…and a very Happy New Year to you.

Writing this during the long void-of-course Moon in Gemini that’s been going on since 6:55AM ET …not to enter Cancer until 8:08PM ET tonight. If you’re doing Moon void-y things like chilling out, going with the flow, focusing on routine tasks and generally resting or wandering, the otherwise supercharged patterns happening today may well pass you by. And those patterns would be the enterprising Capricorn Sun hooking up with Pluto at 6:32PM ET, ready for a power play hours after freedom-mandating Uranus insists on a state of independence.  Upside: potential empowerment and/or emancipation. Downside: for whose benefit? Remember, planets have nothing to do with how energy is used. We humans have plenty of free will to choose whether we act for better or for worse.

Meanwhile, at 9:48AM ET, Venus (love, money, art, women) entered “I love you, but don’t take it personally” Aquarius. Venus in Aquarius suggest less status-seeking and social-climbing; more friendly vibes and humanitarian concerns in social expression, if a bit unconventional.  That’s the vibe until January 28th, when Venus enter Pisces with a sigh an empathic sigh.

Tonight’s Cancer Moon is happy to stay close to home, where it can focus on preserving emotional security. If emotions are running high, look to the Full Moon, which will be exact Sunday at 11:53PM ET. During the day tomorrow, there is much practical potential in the social expression front, as Venus will be anchored by Saturn in philosophical Sagittarius. Where are you going and what does it all mean — in your relationship — and your finances? What do you value?

As Sunday evening falls, the potential for revelations and catharses (for better or worse) rises, as the Moon makes its weekly clash with the never-ending Uranus-Pluto square. Communication may be jumbled as mental Mercury leaves Capricorn for rocket scientist Aquarius at 8:08PM ET. Mercury in Aquarius is happily wonky and less concerned with every darn word needing a practical purpose or why bother saying it. The jumble comes from having to adjust to the new mental vibe….and OMG we’ll have plenty of time to appreciate the weirdly stubborn-yet-perfectly-cerebral-technogeek Aquarian mindset, given that Mercury won’t leave the sign of the Water Bearer until March 12th. Why?

Because Mercury turns retrograde on January 21st. You will love it.

Keep an eye on world events on this Full Moon in comparison to events that happen around April 4th. Both lunations will trigger the Uranus-Pluto square, so we’ll see if things that happen now will be moved further along in April (I expect they will be).  Certainly if you have a planet or angle around 15 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn, you will be feeling some shift in your life, especially if Sun, Moon or angles are involved. And if you do not know where your angles are and if they are involved, get thee to an astrologer forthwith! Otherwise I am going to wonder why you are reading astrological forecasts without considering how these planetary cycles might be reflected in your own life development — and how helpful it would be to know the game plan.

The Sabian Symbols for the Full Moon are, for the Moon: “A group of people who have overeaten and enjoyed it”; and for the Sun: “Many toys in the children’s ward of a hospital”. This inspired Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee to muse thoughtfully about themes of hospitality, hospices and stewardship, as well as the virtues of “guarding the joy and pleasures of life without straying into repeated excess” versus “avoiding life’s issues through indulgence in trifles”.  If you do not have Bovee’s lovely book about Sabian Symbols, consider adding it to your collection.

And now, the news.

I do love this week between Christmas and New Year’s, as much of the Western World takes time to rest without the pressure of daily deadlines. This doesn’t suggest a lack of productivity. It’s just….nice…and I hope you’ve enjoyed many blessings whilst ringing out 2014.

That being said, there are a few headlines that have caught my eye  — with more on what we might expect as reality check Saturn moves through Sagittarius (collective beliefs and mass communication) for the next two years.  Saturn is limitation and control.  So how about this item:  “Web Freedom Seen as a Growing Global Issue.” Ah..limited access…and perhaps…censorship?

Today there was a story about a widow who was stunned to watch her husband die on commercial TV — months after his passing — in primetime, no less. Seems that when he was taken to the ER after being hit by a sanitation truck, cameras were rolling in the operating room, courtesy of the “why should we bother paying writers and actors to create scripted shows when we can get them for practically free” forces behind the reality show, “NY Med”.  The family of the deceased patient has sued, citing violations of privacy. So far, they have not prevailed in court. What do you think?

Meanwhile, add Bono to the list of people with life events likely reflecting the potential squeeze of Saturn to planets and/or angles in the horoscope. In November he had an accident while bicycling in Central Park, breaking his arm in six places. Today he released a statement noting that “he may never play guitar again”. He will spend the next several months recovering and preparing for a summer tour, which is when Saturn will return to the place it was at the time of the accident — right at the top of his horoscope, ruling his Ascendant, an important health center. Feel free to send him healing thoughts so he may succeed with his efforts to be at the top of his game this summer. Overall patterns in his horoscope for the next few years are intense, as you might imagine.

As for Monday…

Sunday’s Cancer Full Moon at 11:53PM ET immediately goes void, not to enter Leo until 6:03AM ET on TUESDAY. So a slow or wandering start to the back-to-work week can be forgiven, though focusing on practical to-do lists is suggested  — and aided and abetted by a cooperative alignment between mental Mercury and disciplined Saturn at 5:21PM ET Monday. This is the only exact aspect of the day.

In the next forecast, I hope to offer some thoughts on major planetary patterns of 2015, including the end of the never-ending Uranus-Pluto square on March 15th/16th, depending on your time zone.

Thank you for reading this forecast.

To find out what planetary patterns suggest for you in 2015, consider scheduling a personal astro-logical consultation.