Article Written by Rachel Leah Gerson, Magician Tarot Card I from Le Tarot de Marseille
Wow! 2016 was, well, a “doosy”, to say the least. I’ll refrain from recapping all of the differences (or difficulties, however your prefer to look at it) that the planets and the sun and moon have thrown at us like the unorthodox American election season, strange world events like the Dakota Pipeline ordeal, and the rapidity of over-evolving technological advance- we all know what’s happened. What’s gone on. (Though if you aren’t familiar with the planet or election bit, you can click here to read about it..)
As I’ve explained in prior articles, 2016 is a 9 year (2+0+1+6= 9), which means that we have been in a year of endings. The potential ending of Great Britain being part of the EU, endings of many lives of those nearest and dearest to us, endings of countless relationships, of jobs, of careers, of marriages, endings of ignoring ourselves and our thoughts and needs and feelings, endings of politicians as US presidents and of shadows being left to hide in the darkness- everything has been brought to light. So, naturally, in a year of endings, most of us are probably feeling preeeeetty done with it- I know I am. So… the next big question is, what does 2017 hold in store for us?
Well, 2017 is a 1 year (2+0+1+7= 10, 1+0= 1). 1, as it sounds, is the very beginning. We can expect to start anew. In Tarot, the 1 in the Major Arcana (the first 22 cards of the tarot deck) is the Magician. He represents creation, working through and solving problems for the first time, experimentation, art, and creativity. Think of a baby at 1 year’s old: They problem solve. Everything is new for them. They crawl around- or even try to walk around- and explore absolutely everything! The image I get, specifically is of a baby putting its tiny little hand in the air and grabbing at it- exploring; feeling; wondering; maybe even creating. We are those babies right now. The world is that baby right now.
We have been running and running and stirring and stirring and gallivanting around aimlessly to get here and there and for what purpose we don’t know and on and on and on… like chickens with their heads cut off for the entirety of 2016. Think about it- billions of chickens running around with their heads cut off. From aerial view. If Martians exist, they were having a good laugh at us last year.
But this year (oof, it feels good to type that) will be different. This year we will be able to stop and breathe for a minute. Take things slow. Explore. Explore ourselves, the world, the people around us, our skills, our abilities, our appetites… Many of us who quit jobs this last year will be looking into our passions; looking into what sparks us; what feeds us; what we yearn for- our purpose. We will become explorers of our own universes on every level- on the level of the Self, of interpersonal relationships, of communities, of countries, of the world, of the galaxy, of Universe; of Spirit. We will be crawling on all fours, eyes wide in wonder, jaws dropped in the efforts of excursion and drooling in the eyes of Entity.
This last year of 2016 has given many of us a special appreciation for what we have. For the earth. for our bodies, for boundaries, for our own power as individuals. As Warriors of Life. After all of our perceived hardships, we are less likely to take things for granted than we are to be grateful. And so we enter 2017 looking in awe towards the beauty of it all. We have opened the doors to 2017 to find Magick like we have never found it before. Our appreciation will skyrocket. Every littlest tiniest thing will be reason to stop and say thank you. Will be reason to take the time to appreciate. Every simplest meekest thing that we might have upturned our nostrils at in years prior will be met with shiny-eyed wonder and feed us, in turn, with inspiration. This coming year is here to gather information so that we can build, but in a way that we can feel comfortable waiting to build it all later. Because this year will allot us the time and space to be able to Just. Be. And Do. And Explore. And Enjoy- with joy and gratitude.
We left so much of ourselves behind this year.
It is time to fill ourselves back up-
and we might as well
take the time
to slow
down
and
enjoy it
while we can;
while we’re at it.
While we are given the
space
and time
to feel invigorated.
Some people believe that the 1 year commences as soon as the clock strikes midnight on 1 January. Some people believe that it does not actually begin until the astrological new year starts on the first day of Aries, in April. Some believe that it’s a bit of both- it starts on the 1st but does not change with the simple tick of the clock. It starts, but has a four and a half month grace period to truly set in when Aries begins. I am of the last belief, but you can flow with whatever flows with you. If you are feeling the last way jives with you, then the slowing down theme will really be present in the next four months as we are wiggling through, trying to find our way into this new year and these new bodies. Trying to open our eyes for what it seems is the first time. Or trying to look through newly opened eyes. In these new selves; in this new spirit; in these transformed societies.
