Astrological Review of the Year 2010

Part 1: The Cardinal T-Square


(Click here for Part 2, which looks at some of 2010's major new stories)

2010 was a big year and not an easy one, there’s no doubt about that. Now 2011 beckons and it’s time to look forward with hope and optimism, but not before taking a little time out to cogitate and ruminate a while over the year that was twenty-ten.

The major story running through 2010 was the economy. After the banking crisis of 2008 and 2009, followed by ongoing and unprecedented monetary collapses at government level in countries such as Iceland, Greece and latterly Ireland, 2010 was a year of facing realities and making difficult and unpalatable decisions. Not just for banks and governments, but for businesses, public services and individuals alike. Astrologically, of course, this kind of crisis has long been predicted by astrologers, in anticipation of the Saturn, Uranus, Pluto cardinal T-Square, which peaked mid year with Jupiter’s ingress into Aries.

As I wrote back in March:

“In late 2008 Saturn in Virgo was about to make the first of its oppositions to Uranus in Pisces. Saturn-Uranus connections signify sudden change, shocks and the upsetting of the status quo and this was indeed what we were seeing all around us, as the world tumbled into economic crisis. As the ripples began to be felt in our personal lives, many of us found that our ability to remain flexible in the face of disruptive change was tested. When Saturn moved into Libra a year later, instead of a collective sigh of relief, we were all holding our breath waiting for Saturn to make the first of its square aspects to Pluto in Capricorn. Saturn-Pluto aspects signify times of intense challenge, restriction and hard, hard work and without a doubt many of us have been feeling this in our own lives and the lives of our loved ones.

When Uranus moves into Aries in late May 2010, the Saturn-Uranus oppositions and the Saturn-Pluto squares will begin to come together to form the much anticipated cardinal T-square, an event which has many of us puzzled and worried. With these cardinal energies, we can perhaps expect times of fast-forward movement, more shocks and changes, and a lot more hard work. What these energies also promise is the opportunity for personal and collective transformation, exciting creative breakthroughs, inspired action and promising fresh starts. Our ability to keep up with the pace of change will depend to some extent upon our readiness to set clear boundaries, plan for the unexpected, hold things in perspective, apply the wisdom of our experience and keep our minds and bodies in balance while all around us is in flux.”

How was it for you? Certainly these were difficult energies for me and for many around me (transiting Pluto was conjunct my Sun for most of the year, with Saturn squaring it). Fortunately, the online astrological community rose to the challenge, with some spectacularly insightful and helpful articles. Here is my pick of the best:

The International Astrology Day Blog-A-Thon organized by Donna Cunningham and CJ Wright (with a little help from me), focused on providing helpful articles and coping and healing tools for dealing with the energies of Saturn, Uranus and Pluto. Scores of astrologers contributed their wisdom, experience and insights. I’m sure most of you have seen the Blog-A-Thon pages, but the articles form a timeless collection that is well worth revisiting.

The Astrotabletalk blog has covered all the major stories this year, so it’s worth a browse through the topic label list. The post Astrozeitgeist Update gives a pretty concise summary of how this year’s ‘Cardinal Drama’ has been reflected in world events.

Theodore White, at Global Astrology, has written extensively about the ‘Cardinal Crisis’, closely tracking it against world events. Here’s one of his latest posts: Cardinal Crisis, Cable Gate and Wikileaks 

Bill Herbst has an impressive back catalogue of newsletters specifically about the Saturn-Uranus-Pluto T-Square and what it means to the world. Download them here: billherbst.com/newsindex

Richard Tarnas published an excellent article, World Transits 2000-2020, A Overview, a follow up to his excellent book Cosmos and Psyche.

Finally, see my Outer Planet Cycles collection of articles on the major transits of 2010 ~ Saturn-Pluto, Saturn-Uranus, Jupiter-Uranus and Jupiter-Saturn

In Part 2, I’ll review 2010 month by month, looking at how some of the big news stories were reflected in the heavens.

Come back soon!

With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/