HAPPY NEW YEAR & DECADE! We’ll be floating along with the mystical PISCES moon as we celebrate the end of 2019 and welcome in 2020! With the Sun in CAPRICORN and Mars in SCORPIO as we begin this new journey, you can utilize the powers of your dreams, fantasies and desires to set some clear intentions for what you’d like to accomplish in the New Year ahead! Weary in body, mind & spirit from a grueling year, most of us are in need of healing energy and a new vision for the future. And as always, we confidently assure each other that this year is definitely going to be better than the last one.
However, it turns out that the upcoming year will actually be a continuation and intensification of the year before — and will likely take us even deeper down the rabbit hole. However, there is a clear light at the end of the tunnel! We will be turning a corner this year, but not without a strong commitment to confront & resolve the past and prepare for a future beyond our wildest imagination. . .
2020 is destined to bring about a major reality check ‒ individually, nationally & globally. With a strong emphasis in earth signs this year, a patient, practical and disciplined approach to your inner life—as well as the outer world—will be required. The Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse in CAPRICORN, which peaks on January 10 will confront us early on with some financial & governmental realities, emotional issues, habits and attachments that need to be faced & released. Uranus—the planet of change—turns direct in TAURUS the same day (after a 5-month retrograde), awakening us to alternative approaches and sensible solutions to old problems.
Commit the first three weeks of January (while the Sun’s in CAPRICORN) to getting organized, clearing the decks, re-establishing your everyday routines and taking care of business. After dancing around each other throughout the past year, the mighty forces of the old (Saturn) & the new (Pluto) finally come crashing together in in a potent conjunction in CAPRICORN on January 12. Joined by both the Sun & Mercury, this heavy, karmic conjunction will demand an accounting for the past, and at the same time, will set us on a path of transformation & renewal. How that unfolds is anybody’s guess, but it’s bound to be a tumultuous year ahead. We’ll be riding on the wings of the primordial phoenix as it rises from the ashes and swoops us up into a new commitment to the future.
Change is in the air once the Sun moves on to AQUARIUS on January 20; surprises, revelations & shocking experiences will abound ‒ a rebellious, contrary & unpredictable energy will be released at this time! It’s out with the old, in with the new as the New Moon in AQUARIUS, on January 24, ushers in the Chinese New Year of the Rat. It is said that the survival instinct will be alive & well this year, and that quick thinking and rapid responses—whenever opportunity knocks—could lead to fortunate business ventures or investments. Be adaptable, resourceful & clever, but curb a tendency towards greed, over-ambition, recklessness or wasteful habits. From a numerology perspective, 2020 is a ”4” year—a time to build solid foundations, take care of the basics, put your home in safe, comfortable condition and develop deeper connections with family, community and nature.
Jupiter recently joined up with both Saturn and Pluto in CAPRICORN (cardinal/earth), beginning its year-long sojourn there (from December 2, ’19 until December 19, ’20). Since Jupiter’s role is to educate, explore, expand and expound upon things, it’s obvious that we’ll be learning a lot this year about CAPRICORN themes: government matters, judicial authority, the U.S. Constitution, corporate & fiscal responsibility, international currency, debts, taxes, insurance, laws, responsibilities, obligations & ethics. At the rate things are going, corruption may turn out to be the word of the year! The intense, turbulent Jupiter-Pluto conjunctions (April 4, June 29 & November 12) will likely stimulate overzealous proselytizing, pontificating or promoting, as well as the exhausting political rhetoric of an election year. Space exploration, educational reforms, trade deals or new paradigms of thought could attract much enthusiasm when these expansive aspects are in play.
