New Beginnings
In Chinese lore, the first animal to arrive before the Jade Emperor was the Rat. His clever use of available resources and alertness to opportunity enabled him to triumph. Rat Years (1924, ‘36, ’48, ’60, ’72, ’84, ’96, 2008 and 2020) bring New Beginnings for each 12-year cycle, so big changes are a-foot as this Chinese cycle coincides with a brand-new Gregorian decade!
Rat qualities
Rats are considered independent and hard-working with strong vitality and fertility, enhancing their survival skills. They are high-spirited, witty, alert, flexible and adaptive, as well as popular among their peers. Versatile, charming, and sometimes aggressive, Rats tend to succeed, especially in business. They are outgoing, clever, confident, and quick thinkers, so they can act fast to achieve their goals. They can also lose ego balance and become arrogant, angry, stubborn, selfish or jealous. Instinctively they know their own limits, so they rarely crash and burn, but they can be quite intense in their focus.
This sort of energy will work well this year – fast, fickle, fantastical, intense and potentially productive. Rat Years are neither lucky nor unlucky, but there will be numerous opportunities – if you can grab them. Find those who love and support you, or you’ll be dealing with loneliness this year. Let go of whatever no longer serves you, and quickly, so you can catch the new in-coming wave.
Wealth
Chinese Astrology expects 2020 to be a year of economic contraction. The way to prosper through it, however, is to trust in yourself, move forward with awareness, refuse to succumb to worry, and don’t let detours or delays deter your spirit. Use the resources available to you. Focus on content and meaning rather than quantity. Use your time and money wisely and invest in yourself, like furthering your education or training, taking time to meditate or heal, and spending money only on what truly and permanently improves the quality of your life and makes you happy.
Metal Rat is associated with coins so economic concerns are likely to arise this year. Shun extravagance and start saving because times of change and uncertainty lie ahead. Travel, especially for business, is favored. Many will feel compelled to move in 2020 – to find like-minded souls, new job opportunities, or escape danger.
Social
Rats work hard and play hard. It will be an energetically fast-paced year, so exercise, body training, dance, and taking short adventure trips will help keep you strong. Develop your hobbies and consider ways to make them profitable. Follow influential leaders you wish to emulate. Meet new people and join groups you resonate with – that make you feel included, appreciated and empowered. Then use the lonely times to know yourself better.
Romance
Not this year. The focus is on moving forward in business. Be patient, open-minded and practice clear conscious communications with existing partners. Avoid trivial arguments whenever possible. 2020 will be a year of sexuality and passion, although new romantic encounters will likely lack permanence. Scrutinize new alliances and release relationships that are not working.
Career
Streamline your career to begin the new 12-year cycle. With a lean year ahead, plan accordingly. Pay off debts this year or they could become troublesome. Use wisdom, honesty and diplomacy in business. “Get-rich-quick” schemes will scam many, but a true windfall may exist if you are alert to realistic opportunities. Behind-the-scenes and service jobs should do well this year, and determined, resolute action based on well-thought-out plans will likely succeed.
Western Astrology
The first moments of February reveal an exact conjunction between a moody Moon and erratic Uranus square an arrogant Leo Midheaven (public exposure). Something quite unexpected could usher in February. Ambitious Mars enters staunch Capricorn mid-month and T-squares inquisitive Chiron (the beleaguered Press?) as the Trump Impeachment Trial inflicts wounds on our democracy (Moon). Women suffer the most as Venus flirts with hurtful Chiron in curt Aries early in the month.
Concentration of Planets
The planets this month are crammed into 1/3 of the zodiac: Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn are joined by Mars mid-month in weighty Capricorn. The Sun traverses intellectual Aquarius until Feb 20th before entering sensitive Pisces where it joins dreamy Neptune and a slightly confused Mercury as it stations retrograde in Pisces on the 16th. As the Sun shifts into Pisces as well, transiting Saturn conjuncts Pluto in our National Chart, a repeat of January’s astrological signature for Impeachment, while Uranus remains steady in Taurus.
Meanwhile, there is a huge amount of pressure building in the Earth’s crust, aggravated by fracking and drilling. The gravitation of all our planets pulling on one side of the Earth makes seismic events and super tides quite possible, especially in Southern Asia and Indonesia, along the Christmas solar eclipse path, sensitized for 6 months. As the February 23rd New Moon conjuncts retrograde Mercury, the planetary concentration is tightest. Such intensity of focus is certain to affect the political arena as well as the Earth.
Happy LEAP YEAR!