Astrology With Andy

Pluto

5 Tips to Get the Most Out of an Astrology Reading

Whether your astrological reading with me is your first or your twentieth, here are five tips to make it a worthwhile and rewarding experience.

1. Take notes of (or record) your reading.

My astrological readings last a minimum of an hour; some are two hours long.

We cover a lot of information (including, but not limited to): the family dynamic you were born into, emotional triggers, psychological blind spots, default thought patterns, advice to help you navigate relationships, and important dates in the future to keep in mind.

There are also things I say that you may not even consciously hear (or may not understand the significance of) until a subsequent listen weeks, or months, later.

If you are an avid note taker, take notes. However, many people find it challenging to take notes while simultaneously hearing someone talk. In that case, I highly encourage you to record your astrological reading.

Skype, Zoom, and Google Hangouts (I can do readings on any of those platforms) offer free recording capabilities. If you choose to do your reading with me over the phone, there are a few apps you can try:

  • Call Recorder Free by Component Studios (iPhone only)
  • Call Recorder by Boldbeast (Android only)
  • IPadio (iPhone only)

Transcribing a reading, or even typing out notes to e-mail clients, is very time-consuming (it can take me as long as the reading itself — sometimes longer).

That’s why I don’t offer written notes as an add-on service; the charge for that would be equivalent to, or more than, the reading you’ve already paid for. And, frankly, I don’t think that’s a good use of your money considering all the free recording tools you can use.

2. Be an active participant.

A dialogue with a client is a much better experience (for both of us) than me delivering a monologue.

The point of an astrology reading is to have a conversation (about you!) using your birth chart as a helpful guide. By all means, ask questions as we go along. And, if I say something that doesn’t resonate or is confusing, tell me right then and there. This is your time and your money, and our time together is supposed to be illuminating and helpful for you.

Some who are new to astrology may expect something akin to a “psychic reading” at a carnival, where you just sit there while someone tells you about your life. Not quite.

While a birth chart provides me with a clear picture of the road that has been traveled by, and lies ahead for, my client, I sometimes need my client to fill in some of the details.

For example: if I see a Pluto-sun opposition in a client’s chart, I know that power, control, and authority are “hot button” issues (nine times out of ten related to a father who was a tyrant and ruled with an iron fist) that can very easily become imbalanced.

However, as is the case with any opposition, the person who has it in their chart tends to identify with one end of that spectrum.

Some people with a Pluto-sun opposition become extremely domineering themselves because that’s the only way they know to command respect and attention (and to make up for the powerlessness they constantly felt as children).

Other people with that same opposition, though, cringe at the thought of power struggles and authority; they want nothing to do with it. Instead, they (subconsciously) attract that energy — aggressive and domineering people continually show up in their lives while they have a hard time asserting themselves.

Either way, a Pluto-sun opposition needs to be consciously balanced. But, I need my client to tell me how they have experienced it so I can provide meaningful and relevant advice.

Some people think it’s best to not say anything during an astrological reading so as to not “give anything away”. The thing is, your birth chart speaks for you. I’ve studied it prior to our reading, and I already have my talking points ready (some of you have seen my papers filled to the brim with chicken scratch!).

Remember, too, that astrological principles are universal. Every astrology textbook will describe a Pluto-sun opposition as a classic sign of someone who either finds themselves consistently playing the role of domineering bulldozer or powerless victim (until they become aware of this dynamic and consciously address it). There are, usually, significant emotional scars from childhood associated with the father (yes, these can be resolved and that relationship can actually become quite close later in life, but childhood is another story).

So, if you have this aspect in your chart and you share an anecdote about the tenuous relationship you had with your intimidating father as a child, you aren’t feeding me information that I will then repeat back at you as if I had come up with it myself. I always explain to my clients why I say something, and I also often encourage them to look up a particular aspect (so they can see that a particular anecdote they shared is the epitome of a particular aspect in their birth chart that we discussed).

3. Be Open to Objective Assessment

As a tool of insight, astrology acknowledges our assets and gifts… as well as our blind spots and areas for improvement.

