Good Evening and Welcome to Moon Siren Astrology!

I thought I would do things a little differently tonight and devote my astrological musings entirely to the upcoming new year. We had a little bit of a jump start in December with the flavor of the cosmic events headed our way. By May 2010, we’ll be standing in the doorway of our journey through the end of 2013. Astrologers are already calling this the grand Cardinal Cross years.

A grand cross occurs when a planet moves into a sign and squares or opposes in hard aspect another three planets as they wheel around the horizon. As one of these planets is impacted by a transit, then the rest fall like dominos to create simultaneous challenges.

While the planets slowly move into position, the first powerful impact of the grand cross will occur August 7. It will be relentlessly stressful. Jupiter/Uranus are conjunct in Aries, Pluto is stomping through Capricorn, the Moon is flitting through Cancer and Venus joins Mars and Saturn in early Libra to connect with the other planets on this day. If that weren’t enough, we have the Sun at 15° Leo throwing tinder on the fire and making sure we don’t forget the upcoming summer.

As if we could... And the June 26th lunar eclipse at 4° Capricorn is conjunct Pluto and kicks off a summer of discontent and possible violence. This is a very important event and will have global impact involving 6 planets in tight aspect and mixing it up with the natal charts of several different countries.

So! As we start to move through January, we have a very powerful Mars retrograde in Leo, Mercury retrograde in Capricorn - and I think we will see some secrets revealed here - and of course the lunar eclipse from last Thursday, sending out its disharmony through 2013. People who don’t understand eclipses - and that includes many astrologers - think they are only a threat for a couple months. Unfortunately, not so. The Aug 1999 fixed grand square eclipse still shoots out little disruptive zingers 10 years later...quite often affecting the US chart and thus all of us.

Let’s take a look at what the year has in store for the inspirational, self-motivating and future-minded fire signs. These direct and honest individuals are the most enthusiastic of signs. They are optimistic and know they can create their own luck. Give them room; they need it to express their fire magick.

And of course, Aries always has to be first... Partly because they are the starting point for the zodiac. The January eclipses will offer specific clues on how the year will proceed for you. There are some pretty clear signals to go full steam ahead, but also some ‘red alert signs’ indicating your need to be very careful with whom you lock horns. It’s not going to be a restful year; in fact in many ways it will be challenging. I would like to mention that your birthday month will be a lucky one for you, offering exceptional play time. But no later than the solar eclipse in July, you’ll need to sort out your plans and then you’ll need to settle in and get to work. Saturn represents the status quo and in Libra and opposite Aries will be saying, ‘take your opponents seriously’. You may have to play dumb and put it out there that you are conforming, even if you are just biding your time.

By August and September, you will either put together an important business alliance or start a romance. Other people will be demanding more of your time and you'll need to assess whether or not you wish to let them set your agenda. November and December will be good travel months. Keep in mind that the things you start now will be with you for the rest of your life.

Leo likes to think of himself as king of the jungle. And while he may be a formidable opponent, with Mars in charge here, he can be downright terrifying. Best to start the year off by patching up relations with those you have offended recently. Your ability to impress people is very high for the next couple months, so take advantage of it. Leos are not going to have the challenges of some of the other signs this year, but you are going to have some challenging planetary patterns.

Take money, for instance. You’ve had Saturn in charge of that dept. for the last couple years and here expansive Jupiter comes along and opens up the purse of shared resources. Don’t spend it all, because Saturn will be back in April to check your credit card balances, so be sensible. There’s a great summer ahead for you and you’ll need some money to enjoy it. Set some aside and try to avoid using your credit cards. And in September, through the rest of the fall, you’ll need money for your home. Travel, not so much, but Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus will be bringing new ideas and experiences home to you. This year is a work in progress.

Sagg Travel hasn’t been so rewarding over the last couple years. So if you think you can deal with the airlines and homeland security, the planets will ease the way for you to be doing a lot more of it. This isn’t just for the fun times but to broaden your spiritual horizons and answer the demands of your horoscope. With Jupiter moving into Aries for a couple months, he’ll be smiling on you and offering a better outlook in your private life... Your family will become more a support than a liability; you may even want to renovate the house.

