by Stella Woods

2012 Predictions – Anarchy, Armistice or Armageddon?

There's no doubt that there's a real buzz about 2012. We all like a bit of drama - remember Y2K? And let's face it, the lead up to the Year of the Dragon has been a roller coaster ride on many fronts - floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, popular uprisings, financial crashes, bankrupt economies.... Ask any astrologer what's happening in 2012 and they'll babble excitedly about the Mayan Calendar; the Uranus-Pluto cardinal square; the revolutionary impact of Uranus in Aries; the endless creative possibilities of Neptune in Pisces, not to mention the continuing drama of Pluto in Capricorn and its effect on global financial markets. But what does it all mean?

Astrology works with cycles, viewing every event as a point on a spiral with precedents in earlier turns of the spiral. It's actually very easy to see what lies ahead. Instead of looking to politicians, economic forecasters or indeed astrologers, we simply need to look at what is already happening at a grass roots level and project these events to their logical conclusion. Because it is on the ground that the changes bringing about 'the end of the world as we know it' are taking place, not on the front benches of our parliaments or in the boardrooms of our corporations and central banks. There will be a collapse of the system, because enough people now want it to collapse. Riots in the UK; tent cities in the US; revolutions in the Arab world – we definitely won't be going back to the old days or the old ways.

I remember learning at school about the 'Storming of the Bastille', precursor to the French Revolution that destroyed the all-powerful French monarchy and eventually led to the rise of a republican state. I wondered why it had taken the French peasants and middle class so long to overthrow what was clearly an unfair system when there were so many of them...

And as a child in the 1960s, I have vague memories of women in the newspapers wearing mini skirts, burning bras, protesting about wars in distant countries and refusing to conform. And I wondered why it had taken these women so long to stand up against what was clearly an unfair system when there were so many of them...

Now I understand why it took so long. There may have been lots of unhappy peasants and lots of oppressed women but they had no way of banding together, sharing information and taking concerted action to change their situation. Once those platforms became available, revolution was swift.

After hundreds if not thousands of years of central control, it is slowly dawning on us that with the new social networking technology we can change the world, sometimes overnight, simply by getting together, sharing ideas and deciding to do it differently. This is the overall theme for 2012 and the decade to come. Not some inter-galactic disaster. Not some visitation from angry gods. Not some dreadful disease that will wipe us all out. Simply a wake-up call that together we can make a difference. And any catastrophes that do occur will simply be a reflection of the misuse of the freedoms we've enjoyed over the past 40-45 years since the last Uranus-Pluto conjunction in the mid to late 1960s.

Here are my predictions for 2012 and beyond.

Overview

1) Continued loss of confidence in traditional corporations, the police force, banking systems and large government bodies replaced by a growing focus on small business, self-employment, personal responsibility and grass roots activism.

2) It is clear from the US financial meltdown and the European debt crisis that individuals, corporations and governments can no longer survive on deficit spending and unrestrained borrowing. The euro is increasingly under threat and we could see a double dip recession in US having a knock on effect to other world economies including Australia.

3) The killings of Osama bin Laden and Muammar Gaddhafi were key events of 2011. Uranus in Aries accelerates the pace of social change, boosting the collective urge to rebel against the status quo and create new forms. Other dictators who use terror to control and manipulate could find their comfortable illusion of sovereignty toppled this year.

4) The 'feminine' values of nurturing, sharing, cooperation, receptiveness and negotiation will make a comeback as they offer viable and efficient alternatives to war, competition, exclusiveness, hierarchy, domination and survival of the fittest.

5) A rise in community and local initiatives with a greater focus on flatter management structures, transparency and cooperation.

6) Education moving from bricks and mortar universities to on line learning and independent and home study.

7) Increased moves towards environmentally sustainable living, protection of the environment, new energy sources and a healthier lifestyle with particular attention to the food we eat and the type of health care we choose.

8) Growth in the power of technology to link people and communities and spread and share information leading to a reduction in hierarchy, more transparent and accountable government and less focus on academic and professional status.

9) Loss of power and credibility for major religious organisations unless they adopt a more flexible and inclusive approach.

10) Exponential growth in the fields of alternative healing and personal, spiritual and psychic development.

11) The Arts will continue to flourish both on and off line as Neptune in Pisces stimulates our appetite for film, fashion, beauty, glamour and music.

12) I believe we're seeing the beginning of the end for the two-party political system. 'GetUp', which describes itself as 'an independent movement to build a progressive Australia and bring participation back into our democracy' is one alternative to the two party system. The organisation already has more than half a million supporters.

13) Sustainable fashion is here to stay. Expect a growing move towards organic and natural fibres and increasing interest in where our clothes come from and whether those making the clothing were properly paid and properly treated.

We'll look at these 2012 trends in more detail in future columns.

Happy festive season to all – I look forward to sharing my love of astrology with you in transformational 2012.

Moon Placements - December

Launch projects at the New Moon, bring them to completion in the period from just before the Full Moon to the Third Quarter phase and wind them down and reflect on developments in the week before the next New Moon. Important events such as parties, conferences and weddings are best held close to the Full Moon or when the Moon is in the same sign as your sun (star) sign.

Stella Woods is an astrology consultant and teacher based in St Kilda, Melbourne. Contact Stella for 2012 course details and private readings on 03 9534 5021 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.stellastarwoman.com to sign up for Stella's free AstroUpdate or read your Monthly Stars.