I value compassion and empathy. I also take my role as an astrologer very seriously, which requires that I truthfully share whatever is evident in the chart. Sometimes, that’s a puffed-up ego (Jupiter square sun), emotional volatility (Uranus square moon), or mismanaged and problematic aggression (Mars conjunct the sun and square Pluto) that needs to be curbed.

This is not done to put anyone down (I have my own challenges in my chart), but rather to cut to the core and provide helpful advice on what you need to master to support your personal evolution. As anyone who has had a reading with me knows, the hour and a half (or more!) flies by. I need to cut to the chase.

If you’re not psychologically ready to look in an emotional and spiritual mirror that leaves nothing to the imagination, I recommend that you hold off on getting an astrological reading.

And, as with any assessment, you will walk away from a reading with many things to think about and suggestions on what to consciously work on and address.

4. Seek Clarity, Not Answers.

I can — and do — provide advice on how to best proceed based on your chart’s coming landscape. However, you have free will. I don’t like to think of myself as — nor do I want to put myself in the role of — an omniscient guru whose orders must be followed.

Please! My Virgo moon highly values self-efficacy!

If I see that Uranus will be challenging your personal planets over the next nine months, I will highly recommend embracing detachment during that time and remaining flexible since things will be changing significantly.

That information should be sufficient to inform your choices.

So, asking me: “I was thinking of moving to the other side of the country in three months; should I do it?” is a moot point. It depends. My hope is that you will apply the newfound knowledge you gained from our reading to help you decide.

Consider these two very different scenarios:

1) If that move comes up unexpectedly as a result of a job offer you get after randomly meeting someone at a dinner party (which is all very Uranian), it would be worth pursuing since it embodies the energy of the Uranus transit currently happening in your chart.

2) If, however, that move is fear-based and about returning to something that feels safe and familiar, you would be going against the very things Uranus is trying to teach you: freedom, independence, and trying new and unfamiliar things.

You are welcomed to book mini “check-in” readings or very focused readings for important events (e.g., launching your new business) so I can help with date selection, but my purpose as an astrologer is to empower you… not to foster co-dependency.

5. Think “Cycles, Lessons, and Themes”.

I don’t do “doom and gloom” astrology. I also don’t wear rose-colored glasses.

So, yes… objectively, a transit of Jupiter trining (120 degrees away from) your sun is a lot more pleasant than Pluto squaring (90 degrees away from) your sun.

However, the Pluto transit is happening for a reason. It has nothing to do with “bad karma”, suffering for the sake of suffering, or you being a helpless puppet on planet Earth that is controlled by a planet tens of thousands of light years away.

Think of planets as renowned professors in certain subjects. When they come around and pay a visit to your sun, moon, sensitive angles, or personal planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars), you have been enrolled in one of their classes. It’s now time to show up to class, study, and prepare for the occasional pop quiz — and, at the end, a final exam.

The nature of your birth chart indicates just how steep your learning curve will be. If, for instance, you have a lot of Uranus aspects in your birth chart (and/or a lot of planets in Aquarius), a Uranus transit will be easier for you than for someone who has a birth chart loaded with Saturn aspects.

Planetary transits inculcate lessons and themes. Pluto, for example, demands that you face your shadow (often times, so you can finally kiss it goodbye). Do precisely that and you’ll evolve to the next level.

Okay, but what if you don’t grasp Pluto’s lessons? In that case, the transit will feel especially heavy (and Pluto will continue to throw tests your way during its transit).

If you don’t pass the final exam, you aren’t suddenly “cursed” or “forever doomed”. It simply means that, once the transit ends, you’ll still have to grapple with the issues Pluto meant to help you with — but, this time, without Pluto’s assistance. You can do it, but the window of time when you would have had a renowned expert helping you out has come and gone.

If you’d like to book a reading with me, head to my services page! I look forward to working with you and helping you navigate the cosmic landscape.

COVID-19 & The Astrology of 2020: Where Do We Go From Here?

There’s lots to say about the current global situation and the many shifts we can expect over the next few years, so let’s get right to it.

