Year Ahead 2015

Vedic Overview of 2015.

Saturn is in Scorpio for all of 2015, bringing the issues of that intense sign to the fore. Scorpio is Watery and Mars-ruled, making a complex brew of mystery, transformation, sex and war. We can expect all these issues to be refined and purged: you will have to go more slowly than you want and there is a push-pull feeling of the affairs of the Scorpio house in your chart. 'Make haste slowly', as the Alchemists say.

Saturn will also remain in Anuradha until December 27th 2015, a Saturn-ruled nakshatra in a Mars-ruled zodiac sign. Anuradha's deity is Mitra, who symbolizes the ability to form and maintain working or political alliances. There are connotations of peace after war, making truces, or a supportive relationship with an end goal. Saturn transiting here will test these issues, meaning we have to work harder at our diplomacy and establish new ground rules. We do not make peace with our friends, but with our enemies: some supportive unions may come to an end, or at least be transformed radically.

Finding arrangements with people who share our common or political affiliations, or those we no longer see eye-to-eye with. This may bring a sudden change or awakening. We may find ourselves either on diplomatic overtime to keep the peace, or else looking for new friendships because we can't compromise. The house where Scorpio sits in your chart will tell you a lot about the specifics.

Mars transits will also be important with Saturn in Scorpio, and Mars is strong in Aries from March 24th to May 4th. This is a period to forge ahead and take chances, and personal transformation will come more easily. Yet this coincides with Saturn's retrograde period from 14th March to 1st August (and the Sun's exaltation from April 15th - May 16th), so there may be a 'driving with the brakes on' feeling. While you may wish to start a heroic, dragon-slaying quest, there will also be a desire to consolidate and tie off loose ends. Saturn retreats back to 4 Scorpio, so events from the end of 2014 will likely reappear in the news.

May 2015 sees the UK General Election, and the Saturn-Anuradha co-operation theme will be shown, especially if - as seems likely - there is another Coalition government. The rise of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) means the issue of unity within diversity will also dominate 2015, and Jupiter in Cancer will play to the patriotic vote. This same energy will be evident aftermath of the Scottish Independence Referendum. Scotland voted narrowly to stay within the United Kingdom in 2014, though the repercussions of the election reverberate still. How much autonomy will Scotland have, what does Devo Max actually look like?

Jupiter remains in exaltation in Cancer until July 14th - good news, and doubles all round. Jupiter represents knowledge, spirituality, prosperity and Dharma, and the Cancer house in your Jyotish chart will be boosted. In the sign of the home, Jupiter will also intensify the debate over Independence and national autonomy, as well as religious freedom. As world consciousness rises, the issue of national self-determination becomes ever more prevalent. Boundaries are coming down, while national and regional characteristics are becoming more pronounced.

'The world will become a beautiful mosaic of differences'.

The trine from Jupiter to Saturn will lighten the impact of the Scorpio/Anuradha energy. Jupiter is a sattvic influence, though in the serpentine Ashlesha nakshatra, it will also affect sex and psychology, a double-whammy of sorts. There could be high-profile sex scandals, or in our personal lives coming to terms with the energies we are putting out. Ashlesha also relates to drugs and pharmaceuticals, so we might see the anti-Monsanto movement gathering momentum, [though this is possibly wishful thinking on this author's part]. Let's also wish for positive treatment of diseases like AIDS, or Ebola (remember that?).

Jupiter will be in its Gandanta portion from 1st July to 3rd August, the borderland between two signs and nakshatras. Classically, this represents a spiritual knot to be untied and an outstanding matter that must be addressed. Factors relating to emotional or financial security that have remained hidden may have their lids blown off, laying bare that which has simmered underneath. Events at this time may reflect the previous Jupiter Gandanta period at from November 3rd 2014 - January 12th 2015, where a karmic boundary was crossed. A hallmark of fate is where a recurring, seemingly innocuous event proves important and we are given a subtle but searching test.

By July 14th, Jupiter moves into Leo and the affairs of the Leo house in your chart are lifted. This will be felt especially from 18th August to 18th September, with the Sun in its home sign. This is a time to shine, to show your confidence and authority, though you will still have to earn your stripes. The Jupiter-Saturn aspects are reversed, with Jupiter receiving rather than giving a glance to Saturn: no showboating here. We might see governments rowing back from changes they made in the first half of the year: liberal concessions give way to a conservative clampdown.

Jupiter represents the father, husband and guru, so we might see change in outlook towards these roles, or secrets about teachers or paternal figures being unearthed. The fig-leaf of Jupiter trine Saturn is removed and replaced with Saturn square Jupiter. In the UK, celebrities have recently been convicted for historic sexual offences, and the same scrutiny is now being applied in the US to father figures like Bill Cosby, for one. Sexual mores of the past are being judged by today's standards and it is no defence to say, "it was the 1970s/80s, so hey".

Jupiter in Magha nakshatra has a special connection with royalty, and the Saturn aspect to it has a flavour of lèse-majesté. National leaders will need to be vigilant, and we may see revolutionary and anti-monarchist movements, motivated partly by the difference between public and private morality. This will be a reality check for any grandiose behaviour, both personally and in public life, and we will all have to up our game. This can be excellent if we are overly inclined to trust in providence, but the advice is: take advantage of the first half of 2015 and get into a good place.

The nodes, Rahu and Ketu transit across the Virgo/Pisces axis, bringing eclipses around those signs. The 'Vedic New Year' Moon on 20th March is a solar eclipse, followed by the lunar eclipse at Full Moon Hanuman Jayanti on 4th April. The corresponding eclipses happen in September on the 13th (Solar) and 28th (Lunar). Needless to say, the Virgo and Pisces houses in your chart will be affected, bringing sudden change and simply a different way of doing things.