2017 is going to be an interesting year that will be remembered primarily as a bridge between a difficult 2016 and a much better 2018. The dangerous sarpa yoga that afflicted much of the world through 2016 is over, but the ending isn’t a clear-cut line. Saturn has now officially moved from its malefic placement in Scorpio to a much friendlier Sagittarius, but throughout the year it will move back into Scorpio and then forward into Sagittarius again. The result is that the whole year will be one which promises progress but then takes a few steps back every time progress is about to be made. At the international level, this will result is a series of escalations and de-escalations in political relations and government stability. In your own life, it will likely manifest as a similar feeling of taking two steps forward and one step back several times throughout the year.
To add to this back-and-forth of Saturn we will be given a similar treatment by Jupiter as it dances between Virgo and Libra. Likewise, we will see an attempt of the stars to restore order back to the world through the power of Libra and Jupiter together throughout 2017, but it will be tenuous at first, not really showing solid progress until later in the year when Jupiter finally takes residence in Libra. Because of this, I caution the reader to not jump into any apparent opportunities in the first few months of the year. It will likely happen that a large contract or business opportunity will present itself at the end of Januar or beginning of February, only to fall apart or be rejected in March or April. So be cautious! Don’t jump too hastily into any such venture, but instead be patient and do your research so as not to be led down a fruitless path.
January
Though January has passed, it is good for everyone to see what kinds of transits the world went through to better understand the coming months, since some of these transits are long lasting and will affect much of the year.
January starts with Jupiter finishing up its tenure in Virgo, where it resided for most of 2016, heading into Libra by the tail end of the month. Neither of these signs are great for Jupiter, but for the next few months we have the benefit of an auspicious lunar mansion called Chitra, which is at the end of Virgo and the beginning of Libra. This constellation funnels Jupiter’s creative energies into practical work to help “rebuild” your financial life after 2016, the martial energy of chitra helping give you a shove to get you moving again. This is a great time to lay the plans for future endeavors and set goals for 2017. My advice, due to Mercury’s retrograde motion, is to use the energy of chitra to set the groundwork and lay the plans out, instead of actually seriously pursuing a task in January. Prepare now so that you can act efficiently later.
January 15th Saturn will enter into Mula, and i’m not going to lie, this is going to be rough for most people. On the positive side, Mula resides in the larger zodiac of Sagittarius, which is much better than Saturn’s previous residence in Scorpio. On the negative side, Mula is an intensely psychological sign ruled by the “goddess of the crossroads”, meaning many of you are going to hit some pretty big forks in the road of life soon, and the “right” choice will likely not be the safe or easy choice. Though this transit begins in January, it will be a recurring theme throughout the rest of the year.
The Venus-Mars-Ketu combo in Aquarius is difficult for relationships, since both Mars and Ketu are quite critical planets, and their aspect on Venus will turn this critical attitude towards loved ones. Rahu continues to afflict the world in Leo and cause a lot of motion in the world political scene. An interesting note here is that Venus is the planets of the arts but also of womanhood, and on the day of Trump’s inauguration we saw huge rallies by women all over the USA, which is perfectly in-line with astrological principles, given that Rahu and Ketu are the planets of protests and riots and they were both aspecting Venus. Note again that Ketu is a planet of “cutting off” or “taking from”, and likewise one of the keynotes to the protests revolved around Trump’s proposals to remove funding from many women-oriented programs.
February
The month begins with Venus, Mars and the Moon in a favorable Pisces, avoiding the evil aspects of Ketu and Rahu that afflicted them in January. Relationship matters should stabilize. Jupiter will be fully settled (for a short time) in Libra, helping give some good advice to world leaders and hopefully cool tensions from a hot-headed January! Likewise in your own life it is a good time to make financial plans and goals for the rest of the year. Saturn continues through Mula, but is temporarily devoid of the beneficial aspects from Jupiter. Hence, while Jupiter gives you some good creative energy for the future, Saturn will help you realize that you may need to turn your attention to difficult decisions in the future.
