Wow, welcome to a new year! This article is a long one, but of course feel free to skip around to the topics that interest you. I am not going over every transit, but have written instead about the dominant cycles of the year ahead. Even so, at the very bottom of the article you will find a list of monthly ingressions and aspect dates if you would like to track some of the configurations I haven't outlined in detail.
We'll be talking in depth about:
Saturn in Pisces
Pluto in Capricorn and Aquarius
Venus conjunct Mars
Jupiter conjunct Uranus ***
Jupiter in Gemini
Venus cazimi (becoming an evening star)
Mars retrograde
Eclipse szn
Saturn in Pisces
On March 7th 2023, Saturn ingressed Pisces and is staying through 2026 (with one tiny ingress and retrogression through Aries before finishing its journey). Saturn is our planet of responsibility, time, hardship, restriction, and maturation in the sign of impermanence, unboundedness, artistic channel, euphoria and sorrow, delusion, sobriety and intoxication, sacrifice, illness, chaos, deception, grief, spirituality, (etc). Saturn is here from 2023 to 2026 to bring some order and tough love to a place in our charts that is ordinarily messy and without boundary– many have experienced this transit so far as "being in the dark" or having to trust what you cannot see as Pisces is formless and mystical in nature. Life in 2023 hasn't been as concrete as we would have liked it to be! There's both a certain hardship and beauty to this.
How is our experience in 2023 relevant to 2024? I like to think of Saturn's transit through a sign as a book. We're dealing with the "book" of Saturn in Pisces from 2023-2026, but there are large parts within the book presenting us with different circumstances, issues, or life events. These parts simultaneously begin and end at the Saturn "cazimi" or conjunctions to the Sun. Within the parts are chapters of time marked by the retrograde stages that examine the circumstances and life events presented in more detail.
In 2024, we find ourselves in the post retrograde period as Saturn retraces its steps from the start of the year until February 14th when Saturn finally surpasses 7º Pisces. We are solidifying all that has come up since March 7th 2023 and seeing final conclusions to Part I of this transit. On February 28th 2024 the Sun will conjoin Saturn in Pisces and begin a new cycle and with it, Part II of this transit. The archetypes will be similar, but the circumstances are likely to change pulling us deeper into the transit. It's much like studying the same subject but advancing to new concepts once you have the basics down.
In 2023, Saturn never left the first decan of Pisces which is ruled by Saturn itself! This decan correlates with the 8 of Cups in Tarot and is symbolic of leaving the familiar behind to discover the unknown. In 2024, Saturn stations retrograde at 19º Pisces and stations direct again at 12º all contained within the second decan of Pisces ruled by Jupiter and correlating with the 9 of Cups in Tarot. This is a very different vibe!
The 9 of Cups is where we meet the genie, the one who can make our wishes come true. It isn't a card of expectation, but is instead anticipating and "seeing what happens", communing with the wonders of spirit. What stands out to me– we had a Jupiter in Pisces transit from May 13th to July 28th 2021, again from December 28th 2021 - May 10th 2022, and one final time from October 28th - December 20th 2022. With Saturn now traversing Jupiter's decan of Pisces, I imagine that the expansiveness we felt during Jupiter's transit in 2021-2022 is now met with a seriousness and a maturity we didn't have then.
I doubt it will be exactly the same, but wherever desires were explored with greedy hands are now met with more consideration. It reminds me of the motif in the movie Aladdin, Jupiter in Pisces being the moment where he poses as Prince Ali and Saturn in Pisces being the moment his true identity is discovered and shit gets kinda real. It still ends well for all, though I do think some sobriety is required first.
Either way, this is an optimal time for reflection on what has been (and is in process of being) delivered from the first chapter of this transit as well as mental preparation for the next!
Venus-Mars-Pluto conjunction
On February 22nd, Venus and Mars meet at 6º Aquarius with Pluto not far behind them in the same sign. Venus and Mars cycles as a whole are not very consistent, except for the appearance of triple conjunctions indicating a more significant beginning, but one that develops and builds upon each "hit". After this happens, the cycle continues with just one opposition (the climax of the cycle) and alternates with another single conjunction (a new cycle), rinse and repeat until the next triplicate.
We had our last triple Venus-Mars conjunctions (since 2015) on July 13th 2021 in Leo, February 16th 2022 in Capricorn, and March 6th 2022 in Aquarius. Each "hit" is responsible for both an ending and a beginning. For example, perhaps near one of these conjunctions there is a separation of partners, but a joining of hands elsewhere. Leaving one home behind to move into another. Starting one job, but being released from responsibility elsewhere, etc.
Whatever theme or archetype is invoked during these triple conjunctions is especially important for the following conjunctions and oppositions that build upon that foundation until a the next cycle begins. In the chart above, you can see the next triplicate and the beginning of the next cycle isn't until 2027-2028. The most recent contact that Venus and Mars made was the opposition on December 1st 2022 between Venus in Sagittarius and Mars retrograde in Gemini. Oppositions are like Full Moons, this would have been some sort of climax or turning point related to the conjunctions in July 2021 and February/March of 2022. Can you spot any clear threads holding these two time periods together?
Following the examples provided earlier, perhaps the previous conjunction brought a beginning of a job, but the opposition brought a promotion symbolizing a climax of the cycle in progress. It is helpful to remember that the exact day is not always as important as it is to follow the bell curve of energy in the months surrounding the conjunctions and oppositions. Personally, even though the exact opposition took place on December 1st 2022, I had my own "turning point" about a month later and yet, it was still deeply related to the sign themes of the Sagittarius-Gemini axis and those houses in my chart.
