5 resolutions for 2011

Capricorn 2011

It’s your last chance to make use of two Gods coming together. The God of Thunder, Jupiter and the God of Lightning, Uranus, will be together on January 4th, near the end of Pisces, for the last time for some years. Even though they are in gentle Pisces, this is quite some weather! They met before, earlier in the year, an encounter I wrote about in my last post. Wikileaks is definitely a symbol of this – Jupiter – politics, Uranus- shocks and truth. Add to this an eclipse very nearby and we have an interesting start to the year. So this is a last chance to get it right. Here again are the themes:

“Large explosions, great innovation, stubborn faith, authoritarian Gods, huge expansions, leaps of faith, breakthroughs in religion, sudden new philosophies, unorthodox strategies, honest politics!”  This is a huge wake-up call – which combo will you embrace?

All my other Capricorn posts are relevant for this time of the year. They cover responsibility, scapegoats and blame, New Years’ resolutions, vocation and fear.

Music in the Cafes…

…and revolution in the air. Remember that line from Bob Dylan? Or are you too young? That was the Sixties and we’re now experiencing part of that cycle again. There is indeed, and has been, revolution in the air recently. And have you noticed how many current world leaders are ‘children of the revolution’? Many of them were born in the Sixties and so incorporate the feeling of the times. Our Prime Minister here in Holland, Mark Rutte, is an example, as is the much talked about Geert Wilders, leader of the party who has an agreement to support the minority government. Cameron and Clegg in the UK are also both 60’s children. The southern hemisphere follows this trend too: both John Key in NZ and Julia Gillard in Australia were born in 1961. Their time seems to have arrived.

Recently I gave a talk to a Dutch political party here in Amsterdam where I was asked to suggest my resolutions for 2011 for the D66 party – a party also formed in – yes, you guessed it – 1966. There are Senate and council elections in 2011, so there is interest in what trends might be relevant. What do Amsterdammers want?

We can look at this at several levels: world level, which affects all of us; country level, looking at the themes for the country of your choice using the country horoscope, and city level. So in this case I looked at the horoscope for the city of Amsterdam. I also studied the chart for D66 of course, as you would look at your own company or individual chart to see how the world trends are going to affect you.

Main world trends in 2011:

Here I want to cover just the main global trends for the coming year. As we finish with the one mentioned above, another very important and maybe even heavier one starts a warm-up to 2012. These are tricky times to negotiate as we have an opportunity for great positive transformation. Whether we can do it is the question.

So here are my suggestions to help you with your resolutions for 2011 by using the themes for the year …relevant all year although…

Particular emphasis around February and also in July and October:

Get passionate about your entrepreneurial ideas – either go for them or forget them.

Analyse your strategies – are they working? – if not, ditch them.

If you are in a leadership role – get hold of the bigger picture and look outwards – also overseas. Fundamental changes are happening in other lands.

Take a risk on great changes – if you hang on too tightly in the next two years to something that is clearly not useful, changes will be made for you.

Particular emphasis around the end of March

Time to get serious with your long-term strategy. Plan some goals and work out how to measure them. And don’t make them too small – with good planning you can take a serious risk here. Continuing a longer term theme, responsible leadership is still the order of the day.

Prepare for 2012

Get ready to brace yourself for massive transformation. This could be a really violent, rebellious year but it could also herald wonderfully transforming innovation. We are, I think, in for a few shocks that will change our world view. Secrets that have long lain hidden will be revealed. In 2012 there is a repeat of a theme started in 1965-66 and it will last until 2015. What did you start at this time? It will be revisited here.

The mid Sixties was a time of great unrest and of course the Vietnam war occurred then. But this cycle also gave us the telephone and commercial satellites which enabled communication and television across the Atlantic. I expect huge jumps in technology in the coming years. Will you make the most of the opportunities offered? As we are dealing with Uranus and Pluto, change and revolution in how power is wielded, is one of the themes. As a leader you will need to be honest and be ready to withstand rebellion.

Last but not least…

In 2011 two of the outer planets, which colour world trends, change sign. Uranus goes into the sign of Aries. He had his toe in there earlier in 2010 to test the waters, but he will enter this sign full on in March. Rebellion will take a much more active and maybe warlike form. The world is prepared to fight for change. Are you? I think Obama embodies Uranus and my prediction is that he will come out fighting again in 2011.

Not only that, but Neptune changes sign as well. Going for a trial run in Pisces between April until August 2011, he enters fully into Pisces in 2012. He has been in Aquarius since 1998 which has resulted in there being no borders and boundaries when it comes to technology. New things appear, it feels like daily, in the form of new phones, iPads or computer gadgets and communication abilities. Scientific advancement has also seemed endless. That will start to change.

Although we will continue to experience the power of all this technology and experience sudden new innovations and breakthroughs, Neptune changing sign provides us with a new addiction, a new dream, a new something where we go over the top. The addiction to technology will slow down, as will the number of new techno-products just for the sake of it. In Pisces, Neptune is at home in his own sign. So we get limitless dreaming. Or we become addicted to our addictions! Pisces rules a strange bunch of things: hospitals and prisons, drugs, alcohol, music and the arts. The chance here is for very creative things to happen in all these areas. But there is also the chance of chaos ruling. As in the technology area in the last phase there have been very creative solutions, but it has all been a bit overwhelming. Designer drugs might become even more mind-blowing. The new dream is possibly to save the world and see the world as the truly global, connected place that it is. This will become very clear in the next few years, but I fear it might become visible through the suffering of victims – another Pisces word. Can we get it together and help others? There are good signs that we can. I hope so.

By the way – for all you political parties...

If you’re wondering what Amsterdam wants…She’s a Scorpio – there’s a surprise, knowing her reputation for sexual pleasures.

She was given her name for the first time in written form, on a Toll Privileges document way back in 1275. So although she’s getting on a bit, she still wants passion and strong leadership. City elders who take control and go black and white on issues. However what she needs is Libran: art, beauty, culture and harmony. No wonder there was a protest against cutting the culture budget! The “Scream for Culture” protest showed the passion Amsterdammers can feel if provoked! Particularly if their needs are threatened. Amsterdam has a pioneering vision, a belief in being direct and going for things. This is triggered by Uranus going into Aries so if you are in Amsterdam, it is time to be bold with your enterprises. Go for it in 2011…

Faye Blake-Cossar

Interesting Website of the Month

This is a video that even though it is about 23 minutes long, (too long for some in this day and age!) it is well worth a watch. Barry Schartz has a psychology background and is currently Professor of Social Theory and Social Action.  If I was describing  the Saturn – Capricorn pair, I couldn’t have put together a better talk. All of it is about how to be wise instead of setting up rules and incentives – exactly what a conscious Capricorn does. He gives wonderful examples of doing the right thing. And warns of what happens when rules are enforced.  Maybe some input for your new year goals?

Quote of the Month

“I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.” Bob Dylan.