Surrender is key to navigating 2025! Fortuitously this is the topic of my workshop January 19th – Crown Chakra — Surrender and Celebrate! I will share important, often overlooked aspects of our practice that make surrender possible —
- the activation of our soul and
- our alignment with the Universe.
We are preparing ourselves to navigate this magical time in 2025!
January 19 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST (utc-8) followed by questions and sharing.
LINK TO SIGN UP for the workshop is
https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/gururattana/crown-chakra-surrender-and-celebrate
2025 is filled with an exceptional agenda of life-changing astrological events that make this a year that we will certainly remember. 2025 is not going to pass as a blur. We can count on massive personal and societal transformation. Our individual and collective future is being re-configured from the core.
A New World — An Unknown Future
Astrology does not offer us a crystal ball or a formula for predicting specific events. However, by observing planetary movements and interactions, we can become aware of shifts in energy that will impact our lives on planet Earth.
Being aware of the rare and significant planetary alignments, astrologers knew long before 2020 that something ‘big’ was going to happen in 2020-2021. But no one had any idea of the Covid drama that would confront the whole planet.
2025 falls in the same category. Something profound is bound to happen. The impact of the events and the nature of the transformation will completely redefine the trajectory of our collective story. Obviously a lot is beyond our personal control. But how we take advantage of the energies will define our personal journey. We are at choice to be a victim or an active participant in our personal and collective future.
The good news is that 2025 blesses us with highly supportive planetary aspects. This is a year full of abundant possibilities.
Outer Planet Collaboration and Support
Initially the chaos and uncertainty of rapid change may make us feel overwhelmed or confused. But something coherent and innovative will emerge, as the foundation of new structures of our society and our personal lives are being re-invented.
There will be two major supportive planetary alignments in the second part of the year. (to be discussed in future blogs)
(1) The second half of the year (August through December) Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto weave together all the changes. These outer planets connect in a powerful and rare configuration called a Minor Triangle.
Minor Triangles are infused with dynamic potential and are more active than grand trines.
(2) October through December there is an harmonious Water Trine with Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune.
In the last 3 months of the year, Jupiter (exalted in Cancer) will trine both Saturn and Neptune (as these 2 retrograde back into Pisces), forming a harmonious Water Trine that infuses us with a sense of hope and optimism. We will be buoyed by self-confidence to go after our goals. We can be blessed with all forms of abundance.
Water Trines support emotional connection, deep bonds, and intuitive inspiration. The Jupiter-Saturn-Neptune Water Trine is a heart-warming complement to the intellectual energy of the Air and fire energy that are active throughout the year. This is a “dreams come true” aspect where Jupiter’s optimistic expansion joins Neptune’s magic. Anchored by Saturn’s stability and common sense dreams can manifest into reality. This trine has the potential to make 2025 into a magical year.
Surrender is the Key
We won’t even try to predict what is going to happen. The best way to ride the wave of change is to
- be alert, receptive, and responsive,
- make conscious choices, and
- allow our creativity to flow.
As we move into the unknown future, we can
- let go of expectations and believing we have to figure it all out alone,
- ASK for guidance, clarity, and assistance,
- be adaptable and allow, instead of resisting, change,
- embrace what you are presented with
- trust the unfoldment process,
- stay alert to new opportunities, and
- seize them as they are presented.
We must be able to let go of past ways of doing things and outdated goals. We must also let go of disappointments and regrets about what didn’t manifest they way we wanted it to. A good touchstone is to trust the universe to present us with ‘something even better.’
Surrender is the key!
What Makes 2025 Special?
2025 is a pivotal year of endings and beginnings. The planetary landscape shifts dramatically.
The factors that make 2025 (or any year) special have to do with the changing signs and alignments of the outer planets – Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto with each other and with the social planets – Jupiter and Saturn.
The conjunction, oppositions, and stelliums of these slow moving planets are rare. When they do interact with each other, their energetic influence is profound, even seismic.