Venus and Mars are known for being in love! Conjunctions and oppositions often bring us into entirely new communities, uniting us with new friends, co-workers, lovers, and even enemies. Venus brings an affectionate and artistic nature while Mars provides an activity or motivation that unites or destroys. Venus-Mars conjunctions invoke both the destruction of older relationships and thrust us into new ones within the following months of their meeting. In fact at every conjunction and opposition I meet a new person, even several new people, that deeply contribute to what the conjunction wanted to accomplish and even fit the archetype of the sign the conjunction was in. An example: In the months following a Venus-Mars conjunction in Leo of 2021, I began working as a nanny for a child– Leo is the archetype of the child and it hit my 10th house of career. What's more, he had a Leo Moon triggering this house in my chart as well, personifying this archetype– absolutely fascinating.
In February 2024 we have our next conjunction in Aquarius which again, symbolizes a simultaneous beginning and ending within the house and sign themes but in a way that builds upon the foundation the triple conjunctions built and with the extra push from the themes of the opposition back in December of 2022. New people may come in, older relationships may leave or even see a renewal, the next ventures are formulated. It's very likely that this particular conjunction will closely resemble the one in March of 2022 as it is happening in the same sign and same decan of Aquarius. We can't expect the exact same thing to happen, it's likely that the circumstances are different and the same outcome wouldn't even be possible. Instead, look for the thread of connection, the archetypal resonance between the two. The conjunctions and oppositions following the triplicity build upon the foundation it has set for the cycle.
Random, but: The conjunction in 2022 took place in my 4th house of the home and I had a female roommate (signifier of Venus) move out and another male roommate (signifier of Mars) move in to replace her– very on par with the conjunction's symbolism as Mars and Venus literally switched places during the conjunction! Venus who was moving faster than Mars promptly made her way out of my 4th house and mimicked this in real life. Astrology can be very literal in this way.
This one will be ruled by Saturn in Pisces who is completing its post retrograde shadow right after and is also preparing for a rebirth in the heart of the Sun. This beginning will be quite connected to our Saturn stories meaning, "tough love" is possible, more responsibility, or the initiation of a long, arduous journey is tethered to our relationships and resources (Venus), as well as our motives and actions (Mars). The challenging thing about this? Mars and Venus can't see Saturn, but they still answer to him. For this reason, the long term consequences and benefits may not be immediately obvious, but we are assured that these two concurrent stories are working together.
Pluto in Aquarius will be involved with the conjunction this year which did happen in 2022 as well, but Pluto was still in Capricorn. The cycle beginning this year will show us more of our Pluto in Aquarius stories; we don't have a lot of information about what we could be learning or experiencing yet (personally) and I'd say this is a good transit to look at as a small indicator of the larger 20 year experience. The next opposition is actually in 2024 as well about 10 months later on December 12th between Venus in Aquarius and Mars retrograde in Leo. Whatever unfolds in the months following the conjunction in February will culminate and give us a bit of a plot twist in December to close out the year. You can see why the Venus-Mars cycles have really caught my eye! Together they will shape a large part of 2024's astrological narrative.
Let me know if you have any interesting Venus-Mars stories to share!
Pluto in Aquarius and Capricorn
Pluto ingresses Aquarius on January 20th 2024 and stays through September 1st 2024.
Pluto will retrograde and transit Capricorn one final time (in our lifetimes) since its ingress in 2008 from September 1st- November 19th 2024.
On November 19th, Pluto will settle into Aquarius for the next 20 years.
We got a teensy little taste of this transit in 2023 from March 23rd- June 11th 2023, you may want to look back to that time period, it may clue you into some of the evolution that you are personally going through over these next two decades. Pluto is a societal planet, but we are each personally touched and influenced by the societal changes we are going through, the house that Aquarius rules in your chart will tell you specifically how. Though, there is a long road ahead of us, it isn't an overnight rebirth, transits like this take time to unfold.
The United States has its natal Pluto in Capricorn in the 2nd house of finances which this means the country is currently undergoing its Pluto return– a literal return of societal lessons surrounding the economy and our financial system. Since Pluto is an outer planet, we won't clear the 15º orb of the Pluto return until 2033, so again, this economic change will take time. The main difference between Pluto in Capricorn and Pluto in Aquarius? Pluto in Capricorn was about the rapid evolution of the material world– ownership, houses, cars, business, being an authority in your field. This is where society's attention has been focused. The 2008 housing market crash and the 2020 Pandemic have shown us both the beginning of this societal shift and how it culminated near the end of it.
Pluto in Aquarius will instead be about the technological world. We can expect rapid technological advances, exploration of the extraterrestrial universe, more collective understanding about the individual path will be illuminated, we will no longer depend upon the government (we may not be able to), or the collective society as much as we have to rely on our own resources and skills. We will simultaneously deal with the insane advancement of society and the severe destruction that this will bring. We're on our way to reconnecting with the principles of Aquarius: Humanity, individualism, separating ourselves from enmeshment (the Capricorn-Cancer axis) and reconnecting to a healthy sense of self that can connect to others without taking from them. This will come with its own struggles too– Pluto brings out the best and the worst of society.
