Author Archives: debramoolenaar

In December 2020, we can expect quite a lot of astrologically significant energy – it’s a difficult year going out with a ‘big bang’ – so to speak – and finally we are moving into a brand new space that will feel brighter and hopeful – be proud that you’ve had the moxie to keep the faith:

• 1-6 December – Mercury enters Sagittarius where he is not happy (in detriment) and so during this entire period, we can expect Mercurial things like communications, contract to be out of kilter – this is not a Mercury retrograde – so don’t blame Mercury when your e-mails go astray – but with as Mercury is in a difficult position (antiscia) vis a vis Pluto/Saturn/Jupiter in Capricorn, you might expect that your email won’t be read and understood quite as was planned. During this period, little things may be glossed over – initially – until we realise them for the big problem that they really are. Equally, people may be prone to make a big deal out of pretty much nothing – overzealously, things can get blown way out of proportion.  Read the small print when signing contracts – this is not the best time to start legal proceedings either. The temptation will be to overwhelm people with throwing the complete ‘kitchen sink’ at them – the heats on – they may give up just to stay afloat, but BE CAREFUL – this is NOT easy stuff. Is someone not telling the whole truth?
• 5 December – Venus trines Neptune – usually this can be a romantic energy – but Venus is in Scorpio and the ruler of Scorpio, Mars is moving into a square with Pluto. So hostility, coercion, manipulation, and underhanded games are very possible – people might be willing to do anything to win – BEWARE – it’s easy to get seduced here and not for the best – are the some things that are going on behind the scenes?
• 9-13 December – Mars moves into square with Pluto and so the power games ramp up at the same time that Mercury moves into trine with Neptune – deception is a real possibility here – BE CAREFUL – there is a real temptation to try to ‘get away’ with things whilst at the same time convincing yourself that you’re doing everything completely above board. We may not have all the information to make decisions – don’t cut corners here – it’s not in your interest longer term. 
• 9 December – The Sun moves into trine with Neptune – think of this as a new vision – an epiphany  – a sense of healing and clarity – inspiration. And with Mercury also involved it, could be the passing of something that gives way to faith in what comes next and the ‘divine order’ of all things. The Sun shines through!
• 14 December – the same theme continues – a solar eclipse in Sagittarius – this is big because shortlythereafter Saturn and Jupiter conjoin (this happens every 20 years) and cross into Aquarius – and this is a bigger deal than you might think. The Jupiter/Saturn cycle is a major marker in generational changes and with this move of the new cycle into an air sign (Aquarius), it is metaphorically a breath of fresh air. 
• 16 December  – Celebrate – just as Jupiter/Saturn conjoin to move from Capricorn (earth) into Aquarius (air) setting up as noted above a whole new 20-year cycle and more (it’s a 200-year cycle of Jupiter/Saturn conjunctions in air signs), Venus shifts into Sagittarius – and the first thing that Venus meets (by antiscia) is Jupiter/Saturn just before they undergo their ‘rebirth’. 
• 17-21 December – This is a transition between eras on a grand scale and Venus will play an important role here too – women and  feminist issues may get a huge boost. Saturn symbolises older men and generations – the golden age of power – mastery -gain – and Jupiter, all that is new. Now we can look forward to all our hard work starting to pay off – this will be more hard work – but we are enthusiastic – and inspired! All at the same time of the winter solstice – the longest night of the year – we’ve kept the faith through the darkness and now the days start to get longer.  Even more interesting, immediately when Jupiter/Saturn move into Aquarius, they make contact with Uranus by square: this is all about breakthroughs – new records set – and new technologies getting fired up – is now the time for bitcoins to take off? Maybe!  It will all play out during calendar 2021 and with Saturn keeping the enthusiasm on an even keel, we can expect some very marvellous things.
• 23 December – Mars moves into another square with Pluto – a heroic display of strength and might – beware, don’t fall into the trap of playing fast and footloose – if you are ruthless, you’ll get your comeuppance sooner than later. Nonetheless, if you’ve been stuck and unable to get some project or area of your life moving, now is the time that the barriers will crack and fall apart. We’re getting ready for all the exciting things we can expect in January 2021 when Mars comes together with Uranus in Taurus – more on late later.
• 29 – 30 December – the end of the year is likely to end up on an emotional high – with the New Moon in Cancer – we can feel connected with our home and hearth and with Venus coming into square with Neptune, it could be dreamy and pleasant so enjoy this time for shortly, there’s a whole new set of challenges and opportunities. 

Let’s face it. Calendar year 2020 has been one hell of a year. We did warn you back in January that it would be remembered as a turning point in history. We also suggested that by the end of calendar 2020, we’d find resolution, a new way forward, and with November this will start in earnest.

