When Will Things Get Better??? A General Forecast for 2021

Featured Image:  Hope Gazing at the Sun.  Style of Niccolò Fiorentino.  1485/1490 Sculpture. Medium bronze.  Samuel H. Kress Collection.  Accession No.1957.14.879.b

Will 2021 Be Better than 2020?

So the big question on everyone’s mind these days is:  when will things get better?  It goes without saying that 2020 was an absolute train-wreck for most of us. You will be relieved to know that 2021 will probably feel better than 2020 thanks to Jupiter and Saturn’s transit through Aquarius.  It’s not a huge improvement, but it is improvement nevertheless.  Of course, it depends a lot on what is happening in your own personal birthchart, but for most of us, 2021 will feel like a step up from 2020.  

Saturn is a planet belonging to the day sect and feels more at home in the sign of Aquarius than he did in the sign of Capricorn.  So Saturn is slightly better positioned in 2021.  Jupiter, the planet responsible for optimism, expansion and bounty is also better placed in 2021.  Back in 2020, Jupiter was severely hindered by occupying the sign of its fall (Capricorn) and by being positioned closely to malefic Saturn, who also disposed Jupiter by rulership.  In 2021, Jupiter will still be disposed by Saturn, but Jupiter will also enjoy a small bit of essential dignity by term when he hits the mid to later degrees of Aquarius.  So while Jupiter can’t offer us a great deal in 2021, he is still in better shape than he was last year.  

Furthermore, Jupiter and Saturn will form a sextile to Chiron in Aries.  Healing can now happen at the societal level if we put a little concerted effort into that process.  Jupiter sextiles Chiron one time on Jan 21, 2020 while Saturn sextiles Chiron on Feb. 9, 2021, June 23, 2021, and Nov 26, 2021.  This suggests that the social structure, rules and regulations Saturn will be putting into place during 2021 can help fix societal problems.

And finally, Neptune will square the Lunar Nodes on January 26, 2021.  The Nodes are currently on the Gemini/Sagittarius axis, which pertains to facts, knowledge, wisdom and communications.  Neptune’s hard aspect to this axis has contributed to the current mass confusion over what is factual reality and what is not.  Illusion and self-delusion are at their height in January.  After February, some of this confusion and all the conspiracy theories that go with it will begin to simmer down.  While they won’t disappear completely, they will get toned down a notch.   However, this does not mean that there will be more harmony and agreement amongst the masses!  Unfortunately, Saturn will be squaring Uranus in 2021, which will contribute to a lot of conflict still.  More about that later.

The Great Conjunction of December 2020 and How it Impacts the Year 2021

Cycles Within More Cycles

Jupiter conjoined Saturn at 0 degrees, 29 minutes of Aquarius on December 21st, 2020 (Pacific).  Termed “The Great Conjunction,” this alignment between Jupiter and Saturn happens every 20 years and is significant because its theme will color the next two decades.  This particular conjunction is even more notable because it also involves a mutation (triplicity shift) which kicks off a new 200 year cycle.  We just ended a 200 year Earth cycle and are now entering a 200 year Air cycle.

The Great Conjunction, Dec. 21st, 2020, 11:20 am (Pacific). Salmon Arm, BC Canada.

Consider also the planets stacking up in Aquarius now and their overlapping cycles:  Jupiter will travel through Aquarius until May of 2021.  Saturn will remain there until March of 2023.  And then Pluto will enter Aquarius in 2023 where he will remain for two decades until the year 2044.  So for the next 200 years, Air themes will predominate in the collective human consciousness while Aquarius themes in particular will color the next 20 years.  Pay close attention to what develops in 2021 and 2022 because it heralds what will be happening for the next two decades in particular, and it also foreshadows the next 200 years of human collective evolution.

Air Cycles And Aquarius Cycles

While the previous 200 year Earth cycle was focused on materialism (food, shelter, wealth, possessions and tangible resources from the Earth), the next 200 years in Air will be focused on communication, social interaction and intellect (mental logic/reason/ideas). And of course, air cycles are focused on air, the breath and the wind itself. 

Within this governing air cycle, Aquarius focuses specifically on futuristic thought; technology; radical social movements; rebellions; independence movements; inventions and group/global consciousness.  Aquarian cycles tend to idealize the scientific method, objectivity, abstract thought, the process of individuation, democratic principles and the notion of equality.   Astronomy, space exploration and Astrology are also Aquarian in nature.  And in Evolutionary Astrology, Aquarius is also associated with fragmentation, splintering, mental trauma and dissociation.

