There has been a great deal of recent retrospection on 1968, and having been there for it, I can tell you that the coverage has not done it, or the period it represents, justice. Try to imagine more than one hundred American cities burning in the aftermath of Martin Luther King’s assassination. The military draft and the much larger deployment of troops to Viet Nam than we have had to Iraq radicalized many more young people than are active today. The middle class was much larger and economically powerful than it is now. The change from the post war, pre-civil rights, pre-feminist, conformist ’50s through early ’60s was much more wrenching for a fat and happy, if you were in the majority, society than what we will see now. But ...

     2008 will be similar, if not as dramatic, and in some ways may prove to be even more spectacular. Seasons turn and cycles repeat, bringing full circle the dances we participate in. We have much the same energy and many of the same issues, but this is forty years later. Of course things are not exactly the same, neither in the astrological energies nor the physical realities, and yet the similarities are quite striking. We have another foolish war that diminishes American stature in the eyes of the world. We have another imperial presidency (we are not really at 1968 in the return of the astrological energies, but more into the early ’70s) that people are realizing has trampled the constitution, seen itself above the law, misled, misdirected, and will come apart at the seams just like the Nixon administration that inspired it. Very importantly we have the middle, which has been leaning to the right since the early ’80s, swinging back to the left. As always, there are cycles within cycles and, perhaps most importantly, it is now becoming more widely understood that wealth and power have once again been concentrated at the top to a degree not seen since before the great depression. That, of course, led to FDR’s New Deal, which is now almost completely reversed. The question now, in addition to the other more obvious ones, is how do we lift up the lower class, rebuild the middle class, and rein in the new robber barons without the pain and suffering of another economic collapse of the ’30s? Some say it is already too late, but I disagree.

     This year we will see the electorate stop voting against its own interests. Fear of terrorism and gay marriage will no longer persuade the middle to keep voting for outsourcing jobs, curtailing civil liberties, torturing prisoners and further degrading the environment. Everything being cyclical, the middle swings back and forth, periodically bringing a liberal and then a conservative cultural assumption. In 2007, the observant can see the winds of change blowing. In 2008, the change arrives and we return to a liberal cultural assumption, as unlikely as that may seem to those too young to remember when we last had it. From the mid to late ’60s into the early ’80s, liberality was in its ascendancy. Those of us who did the heavy lifting in the ’60s and early ’70s relaxed as the ’70s wore on, complacent in the belief that liberal dominance would last forever. We were wrong. As we’ve moved through the period since then, the conservatives fell to the same folly and, believing in their invincibility, pushed things so far to the right as to make inevitable the swing back to liberality that you will see this year.

     All of this is not to say that Democrats will win the November ’08 elections and everything will be rosy ever after. The Democrats will very likely win in November, but which Democrats and with what agenda? In what must have made sense to them in the mid ’80s, the Democrats adapted to the cultural shift to the right by becoming “centrists” and moving more to the right themselves. This process has continued to the present and we now have all too many Democrats, including most of the leadership, constituting a Republican Lite that is only just slightly less sold out to the corporatist plutocracy than the Republicans themselves. Thus we have the job of not only voting out the Republicans, but cleaning the Democratic house as well. Leadership, however, has a way of realizing, sooner or later, where the people are going. The first of the Democratic candidates to see what is happening and get out in front of the wave will look like a leader. Then the real work begins.

     These political/social cycles can be seen to stand on their own and are not in any real need of astrological corroboration. But that corroboration is there and the rest of this overview of 2008 will focus on it. Those not interested in the astrology involved may still want to read about the changes in store for us. Skip over the astro-jargon if you wish, but read what the planets reflect back to us this year.

As January opens up, the Jupiter conjunct Pluto that peaked last month is still within orb and active, but will fade as the month wears on. Gains made during this positive transit should be focused on and made as solid as possible. As Jupiter moves away from the conjunction to Pluto, it moves into a very positive trine to Saturn which will aid in the consolidation of the previous energy. This is a period that should be made the most of, both on the international stage and in our personal lives. Great benefit can be had on all levels with good intentions, discipline and perseverance. While this is a relatively fast transit for the outer planets, it will remain active through the month and into early February. Another significant outer planet action is Pluto making its first entry into Capricorn late in the month. It will retrograde back into late Sagittarius from mid June until late November when it enters Capricorn to stay until moving on into Aquarius in 2024. There is much more to say about Pluto entering Capricorn than can be discussed here, but it is safe to say that it signals the beginning of more interesting times. Pluto was discovered in 1930 in the opposite sign, Cancer. This brings the energy into a manifestation phase that can be quite positive or quite not. The best to hope for, and it is a possibility, is a new New Deal that will be more solid and permanent than the last one. Things will become more serious and greater discipline on all levels will become more important than ever. The brief foray this year will give some clues that need to be clearly examined by cultures and individuals. One more significant energy to be aware of as January begins is that the Mars retrograde that began last November has Mars directly opposed Pluto. Here is when bad things that have been in the pipeline are most likely to occur. Because Jupiter is involved, whatever happens is likely to be spectacular in scope and effect, but because Jupiter is involved, it is more likely that what will occur are spectacular failures, or at least will have long term positive effects rather than the intended destruction. As always, it is imperative that we all participate in whatever meditation and prayer for peace events as are happening. Generate light.

