Image: TigerHouseArt on etsy.com.
A message for everybody: The whole world has experienced a volcanic social upheaval since Pluto entered Capricorn in 2008 and Neptune entered Pisces in 2011. All aspects of economic life have brought about the reversals of power and are demanding revolutionary changes in the art of business as well as in the business of art.
Our society (that means everyone) finds itself in a great state of transition. Throughout the whole world, people are trying to hang on to a shred of control and as much prosperity as possible. Competition has never been keener. Ironically, nothing stops the creation and production of great works of art.
Created by misfits who, no matter how hard they try to be normal, live on the terminator line between order and chaos. Their weird, skewed, multi-dimensional perceptions fill us with awe, and change our own view of what life is all about.
The world is not ending, no matter what the doomsday people say. Society as we have always known it, however, IS.
The key words for 2016: stability in the midst of chaos.
The inscrutable sea.
ARIES / ARIES RISING (March 21 – April 19)
You try to be nice and polite and not chew your food with your mouth open and impatiently bark orders at people at the same time. You are an Aries after all, and ruled by the planet Mars.
When it comes down to it, you have to shut down your conscience sometimes and act. You are competitive, but you also do have a heart. Life is a tough trip, so when you see the wagon driver slumped over in his seat, you grab the horses’ reigns. If that means pushing him out of the wagon for the good of everyone, so be it. You can apologize later.
The retrogrades of Mars and Saturn this spring could be irritating, when direct, aggressive action is curtailed. Your brain can only take so much pressure. You’ll have to find some middle ground between totally breaking away from the regime and going it alone, and still participating in it, and enjoying the prestige of a system you find stifling it outmoded. That’s the conflict between the planet Uranus in Aries Square to Pluto in Capricorn.
You have a soft, loving side that needs intimacy and refreshment, but you will find your real healing and satisfaction in good old fashioned work and taking better care of your body.
Remember your body? It’s that thing that slows you down but keeps you going at the same time.
TAURUS / TAURUS RISING (April 20 – May 20)
There is no sin in pursuing pleasure and luxury. It’s your cosmic right as a Taurus. Money for its own sake means absolutely nothing to you. It is the joy and magnificence that it can buy that tempts you. Some people will fault you for your appetite but your sign attracts everything beautiful in this fertile world.
You now have in 2016 a generous wish to help others and contribute to the human condition.
Can you maintain your own associations without jealousy and deception interfering with your altruistic goals? Thanks to the south node of the moon and Chiron in your house of friends, trust could be a big issue.
It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between unforeseen disasters that are nobody’s fault and some purposeful wish to bring you down. Everything that happens is ultimately a blessing in disguise. You’ve got to keep that thought. How lucky you really are to be participating in a quantum leap of consciousness, which is rarely comfortable for anyone.
With Jupiter and the North Node in your fifth house, it’s all about love. You love people and they love you. Especially kids if you’ve got some. We’re talking about that sort of innocent love which figures in the foreground of your family photo right now. If it’s not your kids, it’s someone who offers you an intimate connection. It’s pure, so keep that in mind when encountering sharks or any limitations on your appetite this spring.
When the ruler of your seventh house of relationships is in the ninth, make sure you are dealing with people who keep your morals high and your behavior ethical—and in some cases, keep you out of jail.
GEMINI / GEMINI RISING (May 21 – June 21)
It probably seems like all the armies are coming at you from all sides this year. Astrologically speaking, a pileup of planets in the mutable signs, does squeeze you into tight spots, and puts pressure on you. Thank Heaven you’re a Gemini, and you have the flexibility, agility, and mental skill to speak rationally and sensibly to people who are not even speaking to each other. It takes a heck of a lot of skill—diplomatic skill—to accomplish that, and not be called a hypocrite or a manipulator. People would have more respect for you if they knew the level of free-floating anxiety that plagues you. Or your own ambivalent feelings and battles with all authority figures, thanks to the South Node overhead. All those goons scrambling for power should understand the dance you’re dancing to survive, mentally, among all the crazy people around you. With Saturn in the seventh house, people are holding you to your word, so there’s no room for fudging or changing your position. Publicly, this can be embarrassing (Chiron in the tenth house), and you have to hope that your true intention helps you survive public confrontation. It’s messy politically, so try to stay in the kitchen as much as you can, cooking organic vegetables. It would be rewarding in the long run to make efforts toward family unity. In fact, the family is the place of comfort, your unbridled freedom aside.