How you can prepare now? It's imperative that we are developing our own inner voice instead of leaning on the government, institutions, corporate jobs, religious institutions– other people's voices. These will eventually cease to exist as they once did or will no longer be safe or beneficial to follow. There is a reason why the younger generations are not interested or motivated by work– this is not what they are here to do! We are here to pave a new way. None of us know what this looks like yet, but we are in the process of creating it through the rebellion found in following individuality.
Eclipse Season 2024
Those who are familiar with my work know that I love to dissect the lunar cycles in their own articles, but it may be helpful to provide a bit of a preview ahead of time.
In the Spring we have the Lunar Eclipse at 5º Libra on March 25th and the Solar Eclipse on April 8th at the Sun's exaltation degree, 19º Aries. A time of "breaking free" from certain relationships and pursuing an independent, pioneering spirit. Breakdowns lead to break throughs over the next 6 months. A culmination from September-October 2023.
In the Fall we have the Lunar Eclipse at 25º Pisces and the Solar Eclipse at 10º Libra on October 2nd. Look back to Spring of 2016- Spring 2017 as this was the last time we had blended Pisces-Libra lunations, the closest in similarity was the lunation at 24º Pisces, September 2016. In 2024, this is a time of great revelation especially as a result of reenacting or mirroring the past in our relationships. Mental, physical, and emotional health may be cause for necessary pivots.
Here are the charts in order of occurrence:
Jupiter-Uranus conjunction
This is one of the most defining transits of 2024! It perfects on April 21st at 21º Taurus. A conjunction like this represents the beginning of a large cycle.
The nature of each of these planets indicate a global revolution just as well as a personal one. Jupiter is about culture, trends, politics and law, knowledge, virtue, power, discovery. Uranus is connected to society and humanity, freedom, radical inventions, genius revelation, permeating change, rebellion. When these two come together, the impact is massive, rippling out for decades. Jupiter-Uranus is incredibly prolific, a word meaning both "inventive" and "plentiful" notating how just one event, work, experience, or conversation provides us with something more.
Let's explore the last conjunction to take a closer look at how society and culture were effected:
The last conjunctions, also working in a triplicate fashion in the way Venus-Mars works to begin a new era, were June 8th 2010 (in Aries), September 19th 2010, and January 4th 2011 (both in Pisces). These conjunctions correlated with events like:
The Earthquake in Haiti
The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
The First iPad
The Killing of Osama bin Laden
Photographic evidence of liquid on Mars
The Juno spacecraft launch to Jupiter
Declaring the end of the Swine Flu Pandemic
The Occupy Wall Street Protests
The Public launch of Instagram
Siri, the digital personal assistant
An Israel and Hamas prisoner exchange
The release of the game Minecraft
The Space shuttle Atlantis retiring after 30 years
These are only a few events listed from those years alone, but large transits tend to work in a bell curve in the preceding and succeeding years. The nature of many of these events can be described as prolific. An easy example of this is the first iPad– we now have generations of iPads which have advanced to the "iPad Pro" extending from this launch. It has changed the way we complete tasks, create art, and take notes. By the time I was in high school, we even had school issued iPads making online work more accessible at home. The term "iPad kid" has even emerged in recent years notating the way kids are glued to a screen and lack social and behavioral skills, perpetuating chronic impatience– this has had a huge impact on our society and the future generations for better or for worse.
These transits can also create drastic events like the Earthquake in Haiti that claimed 300,000 lives leaving behind a massive humanitarian crisis, this is plentiful in impact and damage too– prolific and not in a good way. Uranus and Jupiter are each concerned with humanity and society, how the culture operates, the welfare of people, animals, the justice system– this can create beneficial change, but it has just as much power for devastation. The problem with Uranus is that it is deeply unpredictable and shocking while Jupiter is Mr. Worldwide, so even that which is originally good or beneficial, can quickly become a problem. This aspect is often responsible for things going "viral" the rapid spread of information, ideas, sickness, crisis– it circulates it all. Even so, this conjunction does typically present us with plenty of positive outcomes.
Since these conjunctions took place in Aries, the beginning of the Zodiac, and Pisces, the end of the Zodiac, we saw pronounced launches and expirations defining the new decade. Jupiter-Uranus conjunctions are also famous for bringing "break out" artists, new music, literary, scientific and general pioneering legends.
In 2009-2011 surrounding the conjunction, we saw the debut of musicians like: Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, B.O.B., Bruno Mars, Ke$ha, The Glee Cast (lol), James Blake, Frank Ocean, Lana Del Ray, Tyler, The Creator, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, One Direction, and Drake. You can see how ridiculously impactful each of them have been to the modern music scene. This especially brought about the newfound potential for internet discovery, like in the case of Justin Bieber. Uranus deals with both random opportunities and technological innovation while Jupiter, again, is responsible for expanding something worldwide. Some of these artists were proclaiming their role as "independent artists" accentuated by the need for freedom this conjunction brings.
Significant literary works published during the conjunction included titles like: The Help by Kathryn Stockett, The Big Short by Michael Lewis, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, The Emperor of all Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee, Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder, The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C. Mann, Blue Nights by Joan Didion, Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World by Michael Lewis, Liberty Defined by Ron Paul, A World On Fire: Britain's Crucial Role in the American Civil War by Amanda Foreman. Many of these works were about liberation as well as medical, personal, and historical discovery. It's impressive too, 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C. Mann covers the global effects of The Columbian Exchange when Columbus himself sailed during a Jupiter-Uranus opposition!