Discipline, downsizing, reducing, recycling and paring down to the essentials will be the major themes of 2020 (as they’ve been since Saturn entered conservative CAPRICORN two years ago). On March 21, Saturn temporarily leaves the pack and takes its first wobbly steps into rebellious AQUARIUS, joined by Mars at the end of March. We’ll be jolted out of our comfort zone, as Spring will bring some unexpected turn of events, surprises & changes in the status quo! Perhaps a political dark horse will arise at this time. Saturn retrogrades back into CAPRICORN on July 1, then re-enters AQUARIUS on December 16 and joins up with Jupiter in AQUARIUS on December 21. Revolution, artificial intelligence and significant technological advances are on the near horizon! Utilize this year to restate your priorities, resolve old issues from the past and prepare for a more enlightened lifestyle. Experiment with ways to find freedom in an unfree world as 2020 comes to a close
Unpredictable Uranus has now settled down into its 7-year stay in TAURUS, continuing to stir up significant changes, rearrangements and disruptions in home, family, property & community matters. The role of Uranus is to free us from old patterns, habits or routines — and to hasten our evolution. We’ll be questioning the foundations, structures, support systems and comforts that we’ve taken for granted in the past. Environmental concerns, sustainability, global warming, territorial borders, land use, agriculture, earth changes and population shifts will become even more potent issues. Feng shui concepts will enjoy a renaissance as we seek greater peace & harmony in our personal spaces. Many will consider pulling up roots, moving their base of operations and seeking greener pastures, perhaps related to the weather, earth changes, political chaos, taxes or lifestyle choices.
The continuing presence of Neptune in PISCES (mutable water) will hopefully bring more attention and compassionate approaches to physical & mental health care, workplace safety, drug policy, medical/recreational marijuana, animal welfare, race relations & gender issues. The healing Jupiter-Neptune sextiles, which will occur on February 20, July 27 & October 12, could inspire more enlightened, caring solutions to these concerns.
The North Lunar Node (a point symbolizing prevailing social trends) is in CANCER as this year begins. This 18-month cycle, which began in Election Day ’18) places a premium on self-sufficiency, financial security, survival matters and emotional well-being (with a particular emphasis on women’s issues). Food safety, nutrition and healthy eating has also taken on increased importance. By May 5, the North Node will have begun its new cycle in GEMINI (with the South Node in its opposite sign, SAGITTARIUS); 
the focus will be on exchanging ideas & information, networking, tuning in to local media, taking short trips and getting together with siblings, extended family & neighbors. Be a good listener, improve your communication skills and avoid spreading questionable information or gossip.
Venus will undergo a 45-day retrograde—while in GEMINI—from May 13 to June 25, a cycle which only occurs every 19 months. It symbolizes a time for re-assessing your friendships & social alliances, re-evaluating your tastes & pleasures, catching up with email & communications, reconnecting with relatives and strengthening neighborhood ties.
Mars is in its own sign, SCORPIO, as 2020 begins; utilize this potent energy to clarify your priorities, set positive intentions & reclaim your power! On January 3, Mars begins its new 6-week cycle in adventurous SAGITTARIUS; it will be a time for learning, exploring & expanding your horizons. Mars joins Jupiter, Saturn & Pluto in serious CAPRICORN on February 16, requiring conscientious attention to joint finances, taxes, insurance, legal or government matters. A desire for change & spontaneity arises with Mars’ entrance into freedom-loving AQUARIUS on March 30 (amplified by Saturn‘s presence in AQUARIUS). You’ll be ready for a spiritual uplift once Mars drifts into sensitive PISCES on May 12; be caring & compassionate with yourself & others, and tend to your physical, emotional & mental health.
Mars begins a long 6-month transit of ARIES on June 27, due to its retrograde cycle, and remains there for the rest of the year! This intense, dynamic energy will inspire you to explore your creativity and immerse yourself in new projects, hobbies, business ventures or romance. Approach this cycle with a playful, childlike openness and a willingness to take on some reasonable risks! We will also experience lots of upheaval, turmoil & volcanic energy with this intense transit. While Mars turns retrograde (from September 9 to November 13), re-evaluate your creative efforts & personal projects, purge what doesn’t work and transform what does. Pick yourself up and get ready to fly even higher – the phoenix will rise!
It’s always wise to be aware of the three Mercury retrograde cycles in the year ahead, which will occur on February 16—March 9, June 17—July 12 and October 13—November 3. These are the times for reviewing, editing & regrouping — but not for start-ups of any kind (such as undergoing elective medical procedures, signing contracts or buying cars, computers & electronic equipment). Instead, utilize these cycles to repair things, file, de-clutter, clear the decks and catch up with yourself!
So…if you’re willing to put in the necessary discipline and effort, you could experience a very constructive, productive year ahead. Transform your dreams into realities and have a stellar 2020!
©2020 Diane Elizabeth Clarke