We’re at the gateway of a new world…

This gate swings open on solstice on 21 December 2020. On this eventful day, Jupiter and Saturn will meet with such closeness that you may even be able to see them kiss.

A close encounter of Jupiter and Saturn in one sign happens every 20 years; this is known as the “Great Conjunction”.

The Great Conjunction leaves an indelible mark on society at every level.

But this time, the close meeting of Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius (only 0.1 degrees apart – they haven’t been this close for centuries) is a momentous event!

This Great Conjunction is a “Grand Mutation”.

It means that starting on solstice next week, the Great Conjunction, every 20 years, will be moving from earth to air signs for the next 200 years.

There will be no going back to our old world after this.

We will look back at our old lives as though we are talking about a different lifetime. A different lifetime in a bygone era, straight out of a history book with little resonance to the life we will create in the next 20 years and beyond…   

The term “Age of Aquarius” will start to take on a greater significance.

We’ve all heard about the Age of Aquarius.

The truth is nobody knows a specific date as to when it will begin or if it has already begun, because each astrological age is in force for over 2,000 years, making it difficult to pin down an exact year.  

But with the Grand Mutation taking place in Aquarius, and with Pluto also entering Aquarius in 2024 (to stay until 2044), we would be hard pressed to argue that we’re not part of the Aquarian age by the time Pluto joins the party.

So, what can we expect in the new world, especially in 2021, when we will all have to navigate this unfamiliar terrain?

To answer this, I will focus on three main pillars that represent Aquarius, with an emphasis on the overall astrological weather of 2021.

Just like the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their effort to tackle global issues, these three main pillars of Aquarius will serve as your own SDG in creating a new world in which your needs will sync with the needs of others. 

If you have an Aquarius Sun, Ascendant or Moon, much of what we will be facing in the new era will resonate. Being way ahead of your time, it may even feel as though the rest of the world is catching up with what you’ve known all along.  

Aquarians will be in the spotlight for being catalysts for major changes. Aquarians will also play a key role in leading others to adjust into this new world. 

The following are specific areas where we can expect major shifts, with tips on how we can get on board to thrive in 2021 and beyond:  

1. Ignorance is NOT bliss

The elemental shift from earth to air signs will place great value on ideas, concepts and intellect.

During the past 200 years when the Great Conjunctions occurred in earth signs (except in 1980/1981 when Jupiter & Saturn met in Libra – an air sign), material possessions and one’s status in the material world took centre stage.

The earth element is more in tune with the earthly realm, with emphasis on practical and material things that can be manifested in the physical domain. There has been vast growth in the material sense, including in transportation and infrastructure, which shaped our social and economic structures at every level.

We all enjoy certain material goods and benefit from considerable progress in the field of medicine, which generations before the industrial age may not even have imagined.  

But there is always also the other side of the coin in every era.

The most detrimental side has been excessive materialism. Massive wealth disparity between the haves and have nots along with hyper consumerism has been normalized, with little regard for our planet.  

In the new era, knowledge will be one’s greatest power and words will be the most effective weapon.  

The “Age of Aquarius” will be cemented in the new world. Aquarius is symbolized by the sign of the Water Bearer which depicts someone pouring down “water” from a pitcher.

Some confuse Aquarius for a water sign because of its name as the Water Bearer.

Aquarius is an air sign. The “water” that is being poured represents knowledge and wisdom that are dripping down for humanity’s evolution.

So, needless to say, information will be of great importance in the Aquarian age in which a knowledge-based economy will dominate the scene.

I’m not trying to paint a picture of utopia here.

Just like any other era, it will have its dark side as well, especially when knowledge gets withheld from the public by a few who wish to control and shape mass perception (we’re already experiencing this).

However, knowledge in the Aquarian age will differ from the type of knowledge you get from a formal education, which can generate a type of “elitism”, excluding those who don’t have access to education.  

The type of knowledge that will be favored in the new era will be unique and original. In fact, the more unconventional or “weird” it is, the better it will be received.

“Go BIG or go home” may have been the motto so far. But in the Age of Aquarius, it will be “Be WEIRD or go home”.

In other words, your own views and perceptions that are different from others will be of value.

In particular, skillful use of words and communicating your unique ideas in a refined way will be as precious as a diamond necklace in the era we are leaving behind.

Who you know will no longer matter, but what you know will. And how you present what you know will matter even more in the new era of information overload.