Film, of course, is not exempt from the prolific Jupiter-Uranus conjunction. During this time we saw films such as the live action Alice in Wonderland, full of oddities, centering the concern of freedom in a magical world. The final installment of the Harry Potter movies– no doubt "freeing" the cast from roles they had played since childhood, a quality of Jupiter-Uranus. Inception, a very Uranus/Promethean film, a thief of secrets and Jupiter representing the planter of ideas. Tangled, all about a desire for freedom from her tower! Leap Year, Eat Pray Love, Letters to Juliet, all speaking to Jupiter's life changing travels. Frozen who has since been renewed for a third and fourth movie and had every child singing "Let it Go" at the top of their lungs. The 7 Adventures of Sinbad about saving humanity from catastrophe. Despicable Me, a film about an outcast inventor with a plentiful amount of odd yellow minions... I mean c'mon! The transits must write the movies!
Other massive successes speaking to the Jupiter-Uranus theme include: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, The Switch, The Kids Are Alright, Salt, Easy A, Due Date, Burlesque, Love & Other Drugs, The Descendants, The Help, No Strings Attached, Rango, Limitless, Rio, Thor, Midnight in Paris, X Men: First Class, Road to Nowhere, The Trip, Green Lantern, Bad Teacher, Captain America: The First Avenger, Friends with Benefits, Crazy, Stupid, Love, The Change Up, Footloose, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and War Horse.
As you can see, these are Renaissance periods! Major political and cultural movements are invoked at Jupiter-Uranus connections, especially concerning that which is new, a "breakthrough" in art and science, freedom movements are centered. These are incredibly pivotal times both globally and personally.
Now let's explore 2024's transit:
This year, we have the conjunction in Taurus who often speaks to monetary comfort, dietary needs, ownership and value, resources we both depend on and relish in, power dynamics, hierarchical systems, traditional customs and expectations, the Earth, Gaia, the natural elements, and even natural talents, especially in speaking or singing. Taurus often has a role in giving a voice to the voiceless, opening doors that were previously locked, grounding new beginnings in tangible reality. Astrology can show up quite literally– like in the case of finding liquid (Pisces) on Mars (the planet that rules Aries) in the 2010-2011 conjunctions for example. It's possible that we could see a glaringly obvious Taurean archetype (cows on Jupiter, crossing my fingers).
It's likely that we are looking at a technological revolution here with Pluto in Aquarius at the time of the conjunction as no transit is singular, each depends upon the surrounding planetary movement. Taurus doesn't typically speak to innovation by itself, but with Jupiter and Uranus in this sign, this is about working smarter and not harder. Taurus wants things done well, with quality, but it typically prefers to conserve its energy. We may see plenty of new apps, home appliances come to mind– if the conjunctions in Aries and Pisces gave us the iPad, Siri, and Instagram? And Uranus in Taurus has already given us the Air fryer? I can't imagine the inventions we're in for! Especially as they relate to Venus– cosmetics, clothing, the food industry, money, etc.
We may see drastic changes to our financial system in the years to come as this transit is accompanied by the 2nd house U.S. Pluto return. I'm not sure exactly how this will manifest, but we can expect rapid advancement when it comes to production in particular, the way that things are made. Astrologer Dorje Kirsten pointed out (on Twitter– @dorjepadma) that the Cotton Gin was invented while Pluto was in Aquarius and when looking back, I noticed that this occurred in the years following the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in Leo. The simultaneous Pluto in Aquarius and Jupiter-Uranus conjunction also correlated with the invention of a working parachute, the power loom, chemical bleaching, the steamboat, the gas turbine, the first ambulance, preserving jars, the vaccination for small pox– all revolutionary things that changed our world. We can expect something similarly impactful.
We are sure to see protests and rebellion against power imbalances this year, there is a strong societal push towards a goal of financial and physical freedom. Jupiter is about an overarching power, Uranus wants individual power and autonomy. Natural disasters are often signified by these conjunctions as well, it isn't a nice thing to predict, but an obvious one with these planets in the sign of the Earth. Climate change and efforts to improve the Earth are likely to feel more urgent– humanitarian movements come to the forefront and I believe many will be changing the way they relate to their environments, opting for a more natural or efficient way of living. Taurus is a slower moving sign, I imagine that these changes will take until the next opposition (in 2031 on the Gemini-Sagittarius axis) to integrate.
Jupiter and Uranus were already well within their 15º conjunction in 2023 where we saw Barbie, Oppenheimer, Taylor Swift's Eras tour, Beyoncé's Renaissance tour contributing to the reversal of the U.S. recession, though we are still likely to see difficulty with the 2nd house Pluto return. The Pluto return brings extreme economic swings.
There was "Book Tok" reviving the art of literature for many young people– never a bad thing. Some of the most prominent books of the year include: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, Yellow Face by R.F. Kuang, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, the ACOTAR series craze (even while the series wrapped a few years ago), Spare by Prince Harry, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson, Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor.
More seriously, we saw the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the oceans have reached a new record high temperature, the Titan Submersible imploded, the Free Palestine Movement has taken over in the face of genocide and ethnic cleansing, Russia continues to war with Ukraine– this has had a stark influence on inflation symbolized by the North and South Nodes through Taurus-Scorpio in 2022 and now with Jupiter closing in on Uranus we are sure to see more developments with this. The FDA has approved the first RSV vaccine for older adults. The first A.I. Safety summit took place in the UK to discuss safety management for artificial intelligence. Elon Musk has rebranded the platform Twitter to "X" and has inflicted a payment system for verification, changing the way the algorithm works and affecting many online creators, writers, and the like, as a result.