Other energies to expect this year:
While, yes, 2017 will be a much smoother ride than 2016 was, we will still be asked, by the planets, to consider our shadows and keep them in our peripheries. Just because we took the time to do the work this year does not mean that we can forget the work that we did or why we did it. The bumps will be evened out with bliss this time, though, so we definitely have a lot to look forward to!
It seems like most of the months in 2017 are pretty smooth sailing, but the ones that are a little nittier and grittier are very much nittier and gritter. There is a lot of work jam-packed in the months we are supposed to take an extra look at ourselves.
Smoothest months: January, May, June, July, September, October, November.
Months where we might be doing a tad more work: February, April, August, the first 3 weeks of December.
Important Astrological Events in 2017
January
8: Mercury goes direct. Communication will become clearer and technology will become easier to use. Don’t forget to bring all of the lessons that Mercury taught you through this retrograde cycle along the way or Mercury will be sure to make you relearn it the next time he lags behind our sphere!
28: Mars enters Aries. This is important because Mars is “governed” by the sign of Aries. In other words, if there is conflict, the energy is definitely there to be able to “hash it out” when the need comes around. And because Mercury has gone direct at this point, communication should be in tip top shape- it’s a great seguey, really!
February
6: Jupiter Retrograde until 9 June. Keep a tight eye on your check books- are they balanced? Are you making sure that you are keeping your bank account up to date and in check (no pun intended)? This is not a great time to make investments, nor is it a great time for thrifty spending.
10: Full Lunar Eclipse in Leo. Remember all of those eclipses from last year, and how they made you take a look at your shadows? Well, there are many of them again, this year. But this year they come in a “new light”, so-to-speak. This year it is more about facing your fears. Becoming the version of yourself that is so powerful and inter-connected to your highest self that you are afraid to reach up and grasp it because you are afraid of your own wonder. This is especially true for this Lunar eclipse in Leo. What boldness and ferocity are you afraid to see in yourself because it is just that awesome, and you cannot bring yourself to believe that you could, in fact, just be that great?
26: Full Solar Eclipse and New Moon in Pisces. Solar Eclipses can only happen on a New Moon, so that part is nothing special or new- I was only noting it. The sun is fire, and Pisces in water. This eclipse will allow us to fully immerse ourselves in our emotions. To really float alongside them and exam them, or maybe even dive deep- just make sure not to stay too deep for too long. Remember that you need to come up for air, every once in a while!
March
4: Venus Retrograde until 15 April. Relationships come into question. Sexuality comes into question. Libido may fluctuate, or the relation of emotions and sex might become different.
April
6: Saturn Retrograde until 25 August. In these 4 and a half months that Saturn is retrograde you will be given the opportunity to reflect on your Highest Self- what is holding you back from reaching it, and what could you do to move that block? This goes back to the theme that this year of 2017 is seeming to hold: Exploring the spiritual Self and the Self in general, and working through the patterns to be able to determine how to reach your most authentic Self in your highest vibration. However, for those of you who might be in your Saturn return (more on this in an article to follow at some point in time), you will actually be given a break from all of your intense workings on this topic during this time. Enjoy these few months off, because once they are over it’s back to the spiritual exploration grind!
9: Mercury Retrograde until 3 May. Refer to these articles here and here for information on Mercury Retrograde. This will be the second one of four in the 2017 year, though this is the only one that will occur for the entire period while Saturn is also retrograde. It will lead more to a different outlook on communication with the Self- an intrapersonal communication- as opposed to different communication with others, unless the communication with other illuminates certain aspects of the Self that you might not otherwise want to peak into.
15: Venus goes Direct. Thankfully, a few days after Mercury begins its mayhem, Venus continues direct and pulls us through the rest of the year in newly found love within ourselves and with others, as well as a healthy sexual appetite and expression. Creativity might overtake you in the best way around the time that this takes place.
20: Pluto Retrograde until 28 September. Pluto rules generations. Pluto enters the next consecutive time every time that a new generation is born, staying in each sign for 14-30 years. When Pluto goes retrograde, it is possible for the generational gap to become even more noticeable. Or, perhaps, every generation will have its own task to face in growing closer to their Highest Selves. Or maybe both. We’ll see what happens!