Since Saturn first dipped into Aquarius back in March of 2020, we have seen some Air/Aquarius themes starting to emerge.  Some examples include:

• the strengthening of equal rights movements, protests and marches
• the shift in politics toward the liberal end of the spectrum
• heightened concern over air-born diseases
• extremely rapid developments of technology (inventions of new forms of vaccines in record time)
• the restriction (Saturn) of social congregation in groups (Aquarius)
• the restriction (Saturn) of travel (Air) and the literal grounding of airlines
• widespread mental trauma from coping with Covid deaths and lockdown isolation
• a rise in group awareness and global consciousness (as we all suddenly comprehend that a virus currently rampaging on the other side of the earth can manage to infect us personally within a matter of weeks)

Since Saturn will continue to reside in Aquarius for the next 2 years, it is reasonable to conclude that Covid issues will still be with us until mid 2023.  Worst case scenario: Covid or (other Covid-like air-borne diseases) will still ravage the planet for the next 2 years.  Best case scenario:  Covid is under control but a lot of the stringent rules governing social/group behavior will still be in place for at least another 2 years. 

Check Your Birth Chart:  Where does Aquarius Reside in it?

Whichever house is located in the sign of Aquarius in your natal chart is an area of life where you can make real progress in 2021.  You are being asked to broaden, develop and improve the activities related to that house and to do it RIGHT–do it in a way that creates a good strong foundation for future growth.  It’s not about immediate gratification though, or quick results.  Rather it’s about slow, steady growth toward a long term goal.  Be sure to apply Saturn’s favorite traits: some old-fashioned hard work, earnest effort, self-discipline, attention to detail and a good dose of patience.  Create a long term goal for the year and spend some time each day working toward that goal–you will likely find that life supports you in this and the effort feels good rather than a grind.

Adopting traditional work methods (Saturn) will help a lot now, even if your project is innovative or avant-garde.  For example, if Aquarius is situated in your 10th house, you might be making steady progress in your career.  You might be working in a progressive new field, but following the structure of a traditional workplace will be key to your success.  Climbing the corporate ladder, impressing authority figures and burning the mid-night oil might figure prominently in your work life.  Similarly, if Aquarius falls in your 3rd house, you might develop an interest in studying Astrology.  But due to Saturn’s presence in that house, you might opt for studying Traditional astrology rather than Modern astrology.  Or instead of studying on your own, you might opt for enrolling in a school and getting formal accreditation (Saturn).

There will be challenges, and yes, there will be hiccups (Saturn does square Uranus in 2021 after all).  New ideas are definitely going to be challenged by old ways.  And at times you might have to deal with feelings of limitation and restriction, making you impatient for quicker growth.  But in the long run, 2021 is the year when you can create something valuable and of worth–something of good quality that will stand the test of time.

Saturn Square Uranus:  Conflict and Backlash in 2021

While Jupiter and Saturn transit Aquarius, they will be making last quarter squares to Uranus in Taurus.  This signifies the old clashing with the new in a spectacular way.   Progressive thinkers are straining to move forward, but there is a backlash from conservative forces that challenges their momentum.  This can manifest in several ways.  First, despite the election results in the USA, there is likely to be continued hostility between liberals and conservatives and this will get particularly ugly at times.  Look for the worst of the clashes to appear in January/February, June and December of 2021 and then again in a slightly watered down form in September of 2022.  However, since the Saturn/Uranus square involves the modern and the traditional rulers of Aquarius, 2021, we could also see fighting between different factions of liberals, too.  Here we have a situation where the left splits into two camps, with a radical rebellious fringe on the left battling against their leftist counterparts who also want change, but at a slower pace that meshes more with convention.

Furthermore, Mars will join Uranus in the sign of Taurus between January 6, 2021 and March 3, 2021. Here, Mars is in the sign of his detriment and could trigger sudden conflict when he forms squares to Saturn around Jan 13, 2020, conjoins Uranus around January 20th and then squares Jupiter on Jan 21, 2021.  The combination is extremely volatile and could involve verbal conflict at best, and sudden, unexpected physical violence, riots, or actual physical explosions at worst.   Note that these dates coincide somewhat with the date that Neptune squares the lunar nodal axis on January 26th.  This suggests that the hostility, conflict and aggression is being driven by confusion, erroneous thinking, illusion and self-delusion.