What you know may emerge as sudden insights at times in the form of understandings, which your logical mind hasn’t been able to connect sequentially for years.  

It is also important to know that freedom is the lifeblood of Aquarius.

Knowledge being poured from a pitcher to raise mass consciousness, as symbolized by the image of the Water Bearer, cannot flourish without the free flow of information.

Hence, expect more people to stand up against censorship and the draconian measures to control information in the upcoming years.

Eventually in the Aquarian age, information and communication will evolve into other forms of interaction, such as telepathy, moving beyond written words and speech.

Tips to help you thrive in 2021 & beyond:

• Hone your communication skills (this includes listening which is probably one of the hardest skills to cultivate)
• Being articulate in your writing and speech will pay off, so invest in communication skills by signing up for training on writing, podcasting, broadcasting, etc.
• Share cutting-edge ideas, whether it is your ground-breaking findings from stem cell research or showing others how to bake cupcakes without an oven
• Create spaces for dialogue, including for views that are different from your own
• Expect bursts of more social media platforms (including new media that does not censor) through which to connect with others
• Skills from training that you can apply right away will be useful in 2021 (especially with the North Node in Gemini until the end of 2021 in which the focus will be on skills you can apply in your immediate environment straight away)
• Rational and objective thoughts will be appreciated and welcomed
• Views that polarize people into hysteria with chest-thumping conviction (like what we’ve experienced in the past few years) will become as outdated as Myspace
• Although freedom of speech is valued in the Aquarian age, ignorance is not – those with radical views which discriminate against others will get a platform to be heard, however they will not be respected
• Knowing and learning multiple languages will be an advantage
• Using other forms of communication to connect with the soul rather than the logical mind, such as light code language that channels other beings from different realms and timelines, will increase in popularity
• Make space for the new era, which will be much lighter and airy, by giving away material things that you no longer want or need

2. Disintegration of hierarchy

We’ve become accustomed to hierarchical structures with intricate systems of ranking according to one’s socio-economic status.

I’m not just talking about the caste system in certain places.

I’m referring to all areas of our lives, including in countries that pride themselves for being more egalitarian.

Just think of your own experience in a workplace with management at different levels. Or if you’ve always worked for yourself, think of a time when you tried to speak to an authority figure in your bank.

These hierarchical systems that had been established in the past 200 years almost seemed like the norm and impossible to break through.

In the new paradigm we’re entering, institutions that seemed infallible are being decentralized. Even the most iron-clad systems will crumble right before your eyes.

Aquarius strives for an egalitarian society.

So, don’t be surprised if the CEO of a Fortune 500 company ends up living next to you in an intentional community in the near future when more people will choose communal living.

Being connected to an “important” family or holding fancy titles that rank some higher than others will become as obsolete as the cassette player.

This paradigm shift will not happen without struggle or massive upheavals.  

Already we’re seeing a power grab like we’ve never witnessed before. For some, it is as obvious as night and day watching a few in power trying to control the collective with the same level of desperation as someone hanging on to a lifejacket in the middle of the sea after a shipwreck.

There will be more attempts to preserve the status quo by all means, while more and more people rise up to challenge the rules created by powerful establishments.

In other words, we will witness and experience clashes between those who want to uphold the old structure of power and those who want to create a new system.

In 2021, social unrest between the old and the new will peak when Saturn (establishment & structure) in Aquarius squares (conflict) Uranus (revolution) in Taurus three times next year.

The squares will be exact on 17 February, 14 June and 24 December of 2021 (GMT). 

The Saturn-Uranus clashes demand action for change – the type of change that restructures and revolutionizes how we move forward.

Uranus (the planet of rebellion & innovation), which rules Aquarius in modern astrology, is considered to be an oddball. It is different from the other planets in our solar system. Unlike other planets, it spins on its side.

With Uranus involved in disrupting the status quo, the changes that are underway will be original and unlike anything we’ve seen before.

Saturn is strong in Aquarius as it also rules the sign of the Water Bearer in traditional astrology.

Saturn is about responsibility. And Saturn in Aquarius (which represents the collective) will ensure that each of us play an active role in the creation of the new world.

Saturn will make it known that not only are we responsible for our own lives, but we’re also responsible for how our individual lives affect others. Every decision and indecision from each are tied to the collective.

In the Aquarian age, endorsing and defending matters related to social justice will be the norm. It will become everyone’s responsibility to do so.

In other words, everyone will be an “activist”.

Abject poverty and injustice will become unpalatable no matter where they occur in the world.

