I think we’ll find 2019 a year of contrasts and transitions, one that sets us up for the changes 2020 will bring. As such, we need to use it well.

The major theme looks to be the strain between our need to grow and expand (represented by Jupiter and Neptune’s alliance in the Jupiter-ruled signs of Sagittarius and Pisces) and the building pressure to consolidate and eliminate the unnecessary (represented by Saturn approach to the South Node and Pluto, all in Capricorn). This tension crescendos in early 2020 when Jupiter moves into Capricorn. Sub-themes include Uranus’ final exit from Aries into Taurus, which started mid-May 2018, and Mars triggering the Capricorn planets throughout the year, adding dashes of unpredictability, impatience and frustration.

Jupiter in Sagittarius 

Jupiter travels through its home sign of Sagittarius this year and will dream big while under the influence of Neptune, January through September. All these players yearn for expansion, growth, and possibilities, and do so with a sense of optimism. At best, they inspire us to aim high, reminding us that unless we push beyond our doubts and develop faith, we can never achieve the dizzying heights of our dreams. You can’t achieve what you’ve never imagined or considered. 

The flip side, of course, would be living in a place of unrealistic expectation, so rather than shooting for the stars we end up shooting ourselves in the foot.  Or we can allow our feelings of uncertainty and confusion to paralyze us; rather than dealing with the problems and opportunities at hand, we could run toward fantasy and avoid doing the work to make our dreams a reality.

Those caveats aside, 2019 can be a year in which we push forward in a new way and move beyond previous limitations, especially in those areas of the chart governed by Jupiter or in which Jupiter is placed. The challenge then is to aim high and keep your eye on the target, most easily done when the goal is focused and personally meaningful. 

Jupiter’s and Neptune’s alliance can also point to a more generous, compassionate frame of reference as well. Cultivate it by nurturing your community spirit, giving back to those in need, and anchoring yourself in spiritual practice, however you define that, be it communing with nature or heading to the church or temple.

Saturn, South Node and Pluto in Capricorn

The buoyant dreaminess of Jupiter-Neptune will help cushion us against the growing intensity of Saturn’s approach to both the South Node and Pluto. When I think of this trio, especially in no-nonsense Capricorn, the word necessity comes to mind, the kinds of actions we take because our options are limited and the situation requires hard-nosed,  realistic approaches. No sugarcoating it, no sidestepping it. All year this energy will be increasing, until its full unfurling in mid-January 2020.  

So while Jupiter and Neptune favor expansion, Saturn and Pluto favor pulling back and trimming excess. 

Capricorn rules banking and all things financial, so an obvious goal for 2019 would be to eliminate or reduce debt. Make sacrifices and prune the superfluous voluntarily, so you end 2019 in a stronger position than you started it and more in control of your resources. The stock market will probably continue to weaken, so those in higher-risk investments might think about taking a more conservative stance. (I’m no financial advisor, so reach out to an expert for the most measured approach given your circumstances.) But you get the idea here: how can you shore up your finances so you’re beholden to no one?

Looking beyond finances, where else in your life have you been playing it a bit loose? What areas of your life feel rickety? (No surprises here: it will be an area that you know needs some work.) Make structural changes that require discipline and maturity. Own it. Capricorn’s placement in your chart can point to where the paring down and restructuring takes place. We fare best when we roll up our sleeves and do the work. 

On a more psychological level, Capricorn indicates deep-seated traditions, our internalized voice of authority and definition of duty, and our principles and sense of reality, which often are inherited from our culture or our ancestry. As Saturn conjoins the South Node (April – July 2019), we can release the karma of the past, even the deep ancestral past. Pluto’s presence nearby amplifies the message: something must die or be released before regeneration can occur.

Maybe your shoulds-and-oughts limit your ability to evolve or your defense mechanisms no longer protect but trap you. Maybe you have come to see that certain fears—stemming from family or the culture—have structured your life more than you realized. Whatever the case, some aspect of you and your life must be broken down and rebuilt. Lean into it.

Uranus Exits Aries

Since mid-2010, the winds of revolution have been circulating in an area of life that needed liberating. (Clue: Look to the house where Aries resides in your chart.) This year we finish that process and begin breathing new life into a different sector of our lives. Those born on the cusp of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius feel these changes/upheavals most intensely.

Expect more of that same rockiness to crop up around March of 2019, when Uranus enters Taurus for good. 

As I wrote last May: “Taurus likes the tried and true and is naturally conservative. Uranus will ask us to examine where our routines stifle us, where conservation becomes hoarding, where rigidity creeps in, where we play it safe rather than individuating. If you insist on the status quo, Uranus may pull the rug out from underneath you and take away the things you try to protect or conserve, so you have no reason to remain risk-adverse and can discover who you really are.”

So, in 2019, we will be putting on the finishing touches of one aspect of change and directing those same energies to a new area. If you want to review the work you are completing, read the sign directly after your sun or rising sign in this article. (Ex. If your rising sign or Sun is in Cancer, read the following sign, Leo, as those born a month later than you are just starting the work that you are bringing to a close.)

For how these themes will impact you, read your horoscope or schedule a consultation for a personalized look.