CANCER / CANCER RISING (June 22 – July 22)
When celestial bodies line up in your ninth house, you can’t be sure if you’re gifted with cosmic wisdom, or you’re being telepathically manipulated by evil aliens (or politicians). Or you’ve just got a fabulous imagination. You have to rely on siblings and associates who bring you back down to Earth when you start floating up there. You’ll be healthier mentally and physically, when you have some steady meaningful, or even menial, work that gives you a sense of service and provides regularity. Speaking of regularity, a dietary change is demanded, and will significantly improve your mood, attitude, psychological wellbeing, as well as digestive problems. If you’re in the public eye, you’re at the mercy of the fickle mob. Even within your family, your stocks could rise or fall at any second, with the ruler of your eighth house in your tenth. Of all the planetary vibrations, Pluto is still the strongest now. There’s an overwhelmingly powerful figure in your life, either next to you in bed, 7000 miles away, or not even on this Earth anymore. This individual has commanded, and still does, an overpowering position in your mind and heart. The lesson is to provide you with a deep look at what you deeply, truly, unconsciously search for in a mate- someone who challenges all your previous social, moral, political, religious, or sexual beliefs. It’s a person you can’t live with or without but is there for your benefit and growth.
LEO / LEO RISING (July 23 – August 22)
Back on stage. The fifth and eighth houses challenge all the members of your sign on the issues of love, with sex or without. And sex with love or without. Gotta ponder that one in 2016.
Age is not a factor here, basically because at 18 or 85, with Saturn in your fifth house, you need love but are still scared of getting hurt. And with Chiron in the eighth, these things happen. So try not to worry about your prowess or personal allure. Of course, with Jupiter and the North Node in your second house, it would be best to be in a monogamous, committed relationship if possible. If you could, pay no attention to any goblins dancing all over your head and heart. A spiritual union puts all conflicts aside. And that takes above average faith and TRUST. Long distance relationships are thought to be difficult to sustain. But when your seventh house ruler is in the ninth, distance is just what you need. So it’s best if one or the other lives away from home or has to travel. A sixth house Pluto never lets you forget, whether you’re a patrician or not, that you have to plug away like the rest of us at some work. Eat your spinach, go to bed like a normal person, and get up in the morning to make your contribution to society. Prosperity could be yours in 2016 with Jupiter in your second house, provided you don’t throw away good money on naughty distractions. But we can’t fault you. It’s great to feel rich once in a while.
VIRGO / VIRGO RISING (August 23 – September 22)
It’s not your sole task in life to keep the family from falling apart, even if you’ve been doing it since you’re a child. But you do have your responsibilities to the sick, the elderly, or the downright crazy family members. Maybe because you’ve always been the sane one. Even before you were old enough to reach the stove without standing on a chair. But with Chiron, Neptune, and the South Node in the seventh house, you’ve got to be empathetic but not a sucker for narcissistic people who need more attention than any human deserves. But we can’t forget Pluto in your fifth house, which renders you a perfect target for that sort of codependency. Finances are volatile. Health must be attended to. And real estate issues, although minor, could bug you as well.
It’s hard to handle everything by yourself. You’re not a superhero. You’ve got good luck in 2016 though granted by the Moon’s path and the power of Jupiter. Those vibrations are the source of good health, wisdom, generosity, and optimism no matter what. Major point to remember: don’t get enmeshed in messy problems of others, as tempting as it is. Create boundaries, keep boundaries, and remember you’re your own best friend.