See what’s going on around the Vernal Equinox for hints of what will be coming up the rest of the year. Be on the look out for trends in travel and creativity, along with constant changes. Before you blow off something as boring, assess it carefully with due consideration, it may play a part in your life.

Saturn will be keeping a heavy hand on things for those of you born between the 15th - 21st so you need to mind your p’s and q’s, meeting responsibilities at work, where you are being watched. By the end of the summer, professional success will be easier to obtain than it has been. You need a team, a group, to shore up your accomplishments and raise your career profile. Mar or June and even November can produce a fiery love affair, but be cautious as November can see the end of one.

Those independent, intelligent air signs are good communicators unless they are so bound up with what’s in their heads that they cannot see the reality all around them. Many of them have traded conceptualization for emotions and are much more dispassionate than other signs. They understand the relationship between things and exercise for them is an active exchange of ideas.

What’s in store for Gemini? Now here’s a very restless mind, quick to pick things up and quick to extract what they need to know and move on. This year you’ll need to focus and turn what you have learned into a material reality. Settle into one viewpoint and leave the contradictions behind.

By summer you are going to need to act from your heart and not your head - you’ll be launched on a voyage of self-discovery. Fortune will be smiling upon you and you can grab headlines as well as support to aid you in your favorite pastime. A passionate avocation can develop into a career.

July and August will bring a rocky boat, you need to be aware that you can even lose all if you don’t conform to others’ expectations. Once you’ve negotiated those waters, life becomes more fun for the rest of the year. Watch out for the Mercury Retrogrades, and by the Vernal Equinox, Venus may bring you a new or reactivated relationship. It’ll be heavy duty.

Libra: So which one are you? The gorgeous natural born charmer with the hidden agenda or the shrewd tactician who is indecisive? You’ve got Saturn dominating your chart for most of the year and Saturn will be looking for hard work, responsibility and maturity. He will help you turn your bright ideas into reality, but demand more effort than you ordinarily bring to a project. Naturally he will help you attain a life-defining achievement.. Plan your new year with that in mind; Saturn is actually in Libra until 2012 and so you can set yourself a huge task, like starting a company or restoring the family mansion.

Don’t forget you’ve got Pluto influencing those of you born through the end of Sept. And aggravating Saturn while he’s at it, rubbing his hands in glee. Pluto demands changes with no negotiation. Also those of you born in 1981 will be experiencing your Saturn return; this is a completion of Saturn’s first orbit in your natal chart and indicates changes. This is a time of endings and beginnings - when you leave your childhood issues behind and begin to adopt more adult interests.

It is one of the most important times of your life and those of you experiencing it will be examining your career path, deciding if relationships require commitment or closure. August is probably the pivotal time here. Overall the summer is incendiary, so keep a close watch on yourself, be graceful and moderate. Howsoever, Jan and Feb could deliver the love of your life and the first 5 months of the year are ideal for networking, mixing business with pleasure or changing the crowd you run with. You may take someone shopping with you to help choose the color of the new shoes, but remember that ultimately the choice to buy them is yours alone. Rely on yourself.

Aquarius: You came through 2009 with the knowledge that you have practical skills, creativity and a sound instinct for the tenor of the times. The same planets that led the way on this are still in place in January and you can tie up loose ends or lick your wounds before moving on. Take my advice and don’t initiate anything until the first of February. By Valentine’s day you’ll have Venus on your side and indeed a new Moon. Be aware though that relationships can still be a battlefield until May... Shouting matches mostly, but open enemies can be intractable.

The planets are calling for prudence with money, particularly in April and May and the watchword is ‘accumulate’ through most of the year. July will bring some new ideas or friendships; maybe even a zany love affair that will shock you out of your rut.

The power of ideas will continue to motivate you for the next 3 years with Saturn moving through Libra. This could support writing your Ph.D. thesis, developing a fabulous lecture series or joining a humanitarian, societal group that works to put the world to rights. You march to a different drummer than the rest of us, so ignore those who want you to swim in their currents.

