The Full Moon in Cancer on 2nd January 2018 – Flying high, but affected by the winds of change.

The first major astrological event of the New Year comes up soon as we encounter a Full Moon in Cancer. Anyone who has followed my work over the past few years will know that the Full Moon is a release point, the culmination of all our experiences as the Moon fully reflects the light of the opposing Sun. We have energy opposed to emotion, ying versus yang, light versus dark, man vs female. If you ever wonder why at a Full Moon our emotions are heightened, then you'll realise that in the main, all living organisms need male relationships with females of the species to survive, and when one is pitted against the other, tensions rise. More things happen over a Full Moon because there is a peak amount of opposed energy, causing division between the sexes who naturally see things on a completely different level. This is a Super Moon, the second of three in a row, and therefore potentially the most significant of them all. You'll remember the chaos that surrounded the 3rd December 2017 Super Moon in Gemini square to Neptune and the fall out in your lives from it in the following two weeks? Let me tell you, this Full Moon is no less dramatic.

The 15th degree of fixed signs – The “Avatar Degrees” and their significance to us all as 2018 begins.

This is a significant day in astrological terms as the Lunar Nodes now have reached the middle degree point of the fixed signs. In Astrology and in spirituality there is a mythical reputation about 15 degrees of any of the fixed signs, and right now and in the next couple of weeks they will be playing a huge part in all of our lives.

Now for those of you who don't realise, the 15th degree of any fixed sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius) is significant because it's exactly midway between the cardinal equinox and solstice points. These degrees have been known as “The Gates of the Avatars” and as you may know, an avatar is a free spiritual being or soul with magical or god like powers. There is a special melding of energy here and throughout history, it has been noted that these degrees have produced people with unusual gifts and talents that have a transcendental quality about them. These are fixed signs too and you often find enormous determination here to beat the odds stacked against you, in both good and bad ways. With the transiting planets there can be amazing coincidences, lucky breaks, the ability to achieve when it was thought impossible to do so.

Now obviously you need some examples and I have many. The late David Cassidy had Pluto at 15 degrees Leo in his 2nd house of making money (ruling his creative 5th house) and the fame and fortune he received because of his talent to charm a generation sent him on a path of personal destruction. Serena Williams has her Mars, the planet of sports on the same degree in her 5th house of sports and games, and she has taken women's tennis to a new level. Pablo Picasso had his natal Neptune at 15 Taurus, and his imagination to create and make things (Taurus is a sign of building) knew no boundaries. Stevie Wonder has his natal Pluto in his 10th house of career and he has overcome tremendous odds since going blind soon after birth (he has disintegrating Neptune the planet of music retrograde conjunct his Ascendant sextile to Pluto) to become one of the music geniuses of any generation. Carlos Puidgemont, the Catalan leader in exile has Neptune at 15 degrees Leo and he has causes chaos and disruption in Spain, and he himself has sacrificed himself for the dream of Catalan independence. Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany has her Moon in Aquarius opposite to Pluto and she has become the most powerful woman on earth for many years now. Facebook was launched with the Sun at 15 degrees Aquarius, the sign of networking and the internet and it has become probably the most successful website ever. John Paul Getty had his Jupiter at 15 Taurus opposite to Saturn, and he amassed a huge fortune and was notoriously frugal with it. Both Willie Nelson and Diana Ross had the sign of communication Mercury at 15 Taurus, Marvin Gaye his Uranus at 15 degrees Taurus trine to Neptune, the planet of music and imagination, Leslie Nielsen had his Venus at 15 Aquarius conjunct to Mercury and opposite to Neptune. Alice Cooper has his Sun conjunct 15 Scorpio, and he has made his name through a complete transformation of his persona. Finally Marcel Marceau, the mime artist had Neptune at 15 degrees Leo, the planet of imagination in the sign of performance. I think I've proved my point.

We also have another influence at 15 degrees now, Jupiter at 15 degrees Leo sitting at the North Bendings of the transiting Nodes. The North Bendings is the square point to the Nodes (there is a South Bending Point too) is a position of taking things a little too far and with Jupiter in this position there is a potential for total excess now, or going over the top. The US tax bill was signed on 22nd December with the Nodes at 15 Leo Aquarius and Jupiter square to them, and the general consensus is that the US Senate and President Trump have gone too far in pleasing their own rich and wealthy followers at the expense of the majority of the population. Punitive oil sanctions were voted on against North Korea at the UN security council, banning 90% of exports to that country, however that won't stop the Koreans and President Kim. Why? North Korea has Pluto, the nuclear planet natally at 15 degrees Leo and it is now conjunct to the transiting North Node and square is transiting Jupiter at 15 degrees Scorpio. Remember what I said about beating the odds and having a special mystical quality. North Korea has it too, secretive, utterly brutal and determined. These sanctions won't deter North Korea, indeed I think they will make her even more determined to prove a point.

In this regard I would be very wary in the next week or two, especially as military Mars gets to 15 degrees Scorpio conjunct to Jupiter and sextile to Pluto promoting a dangerous risk taking attitude in the pursuit of power and control. Remember Mars will still be closely square to the Nodes at the “going too far point” of the North Bendings. All this happens as the planet of disruption, shocks and rebelliousness Uranus slows to a halt on 2nd January 2018, stationing direct. You know something unexpected always happens at a Uranus station. I fear the new year may come in with quite a bang!!!