integration and implementation are the astrological passwords for the year ahead. In 2011, you can practice the ideas and visions so recently awakened, and cultivate the new growth. Begin this year by asking yourself, who am I becoming?
The planets Jupiter and Uranus re-enter Aries this year. Charging ahead with bold new plans and strategies may feel really satisfying after the chaos and uncertainty of the previous year. Aries shoots first and asks questions later. You may be shell-shocked from last year’s upheaval, but prepare to deal with the trauma, panic and/or impulse to shut down. Opportunities await.
Check in with your own hidden motivations—it’s important as you enter this brave new world. Acting from fleeting fancies or pure selfishness often means ignoring the consequences. With Pluto in Capricorn, the consequences (“buy now, pay later”) are always going to be far worse if you put them off. Deal with known issues at the beginning and you’ll have less mess later.
Taking it slow may not feel like an option because you are ready to move into your new life. But put this in your tickler file: when Jupiter enters Taurus in June, put on the brakes and touch back into reality to see if what you are creating is sustainable.
Gaia will be talking, but will any of us be listening? Jupiter in Taurus may mean progress on some of our most challenging planetary predicaments—eg., climate change, access to clean water, food source integrity. Taurus also rules material wealth. If we can see through the false “economy vs. ecology” argument, Jupiter’s expansive influence could help us move toward solutions that hold positive outcomes for both jobs and the environment.
Saturn, the planet of authority and structure, continues to plow the fields in Libra well into 2012. Saturn will keep up the steady pressure in your relationships, creating friction and suffering wherever a change is required. Get into it.
There’s no getting around it, we have to share the planet with people we personally classify as nut-jobs, assholes or incompetent fools. Even when you engage them with civility and compassion, they can still make you mad. Again and again, Saturn demands that you “get real”—by cutting to the heart of matters and showing you that sometimes YOU are the nut-job. This year is about learning to talk without using talking points and seeing others without resorting to easy classifications and stereotypes.
Saturn won’t let you cut corners. Not ever. You have to do the work or else. This configuration is kind of like learning to breathe through a temper tantrum. This year, Saturn asks, “How can you use the language of peace while dealing with inherently violent institutions and situations? How do you maintain strong, healthy boundaries? What does real peace look like anyway?”
The planet Neptune gives you a few clues as it moves into its home-sign of Pisces from April to August. During this time, let the fountains of inspiration and vision pour forth. This break from Neptune gives you a dose of stress-relief and spiritual assistance in the form of insight into the inter-relatedness of all life.
When you suffer from burn-out, despair or stress, rely on trust and entertain the idea, “we are all One”—because, in fact, we are all in this together. This Neptune in Pisces wave of universality is a strong antidote to all the “Me, Me, Me” energy of Aries.
For the next year, all of us will feel more drawn to seek out the deeper meanings of life. If you are one of those who claim no spiritual path, learn to rely on inspiration and intuition. Connecting with Higher Self energy pulls you out of the lower charkas—which are focused on individual survival—and into the upper realms of collective well-being, stretching you into a grand new adventure to reveal the next chapter in the story of Now.
While it is a less intense year than 2010, you still have to be on your toes. The threads you worked so hard to get a handle on can easily unravel. Some unraveling is necessary. Goddess knows we need change. In 2011, a strong sense of self doesn’t have to mean selfishness and greed. Instead, it can be heart-centered. If you take the time to cultivate healthy self-esteem and liberate your desires, then maybe you won’t devolve into what appears to be a screaming adolescent. Just maybe.
Rhea Wolf is an astrologer, workshop facilitator, and writer. She is available by phone and in person for astrology readings and energy healing.