Say Hello 2012, Wave Goodbye 2011 (and some handy survival tips)

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and I hope you enjoyed the celebrations. Of course, we weren't just saying hello to the New Year, we were letting go of the old year.

I celebrated with friends and at midnight, as we stood on the roof of their building watching the fireworks over London, someone shouted, goodbye 2011, you were c**p! Yes, without a doubt, 2011 was a year when many of us were swept up in a tide of change, challenge and difficulty.

This was reflected in the symbolism of the planetary alignments, most notably the applying square of radical, impetuous Uranus in Aries to Pluto in Capricorn, which demands sweeping transformation of our societal structures from the foundations up, including our economic and political structures and leaders. Who would have believed that 2011 would see the end of Mubarak's regime in Egypt, the overthrowing of Tunisia's President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, the assassination of Osama bin Laden,  the humiliating fall of Libya's Muammar Gaddafi and the resignation of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi? Instead, People Power was the way forward, witnessed most dramatically in the Arab Spring uprisings, but also in the riots and protests across Europe and in the worldwide Occupy movement.

Saturn continued through Libra, prompting us to question the boundaries of our relationships and alliances, on a personal level but also on a collective and political level. In the Eurozone crisis for example, relationships amongst EU countries have been strained almost to the limit over questions around who should pay to bailout failing Eurozone countries.

Neptune continued to travel hand in hand with Chiron, as both planets played out their last days in Aquarius and immersed themeselves in watery Pisces (Neptune finally leaves Aquarius behind in February). This suggests a collective (and for some, a personal) need to feel and understand sacrifice at a deep level. We're being told that, even though times are hard and set to get even harder, we're all in this together. Beware though, Neptune can be the great deceiver. Are we really all in this together? The Occupy Movement would say no we're not, the 99% are being asked to pick up the tab for the mistakes of the 1% who continue to 'get away with it'. The romanticism of Neptune in Pisces came out in the fairy tale fantasy that was the royal wedding and we were reminded of the destructive power of water by the devastating tsunami and nucleur crisis in Japan.

What will 2012 bring, more of the same? I believe it will bring the same and more.

The new People Power is only just finding its feet. It will continue to gain momentum as Uranus and Pluto make their first and second of seven exact squares in June and September 2012. Five more squares follow in 2013, 14 and 15. Exciting new leaders will begin to emerge, but in the end will they be any better than the leaders they will replace, or just different? Economically, we're set for another recession in 2012, with some even predicting a depression. I think they're correct, all the indications are there. It's a necessary step towards overhauling a system that is no longer working. We have failed to change voluntarily so we must do it the hard way. It's just a pity that this will mean suffering for so many. As for the '1%', as the Uranus and Pluto squares bed in, we will see more and more of them being held accountable for the messes they have created. Expect to see an avalanche of corporate and political heads rolling over the next three years. Again, will their replacements be any better or will the ousted leaders just be sacrificial gestures (Neptune in Pisces) so that the 1% can get back to 'business as usual' as quickly as possible? This is a time when we really can change the world, but also a time where it will be too easy to miss the opportunity if we don't fight hard enough or shout loud enough.

In October 2012, Saturn makes a clean break from Libra and enters Scorpio, where it will remain until 2015. Uneasy alliances and shaky friendships won't survive this transition. The UK coalition government will begin to break down, perhaps acrimoniously and I will be surprised if we don't see more than one country crashing out ot the Euro currency. People and communities, as well as countries, will become more secretive and more concerned about protecting what they've got, less inclined to share or compromise. Law and order, national, local and personal security and immigration will  become hot topics during Saturn's time in Scorpio. See Theodore White's article for more on Saturn in Scorpio.

Neptune in Pisces will be reflected on all levels, all at once. Expect the power of nature to make herself known over and over, but also expect to be heartened by the compassion and empathy of the human race in response to any kind of suffering or hardship. This is where Chiron in Pisces comes in and it will be those who have suffered the most that will have the most to offer others in hardship or despair. Neptune in Pisces will continue to come out through music, fashion, movies and in our spirituality. Expect a fantasy/escapism theme to emerge in all these areas. Fashion will follow film and the Maggie Thatcher look (yes, really), will be the height of glamour, closely followed by styles from The Great Gatsby. New findings into the nature of consciousness and the interconnectedness of all life will be published. Science will more and more come to feel like a religious experience, as discoveries in astrophysics push the boundaries of our comprehension and make us question reality. Lies and trickery will also be the order of Neptune in Pisces and deceptions will be uncovered. The full extent of the phone hacking scandal will emerge, including details of exactly how Piscean Rupert Murdoch played his part.

My survival tips for 2012?

Don't believe all that you see or all that you hear. Seek the answers from within and even then question yourself. In fact, this is a year to question everything,

Fight for your rights (and for the rights of others).

Stand up for who you are and be the unique person you were always meant to be.

Don't blindly follow any kind of leader, especially any kind of guru who claims to have all the answers.

Folllow your own lead.

Be your own boss.

Cut out the weed, cut down on the booze, keep a toe in reality if you're tempted to go on any flight of fantasy.

Create something beautiful.

Let go of the illusion of security and feel safe anyway.

2012 will push many of us to the edge, keeping clean and healthy in mind, body and spirit will help us to appreciate the view without falling off.

Most of all, do it all with love.

Hold on tight, our future is here

With love,
Mandi
www.mandilockley.com