It is funny how we set up barriers in places that are really very arbitrary. I live in Queens, New York, very near the Throgs Neck Bridge, and I could be in the Bronx in 5 minutes. But I'd have to go over a bridge, and in my mind the Bronx is as far away as Cleveland (where I'll be in February, speaking at the International Academy of Astrology, by the way).

There are two times each year when I set up a similar barrier, but in time rather than space. One is September, the time of going back to school. Due to the whole process of education, I set that barrier up rather strongly as a kid, and now although it may be August 25th, in my mind September is still months in the future.

The other is January 1st, the beginning of the New Year. Intellectually, of course, I know it is days away, but my emotional understanding still makes January sometime next year. That doesn't affect the way I do astrology, I should emphasize, just the way I picture time in my mind.

This year, though, there are hot aspects that tie the end of December to the first couple of weeks in January. Beginning around the full moon/Uranus station on the 17th, and extending through Christmas Day and peaking right around New Year's Eve, we have very intense energy as Mars weighs in on the Uranus-Pluto square (which has become the Uranus-Pluto-Jupiter T-square and with Mars is now a Grand Cross). This otherwise quiet time of year, when Yin energy predominates and we are drawn inwards, is lit up by these intense aspects.

Pay attention to what happens around the 1st of the year. This next week is setting the table for the most intense week of the decade, which will be in late April of 2014. Issues that emerge now will be hot for some time, and/or will point to areas that are about to become hot. We're in a crucible of change where holding on is not an option and going with the flow may be very scary at times. And the astrology of late December and early January links things together in a way that is sure to be strong enough to make even me see it as one continuous time.

With Venus going retrograde last week, it's been a time to reassess and reevaluate. One of the most striking features of this process has been a series of pardons issued by various governments.

Vladimir Putin has been leading the pardon pack, closing the case against Greenpeace activists arrested in the arctic circle, letting political rival Mikhail Khodorkovsky out of jail, and also freeing the two Pussy Riot members who were still incarcerated (they warned that we shouldn't be lulled into any warm and fuzzy feelings for Putin). It may all be a strategy for cooling criticism as the Sochi Winter Olympics approach, but it does show that Putin recognizes where the criticism would fall.

President Obama commuted the sentence of 8 people convicted on federal cocaine charges. He did so two days before the retrograde, citing an unfair system.

Perhaps most significantly, there was some talk of amnesty for Edward Snowden. The consideration of amnesty may be more about shutting him up so that he doesn't release any more of the many documents it is assumed he still has in his possession. Yet as Mars opposed Uranus this Christmas Day, Snowden - clearly the poster child of Uranus in Aries - announced boldly that he has "already won" by making it clear just extensively the government is spying on its citizens.

Many people have mixed feeling or vilify Snowden, but he has unquestionably raised one of the most important issues of the Uranus-Pluto square. An individual who rebelled (Uranus is Aries) against excessive government power (Pluto in Capricorn) might otherwise be hailed as a hero and a patriot, but the other side of Pluto in Capricorn is fear, and we shouldn't forget that those extensive government powers were given by American people, even if rather passively.

Finally, in a classic case of a little too little, a little too late, Queen Elizabeth pardoned another spymaster, Alan Turing. But Turing didn't work against the government but for it. His was a more personal 'crime' - Turing committed suicide after being chemically castrated for having gay sex, which was a crime in Great Britain in 1952. A reminder that although we aren't sailing through easy times today, the good old days that people often pine for were bad, bad, bad.

The Capricorn Ingress and Venus Station

Ah, to be an old-timey astrologer. You only had to focus on your own city. That won’t do today in our interconnected world, so when we have significant astrological aspects, we have to look around the globe to see where the hot spots are...

This December 21st, we had two big events, the Capricorn ingress (Winter Solstice) and Venus stationing to retrograde. These two events happened within a few hours of each other, so the charts are similar - but because the Earth keeps spinning, they fall in different parts of the world.

At the ingress, Pluto lands right on Dublin, suggesting that we might keep our eyes on Ireland.

Jupiter is prominent in London and Seattle, but although that might be good news, we should keep in mind that the Greater Benefic is now knitted into the Uranus-Pluto square. Hot aspects during the first week in January will turn up the heat, and the results may be more excessive than helpful.

Mars makes an appearance in Santiago, Chile, so keep an eye on the news from this recently-pretty-quiet country.

I hate to sound New York-centric, but as with the recent solar eclipse, The Big Apple is once again highlighted, this time with Uranus rising and Mars on the midheaven.

At the eclipse, I suggested public transportation problems, and the crash of a Metronorth train a few weeks later seems to have fit the bill. The opposition of Uranus to NYC’s Jupiter suggested a turnaround, and Democrat Bill DeBlasio was elected to replace Jupitercrat Mike Bloomberg.

The cosmic weather from both the eclipse (which is still active) and the ingress suggest that even difficult events like the train crash are only one level of manifestation. Something is cooking beneath the surface...

