The future is there... looking back at us. Trying to make sense of the fiction we will have become.

~ William Gibson, Pattern Recognition

The future can be a tricky business. We tend to project so much of our hopes and fears onto it that it's hard to be objective or rational. We may see an idealized version of what we believe will make us happy, or we might see appalling prospects that we fear. Or we might see more of the same, as in the present, which could be welcome or dreaded.

In essence, our perception of the future is our first archetypal zodiacal encounter with the Unknown. The future cannot ultimately be known (all claims about astrology's talents in that department notwithstanding). We cannot know for sure if something specific will or won't happen, even if it seems inevitable that something will!

Free will is always an ingredient in how we interact with the present as it leads into the future. Even if you believe that our "free will" choices are predetermined, the process of us deciding on and acting out our "free choices" is still essential, since it facilitates the unfolding sequence by which the "predetermined" outcome emerges.

So, when we consider what the future may bring, or when we set our sights on what we want to happen in the future, not only is the outcome ultimately a mystery (to us back here in the present), but the whole nature of time and future is also enigmatic.

Capricorn and Saturn (its ruling planet) are associated with time, particularly in the context of planning for an outcome in a methodical, step-by-step manner. Aquarius and Saturn (also its ruling planet, traditionally) are about envisioning what happens next and choosing a direction that can take us there. Earth-sign Capricorn is concerned with the practical aspects of what is being built and how, whereas Air-sign Aquarius is more about the possibilities and the broader reasons for building our preferred future. In Aquarius we explore the ideology, greater purpose and aspirations that shape our intentions for the future.

You never change things by fighting the existing reality.

To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.

~ Buckminster Fuller

This year began with a New Moon in Capricorn (Jan. 2nd) in which the Sun and Moon were in a cooperative, optimistic trine to Uranus, while sharing an awkward and irritating yet subtle semisextile with Saturn. All of this suggested that the why and the what of our future intentions were likely to be easier to identify than the how.

This time, the New Moon is in the other Saturn-ruled sign and forms a different kind of relationship with Saturn and Uranus. The Sun and Moon are in a determined, no-nonsense conjunct with Saturn, and a stressful, challenging, driven square to Uranus. Therefore, the emphasis seems to have shifted from seeing the possibilities but not sure how to make them happen, to being called on to map out a pragmatic path from here to there.

The tricky part lies in the idea that making something new happen will inevitably unsettle the status quo to some extent. Even if that change is welcome or necessary, there will still be some disruptions and adjustments that must be dealt with, and this can interfere with the smooth transition from what was to what will be.

All that is truly known is that things cannot stay the same. The old has problems that cannot be ignored any longer, and the new needs to confront these and find a way to navigate between "the rock and the hard place." And there lies the crux of the Saturn-Uranus-Capricorn-Aquarius dilemma. The two ruling planets of Aquarius facing off against the two signs ruled by Saturn.

There are no more exact passes of the Saturn-Uranus square after December 24, 2021. Nevertheless, this transit continues to be activated off and on throughout 2022, due to being within aspect orb and/or with the help of other planets providing a bridge to connect them.

These two haunted the 2021 skies, reflected in so much of the polarization between issues of freedom versus authority, innovation versus tradition, and how to interpret and support the collective good. These themes continue throughout 2022, as we struggle together to find a workable balance between the stability of established conventions and the risk and uncertainty that change brings.

The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed.

~ William Gibson, The Economist, December 4, 2003

Right now Venus is playing an intriguing part in this Saturn-Uranus dance. She is in a tight trine to Uranus and a tight semisextile with the New Moon. This should sound familiar, since she is in virtually the same position as January's New Moon in Capricorn which had similar aspects.

The Sun and Moon lend their support to practical Saturn (through their conjunction aspect) while frowning at disruptive Uranus (square). However, Venus is smiling at innovative Uranus (trine) while only giving a lukewarm glance at Saturn (semisextile). This mixture of aspects helps to create a balance between collaboration and controversy.

Venus has just turned direct after being retrograde from Dec. 19 to Jan. 29, and she is still stationary in Capricorn at the time of the New Moon. As a result, she has an unusually strong voice in the conversation of the chart, and her trine to Uranus tilts the balance of energies toward breaking free of old habits, patterns, rules, and expectations.

Venus is also conjunct Mars as she stations direct, which is actually just one step in a larger dance. Normally Venus is the faster of the two, but she's much slower right now as she gradually builds up speed after the station.

Mars is in Capricorn now (since Jan. 24), and catches up and overtakes Venus in conjunction on Feb. 16. As a result, Mars is likely to be the dominant energy of the two during most of February, due to his extra speed, Venus' lack of it, and Mars being exalted (and therefore strong) in Capricorn.

Mars and Venus dance together within a 1-degree orb of conjunction from Feb. 11 to March 13, as Mars first applies to Venus (exact on Feb. 16 at 16:53 Capricorn) and then Venus applies to Mars (March 6 at 00:01 Aquarius). The turning point around who's zooming who is on Feb. 24-25 at 22-23° Capricorn, when Venus reclaims her power and begins to overtake Mars.