LIBRA / LIBRA RISING (September 23 – October 22)
Contrary to corny stereotypes, Libras do not spend all their time sewing in the garden and practicing the harp. You can be as tough and competitive as any cigar-chomping shark in the business world. It’s just that you prefer the softer sell. It’s hard to hang on to that with Uranus in the seventh house, causing flip-flops in all your relationships. Well, you’re learning you can’t control everybody, and you can’t control anybody. People pop in, and they pop out, like it or not. The real strength comes from inside, and having faith in that loss of control, just to see where it leads.
Health-wise, with Neptune in the sixth house, don’t let your imagination run away with you. You may have some symptoms that produce no diagnosis. That will assure you that mind and body, psyche and soma, work together to produce mental and physical well-being. Sometimes, alternative methods of healing that you may have thought nonsense and rubbish, can show you nature knows better than you do. We know that you’re yearning for innocent days of the past, and flooded with memories that you may be inventing or embroidering. You probably nostalgically look back to your hometown, and sometimes wish you could transport yourself to more innocent days. That’s what Pluto does- telling you you can’t go back in time.
SCORPIO / SCORPIO RISING (October 23 – November 21)
Nobody is better than you at pulling rabbits out of hats, especially when your back is to the wall. Financially, that’s exactly what you have to do in 2016. You have to be more inventive and spontaneous than ever at work. It’s already dawned on you that A.) There’s no such thing as security, and B.) You have to work magic now, and pronto.
Saturn’s now finally out of your sign, thank God, so you’re no longer frozen solid. Continue eating your granola and green juice, and you’ll have the energy to be fine. The planetary pileup in Pisces in your fifth house, gives you a great chance for creating, performing, and having fun. There’s a big risk of acting like a high school dropout, and looking for romantic love in all the wrong places. But let’s face it. In a way, it’s lucky to make a fool of yourself, because it shows that you’re willing to take a change. Let artistry replace adolescent behavior, and the dollars will flow in. Siblings and relatives demand a hell of a lot of attention with their endless problems. So be grateful if you’re an only child.
Communication on unmatchable levels will put you ahead of the pack. That takes guts, because there’s people you should be talking to but don’t want to. Keep your Jekyl and Hyde in balance, and you’ll blow all the competition out of the water with your knife-like and weirdly amazing perceptions. The key to sanity is to avoid sexualizing every contact with every human, right down to the kid who delivers the pizza. The key word is friendship. So don’t squeeze the stuffing out of the teddy bear.
SAGITTARIUS / SAGITTARIUS RISING (November 22 – December 21)
You probably took a big hit financially back in 2008, along with a lot of other people.
Pluto in the second house can deliver a blow which paradoxically ends up, years later, helping you become incredibly wealthy.
It requires a change in attitude from blind optimism and magical thinking to a stark, realistic picture of what it means to be a better business person. As you mature, you realize how lucky you are. But it takes getting out of bed and attending to business. Pluto is relentless, and doesn’t allow you much leisure or lollygagging.
Take advantage of the professional opportunities that lie out in the world for you.
The real deal in 2016: look at yourself deeply. There are some limitations to your movement. You’re in the process of reinventing yourself. There’s no quick way to do that. Changing your job, your town, or your house is not enough. We’re all building castles on sand, and it can all be washed away in the tsunami of life. In any case, you still need perseverance and discipline and cautious optimism to proceed. Everything is an opportunity for growth, wisdom, and learning. But patience? Sagittarius?
There you are, standing in front of the microwave, shouting, “Come on! Come on! I don’t have all minute!”
CAPRICORN / CAPRICORN RISING (December 22 – January 19)
You’re not very social these days. The ruler of your sign has just begun a trip through the twelfth house- it’s a more private, intimate, and introspective period of your life. The Pluto transit also can be highly empowering, gaining you greater attention and respect at the same time. Few people know you’re trebling inside as you face your most terrifying nemesis- the unknown. You need people now, though, especially the ones with practical wisdom, who can keep you from plunging into your usual dark projections. Uranus in the fourth house disrupts the family of all Capricorns, and teaches you not to look back, but only forward. We don’t usually think of Capricorns as rebels. The traditional and conservative path is more comfortable for you.