We will look back at the massive wealth gap and injustice in the old era with disbelief in the same way we now react to the witch trials from the middle ages.

The voices of those who protest against injustice and systemic discrimination will get louder and more powerful.

We’ve already seen a glimpse of this in 2020 when mass numbers of people around the globe took to the streets to protest against racial injustice, triggered by the horrific murder of George Floyd (I wrote about this in That death will come – The 8 minutes & 46 seconds that changed everything).

Interestingly, these demonstrations started when Saturn was briefly transiting Aquarius between 21 March-1 July in 2020 (related post “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth” – Now what, with Saturn in Aquarius). During that time, the new cycle of eclipses in the Gemini-Sagittarius series also begun (since June 2020 to last until the end of 2021).  I expect more mass demonstrations against racial injustice in the upcoming year.

The Great Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn at 0 degrees on solstice in a few days will set the tone for 2021. 0 degrees represents fresh beginnings. It is the first degree of a sign in which the energy is raw and pure.

In 2021, just like toddlers, we will learn how to walk while navigating the beginning of a new era.

We will fall and tumble of course, but will get back on our feet again and again in the creation of a new world brick by brick (or rather idea by idea in an air-ruled era of concepts).

Tips to help you thrive in 2021 & beyond:

• Stand up for your own rights and for the rights of others – staying silent in the face of injustice will not guarantee your security in the new era
• Put your blood, sweat and tears in pursuing your goals – there will be fewer options left between staying in a secure job just to pay the bills or pursuing your true calling because “secure” jobs will disappear into thin air
• Expect no governments or establishments to rescue the public from the predicament we’re all in
• Be a proactive member of a community with the same vision as you in creating a future that benefits all, but at the same time maintain your individuality
• Offer services or products that are socially- and environmentally-conscious, such as cruelty-free cosmetics or vegan foot-ware & accessories
• Integrate a lifestyle that is conscious of how other beings are treated, such as including more vegetarian or plant-based meals into your diet – the vegetarian and vegan lifestyles will continue to grow in popularity
• Don’t just get involved in a “charity” that takes a top-down approach in helping the disadvantaged, but become proactive in addressing the root causes of poverty especially by cooperating and learning from those who are “disadvantaged” to create a more equitable world for all
• Know how to balance equality & fairness – for instance, it is fair to ensure that everyone gets equal opportunities (which means special consideration for those who had been denied opportunities), but it is not fair for everyone to get equal praise when someone carries out more work than the rest in a group where everyone has the same resources
• If you’re in the fashion industry, androgyny will be in vogue
• Display of expensive labels or objects that scream wealth (without contributing to a social cause) will look as obnoxious as uttering the phrase “let them eat cake”

3. The future is now

Aquarius is the most futuristic sign of the zodiac.

In the new era, advancement in technology and medicine will take quantum leaps.

Back in 1980/1981, Jupiter and Saturn met in another air sign, Libra, before their final Great Conjunction in an earth sign, Taurus, in 2000 (when the earth cycle started to become weaker).

Since 1980/1981, the digital age permeated all aspects of our lives.

By now, most of the world’s population have access to the internet that connects almost everyone to the rest of the world with information at the tip of our fingers.

This foreshadows what’s further ahead.

In the era we are entering, technological innovation will be on steroids! And they will happen with lightening speed.

Travel will start to look more like what we’ve seen in sci-fi films.

We may even experience commercial space travel in our lifetime. In your future vacation, you could be sharing selfies of yourself from Mars. Except the selfies would be a hologram of you and your surroundings in real time.

The most hopeful side of rapid technological advancement is that nobody will be constrained by physical limitations. The blind will be able to see. Everyone will have legs to walk on and hands to work with.

Our bodies may even be upgraded for optimal function. Our artificial limbs may perform better than our own limbs.  

But with rapid technological advancement, there’s of course always the other side of the coin.

There is the danger of genetic modification that will alter us in ways which cause our humanness to fade. There is the risk of AI taking over. And there is the hazard of entering into a world devoid of human emotions.

Technology is already being misused by a few with their own agenda. We’re now at a time when mass surveillance has become the norm, tracking our every move.

There would be an outcry if someone is caught breaking into people’s homes to go through their personal belongings and letters. But somehow the digital version of prying into people’s private affairs hasn’t fueled mass level of outrage yet.

But it will…as more draconian measures that infringe on individual rights, including privacy and free speech, get trampled on in the next few years (we’re already experiencing this).

