2001, Year of ambivalence !

After starting the year in the clouds (24th Jan New Moon conjunct Neptune), the 8th February Full Moon at 19 Leo opposing Uranus rings the bells of August 99 eclipse, and while Mars opposes Saturn again, also suggests power struggles, pushing the new trends against the old ones. Accidents can be expected due to lack of maintenance or safety.

Then the 23rd Feb New Moon squaring Gemini Jupiter and Sagittarius Mars (also in contra-parallel) tells us to watch for the mess negligence can cause. The mid-March conjunction between the Moon, Mars and Pluto can increases terrorist actions or movements fighting for human causes.

The spring shows freshness with the 25th March New Moon, sextile Gemini Jupiter, followed shortly by the Sun moving to retrograde Venus, both sextile Neptune... this period should inspire adventurers, artists, lovers (of humanity, idealists) and open new horizons to live in general. Mirages are not excluded. By the same way, curiosity could this year also lead us to interesting findings !

The second half of May shows Mercury and Mars both in contra-parallel, out of bound, and opposition, close to solstice point, really picturing what is 2001 about : the year of AMBIVALENCE. Indeed, the 23rd May New Moon preceeds the 1st occultation of Saturn and Jupiter, aspect that will be repeated for months after (14 times for Saturn); then the 6th June Full Moon involves Mars with the 3rd Jupiter-Pluto opposition, in the Gemini-Sagittarius axis, the Sun being then parallel to Jupiter and Mercury... Finally, the 21st June New Moon at solstice point as a Total Sun eclipse. This special eclipse (close to occulted Jupiter) adds to the ambivalence of the year : the Gemini-Sagittarius background tells about the contradiction between advances in communication technology, from mobile phones, Internet, automobile or aviation and yet saturation of information, in communications, more grid locked roads, petrol crisis, accidents due to simple saturation and overloads of traffic.

The Sag-Gemini ambivalence continues later in the year with the cold and frustrating Saturn-Pluto opposition, forcing us to face our limits, or focus on balancing our material expansion by deeper or more meaningful ways of  leading our lives. We'll also see the dilemma of the regions (or individuals) needing to speak for themselves and the complimentary need of integration with the bigger World market (or with relationships). Limits also of technologies giving birth to mad cows, sick GM salmon or war with depleted uranium. The 4th August Full Moon should ease compromises, because it forms a harmonic rectangle with the Saturn-Pluto opposition.

We could witness lots of old laws renewed by Uranus and Neptune in Aquarius in good aspect to the Gemini-Sagittarius oppositions. Not to bad after all, as long as we move to a better world, allowing more diversity and tolerance. I am aware that some of us will have to suffer, but the Aquarius will help find solutions to problems and bring hope or strength to those in need.


© Astrid Fallon. Sheffield, 15th January 2001. Newsletter illustrated on 6th November 2003.