January 2021 By Bob Mulligan (a personal note is at the end of the newsletter) Highlights of 2021 Well, 2021 will be different than 2020 – duh! Still, it is important to keep in mind that the three planets of mass consciousness will continue in the signs they have been in, all of them, since May of 2018: Uranus in Taurus, Neptune in Pisces, and Pluto in Capricorn. However, the two major movers of change, Jupiter and Saturn, have left Capricorn and are now in Aquarius. Aquarius is the sign of reform and innovation. They were Conjunct in December, and are now in the ten year opening part (expanse) of their twenty year cycle. Saturn (conservative) and Uranus (rebellion) are in Square all year and most of 2022. This is a closing Square in their 45 year cycle which began October 1988. This Square takes place with Saturn in Aquarius (future) and Uranus in Taurus (the past). The Conjunction occurred in Sagittarius (adventuresome and optimistic). Consequently this ongoing Square will require us to relinquish attachments to our past; this will allow us to create a more humanitarian world for all. Hint, it won’t be without pain and suffering, but it is well worth the journey. Jupiter (lord of expansion) will be in Pisces May 13th to July 28th, and finally entering for a year on December 28th. This will be a time of solving some major world water problems. January 2021 Perhaps January is the most important month in 2021. Mars goes into Taurus on the 6th after 6 months in Aries, then Conjuncts Uranus on the 20th. Mars finally leaves Taurus for Gemini March 3rd. This period will be explosive and simmering with unacknowledged anger which percolates into everyday life. Jupiter Squares Uranus – January 17th – pent up demand for more progressive change has now reached critical mass. People will push for a very forward looking agenda. This is the closing Square in their 14 year cycle, which started June 8th 2010; the Conjunction occurred on zero degrees Aries. This was the start of an extremely progressive cycle in the world. Now we make final adjustments to move forward. Mercury goes Retrograde on the 30th turning Direct on February 20th. Because this three week period of Mercury going backward takes place entirely in the sign Aquarius, we will focus on revising recent projects. The New Moon on the 13th at 12:00 AM EST is on the 23rd degree of Capricorn and Conjunct Pluto. Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn in Aquarius are Squaring Mars and Uranus in Taurus. We are in for a confrontation between the forces of change and ignorance; this has actually been going on for a while, but will reach a resolution during this lunar month. Venus (goddess of love and ruler of Taurus) is in Capricorn (material reality). She Trines Mars and Uranus in Taurus, showing the way out of chaos and ignorance is through tough love. All the planets in this New Moon chart form a tight bundle pattern, giving a great concentration of energy into one arena. The Sun enters Aquarius on the 20th at 3:41 PM EST. With four planets in Aquarius Square the Mars/ Uranus Conjunction in Taurus, the conflict between inclusion and exclusion intensifies all month; these are the forces of humanity and forces of selfishness. We are in an inclusive period. With Mercury Trine the lunar North Node, and the impact of the Neptune Square the Nodes now diminishing, a lot of the misinformation and conspiracy theories will evaporate. Venus Squares the Moon and Sextiles Neptune. The surge of feminism will look to accommodate reality and promote a higher love. Fixed air and earth dominate the chart. This shows mental stubbornness while emphasizing the struggle between our habit of reaching for security, and our desire for innovation and freedom. The Full Moon is on the 28th at 2:16 PM EST on the 9th degree of Aquarius/Leo. The Moon stands alone as the handle of a bucket-shaped chart, indicating we need to dig deep into our inner world, then honestly share our findings. Six planets are involved in a fixed T-Square. Fixed means fixed. We are determined and unmovable. Emotional accommodation is necessary to move forward. Venus (goddess of love) Conjunct Pluto (lord of the underworld) shows life and death decisions reaching a new fever pitch. Venus Semi-sextile Mercury indicates that the cables have already been laid, allowing small steps forward. From the 1st through the 3rd regardless of our particular orientation, we all have our eyes on the future. The world we were born into is gone, and even the most diehard of the human race knows now we are not going back. We have landed in a new country and burnt our boat behind us. We live with expectation. From the 4th through the 10th ideals and ideas are broad and all encompassing. However, our