2020 was our most recent milestone year. In 2020 Saturn-Pluto met in Capricorn, followed by the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction at 0° Aquarius. With Covid, economic globalization expanded to include the health and well-being of all planetary citizens. We are here on planet Earth together. Pluto in Aquarius (for 20 years) invites us to cooperate.
Until 2025, the outer planets have been in the Earth and water signs (Uranus in Taurus, Pluto in Capricorn, and Neptune Pisces. In 2025, the outer planets will move into Fire and Air signs. Pluto is already in Aquarius. Neptune moves into Aries. Uranus moves into Gemini.
2025 Themes
The first half of 2025 has two distinct features that I will discuss below.
[1] Transformative Change of Energy
The Lunar Nodes and many planets change signs, initiating a brand new energy environment.
[2] Mars and Venus Retrograde – Clarity and Commitment
Mars and then Venus retrograde ask us to get clear about what we really want and to commit our energy to our life purpose.
[1] Transformative Change of Energy
In the first 6 months, four planets and the Lunar Nodes shift signs. The cosmic energy morphs in the following impactful ways in a very short period of time. We have to quickly adapt and transform to operate in this new environment. It is almost like we are breathing a new kind of air. In this new atmosphere, our priorities and focus will change. We might feel like we are starting over. Actually we are being gifted a fresh start.
January 11 – The Lunar Nodes move from Aries and Libra to Pisces and Virgo. (discussed below)
March 30 – Neptune Enters Aries
Neptune has been in Pisces since 2012. Since Neptune spends approximately 13 years in a sign, a change in signs heralds a BIG shift that impacts both our personal life and society as a whole.
Neptune moving into Aries, starts a new 165-year cycle around the zodiac. Neptune will stay in Aries for 13 years, until 2038. In Aries, Neptune is bold, visionary and innovative, especially in its arenas of interest – the arts, spirituality, medicine, and healing and self-empowerment modalities.
In retrograde, Neptune goes back in Pisces November 23,2025 where it stays through January 26, 2026. Then it advances to Aries for 13 years.
May 25 – Saturn Enters Aries and Joins Neptune
Saturn and Neptune will spend several months together in the early degrees of Aries, until September 1, when Saturn retrogrades back into Pisces. The exact conjunction of Saturn and Neptune is in 2026, however, their closeness in Aries begins to activate Aries’ themes.
On Valentines Day February 14, 2026 Saturn and Pisces meet again at 0 degrees Aries!
Saturn and Neptune in Aries can be a useful combination. Saturn can ground and make real Neptune’s dreams.
June 9 – Jupiter Enters Cancer
Jupiter leaves Gemini and enters Cancer, the sign where it is exalted, meaning it is a good fit. Jupiter feels good in Cancer. Jupiter stays in Cancer for almost 13 months until June 30, 2026.
July 7 – Uranus Enters Gemini
Uranus leaves Taurus and enters Gemini with a BANG.
While planets like Neptune bring more subtle, gradual shifts, Uranus activity is anything but subtle. The energy shifts dramatically, bringing a sense of urgency and unpredictability.
Uranus in Gemini transits are noted for being eventful. The quick-witted and dynamic Gemini energy feeds Uranus’ disruptive and revolutionary tendencies to trigger breathtaking change and innovation.
The Gemini area of your chart will be highly energized by Jupiter, adding a spark of energy for action and momentum to projects that can move forward.
Uranus will be in Gemini for seven 7 years, revolutionizing and bringing into reality concrete developments in this area of your life.
In sum, we are at the threshold of a new era.
North Node Enters Pisces, South Node Enters Virgo
The most immediate shift has just happened January 11. The Lunar Nodes moved from the Aries/Libra axis to the Pisces/Virgo axis, for 18 months until July 26, 2026. The Nodes indicate our shared collective focus and thus apply to everyone.
When the Lunar Nodes change signs, we are at a crossroads. We must choose a new direction and change course. There is a different more effective way to move forward.
