(The following essay is an excerpt from my 2011 Astrological Almanac.)

2011 is an intermediary year, following the storms of 2008-2010 and preceding the difficult configurations of 2012-2015. It may be a far cry from the year of milk and honey, but 2011 holds the opportunity to make progress in a way that the difficult configurations of 2008-2010 impeded with both personal and collective crises. Although the tensions of 2012 will be foreshadowed in 2011, they are not nearly as intense. 2011 is a year to get your ship in gear for the rough seas ahead.

Attaining Critical Mass

The year begins on a relatively solid note, but as the winter months pass, the year begins picking up its pace. Jupiter enters Aries at the end of January, and the Sun, Mercury and Mars bunch together in February, forming a roving gang of celestial toughs in Aquarius. They’ll stay more or less in synch as they move through Pisces in March. This mobile pile of planets focuses the energy of each month and provides the proper amount of punch for big events on both a personal and collective level. The energy builds to a fevered pitch in April, when the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars all pass through Aries, joining Jupiter and Uranus, already in the ram’s sign. This planetary pile up is a rare thing, and with so much energy in such a dynamic sign, April is likely to be a wild month. This dynamic continues through May as the planets enact a mass exodus into Taurus, where we’ll work on grounding out the dynamic energies unleashed.

Blacklight Intermission

June sees a serious change in planetary dynamics. The roving gang of planets that pushed their way through Aquarius, Pisces, Aries and then Taurus begins to split apart, some speeding ahead while others fall behind. In addition, June is home to a rare three Eclipses. The month begins and ends with a Solar Eclipse, with a Lunar one sandwiched mid month. The separation of the planetary pile up and the introduction of the Eclipse sandwich indicates that during June we will be forced to slow down and consider all that’s occurred.  In perfect agreement with this message to slow down is Jupiter, who leaves Aries for emerald fields of Taurus on June 4th. Jupiter will be in Taurus for the rest of the year, rewarding the slow, solid and consistent in action.

Summer Storms

Late June, all of July and the first half of August are all subject to a series of grand crosses and t-squares, tense configurations which bombard the summer months with storm and stress. Here we’ll have to work to keep our ships steady, holding onto gains and following through on projects initiated earlier in the year.

Practical Matters

The summer’s tensions will subside by September, the cardinal crosses replaced with a series of grand earth trines. These more harmonious configurations shift our focus from crazy tension to making concrete progress in practical matters. October brings planets into conjunction with Saturn in Libra, acting as a sort of review for the year up to that point. Most of November shifts our attention back to September’s solid opportunities and concrete changes, though with an eye toward the future.

One Step Back

As November transitions into December, we’re treated to another pair of Eclipses and a Mercury retrograde. The end of November and the first half of December are, like June, a time of deep transition. The year ends with an ominous New Moon conjunct Pluto on Xmas Eve offset by Jupiter in Taurus’ happy direct station on Xmas day.

The Year’s Features

Mercury Retro Cycle Shift

One important feature of 2011 is a shift in the Mercury retrograde cycle. Mercury’s three yearly retrogrades always take place largely in signs of the same element. This brings Mercury’s re-organizing, problem revealing/solving energy to bear on one of four elemental topics.  For the last 2 years Mercury’s retrogrades have all taken place in Earth Signs, spotlighting problems with work, money and health. But all of 2011’s Mercury retrogrades take place primarily in Fire signs, shifting the focus toward self-expression, self-concept and self-assertion. Through the Mercury retrogrades of 2011, many will shrug off the layers of worry that have accumulated over the last several years and rediscover their fighting spirit. Which, in some cases, may mean trouble.

Eclipse Shift

2011 also sees the axis of the Eclipses shift. For half of 2009 and all of 2010, the Eclipses targeted Cancer and Capricorn, which pulled Pluto in Capricorn into the Eclipse cycle, intensifying their already harsh evolutionary imperative. After early January’s Solar Eclipse in Capricorn, the cycle will shift onto the Sagittarius-Gemini axis, with the exception of a single Solar Eclipse in Cancer at the end of June.