• 1 November: Mercury forms an exact square to Saturn. Something is stuck -we are going too rigid in our thinking. This energy provides a much-needed opportunity for seeing our situation differently, for adopting a new and more mature way of dealing with this. Beware; you’re unlikely to see the fruits of the process at hand until Mercury stations (appears to stand still in the sky) around the 8^th of the month. The good news is that Libra is involved and Venus, the ruler of Libra, is in her maximum power. Thus there is every chance that whatever it is that seems stuck, will find an elegant, diplomatic solution.
• 9 November: Venus (in Libra) opposes retrograde Mars in Aries. The showdown that we’ve been waiting for since mid-October is finally here and the themes in play may well be in sexual politics. Best that I can figure, politics is all about who holds the the upper hand. I figure since win-win situations are rare occurrences, there’s likely to be a winner and a loser here. It’s also likely that someone will be tempted not to play by the rules. The good news is that peace and diplomacy are likely to win, and in regarding sexual politics, that suggests it will be Ladies Day!
• 12 November: Jupiter meets Pluto one last time. For the entire year, we’ve had might well be called a hand grenade of heavy-hitter planets (Jupiter/Saturn/Pluto) in Capricorn; little wonder we’ve suffered more of our fair share of civil unrest and what can only be described as shady politics not to mention the Covid-19 pandemic, which pretty much has put an end to life as we knew it. Finally, we can look forward to this coming to an end, a resolution. But the problem is that one more time things have to get worse before they can get better. This the last hurrah of Jupiter and Pluto in cohorts to provide maximum upheaval. Be brave: soon it will finally be over.
• 14 November: The New Moon in Scorpio. This is coming just at the time that Jupiter leaves Pluto behind for good (or until next time in about 12 years). The battle that we’ve all been fighting for the whole of 2020 is reaching its peak crisis, after which things will start to resolve. Let’s not be naïve, however, and think that the BIG BANG we’re soon to experience won’t reverberate for a long time. But on a positive note, Mars, planet of encounter and engagement is finally turning direct today after two months of ineffective vacillation. Finally we can look forward to some forward-moving decisive action.
• 15-19 November: Venus forms a square with Jupiter/Saturn/Pluto) in Capricorn. You might think of this as a karmic equalisation – judgement day has arrived and (more or less) good triumphs over evil. If you end up on the winning side count your blessings and do more of the same. But if you end up on the losing side, accept defeat gracefully and give serious consideration on why and how you went wrong.
• 16-17 November:  Mercury is back in opposition to Uranus. This is the moment of epiphanies and resolutions – unexpected news and events – in essence we are being freed from something not good for us although it can still be painful.
• 21 November: The Sun moves into Sagittarius. There’s light at the end of the tunnel The Winter Solstice will be with us in just a month and this year, it will be a doozy. In the meantime, this signals the start of eclipse season, which means ‘all change’. Astrologers view eclipses as a release of pent up energy that shakes us out of our everyday complacency so that we can get up and running again.
• 26-27 November: Venus opposes Uranus. This one is of short duration but nonetheless chances are good that you’ll feel it as a dramatic and unexpected event and the most likely culprit is romantic relationships. More often than not, Uranian-inspired events work in our favour – so if we’re feeling restless and bored, this energy will be like a fresh, stiff, sea breeze. 
• 30 November: Lunar eclipse in Gemini.  The (full) Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its shadow although it’s too far from earth for us to see it. However, every eclipse as a dramatic ‘wild card’ playing out someplace in our natal charts. Wherever this occurs, events will transpire in order to shake us out of our compliancy. With every eclipse something ends and something begins. But whilst solar eclipses tend to offer new opportunities, lunar eclipses like today tend to bring final endings.

If you’d like to find out more about the energies of November may effect you, check this out.

Astrologically, October 2020 is going to be a hell of a month.

It started on 1 October with a BIG BANG – a full Moon in Aries – cementing a Martian (martial) theme for the entire period (because Mars is the planetary ruler of Aries). 

Unto itself, that’s challenging enough but Mars itself is very busy during the entire period. In many respects, this could be the grand finale (or dying swan song) for the whole of 2020, set from the very start to be a very turbulent year. 

