Get ready! In this time of enormous change and transformation, this is a watershed year astrologically. It’s a year of endings and new beginnings. Some of the major themes will be sovereignty, integrity, freedom, and individual rights, but also community, collaboration, and unity consciousness.  

As I talk about five of the major watershed events of this year, I’ll also talk about a few more major themes for the year. You’re going to love them! 

The good news: the unrelenting intensity and kind of monotone feel of the astrology and our lives – we couldn’t move forward; we couldn’t really move at all – is on its way out. This year is going to be fast-paced, and the energy will shift dramatically from what we’ve been experiencing the past 3 years.  

This year will continue to be challenging, but there will be a lot of movement. As I already said, it’s a year full of endings and new beginnings. I’m not talking small endings and beginnings either! There are a number of major shifts which will contribute to the dramatic movement that you will feel this year.

This year starts off with a lot of momentum. By January 24, every planet will be direct. That means when we look at the sky they will look like they’re moving forward. This will create a sense of forward movement. We will integrate the changes that we’ve been going through, and also begin to take new steps in areas that this year’s watershed events will highlight.

Pluto’s First Pass into Aquarius: A Taste of Community, Collaboration, Shared Power

The biggest astrological event of the year — and the one we’ve been moving toward for the past few years — is Pluto’s first pass into Aquarius on March 23. Because Pluto moves so slowly, we’ve been feeling this for quite some time. Pluto is always about deep transformation. In Capricorn the transformation was all about unraveling top-down structures, big corporations, governments, and institutions. That unraveling has been a big part of the drama and intensity we’ve all been experiencing.

When Pluto moves into a sign, it always inaugurates a transformational process: Pluto will intensify the nature of that sign, and it will also reveal the shadow side of that sign – and highlight any lack of integrity, accountability and/or transparency linked to the symbolism of that sign. This year, we’ll get a taste of that that might look like in Aquarius for the next two decades.

On the positive side, there will be a shift in power. Historically, when Pluto moves into Aquarius, there is a big shift to collaboration, shared power, grass roots leadership, and unity consciousness. This time there will also be a shift out of toxic masculinity and femininity (out of the patriarchal paradigms of the past 4000 years) into more balance and unity. This will have huge ramifications for you no matter your gender orientation. I’ll be talking about this a lot more in future posts and offerings. 

Revolution, Freedom, and Power of the People

Pluto’s transformation will be revolutionary on a number of levels. The last time Pluto moved through Aquarius, for example, was during the American and French Revolutions. Freedom, equality and human rights have been recurring themes of this shift. Think of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights of the 1770’s, as well as the French “Document of the Rights of Man” from 1789. The latter became the basis for democracy in Europe. A previous shift into Aquarius brought the Magna Carta in England, in 1226, which said that the people had rights and that the King or Queen must follow the law. 

Each time Pluto has moved into Aquarius in the past there are clear themes of power shifting back to the people, together with decentralization. If you look around, you will already see signs of this.  

Other Aquarian themes include science, technology, aviation, digitization, rejuvenation. There will be a lot of technological advances, including development of AI and robotics. That has both its positive and shadow sides.  Pluto will bring both to the fore – and will start to reveal and transform the shadow side of science and technology and control over those.

Saturn moves into Pisces: Making Real the Dream

Before that shift, however, is another watershed astrological event: Saturn is moving into Pisces on March 7, and staying there until 2025. This shift is going to highlight some of the themes of the Pluto shift: disillusionment (Pisces) and loss of trust in in top-down and traditional structures (Saturn) will likely intensify, for example.  

At the same time, there are many exciting aspects: this shift will bring in more connection between science and spirituality. Putting your spiritual ideals (Pisces) into practice (Neptune) is a central theme. This is about your own spiritual mastery.  

Another central theme is integrity: walking your talk, speaking your truth, and acting authentically are all part of this shift. These themes dovetail with Pluto’s archetypal energies of bringing to light what has not been in integrity so that it can be transformed.

