Astrology of 2025

On January 1, 2025, Pluto in Aquarius (air) opposed Mars Retrograde in Leo (fire) on January 1. Violence, guns, upheaval, natural disasters, follow the power struggles of Mars and Pluto. In California, Santa Anna winds and a very dry, hot sumer- all a result of climate change - set the stage for a fire, as one writer said, "of Biblical proportions", affecting Los Angeles. There are more people in LA County than live in every state but the West Coast, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.

Until February 23. Mars will be out of bounds and retrograde, meaning it is is literally off the chain! So be prepared for power struggles at the very top! Mars left Leo to travel backwards in Cancer on January 7 and will not re-enter Leo in direction motion until April 19.

We just had the first full Moon of the year in Cancer. As Mars is now (retrograde) in Cancer, too, the planets are suggesting we do plenty of self care and pay attention to our inner emotional landscape. Have some comfort food, snuggle under a warm blanket, take care of yourself. There is plenty going on around you.

Mars and Pluto began their face off in December, 2024, right on the US (Sibley Chart) South Node (a fated point ripe for correction). Ashar Bassad's Syrian regime fell as rebels approached his city, and he fled precipitously to Russia. And the shooting by Luigi Magione of the United Healthcare CEO which sparked a firestorm of its own, as people vented that our health care system was broken.

The astrological weather is changing this year. The slow moving planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto will all be in different signs than they occupied for most of 2024. These are societal planets. While they can dramatically impact your personal chart, they are the zeitgeist of the collective, too. To survive okmookoand thrive, we have to realize what we can control. what influences us, and what is beyond our control.

To further complicate things, these planets are not going to stay in the same sign all year. Thanks to my friend and President of the St. Louis Astrology Association, Audria Gebhardt, for doing the legwork on these month to month changes. In a snapshot:

January 11 - the karmic Lunar Nodes enter Pisces North Node/Virgo South Node for 18 months

Finding spirituality in daily tasks is important. Doing all our jobs with sacred intent and appreciation allows us to combine the mundane(Virgo) and the spiritual (Pisces)

February 4 - Retrograde Jupiter in Gemini resumes direct motion

Go time! What opportunities have we left on the table, thinking we could not reach so high or think so big? Let your curiosity go!

March 15 - April 7 - Venus Retrograde in Pisces.

Venus is about relationships of all kind, and often depicts women, Venus goes retrograde in Pisces every 8 years, so it was retrograde in Pisces in 2017. That was the year of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

March 30 - Neptune leaves Pisces to enter Aries

Time for a new hero myth to emerge. Other times Neptune was in Aries: 1697-1712 - Britain becomes Great Britain with the Act of Union, invention of the steam engine, 1861 - 1875- US Civil War, Lincoln's Assassination & Reconstruction. Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaiden's Tale, has Neptune in Aries in her birth chart. (attribution to Kelly Surtees in her astrological look ahead).

May 24 - Saturn leaves Pisces to enter Aries

Saturn gives Aries a reality check - which Aries hates and become angry and frustrated! These two can be at odds or work to build a new project in an orderly, rules based way. Other times Saturn has been in Aries: 1996 - 1999 (Newt Gingrich! Clinton impeachment hearings), 1937 - 1940 consolidation of fascism; invasion of Poland) and 1967 - 1969 (just prior to the Kent State shooting, bombing of Cambodia in1969)

June 9 - Jupiter enters Cancer and will stay for a year

Jupiter in Gemini is in Air element and fosters education, trade, new and expansive ideas! By moving into the water element of Cancer, Jupiter invites us to new opportunities around women, family, self care, nurturing and healing.

July 7 - Uranus enters Gemini and stays until 2032. Doubtless a time of technological innovation, including car technology, the internet, AI and others. Times Uranus has been in Gemini before: 1775 - 1782, 1858 - 1865, 1941 - 1948

July/August - Saturn and Neptune get close and Uranus and Pluto support one another

Saturn/Netune are opposites - limits & boundaries, respectively. Positively, if Neptune inspires, Saturn can perspire to bring it to fruition. And Pluto allows for naked honesty and transformation. Negatively, Neptune can gaslight Saturn reality with a Machiavellian Plutonian enthusiasm.

September 2 - Saturn retrogrades to re-enter Pisces

Saturn can bring a sense of groundedness to Neptune or simply allow a cynical view of reality.

October 23 - Neptune retrogrades to re-enter Pisces

Inspiration or fantasy?

November 1 - Uranus retrogrades to re-enter Taurus

We have seen an erosion of norms under this influence and the rise of far right forces. Positively, very traditional types have had the opportunity to welcome some "fresh air" into nooks and crannies that had settled into an unchanging view of the world.

Chinese astrology calls this the year of the Wood Snake - a time of endings and beginnings. Western Astrology agrees. Likely, normal appears in the rearview window now. We are not going to resuscitate the post World War II order, but we are going to move forward. How we make change will be the collective summary of our free will and choices. So keep your personal attitude fearless and high. Don't succomb to fear or cynicism. This, at least, you can do for the good of all concerned, including you!