(26 December 2024) The transits to start the New Year look both tense and unstable. The close alignment of two malefics, Mars and Rahu, raise the possibility of unwanted and sudden developments. Mars is already arguably vulnerable as it is currently retrograde and debilitated in Cancer as it approaches another 180-degree opposition with Pluto. A previous Mars-Pluto opposition occurred just before the US election and highlighted rising antagonism before the Trump victory. It is therefore quite possible we could see a repeat of that kind of sentiment in the coming days. And based on my study of previous Mars-Pluto oppositions, there is a distinctly bearish bias for financial markets around the time of the exact alignment. While Mars is within range of Pluto now (less than 3 degrees), it will be exactly opposite this Thursday, January 2.
Of special note is that this Mars-Pluto opposition also aligns with the lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu. Thus, Rahu casts its 120-degree/5th house aspect to Mars, while Ketu casts its aspect to Pluto. The nodes introduce a disruptive and destabilizing element which can give rise to surprising or even strange events. With Congress slated to be sworn-in and to elect a new Speaker on Jan 3 and then count the electoral votes on Jan 6, there is a possibility that this formal procedure will not go exactly as planned.
Another part of this Mars alignment is that Mars will cast its 210-degree/8th house aspect to Venus for the whole week. This is exact on Friday, January 3, but it will be close enough that it could heighten social tensions. Sexual and romantic encounters may be more passionate under this aspect, but the affliction to Venus can mean that social bonding is more tentative or conditional. Social interactions may therefore come with their fair share of frustration or disappointment, as social harmony will assume a more intermittent quality.
Earlier in the week in the final days of 2024, the Venus-Neptune alignment could end the year on a more positive note. This will accompany an auspicious New Moon in Sagittarius on Dec 30 that conjoins Jupiter’s node at 16 Sagittarius. While it seems unlikely that these early week influences will be strong enough to offset the late week negatives, they nonetheless offer a small reservoir of optimism to start the week.
Next weekend (Jan 4-5) features a Moon-Saturn conjunction and then a Moon-Rahu conjunction — not exactly anything to write home about. This may manifest simply as rising anxiety about Monday’s US electoral vote count. Nonetheless, these don’t look particularly favorable for holding major events. If scheduling meetings and appointments, other days may be more suitable.
We should also note Sunday and Monday will feature a 135-degree Mars-Saturn alignment. This becomes a conjunction in the D-8 Ashtamsa chart and may be seen as an apt reflection of the intense energies that could manifest around the time of the electoral vote count.