Legal professions will improve from Jupiter’s temporary placement in Libra this month, while those in the medical and social/charitable professions have a fight ahead of them for the next few years due to Saturn. While the Sun moves through Capricorn and Aquarius there is always a risk of health issues due to fatigue and cold-related diseases, so act accordingly. Capricorn is a pretty industrious sign that often deals with infrastructure, so make sure to take care of the “infrastructure” of your own life and health as well. The first 11 days of February have Mercury and the Sun in the same sign, which can be an excellent opportunity for lasting contracts and business agreements. On February 21st the Sun conjoins Ketu, a pretty dreadful combination to happen in the already dreadful sign of Aquarius (for the Sun at least). Better to stay home for the day if you can manage it!
The 20th is a particularly potent day for making important decisions about the path 2017 will take for you, as the Moon crosses Saturn in Mula. Due to the aspects of Mars and Venus, this will likely be a relationship decision.
March
March should fare better for most people. Venus and Mars will both be very strong, giving plenty of energy and passion to get things down, while subduing some of the negative effects of Saturn with their aspects. The conjunction of the Sun with Ketu will also be over with whatever trouble it caused in February. Venus is exalted in Pisces with an aspect from Jupiter, a good time for the arts and any business involving vehicles. It is also a good time for any major medical procedures to be done since the exalted venus and strong Mars will both give blessings in medical affairs. Jupiter enters back into Virgo, which will cause some disturbance to the plans and goals laid earlier in the year. It’s ok! It’s expected, due to the retrograde motion of Jupiter. Lots of people are going to feel like they made some good progress in the beginning of the year only to have to take a few steps back now.
The Sun starts the month at the end of the constellation Satabhishaka, a sign ruled by Rahu that is connected with past-life karmas and sensuality, a theme which combines well with the exalted Venus. The positive energies of Satabhishaka deal with healing and success in medical treatments, while the negative side can cause you to lose yourself in lust or passions that you will later regret. The strength of Venus could bring a love affair into your life quickly with a passion that ends as quickly as it started. For the next two weeks or so after this the Sun will be moving through Purvabhadra, a tantric sign associated with the deeper forces of our psyche and energy.
On the 14th we have an interesting combination in the sky that can potentially bring a lot of good into peoples’ lives. I say “potentially” because two of the main powers in this combination, Jupiter and Venus, will be retrograde. This means that they won’t force anything to happen, you have to consciously decide to use them if you want to gain their benefit. The day is quite good for relationship and business matters, especially gaining new partners or trying to close a big deal. There aren’t many combinations like this during the year, so take advantage of it! The affects will last for a few days after, the main target day is when the Moon conjuncts Jupiter on the 14th, setting into motion a gajakeshari yoga. Another nice note about this transit is that it will be the first time in quite a long time where Ketu and Rahu have NOT aspected other planets in the sky! This opens up a lot of freedom and energy to put to good use in making forward progress.
April
April picks up on the same good note that March left off at. The planets in the sky, for the first time in a year, are all safe from Rahu and Ketu for now. Unforeseen events and past-life karmas won’t be forming the obstacles in your life that they hitherto have, but that means now it’s your responsibility to make things right in your life (and this may not be easy!). April 1st is an especially good day for business ventures. Venus and Jupiter are more than capable of giving blessings during this time, but they are both retrograde, which as we said above, means their blessings won’t come without work. And what kind of blessings can they give? Jupiter gives financial security and Venus gives love and passion. Jupiter is still in the lunar mansion of chitra at the beginning of March, so its blessings are best used to lay plans and set goals, using your imagination to create a good gameplan. Venus is hanging out in the lunar mansion UttaraBhadra, a tantric sign associated with the deeper and sometimes darker aspects of our personal sexuality, as well as our ideas about real intimacy. It is a good time to work on these subjects with your partner and try to break down any old walls you may still be keeping up that keep you from being as intimate as you would like to be.
