Aries in 2011

Overview

With three major planets in dominant chart sectors, 2011 stands out as a year of reshaping, especially where relationships and career are concerned.

Jupiter in your sign gives you faith in your talents, making it easier to pursue your dreams. Saturn, continuing through your relationship zone, highlights the value of partnership in ways that help you see commitment as a positive experience. Work wise, Pluto’s ongoing transit continues to give you a powerful professional edge and transformative abilities to help you make an intense impact in your chosen career.

Simmering frustrations about a lack of balance between personal dreams and professional commitments come to a head as Jupiter and Pluto link February 22 to March 2, an ideal period for making major adjustments. If you are no longer honouring your personal beliefs through your work, changes made now are especially invigorating. Daring to chase your true desires, personally and professionally, helps you make the most of the dynamic energies for change available then.

You are larger than life through the first half of the year, Aries, as expansive Jupiter transits your sign. The period from January 22 to June 5 is a special time of growth and opportunity as doors open without much effort at all. Your biggest choices centre on prioritising the many experiences, especially on a personal level, that become possible in 2011.

With Jupiter around, adventure and travel are typically abundant. Many Aries will set off on once-in-a-lifetime learning adventures or holidays under this influence. Jupiter visits your sign just once every 12 years. You may revisit life goals or dreams from 1999, which was the last time Jupiter energised your sign.

The influence of your patron planet, Mars, reinforces the “me first” theme aroused by Jupiter. One of your missions in 2011, should you choose to accept it, is to explore how honouring commitments, to yourself and others, actually creates more joy in your world. You also become acutely aware of the ongoing juggling act of trying to balance personal priorities with relationship goals. Mars visits your sign April 3 to May 12, bringing extra confidence, energy and drive. You are at your determined best then and a little effort takes you a long way. You’re cosmically blessed to take action about the passions closest to your heart then.

A minor blip on your radar arrives courtesy of communication planet Mercury, who retrogrades (reverses) through your sign from March 29 to April 22. Double-check details and read the fine print as things aren’t quite as they seem then. You could be unusually indecisive as the information you need to make fully informed choices is delayed or temporarily missing. If you can, avoid finalising major decisions through this period. Instead, make it a time to review and revise, personally and in regards to relationships. Mercury retrograde in your sign is an ideal period for research and rethinking, so take as much time as you need to dig deep into the details of life’s dramas at this time.

Your ruler Mars makes a number of significant connections with planetary heavyweights in 2011. Exceptional energy flashpoints include:

• February 21, Mars/Neptune. The craving for divine inspiration reaches a peak as you seek a path through life that allows you to “walk your talk”. Group settings and friendships are areas in which you are called to sacrifice personal glory on behalf of others. Compassion reaches a peak, as does the desire to give back to those less fortunate.
• April 4, Mars/Uranus. You’ll personify the archetype of the rebel as Uranus electrifies your spirit. Freedom and independence are your calling cards as you seek to express yourself in ways that are outside your norm. You may shock others, but being true to yourself helps liberate you from restrictive situations.
• May 1 and 2, Mars/Jupiter. Adventure and discovery lead you off the beaten track as you explore beyond the current comfort zones of your life. Dreams of more excitement and greater satisfaction help you take a leap of faith. You’re restless and are drawn to travel, learning and exotic locations.

Relationships

Wise old Saturn continues his trek through your partnership zone, challenging you to commit to those you love or re-evaluate long-term relationship plans. Saturn’s steady influence in your partnership sector shows 2011 as a year where, overall, relationships feel more like work than fun. That said, Venus brings affection and warmth into your closest one-on-one relationships from September 16 to October 10. The alignment between Venus and Saturn in your love zone on September 13 represents a significant turning point regarding relationships and commitment. Mature choices in relationships are likely to be the right ones this year.

Saturn’s basic influence is practical and grounded, helping you see the dynamic between yourself and significant others for what it is, not what you want it to be. With your eyes, and heart, wide open, you are better able to make authentic commitments within your closest partnerships. Be practical about ending relationships that don’t have long-term potential. Saturn gifts you with maturity to make firm and final relationship choices.

March 28 to 31 is a key time for finding new balance between yourself and others, as Jupiter and Saturn combine to help influence your outlook on relationships, commitment and equality.

Commitments are tested and keeping your promises to others means digging deep as Mars and Saturn link April 18. Your word should be your bond on October 17, as a Mercury/Saturn link then highlights how important reliability is in strengthening relationships.

Wealth

The traditional planet of wealth, Jupiter, makes a once-in-12-years visit to your cash zone, from June 5, 2011, to June 11, 2012. Jupiter’s influence is to expand, so expect the amounts of money coming in and out of your “pocket” to be larger than usual through this time. Jupiter puts his seal of approval on big-ticket purchases or investments, all the while boosting your earning capacity and helping you develop new talents for which others will pay top dollar.

If you are able to channel even a small chunk of the extra money flowing through your hands in 2011 into savings or debt reduction, you’ll have built a solid nest-egg for yourself by the end of the year. If you’ve been contemplating retraining or learning new professional skills, schedule courses or workshops through the second part of the year.

The wealth sector in the chart relates to inner as well as outer wealth, and one of your greatest assets from June onwards is increased confidence in your skills and abilities. Under Jupiter’s influence here you personify the “wise mentor”. If looking to create extra work or income opportunities, explore teaching, training or facilitation roles.

