Although as I’ve said before I don’t believe that it’s really possible to predict the future, it’s fun to make a stab at it. This coming year brings some interesting planetary configurations that could have a strong impact.

The stock market. Jupiter (abundance and opportunity) is currently traveling through Scorpio, which rules the stock market and shared resources. This would normally be beneficial to the stock market, but Jupiter is coming off of a square to Saturn in mid December that may have had some influence in limiting (Saturn) growth (Jupiter) during that period (the markets were relatively flat in 2005). However, Jupiter is dancing through a square to Neptune (illusion) from now until the end of March, bringing a need for caution where investments are concerned, and the possibility of overglamorizing investment opportunities. The Jupiter/Saturn square will be in effect in June and October of this year.

Complicating matters even further, Saturn (limitation) will square misty Neptune in August-September of next year, which will challenge investors to take a close look at the wisdom of their investments. Any rose-colored glasses left on after this process could result in trouble during the final dance between Jupiter and Neptune late in September and early October.

The war: Aggression will begin to seriously heat up on multiple world stages at the end of March when Pluto turns retrograde and is opposed by Mars. Rhetorical braggadocio will materialize into more aggressive warfare, particularly between Israel and Lebanon. Civil war will continue to escalate in Iraq, but American troops will begin to come home as voices against the war become louder and stronger.

George Bush: Dissent within the US Congress will continue to heat up and Bush will lose even more power as Saturn conjuncts Mercury (communication) and Pluto (power) in his chart. In March, when Chiron (wounded healer) crosses the cusp of his seventh house of partnerships, he may finally be forced to give up his good friend Karl Rove, the architect of his presidency. By the end of April when transiting Uranus (freedom and liberation) makes a trine to his Sun, he may begin to open up to new ways of doing things and we could see some positive changes if he takes advantage of his new opportunities.

Natural disasters: 2005 was a record year for natural disasters: A record-breaking tsunami in the South Pacific, a record breaking hurricane year in the Atlantic, a devastating earthquake in Pakistan. It is difficult to make astrological connections to these events, but the retrograde turn of Neptune, god of the sea, from May through October could indeed bring another strong hurricane season. In addition, the “mutual reception” of Uranus in Pisces (ruled by Neptune) and Neptune in Aquarius (ruled by Uranus) connects these two energies of Neptune/Pisces water with Uranus/Aquarian disruption in a way that can certainly signify floods and hurricanes. However, the overall planetary climate is milder and therefore the effects should be significantly less than last year.

Happy New Year everyone!