Mercury goes retrograde on the 10th in Aries, which isn’t great for military, engineers, and fighters. In general, when Mercury goes retrograde in Aries, everyone should be more cautious as a stupid mistake can result in a serious injury. This is immediately followed on the 12th by Mars entering into Taurus and re-initiating a sarpa yoga between Mars/Ketu/Rahu. Some political and social unrest is likely, especially concerning boundary and land disputes (keep an eye on the South China Sea and Dakota Access Pipeline) since Mars and Ketu both deal with land, as does Taurus (the sign Mars is in). This combined with a retrograde Mercury causing some shotty policy decisions could lead to some serious problems. The problems caused by this sarpa yoga can flare up anytime during the 2-month tenure of Mars in Taurus through April and May.
Also happening on the 12th of April is the Sun entering into its exaltation sign in Aries, adding a lot of energy to the world. This is good and bad. In your personal life it can give you the energy and confidence for promotions, new business ventures and overcoming obstacles, but on the world stage, I am worried it will fuel the fire of the sarpa yoga mentioned above, inflating everyone’s egos so that no one can see a reasonable solution to problems. All of this is exacerbated by Rahu being in Magha, a constellation in Leo that indicates government, presidents, and kings. People at the top of their governments may start reaching to consolidate powers that their positions never had before (think of USA’s Trump and Turkey’s Erdogan).
May
May starts off a little rougher than April did. On May 1st we find ourselves subject to a retrograde Mercury, which makes it difficult to reason effectively, a retrograde Jupiter, which causes social anxieties and discomforts, and a retrograde Saturn, which makes people discontent with their life or with the status quo. Obviously, this can have some ramifications on the global theater as well as in your own life. The only beneficial planet during this time is the exalted Venus in Pisces, whose aspect at least on Saturn may do some good and help with relationship matters. Jupiter and Venus are opposite each other, which is a time for being creative in your love life and thinking of new ways to expand the relationship.
Jupiter has left Chitra and entered into the constellation of Hasta. This constellation is more benefic than Chitra, and is also more active. The name means “hand”, and refers not only to the work we do with our hands but also to palmistry and the lines of fate, meaning this constellation helps us materialize important karmas as long as we are willing to work for it. Jupiter in Hasta is great for writers and authors, so take up your pen and get to work!
Saturn is still spending its time in Mula, aspecting both Venus and Jupiter. Hence it carries the “fork in the road” energy to both relationships and wealth, making us think seriously about how we want our future in these areas to be. May 4th Mercury will stop its retrograde motion. May 15th strikes me as the beginning of a dangerous week or two, due to tw factors: 1) Mars moves into mrigasara, a martial and fiery lunar mansion, and 2)Sun now accompanies Mars in Taurus, adding to the sarpa yoga. Thus on the 15th we have a four-planet sarpa yoga with Rahu/Ketu/Mars/Sun, a similar combination we had when the DPL protests were at their height last year and there was serious civil unrest throughout the world. The saving grace is Jupiter’s aspect on the Mars and Sun, which means someone well respected in the political establishment can intercede and be the “guru” to help calm tensions.
June
We start the month off with a nice trine between the Sun and Jupiter that should help cool any tensions that the sarpa yoga of the last 2 months caused. Venus and Mercury are in Aries, a good placement for attorneys and legal work, but not great for medical work due to the weakness of Venus. Mars is in an interesting combination with Jupiter and Saturn. Saturn will slow down Mars and take away energy from the sky, while Mars and Saturn both square to Jupiter can cause some pretty bad ideas to pop up in your head! Better to try to stay busy with work than to make grand schemes or plans at this time. Siblings may cause obstacles for you in financial matters, and your boss at work may find him/herself in a compromising situation. Rahu’s placement in Magha has a lot to do with authority, and it is likely that this will be a key theme for the next few months. People may try to exert too much control or influence over you both in your personal and in your professional life.