Home + family

An eclipse in your domestic zone on July 1 helps pave the way for bringing long-held home and family dreams into being. Getting out of your comfort zone may be required, but you’ll love how things end up. Take risks then if you want satisfaction with domestic goals and family through the second half of the year.

Mars energises your home and family sector from August 4 to September 20, giving you the get-up-and-go you’ve been missing to push forward with domestic or homemaking plans. Channel extra energy into finishing DIY jobs and be decisive, once and for all, about whether you will continue to rent, buy or invest in property. You’re assertive with family members/flatmates and will want to call the shots now.

As Pluto continues to drive you out into the world to make your professional mark, reactions and changes occur on the home and family front. Power themes become apparent, particularly August 11 and 12, as you seek to create a new home life that better supports your at times obsessive career goals. Rather than letting unspoken issues fester, be bold about dealing with family or domestic conflict as it arises.

Creativity + children

Triggers to this playful chart sector help you relax and use your imagination.

Venus’ influence here from July 29 to August 22 is a great time for singles to meet potential new partners (especially if it involves reconnecting with someone you already know) and for couples to rekindle the spark by rediscovering how to have fun together. You’re playful and interested in trying new things creatively, just for the fun of it.

Communication planet Mercury retrogrades through this sector from August 9 to 25, causing a higher-than-usual amount of misunderstandings with kids and within romantic situations. It’s also time to review your creative practices and methodologies. Use this period to rethink how you express your desires to others. Presenting your needs in new ways may get you better results. Creative mishaps are par for the course now, so keep making this your mantra: “Fall down seven times, get up eight.”

Mars brings passion into your spirit, making it easier to express your desires, from September 20 to November 12. Artistic projects and dealings with or dreams about children progress as you make these matters top priority. Mars helps you live from the heart in that charming, youthful way you do best, so make playtime more important than achievement through this period. Mars gives you confidence with acts of creation now.

Travel

Holiday romances or lots of getaways with your significant other are doubly likely in 2011 as love goddess Venus visits your travel sector twice. The periods from January 18 to February 5 and November 3 to 27 are highlighted as ideal times in which to blend your love of adventure with romance.

Mercury, planet of organisation, retrogrades through your travel sector from November 24 to December 14. It’ll pay to double-check travel arrangements and triple-confirm your itinerary through this time. Even with all that preparation, Mercury being off-key means last-minute delays and changes are likely, so pack extra reading material and a flexible attitude.

The fated North Node triggers your travel sector from March 4. Over the next 18 months, you’ll notice extra intensity when contemplating travel and study plans (travel refers here to travel of both the mind and body), as if the future direction of your life hangs on the choices you make about adventure, discovery and learning — mostly because under this influence, to a certain extent, it does.

The North Node shows the areas, events and experiences of life your soul seeks to enhance its evolution. From March 4, learning, reconnecting with your faith in whatever form means most to you, and physically going to new places is what your spirit needs most. Eclipses in this zone on June 4 and November 25 highlight especially significant dates for momentous travel, study or faith-based encounters.

Friendships

Mars arouses your desire for quality time with true friends between January 16 and February 24. You’ll also notice increased motivation to do something about improving the lives of those around you, as Mars makes you more aware of the wider community to which you belong. Check out local charities or goodwill organisations — your energy can make a difference to others now. February 21 stands out as a date for giving your all to friends and group causes.

You get a taste of your social future between April 5 and August 5 when dreamy Neptune temporarily departs your friendship sector. Group dynamics get clearer as you find it easier to maintain your own identity within social and community settings. Before and after this period, you’re super-sensitive to the needs of your mates. Just try not to over-give — under Neptune’s influence you can lose sight of your healthy selfishness and could promise more than you can deliver.

Spirituality

After exploring your spiritual side in many new ways in 2010, this area of your solar chart is generally quieter in 2011. Mars gives you energy to explore the mystical and the spiritual from February 24 to April 3. Physical energy is lower then, but intuition and insight deepen. If you can take time out now from the buzz of daily life to still your being and your mind, you’ll find yourself better recharged for the remainder of the year.

Exploring meditation, yoga, journal writing or walking meditation means more when you can share with it someone you trust under Venus’ influence from March 28 to April 22. Seek supportive partners to help you develop your spiritual identity through this time. If you’re looking to enhance romantic relationships, a couple’s retreat or shared-intention setting can add depth to your connection through April.

Planetary cycles

The following section gives you specific information regarding this year’s planetary cycles and how they may affect you.

If you are born March 21 to 26, unconventional Uranus passes over your Sun. Freedom, rebellion and independence become strong motivating factors. You get a sense of where in life you need to cut ties and move forward. Like breaking out of jail, your spirit seeks release. You’re drawn to unorthodox experiences as you seek a non-traditional but increasingly authentic way of life.

If you are born March 31 to April 19, serious Saturn makes a difficult opposition to your Sun and relationships with significant others come into sharp focus. You get a relationship reality check, making it easier to re-evaluate your levels of satisfaction within business and personal partnerships. A strong need to clearly define your identity, along with what you will and won’t stand for, means affirming what’s a priority and ending distracting involvements.

If you are born March 25 to 29, powerful Pluto makes a challenging square to your Sun. Profound transformation is now on offer as you see the ways in which life both disempowers and strengthens you. An intimate confrontation with your true nature helps you gain more control of your life and its direction. Like a caterpillar, you may spend time in a cocoon this year, but ultimately you emerge like a transformed butterfly into a whole new you. Purge your life and soul of the old.