The theme of this Gemini-Sagittarius Eclipse cycle is a movement away from unnecessary divisions of the personality and bifurcations of one’s efforts, complimented by a move toward the unification of the personality and concentration of one’s forces in the areas that really matter. Although there will no doubt be difficulties in making these Gemini- Sagittarius shifts, it is, as a whole, considerably easier than the move away from comfort into the embrace of cold facts that the Cancer- Capricorn cycle had in store for us during 2010.

No Venus or Mars Retrogrades

One set of planetary factors that tends to drizzle piss and ignite shit- storms over the course of a year are the retrogrades of Venus and Mars. The retrogrades of these two planets destabilize people’s personal lives quite a bit. Although most years see the retrograde of one or the other, 2011 is joyously free of both Venus or Mars retrogrades. However, we’ll get to make up for it 2012, where we’ll be treated to back-to-back retros of the two personal planets.

The Decade’s Dynamics

Another interesting thing about 2011 is that we will see Uranus, Neptune and Pluto relatively freshly into the signs they will be in for the majority of the coming decade. This gives us a sneak peak at the mixture of pressures that will be exerted on both our personal and collective lives.  Pluto, which entered Capricorn in 2008, will remain in Capricorn until the early 2020’s. Uranus, which entered Aries for three months during the spring and summer of 2010, re-enters Aries for keeps in March of 2011. Uranus will be in Aries until the last years of the decade, so get used to the urges for radical empowerment the mohawked planet stimulates. Neptune, in Aquarius since the late nineties, finally edges into Pisces this April 4th, where the lord of the mighty waters will tantalize us with dreams-to-be until August 4th, when it retreats back to Aquarius. Neptune will return to Pisces in 2012, making its home in the expansive sign until 2024.

The Starry Backdrop

And so this year we are treated to a preview of the planetary combo that will remain consistent throughout much of the ‘teens: the competing energies of Uranus in Aries: radical self empowerment, Neptune in Pisces: a mystical, maddening bloom of imagination and Pluto in Capricorn: the crushing reality of evolutionary necessity. It’s going to be a wild ride.

2011 Scopies!

Aries:  The Ram

The year begins on a solid note, and gathers momentum as we move toward the massive pile up in Aries in early Spring.  The Aries-fest begins at the end of March, runs through April and extends well into May, giving you more go-juice than you’ve any right to have.  Spend your winter lining up asses to kick so you have something useful to do with all that energy.  In the midst of all the action, Neptune sneaks into Pisces on April 4^th, where the big blue planet will be until August, thinning the veil between your waking and dreaming mind.

June’s eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius’ pull your energy away from short term goals, pushing you to focus your efforts on more distant aspirations.   Meanwhile, Jupiter strolls into Taurus, where the big planet will be for the rest of the year, offering financial wisdom and opportunity.  The last solar eclipse in Cancer comes at the end of June, spotlighting problematic aspects of your living situation and unreconciled issues with your past, leading into summer’s storms.

This summer’s crosses rock the boat a bit, with tensions between necessary transformations in your professional direction, radical personal empowerment, problems with your family and/or living space and the demands of relationships pressing simultaneously on you.  Nonetheless, amidst a couple messes, opportunities emerge.

As September begins, you’ll be ready to focus on opportunities for the concrete development of your financial and professional life, while October asks you to review how fair and equitable your relationships are.

November and December hold another pair of eclipses, finishing out the year with a series of pushes away from short term projects and toward long term goals.

Taurus:  The Bull

The year begins on a solid note, and gathers momentum as we move toward the epic planetary pile up in Aries.  The party begins at the end of March, runs through April and extends well into May, liberating desires for independence and empowerment you weren’t sure you had.  It’ll be exciting but very pressurized.  Give yourself the time to understand the motivations emerging from inside you.  In the midst of all the action, Neptune sneaks into Pisces, where he’ll be until August, dissolving the boundaries in your social life and magnetizing weirdos to you.

June’s eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius pull you away from relying on only your own resources, pushing you to join forces with like minded others.   Jupiter also sneaks into your sign, giving you bonus confidence for the rest of the year.  The last solar eclipse in Cancer, at the end of June, spotlights problematic aspects of the way you communicate your feelings, kicking off the summer’s tense patterns.

Summer’s storms sweep across your pasture, activating a number of peripheral tensions simultaneously.  Emerging issues of personal empowerment, necessary changes to your long term plan and  problems with finances and physical health all threaten to throw your regular rhythm out of whack.