From August on, you’ve got a dazzling period for your career and believe it or not, where and whom you are seen with almost matters more than anything else. Always dress accordingly. Good fortune is following. You don’t find many drama queens among the earth people; except for Taurus who’s the guy at the party with the lampshade on his head, they are quiet, resolute, practical and pragmatic. They have endurance, stamina and great self-discipline. They are the people you call when you know that no one else can do the job.

Taurus the bull is powerful and persistent, very prone to plow the same old rut. Change is not a concept he likes and so 2009 was a year of resistance to it as Neptune and Jupiter were pushing and shoving him to excel and move right along in his career. Chances are good that there will be more of that this year and Taurus, you will be asked to take action that will keep you in your comfort zone, while promoting you professionally. Cutting-edge ideas and people should be the top of your list for networking. Alliances will be crucial to accomplish your goals. Frankly, be looking for a digital or Internet application to ease your workload.

Mercury turns retro in April on the 18th and stays that way until the 11th of May. You need to meet your first deadline of the year by the 18th, so step right up to the rigors of your job. The worst of the year’s challenging planetary patterns will side-step you, so you all can get along with your work.

Keep your eye on fair Venus; she will light up your social and creative life. Look for her influence in April and June and then again for the whole fall. She’s settling in at that time in Scorpio which is your partner sign. September and October will favor a solid business partnership if you choose to forge one and be careful with other choices as Venus will be sprinkling magick dust on the sex and love affair issue. Whatever you do, avoid conflict as this could turn bitter and protracted, developing a life-long enemy.

Use January to work on your resume. Neptune will continue to buff up your image - no deceptions though. Changes will be exciting enough.

Virgos will have to maintain a sense of balance over the first months of the year, veering between ‘over the top’ euphoria or ‘down in the dumps’ inertia. Those born after the 17th still have Saturn to contend with until July; then he will finally be moving on. Make certain you have set your house in order; abandon whatever and whoever is outworn in your life; take responsibility. For most of you, you can move forward by applying relentless diligence.

The first half of the year signals a good time for a long holiday to recharge your spiritual batteries... a body, mind and spirit tune-up. With Jupiter moving into Pisces, the sign of your balance, you will find mentors, teachers and even power brokers appearing in your life. These will be one-on-one relationships, but with Uranus still dragging through Pisces, you’ll be tempted by sudden crushes, oddball people and even taboo liaisons. You’ll find that this will peak in Sept. Also your planet Mercury will retrograde in late Aug through Sept and this one will be very personal. You may want to postpone certain events or stage them in July when Venus and Mars soothe things for you.

Mercury retro in January is the time to finish off all the things undone from 2009. But by March, you can marry, start a hot affair or do some serious networking. This is going to be a bumper year, if you play to your strengths and while it’s not going to run smoothly, it will be much easier going than past years.

Capricorns are not going to be very far from all the planetary action. Abrupt change and uncharted events will be alarming and threaten your need to feel in control. You are just going to have to be more adaptable because there are two powerful eclipses - one in Jan and one in July - playing across the Capricorn/Cancer axis. The lessons here are letting go and facing your fears and we know that Capricorn is home to unnamed fears which will also need to be addressed.

Saturn is Capricorn’s ruling planet and most of you have learned to live with and rise above the terror induced transits of this planet. However he has teamed up with Pluto and for the next couple years you will need to assess your career arc, at the very least, and make decisions about where you want to be in 3 years. Misery loves company and those two will be harassing other Cardinal signs as well.

Venus is accompanying the solar eclipse on the 15th - she’s the planet of partnership and happy connections and will want you to have a merry and bright birthday party. Mercury will also be turning direct on the 15th which is the new Moon and is the true spring board for your year.

Summer may bring a possible shakeup in your domestic arrangements or a clue to where you’ll be in 2011. On the domestic side, you may be simply moving or letting go of a rocky relationship or partnership that is going nowhere and draining your creative productivity whilst at it. Career-wise, you need to raise your Internet profile or even just upgrade your software to bring yourself into line for the career changes ahead. Many of you will find yourself teaching in what can be an expansionist year.