At the Venus station, the goddess of love (and values) was on the midheaven just a little east (and south) of Los Angeles. It will be interesting to see what happens in film over the traditionally strong Christmas season.

There is a wide swath of southeastern Australia that is touched by both the ingress and the station.

Of course, to really get a sense of what and where, you need to look at the chart of the place, as well as when and where ‘trigger’ aspects like those from the moon take place. Remember, too, that the ingress sets the tone especially for the next three months, and then reverberates for the entire year. There’s sure to be a lot going on everywhere in 2014, but the places highlighted at the ingress may have key symbolic events that are worth noting.

It’s funny that we plan for the holidays when the sun is in bright, optimistic Sagittarius, but they arrive when Sol has moved into practical Capricorn.

I love Sagittarius. Not so much people who are born under that sign - although you all are great, too - but the time each year when the sun is in Sag. On the one hand, it really is the Yin time of year, when the days are shortest (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the light is ebbing.

Yet it is so easy to see why Sag is a bright Fire sign. There’s an optimism and hope associated with the sign. Sure, the days are dark, but we’ll make our own light! From Chanukah and Kwanza candles to Christmas lights adoring trees, houses, and streets, we kindle our own light at this time of the year, lighting the darkness. No doubt these festivals of light started as ways to both celebrate and encourage the return of the sun, who sinks southwards each day during Sag.

When the sun is in Sag, we lean in towards the holidays. We anticipate the New Year. We take a long view of the year that is ending, look forward to some (perhaps illusory) time off, and go inwards to regenerate. The earliest sunsets here in New York are right around the middle of Sagittarius, in the first week in December. After that, the light already begins to grow in the evenings, however slowly.

I always see Sag as a time to take account of things, to explore. I imagine myself sitting with a text of Neoplatonic philosophy, or maybe old astrological lore, or perhaps learning some esoteric musical scales. Many years, nothing like this actually happens, and great plans that never come to be are also Sagittarian. But Sag encourages us onwards and upwards. It is easy to see - to feel - why this sign rules higher learning, spiritual education, and gurus.

Venus retrogrades through the end of 2013 and January of 2014, coloring the holiday season. With the goddess in practical Capricorn, we may question the extent to which we are simply going through the motions of holiday festivities, whether it is office parties, family gatherings, or social meetings. In this era of Uranus-Pluto things are changing fast, and the traditions that have warmed us for so long may start to feel a little flat.

For those inclined to break the bank in order to buy gifts, Venus retrograde may help us to understand that what is a marvelous present today becomes just stuff tomorrow. The thrill of the new only lasts as long as something really is new. We love giving each other that thrill, yet we sometimes do so at a great cost for a very small payoff. Yet on another level Venus retrograde reminds us that if we don’t overspend during the holiday season, our entire economy suffers - what are we to make of that paradox?

The Gemini full moon challenges us to accept and integrate multiple perspectives, to hold more than one truth simultaneously. The sun in Sagittarius shoots the archer’s arrow upward on an ascent seeking truth: it is an energy that seeks union, to unite the parts in a whole. But Gemini is a dual sign, representing multiplicity.

The fiery spirit apprehends the truth in a flash of insight, but it is then expressed in words, where the unity must be broken into separate pieces and displayed sequentially. Intuition - fire, spirit - confronts thought - air and mind. Thoughts charged with emotion are beliefs, which function like idea genes that move through the collective, influencing our reality in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. At the reflective moment of this full moon, we can assess their value.

The full moon in Gemini encourages us to recognize that we swim in a sea of multiple truths about reality that are each as ‘real’ as the experience that supports them. Knowing how and when to shift among these realities is a great challenge, one we are collectively just beginning to understand.

Back in the day, we would express the full moon in Gemini along the lines of, “to each his own” or “live and let live” - benign acceptance of different viewpoints. Recently, we are coming to understand that reality itself is contextual, that reality looks different depending upon your viewpoint. Both Gemini and Sagittarius can appreciate this complexity: Gemini thrills to the diversity while Sagittarius wonders at the ever-changing relationships among ideas.

When the sun is in a Fire sign, the moon will always be full in an Air sign. The unity of Fire is challenged to express itself, to move from being a moment of illumination into new forms - inspiration becomes reality via expression. With the sun in Aries, the self encounters the other, in Libra. When the sun is in Leo, the individual confronts the collective. In the more transpersonal sign of Sagittarius, the idea, the insight, is detached from the ego and moves on its own, yet can only be expressed when transduced to words.

This full moon closely aligns with the station of the planet Uranus in Aries. A little more than eight hours after the full moon, the planet of rapid insight, revolution, and individuality moves direct after its retrograde period. Uranus stations are edgy: patience is in short supply and the new and exciting takes precedence over the traditional. Combined with the Gemini full moon, we are getting ready to overturn values that hold us back, individually and collectively.