The whole dance goes something like this (dates use North American Eastern Time):

• Dec. 19: Venus turns retrograde at 26:29 Capricorn. Venus is now backing up, as Mars moves forward from 04:13 Sagittarius. Venus is also exactly parallel Mars (declination) on the same day.
• Jan. 12: Mars goes Out of Bounds by declination, at 21:36 Sagittarius. Mars is faster.
• Jan. 28: Venus and Mars conjunct within 8-degree orb (until April 8, for 10 weeks!), just one day before Venus turns direct. Mars is faster.
• Jan. 29: Venus goes direct at 11:04 Capricorn. She and Mars are 7:34 apart. Mars is faster.
• Feb. 10: Mars comes In-Bounds by declination, at 12:43 Capricorn. Mars is faster.
• Feb. 11: They reach 1° apart at 13-14:25 Capricorn. Mars is faster.
• Feb. 16: Their first exact conjunction at 16:52 Capricorn. Mars is faster.
• Feb. 24: Venus becomes the faster of the two.
• Mar. 3: Mars and Venus exactly conjoin Pluto, just 9 hours apart. Venus is faster.
• Mar. 6: Mars and Venus ingress into Aquarius. Venus is faster and beats Mars by just 7 minutes.
• Mar. 6: Venus and Mars second conjunction at 00:01 Aquarius. Venus is faster.
• Mar. 12: Venus and Mars leave their 1-degree orb, but still conjunct. Venus is faster.
• Apr. 8: Venus and Mars leave their 8-degree orb (begun Jan. 28) and are no longer conjunct (unless you want to use very wide orbs). Venus is faster.

The future you have, tomorrow, won't be the same future you had, yesterday.

~ Chuck Palahniuk, Rant

You may notice that on March 6, the second Venus-Mars conjunction is the same degree as the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction back in Dec. 21, 2020 (00:01 and 00:29 Aquarius, respectively). Therefore, the extended Venus-Mars alignment becomes a step in the 20-year Jupiter-Saturn dance as well. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction combines our aspirations and expectations, our beliefs and demands, our hope and our realism, our understanding and our conclusions, freedom and responsibility. Venus and Mars combine receptivity with assertiveness, beauty and strength, interaction and action, other and self.

Therefore, Venus and Mars can bring the greater framework of collective, societal and community issues (Jupiter and Saturn) into a more personal context of what you are prepared to contribute to the Big Picture and who you want to do it with.

Regardless of where you stand on the controversy, it's interesting to note a dramatic example of this recent protests on both sides of the COVID/vaccination issues. For example, there was a large anti-vaccination protest here in Canada on the day Venus stationed direct (Jan. 29). There is also the mounting protest against Spotify by Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Brené Brown, and others, for allowing Joe Rogen to broadcast misinformation about COVID vaccinations on their platform.

So, for many of us, the ongoing Venus-Mars conjunction is stirring up the urge to choose a side and take action in a controversial argument that has implications within the greater collective. This challenges us to decide not only what we are prepared to confront or take a stand for, but also how – in an aggressive way (Mars) or through negotiation (Venus).

Against the backdrop of the New Moon in futuristic Aquarius, the question becomes: what is the future result you want to manifest? What does it look like? What compromises, sacrifices or consequences arise in order for that goal to be met, and do they complement or conflict with the principles and standards that have inspired your goal?

Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.

~ Albert Camus, The Rebel

One more interesting piece of the Venus-Mars puzzle is that Mars is currently Out of Bounds by declination, from Jan. 12 (at 21:36 Sagittarius) to Feb. 10 (12:43 Capricorn). Being OOB tends to shift Mars' energy to become more volatile, more noticeable, or have a stronger urge to "push the envelope" in whatever direction your emotions and passions are pointed. This can be a positive bonus if you're well focused on beneficial intentions, but could be problematic if your actions are destructive for the sake of inflicting damage or punishment.

Speaking of declinations, the Sun and Saturn are tightly parallel. This adds extra emphasis to their conjunction. In addition, they are flanked by Venus and Mercury, forming what I call a Rolling Parallel pattern. (The planets farthest apart aren't close enough to be parallel, but the planets between them provide a bridge, forming a sort of chain of planets by declination.)

So, effectively we have a Mercury-Sun-Saturn-Venus group parallel. It pulls in the stationary Mercury and Venus, adding their extra energy to the New Moon. And since Saturn is the dispositor (ruler) of Mercury and Venus in Capricorn, it gives Saturn even more emphasis and authority.

This means that Saturn is really the star of the show, taking the leading role in the drama unfolding in the New Moon chart. Aquarius is about our participation in the collective, in society, and in groups of people we associate with, but it is also about how we distinguish and individuate ourselves from the crowd. This might be about rebellion against conformity in general, or perhaps a rejection of being seen as "one of many."

From Saturn's more conventional perspective, Aquarius the group is about the glue that holds that group together – the commonality, the overlap that each member shares with the others. In order for a group to remain a group, it must define what/who does and doesn't belong in the group.

