STARFIRE

January 2009

January 2009- IT'S A NEW YEAR WITH A LOT OF HISTORY DRIVING IT
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IT'S A NEW YEAR WITH A LOT OF HISTORY DRIVING IT

Friends who usually ask what the new year will bring aren’t even asking this year. They’re just saying they’re done with the old year and ready for a change. For some of them, any change looks good.

And that’s what brought us the 60's. Change looked good. Almost any old change would do. There were solid ethical principles driving the change in those times (Saturn then, just as Saturn drives the New Year 2009 chart), but we also just wanted a world not created by our parents’ generation and shaped by depression fears.

So here we are, a nation ready for change again, and it didn’t take rioting in the streets to cause it. (Unfortunately, it did result from rioting in other countries’ streets.)

The Winter Solstice chart shows us what we can expect during the start-up months of the year–and, for this year–the first months of a new presidency in the United States. It doesn’t predict the entire year–but it shows how the stage for the year is set and how it begins to unfold. Because the solstice is a “natural” astrological event rather than an event pegged on a man-made calendar, it’s also more universal than the New Year’s Day chart.

Economy Takes Priority

Expect economic recovery. Expect the recover to ramp up early in the New Year, but understand there are historical problems that will act like bumps in the road. Some of those bumps may surprise both governments and individuals around the world. Some problems just aren’t visible until you start moving forward. Maybe that’s why they’re called “bumps in the road”; you only hit them when you’re moving.

The solstice chart shows four planets in Capricorn, a small stellium of planets with the power and energy to drive economic recovery. After the solstice and before New Year’s, there were six planets in Capricorn briefly, and then five on New Year’s morning. By the end of New Year’s Day, Mercury will have joined Neptune and Venus in Aquarius.

By January 6th, Jupiter will have moved into Aquarius, and our lineup will be three planets in Capricorn, three in Aquarius and three in Pisces. On the other side of the wheel, Saturn will be directing the action (and Saturn brings history and depth and makes us look at the verifiable facts in any situation, commonly known as “the bottom line is”).

So Congress will start working on the economy as soon as it’s back in session, and a stimulus package is a solid bet. Congress may even do something innovative to protect homeowners without waiting for Inauguration Day. Attention to the economy will bring up other problems and focus attention on other solutions that need to be implemented simultaneously.

Whether the chart is set for Washington, D.C., or for Taos, New Mexico, the nine planets in Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces will be in the first quadrant. That sector of the chart, below the horizon line and on the left half of the chart, is the equivalent of healthy seeds growing underground. Real work is being done, but it may not be visible. Saturn in Washington draws focused attention to legislation. The good news is that Saturn in Taos (representing the Western United States), Saturn is in the tenth house, the absolute best placement for Saturn for business and economic issues.

Saturn is in Virgo, which is a reasonably good sign for Saturn. It can get hung up on history in the 9th house, and it’s more proactive in the 10th. But in Virgo, Saturn is also detail oriented, a stickler for taking one step at a time. Saturn is connected to the Part of Fortune, and that conjunction isn’t good for joy but does ease the pain of Saturn.

Ethical questions, from white collar crime to studies of the impact of legislation and impeachment in Illinois, will impact recovery in two ways. We’re going to be reading about white collar crime a lot during the early years of Pluto in Capricorn, even though it takes a long time for white collar crime cases to move from investigation to trial and sentencing. Ethical issues may also slow down Congressional approval of the new Cabinet officers.

The Personal Side of the Economy

Americans (and Canadians) should start feeling the benefits of economic recovery during the first quarter of the year. East of the Mississippi, money may seem to disappear as quickly as it arrives–but at least cash does show up to fuel your vision and meet your emergencies along the road. West of the Mississippi, money flows from business, marketing, promotion; if you’ve got something (from a book to a widget) to sell, it’s time to get back out and talk to potential buyers.

Those Capricorn and Pisces planets support creativity and ingenuity. The recovering economy will be different in significant ways, in more ways than I could predict right now. So it’s time to haul out your best ideas and test them. Invest a little cash and a lot of envisioning, planning and organizing–and fund your own dream for an independent business.

Large publishing companies may cut back because of the bottom line–and innovations will fill the gap. Look around your own industry and see what needs to be done, then find a way to meet the need. If you work for a corporation, think of it as your customer and think of yourself as self-employed. Okay, don’t say that to your boss. But think of yourself as sovereign now, and experiment with new ways to live and work that increase your personal happiness level and contribute to your community.

For a writer, that may mean writing more how-to articles. For travel writers, the focus may be on family travel by car again or other service articles rather than glamour pieces. But it could also be science fiction based on the new scientific questions about energy and planetary change.

Change, in other words, is inevitable. We may be less innocent about change than we were in the 60's, but we’re also more knowledgeable about its potential.

The solstice chart shows that there’s a chance now to plant the seeds for changes you want to experience. Facing the New Year is like looking at a field that’s already been plowed and is now ours to plant.

And that’s the best New Year in many years astrologically. May it be a happy one for all of you.

Mary O’Gara, Ph.D.