     As February rolls in, the Jupiter conjunct Pluto from last month fades all the way out. The Jupiter trine Saturn remains with us, but this positive energy will fade through the month and should be made good use of through the first couple of weeks. As the month progresses, Saturn continues its retrograde motion back toward its final trine to Pluto and the writing on the wall for the end of the Iraq war will no longer be deniable. It may be several more months before the dust settles, but we are at the same relative place with the Saturn trine Pluto that we were in the early ’70s when the Viet Nam war was grinding to a close. The parallels between our involvement in these two foolish conflicts and the Saturn-Pluto cycle are quite striking. This Saturn trine Pluto will peak in April and May, and by summer all but the most recalcitrant hawks will have to concede that the tide of public sentiment has swung almost completely against. It will be some time before the problem between jihadist factions and the developed world calms down and bad things will still be planned, but U.S. involvement in Iraq will be moving toward an end. While all of this is going on, we have another long-range positive energy rolling in. Later in the month Jupiter moves toward a sextile with Uranus. Due to station points and retrogrades, this energy remains with us through much of the year. Coming into focus as the month ends, it will be at peak March through June, separate out through the summer, but come back to peak again in October and especially November. This positive combination of energies favors altruism, spirituality, prosperity thinking, innovation, technology and change.

     As March opens up, Saturn continues to retrograde back to the trine with Pluto and further indications of the end of the U.S. involvement in Iraq will develop. The current administration’s house of cards will begin to wobble more and more noticeably as more of the deceptions and errors in judgment come to light. The level of profiteering and cynical misuse of government that the plutocrats and corporatists having been enjoying should also become more apparent to the general public. This will strengthen the hand of liberality and positive change. Can the liberals clean up and discipline themselves enough to ride the social sea change that all of these energies indicate? We will see. This particular energy remains with us through the spring and early summer. Use it to make permanent the positive changes going on in your personal life as well. See clearly, with courage and forgiveness, and replace your less desirable habits with better ones. Through the first half of the month, we will have the last of the Mars opposed Pluto that we last had at the beginning of the year. This is when last gasp efforts at maintaining control will be attempted. This is when the darkest of conspiracy theory fears are most likely to be tried and when attacks of various kinds and authorship may occur. They will fail if they do come to light. The Jupiter sextile Uranus mentioned last month becomes more active as the month goes on, greatly increasing the wave of change in U.S. society and in the world at large. This is the time of innovation and positive change of all kinds. Conservatives of all varieties will not be pleased with much of what seems to take shape and will do what they can to impede, but these energies are too strong and the shifts will occur. Toward the end of the month, Jupiter and Uranus will move into orb of Neptune bringing that energy into the mix in a positive way. This puts Neptune in the middle of the Jupiter-Uranus sextile, and in semi-sextile with both of them, bringing religion and spirituality into the mix. Words fail me as I think to communicate just how powerfully positive this combination of energy is. It runs all the way through this year and recurs in a slightly different configuration next year. This is our time.

     Through the month of April, the last phase of the Saturn trine Pluto will be at its peak. The U.S. involvement in Iraq will be showing clear signs of ending and U.S. public sentiment will be very strongly opposed to its continuation. Fallout from this will be years in the working out, but the mistakes and abuses will be clear for all to see. All of this adds to the disgrace of the current administration which will by this time have the wagons circled and be waiting for its end. The Jupiter sextile Uranus mentioned the past two months remains strong and the winds of change will be blowing strong. Great gains will be made in rehabilitating liberality and the pendulum swing back from conservative dominance will be evident everywhere. What remains to be seen is what the left does with its new power. Can it clean up its act and discipline itself? It will be vitally important that we remain vigilant and involved. Tremendous gains can now be made in the areas of innovation, expansion of the common good, responsible technology and personal freedom. As the month progresses, Neptune becomes increasingly involved, adding the religious and spiritual element. Old systems and beliefs continue their descent after these past few years of blowback. The old gives way to the new no matter how hard it tries to hang on to its power. It is the nature of paradigm shift and age change.