If you have planets in fixed signs between 2 to 8 degrees, (and especially at 6 degrees), you might feel this energy strongly in your own personal life.  Watch out for those January dates listed above, try to curb your temper, avoid aggressive people and try to go with the flow.  Excess stubbornness will bring out the worst of this transit or could cause even more harm to yourself and those around you.  Mars and Uranus together are also a bad combination for activities involving fire, electricity, guns or other explosive devices.  Proceed with caution.

Future Trends:  The Years 2021-2044

2021 and 2022 will set the foundation out of which certain Aquarian trends will take root and grow in the next two decades.  For better or worse, some of these trends for the next 20 years might include:

Economic Changes:

• A rapid and extreme escalation in inventions and technology
• Excessive interest in communications technology, robotics, space exploration and wind technology
• Rapid increase in digital currencies and the development of alternative currencies or bartering networks
• Growing unrest and hostility toward the ruling wealthy elite.  Rebellions and possible violence against those who withhold wealth or power from the working people.  Dramatic attempts by the populace to restructure the distribution of wealth
• Experimentation with new types of housing and new definitions of family units (eg. communal living units)

Political Changes:

• Growing liberalization and radicalization of political thought and the restructuring of socioeconomic and political systems to match this thought
• A growth in socialist movements or socialist institutions (eg. experimentation with guaranteed income)
• The break-up of large monolithic economic institutions, nation states and political or geographic units into smaller units specializing in local or regional concerns
• Growth in anarchist movements

Ideological Changes:

• Movement away from traditional or conventional methods of doing things, embracing new and progressive methods and ideas
• Continued escalation of movements championing equal rights for marginalized groups
• Emphasis on what is good for the collective rather than what’s good for the individual; appeals to do our “civic duty” and mind our “responsibilities toward society”
• Emphasis on teamwork
• Ideological challenges to species-ism (eg. a growth in veganism and movements to protect flora/fauna and nature)
• The popularization of Science and “geek-ism” in general.  A new and genuine appreciation for intellectual skill.  Being smart=being cool.   
• A pre-occupation with aliens and life forms on other planets. (Might seem laughable now, but it will start to be taken very seriously in the near future.)
• A new appreciation for education.  Reforming educational practices and inventing new types of schools
• A growth in Utopian thinking and ideals, attempts to create “perfect” societies
• The continued breakdown of traditional hetero-normative definitions of gender 
• Growth in group consciousness; identification with humanity as a whole, possibly resulting from a threat to our survival as a species 
• A boom in the popularity of Astrology, leading it to become more mainstream, more respected and consequently, more regulated

Environmental Changes:

• A new paradigm concerning how we view air.  Perceiving air and wind in a completely new and different way (eg. as a transmitter).  Putting wind to work more to accomplish practical tasks.  Paying more attention to what appears to be invisible in the air around us (eg. radiation)
• Air pollution becoming a major concern and health risk

Health Changes:

• Increase in breathing difficulties, air-born illnesses
• Re-assessing the health risks of “invisible” technology eg.  electromagnetic radiation, wireless transmission etc.
• Increased cyber attacks on both technology and targeted humans
• Increase in mental health issues due to trauma.  A new understanding of trauma as being a driving force of human behavior throughout history

A Final Word about Aquarian Technological Advancement

You’ve probably heard astrologers predicting a dramatic increase in technological advancement in the decades ahead.  While I also make that prediction, I do not share many of my fellow astrologers’ Jetson-like optimism about it.  Climate change is still advancing, and along with it, the potential collapse of the environment and our food chain.  What may lie ahead is not so much an advancement in super-computers and personal space ships but new methods of adapting to a dying planet and the threat this poses to human survival.  After all, you can’t develop a levitating car when your country is starving to death due to crop failure.  Taking our cue from the modern view of Aquarius, perhaps the best and most useful thing we should develop now in order to prepare for the future is not a new tech gadget but a completely new mind-set; one that is based on co-operation, altruism, concern for the good of the group (rather than selfish competition), an emphasis on teamwork and the equality of all species on earth.  This new mindset will then help us choose the proper types of technology to develop and the best ways to develop it.

Want to know how the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction will affect you personally?  Book a personal consultation with Danielle by clicking here.