Lunar Nodes are actually points in space where the Moon crosses the ecliptic (the path of the Earth around the Sun). The North Node symbolizes where we are headed, a new frontier for our soul journey. The South Node signifies our past, what we are familiar with, but need to upgrade to support the journey of our North Node. Together they challenge us to shift our focus from ME to US.
The North Node is about expansion into new territory. The South Node is about letting go of the past, but also integrating what we have learned into a more balanced approach to life. The North Node propels us forward to explore uncharted territory. We expand our experience of existence and grow into a new equilibrium of being. The North Node gives us hope and lifts us up. The South Node releases old baggage and what is no longer viable. Together they help us find our life purpose and manifest it in our work and daily life.
The North and South Nodes work together in a complementary way. They balance each other by continually evolving together. The South Node highlights what we feel comfortable with and what we have given importance to in the past. However, when our expression of that archetype gets bogged down in its lower expressions, we reach a point of stagnation. Something must change.
Work, Service, and Contribution
The underdeveloped side of Virgo stays caught in negativity, finding fault, self-criticism, workaholism, and dissatisfied perfectionism. Virgo needs its polarity pair Pisces to upgrade its attitude toward the nature of its work. We must graduate from negativity around in the tedium of work. We can change our attitude toward our current work or we can find work where we enjoy making a contribution. We are happier and more effective when our work is infused with compassion and serves Pisces’ humanitarian concerns.
Pisces takes us out of the conflict zone and offers us hope and visions of collective healing. A more relaxed and devotional Virgo supports a change in heart with practical solutions.
In many ways the North Node in Pisces draws us deeper into the meaning and purpose of life.
- Pisces helps us connect with the intangible and experience the subtle reality that animates the physical world.
- Pisces helps us find existential meaning and fulfillment by connecting us with the Infinite.
- Pisces helps us find answers, direction, and inspiration from the non-physical realm (information that is not accessible in our thinking mind.)
- Pisces delivers us from what we think we know to the bliss of the unknown. From stale emptiness, we can fill ourselves up with compassion and love.
Practical Virgo makes sure we are not spaced out in dreamy illusions. This polarity pair brings meaning to the mundane with the magic of the mysterious.
Aries and Pisces Command
Many planets changing signs creates a brand new energy environment. The heightened activation of Aries commands as Saturn and Neptune leave Pisces and enter Aries. Chiron and asteroid Eris meet twice in Aries. Both Venus and Mercury go retrograde in Aries. To experience the personal transformation that Aries requires, we must become conscious of how we deal with anger, fear, power, and forgiveness.
From Aries’ concern with personal survival, we move to connection with and support from the Infinite. Elevated Virgo is the priestess or priest aware of embodying the Divine and serving divine love.
The most ‘new’ feature of 2025 is Saturn and Neptune entering Aries and joining together at 0° Aries. (May 25 – September 1). The very beginning of the Zodiac is the point where a completely new cycle is initiated. The Saturn/Neptune alignment announces a powerful new beginning. This is not just a new chapter. It is a new book!
The cosmic collaboration and the “birth” energy of Aries can awaken us to a new understanding and appreciation of life and existence itself.
[2] Mars and Venus Retrograde – Clarity and Commitment
When a planet goes retrograde, we are given the space to identify changes we need to make in our inner reality that will support changes in our outer reality.
Mars and Venus retrograde ask us to get clear about how we are using our energy, to get in touch with what we really want, and to commit our energy to our life purpose.
The retrogrades of both Mars and Venus are openings to examine and redefine our goals and realign our priorities. Their retrogrades also help us to identify unconscious patterns stemming from childhood trauma, and social, cultural, and religious conditioning, and how they perpetuate bad choices, dysfunctions, and stress.
March 1-April 12 – Venus Retrograde in Aries
Venus retrograde helps us update our priorities and supports a change of heart. We get clear about what is most important to us and commit to a path directed by our heart.