     During May, the Saturn trine Pluto remains very strong, continuing to signal the death knell of the current administration and its misguided policies. All but the most recalcitrant of conservatives will have to acknowledge that it’s over and the new is taking shape. As new power structures form, it will be very important to remain involved and aware of what will now be done in our name. This is no time for complacency. We cannot assume that because the worst is over the best will come to power. The left now has to be more self aware, disciplined and concerned for the highest good for all than ever. It is much easier to be out of power and carping on the side than in power and responsible for what does happen. The positive configuration of Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus that came into focus recently is very strong through the month and will give rise to great change and confidence in the future, but it needs to be guided by consciousness and good will. Continue to participate in the process of change and any and all global meditation and prayer for efforts for world peace and the betterment of humanity and the world.

     Through the month of June, the Saturn trine Pluto that we have been enjoying remains, but is slowly fading. The positive Jupiter-Uranus-Neptune energy mentioned last month remains strong, however, and the political and social landscape will continue to rapidly change with fascinating and surprising results. The winds of change will be blowing very strong and this is great, but we should not think that regressive forces will just roll over and play dead. The forces of conservatism will always resist the forces of change, each behaving according to their nature. Enjoy the return of the ascendancy of liberality, but keep a wary eye on those who would impede. Now is a time for celebration, but with a sober knowledge that the culture war will never really be won. The pendulum will continue to swing back and forth for many decades to come, even if the prevailing wind is toward liberality and enlightenment. It will probably always be two steps forward and one step back. During this move forward, let’s make the most of it. It remains vitally important that we stay involved. Put the light of your consciousness to work in the various global meditation and prayer for peace and world healing events that you know about and are attracted to. The more light we generate, the less dark can remain.

     As July begins, we still have the Saturn trine Pluto within orb of influence, but by the end of the month it will have faded almost all the way out. Just a moment of thanks for this hugely beneficial aspect that does signal the end of these dark past few years. It is instructive to look back at the last time we had this aspect. As noted before, the parallels between the Viet Nam war and our current debacle with the Saturn-Pluto cycle are remarkable. During the previous Saturn opposed Pluto in the mid ’60s, U.S. involvement in the Viet Nam war was ramping up. The next Saturn opposed Pluto was when the airplanes hit the buildings on September 11, 2001. Saturn opposed Pluto gives way to Saturn quincunx Pluto which was when the U.S. involvement in Viet Nam peaked and when the war on terror was diverted onto Iraq. During the previous Saturn trine Pluto is when public sentiment turned irrevocably against the Viet Nam war and here we are again with this go around. Those who don’t remember the past are indeed doomed to repeat it. There will be two more years of shake out from all of this. The next aspect is the Saturn square Pluto. When we last had it, the pictures of helicopters lifting the last personnel abandoning the embassy in Saigon were taken. In 2010, we will be leaving Iraq, hopefully not as shamefully. The very positive Jupiter-Uranus-Neptune configuration remains in effect as the month opens and every possible good use should be made of it. Jupiter will retrograde out of the aspect through the month and that will temporarily remove some of the positivity, but the Uranus semi-sextile Neptune will remain very strong and this is excellent energy for beneficial changes in the areas of religion, philosophy and the uses of science and technology. The winds of positive change will continue to blow.

     As August opens up, the Uranus semi-sextile Neptune remains. This positive energy is here to stay for some time to come. It will be very strong all the way through 2011 and into 2012. It will not fade all the way out until late in 2014. The positive changes in society and in the world at large are impossible to imagine at the time of this writing. The other outer planets will shift into various configurations with this aspect throughout the period, but this energy will remain constant. This is not to say that regressive forces will disappear. They will in fact be driven by desperation to ever more deplorable acts and attitudes, but every move to counter the positive shift will have the opposite effect as the zeitgeist rejects the efforts. Every attempt to weaken the motion toward liberality and enlightenment will actually feed and strengthen it. As the month wears on, Jupiter, retrograding away from its involvement with Uranus and Neptune, moves into a trine with Saturn. By the end of the month, this very positive aspect will be very strong and there will be great energy for reconciliation between conservatism and positive change. This is energy conducive to recognizing reality as it is and making the right choices for improving it. This aspect stays with us through the rest of the year, and by October and November, it catches up to the Uranus-Neptune aspect to become one big positive configuration involving all four of these outer planets. By this time, the world will already be a different place than at this writing in early fall of ’07.