All of these events are foreshadowing 2024's conjunction, this year was only the build of the bell curve, we'll see a peak in energy this Spring with a new cycle beginning. It will be a massive year in politics, science, technology, media, and art. As always, look to your personal chart, these are often times of pivotal and transformative travel, moments of "breaking free" from past modes of income, oppressive relationships, the forming of powerful partnerships, a potency for creative energy– whatever "breakthroughs" and beginnings are in store will carry us to the opposition in 2031. This conjunction is especially impactful for those with planets or angles in fixed signs (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, and Aquarius) around the 15º-29º mark.
What's more, around this time we will have a Jupiter cazimi in Taurus at 28º and a Venus-Uranus conjunction in Taurus at 23º on the same day, May 18th 2024. I'll expand on this later in the year, mark your calendars! It will be a wildly auspicious time.
Jupiter in Gemini
Hopefully you're not tired of discussing Jupiter yet, because this planet is doing the absolute most in 2024. Just after the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, Jupiter will ingress Gemini on May 25th. Since Saturn in Pisces is ruled by Jupiter and squares Gemini by sign, this is one of the more critical shifts of the year. Saturn has already played a big role in the Jupiter in Taurus transit with their sextile adding to this "renaissance" vibe of 2023-2024. However, when Jupiter ingresses Gemini, the focus on power, politics, discovery, and culture will move away from the Venusian signature (value, finances, beauty, digestion, etc.) to the cerebral realm of Mercury.
Jupiter's signs (Sagittarius and Pisces) deeply challenge the mind. Though this aspect will already be within its 15º orb by June, the first Jupiter-Saturn square will perfect on August 19th 2024, marking a tension point in the story that has been building since 2020 at the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Aquarius. This is accentuated with the Full Moon in Aquarius on the same day! Whatever larger conflict arises is likely tied to our Aquarian houses, but there's a lot going on generally, the planets are t-squaring all over the fixed and mutable axis. I gotta say, August-September is a challenging time generally. Mars will conjunct Jupiter along with the square to Saturn while planets in Virgo will begin to oppose Saturn bringing us to the Fall Eclipse season.
The second Jupiter-Saturn square hits on December 24th 2024 a few weeks into the Mars retrograde in Leo. This is certain to bring back something from August and will be a culmination point to the Venus-Mars cycle begun in February. While last year's sextile was helpful and expansive, these squares are a genuine challenge, but this is where we see the most growth and the most reward as a result.
Jupiter is detriment in Gemini. It doesn't exactly thrive in this sign because Jupiter is about a larger picture, unable to stay captive in a single sentence, while Gemini is the conversationalist, the writer, the shit poster, the jokester, the intellectual. The comedian has to find an appealing punchline, and let's be real, the joke isn't very funny when you have to explain it. Jupiter in Gemini is like this. The overexplainer, the overthinker, word vomit, foot in the mouth syndrome, the obsessive compulsive, the anxious, the one who gets lost halfway through their sentence to then expand upon a million other details, forgetting to come back to the original point and ultimately confusing its audience. Even so, this is a placement that pursues intellectual power, wanting to know more than others, not able to admit fault with somewhat of a dogmatic "right or wrong" kind of perspective. Gemini is represented by the twins, the evil twin and the savior twin, transits through this sign often bring opportunities to meet our nemesis and this can prove to be challenging.
Gemini tends to "flip a switch" showing a pleasant side and then suddenly changing its mind. There isn't always the most consistency, this can be frustrating. It may use information for leverage or simply decide when something applies and when it doesn't. Harsh aspects to Jupiter in Gemini may manifest in conversations that go nowhere, intellectual warfare, focusing on the wrong details, making a joke out of something that is more serious to someone else, splitting debates that divide not only our own minds, but force the divide of certain relationships (the South Node in Libra is not helping with that one), it's the inability to accept the gray area– and with Saturn in Pisces? There's a lot of gray area.
Gemini is also about language, literacy, marketing, transportation, computers, things that are mobile, portable, moveable while Jupiter is the planet of travel, branding, as we've already discussed, it is responsible for going global. Keeping that in mind, let's look at the year 1965, the last time we had Jupiter in Gemini squaring Saturn in Pisces:
1965 was exceptionally significant, this was the year Martin Luther King lead the 4 day march from Selma to Montgomery. Though this occurred right before the ingress, Jupiter was already within its 15º orb approaching the square to Saturn– remember these kinds of aspects ripple out before and after the transit itself. This event is one of the most literal examples of Jupiter in Gemini's influence. Jupiter representing long journeys while Gemini represents a short term method of transportation such as traveling in a car, taking a bus, or simply walking. This signified the fight against segregation, remember, Gemini is the "split" the divide between race, perspective, education. The purpose of the march was to pressure the government for fair voting rights and though this did not come easily and without casualty (i.e. Bloody Sunday– 600 people were attacked by law enforcement) it played a major role in the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 three months later during the Jupiter square Saturn transit.
The Voting Rights Act outlawed literacy tests and other practices that targeted and discriminated against African American voters. Again, Gemini represents literacy and comprehension while Jupiter is about justice and power. The square to Saturn was represented by the loss and sacrifice it took to get the act signed at all, Saturn is a symbol of authority and can, at times, represent brutality.