For easier reading, I have divided this into sections.

What Happened, Astrologically Speaking?

The current global situation can be traced back to the January 20, 2020 conjunction (meeting) of Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn.

Although the conjunction was exact on January 20 (that was the date when Saturn and Pluto were literally on top of each other), the buildup to that aspect started in November. Astrological aspects operate on a bell curve. The date of the actual aspect is the peak of the bell curve; the energy slowly intensifies during the buildup phase and slowly decreases during the decline phase.

I first posted about the Saturn-Pluto conjunction on my Instagram page in June of 2019; I described the aspect as a harbinger of “political changes and foundational collapse”.

I don’t do “doom and gloom astrology”; foundational collapse was not meant to invoke fear. It was simply a literal translation of the aspect. Saturn is about foundations; Pluto is about collapse. When these two planets meet in a conjunction (as they do roughly every 38 years), that’s the order of the day.

Establish paradigms and foundations (Saturn) collapse (Pluto). The status quo (Saturn) is transformed (Pluto). Subconscious (Pluto) fears (Saturn) surface (Pluto) and must be addressed (Saturn).

FYI: Periods when Saturn and Pluto square (are 90 degrees away from) each other or oppose (are 180 degrees away from) each other also make ripples. The most recent Saturn-Pluto opposition occurred weeks before the September 11 attacks.

Astrology reminds us to maintain perspective. Throughout human history, Saturn and Pluto have interacted with each other hundreds of times. And life has continued. Uncertain times can undoubtedly be challenging, stressful, and emotionally taxing. But, nothing is the “end of the world”.

Why Didn’t Astrologers Predict a Pandemic?

As I always tell my clients, there are limits to astrology (in the same way that your GPS won’t tell you that, thirty minutes into your road trip, a blue car will honk at you and that you’ll stop to buy snacks after two hours).

Most times, astrology tells us the “what”, but not the “how”.

For example, when Saturn travels through a person’s seventh house of personal and business relationships, there is usually at least one monumental relationship-focused event. It could be a significant breakup or a relationship that evolves from casual to serious. In some cases, other factors in the chart can help the astrologer determine the “how”. More often than not, though, the exact details are unknown (because astrology informs us of cycles and themes, not minutia).

All astrologers, for years, had kept a careful watch on the January 20 Saturn-Pluto conjunction. We knew it would bring significant shifts and a definite “before” and “after”. It would, undoubtedly, leave a mark on society.

There’s another reason why astrologers didn’t “predict” (I’m not a fan of this term in astrology, as it only perpetuates the silly idea of astrologers as all-knowing, crystal ball-gazing fortune tellers) a pandemic…

This Pandemic is the Symptom and The Means to An End

COVID-19 is actually not “the significant thing” heralded by the Saturn-Pluto conjunction.

Yes, it’s the only thing we hear in the news. And, yes, it has significantly changed our way of life at the moment.

However, this virus is the means through which we are being asked to address what the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn wants us to tackle as a global society:

  • Business
  • Governments
  • Large industries
  • Monopolies
  • Politics

In early March, one of my Instagram followers asked me to weigh in after they had come across a Facebook astrology page which stated that COVID-19 would be just as much as a public health catastrophe as the Spanish Flu of 1918.

I disagreed at the time — and still disagree. COVID-19 has, sadly, resulted in 170,455 worldwide deaths as of April 21, 2020. COVID-19 is real. It’s contagious and can rapidly deteriorate health.

However, comparing it to the Spanish Flu is a gross exaggeration. The Spanish Flu killed 50 million people at a time when our planet housed 2 billion inhabitants. So far, COVID-19 has killed 170,000 out of 7.6 billion.

That is not to say COVID-19 is “harmless” or “not a big deal”. My point is that the astrological landscape clearly shows that this current global situation relates to economics, governments, money, and structures — NOT medicine or public health.