On June 9th, Jupiter will finally end its retrograde motion and begin its trek back forward out of Virgo into Libra. Now is a better time for big decisions than the first 8 days of the month. Jupiter and Mars can give good creative energy in your life, and finances should benefit as well. On June 14th the Sun will leave Taurus and the tensions that escalated in March, April and June should cool down even more. Its placement in Gemini with Mars should result in more diplomatic processes being put in place.
July
July begins with Jupiter having ended its retrograde motion and returned back, heading through the last part of hasta into the first part of the lunar mansion chitra, thus placing it in a similar spot to the beginning of the year when we saw it in chitra, giving energy and inspiration to plan for the future, especially in regards to finances and education, the two significations of Jupiter. Saturn is moving backward, but still in Sagittarius and still in Mula, the constellation of the crossroads, which is more or less the theme of Saturn all year round. “Choose your path” will be a recurring concept throughout 2017. Some of the difficult combinations of the last few months have now ended, with Sun, Mars, and Mercury all in Gemini, being freed of any aspects from Rahu or Ketu, while an auspicious Venus alleviates Rahu and Ket through its aspect. Hopefully, this will alleviate any tensions from the last few months, since the placement of Mars and Sun with Mercury in Gemini should indicate good compromise and politics between governments, and the strong Venus indicates plenty of legal work and attorneys to help as well.
The strong academic influence of Jupiter and Mercury aspecting each other is good for students contemplating going back to school, or for anyone who is debating whether or not to get some extra education; now would be the time to do so. In regards to business, this aspect is very good for all kinds of trade deals and business exchanges, so long as the companies or parties involved are both doing well on their own. If one is sinking, due to the influence of Saturn, then it could drag the other down with it, a potentially troublesome result of the square aspect between Mercury and Jupiter. Have big ideas, but keep them as grounded as possible. Retrograde Saturn tends to excite us too easily to grandiose schemes, especially under the influence of Jupiter, and this could prove ill for business decisions, so be practical and grounded. Find a mercurial/intellectual person to help you evaluate your plans.
On July 6th, Saturn will move back into Scorpio. This is mainly troublesome for people from the ages of 29-31 years old who have just finished their 3-year long Saturn return (finally!). This retrograde will re-initiate some aspects of their Saturn return and will last for a few months. The result is you may feel like you were finally making some steps forward in life, and now suddenly you’ve been pushed back again. Don’t worry, it’s a temporary thing. Saturn will leave Scorpio again in a little while and all will return to normalcy. From experience, the main effect I have noticed when Saturn retrogrades back into a previous zodiac sign is that the elderly do not handle this well, especially if they have been sick already, in and out of hospitals.
On the 20th, 21st, and 22nd, Mercury will transit over Rahu in Leo, which can cause pretty bad trade deals, business contracts, and political negotiations, so be wary of doing any serious paperwork or signing any contracts during these days.
August
August begins with Saturn have moved back into Scorpio, into the lunar mansion of Jyeshta (victory). The problem is that when Saturn is in Jyeshta, it doesn’t confer victory, but instead creates many obstacles to victory. As such, planning is better than action at this time, and small meaningful actions are better than large, loud actions. In other words, instead of asking for a promotion, do lots of little things that make it clear you deserve a promotion. The rest of the sky is in a bit of a funny arrangement. From Gemini to Virgo we have Venus, Mars, Sun, Mercury, Rahu, and Jupiter. Venus in Mercury is good for vehicle sales or purchase, as well as for seeking legal help. Mars and the Sun are combust in Cancer, which is a good place for such a hot combination to occur, owing to the fact that Cancer will substantially cool down the heat of these two planets. Still, this is a quarrelsome combination and leads to all kinds of fighting, and on a grand scale causes conflict in the open water.