This was the time period of the Vietnam war, more divide, radical thought, the search for peace. April 17th 1965 held the largest anti-war protest on Washington D.C. This was the year Malcom X was assassinated. The year Medicare and Medicade were established, another big Gemini square Pisces theme, Mercurial signs deal with health and legislation while Pisces is related to old age and disease. Mercury is more about the bodies function– the lungs, the skin, the environment and how safe, helpful, or health conscious it is while Pisces is the isolating, helpless experience of illness. This square brought about change to the resource available (Gemini) to the sick and disabled (Pisces).
It was an incredible time for invention. Intelsat I (or the Early Bird) was the first commercial communications satellite aircraft put into orbit that year and was later credited with providing critical broadcasting and telecommunication services, including that of the Moon landing in 1969. Again, Gemini rules communication while Jupiter will "broadcast" it in a larger way. This was the year of the first rectangular TV to mass market– Jupiter represents mass marketing, Gemini represents the channel of information, and Pisces represents illusion, projection, all things that are involved in the making of television. The minicomputer PDP-8 was invented in 1965. DENDRAL, the first expert system, a major development in artificial intelligence specializing in chemistry and physics– Gemini represents learning, "intelligence", and science while the square to Pisces brought about the "artificial" bit, a false projection or imitation of the mind. The IBM 2314 direct access storage facility was launched, this supported more data storage than ever before, supporting things like online banking/ATMs and was especially important for speed, capacity, and performance all supporting the Jupiter in Gemini-Saturn in Pisces archetypes, Pisces deals with memory and Saturn, the "test of time".
This was the year Rodger's and Hammerstein's film Cinderella was released. One of the songs, "Impossible" is especially prominent for the archetypal nature of the Jupiter in Gemini square Saturn in Pisces configuration that I feel we will be seeing this year too. Some of the lyrics are:
"Impossible! But the world is full of zanies and fools
Who don't believe in sensible rules
And won't believe what sensible people say
And because these daft and dewey eyed dopes keep building up impossible hopes
Impossible things are happening every day!"
There is a "logic defying" undertone to this transit, struggling between the facts or the mind and the part of us that longs for hope and discovery. This was important to 1965– the logic defying protests and fight for freedom, the logic defying technology emerging, the logic defying future of the Moon landing– these are things that will repeat themselves in theme in 2024. Holding onto faith will be more important than ever before.
Similarly, "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan was released. The chorus that goes:
"How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone"
This speaks to the loss and "unknown" quality of Saturn in Pisces, the planet that is veiling the future and keeping us in the dark at a time where we thirst for more information, more knowledge with Jupiter in Gemini. This is the square, the challenge between the two. Wanting to know, but residing in a required period of darkness. Or even grasping at copious amounts of knowledge that didn't exist before and blowing a hole in the previously "impossible".
The Gemini-Pisces square can be the struggle to make up your mind. It can be avoidance that bites us in the ass later or conversely, arming ourselves with the facts in such a way that we disenchant our lives in the process; gearing up with intellectualization to deal with grief, loss, things that actually need body not mind. "Planning ahead" is often a challenge of Jupiter-Saturn squares too, but Saturn in Pisces tells us that we don't know exactly what to plan for and that our plans aren't always honored anyway. It is the challenge of being lost, or maybe having a map, but it's so complicated that it makes the journey even more confusing. This is also an uncomfortable kind of clarity to the past, we may seek to "know" and then desperately want to return to ignorance after we do. It is the trouble discerning what is real and what is fake. Plagiarism. Correction. False details. Life changing news. Taking on big projects that we don't necessarily have the inner or outer resources to sustain.
It may be helpful to look back to your personal life around March-May of 2016 (and the events that lead to it in 2015 and followed the rest of 2016) as this was the last time we had Jupiter-Saturn squares between a detriment Jupiter and a Jupiter ruled Saturn as Jupiter was in Virgo and Saturn in Sagittarius.
There is many a silver lining! We may try things that we never would have considered otherwise. Pisces can give the "out of my depth" vibe where Gemini can make up for it in the gift of gab or its skill for "winging it". This transit will teach us a lot if we can open our eyes instead of clinging to familiar ignorance. This may be a time of facing our past, developing a new mind as a result, a wealth of understanding and opportunities is provided because of this. The second half of the year will require us to be resourceful, but this is where genius comes alive. Inventions and stories and systems are built off the back of initial confusion or sorrow. This will be an insane time for broadcasting, the sharing of information, podcasts, radio, Tik Tok, these will all be thriving with information at a time when we deeply need the facts, not propaganda. It will be a struggle to tell what is real, but the square will provide the leg work, the desire to do a little more digging. Much will be revealed. Writing and speaking will be a fitting outlet at this time, using your voice, knowing that it can and will be heard.
Gemini is the sign of siblings, a symbol that can bring blessings and generosity from our literal siblings, though this symbolism is fluid. Gemini and siblings often do bring a challenging "split" like the argument of two opposing sides, but it can also bring support. What is a sibling if not both your greatest enemy and your lifelong friend? They partner with you against The Terrible Parent and divide against you when it comes to the leftovers in the fridge. They'll beat you up, but god forbid someone else lay a finger on you. They are there when it counts and this could be reflected back to us in our relationships, biological siblings or not, we are finding our true mirrors and matches, pushing us to be the best we can be. There is a certain privilege to this kind of partnership, a bond not of initial choice, but something more fated, destined. These are the kinds of relationships we might create this year, not only to people, but to projects, ideas, environments.