As September begins, you’ll be ready to focus on making a variety of concrete life changes, while  October asks you to review your physical and fiscal health and make a few adjustments.

November and December hold another pair of eclipses, finishing out the year with another series of pushes toward joining forces with those of like mind.

Gemini:  The Twins

The year begins on a solid note, and gathers momentum as we progress toward the epic planetary pile up in Aries.  The fun in Aries begins at the end of March, runs through April and extends well into May, supercharging your social life and emphasizing how important making connections is.  Oh, the people you will meet.  In the midst of all the action, Neptune sneaks into Pisces,  where the blue orb will be until August, calling your professional dreams to high tide.

June’s eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius will be intense for you, illuminating a number of personal issues and calling for some psychologically difficult shifts.  The last solar eclipse in Cancer, at the end of June, spotlights one last thing you need to change about the way you’ve been handling your finances.

The summer’s grand crosses will give rise to a small crisis or three surrounding resources.  Expect to handle some tensions with your financial, social and creative reservoirs during this time.

As September begins, you’ll be ready to focus on opportunities to make some concrete changes in your personal life, shoring up your foundations, accepting and growing from some hard truths.  October’s conjunctions with Saturn ask how wisely you’ve been spending your creative energy.

November and December hold another pair of eclipses, finishing out the year with another series of intense, personal shifts focused on making you a more unified and directed being.

Cancer:  The Crab

The year begins on a solid note, and gathers momentum as we move toward the epic planetary pile up in Aries.  The excitement begins at the end of March, runs through April and extends well into May, super-charging your professional life.  Breakthroughs abound. In the midst of all the action, Neptune sneaks into Pisces,  where it’ll be until August, opening your mind to all manner of psychedelic realizations.

June’s eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius highlight the issues hidden somewhere in the back of your brain, pushing you to get over your bullshit and focus on practical matters.  Meanwhile, Jupiter slips into Taurus.  The big planet will be busy helping you expand your social circulation throughout the year.  The last solar eclipse in Cancer, at the end of June, spotlights one last change you need to the way you think of yourself, ending a cycle of personal changes that began back in 2009.

The summer’s grand crosses will give rise to a series of storms in the big areas of your life.  Self, career, relationships and living situation all get a little rocked over the summer.   Plan to stroll into the summer months with your shit ready to weather a squall or two.

As September begins, you’ll be ready to focus on opportunities to make important changes to your social life, empowering you to make concrete changes to the way you deal with the other humans. Shortly thereafter, October’s conjunctions with Saturn ask you to assess your living situation.

November and December hold another pair of eclipses, finishing out the year with another series of pushes away from old bullshit and into the work before you.

Leo:  The Lion

The year begins on a solid note, and gathers momentum as we move toward the epic planetary pile up in Aries.  The fire gets going at the end of March, runs through April and extends well into May.   The line up in the ram’s sign takes your eyes to the horizon, blinding visions revealing a new set of long term goals to you. In the midst of all the action, Neptune slips into Pisces, where it’ll be until August, tuning you into subtle energies and confusing your arrangements with other people.

June’s eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius ask you to spend less time with what people think, and more with what you’d like to make out of your life.  Meanwhile, Jupiter strolls into Taurus, where the big planet will be busy aiding your with your professional life all year.  The last solar eclipse in Cancer at the end of June highlights one last piece of subconscious baggage you need to let go of, ending a cycle of personal changes that began back in 2009.

The summer’s grand crosses see a number of small storms erupt on the periphery of your life.  Tensions between long and short term goals as well as issues of mental and physical health all compete to distract you from the professional opportunities emerging amidst the season.

As September begins, you’ll be ready to focus on the concrete development of your financial and professional life.  October’s conjunctions with Saturn ask you to assess the clarity of your thinking as well as how well you’re expressing yourself.

November and December hold another pair of eclipses, finishing out the year with another series of pushes away from what other people think and toward whatever it is you would create.

Virgo:  The Virgin

The year begins on a solid note, and gathers momentum as we move toward the epic planetary pile up in Aries.  The fun begins at the end of March, runs through April and extends well into May.   This line up points toward epic exchanges and the possibility of super empowerment through partnership.  In the midst of all the action, Neptune sneaks into Pisces, where it’ll be until August, working hard to turn you into a die-hard romantic.