personal desires can be hiding in the shadows, and unconsciously affecting our decision making. Staying in motion is better than being stuck in the mud. Being practical and thorough has a place when it is not just a disguise for selfishness. From the 11th through the 17th we are given opportunities to transform parts of ourselves that have hindered our growth. Making sure that our use of the material world serves that needs of the spirit is the only safeguard at this time of great transition. Our innate intelligence and uncommon wit can prove shortcuts to our goal. From the 18th through the 24th explosions are all around us and it is difficult to stay calm. We live in an exciting time, and it is wonderful to participate in coming events. However, higher values have to be lived for a long period of time under every circumstance to have potency. We do need to enjoy this unique moment in history. We are reaching for the Promised Land. From the 25th through the 31st in order to consolidate our gains from our recent past, we need to jettison the things, ideas, and feelings that have no place in our lives now. That doesn’t mean people must leave our lives. The last 12 months have helped us clarify who is a keeper, who is ancillary, and who is a negative influence. We are entering a period of reflection. 1st – Friday – Mercury Sextile Neptune, Venus Sesquiquadrate Uranus – Both common sense and luck can move us forward. To take advantage of sudden opportunities which appear, we must be free of the baggage from the past. Although our history is there, we don’t have to entertain it. We are instrumental in making a new world. 2nd – Saturday – One last burst of enthusiasm can push us over the top. Physical exercise is good, but more fun if you can include others, or at least one other. Love of the outdoors and far away places may capture our heart and also our attention. Translating our imaginative wanderings into something practical doesn’t have to mean postponement; we can be creative. 3rd – Sunday – Venus Semi-Sextile Pluto – Both formal presentation and a personal dramatic flair can bring others to our adventure. Our expectations may be larger than life, but it is better than not expecting anything. 4th – Monday – Jupiter Semi-square Neptune, Mercury Conjunct Pluto – Big plans take form over time; if we are single- minded, we drill down to what is basic, then success is secured. When our foundation is solid, the rest of the structure comes along as expected. Attention to detail can leave us pondering, but is a powerful tool if we keep moving. Accomplishment comes in stages. 5th – Tuesday – If we take the time to become genuinely involved in other people’s lives, we experience profound satisfaction. Also, new insights emerge by social involvement. Answers to our own questions reveal a key to success. Being inclusive is the most important asset to engagement. 6th – Wednesday – Mercury Parallel Venus, Sun Parallel Pluto, Mars enters Taurus – Smooth talking and carefully worded explanations can make light of what could easily be a troubling set of postponements. This is one of those moments when a little progress is more important than a protracted struggle. 7th – Thursday – Mercury Parallel Pluto, Mercury Semi-sextile Venus – Not everyone is pleased with how things are turning out in the world. It isn’t possible to please each person in our lives, and to accomplish what must be done. The tail end of things, lingering from last year, needs some attention, but not a lot of energy. 8th – Friday – Mercury enters Aquarius, Sun Parallel Mercury, Venus enters Capricorn, Sun Sextile Neptune, Mercury Square Mars – Taking care of material security is job number one. Then we can focus on what is really important. New ideas run in counterpoint to our emotional impulses. Stable relationships can resolve conflicts; overly aggressive encounters can upset equilibrium and push us off track. An objective view of our current situation provides a strategy for moving beyond the narrow mental confines of the recent past. 9th – Saturday – Venus Trine Mars, Mercury Conjunct Saturn – Thinking well of others helps create the proper atmosphere for cooperation. Personal struggles can be massive, but solutions are not found by flying solo. Taking responsibility for personal decisions can help us find ways of sharing the current burdens. 10th – Sunday – Mercury Semi-square Neptune, Venus Semi-sextile Saturn – Our vision is clouded when we are overly attached to results. Our principles may be misconstrued or just inappropriate for the tasks at hand. Shaking off unrealistic habits of thinking allows us to see what is really necessary so we can take the next step. 11th – Monday – Mercury Conjunct Jupiter – Our ethics infuse our thinking. This provides an easy path forward if we have changed our perceptions to keep abreast of the times. The last few weeks have given a new direction to culture. 