We are at the start of a three week period when the cosmic energy will pull us strongly towards the changes that we need to make (whether or not we want them). It’s going to be life in the fast lane, and we’ll need to stay alert and make rapid adjustments. It may feel like driving too fast on the highway in rainy weather - we realize it’s dangerous, but stopping is not an option.

What do you do with an astrology forecast?

It’s snowing today in New York. But that doesn’t mean that all New Yorkers are going to be out in the cold. Lots of us will be inside, whether that means being cold or comfy. And some of us will be out of town, missing the storm entirely. For those of us who do trudge around in the snow, some will be shoveling their cars out of or into parking spaces, while others will be sloshing through the subways. Clearly, we will have many different experiences of the day’s weather.

Astrology forecasts, whether written for the day, month, or year, describe the overall mood or feeling-tone of the time. They are most relevant for all of us collectively, and describes the sort of emotional weather we will be moving through. It helps to back away from your personal experiences just a bit in order to see how the cosmic symbols are manifesting.

What each of us is experiencing, however, may be very different from the overall trend, just as some people will sleep in on this snowy day while others will barrel ahead with business as usual. We may describe the waning, void, Pisces moon as a time to go inward and meditate, but if it is opposing your Uranus-Pluto-Mars in Virgo, you may feel very differently about it. The personal transits that we experience are more powerful to us on an individual level than the overall cosmic weather. Still, it helps to know the kind of collective mood you’ll be operating within.

Use the forecasts to time your actions when working with others, and to help understand why things may seem to be moving quickly - or slowly. Astrological forecasts aren’t meant to slow you down or stop you from pursuing your goals, but to add an additional layer of information.

5 ways astrology can help

1) Personalize your resume so that it matches your astrological profile. Stock catch phrases may work, but why not use key words that resonate with your chart? People will respond better to messages that are genuine.

2) Schedule your interview at a good time. Oh... your big interview is on a void moon? You sent out your resume with Mercury retrograde? Here's a better option: pick days and times that are astrologically in tune with your purpose.

3) Timing career decisions. Big changes can happen from out of the blue, but if you're feeling restless and wanting a career transition, it can be helpful to know whether to wait a bit or jump now.

4) Location, location, location. If you're ready to go mobile, astrology can be extraordinarily helpful in finding places where you shine.

5) Dress for success. I'm no fashionisto, but wearing clothes that harmonize with your sun sign and other career factors in the chart helps to convey who you are professionally.

Click here for more information on vocational consultations.

You’ve set your intention. You know you have. You’ve heard about it long enough, and at some point or another, you’ve given it a try. Wayne Dyer wrote a book on it. Deepak talks about it. The Secret is all about it.
Maybe you light a few candles, go into a quiet place, meditate a bit, and perhaps you invoke helpful spirits. Then you set about setting your intention. You connect with your purpose. You affirm what it is you want to create. Then you send it out to The Universe and wait.

And wait.

Most likely, the results of your intention-setting have been less than spectacular, and there are three reasons for this we should explore.

First, if you set your intention to something that is purely for your own ego-satisfaction rather than a really deep soul-level purpose, The Universe is less than likely to cooperate. God, or the gods, or the planets, and even your guardian angels, are not really interested in getting you into new Acura. So go deep: Think beyond yourself, for the greater good of your loved ones, your area, all beings.

Second, if you are very specific about what you want, you’re putting extra demands on the cosmic system. Intentions should be broad enough to allow for a variety of possible manifestations. If you’d like a wonderful relationship, that’s great. If you need to have a fireman, over six feet tall, blond with blue eyes, the cosmos is going to roll its eyes at you.

Finally, do something. Setting intentions is great as an internal preparation, but The Universe seems to like it when you meet it half way. Or at least a little part of the way. So, if you’d like a new job, set your intentions, and send out a resume. Sometimes, simply expressing what you are seeking to another person is enough, but some real concrete step in the direction you want to go is invaluable in making it happen. If you’re looking for a new relationship, you might want to get a nice haircut - feeling attractive to yourself is a good way to, well, to attract someone.

Astrology is all about timing, and knowing when to go forward and when to wait is one of the great benefits of using astrology. At another level, though, astrology can be helpful for recognizing what it really is that we need. Sometimes, we get stuck on a particular outcome without realizing the deeper issue. For example, it may be that we think we need more money, when what we really need is more fulfilling work.

Use the new moon to set intentions. Before and during the new moon is a good time to clear out the clutter of the past and focus on what you need to go forward. After the new moon (at least 12 hours after is a good rule of thumb) is a good time to make some symbolic action. Spend a little money or time - make it clear that you are invested in the outcome.

You may need to wait a little to see results, and the larger the goal the more time may be needed. But keep active, drawing your attention more and more in line with your intention. At the full moon, assess where things are and where you need to put more effort. From the last quarter to the new moon, you can back off a bit with new efforts, but follow up on any results you see. At the following new moon, it’s again time to assess, renew the intention, and begin to add more effort.

One final point - fewer intentions yield the best results. The more energy you put into each, the better the outcome usually is, but we each have limited energy so too many goals tend to water down the results.