This pandemic has not upended our idea of virology or human biochemistry. It hasn’t made us realize that the way we’ve been doing medicine for the last few decades has been totally wrong. It has, however, rapidly brought some very “Capricornian” themes to our attention:

  • Resource management (e.g.: many hospitals don’t have the financial, material, or human resources to endure this)
  • The economic safety net (e.g.: specifically, its absence)
  • Finances (e.g.: the unsustainability of the current economic landscape)

When they join forces in a sign, Saturn and Pluto let us know if — and how — we have gone too far down that sign’s negative qualities (all signs and planets have positive and negative expressions). If that’s the case, we’re then asked to tap into that sign’s positive qualities and strike a balance.

The negative qualities of Capricorn include:

  • Coldness/lack of empathy
  • Division (“You are different from me; you and I have nothing in common”)
  • Extreme hunger for power
  • Fear and suspicion
  • Greed
  • Materialism
  • Rigidity
  • Ruthlessness
  • Selfishness
  • Unwavering conformity

Capricorn’s positive qualities include:

  • Dutifulness
  • Hardworking
  • Humility
  • Pragmatism
  • Realism
  • Resourcefulness
  • Wisdom

So, let’s put all this together. The lessons and asks of COVID-19 are to:

  • Recognize that power structures rooted in materialism and greed are unsustainable and, ultimately, a house of cards: this pandemic has demonstrated why public health must be prioritized over profits.
  • Realize we are all in this together (and get away from Capricorn’s lack of empathy): everyone has been impacted by the effects of this pandemic.
  • Stop using material objects and money as gauges for happiness or success: it is very “negative Capricorn”, for example, to utilize the stock market as a measure of how “well” a country is doing (without taking into account things like rates of anxiety/depression, stress levels, rates of chronic disease, and the health of the environment).
  • Acknowledge the fundamental problems in unchecked capitalism: among them, the disappearance of safety net that leave hundreds of millions extremely vulnerable at a time like this.
  • Redirect financial resources wisely: this pandemic has made it evident that many public hospitals around the world are severely underfunded.

What’s Next In 2020? Two Time Periods to Watch

There are two time periods of significant astrological activity that I am watching because they pack a significant amount of important aspects. These aspects have global effects (though some countries will be more affected depending on their individual birth charts)

First, June 6 – July 13. Here’s why:

  • Mars will square Neptune on June 13: Neptune rules viruses; a square aspect from Mars can bring things “to a head”. This aspect will begin building on June 6.
  • Mercury will retrograde from June 19 to July 13: Although Mercury retrograde can be helpful for fixing past errors and acquiring information that was once overlooked, it can also cause confusion and delays.
  • Jupiter and Pluto will be conjunct on June 30: these two planets met in Capricorn on April 4. Jupiter acts as a magnifying glass and Pluto is the great transformer and rules whatever is hidden or has been out of sight.
  • A lunar eclipse takes place on July 5: lunar eclipses bring the end of a cycle — and this one falls very close to the United States’ sun.

To me, this first astrological landscape could manifest as a second wave, or second spike, of COVID-19 cases. Since this is still a few months away, there could be some advancements in treatments by then.

Alternatively, parts of the United States and world that weren’t as affected the first few months of 2020 may find themselves as new “hot spots” at this time, essentially having their first significant wave of cases.

The other significant window of time takes place September 30 – December 30. Here’s why:

  • Saturn turns direct (AKA: “stops retrograding”) and squares Mars on September 30: the days surrounding a planet’s change of direction are significant. In this case, we have “reality check” Saturn, which also squares off against warrior Mars that same day. Saturn-Mars squares bring conflicts to a head.
  • Mars squares Jupiter on October 19: Even though this is a square, Jupiter doesn’t get into a fight with Mars. However, this aspect blows up Mars’ energy, passion, and desire to get things going and moving.
  • Jupiter and Pluto will be conjunct on November 13: these two get together for a final (third) time before saying goodbye. They won’t see each other again for another 13 years, so their final goodbye can be over-the-top and be accompanied by significant events.
  • A solar eclipse takes place on December 14. This solar eclipse kicks off a new six-month period. Since it takes place in Sagittarius (which rules travel), I suspect the second half of December will likely see international borders opening up and will be the time when air travel begins its return.
  • Saturn and Jupiter will be conjunct on December 22: a very important aspect (see below for more information).
  • A lunar eclipse takes place on December 30: This eclipse also brings the closure of a cycle.