June’s eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius ask you to let go unnecessary professional goals and turn your energy toward your foundations.  Meanwhile, Jupiter strolls into Taurus, helping to clarify and solidify your long term goals.  The last solar eclipse in Cancer at the end of June suggests one last change to the structure of your social life, ending a cycle of personal changes in that area that began back in 2009.

The summer’s grand crosses will give rise to a small crisis or two surrounding resources.  Expect to handle some problems with your financial, social and creative reservoirs during this time.

As September begins, you’ll be ready to focus on concretizing a number of personal changes, improving your energy, perspective and sense of self.  October’s conjunctions with Saturn ask you to check in on your financial equilibrium.

November and December hold another pair of eclipses, finishing out the year with another series of pushes away from extraneous professional objectives and toward solidifying your foundations.

Libra:  The Scales

The year begins on a solid note, and gathers momentum as we move toward the epic planetary pile up in Aries.  The party gets started at the end of March, runs through April and extends well into May, super-charging your relationships.  Partnerships become the key to virtually all important life areas.  This one will test your diplomatic skills. In the midst of all the action, Neptune slips into Pisces, where the blue planet will be until August, bringing you a spiritual perspective on mundane activities.

June’s eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius highlight a shift away from distant objectives and the embrace of more immediate goals.   The last solar eclipse in Cancer comes at the end of June, spotlighting the one last change you’ll need to make to your professional trajectory, ending a cycle of personal changes that began back in 2009.

The summer’s grand crosses will give rise to a series of storms in the big areas of your life.  Your sense of self, career, relationships and living situation all get a little rocked over the summer.   Plan to stroll into the summer months with your shit together enough to weather a storm or two.

As September begins, you’ll be ready to focus on opportunities to make important changes to the structure of your emotional and spiritual life.  Shortly thereafter, October’s conjunctions with Saturn review how much progress you’ve made toward becoming a more balanced, responsible and practical person.

November and December hold another pair of eclipses, finishing out the year with another push away from distant goals and toward the tasks that lie directly before you.

Scorpio:  The Scorpion

The year begins on a solid note, and gathers momentum as we move toward the epic planetary pile up in Aries.  The fun begins at the end of March, runs through April and extends well into May.  This pile of planets will fill your plate for quite some time, seeing you busier than the day is long.  Keep an eye on your health while trying to keep pace with April’s energies.  In the midst of all the action, Neptune sneaks into Pisces, where he’ll be until August, giving you increased access to the creative depths of your imagination.

June’s eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius pull you away from relying on other people’s resources, pushing you to make do with what you can put together.   Jupiter also sneaks into Taurus in June and starts teaching relationship lessons, which he’ll be doing for the rest of the year.  The last solar eclipse in Cancer comes at the end of June, pointing toward one last change you need to make to your long term plans.

Summer’s storms sweep across your pasture, activating a number of peripheral tensions simultaneously.  Issues of physical and mental health along with tension between long and short term goals threaten to throw you off your game.

As September begins, you’ll be ready to focus on making a variety of positive changes to virtually all aspects of your social life.  The next month, October, asks you to review your mental health and make a few tweaks to your prescription.

November and December hold another pair of eclipses, finishing out the year with a series of pushes away from relying on others and toward independence.

Sagittarius:  The Archer

The year begins on a solid note, and gathers momentum as we move toward the epic planetary pile up in Aries.  The party starts at the end of March, runs through April and extends well into May. This ridiculous mess of planets will supercharge you creatively, with ideas and energies leaking out your ears and dripping from your mouth. In the midst of all the action, Neptune sneaks into Pisces, where he’ll be until August, stirring up feelings about the past.

June’s eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius will be intense for you, illuminating a number of personal issues and calling for some psychologically difficult shifts.  Meanwhile, Jupiter sneaks into Taurus, where he’ll aid you in shoring up your physical and fiscal health throughout the year.  The last solar eclipse in Cancer, at the end of June, spotlights one last thing you need to change about the way you’ve you’re handling the exchanges of time, money and energy with other people.

The summer’s grand crosses will give rise to a series of problems surrounding resources.  Expect to handle some tensions with your financial, social and creative reservoirs during this time.