Mass numbers of people will rise up because individual freedom is as important in the Aquarian age as breathing.

Most people will become as repulsed by digital snooping in the same way we now react to a peeping Tom.

People will find alternative ways to earn a living rather than falling into the trap of giving up their freedom for a secure livelihood – a typical trap resembling a victim of abuse in an abusive relationship.

People will take action to redress automated systems that extract large amounts of information, especially systems that exclude the poor and fail to protect the most vulnerable.

I recently read about the failures and glitches in automated risk-assessment programmes adopted by governments, which drove the poor (including the elderly and those with disabilities) further into poverty because they were denied benefits, housing, loans and/or employment opportunities.

This is the shadow side of Aquarius – cold and impersonal decisions made in a digital world without regard for human impact. I’ve lost track of how many senior citizens I’ve met who feel isolated, excluded and lost in this growing digital age.  

At the same time, many legal and IT experts are now active in understanding and fighting systems that use automated tools to make impersonal decisions with inhumane results.

This is the admirable side of Aquarius – people mobilizing themselves to create a system of accountability that takes into consideration the needs of everyone, especially the most vulnerable.  

We will see this kind of solidarity among people more in the coming years to push back against systems that exclude or discriminate.

2020 taught us about despair. We experienced how devastating and hopeless it feels to suffer in isolation.

2020 was relentless in showing us our own vulnerability.

Let’s take these lessons with us as we move forward to create a new world in a digital age to ensure that nobody gets left behind.

Tips to help you thrive in 2021 & beyond:

• Learn technical skills to design and provide digital goods & services, but make sure to incorporate your human touch
• You can literally make money from thin air by offering online training, courses or webinars
• Be hyper vigilante about online viruses and cyber attacks in 2021 by protecting your devices from potential malware
• Air travel in an air-fueled era will return in a big way with transportations that travel at lightening speed (although international travel will still be limited next year with the South Node in Sagittarius until the end of 2021 – Sagittarius rules international travel and the South Node in this sign will weaken Sagittarius-related themes until it changes signs in 2022)
• Offer services that have to do with aliens, such as channeling messages from E.T.s or an alien-themed café – people’s fascination with aliens will become mainstream and reach fever pitch (aliens are synonymous with Aquarius – it is impossible to talk about Aquarius without mentioning aliens)
• DIY services and trainings will become popular in the new era in which people are more interested in becoming self-sufficient
• Vibrational treatments to treat health and medical conditions will be huge and life-changing (I recently discovered “Frequency Specific Microcurrent” therapy out of desperation during the lockdown to treat ongoing pain from a spinal injury, and I was blown away by the significant impact it had on my healing)
• Alternative holistic medicine (e.g. Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Ayurveda) will peak
• Psychoanalysis and therapy-related professions will grow further for treating increasing problems with mental health
• Hypnosis & Neurolinguistic Programme (NLP) will become more popular in the new era as we will all be operating more on the mental plain
• Energy-related therapy (such as reiki) will be in demand as Aquarius rules energy
• Any practices that predict the future, such as Tarot or Lenormand card readings, will flourish in the Age of Aquarius that favors forward-thinkers
• And last but certainly not least – astrology will be HUGE in the Aquarian age because in modern astrology the sign of the Water Bearer rules astrology – so definitely a good time to learn more about astrology because, as J.P. Morgan once famously said, “Millionaires don’t need astrologers, but billionaires do”

There you have it. Above are the three areas to remember as we enter an exciting new era. The tips will help you get on board and thrive in the new world.

In line with what’s ahead, you can learn astrology in a video tutorial I made. Part A of the tutorial is FREE.

If you are new to astrology, Part A will help you become familiar with the elements (fire, earth, air, water) & the modalities (cardinal, fixed, mutable). If you have advanced knowledge of astrology, the workbook that comes with the tutorial will help you tap into the power of each planet in your horoscope, buried deep within your psyche.

Watch – Part A: Uncover the hidden power of your horoscope (FREE)

Excellent articles on The Great Conjunction in Aquarius (which I’ve also learned from):

J. Lee Lehman – Generational Shifts and the Jupiter-Saturn Mutation

Jessica Davidson – The Saturn Uranus Square: freedom or slavery – time to choose

Raymond Merriman – The Great Mutation and the start of a New Era: Jupiter & Saturn

Featured photo on top by Andrian Valentino on Pixabay.com