This is a multifaceted transit, one that no, isn't "easy" but is instead, incredible valuable and pivotal. I would take note of what comes up, this transit lasts until June 9th 2025. Plan a roadtrip, join a protest, start a podcast, try your hand at stand up comedy, learn a new language, invent, coin the phrase, write a book about nothing at all, dance and dance and dance– Gemini loves a seemingly useless skill like that (dance was deeply celebrated in 1965!), one that elevates the room, the mood, sending in the happy brain chemicals.
Venus cazimi and Gemini New Moon: An Addendum to the Jupiter ingress
We have a truly insane amount of planets in Gemini this June 6th at the New Moon with the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter all in this sign. This is a transit to be keep an eye on with Venus having just passed its exact conjunction to the Sun and becoming an evening star. This creates an extensive focus on communication within partnership over the next 9 months. This is Venus coming out of creative, pioneering mode and moving into a more receptive, collaborative state of being. When Venus is in Gemini, I often think of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde (the movie was actually released under a Venus in Gemini conjunct Saturn transit). The archetype of someone who can be this and that, intellectual and beautiful, logical and empathetic, political and personal, _ & _ ,(etc.) will be pronounced at this time. It could be that we're holding two conflicting truths at once, especially with the square to Saturn active and the South Node still in Libra. This transit will essentially commence the Jupiter-Saturn square and all of the themes discussed above.
In our personal charts, we will see the house governed by Gemini undergoing something quite profound and possibly chaotic, whatever this manifests itself as will push us into a massive growth spurt. This makes me think of the sensation of a "culture shock" where one is cut off from what was previously known and plunged into foreign territory, it is brain breaking, but once we have time to grasp what we're being shown, I imagine it will fuel the North Node's agenda as the stellium in Gemini closely aspects it. The North Node in Aries is highly individual and encouraging of a new identity, part of identity development is learning who you want to become– I believe this is an auspicious time to do that. Breaking away from the past will not be easy, but it is our main motivator for moving forward too.
Mars Retrograde in Cancer and Leo
Mars will spend about 9 months total in these combined signs not progressing to Virgo until the end of June 2025.
Mars ingresses Cancer on September 4th
Mars enters its pre-shadow on October 4th hitting 17º Cancer
Mars ingresses Leo on November 3rd
Mars stations retrograde on December 6th at 6º Leo (the exact degree that the Venus-Mars conjunction in Aquarius perfected!)
Mars stations direct on February 23rd 2025 at 17º Cancer
Mars passes 6º Leo on May 3rd 2025 and moves forward into new territory
The majority of the retrograde is spent in Cancer, but while Mars is in Leo that first month (November-December 2024) it will oppose Pluto twice bringing a powerful activation to our Leo-Aquarius houses, adding to the ongoing story here that began with Pluto's ingress, the Venus-Mars conjunction earlier in the year, and the Venus-Mars opposition that culminates at this time in December.
Mars retrograde is a time of getting clear on motive and is a profound agent of transformation, looking inside to cut cords, building us a springboard for future action. Mars is all about movement and activity, it takes a hands on approach in maneuvering us in a different direction, sometimes altogether draining us of energy until we have our priorities in order. Perhaps what we were putting energy into previously wasn't as useful as we initially thought or we need to take a look at the intention behind it. It can be a time of heated arguments, the uncovering of desire, unpacking they why behind physical effort, the slowing of a previous urgency.
Our last Mars retrograde was in Gemini from October 2022 through January 2023, this one was geared toward verbal arguments, facts, knowledge, perspective, a look into the dangers and the brilliance of the mind, theosophical debates, agreeing to disagree, issues with siblings, friends, cousins, uncovering inflammatory information, understanding obsession and anxiety, looking at our system for decision making. This Mars retrograde will be quite different, it isn't really about the mind at all, it's more about the emotional body.
Mars being ruled by the luminaries means that this is about the difference between "seeing" and "knowing". The Sun brings overt and obvious clarity to identity while the Moon brings intuition, inner knowing, wisdom. Both are also symbolic of the Mother and Father archetypes, bringing with them the issues around abandonment versus suffocation. Cancer can hold on too tightly, not leaving any room for personal identity, it is an issue of enmeshment, no room to breathe in the tightly closed clam. Cancer also has the power to nurture, to smooth over what irritates, but only when it decides to open up the wealth of emotion it hides. Emotional creatures aren't often honest about how deep their waters go– we can't even see to the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean!
Mars is fallen in Cancer, often meaning that our sensitivity can get the best of us in an argument, or start an unnecessary one. It can also be the realization that our sensitivity is what makes us strong– the heart breaking open to push us in the right direction. Since Mars begins moving forward in Leo to then go back into Cancer, it could be that there was something we weren't quite ready for just yet. In 2024, we aren't quite ready for that obviousness of Leo, the blinding clarity would be more harmful without first exploring our own inner ocean, coming to terms with something first before stepping fully into the light. You can't tell someone who they are before they discover it for themselves, they have to recognize it first or it will trigger instead of resonate.