12th – Tuesday – Mars Parallel Uranus, Venus Semi-sextile Jupiter – Inspiration comes, but we really need to ask ourselves if a new solution to a current problem is really worth the energy and time to implement it. If we have the foresight to see circumstances in a much larger context, current problems lose potency. The changing environment is only transitional. So much of what we worry about is just “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.” We transform our consciousness by getting our priorities straight. 13th – Wednesday – The New Moon is at 12:00 AM EST on the 23rd degree of Capricorn, Mars Square Saturn, Mercury Parallel Saturn, Venus Trine Uranus – We need to recognize that personal survival is dependent on the survival of civilization itself. Acts of desperation, when correctly focused, can have a positive outcome. However, acts of kindness coming directly from the heart are much more important. We need to be able to do the right thing, simply because it is the right thing. 14th – Thursday – Uranus turns Direct, Sun Conjunct Pluto, Mercury Parallel Jupiter, Mars Semi-square Neptune – We don’t have to share everything we know, or are currently doing, with everyone else. However, it is imperative that we stay committed to the universal goodness in our sphere of influence. We have been shown the light, but have we seen it? Real self-improvement is simple but not easy. 15th – Friday – We have to imagine a better world if we want to create it. A better world means better for everyone. It is ok to defer our own progress to help others. In small ways we can help the ailing planet. It is fine to dream big and spend time in contemplation. 16th – Saturday – Relationships are the key to happiness or misery. How we treat each other depends on how we feel. How we feel about others, in the final analysis, is contingent on our thought process. Love is always present, but it is easy to let it be revealed now. 17th – Sunday – Jupiter Square Uranus – Trying to beat the odds, or seeing ourselves as the exception to the rules governing everyone else, can cause a tumble. We don’t have to participate in other people’s folly; we have no obligation to talk others out of poor choices…unless they ask. By the same token, there is genuine luck present now; we just have to be honest with ourselves. Was this meant for me? 18th – Monday – We all do our part to get the energy moving. With a little concerted effort, we make progress on the lingering pieces of life from last year. Change for its own sake doesn’t carry us very far. When the choice is between innovation, or being stubborn, changing our approach is worthwhile. Some ideas may seem crazy and many paths lead us in circles. Still, we learn by experimentation. 19th – Tuesday – Sun enters Aquarius – The ideal confronts the practical, but this is important and doesn’t have to be frustrating. An inventive spin on things tangible can free us while providing a promise of future stability. If we have the courage of our convictions we can move forward. 20th – Wednesday – Saturn Semi-square Neptune, Mercury Semi-sextile Neptune, Mars Conjunct Uranus – A sudden violent eruption can shake our foundation, but this doesn’t have to detract from the excitement and momentum of the moment. We are entering a time of rapid change. 21st – Thursday – Mercury Contra-parallel Mars, Sun Parallel Saturn – Many people will be in an alarmist mode. It is possible to genuinely comprehend the stress points in life right now. We need understanding not anger. Going beyond the form, and taking control of the energy powering our actions, makes way for big improvements. 22nd – Friday – Even though there is great excitement, this is a pregnant pause while we look back. Although the future, our future, requires letting go of the past, taking time to grieve is an important step in acknowledging those who didn’t make the last transition. Good grief opens the door to compassion and a more profound love. 23rd – Saturday – Mars Square Jupiter, Sun Semi-square Neptune, Venus Sextile Neptune, Sun Conjunct Saturn, Venus Parallel Pluto – Those who want to relitigate the past are wrongheaded, but serve a purpose. We all pay the price for living in a reality that disappeared a year ago. We save the planet by healing the mindset that created the wounds to begin with. 24th – Sunday – Mercury Contra-parallel Uranus – Each impetuous move leads to circumstances requiring additional actions. It is possible that we are making decisions that are not, strictly speaking, rational. A combination of instinct, intuition, and