I believe this window of time will contains the first significant signs that things are “moving”. With so many Jupiter aspects, I think this is when travel will begin to pick up and when there will be the first real semblance of hope. The Saturn-Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius in December may bring news about a novel medical treatment, a vaccine, or some technological development that will allow us to move forward in some way.

The Next Four Years Are a Bridge to “The Age of Aquarius”

“The Age of Aquarius” has been an overused (and misused) term for decades, practically as a panacea for all of humanity’s ills.

While we are not about to enter a land of fairy tales, we will entering a very “Aquarian” era when Pluto enters Aquarius in 2024 (it will dip its toes in 2023, but will then retreat back to Capricorn for a few months before finally taking the plunge into Aquarius on January 21, 2024).

Pluto will spend twenty years in Aquarius.

Between now and, then, several astrological events will provide a hint of what’s to come:

  • Saturn will be in Aquarius from December 17, 2020 to March 7, 2023 (with a prior “toe-dipping period” from March 21, 2020 to July 1, 2020);
  • Saturn and Jupiter will meet in Aquarius on December 22, 2020.

Saturn in Aquarius: What to Expect

Saturn governs authority, boundaries, foundations, governments, labor, laws, limits, stability, and structures. Aquarius governs the airwaves, egalitarianism, humanitarianism, new ideas, progressive thinking, the public domain, revolutions, science, technologies, and the greater good.

Let’s take a look at what happened the last time Saturn was in Aquarius (February 6, 1991 to May 20, 1993; June 29, 1993 – January 28, 1994).

Keep in mind that the last time Saturn was in Aquarius, the other planets were in different places than they are now. So, while events won’t be the exact same, overarching themes will arise again:

  • The “World Wide Web” opened to the public.
  • The first text message was sent.
  • The Simon Personal Communicator (now considered the first-ever “smart phone”) launched.
  • Janet Reno became the first female Attorney General of the United States — a new (Aquarius) kind of authority (Saturn).
  • The first-known reference to Y2K (then-termed “The Year 2000 Problem”) is published in ComputerWorld magazine. Remember, Saturn is the “better safe than sorry” planet; it identifies problems relating to whatever sign it is in. In this case, Saturn rang the alarm about possible trouble with technology (Aquarius).
  • The first prescription nicotine patch reached the market.
  • Thelma & Louise, a movie that revolutonized (Aquarius!) a male-dominated genre, was released to critical acclaim.
  • The Innocence Project, a criminal justice reform non-profit, launched.
  • The Maastrich treaty (whih founded he European Union) was signed.
  • Apartheid was dismantled in South Africa. VERY Aquarius; remember, Aquarius is the sign of “we’re all equal… we are one race…”
  • The North American Free Trade Agreement was signed between Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

With that in mind, here are some of the things I believe we can expect over the next three years:

  • Major technological advancements (to be invented/initially introduced, not necessarily go mainstream)
  • Significant shifts in power structures — especially “who” is in power
  • Technological solutions to address humanitarian and environmental problems
  • A massive increase in remote work and technology to support working from home
  • Less nationalism/isolationalism; more globalism (with Pluto in Capricorn and Uranus in Taurus while Saturn is in Aquarius — a planetary combination that is unprecedented — we’ll see the start a new era of globalism with vastly different financial rules and systems).

The Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction of 2020

Jupiter and Saturn meet up in one spot in the sky roughly every twenty years. While that in itself is astrologically significant, the 2020 Jupiter-Saturn meetup is especially important since it serves as a bridge to Pluto’s entrance into Aquarius in 2024.

This conjunction sets a sociopolitical and cultural background tone for the next 18 – 20 years. When Jupiter and Saturn meet, new (Jupiter) paradigms (Saturn) are solidified (Saturn). Belief systems (Jupiter) are expanded (Jupiter) and locked into place (Saturn).