We have discussed the effects of Mercury and Rahu together in the previous month, and that still applies somewhat to this month as well bu not as seriously. Jupiter has now entered back into Chitra. With Mars (the lord of chitra) being in Pushya, a constellation of education and self-improvement, take advantage of this combination during the first few days of August to take some time off for yourself and do some self-cultivation. On the 7th and 8th, the Moon will be passing by Ketu, which can always be a stressful day or two each month when it does this.
On the 13th, Mercury will go retrograde again. This is a more worrisome retrograde than the one we had earlier in the year since I fear it could cause a relapse in contracts or negotiations between different world powers, or between governments and their citizens. Some bad decisions on the executive levels of government are very likely at this time and during the whole of this retrograde. The Sun has its ingress into Leo on the 15th, which I feel will only stoke the fire that might already have started by then between Mercury and Rahu. The Moon will activate this combination on the 21st or 22nd, which could cause a great deal of anger due to new laws or policies. Then on the 25th Mars adds to the fire and frustration, joining the party on Leo and exaggerated by bad contracts and policies from a retrograde Mercury. In your personal life, this can cause quite a stir in the workplace and the established authority there.
September
September begins with the same frustrating and conflict-inducing combination that August left us with, but the planets instigating the matter have gained some distance from each other, which reduces the tensions considerably. Saturn is no longer retrograde and will resume its travel through the last part of Scorpio back into Sagittarius, where we shall find it at the beginning of next month. Any ground lost in the last two months during the retrograde will be regained fairly quick, and life will resume as before. At the beginning of the month, Jupiter is on the brink of entering into Libra, passing through the final degree of Virgo and hopefully bringing with some financial improvement for most people.
Venus has entered into a rather unfriendly sign for it in Cancer, which can cause our concepts of love and attachment to have to change and evolve. Mercury’s retrograde ends on the 5th, just shy of falling back into a dangerous combination with Rahu. This should see some better policies and accessions being made by government authorities than those that had popped up in the last two months. Then, on the 6th, Jupiter moves back into Libra, and with Saturn moving back into Sagittarius soon life should be returning back to a better flow, like it had at the beginning of the year.
On the 15th the Sun ingresses to Virgo, a cooler and calmer place than Leo, where it has resided for the last month, which bodes better for career, promotions, and all manners of government and authority. On the 18th Venus ingresses into Leo, giving us Venus, Mars, Mercury, Moon, and Rahu all in Leo. This could seriously disrupt some things in most areas of life for a day or two, so avoid any serious decisions: don’t sign contracts or make business deals, don’t break up with your partners or loved ones, and don’t make any big emotional decisions in general. Venus can add a lot of passion and emotion to things and makes it hard to think clear in light of such a powerful combination of planets.
October
October begins with the Sun and Mercury both in Virgo, in the constellation of Hasta. A good placement for working towards promotions or trying to elevate yourself in professional life. Jupiter has now moved into Libra and is at the tail end of the constellation chitra, getting ready to move from planning (chitra) to action (swati) in your financial and business life. Saturn is ALMOST out of Scorpio, but still causing some obstacles due to its placement in the constellation Jyeshta. Venus and Mars are conjunct, which can be a particularly hot-headed combination, making passions and emotions flare up, but can be a useful combination for couples trying to conceive a child due to the union of the male and female energies of Mars and Venus.
On October 7th a big transit takes place. Rahu and Ketu will finally leave Leo and Aquarius and move into Cancer and Capricorn. This alleviates the situation a little in the global theater and should cool things down, Cancer being essentially a big tub of water to douse the flame of Rahu with. At the same time, it moves some of the conflicts to the water, and I would not be surprised to see the end of 2017 and much of 2018 revolving around problems in the South China Sea. In our personal lives, Rahu in Cancer deals a lot with our own emotional needs and world-views, and can actually help us find meaning in our life in new ways.
