2022 Astrological Forecast: What the Planets Have Aligned For You
Spoiler: Compassion and truth will play a big role.
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No matter what your zodiac sign or your unique horoscope for the year, being aware of the general astrological aspects that will affect us all in 2022 allows you to bring perspective and a deeper sense of presence to anything that happens. And overall, 2022 promises more hopeful moments than we’ve experienced in the last two years.
It’s important to remember that we are still coming off the heels of the transition into the Age of Aquarius, which began on the winter solstice in 2020. We are entering only the third year of this 200-year era. This reminds us to be mindful of the larger enormity of things so we can continue to observe our personal lives in profound connectivity to the larger shifts that are taking place.
The year to come will also ask us if we are ready to truly process and take responsibility for what has taken place. Keep in mind, responsibility is less about finding fault and more about feeling into whatever allows us to move forward in life while responding with even more care.
See also: January Astrological Forecast: Rethink Your Limiting Perceptions
Key planetary movements
Venus in Capricorn | Through March 6
Venus, the planet of love and beauty, transitions through the responsible and practical sign of Capricorn during the first few months of 2022. This transit is an invitation to review what integrity means within our relationships. People have so many opinions around integrity, but in practice, it’s a very simple concept to embody. All you have to do is see if your internal experience matches your external experience.
Uncertain? Ask yourself, what do I feel internally? Does that come from a place of emotional maturity or a desire for conformity? How can I behave from a space that is free of judgment, blame, and guilt toward myself and others? These questions will be up for revision. Take a look at your assumptions.
Another important aspect of this transit—especially the Venus retrograde, which began in late December and lasts until January 29—is that Capricorn corresponds to the archetype of the elder. Many of us have not experienced elders who passed on their cultural and familial traditions. This has left some of us, without even knowing it, to adopt a culture and way of being that is not fully in integrity with our lineage. A key component of this Venus retrograde is renewing your relationship with your elders. Don’t forget that elders in nature—including landscapes, plants, and minerals—hold a lot of wisdom. Communion and reunion with elders of all kinds can renew your relationship and connection with yourself.
See also: Venus Retrograde is Upon Us. Here’s Everything You Need to Know
The Taurus and Scorpio Axis | Begins January 19
Toward the end of January, the nodes of the moon—defined as where the moon’s orbital path crosses the Sun’s apparent path—shift from the Sagittarius and Gemini axis to the Scorpio and Taurus axis. Sagittarius and Gemini are mutable signs, which encompass an array of changes that can be difficult to keep up with. We have been under this influence since May 2020. Both Taurus and Scorpio are fixed signs that are more stable and substantial. This calmer energy will influence us until July 17, 2023.
That might sound nice after a time of such flux, although keep in mind that many of the things that are finding stability are the result of changes that were quietly initiated during this previous axis. The space is available and accessible to create the foundation of something solid and sustainable, especially if it’s something you were already intuitively moving toward while the nodes were still in Sagittarius and Gemini.
Taurus and Scorpio ask us to go deeper into knowing the truth, especially as it relates to the tangible. Taurus challenges us to find ways to be in relationship with the Earth that allow us to have our basic needs met, while Scorpio shows us where we can dig deeper to understand that the true power of life lies in exploring the depth of emotions and soul power that is available for us to access.
What do you desire over the next 18 months? When these signs are in harmony, we can have our needs met, feel grounded in our bodies, and make space for our souls’ desires so that we can tap into the power we possess and share that with others. When these signs are disharmonious, we feel powerless, like we have been abandoned by others who were supposed to care for our needs. We get into power struggles that often don’t serve us, and we forget the value that exists in the simplicity of being with nature and ourselves. These themes will be heightened this year during the eclipse periods, which take place along the nodes.
For the first few weeks of this year, think about how your beliefs and opinions have changed during the last year and a half. We have had a lot of time to tune into this lesson. Ask yourself how much more or less you trust your intuition. No matter your answer, you will find that it is good to end the cycle consciously.
The eclipses during the next 18 months take place under the influence of this axis. Astrologer Adam Sommer refers to eclipse periods as “dragon holes.” The dragon holes this year are from April 30 to May 15 and from October 25 to November 8. Stay tuned to our monthly astrological forecasts for a more in-depth reflection of what to expect with each eclipse.
See also: How to Tell Your Truth
Tension between Saturn and Uranus | Ongoing
The tension between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus was a major theme of 2021. During the final months of the year, these planets were square, which in astrology means they are positioned at 90 degrees to one another. This alignment is believed to signify a time when individuals and the collective experience a crisis in belief—the teachings of the past and what was perceived as knowledge is challenged. A dual awareness arises, creating a desire to step away from the known, society, old habits, and conformity as a whole, while still existing within the very same structure from which liberation is desired. It is a sort of a “one foot in and one foot out” feeling that is leading the way for us to let go of the known during the rest of this phase.
Although the tension loosens its grip in 2022, it is still present and will be experienced individually and collectively. When Saturn, the planet of containment, is in Aquarius, it represents feelings of being restricted and contained by past thought forms we’ve utilized to define our reality. Uranus in Taurus continues to shake up and destabilize things. Our ability to authentically express the unique electrical spark of the divine that lives within each of us is represented by the planet Uranus in an agitating relationship with Saturn. The main way we have all experienced the transit is the traction between the desire for freedom and the call for lockdown and the ways in which these demands have been at odds with one another. Another very apparent manifestation is the ever-increasing demand to restructure how we exist in our day-to-day lives. This is occurring across a spectrum of experience on a collective and individual level as more and more people are craving liberation from old systems and outdated ways of living—both within social norms and ourselves.
