Jan. Theme: 2011--Year of Mastery

By Simone Butler

"If there is a fear of falling, the only safety consists in deliberately jumping." ----Carl Jung

I'm about to do something I swore I'd never do--move back home. In 1952, Dad built our small, two-bedroom house perched on a hill overlooking the San Diego bay. My ancestral home holds memories of idyllic childhood moments as well as horrific power struggles. My 86-year-old father has lived there alone since Mom passed six years ago. Slowly dying of prostate cancer that's metastasized into his bones, Dad can no longer make it on his own. So I'm putting most of my stuff in storage and moving in to care for him.

After years of struggling with my 'father issues,' I'm taking the fast track to completion. When in deep water, said Joseph Campbell, become a diver. Or, as Jung puts it, if you're afraid you'll fall, jump.

Welcome to 2011, Year of Mastery. Initiated by the January 4 New Moon/solar eclipse in Capricorn, sign of the wise elder (1:03 a.m. PST), this year is about growing up and doing what must be done. The no-nonsense theme is intensified by the New Moon's square to Saturn, Capricorn's ruler. We've reached the point, personally and collectively, where change can no longer be avoided. Yet because the Moon (feelings) eclipses the Sun (will), emotional maturity must precede concrete action.

At this extraordinary eclipse, Jupiter and Uranus have their final rendezvous in Pisces, catalyzing changes brewing since May. Major breakthroughs are likely now, especially as adventurous Jupiter and experimental Uranus magically trine Venus in Scorpio. Blessings--even riches--are apt to rain down on us, once we commit to our goals. (I'm buying lottery tickets on the 4th; you may want to do the same!)

Since Mercury is on the move again, having just turned direct (on Dec. 30), the New Year's goals we set for 2011 will have powerful momentum behind them. Bear in mind, though, that Saturn, Capricorn's ruler, will turn retrograde on Jan. 25. That means we have until June 12, when Saturn goes direct, to implement and fine-tune the changes we're making now.

Rather than making a list of resolutions you'll likely never attain, the planetary energies at the dawn of 2011 support picking one or two goals and committing yourself to them. Or, as Mari Smith did, you may prefer to choose one word that sums up your intentions for the New Year, and let this word be your guiding light.

My word for 2011 is "connection." I'm letting go of my precious yet isolating solitude to be there for my dad. This choice feels right to me, despite its Saturnine restrictions. What choice feels right for you?

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