On October 11th we’ll have Mars, Venus, Mercury, and the Sun all in Virgo, a sign of growth and nourishment. This should be a much-needed period of renewal after some of the conflict-oriented combinations that have plagued the last few months. On the 16th, the Sun will ingress into Libra, where it will join Mercury and Jupiter. While all of these planets do well with each other, and this should bring some financial and professional blessings, none of these planets like being in Libra, particularly the Sun. It is debilitated in Libra, which can “remove the light”, so-to-say, from our eyes, and make us blind to some pretty obvious things happening around us. Avoid any relationships or business proposals that are out-of-character for you, or that would require you to be someone you’re not, and you should make it through this just fine.
On the 12th, Saturn enters into Sagittarius again for the first time in some months, returning back to where it was at the beginning of the year. While this is a better place for it than Scorpio, it’s still not quite ideal and will cause some uncomfortable decisions that have to be made in our lives. For the next year or so, many of these decisions will revolve around finding a balance in our lives and cutting off the excess waste.
November
November begins with all the planets between Rahu and Ketu, generally an unfavorable position that restricts their activities, making it difficult to free up energy for constructive ends. Venus and are are still in Virgo, which is good for personal growth and couples trying to conceive children. Jupiter and the Sun reside in Libra, where the Sun is debilitated. The same basic rules apply to this combo as given above for October. Be careful of big business opportunities that make you act out of character, and make sure to stay grounded and level-headed in regards to things like your rank and status. Jupiter is in the constellation of Swati, which is symbolized by strong winds and hurricanes. It is an energizing and very active constellation, and the best way to use this is to actively work towards your financial plans, education, or business, all of which can be indicated by Jupiter (and will be determined based on your own natal chart).
On November 2nd an interesting combination occurs: Venus moves into Libra to join Jupiter and the Sun and Jupiter, greatly strengthening those two planets since Venus rules Libra. This has somewhat of a reversal effect on the Sun so that it doesn’t act debilitated any longer, while also supporting Jupiter. This is a great combination for legal work, court cases, etc.
On the 15th, the Sun ingresses into Scorpio, a much better residence for it than Libra, and what results is a nice series of planetary alignments with Mercury and the Sun in Scorpio, which gives energy and strength to overcome obstacles, along with a strong Jupiter in Libra due to the placement of Venus, which bodes well for business, finances, and legal work.
December
The month begins with an interesting Mercury-Saturn conjunction in Sagittarius, in the constellation Mula. This should give some good, grounded clarity to your life and the decisions you have made/will make moving forward into the new year. Venus and the Sun are both in Scorpio, which can bring up sexual issues both in relationships and in personal health. Jupiter and Mars are both hanging out in Libra, which neither of them is too happy about. This combination can lead to a lot of frustration and a lack of energy to get things accomplished. However, this can combine well with the Mercury-Saturn combo in Sagittarius, turning it from a time of activity (which we enjoyed in November) into a time of contemplation and reserved action.
On the 3rd, Mercury goes retrograde for the final time this year, which is further reason to use December as a time of reflection and contemplation instead of making big decisions. Especially avoid any choices that involve operating “under the table”, so-to-say, in a way that seems to be questionable in terms of morals and ethics. The Sun and Venus in Scorpio can try to be tricky like this.
On December 15th, the Sun ingresses into Sagittarius, which would normally be a joyful event except that it now has to be conjunct with Saturn, which is a pretty dreadful thing for the Sun. The two planets are diametrically opposed to one another, and their conjunction is rarely good for matters of health or business. Venus will join this combination on the 19th, so that we have quite a full house in Sagittarius! This makes a pretty awkward tension since none of these planets are really happy to be hanging out with each other. A sudden change in education or finances is possible due to a rare combination happening with Venus and Jupiter called “parivartana yoga”. This yoga often brings unexpected help to us from different areas of life, in this case Jupiter, which rules finances and education. The specifics of this yoga for each person will vary considerably, and you are encouraged to read the monthly horoscope for December to learn more about how it will specifically effect your life.