As a result, you might find there is a person or group in your life, in your world, that you don't want to be involved with anymore – for example, a friend or a political group, a cause or stance, or a group that shares certain ideals or beliefs that you don't relate to anymore. Alternatively, you might be drawn to a group that itself has polarized to, declaring that "they are not who we are!"

The OOB Mars, along with the Venus-Mars conjunction and Mercury-Pluto conjunction, may build the urge to sever ties with those whom you are trying not to be. On the other hand, that same urge may pull you closer to certain people who emulate what you want to become.

The point is to be aware of this shift, and to notice the what, the why and the how. It might be the perfect time to make that shift, so connect that that urge consciously. Or it might be an unconscious pull that could create problems you'd rather live without, so again it's good to connect to that urge and find out what it's really about deep inside you.

What rubs off on me is hard to rub off. So, I’d better figure out what I'm rubbing up against.

~ Craig D. Lounsbrough

Besides Venus, Mercury is also stationary and also in Capricorn. about to go direct on Feb. 3 (or Feb. 4 if you're east of the Eastern Time Zone). Mercury has been retrograde since Jan. 14 (or Jan. 13 if you're west of the Eastern Time Zone), and is conjunct Pluto (2:40 orb) as he rounds the curve to go direct again. Mercury makes 3 passes of the conjunction to Pluto: Dec. 30 (25:53 Capricorn), Jan. 28 (26:51 Capricorn), and Feb. 11 (27:16 Capricorn).

The 4 weeks while the two are continually conjunct (Jan. 22 to Feb. 20), and especially the first week of February while Mercury is stationary and extra strong, may have an unusually strong energy concentration. The Mercury direct station takes on a rather intense edge, pushing us to think deep thoughts and look past the surface of what we think is happening around us.

This is happening against the backdrop of the New Moon in Aquarius, the sign of the collective. So, it's very possible that there's an aspect of the collective unconscious emerging during that Mercury-Pluto time. What you're feeling personally may be at least partly a reaction to those collective issues, which might be a bit obscure.

As a result, you might feel a bit out of control, as if you're caught in the slipstream of something overwhelming or powerful. You might be at a loss to understand where the energy dynamic is coming from, wondering 'Is it your stuff or is it their stuff?' And the answer is probably 'Yes.' It's both and neither and something else.

Why do I hunger for significant barometers but find myself tethered to banality instead?

~ Leslie Jamison, The Empathy Exams

The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon is Aquarius 13: A barometer. What an excellent image for our times! A barometer is a device that measures the amount of pressure in the environment. And we are certainly living in a time saturated with considerable pressure on many levels. However, the image doesn't offer an opinion on what we should do about the pressure or with it. A barometer is simply a device to measure it, not to change it.

Therefore, this zodiac degree is about strengthening your ability to detect what is happening, and to identify what it is. Is the pressure increasing without an apparent reason? Perhaps someone or something is "stirring the pot" to keep the issues in play? Is the pressure dropping? Perhaps it's time to allow the situation to settle, or for your role in it to become more relaxed. Are you unsure how to read the situation? Maybe you need a different way to assess what's happening, drawing on new information or viewing it from a different perspective?

This New Moon also marks Chinese New Year that begins the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese zodiac. This year's themes include ambition, courage and a quest for justice. In the Chinese element system, this is also the year of the Water Tiger, and like the Western system, it is associated with the emotions and passion.

The risk in reaching for great things is that they might elude our grasp. But have we considered that the ‘reaching’ might in fact have been the great thing?

~ Craig D. Lounsbrough

Ending on an optimistic note, there is one more configuration in the New Moon chart to point out. There is a Mini-Trine aspect pattern consisting of Venus and Mars trine Uranus, and Jupiter sextile to all of them. Venus and Mars would normally see Uranus as a bit of an oddball from their conventional perspective in Capricorn. All are in Earth signs, so they have that in common, but there's still a curious mismatch of qualities in that trine aspect.

Jupiter in shape-shifting Pisces knows that there are ways to find a path through any entanglement of seemingly incompatible energies. Therefore, Jupiter holds up a light of imagination to show that they are all really kindred spirits in disguise. Jupiter is there to show how they can find common ground or how they can expand their perspectives in a way that includes the inconsistencies.

So, your job for the next 4 weeks is to find creative, imaginative, unconventional ways to expand your point of view, so that contradictions are then seen as variations on a theme rather than conflicts that disrupt the continuity. And the purpose of this exercise is to help shed a fresh light on where you're going from here and what kind of future you can help to build in the world around you.

Whatever you do from here and whatever you're aiming for, remember to stay safe! Stay sane. Stay awesome. The world, now and to come, needs you!

It isn't where you came from; it's where you're going that counts.

~ Ella Fitzgerald

The next update will be for the Full Moon in Leo on Feb. 16, 2022, when Venus and Mars are exactly conjunct! See you next time!

© 2022-01-31 Wendy Guy, all rights reserved. Astrological diagrams by Wendy Guy. Divider via Pixabay.com. Drawing of barometer by OpenClipart-Vectors via Pixabay.com.