As September begins, you’ll be ready to focus on the concrete development of your financial and professional life.  October’s conjunctions with Saturn check in on whether you’ve been making most of the social resources available to you.

November and December hold another pair of eclipses, finishing out the year with another series of intense, personal shifts focused on making you a more unified and directed being.

Capricorn:  The Goat

The year begins on a solid note, and gathers momentum as we move toward the epic planetary pile up in Aries.  The fun begins at the end of March, runs through April and extends well into May, bringing an intense amount of energy to your living space.  Events surrounding family members also feature heavily.  The theme which encloses these events is the importance of the strength that emerges from solid foundations.  And, of course, the problems that emerge from unsteady ones.  In the midst of all the action, Neptune sneaks into Pisces, where he’ll be until August, stimulating your imagination and putting your thinking into a more spiritual mode.

June’s eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius highlight a shift away from practical matters coupled with an increasing focus on what dwells in the darker recesses of your mind.  Meanwhile, Jupiter sneaks into Taurus, where he’ll be boosting your creative energy for the rest of the year.  The last solar eclipse in Cancer comes the end of June, spotlighting one last change to the way you approach relationships, ending a cycle of personal changes that began back in 2009.

The summer’s grand crosses will give rise to a series of storms in the big areas of your life.  Your sense of self, professional position, relationships and living situation all get a little rocked over the summer.   Plan to weather a squall or two during the summer months.

As September begins, you’ll be ready to focus on making concrete and encompassing personal changes, while October’s conjunctions with Saturn test what balance you’ve achieved in your professional life.

November and December hold another pair of eclipses, finishing out the year with another series of pushes deeper into the hidden nature of things.

Aquarius:  The Water Bearer

The year begins on a solid note, and gathers momentum as we progress toward the epic planetary pile up in Aries.   The ram-party begins at the end of March, runs through April and extends well into May.  This configuration sees you racing to make a million connections.  There is a tremendous focus on the workings of your mind as well as your mode of expression.   In the midst of all the action, Neptune slips into Pisces, where he’ll be until August, giving you a glimpse of what a valuable resource the imagination truly is.  Neptune in Pisces will also push you to take a more spiritual point of view on monetary affairs.

June’s eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius push you toward embracing a larger network of people.   Meanwhile, Jupiter strolls into Taurus, where he’ll be helping to solidify your living situation for the rest of the year.  The last solar eclipse in Cancer comes at the end of the month, kicking off the summer’s tense patterns with an important change to the way that you deal with your physical and fiscal health.

Summer’s storms will activate a number of peripheral tensions simultaneously.  Changing thought patterns, growing awareness of subconscious patterns,  financial and physical stress all threaten to throw your long term goals off balance.

As September begins, you’ll be ready to focus on solidifying important improvements to your emotional and spiritual life.  Afterward, October calls your long term goals in for an assessment and a few adjustments.

November and December hold another pair of eclipses, providing another push to embrace a larger number of people.

Pisces: The Fish

The year begins on a solid note and gathers momentum as it approaches the epic planetary pile up in Aries.  The party in Aries starts at the end of March, runs through April and extends well into May, placing heavy emphasis on the resources you have at your disposal, particularly your finances.  You’ll be working hard for that money, so hard for it.  Honey.   In the midst of all this, Neptune sneaks into Pisces, subtly expanding the scope of your universe and boosting your already potent imagination.

June’s eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius oversee a shift away from your past and toward your goals for the future, asking you to focus on strutting your stuff.  Meanwhile, Jupiter strolls into Taurus, where he’ll be helping to relieve peripheral tensions all year.  At the end of June the last solar eclipse in Cancer comes,  spotlighting one last thing you need to change about the way you’ve been handling your creative energy.

The summer’s grand crosses will give rise to a small crisis or three surrounding resources.  Expect to handle some tensions with your financial, social and creative reservoirs during this time.

As September begins, you’ll be ready to focus on opportunities to improve your social circulation, making it a month full of meet and greet.  Afterward, October’s conjunctions with Saturn ask you to assess your partnerships with others, pointing toward how equitable, or not, the exchanges have been.

November and December hold another pair of eclipses, finishing out the year with a set of pushes to move out of your mom’s house and onto the professional stage.

Copyright Austin Coppock 2011