It is important in the coming year that we learn how to define and create a sense of responsibility for our communities so that when difficult situations arise, we know how to care for one another. Aquarius represents community, and Saturn is asking if the community has systems in place to hold itself together even as Uranus in Taurus threatens chaos. We continue to see natural disasters affecting our lives, and it is becoming increasingly clear that we must learn to better support one another. When crisis hits, being able to lean on those around us changes everything.
In October and November, Uranus and Saturn will almost make another exact square; however, it will not come to the exact aspect. This means that we will be confronted with many themes that we experienced in 2021 around that same time. It is good to be aware of this because we can prepare our nervous systems, our minds, and our hearts for what will come up for the collective, community, and for us individually.
See also: How Yoga Fosters Real Community
Jupiter transits in Pisces & Aries | May 10 to October 27
We received a taste of what the upcoming Jupiter transit in Pisces will bring between May 13 through July 28, 2021. At that time, which was before Jupiter went back into Aquarius during its retrograde, many of us felt a sense of hope as a lot of mandates around the world were lifted. That period of time reminded me that hope is always alive in the human spirit, even when we lack understanding of what is to come.
When in Pisces, Jupiter is considered to be “home.” Jupiter represents expansion, growth, the removal of obstacles, and truth. Pisces is a water sign that is diffusive, and this allows Jupiter to expand and express itself with ease. I keep hearing the phrase, “What can you do to dissolve ‘your truth’ into a more timeless truth?” Moving toward more timeless truths allows us to understand how we unconsciously project our internal nature onto reality. These projections are very often not healthy and even harmful to the extent in which we cannot acknowledge life and reality as it is in the present moment.
This appeal to truth becomes a potent affirmation and reminder, especially during March, April, and the last quarter of the coming year, when Jupiter will be joined with Neptune. The latter is a planet that represents collective and transpersonal themes. By “transpersonal,” I mean something that is beyond the personal and reflected on multiple layers, for example, from a familial generational point of view, a collective human point of view, and also a planetary point of view. Each of us is influenced by these larger factors that are beyond our control, although when we have an understanding of their layers and varied influences, we can also come to an understanding of how to best be in relationship with them. When we tune into this transit, it allows us to notice where we might lack compassion and how we resist acknowledging the ways in which we are all interconnected.
From May 10 to October 27, Jupiter will start to charge forward in Aries before it steps back into Pisces on October 28. During this time, it will go retrograde, and we will review how any steps forward will need to look when it returns into Aries on December 21, the winter solstice.
See also: A Yoga Sequence to Help You Reach a Higher Level of Consciusness
Mars Retrograde in Gemini | October 31
Mars goes retrograde on October 31 in the sign of Gemini, which can bring a very upbeat and fast-paced energy. Mars is the planet of intemperate heat and Gemini is a sign that, when it’s not being consciously attuned to, possesses endless curiosity. Mars retrograde in Gemini is a good time to slow down as much as possible to balance the potential for scattered energy. A productive way to utilize the Mars retrograde is writing, learning, or taking a break from the intensity of learning if you need more time for assimilation.
All retrograde periods hold great insight and importance for those who desire to reflect on different aspects of themselves. When Mars goes retrograde, we often reach a point when an adjustment or change in how we assert our energy is necessary. The simple awareness that this is happening for our benefit can ease the potential tension of desiring something new. It can also disperse the feeling of entrapment from our current direction by helping us understand that the invitation for change exists.
During this retrograde cycle, you’re also invited to care for your nervous system and adrenal glands. Gemini corresponds to the peripheral nervous system and Mars brings stimulating energy. Mars will be in the sign of Gemini from August 20, 2022, to March 24, 2023. This is a long span of time during which we want to be mindful of not taking on too many responsibilities. Staying with our sense of awareness can help us notice how, if we slip and commit to too much, it affects our sense of calm.
See also: These 7 Poses Will Help You Relax (Even If You’re Really, Really Stressed)
A few last words about 2022
This year has many promising periods of time. However, it is imperative for us to understand the importance of the collective shifts that are taking place in our world. To truly be able to exit from one space to enter into another, we must continue to let go of the known—the past conditioning that is so concrete in our world and psyche. This is the establishment of the next 200 years that we have the opportunity to be a part of—not only for ourselves and our families, but also for the earth and all of our relations.
This quote from A.H. Almaas may be relevant to you throughout the year: “Only when compassion is present will people allow themselves to see the truth.” Blessings to this year.
See also: The Best Yoga Poses for Your Zodiac Sign
About our contributor
Cameron Allen began his path to understanding mind-body awareness with a degree in health and sports science and psychology. Beyond the colonized education system, he began seeking understanding through direct experience with nature, Astrology, herbalism, rootwork, yoga, and other indigenous technologies. Cameron is a herbalist, astrologer, and writer. Cameron is a student of life and continues to deepen his studies of ancient wisdom and apply it to modern life.