Paradoxically, we find that some of the greatest artists, and misfits, who contribute the most to society, belong to your noble sign. You’re on an exciting trip now, and you need to go where you’ve never gone before, overcoming all fears and prejudices by finding wisdom from even the most foreign sources. You’re an ultimate realist, however, so no matter how many risks you take, or how spiritual you are, praying or chanting, your mantra will always be, God bless you, “I want the best and I want it cheap!”
AQUARIUS / AQUARIUS RISING (January 20 – February 18)
Staying true to the path you’re on and not being plagued by doubt will keep you from wobbling. We’ve all got our moments of uncertainty, but you had a goal that was lofty, shining and promising. And those goals you once perceived as noble and inspiring sometimes seem tarnish now, even draining. So there will be moments with Pluto in the twelfth house where you will feel trapped by the choices you’ve made when you could be doing so many more fun things.
In fact, you are already branching out and checking out some new avenues with the ruler of the twelfth in the eleventh. Your primary commitment, however, describes a more spiritually rewarding and fulfilling pursuit. That remains true, even when you think you’re stupid to remain idealistic about it. Financially, risk to reward is enormous. You can’t be successful without fadiddling with the rules and still maintaining your integrity. You’ve got dozens of options now, with your eleventh house so active. Every one of them seems attractive but unworthy of your total commitment at the same time.
Economic survival requires the following: if your raft capsizes, don’t fight the rocks. Let the water take you around them. True prosperity demands you cooperate with nature. And sometimes this could be the really rich folks who extend their hand to help you- of course, with strings attached. At the moment, you can enjoy a great measure of freedom, as long as you stick with the vows you have made.
PISCES / PISCES RISING (February 19 – March 20)
As usual with Pisces, it’s complicated. Neptune in your sign is adding a new confidence and dignity to your personality. No matter what has come before, you’re more inspired than ever to present yourself with love and dedication. The brief but annoying presence of the South Node and Chiron in your sign now can either erode that confidence and turn you into a control freak, angry at everyone, especially yourself, or it can deepen your commitment to helping the less fortunate.
Struggling with your own issues is the only way you can gain empathy to others, at which point partners, colleagues, and even adversaries will reach out their hand to you. It’s difficult, however, if you’re not open to constructive criticism, editing, or even therapy. You have only begun to tap into your genius and creativity, even financially, in the most inventive of ways. Politics can certainly get in the way. Saturn at the top of your astrological chart can grant you a long term position in your community as a credible professional in you chosen field. The whole bag of tomatoes depends on how much you want to be legitimate anyway. It depends also on how you have treated people on the way up, and what good deeds or misdeeds will arise to reward or haunt you now. You have admirers, supporters, and plenty of people who “believe” in you. You just have to be aware that the things you have said and done can impact your fate in 2016.
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CONFIDENTIAL TO HER EXCELLENCY SHEIKHA AL-MAYASSA BINT HAMAD BIN KHALIFA AL-THANI
Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani.
Your Excellency,
Thunderous applause for your unmatchable contribution to global art. Kudos, congratulations, and gratitude. You have already demonstrated a rare sophistication and taste. One little thing, if I may. The star Regulus has just entered the sign of Qatar’s independence, which is Virgo in Western astrology. This signals a time for women from all cultures to become vocal advocates and stewardesses of the Earth. It is incumbent of all women to take charge of the health of our planet and to become public examples of that effort. So please, in addition to everything you are doing for art and artists, could you have a photo published of yourself recycling your trash? That would be so great.
Thank you so much, and keep up the good work.
Michael Lutin
Michael Lutin is Phi Beta Kappa from Trinity College and a member of the National Press Club in Washington D.C. He has been a Vanity Fair columnist for 25 years, American Airlines columnist for 12 years, and a Vogue Germany columnist for 17 years. He is also the author of four books, five musical plays, and has lectured to Harvard Business School alumni, and many other organizations internationally.