May
3: Mercury goes Direct. We can experience some better communication with our wiser more understanding selves until August.
June
9: Jupiter goes Direct. If you have a little extra to spend and are eyeing that new TV set, this would be a much better time to purchase it than anytime from February until this point. As long as you kept your finances in check during that period, you should be golden to carry on!
16: Neptune Retrograde until 22 November. Perhaps you might be dealing with your guilt or conscious in this period of time. Your spiritual beliefs also might be challenged or flipped a little topsy turvy. It’s only a different view of things. I’m not sensing that it will be anything too challenging. Rather, it might be interesting and stimulating in a way that it really makes you stop and think- back to that whole “Self Exploration” theme this year!
July
Nothing big to keep your eye out for 😉 Enjoy!
August
3: Uranus Retrograde until 2 January 2018. Your knack for creativity or invention might be put to a test. Don’t let this fool you- you still got it!
7: Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius. Once again the Universe is putting you in the position of being able to explore the shadows surrounding your spirituality. What is it that makes you fly? What is it that holds you back?
12: Mercury Retrograde until 5 September. This is the third of four Mercury Retrogrades this year. The one that preempts this one happens completely within the same time frame as when Saturn is retrograde, while this one will occur with half of the retrograde coinciding with that of Saturn Retrograde, and the other half will continue after Saturn goes direct. This could potentially be the most fruitful of the Mercury Retrogrades this year, as the first half will create the container for working within the shadows of the Self, and the second half will be a fluid motion towards working within the shadows of our closest interpersonal relationships, as well as relationship to community, to society, and to the rest of the globe.
21: Solar Eclipse in Leo. In February we had a Lunar Eclipse in Leo. While the Lunar Eclipse helps us to focus more on our emotional shadows surrounding our ferocity, bravery, showmanship, and ego, the Solar Eclipse will help us to zero in on the shadows surrounding our personalities in these areas, rather than the sole emotions. We will be given the room to look at ourselves as a whole personality, and how we relate to others- how do they see us? How do we see ourselves? How do we want to be seen?
25: Saturn Direct. Spirit is back on track and out of (as much) question as it may have been since it went retrograde a few months prior. Get ready to astral travel and celebrate it! Those of you in your Saturn Return, get ready to get back to the grind of your soular work, and good luck, loves!
September
5: Mercury Direct. Communication is nice and clear for a few months- enjoy it! This is your nice break.
28: Pluto Direct. Generational gaps may once again start to close. Spirituality will start to be more aligned amongst the human race as a whole. We will have worked through a lot of our lessons in the area of spirit and will be feeling a lot freer and more willing to speak through our wants and needs in this area with others.
October
Nothing to mind 😉
November
22: Neptune goes direct. After Pluto went direct in September, Neptune is next to follow in opening the spiritual floodgates once again. Keep reaching for your Higher Self and basking in it. Some huge weights will have been lifted off of your shoulders between these two events, and you will begin to feel a lot clearer in your purpose on this planet, as well as more solid in your morals, your belief system, and your spirituality.
December
3: Mercury Retrograde until 22 December. You know the drill. This is the last of the four MR’s this year- make of it what you can. Slow down. Breathe. Feel into your environment. Be mindful. Be compassionate towards yourself and others.
22: Mercury Direct. Home free! The rest of the year is smooth sailing from here, and the tension will also start to part more and more as we get closer to 2018 when Uranus will go Direct on the 2nd of January.
*Please remember that this is solely an outline of the year, and my own intuition on the year. When it comes to you and your life, your intuition is much more important than mine, just like my intuition is much more important to my life than yours is. If you feel that something I wrote does not ring true for you, then it probably doesn’t. Just because I have a career in this type of thing does not give me precedence or word over your intuition. Listen to your gut and do what you need to do!
Sending so much love and luck in this New Year of 2017!! May it be fruitful and joyous, and may you be surrounded by love. May your path guide you through many journeys to be able to fully explore the Magician, the Child, and the Fresh Start in you.
As Always,
xx RLG ❤
Doorway to Self 