• 2 October: Venus moves from Leo into Virgo. Although in Leo she may have enjoyed herself playing the drama queen, , she was in detriment so not really good at doing when Venus is meant to do – i.e. fostering enjoyable, mutually fulfilling relationships. In Virgo she takes a step further down the ladder – because now she is in fall. The thing to keep in mind here is that when, as here, any planet changes dignity, we need to pay special attention. Venus will drop her flashy – ‘let’s have fun’ guise she had in Leo and get rational and picky and yes, very serious indeed. Important issues impacting women (i.e. marketplace equality, childbearing, et al) come to the forefront. Expect HOT (Mars is in his home sign of Aries) and INCISIVE debate (Mercury, ruler of Virgo is in Mar’s other home sign of Scorpio) on all matters relating to women.
• 7 October – Mercury (in Scorpio) makes an opposition to Uranus – this is big and dynamic – and as is always the case where Uranus is involved, expect the unexpected. Uranus acts as a like a bolt of lightning; that which was hidden (in the depths of Scorpio’s murky waters) is illuminated. For the first time in perhaps a long time, we see the lay of the land for what it really is. Because Mars, natural ruler of Scorpio, is centre stage this month (see earlier) and moving through a challenging square aspect with Jupiter/Pluto/Saturn, what we see is not likely to be pretty. Indeed, it is likely to be explosive! Beware. You do have a choice on how to react to what you learn during this period even if it feels otherwise. If you want to start a fight, now is the time to do it but don’t expect to automatically win. By contrast, do pay attention to hunches that you have during this time. Chances are they are spot on.
• 9 October – if that wasn’t enough, now we have a real moment of breakthrough – catharsis – Pluto and Mars come to perfect that square. During this period, you’ll be reminded that making necessary changes (based on new information that is now coming to light) takes courage. You may have to dig deep for inner strength to get through hard times. But again, if you choose to react angrily and with aggression to changes thrust upon you, you might find yourself in more than a spot of trouble.
• 11 October – Jupiter (in fall in Capricorn – so definitely not the finest hour for leaders and authority figures) makes an enabling sextile to Neptune. If you choose, you now have an opportunity to renew your faith in the future! For many, it’s been one long year of the dark night of the soul. Take heart. The energy is starting to change but at the same time you’re being tested again (i.e. can you really believe anything???). So walk into this period with your head held high and with your eyes wide open and you may be pleasantly surprised with the results. On the other hand, if you choose to believe what you want to believe rather than really reading the ‘writing on the fall’, you’ll lose out. YOUR CHOICE!
• 13 October – The Sun in Libra forms an in opposition to Mars in Aries. You may be on the side of negotiation and compromise, but sadly, that’s not how it’s likely to turn out. Sometimes people don’t play fair (think Machiavellian power plays here) and they still win. That is more than likely to happen now so the only question that matters is how you choose to react. BTW, to help you with this, know that by the end of this month, the tide will have turned and Mars (fight) will lose out to Venus (diplomacy). If you can find a way to keep your balance now, things have a much better chance to work out for the best.
• 14 October – Mercury turns retrograde in Scorpio – time to rake over all the (still smouldering) coals that burned bright earlier in the month. This means that you’re getting a second chance at dealing with the ‘unexpected’ information that came to light around the 7^th of October. Between then and 19 October (when Mercury again opposes Uranus), you have the opportunity to set things right. This is the turning point. Use this energy to wisely and to advantage. Nothing remains the same for long.
• 16 October – if the first half of the month has been marked by uncomfortable challenge and conflict, with the new Moon (in Libra) today we will soon be finding some relief. Venus, the ruler of this Moon is still in Virgo, so she still is being critical and picky, but from now on in she’ll be gaining – rather than losing- ground – over argumentative Mars.
• 18 October – today Mars suffers the first of his setbacks – when, still retrograde, he forms a square with Jupiter. Mars may not have paid too much heed to the ‘rule of law’ previously, but now he’s being called to task for it – and although the result may be dramatic and action-packed, Mars will no longer get away with ‘murder’. No longer keeping it out of the public eye. Just don’t get sucked into any deliberate dramas meant to keep your focus elsewhere. Unfortunately, with Venus opposing Neptune also during this time, the temptation may be to turn a blind eye. If you do, then you’re bound to have it thrown back in your face at a later date and that date is coming up rather sooner than later.
• 19 October – Mercury perfects his second opposition to Uranus and the ‘truth’ will out. If you’ve been like the ostrich hiding his/her head in the sand, this could get uncomfortable. Again, if you want a fight, you’ll get it during this time but again, don’t be surprised if you don’t win. We’re heading into a cooling off period through the end of the month – so if at all possible, put your hostilities on hold for just a bit longer.
• 28 October – Venus moves from Virgo into Libra, where she becomes dignified and diplomatic. Now is the time for truth to ‘trump’ lies and justice to win the day. At least for a little while, might is no longer right and feathers ruffled by weeks of drama will finally become smoothed.