2017 – A Year of Adjustment
2016 was, for many of us, an annus horribilis. Brexit, the US elections, the war in Syria, the Nice attacks – these terrible and shocking events had the signature of Uranus and Pluto all over them.
Despite all of this, many good things did happen, especially towards the end of the year, fuelled mainly by Jupiter’s ingress into Libra and a fabulous set of planetary configurations around Christmas.The latter transits, especially the Saturn-Uranus trine, will help set the tone for 2017, leading to far more sensible, sustainable and incremental paradigm shifts than the rollercoaster ride we have experienced lately.
So what do the stars foretell for 2017? Below I’ve put together my Skylights for 2017 – mark these power dates and lucky transits in your diary now! (Or better still, order a copy of my 2017 Astro-Almanac!)
A Thoughtful Start to what Promises to be an Eventful Year
2017 begins with a Mars-Neptune conjunction in spiritual Pisces on 1 Jan 2017, urging us to rest, recharge our batteries and find gentler, more lyrical and mindful ways to motivate ourselves and stay healthy.
Overall, though, things are likely to happen in incremental waves; which then followed by periods of assimilation, adjustment and recovery. Get ready then, for an eventful but well-paced year.Paradigm shifts and major institutional reforms are still on the cards, but this time round, they occur in a much more steady and sensible fashion.
The second half of 2017 is particularly interesting from an astrological perspective. As well as the ingress of Jupiter into sexy Scorpio on 10 October, Saturn will also change signs – entering serious Capricorn on December 20.
Other highlights to look forward to include a Jupiter-Saturn sextile in August, the second pass of the stunning Saturn-Uranus trine we experienced around Christmas Day 2016 in May 2017, as well as a superb Venus-Jupiter trine in air signs on July the 18th.
Skylights for 2017.
Career, Fame & Success
Many of us will be rethinking what success means to us, especially as our attitude to power and fame changes, and we become less keen on following leaders who are overly proud, egotistical, limelight hoggers, bullshitters or macho men. This is largely because of the influence of Regulus in Virgo, which is slowly encouraging women to take their rightful place in positions of leadership and responsibility. Asa result, we will begin to see signs that servant leadership, soft power and hard work are winning out over the brash, pushy 80’s style patriarchal throwback type of leadership epitomised by people like Trump and Putin. Of course, this is probably only likely to become evident once the Reagan and Thatcher wannabe’s of this world have enjoyed their final swan song.
Power Days for Success, Fame & Career:
3 June, 11 February – Sun trine Jupiter
17 April, 13 August – Sun trine Saturn
10 August – Sun sextile Jupiter
21 Dec – Sun conjunct Saturn in Capricorn
Love & Creativity in 2017
This year Venus enjoys two spells in her favourite sign – dreamy, starry-eyed Pisces – which should spell plenty of tender moments, romance and poetry for lovers (and artists), especially in January. Heartbroken or separated partners could well reunited or rekindle their romances in April when a retrograde Venus retraces her footsteps, spending the period between 2-27 April back in Pisces – the sign where she is exalted. Other extremely romantic dates in the 2017 calendar include: 20 June and 12 August.
Anyone looking for commitment in relationships should look out for 1 June when Venus trines steadfast Saturn, while those keen to inject some passion into their lives should make a note of the steamy Venus-Mars connections due in early June & again in October. Excitement and spontaneity rules in relationships in late July and mid-September and anyone who need a little luck in finding a good ‘un can count on Venus and Jupiter to provide some in mid-July and September.
Unfortunately, there is also likely to be a fair amount of tension and upheaval in love this year, with Venus having quite a few bust-ups with Saturn, Uranus and Pluto, all of which could potentially spell the end of a romance that wasn’t going to go the distance. Periods to watch out for include: 17 & 24 July, 15 – 24 Aug, 8 & 28 October.