This particular Jupiter-Saturn conjunction is a big deal because it takes place at zero degrees of rebellious and unpredictable Aquarius (zero degrees is a very sensitive point where a particular sign’s energy is highly concentrated).

This aspect suggests the next two decades will bring rapid and significant shifts in Aquarius-related matters (such as technology, social revolutions, community-building, humanitarianism, progressive politics, and social uprisings).

Pluto In Aquarius: The Beginning of a New Era

Everything mentioned until this point will serve as a bridge to connect 2020 to 2024, the year when Pluto enters Aquarius for a twenty-year stint.

Pluto — which brings upheaval, change, crisis, and deep transformation — was last in Aquarius from 1778 to 1798.

As a reminder, here are some of the things Aquarius governs: the air/airwaves, egalitarianism, humanitarianism, new ideas, progressive thinking, the public domain, revolutions, science, technologies, and the greater good.

Keep in mind that, during that time, all the other planets were now where they will be in 2024. So, while the coming transit of Pluto in Aquarius won’t be a carbon copy of the previous one, we can expect similar themes.

Here are some important events that took place during Pluto’s last visit to Aquarius:

  • The moral theory of utilitarianism (which, among other things, posits that everyone’s happiness counts equally) is introduced. Free basic education and affordable housing for low-income families are examples of utilitarian policies.
  • The French Revolution
  • American Revolutionary War
  • Start of the first Industrial Revolution
  • The first untethered manned hot air balloon flight
  • The phenomenon of black holes is first published in a scientific journal
  • Benjamin Franklin invents bifocals
  • The United States’ first recorded riot — The Doctors’ Mob — takes place (Aquarius rules riots and social uprisings)
  • The United States patent system is established (Aquarius is new ideas, and Saturn is law… sometimes astrology is extremely literal).
  • Development of the smallpox vaccine — the first successful vaccine.
  • Development of the modern telegraph
  • The first steamboat is built by Claude de Jouffroy (steam is water in the gas phase — and Aquarius rules gases; additionally, this revolutionized trade and transportation at the time)

Some things we can expect during Pluto’s upcoming transit of Aquarius:

  • Significant advancements in holograms, nanotechnology, and robotics
  • The next industrial revolution
  • A wave of political progressivism (one thing to watch: Aquarius is a fixed sign that, prior to the discovery of Uranus, had Saturn as its ruler… with Pluto in Aquarius, the chance of authoritarian [Saturn key word!] left-wing regimes is higher than usual).
  • Power struggles around — and new definitions of — intellectual property
  • Political revolutions
  • The emergence of new political parties
  • Significant developments relating to outer space and space travel
  • New technologies that will decrease our dependence on oil (now that the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn has resulted in oil prices plummeting)
  • And, in true Aquarius form, technologies we can’t even fathom in 2020!

Over the next few weeks, months, and years, I will delve further into each of these important astrological aspects (either here or on my Instagram page).

We’re certainly living in interesting times!

Astrology & Free Will: Oil & Water?

Free will — the ability to act at our own discretion — and astrology may appear to contradict one another. After all, isn’t a birth chart a predestined account of who you are, what you’ll do, and where you’ll be headed?

In order to unpack this we must redefine, or at least reexamine, the purpose of astrology and its role in our lives.

I view a birth chart as our mental, emotional, psychological, and motivational ‘factory settings’.

Your smartphone has default factory settings. Those settings, just like the innate character traits and blind spots in a birth chart, can be increased, decreased, shut off, or turned on to enhance your user experience.

In astrology, the moon represents our emotional default setting. It describes where we automatically (subconsciously) seek emotional refuge when faced with challenges or stress. A Virgo moon, for example, defaults to control, logic, and preparing for the worst. An Aquarius moon detaches and runs away. A Gemini moon gets verbal diarrhea and throws in some sarcasm as a defense mechanism.

A simplistic view of astrology leads to silly conclusions like “I can’t help but be (insert negative emotional trait here)… my moon is in (insert zodiac sign here)!”. That isn’t astrology; that’s a refusal to look inward and evolve.