impulse force a direction on us, but also onto society as a whole. The health of one reflects the health of all. 25th – Monday – Family, friends, and associates take time and attention. Concern for others must be genuine to be effective. We have a choice to make, either time alone or with others. The solution is to turn inward in consciousness while outwardly expressing concern for others. This brings joy. 26th – Tuesday – Sun Square Uranus, Sun Parallel Jupiter, Mercury Semi-sextile Pluto – We can feel excitement for no apparent reason. We can just enjoy the day. However, we have an opportunity to go deeper into one of life’s more enduring mysteries. We can embrace a process that frees us. Our personal solutions may not fit anyone else’s situation. Discretion when sharing is vital. 27th – Wednesday – Emotional struggles can leave us exhausted. Time allocations between public and private life need finesse. Clashes of interest play out on a large screen. Better not to blame others for things that aren’t working so well in our own lives. 28th – Thursday – Venus Conjunct Pluto, the Full Moon is at 2:17 PM EST on the 9th degree of Aquarius/Leo, Sun Conjunct Jupiter – An all encompassing joy is in the atmosphere. The intensity of passion can be uncomfortable. A peaceful feeling comes by accepting circumstances without fret or engagement. Our mental notebook can be working overtime, but just relaxing and watching the world go by can be instructive. 29th – Friday – Mercury Semi-sextile Venus – We may observe a more formal air adopted by others around us. Following a set protocol helps us stay on task and accomplish the needful for the day. When in doubt, we are best to move slow and postpone where possible. 30th – Saturday – Mercury turns Retrograde – Oh, those nagging details. We have been in such a hurry that some important facts need correcting. We can still innovate and think in terms of the big picture. Honesty and objectivity can keep us in tune with the will-of-the-cosmos. 31st – Sunday – As we change our minds on a few subjects, it is worthwhile to examine where we have been, evaluate the effects of decisions we have made, and see how our life connects with our neighbors. Even though we feel as if we have climbed a mighty mountain, we are actually just arriving at the base camp. A friend of mine has been working with the U.N. on sustainable goals. Take a look, they are impressive. https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals.html Genevieve, the daughter of my recently departed lifelong friend, Caroline Beebe, wrote me about some of her mother’s Baba treasures. And hopefully we will talk on the phone in the near future to get Caroline’s final wishes taken care of. My sister, Dawn, came down with the Corona virus on December 10th and is recovering. I’ve never seen her really under the weather before. Veganuary – (veganuary.com/en-us) had its first official year January 2020 and 50,000 people signed up to give up meat, dairy and eggs during January, 72% planned to continue. Going to an all plant-based diet reduces your carbon footprint by up to 73%. This diet reduces your risk of a long list of chronic diseases. Refraining from eating animal based foods is a contribution to a more compassionate world. The cruelty inflicted onto animals in factory farms is really horrendous. For many years I have continued to eat seafood and eggs, although both meat and dairy have been a thing of the past for many years. Well, bit by bit I plan on becoming completely vegan by the end of 2021. https://www.peta.org/living/food/free-vegan-starter-kit/ Omnifoods makes a meat free Spam; it is selling very well in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, and now Canada. There will be a time in the future where plant-based products will not have to taste like meat to sell well. I just read an article on the health benefits of gardening so I’m seriously contemplating buying a house this year. Gardening in an apartment is not really an option, even though I do have a lot of plants here. The last Zoom meeting was well attended and everyone seemed to have a good time. The next Question and Answer session via Zoom will be on Sunday, January 10th from Noon to 1 PM EST. Email me and I will send you the link. Questions submitted will be answered in the order received. “It is never presumptuous for anyone to hope for Realization. It is the goal of creation and the birthright of humanity. Blessed are they who are prepared to assert that right in this very life.” Meher Baba Bob Mulligan is available for personal appointments, astrology classes, and astrological material. Call him at 239-261-2840, or e-mail bobmulliga@aol.com. Visit our website, www.theastrologycompany.com. | 