Venus retrograde starts at 10° Aries and ends at 24° Pisces. While Venus is retrograde we can identify where and how we have compromised our values and needs to win approval and acceptance. We can get in touch with feelings of loneliness, resentment, and even desire for revenge because we feel excluded, not seen, unacknowledged, isolated, or respected. (discussed in a future blog)
Mars Retrograde in Cancer and Leo – December 7 – February 23
Mars represents what we DO with our energy, our creative expressions, and our actions and our activities. Venus represents what we want. Mercury represents what we think about. We think about what we desire. But without Mars, there is no action, and thus no results or manifestation.
Mars retrograde helps us get clarity, let go, and gain a deeper level of inner connection. We can own our inner power and be honest about what we really want to do with our lives. Our inner Mars is liberated to move forward.
Mars goes retrograde only once every 2 years. This is very important time to pay attention to how we feel about our life. Mars retrograde is a wake up call. We feel a strong need to examine our motivations, our goals, and how we are using our time and energy. Our default way of acting and being can suddenly shift. We may no longer want what we used to want, or do what we used to do.
Deep heartfelt motivations and desires are revealed. Our instinctual awareness is heightened and we become more present to the subtle messages from our soul. Mars retrograde uncovers the soul force that drives us, that fuels our passion, and commands our actions. We are compelled to act from deep within. We know what we want, and we commit to getting it.
Unlike other retrogrades, Mars retrograde is not about wait and don’t do. It is about a different kind of doing that comes from a deeper place. Now is not the time to set specific goals with a firm ‘to do’ agenda. Now is a time to be attentive, alert, stay present to what you are feeling, and allow yourself to be guided to what is next. Your soul and the Universe are speaking to you.
Mars retrograde amps up our energy and intensifies our impulses. We feel a sense of urgency to change something. We become very intentional and honest. We are driven to take action (when the time is right) from a more authentic connection with our soul and what it came to do on planet Earth.
We need to be physically active. Physical activity and exercise are a critical factor in our healing journey. When we are angry, irritable, unsettled, we need to move – shake, dance, do yoga, take a walk.
Mars and Pluto Opposition — November 2024 through April 2025
This Mars retrograde is intensified by Mars opposition to Pluto, which began November 3, 2024 and lasts for 6 months through the end of April 2025. Our story is gradually being revealed, one piece at a time. By the end of the year, all the pieces will fit together and we will understand ourselves and our lives at a deeper level than ever before.
In my previous Scorpio blog, I discussed the three Mars/Pluto oppositions, which basically last from November 2024 through the end of April 2025. We become aware of (and can let go of) unconscious patterns related to fear, anger, control, power over, powerlessness, and victimization.
Mars Retrograde Timeline
It is useful to pay attention to Mars retrograde timeline (given below) because we can monitor how these details affect us. We can note events, shifts, urges, and breakthroughs, which are all interconnected to a theme that is unfolding.
Here are the key dates:
- October 5, 2024: Mars enters shadow at 17° Cancer (slowing down before retrograde)
- November 3, 2024: Mars opposes Pluto at 29° Cancer/Capricorn
- November 7, 2024: Mars goes retrograde at 6° Leo
- January 3, 2025: Mars opposes Pluto at 1° Leo/Aquarius
- January 6, 2025: Mars re-enters Cancer
- January 15, 2025: Mars opposes the Sun
- February 24, 2025: Mars goes direct at 17° Cancer
- April 19, 2025: Mars reenters Leo
- April 27, 2025: Mars opposes Pluto at 3° Leo/Aquarius
- May 2, 2025: Mars leaves its shadow at 6° Leo (back to regular speed)
All the events and phases are part of a narrative that gradually reveals itself. A dominating theme usually begins when Mars (enters its shadow) starts to slow down before going retrograde. These progressive phases are interconnected. The main theme becomes clearer when Mars goes retrograde. The story line intensifies with key planetary aspects. We start to find resolution when Mars goes direct. We experience a sense of completion once Mars exits its shadow phase May 2.