Through analysis of our birth chart, we can learn, for example, that a square aspect between our moon and Saturn inhibits our emotional expression and frequently manifests as frigidness that interferes with meaningful connections.

That, right there, is the astrological “factory setting”.

It’s precisely because it is the factory setting that we can trick ourselves into thinking that’s just “how we are”; that it’s a fixed quality which can’t be altered because we’ve been that way “for as long as we can remember.”

Alas, that’s a common cerebral defense mechanism rooted in our inherent resistance to change. After all, it’s easier to label something as “fixed” (and therefore not in our control) rather than “adjustable” (which means we can do something about it).

An astrologer can — and, in my opinion, should! — suggest how to mitigate challenging aspects in a birth chart. However, as I always remind my clients, while I can speak to the themes, lessons, and issues that need to be addressed, they should seek respective licensed professionals to guide them during that process.

Okay, so the basic energies in our birth chart do not have to control us. Once we gain conscious awareness, we can play around with the knobs to bring balance.

Great. But, what about when an astrologer looks ahead at the next twelve months and provides a glimpse of what’s on the horizon? How can we possibly exercise free will in that scenario?

That’s where I provide “the GPS analogy”.

A GPS assesses the landscape in relation to where you are presently and where you want to go and then suggests the quickest, safest route. It is aware of things that are out of your hands (traffic jams, lane closings, and detours) and suggests the best way to navigate them.

That, in essence, is what an astrologer does when they look at the astrological cycles that are at play in your chart over the next year.

Your chart may show that the next year will largely be dominated by a nine month-long conjunction of transiting Uranus to your natal Midheaven (in other words, over the next nine months, Uranus will be in the same part of the sky where your Midheaven was at your time of birth).

Without a doubt, this is a transit that will rock your career, public reputation, and/or vocation. You can expect disruptions, sudden changes, and even out-of-the-blue developments.

It’s important to note that the nature of that change (a sudden big-time promotion is very different from your position suddenly being eliminated) depends on other factors in the chart (concurrent progressions, solar arcs, and the nature of that year’s solar return will yield clues).

Regardless of whether this transit brings opportunities or challenges, remember that astrology simply presents situations; we choose our reaction. We can choose to accept a promotion or not; we can choose to view the elimination of our position at work as an opportunity to try something new or to become bitter and look for external blame.

Every planetary transit ultimately imparts a lesson. Uranus transits teach us to adapt and remain flexible. You can choose to cling to the status quo during a Uranus transit, but that’s as advisable as sticking to your plans to host a barbecue in your backyard when the weather forecast changes from partly cloudy skies to a torrential downpour. No one is stopping you from going outside and lighting up the grill; you just won’t have a good time (or guests).

Okay, so free will also applies to transits and forecasts.

But, but, but… what about global astrological influences?

For example: the January 2020 Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn which, in astrology circles, was long-predicted to be a time of significant changes in global business and governments? How much free will can there be when it was obvious that these two planets getting together would dismantle existing economic structures and collapse foundations?

Well, I see it as another example of astrological aspects bringing issues to light which we then have free will to address as we choose.

This particular aspect is showing the many longstanding structures — political, economic, social, etc — that are no longer sustainable because their foundations are crumbling and beyond repair. The cosmic “nudge” created by the January 2020 Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn is to acknowledge that these structures are outdated and build new ones.

However, that is merely a suggestion that requires human awareness and action to become reality.

Like any other transit, Saturn and Pluto’s conjunction in Capricorn simply brings up an issue; it does not “guarantee” that we’ll take the suggested course of action (the GPS equivalent of the quickest, most efficient, and safest route).

This, of course, is where astrological guidance comes in. Any astrologer would wince at the suggestion that the solution lies in trying to patch up the old foundation or, even worse, rebuilding something by utilizing the same old blueprints.

As renowned astrologer Alan Oken once wrote: “you can transform an astrological lemon of a chart into terrestrial lemonade. The ‘sugar’ is consciousness.”