The Full Moon in Cancer on Sat 11 Jan is a penumbral Lunar Eclipse (falling the previous day in Europe and the Americas) at 20 degrees Cancer during which time the Full Moon darkens.  The Full Moon in Cancer invites us to find a balance between the deep emotional connection of family and the outer, worldly achievement that is found in our work life. This Full Moon also highlights our emotional attachment to the past, so don’t be surprised if strong feelings get stirred up again, giving us the opportunity to finally let go and release the past.  The Lunar Eclipse is likely to intensify all the emotions highlighted by the Full Moon in Cancer.  This is a good time for us to reassess our unconscious, “autopilot” responses, and to change any behaviour that is no longer appropriate. There’s also a sense of a cycle which started on the solar eclipse of 13 July 2018 now coming to completion.  The Lunar Eclipse Full Moon is exact at 5.21am AEST, so the previous evening is the best night for Full Moon celebrations.

On the day of the lunar eclipse Sat 11 Jan, Uranus turns direct at 2 degrees Taurus.  Yes this is very close to the degree of the solar eclipse on Boxing Day, further intensifying the energy that’s around now.  We can expect some very emotional upheavals now!  Uranus is the Great Awakener, shaking up any sense we have of security or permanence (and how!).  Uranus forces us into unexplored territory, and as it turns direct again for the next 7 months, that’s where we’re heading!!  Uranus brings new insights and a higher level of awareness, yet it can also be disruptive, shaking things to their very foundation – sometimes even bringing down the whole structure in the urge to bring about revolutionary change.  In the words of Leonard Cohen “there is a crack, a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in”.  The more conscious we can be, and the more open we are to the changes that the Universe is demanding of us, the less disruptive this energy is likely to be.  If you are born around 22 April, or have 2 degrees Taurus strong in your chart, this Uranus standstill is likely to affect you deeply – a time to wake up and make some radical changes, reflect on your own truth and integrity, and a great cosmic opportunity to reinvent yourself.

The very next day, we have the conjunction that has been building for the last 12 months, the Saturn-Pluto conjunction.  Saturn is about control, discipline and structure, while Pluto is about power and transformation.  As with all astrological energies, these can manifest positively or negatively.  The positive expression of this combination of energies is responsible use of power, but negatively, it’s about power and control for their own sake, unchecked and ruthless.  An example would be the way that fear (Saturn) can be manipulated (Pluto) to justify wars or other extraordinary (and usually repressive) measures.  The Saturn-Pluto cycle is associated with an increase in authoritarian rule, ruthless power plays and the rise of right-wing ideology, and we’ve certainly seen plenty of that in the last 12 months as these two planets have got closer and closer.  The Saturn-Pluto conjunction is exact Mon 13 Jan 2020 at 2.58am AEST, the previous day in Europe and the Americas. 

The Saturn-Pluto conjunction comes round every 33+ years, with its most recent manifestations in 1914, 1947 and 1982.  1914 saw the beginning of World War 1.  1947-48 saw major political upheaval with the partition of India, creating India, East and West Pakistan (later Bangladesh and Pakistan), and the partition of Palestine, creating the state of Israel. These divisions were along religious grounds and created huge conflict in these regions.  1982 saw the Falklands War (which got Maggie Thatcher re-elected) – and the Reagan-Thatcher years saw a huge lurch to the right with the introduction of neoliberalism.

The current move towards the right in so many countries of the world is all part of this pattern.  Religious intolerance is being stoked in many countries, for example the Citizenship Amendment Act in India which discriminates against Muslims, and the Religious Freedom (ie discrimination) bill in Australia.  Meanwhile the ICC is seeking to open a war crimes investigation in the West Bank and Gaza, after years of suffering by the Palestinians, a legacy of the partition from the last Saturn-Pluto contact.  Then of course there’s the racial intolerance that’s being stirred up by Brexit in the UK.  There is light among this darkness though.  Thankfully, in a few countries we are seeing the positive manifestation of this Saturn-Pluto energy, which is responsible use of power.  The shining example of New Zealand right now with the leadership of Jacinda Ardern is one that springs to mind!