As for money, a key concern for Caps, nothing will get freed up until Mars resumes forward motion in March and even then may drift along through the shadow period. You are restless and on a journey of self-discovery, leaving secure arrangements, seeking change in your lifestyle and working to becoming a new you.

Water signs are very sensitive, imaginative and their minds are deeply emotional and rich. They can tap into subconscious forces and have a high need for privacy and affection. They are self-protective, nurturing and compassionate. It’s the year of the water signs and all three will have to paddle like crazy to keep their heads above the water line.

The first of the water signs is Cardinal Cancer and as the zodiacal balance for Capricorn is deeply involved with the two eclipses in January and July. Keep a low profile in January and then Jupiter will come along and boost your expectations until your birthday. This is the time to seek opportunities to travel, teach and even take classes yourself. No point in playing it safe as Jupiter will ally with Uranus, so that publishing and Internet pursuits are right up your alley. Think local history and community involvement. The idea is to leave your comfort zone, always difficult with Cancer.

Birthdays around July 11th include a New moon and solar eclipse. Those are the Cancers who are offered the opportunity to face a new life script. You need to resolve your plan for the work of your heart and start to get things in motion. Things begun in the second half of the year will pay off in the future. The fall brings a lightened load with friendships, romances and a genuine burst of creativity. Your family and the public will applaud.

People get Scorpios so wrong! Yes, there are some of you who seem power-crazed, ruthless and cold, but truthfully most of you are very passionate about everything that catches your attention and behind that basilisk stare even tender. For once the planets are aligned in your favor. Unless you were born in 1981 and facing a Saturn return this year, all the planetary hot zones are going to pass you by.

Instead, in the spring Jupiter and Uranus offer just the right boost to your private passions and hobbies, not to mention the matters of your heart. You’ll have to mark time during the Mercury retrogrades, but otherwise you can rejoin the hockey team or reform a pickup basketball night. Your ruling planet Mars is retrograde the first quarter of the year, so redo some of the damage around your career zone and by the time it stations direct you’ll be ready to relaunch for world domination.

Once again you are looking for working partnerships and networking - finding allies to aid your career is one of the themes for 2010. You’ve got other themes going as well. This is the year to confront inner demons, seeking counseling if necessary - August is a good month, but a yoga retreat is a place to start.

Fall will be somewhat frantic; use your antenna to sniff the air for financial signals - use all your canny expertise in business. Venus is on the move and you may find yourself in the midst of a wardrobe makeover. Otherwise roll out the charm, you know how to use it as a weapon and try not to scare people away with your stare.

Pisces is mutable water and the polar opposite of Virgo. Plagued by Saturn for the last couple years, 2010 will be ushering a smoother ride with Saturn, now annoying Libra and Aries for the next 2 ½ years. Except for April through July when Saturn slips back into Virgo to do a mop up... On the other hand, Jupiter which is Pisces ruling planet enters the old home place and super charges the expansion in your luck. It’s your personal "get outa jail free" card. Here is the source of your spirit of optimism and belief in yourself. You could be traveling or meeting the dream guy who helps to further your career. What happened in 1986 and 1998? There you will find the hint of things to come.

Jupiter is on the move however and quickly swirls into Aries for most of the summer. He’ll be back again in Sept, so this could be a pivotal month for you, bringing unforeseen work offers or even a surprise love affair. You’ve still got Uranus themes going strong, bringing with them the chance to overhaul your image, reinvent your business life or even walk away from a dull spouse... No promises of longevity with this one though.

You’ve got high ideals and creativity making you the brightest one in the think tank. Starting with the New Moon on March 15th, you will walk a dazzling path 'til summer when things flatten a bit, but they pick up again in the fall. By mid Sept you'll have the opportunity for romance - even a long distance love affair. Jupiter is back in Pisces and will carry you on clouds right through the end of the year. The world around you is changing dramatically; explore everything, people and places will enrich your life. 2010 will be very liberating.

Thanks everyone for listening. I wish you a Happy New Year.

This material is copywritten by Kathleen Spitzer DBA as the Moon Siren Astrologer.

To reach the Moonsiren Astrologer, send email to moonsiren@paganfm.com