We Moon- At the crossroads
Overview of 2009 - by Heather Roan Robbins

She changes everything She touches, and this year, She touches us all. We are truly at a crossroads in Her story. It will not be a calm time, but embers of potential simmer in the heart of the changes ahead. Let’s stay proactive, not reactive.

We’ll begin to see a breakdown in old systems as structural Saturn opposes change-agent Uranus and squares Pluto. We’ll be ask to dream, to contribute to a new vision, and then asked to midwife that vision into constructive change as Jupiter conjuncts inspired Neptune. All while history speed up as the Sun flares and storms in the activating phase of its 11 year cycle.*

Pluto may be less intense these days as it heads out to the far side of its orbit, but it still packs quite a punch. Pluto symbolizes power and transformation; as it traverses determined Capricorn over the next decade, Pluto will explore the dynamics of power, challenging how we use both electrical and political power garnered from fossil fuels. It questions our chains of command and hints of an attempt to control the rising tide of change with a misuse of authority at any level, from coven to congress.

Every astrological aspect has its gift and challenge; it’s up to us to choose how we respond. Pluto in Capricorn also speaks of the ancient power and wisdom of the crone; empowerment that comes from real experience. Nearly- forgotten skills and languages, seeds of forgotten crops, elders and ancient wisdoms may help us find a way through. We’ll all need to walk our talk about power; take it on but do so cleanly, and remember to honor the personal authority of those around us.

During January a series of Jupiter aspects wake up our sense of possibilities but also highlight any tension between our personal goals and our responsibilities t o our community; let’s find a way that honors both.

Throughout the year, peaking February 5 and September 15, Saturn opposes electrical Uranus. We’ll feel rebellious; want to break away from anything that feels restrictive, as if we’re allergic to restraint and the old guard. The tectonic plates of our soul and culture begin to shift.

Some event may challenge our foundation or sense of security. We can take this personally, our confidence may be shaken at some point, but this is not a personal aspect. Uranus acts like a clutch, and it’s fully engaged, which way do we want to shift gears? Some people will jump to conclusions and look for a scapegoat, but the problem is far too complex for that to work. It pays to slow down and honestly analyze our situation on both a political and personal level, figure out the real sticking point, and put our energy there. Let’s have the guts and wisdom to adapt and make the most of change.

We may notice that a few of our deepest attachments are actually obstacles to our strongest goals. Our personal crossroads may require us to sort out what’s needed on our path, and what we have to jettison to move forward. Make it specific, let go of a bad relationship habit, not the relationship; stop overextending but don’t let go of the cause. Physical possessions may dissipate and lighten our load for the road. Think of this as compost, breaking down old gardens and garbage to fertilize new growth ahead.

As Jupiter challenges Uranus (semi-sextile) and Pluto (semi-square) in the spring we crave excitement and may create unnecessary drama just to make our point. During the late spring, both Pluto (April 4) and Saturn (May 16) retrograde and put some changes on hold for the summer, handing us an agenda that looks like a distraction, but actually is a mythic way to dig deeper into the roots of our issues.

We have a chance to return to the well of our collective soul for a broad, fresh, more cooperative vision as expansive Jupiter enters collective Aquarius and conjuncts intuitive, oceanic Neptune (p eaking May 27, July 9, and Dec 21). This conjunction can help us release old addictive patterns, heightens our need for spiritual connection and inspires us to compassionate action. We just have to let those we help retain authorship over their own lives.

This aspect helps us return to the well, find our own personal vision, and make sure it’s authentic. How next year’s transformation unfolds will depend on the choices we make this year. Let’s avoid a streak of Aquarian philosophical self-righteousness and redirect it toward an Aquarian collective grassroots approach with decentralized solutions; circles linked to circles. Anarchistic internet communities can invent ways of doing business, person to person, which flow around old power structures and encourage a humane global economy.

As Saturn enters Libra Oct 29, squares Pluto Nov 15 (and in 2010), the momentum builds for big cultural changes. It herald a turning point for any Saturn cycle issue concerning security, wisdom, structure or authority that began in 1982 when these two conjunct, was shaken in 1993-4 when these two last squared, and confronted in 2001 when they opposed. It investigates the structure of authority, and question how power is used in the name of security, both on the big political scale and more intimately in our relationships. Some old structure dissolves and we may feel like we’re heading into unknown territory, like a boat leaving shore across an unknown ocean; we know what we’ve left behind, but not what we sail towards. We can find Her waiting for us in the farthest corners of the globe and the darkest corners of our psyche, and explore our way to our new land.

*(see www.carolmoore.net under “Sunspot Cycles and Activist Strategy” for a fascinating look at solar cycles through history).