     All through the month of September we have the Uranus semi-sextile Neptune and the Jupiter trine Saturn very tight and strong. We are in a period of potential for tremendous positive change, both in U.S. society and the world at large. It will be a mistake, however, to expect these changes to happen from the top down. Powers that be have a stake in keeping the status quo, and it is up to individuals at all levels and grassroots movements in a broader sense to make the most of it. You will see the rehabilitation of liberalism and the rise of progressive thought and policy. It will also be a mistake to think that the corporatist plutocracy will give up and go away. They will retain a great deal of power but the tide is turning and there is little they can do to prevent the changes in the long run. In the short term, much mischief is likely to be attempted. Watch for fear mongering and attempts to shore up the conservative base with all manner of dire predictions if the liberals do come to power. Remember that the 2004 elections were won at the last minute on the phony issue of gay marriage. Courage of convictions is needed at all levels on the liberal side of things. Discipline and cohesion are needed as well. It will remain very important to participate in whatever global efforts of meditation and prayer that you are aware of and attracted to. Your participation is needed at all levels of the effort.

     October will continue the energy from September. The Uranus semi-sextile Neptune and the Jupiter trine Saturn remain tight, and strong and positive change will be unmistakable. As the month progresses, Jupiter and Saturn, now moving together in direct motion, will move into a new alignment with Uranus and Neptune. Jupiter will move back into the positive position to Uranus and Neptune that we enjoyed in April through June. This time, however, Saturn joins the party, remaining in trine to Jupiter, while opposing Uranus and moving into quincunx to Neptune. This is a powerhouse of outer planet energy and this will be an electrified election season in U.S. politics with broad implications for the world at large. By this time the regime will be completely discredited, but not out of power. This is perhaps the time of greatest opportunity and yet peril for the U.S. and the world. I believe that light will win out and a whole new phase of American social and political life will begin, but it still remains vital that we all participate at every level. Meditate, pray, generate light however you will and certainly prepare to vote responsibly. This is a key moment in history and you are a part of it.

     This will be a November that will be remembered for a long time. The energy surrounding this U.S. election is immense and almost too complicated to describe. The complex involving Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune described last month remains very strong through this month and well into next. The wave of change is here and by now everyone should be seeing it. At the time of the election, we have Venus and Mars in the complex as well. Many of the aspects would seem to counteract each other, but my take on the whole of it is that it supports the change-over from the conservative cultural assumption that we’ve lived under since the ’80s to a new liberal cultural assumption. Know that after some years in the Sun, the assumption will swing back to conservatism, as that is the cyclical nature of things, and the pendulum will always swing first one way and then the other. But now is the time when the prevailing direction reasserts itself and more gains in liberality and enlightenment occur. Let us make the most of this period that is now dawning and make ever more positive changes as permanent as possible. The last period comparable to this one started in the mid ’60s and ran into the ’80s. This one may be shorter, but it gets off with a bang. Be the change. Late in the month, Pluto, which is in a quiet phase for most of the year, moves into Capricorn for the second time and now will remain there through the early ’20s. This will be a period of great change that needs to be guided in enlightened ways. There will be changes in the fundamental ways that things are seen and dealt with. We will need to remain vigilant and involved throughout and things that get set in stone during these years will have lasting effects. Who should be more influential, the light bearers or the plutocracy? Who will be? Generate light in any and every way you can.

     As December rolls in, the complex involving Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune is still in place and powerful. Liberality will probably still be partying, and with Venus conjunct Jupiter, a fine party it will be. But the work is just starting. The first thing to attend to is watching what the outgoing administration is up to. Keep an eye on parting shots and plans to impede positive changes. Last ditch efforts by regressive forces, domestic and foreign, are likely. Also high on the agenda is the necessity for liberality to clean up its own house. Politically, although liberals are now emboldened to be actually liberal, there is much in the way of corporatist influence that will need to be dealt with. The Democrats being in power does not fix our problems. What they do in our name is what can, but not necessarily what will. It now falls on us to see that the right things are done. We will find it was a lot easier to sit outside the ring of power and criticize. Now we must responsibly wield it. As the month progresses, Jupiter, which has been the largest contributor to the positivity, will move on out of orb of the complex leaving the results to be dealt with. The good news is that it moves on to conjunct Pluto once again as it did last year at this time which kicked off the remarkable year we are now wrapping up. This energy is very positive for change in significant ways on both individual and societal levels and will intensify late this month, peak next month, and slowly fade out in February. Enjoy it, but get to work.

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