Happy New Year everyone! On New Year’s Eve there was a fireworks display here in Seattle that didn’t work as planned. At midnight everyone waited for the show to start and nothing happened. We all waited and several minutes later the display started and was very beautiful, although it was out of sync with the music.

This event was very symbolic to me because it has felt like everything is still on hold and nothing has started to move forward yet, probably because Mars is still retrograde.  Like the fireworks, there is a glitch and then everything starts to move forward into the light.

I believe 2008 will be a very exciting year once it gets going and there will be lots of changes on all levels. There will be many Earth changes, political changes and personal changes. This year adds up to ten which is a little different than a one year. Number one always indicates new beginnings but ten has a different meaning. Ten means that we have the number one (ourselves) with the zero (Christ energy) behind it.  This means it is time to manifest our inner power, and stand in our truth. Let’s make good use of this energy.

We’ve just completed a number nine year. I’m sure glad that year is over because it was very challenging for everyone. It was a very fast-paced year with lots of inner and outer changes. Now we have the force with us to go forward with new ideas and new ways of doing things. This year also has an eight (2008) in its number. Eight is known for the energy of money, power, control and business, which also includes financial institutions and the housing market. There could be challenges in all those areas this year. I believe there will also be more challenges with our money system because the bottom has dropped out of the dollar, and many countries are now trading in Euros. The European Common Market has become very powerful with so many countries trading in Euros. Could this be the new money system, for now?

Huge waves of energy have been permeating the Earth from the December planetary alignment and the comet Holmes.  Look how that comet expanded into light in just a few days to become the same size as our Sun, and it kept expanding until it was about three times the size of our Sun. The possibility is now here for us to expand into light and move into a place of joy and happiness. The new energy is here and we have a blank screen in front of us for our new creations.

On February 6 we move into the year of the Rat. The Rat year is supposed to be a year of plenty, bringing opportunity and good prospects. There will be speculation and fluctuations in the stock market and the prices of commodities. The year of the Rat is ruled by the cold of winter and the darkness of night. Those who speculate indiscriminately and overextend themselves will come to a sad reckoning. This will be a happier year for those who have learned how to release negative thoughts from their minds, and replaced them with joy. This will also be the year of many storms, floods, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.

Speaking of blank screens, that is what I see when I try to see the outcome of our election. However, from my astrological point of view our new president will be either a woman, or a gentle man. I said that on a radio program about five years ago when I was looking forward to the 2008 election. Right now it looks like Barack Obama is taking the United States by storm, although Hillary Clinton is right up there too. According to the chart I got for Obama, he is a Leo, with Scorpio rising, and his moon is 0 degrees Gemini. His node is in Leo, which is where the south node is right now. He was born on August 4, 1961, just 6 months before seven planets lined up in the sign of Aquarius, which ushered in the New Age. He appears to be a very gentle man. Hillary Clinton was born on October 26, 1947, and is a Scorpio who never gives up. I don’t have charts for the other candidates yet.

Jupiter is now in the sign of Capricorn, which also rules business, the housing market, and governments. I’m sure there will be lots of changes in our government starting this year, especially after Pluto, the transformer, moves into Capricorn by the end of this month. Capricorn rules structures and we will see the destruction of many buildings and houses. This could also manifest as the housing crisis that has already started in some states and is expected to get worse this year.  Remember to be compassionate and stay in observation mode this year. Stand in your peace and don’t be drawn into the drama.

The major planetary line-up this past month brought lots of changes to us and the Earth. As I am writing this article, the planets are still in alignment by declination and causing all kinds of havoc. Comet Tuttle was close to Earth on January 2, and this added to the misery.  Comets have a bad reputation in our consciousness because they usually bring negative events like assassination of leaders, which of course happened to Benazir Bhutto. The positive aspect of comet Holmes is that it has been sending waves of light and love to Earth. As it was expanding into light, that energy was sent to Earth for our benefit.

In my last article I said that the alignment of planets would cause storms in the Midwest states, including the lower states like Oklahoma, and the plain states. This happened in a big way. The opposite point of that line-up is Pakistan and the energy is also working out there. I said to watch out West Coast. My timing was a little off because I thought the storms would happen when the moon was in Taurus, instead it waited until the moon was in Scorpio (water) and then the storms let loose on California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and surrounding states. The Sun, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter were still lined-up by declination at that time and the moon triggered them on January 3-4 when the storms started. There were also 3 or 4 earthquakes in the Queen Charlotte Islands with the largest 6.5. There will be many more earthquakes this year all over the world. There were many storms in December and January because Mercury was in the alignment and Mercury rules storms.

Eclipses foretell events to happen.  Last year the eclipses were in Virgo and Pisces. This year there will be a solar eclipse on February 6 on 17 degrees Aquarius. This particular degree rules air, gas and gasoline.  I’m sure we will see the price of gasoline skyrocket. This degree is also associated with explosives and freedom. The north node of the moon (also called the Dragons head) is also going through the sign of Aquarius and I don’t see how they will be able to take away our freedom without lots of people rebelling against control.  This energy of rebellion sets the tone for the Chinese new year of the Rat that starts on February 6, 2008, PST.

There will be a lunar eclipse on February 20 at 1 degree Virgo, and then the eclipses move to the polarity of Leo and Aquarius. The Leo eclipses cause the death of famous men, and the scarcity of crops. It also rules the possibility of war, and stirs up the people to rebel. The Aquarius eclipses also cause rebellious action and change in all things. Last year there was a lunar eclipse in August on 4 degrees Virgo, and the eclipsed moon was seen over the West Coast. Shortly after that eclipse there were major fires in San Diego because that city’s birth Sun is 4 degrees Virgo. That’s how eclipses work.

Now we have Mercury moving into its retrograde position around January 26 through February 22. Mercury can cause things to get mixed up or not turn out right so it’s best to be aware of this energy. We started the year with Mars retrograde and opposing Pluto. Mars is very powerful in its retrograde phase because it is closest to Earth at that time.  Mars goes direct on January 30, and will then move into forward motion. It will again oppose Pluto the first week of March as Mars moves into Cancer.  Mars can be a violent planet in opposition to Pluto, so hope the leaders keep their cool and don’t start another war. We can use this Mars energy to our benefit by keeping our cool and not getting angry with everyone and everything.

This year will go by very fast because time has speeded up. The higher the Earth moves up in frequency the faster time goes until there is no time. I think that is what the Mayan Calendar is all about, the ending of time. The maximum solar cycle has started and they are expecting it to crest in 2010, 2011, or 2012. This Sun activity will cause many events on Earth and of course the photons hitting our magnetic field will also affect us. As the Sun bursts into light so do we. I also know we are in the new energy NOW because I can feel it.  This means that we have the ability to start creating our life the way we choose to experience it. Let go of the old way of doing things because the old way will not work anymore. Live in the joy of the moment and give thanks for everything. Develop an attitude of gratitude. All is well in my world!   So Be It!

I send you my love.          *****Mahala*****

I can be reached at: Mahala@MahalasAstrology.com.