A new year is on the horizon — and with it comes a fresh batch of astro-weather and cosmic calamity.
From the planet of death moving into the sign of the idealistic robot to Mercury retrograde raging through the fire signs, the north node breathing gasoline in Aries, and Jupiter getting high in Gemini, ’tis primed to be a hell of a revolution around the sun, my friends.
Much like nature itself, the cosmos is not a malevolent force. The purpose of the planets is to reflect, initiate, and illuminate.
In the words of problematic Libra and occultist Aleister Crowley, “Astrology has no more useful function than this, to discover the inmost nature of a man and to bring it out into his consciousness, that he may fulfill it according to the law of light.”
Mark your calendars, gird your loins, and keep an eye on the skies and the law of light as your true north.
Pluto enters Aquarius
- Jan. 20 – Sept. 1, 2024
- Nov. 19, 2024 – Jan. 18, 2044
Petit but potent, Pluto is the planet of elemental power and total transformation. Discovered in 1930 and aptly named for the god of the underworld, Pluto teaches us that destruction is what greases the wheel of creation and that all life is wrought from some form of death.
Pluto has spent the past two decades in the hardscrabble sign of Capricorn, showing off the shadow side of financial systems and political authorities.
Pluto moves into Aquarius on Jan. 20, and after a brief dalliance with the sea goat from Sept. 2 to Nov. 18, it moves into the sign of the water bearer full-time and full-boar for its 20-year residency. The last time planet Pluto marched through Aquarius was 1778-1798 — two decades that saw the French, American, Haitian, and Industrial revolutions as well as the Age of Enlightenment.
In the future-focused, feeling-deficient sign of Aquarius, Pluto’s slash-and-burn path will be interesting to behold. There is a utopian leaning to the Aquarius archetype, but because Aquarius is a fixed sign, its definition of progress is resolute.
Since Aquarius rules electricity and technology, we may see developments in the arena of renewable energy (a Plutonian theme) and more among us questioning how tech can benefit all rather than pad the pockets of a few.
With Pluto at the helm and Aquarius in the lead, there’s a fated “Fight Club” new world order energy to this transit. It’s revolution without nuance and progress at all costs.
When it comes to Pluto, the planet “tests” the mettle of its children to cast out what holds them back. Rarely gentle but always necessary is the name of the game here, and we can’t see what will be until we burn what has been.
North node in Aries, south node in Libra
- March 24 – April 8 (strongest)
- Sept. 17 – Oct. 2 (strongest)
The nodes of the moon represent our inborn karmic imbalance and our cosmic impetus to evolve, change, reach, and release.
The lunar nodes spend a year and a half in a set of zodiac polarities, bringing forth the archetypal and oppositional themes associated with those signs. The nodes correspond to eclipse seasons — when sudden changes and radical revelation run roughshod over our lives.
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The operative energy of the north node is more (consume), while the south node is less (release).
The north node moved into Aries in July 2023 — and the effects of it will be felt throughout 2024. Themes that will come to light include autonomy versus avoidance, people-pleasing versus conflict resolution, and confident action versus passive accommodation.
As the brilliant astrologer Astro Butterfly details, “Aries-Libra is the relationship axis which we could also call the identity axis because nothing shapes us more at a personal level than our close, 1-on-1 relationships…South Node in Libra is ‘You win.’ North Node in Aries is ‘I win.’ South Node in Libra + North Node in Aries is ‘We win.’”
Astro Butterfly continues: “When the South Node and North Node work together, we get the best of 2 [worlds]: personal growth, creative collaboration, mutual respect, and equal give-and-take in relationships. We have a strong sense of self without compromising the harmony of our relationships.”
Mercury retrograde on fire
- Mercury retrograde in Aries: April 1–25
- Mercury retrograde in Virgo/Leo: Aug. 4–28
- Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius: Nov. 25 – Dec. 15
Mercury retrogrades are a familiar kind of chaos — the planet of the mind and the mouth slows its roll three to four times per year.
In this retrograde cycle, however, Mercury is hiccuping in the fire signs, lending these transits more volatility.
The same rules apply — pause before responding, double-check contracts, don’t text your ex, plan for delays, etc.
With fire at the wheel, we’re called to revise and revisit our relationships to asserting/dominating, creating/performing, and seeking/avoiding.
Jupiter enters Gemini
- May 25, 2024 – June 9, 2025
Jupiter is our great benefic. A wise scalawag with dice in hand and cash in pocket, he’s the planet of bounty and expansion, good luck and glad tidings. While Pluto transforms everything it touches, Jupiter amps the f–k out of it.
As astrologer Gahl Sasson, author of “The Astrology of 2024,” imparts, “Whatever sign Jupiter graces is also the sign whose archetype can give us the most success. The first 5 months of the year, Jupiter travels in Taurus and can help you tap into your talents, clarify your values, improve finances, discover new talents and improve your self-worth. The last 7 months of the year, Jupiter flirts with Gemini. This can help your communication, business, relationship with relatives and neighbors (I hope it also means neighboring countries), as well as writing, and sales.”
The danger of Jupiter in Gemini — a place where the planet is technically in its detriment — is getting lost in the sauce or dragged down by distraction. Jupiter is the big picture, and Gemini is the literal devil in the details.
At worst, Gemini is a vapid gossip, while on his worst day, Jupiter is an aggrandizing blowhard — so honesty and temperance are paramount here.
On the upswing, this cosmic coupling gives us ample opportunity to cross-pollinate, explore, collaborate, and communicate our wildest ideas with utter abandon. Truly, with this transit, the more you know, the more you grow.
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.