The Pluto Factor
A useful way to understand and benefit from the Mars and Pluto opposition is to view them as allies working together. This pair heightens our awareness and sensitivity to our instincts, which drive our life and give us information on how to navigate our soul’s journey.
Mars is our soul instinct that is assertive, drives us to act, and motivates us to pursue what we desire. Mars is our personal will that is purposeful, direct, decisive, and often uncompromising.
Pluto is our soul’s will that aligns with universal forces. However, we must liberate our soul will from the conditioning that we have acquired that impedes our full expression. In psychological terms Pluto represents what is hiding in our subconscious that controls our human Mars and holds the power over our (well intended) conscious efforts. We experience inner conflict when our subconscious programming is directing our lives. We keep attracting and choosing what we really don’t want.
Pluto’s job is the help us identify and release what gets in the way, which is a primal imprint acquired in early childhood that causes our Mars to act, react, and attract in a certain dysfunctional way. The choices we make, the people we relate to, our relationship patterns, our belief systems, and our professional career are all influenced by how we interpreted early childhood experiences.
Our mental and emotional wiring in our early years determines how we feel, think, and act. Our primal imprints are rooted in childhood frustrations of not getting what we wanted and needed at the time. Maybe we had to cry too long to be fed, felt abandoned and not taken care of. Maybe conflicts between our parents left us with a sense of powerlessness. Maybe the scary emotions of the adults around us made us feel responsible to take care of disturbed adults.
The Pluto force obliges us to understand the deep patterns that enslave us. During the Mars/Pluto opposition we must allow the unconscious conflicts to surface, so we can understand the self-sabotaging patterns that drive us.
What triggers our emotional reactions helps us identify what is buried deep within. Mars in Leo will trigger imprints of not being appreciated or validated. Mars in Cancer will trigger beliefs of not being emotionally cared for, being overlooked, or being the last to get what we need.
The Mars/Pluto opposition has a deeper theme than asserting ourselves to get what we want and need. It is about an inner upgrade where we are able to operate in the world from a deeper understanding of who we are and why we are here. Our anger, fear, sadness, and pain are valid human emotions. But in a world of conflicting needs and priorities, we must learn to take care of ourselves and not project our neediness onto others. We can learn to ask for what we need without imposing our expectations. AND we can learn to forgive, move on, and to adapt to what is beyond our control. Pluto teaches us how to navigate human life with universal forces and surrender to the greater universal dynamics of an ever-unfolding reality.
Mars in Leo and Cancer
Mars begins its retrograde in Leo (6°) and ends at Cancer (17°). The 12 signs of the Zodiac represent an evolutionary unfoldment.
Cancer symbolizes the infant child who needs nurturing, attention, and unconditional physical care. Leo represents the empowered individual who follows his/her heart. An emotionally secure Cancer grows into a self-confident Leo. Mars retrograde regressing from Leo to Cancer suggests that we still have emotional lessons to learn in terms of developing an inner foundation that feels secure, safe, and supported.
When Mars retrogrades back into Cancer, we become aware of our sensitivities about being nurtured and cared for. We can get in touch with deep emotional vulnerabilities that sabotage us. We can identify the root cause of these patterns and how they control our lives.
When Mars is retrograde we can identify the fears that make us withdraw, be defensive, find excuses, and project our weakness onto others. We ask ourselves these questions: What fuels my resistance to taking action? What am I fighting and why?
As we honestly work with ourselves, recognize our resistance patterns, as well as where we have been trying too hard, and build a safe inner foundation to operate from, our Mars will be able to take authentic, purposeful action.
Our Pluto journey is ultimately a deep journey to our heart. We mature, gain wisdom, and become compassionate. As we become part of something bigger, we live in harmony with our soul and the flow of the Universe.
In summary, 2025 is full of new opportunities that are aligned with the current realities and waiting to be discovered.
Remember that the Universe is working in our favor. Keep an open mind, be adaptable, and trust the process, and choose love.
And attend my workshop this Sunday January 19.
Welcome 2025!