This, I imagine, will be a time of examining something we know, but don't know yet. The wisdom of the body that tells us when something doesn't feel right, screaming that we don't have the energy for that, or that we don't feel safe around that person or in that environment. This will be an outer reckoning of all that the body knows, but that we won't acknowledge. It could be a big help in creating the right environment for us, putting the correct safeguards in place. We will likely examine issues related to the home, family, parents, children, women, safety, comfort. We'll study success and what that truly looks like, understanding where we are responsible for creating unnecessary drama, where pride and ego get in the way of love, dropping the mask and revealing what is hidden behind closed doors. This is a time period not to rush forward, but instead to slow down and find your inner bearings, get familiar with your inner resources.
This will be a narrative that pushes us into 2025.
Happy New Year and thank you for reading if you made it to the end! Here's to an 8 year, the year of the dragon, to expansion and freedom, to radical invention, and to getting to know the impossible. I hope you experience your best year yet.
-Katie
A 2024 Transit Calendar:
January
01 - Mercury stations direct in Sagittarius
04 - Mars enters Capricorn
11 - New Moon in Capricorn 20º
13 - Mercury re-enters Capricorn
20 - Pluto enters Aquarius, Sun enters Aquarius
23 - Venus enters Capricorn 25 - Full Moon in Leo 5º
27 - Uranus direct
February
04 - Mercury enters Aquarius
09 - New Moon in Aquarius 20º
13 - Mars enters Aquarius
14 - Saturn passes its Station degree
16 - Venus enters Aquarius
18 - Sun enters Pisces
22 - Venus conjunct Mars in Aquarius
24 - Full Moon in Virgo 5º
28 - Mercury cazimi in Pisces conjunct Saturn
March
09 - Mercury enters Aries
10 - New Moon in Pisces 20º
11 - Venus enters Pisces
19 - Sun enters Aries
22 - Mars enters Pisces
25 - Lunar Eclipse in Libra 5º
April
01 - Mercury stations retrograde in Aries
04 - Venus enters Aries
05 - Sun conjunct North Node
08 - Solar Eclipse in Aries 19º (exaltation degree)
10 - Mars conjunct Saturn
11 - Mercury retrograde cazimi in Aries
19 - Sun enters Taurus
21 - Jupiter conjunct Uranus at 21º Taurus
23 - Full Moon in Scorpio 4º
25 - Mercury stations direct
28 - Mars conjunct Neptune
29 - Venus enters Taurus
30 - Mars enters Aries
May
02 - Pluto stations retrograde in Aquarius
07 - New Moon in Taurus 18º
14 - Uranus cazimi at 23º
15 - Mercury enters Taurus
18 - Sun conjunct Jupiter, Venus conjunct Uranus
19 - Mars conjunct North Node
20 - Sun enters Gemini
23 - Full Moon in Sagittarius 2º, Venus enters Gemini
25 - Jupiter enters Gemini
June
03 - Mercury enters Gemini
04 - Mercury conjunct Jupiter, Venus cazimi (evening star)
06 - New Moon in Gemini 16º
08 - Mars enters Taurus
14 - Mercury cazimi in Gemini
17 - Mercury and Venus enter Cancer
20 - Sun enters Cancer
21 - Full Moon in Capricorn 1º
29 - Saturn stations retrograde
July
02 - Sun at the nodal bendings
05 - New Moon in Cancer 14º
11 - Venus enters Leo
15 - Mars conjunct Uranus
21 - Full Moon at 29º Capricorn, Mars enters Gemini
22 - Sun enters Leo
25 - Mercury enters Virgo
August
04 - Mercury stations retrograde, New Moon in Leo 12º, Venus enters Virgo
14 - Mercury retrograde enters Leo
18 - Mercury retrograde cazimi in Leo
19 - Full Moon in Aquarius 27º
22 - Sun enters Virgo
22 - Venus square Mars
29 - Venus enters Libra
September
01 - Pluto retrograde enters Capricorn, Uranus stations retrograde 27º
02 - New Moon in Virgo 11º
03 - Venus conjunct the South Node
04 - Mars enters Cancer
07 - Sun opposite Saturn retrograde
09 - Mercury re-enters Virgo
15 - Mars at the nodal bendings
17 - Lunar eclipse in Pisces 25º
18 - Mercury opposite Saturn
22 - Sun enters Libra
23 - Venus enters Scorpio
26 - Mercury enters Libra
29 - Sun and Mercury conjunct the South Node
30 - Mercury cazimi 8º Libra
October
02 - Solar Eclipse in Libra 10º
05 - Mars reaches its station degree (17º Cancer)
09 - Jupiter stations retrograde at 21º Gemini
11 - Pluto stations direct 29º Capricorn
13 - Mercury enters Scorpio
17 - Venus enters Sagittarius
18 - Full Moon in Aries 24º
22 - Sun enters Scorpio
November
01 - New Moon in Scorpio 9º
02 - Mercury enters Sagittarius
03 - Mars enters Leo
11 - Venus enters Capricorn
15 - Saturn stations direct at 12º Pisces
16 - Full Moon in Taurus at 24º
19 - Pluto enters Aquarius for the next 20 years
21 - Sun enters Sagittarius
25 - Mercury stations retrograde in Sagittarius
December
01 - New Moon in Sagittarius 9º
05 - Mercury retrograde cazimi
06 - Mars stations retrograde at 6º Leo
07 - Venus enters Aquarius
12 - Venus opposite Mars retrograde
15 - Full Moon in Gemini 23º
21 - Sun enters Capricorn
23 - Sun at the nodal bendings
30 - New Moon in Capricorn 9º