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The beginning of January marks the start of a new year in the Western Christian calendar, and it's a time when many people quite naturally look toward the future with optimism. Any culture's new year is by definition a time of new beginnings -- a time when you can leave the past behind and start over with a clean slate.
If you've made mistakes, you can forgive yourself and move on. If others have wronged you, you can forgive them as well -- or at least you can let go of the anger and free yourself of its negative bondage. If you've developed bad habits, you can correct them. And so on.
Astrologically in 2019, this sense of forward-looking optimism is well reflected by Jupiter's transit through its own sign of Sagittarius. Jupiter spends just about the entire year in Sagittarius, bringing an attitude of openness, optimism, expansiveness, and positive thinking to our lives. This attitude will impact each of us differently, depending on how Jupiter interacts with our individual natal charts, but all of us will feel and experience it in one way or another. It will show an area where we can learn and grow and expand -- an area where our dreams can take us, if only we allow ourselves to follow them.
At the same time, of course, Saturn continues to transit his own sign of Capricorn, providing an intriguing counterweight to Jupiter. Saturn and Jupiter are astrological opposites. Whereas Jupiter is optimistic, forward-looking, expansive, and a bit reckless, Saturn is realistic, focused on the present, restrictive, and cautious. In his own sign, he keeps our feet on the ground -- sometimes in ways we'd rather not experience.
One would think of these two forces as creating a type of tension between them, but astrologically this is not really the case. "Tension" astrologically is shown by a square or opposition aspect, and no such aspect exists here. The optimism of Jupiter/Sagittarius and the pragmatism of Saturn/Capricorn are not working against one another. Instead, both are manifesting simultaneously, with Jupiter inspiring new and bigger ideals, while Saturn tugs on the reins and says, "Not so fast, young man..."
Rather than a conflict that requires some sort of either/or resolution, this is more of a continual ebb and flow. As the other planets in their transits stimulate either Jupiter or Saturn, these two types of energy wax and wane in our consciousness. First one comes to the fore, then the other. Ideally, this leads to a balanced approach to life, combining idealism with practicality, each in the proper measure, each working in harmony with its opposite.
An idea to keep in mind throughout 2019, as you work pragmatically toward whatever new goals and ideals you may have.
Happy New Year!
--- Ed
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