Five-Star Days for Romance, Fashion & Art:
12 January – Venus conjunct Neptune
1 June – Venus trine Saturn
18 July – Venus trine Jupiter
12 August – Venus trine Neptune
18 Sep, 20 Dec – Venus trine Uranus
3 December – Jupiter trine Neptune
HEALTH in 2017
January is likely to be a month where we reboot our health and reconsider what it means to be active and motivated. 2017 begins with a Mars-Neptune conjunction in spiritual Pisces on 1 January 2017. Almost the antithesis of what we understand Mars to represent, this is less about warrior energy and more about inner spiritual strength. Lyrical movement, yoga and gentle but effective exercise that doesn’t injure muscles, such as swimming, water aerobics or dancing, is recommended under this influence. Healing and physical rejuvenation comes from meditation, spa retreats and rest while this transit is in place, so for a few weeks, forget all the weight training and running that new year’s resolutions bring on – you’ll feel too tired and listless to do any of that. And with Mars set to square Saturn on 19 January, you’ll just end up feeling frustrated if you try and fight the fatigue or train through the pain. The good news is that you may find this new regime rather transformative, if the Mars-Pluto sextile on January 11 is anything to go by.
However, many of us are likely to revert back to type when Mars ingresses into its own sign of Aries on the 28th of Jan 2017. Taking place on the same day as the New Moon in Aries, consider this the real start of the year for your body. The rest will mean you will feel invigorated from your month of enforced rest, and so be raring to go by the New Moon. Just as it should be! So allow your biorhythms to stay in sync with the cosmic cycles – you’ll feel much more ‘in the flow’ if you do so.
Great dates to heal, get in shape or compete in sports:
5 March, 22 August – Mars trine Saturn
11 January, 8 March – Mars sextile Pluto
5 April, 31 May – Mars trine Pluto
12 May – Mars trine Jupiter
20 August – Mars sextile Jupiter
Major Cosmic Events
Thanks to the paradigm-shifting Saturn-Uranus trine that took place on Christmas Day – and is set to be repeated in May 2017 – we can also expect to see some permanent changes to the way we live, interact and work, especially in terms of life structures, belief systems and working patterns. Unlike recent years, which have been characterised by uncertainty and volatility brought about by the harsh and often violent dynamic of the Uranus-Pluto squares, we are now moving into a calmer, more stable period in which much-needed social and institutional reforms and technological shifts can be implemented in a much more structured and systematic way, thansk to the influence of Saturn in Sagittarius on Uranus. This transit forms part of a larger pattern of intellectual, energetic and societal shifts going happening on a global level – a trend which I discuss at length in my January 2017 Forecast. For details, visit the Astro-Insights blog.
Global Shape Shifters:
30 March – Jupiter square Pluto = pride before a fall, ego-based stand-offs and political power plays, having to be right at all costs
9-14 April – Sun square Pluto, conjunct Uranus = major political coups, leadership/regime changes, corporate takeovers
24-28 April – Mercury trine Saturn, conjunct Uranus = technological, scientific breakthroughs, unexpected but significant press announcements
19 May – Saturn trine Uranus (second pass) = systematic reforms, paradigm shifts that synergize convention & innovation, old meets new
27 Aug – Jupiter sextile Saturn = positive laws/restrictions, ethical decisions, key judicial/legal decisions, spiritual advancement/growth through effort
Easy Ways to Keep Track of Key Dates
For those keen to maximise every possible opportunity this year, I have created an illustrated Astro-Almanac for 2016, complete with 12 different illustrations – one for each month – annotated with a neat list of all the major astrological movements for the year, set out day by day, as well as an easy-to-follow written guide to how to decode each and every phase of the cosmic weather. If you’d like to purchase one, you can find further details on the Astro-Report Shop website.
Also, be sure to keep an eye on my Twitter and Facebook updates for more detailed daily astro-insights into the cosmic weather as the year unfolds.
Happy New Year, everyone!