Finally, there will be a lot of support for taking practical steps to bring your dreams into reality. Pisces is the dream, and Saturn is about getting practical. Jupiter in Aries (Jupiter stays there until May) will support these changes, as it is all about manifesting and creativity.

Jupiter Moves into Taurus: Abundance, Extravagance, Planting in Fertile Soil

On May 16, Jupiter will move into Taurus. This is a time for abundance, for planting the seeds of something sustainable and lasting. There is a lot of expansion, and at the same time a groundedness and a move toward simplicity. This is where the momentum of the first part of the year starts to gain traction. The connection with earth (Taurus) will help you take action for the long haul. 

Nodal Shift to Aries and Libra: I know who I am and I’ll stand my ground

On July 17, the north node moves into Aries and the south node moves into Libra for the next 18 months. The south node represents the past and what we’re called to let go of; the north node represents what we’re being called into. If you would like to learn more, please see the section of my blog from January last year : What is a Nodal Shift and Why is it Important?

This nodal shift brings up the themes of sovereignty, integrity, and autonomy.  It is about (re)claiming your inner sovereignty. At its best, it will foster courage and bravery to step into all the new beginnings and transformations of the year — to step into the unknown.  

Venus: Love, Creative Energy, Knowing Yourself and What You Want to Create

Venus energy is big this entire year. It’s involved in all the other astrological events. Venus’ involvement this year is about what love is; how we live and how we love; and what you want to give your life energy to work out in this lifetime. It’s also about healing the ancestral line.

On July 17, Venus moves retrograde (it looks like it’s moving backward in the sky). This is one of the major events of this year. Venus will stay retrograde through September.

What does that mean for you? This is a time of going inward. Big themes include knowing yourself and what you want to create. Saturn in Pisces will help you take the practical steps to bring those creations into reality. Jupiter in Taurus will help you get grounded and plant seeds for those creations.

Transformation, Creation and Frequency: A Fork in the Road

This will be a challenging year. It will be bumpy at times, especially in the first half of the year. The voices of those who are resisting the changes from the old structures will be very loud. There will be drama.

At the same time, we are entering several years of great creativity, even a kind of renaissance. As you step into your sovereignty, you are not only invited but actually must become a co-creator. What you choose to create is also incredibly important. 

Frequency is a kind of buzz word right now, and rightly so. Even the gliph (pictograph) of Aquarius depicts frequency. We have discovered that everything is frequency. More than that, you have some choice about what frequency you choose to live in.

At this point in this huge time of transformation, there is an ever-widening fork in the road. The 3-D world is full of volatility, chaos, drama and fear. The people representing the old structures that are unraveling use that fear to try to hold on to the past and to hold on to old ways of power. They often advocate for more control, more regulations, etc. It is easy to get caught there.  Between the media and authority figures representing the old strutures, there is also pressure to choose that frequency. That is one fork in the road.

The other fork represents everything that this year is offering. — it’s the path of transformation and the path of love.  It’s also the path combining two seeming opposites: sovereignty and individuality,  and unity consciousness. This year choosing which fork you follow is crucial.  If you actively choose this path you also contribute to the collective awakening that is happening. You also help create the new earth that is coming in.

This year, more than ever, it’s hugely important to come back to your heart, do breath work, and get grounded so that you don’t get caught up in the fear and resistance. The astrological events of this year will help you choose the higher frequencies of love, compassion, kindness, unity, shared power, and balance if you let them. May this watershed year bring you many blessings and much transformation!

PS:  When there is this much change, it is so important to have support in order to navigate these shifts. If you would like individual support,  I have a few openings for new clients. Check it out here.  Or book a free Discovery Call to explore working together. I am also offering a way that you can be attuned to these shifts, grounding in the year and healing work so that you can navigate everything that is happening.  If you would like this group support, my Annual Attunement Package is now open.  Here is the link for more information and to register. I would love to support you in this watershed year!