Benjamin will offer an interactive presentation featuring shamanic healing and shamanic astrologythis Saturday, Jan 15, 5-6 pm, at A Dove's Nest, 1410 Mt. Pisgah Hwy (Rt 151), Candler, NC 28715. His presentation will be part of a day-long Sacred Grand Opening Event full of high-vibration presenters from 11 am - 8 pm.

As a group, those attending Benjamin's presentation will receive shamanic "highest need" energy transmissions through him, and will experience benevolent planetary forces being invoked into their bodies. Benjamin will also teach simple and powerful techniques, including his Divine Saturation Snap Meditation, to empower each person to call in divine light and love for their own healing and spiritual awakening.

The Dove's Nest is a "Spiritual Retreat Bed & Breakfast, Vortex Research Academy & Holistic Community Event Center" operated by Aquarian Perspectives.

What's coming up astrologically in 2011? I've been sharing my views each week in this newsletter, as I serialize and expand upon the main points from my 2011 forecast lecture. Here's what I've covered so far; please click the links to catch up on the prior installments if you need to.

Part 1: The Uranus-Pluto Square 
Part 2: A Year of Jupiter Aspects
Part 3: Transits to the US Chart
Part 4: The Other Transits to the US Chart
Part 5: The Eclipses of 2011

So, we come at last to the final installment of my 2011 forecast series! This time will be looking at planetary ingresses, Saturn in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn.

Planetary ingress overview

There is a significant planetary ingress during each of the first four months of 2011: Jupiter enters Aries in January, Chiron enters Pisces in February, Uranus enters Aries in March, and Neptune enters Pisces in April.

Jupiter in Aries and Taurus

As described in part 2 of this series, "A Year of Jupiter Aspects," Jupiter will enter Aries on January 22. Jupiter passes through all the signs of the zodiac every 12 years, and its entry into Aries starts this cycle anew.

Jupiter's energy is naturally expansive, hopeful and optimistic, and the first sign of the zodiac holds the energy of new beginnings and fresh primal energy. Therefore, Jupiter's transit through Aries is a wonderful time to make major new beginnings.

On the global stage, we have historically seen both the high and low side of astrological energies play out. Therefore, the dark side of Jupiter in Aries - over-the-top violence, sexuality and aggression - may also be in evidence in the world around us.

Jupiter enters Taurus on June 4, where it will remain through the rest of 2011. This will amplify the Taurean high-side energies of calm, tranquility, sensual pleasure, security, appropriate material acquisition, appreciation of the natural world and simple beingness. Jupiter rules spiritual quests, so paths of self-development which incorporate any of these qualities will receive special support.

Of course, those who choose to use low-side Taurean energy - mindless resistance to change, excessive attachment to money and possessions, lethargy, and a belief that "the devil I know is better than the devil I don't know" - will have it available to them as well.

Chiron in Pisces

Chiron is a unique body in the solar system: because of its unusual composition and orbit, this planetoid is simultaneously considered a centaur, asteroid and comet! Its primary astrological  meanings include the healer, the mentor, the shaman and the maverick.

Chiron has been in Aquarius since 2006, where its presence has supported a global renaissance of unconventional healing practices. Many of these are indigenous modalities which have existed for millennia, but are only now coming into broader awareness. These include the ceremonial ingestion of mind-expanding plant spirit teachers such as ayahuasca, San Pedro, iboga and peyote, all of which have been used in native cultures for healing and spiritual awakening.

Other ancient healing tools, such as Atlantean crystal technologies, have gained popularity with Chiron in Aquarius. High-tech innovations in energy healing are also proliferating, such as the SCENAR handheld healing device used on NASA's space shuttle missions. There is also a growing array of laptop-based software/sensor combos such as the QXCI Machine, which can diagnose and energetically treat a wide range of conditions.

Chiron will enter Pisces on February 8, and will stay in that sign for eight years. Spiritual healing, spiritual mentoring and maverick spirituality will all be empowered during this period. Since Pisces also radiates divinely inspired creativity, we can also expect an outpouring of music, drama, dance, film, art and other creative expressions which transmit healing energy. The prevalence of the unconventional healing practices described in the preceding two paragraphs should also continue to grow, since they are inherently spiritual modalities.

Chiron's arrival can precipitate a healing crisis. The symptoms that arise serve to focus our attention on any weak areas which need support. In Pisces, Chiron will help us see more clearly, individually and societally, where religious and spiritual structures are in need of healing.

Uranus in Aries

Uranus took his first tentative step into Aries in the summer of 2010, then retrograded back into Pisces. He re-enters the Sign of the Ram on March 11 for a seven-year stay, initiating a new 84-year journey through the zodiac.

Uranus' movement from Pisces to Aries is the transition from dreaming to doing. It's a time when the paradigm shifts, revolutions and breakthroughs we've been dreaming about get launched in the physical world. Uranus in Aries periods are also accompanied by technological breakthroughs, since Uranus rules science and technology.

This can also be a time of great instability. Uranus is known for bringing sudden, unexpected change, and Aries can be so impatient that its motto sometimes seems to be, "Ready, fire, aim!" Fortunately, Uranus also brings intuitive flashes of wisdom and guidance, and an excellent use of this energy is to take immediate action on these divine "insider tips".|

Neptune in Pisces

Neptune, the planet just beyond Uranus, has an orbit almost exactly twice as long: 165 years.  Neptune enters Pisces, the final sign in the zodiacal journey, on April 4. It retrogrades back into Aquarius four months later, and reenters Pisces in early February of 2012. It then remains in the Sign of the Fishes for 13 years.

In the astrological alphabet, Neptune and Pisces have the same meaning. On the high side, they represent divine union, compassion, oneness with all things and divinely inspired creativity. On the low side, they are associated with excessive alcohol or drug use, counterproductive escapism of any kind, confusion, martyrdom and victimization. Neptune's sign placement always influences cultural trends, so all of these themes will soon be more prominent in our movies, music, TV and other mainstream entertainment offerings.

I, of course, recommend that you take advantage of Neptune in Pisces by putting a long-term emphasis on spiritual union practices and/or your divinely inspired creative expression!

Saturn in Libra

Saturn is midway through its two-and-a-half-year  transit of Libra during 2011, so its energy is more of a continuing influence than anything new. It started its most recent passage through Libra 10/29/09 thru 4/7/10, then settled in on 7/22/10 for a longer stay through 10/5/12.

With the "stern taskmaster" in the sign of relationships, watch for all of your important ones to be tested. If any are found wanting,  then it's time to reinforce, revise or release. This is actually a process to be welcomed, since it keeps us from wasting our time and other precious resources on relationships that don't serve our highest needs.

Saturn can be tough, but he also brings the blessings of achievement, productivity, efficient time management, maturity and wise eldership. All of these can be applied to the Libran themes of relationship and creative expression.

Saturn enjoys its second-most powerful placement, called exaltation, in Libra. And Saturn represents tradition, conservatism, big business, the powers-that-be and the status quo. Therefore, it's no surprise that the US Republican Party made a major mid-term comeback during Saturn's Libran occupancy.

I recommend getting serious about your relationships during this period, and focusing on the ones that move your most important goals forward. And if you're creative in the artsy sense, this energy can really help you get the work out -- especially if you keep to a schedule!

Pluto in Capricorn

I wrote extensively about Pluto in Capricorn in this article, published in my January 2008 newsletter the same month that Pluto entered Capricorn. As I reread the article, I saw that, three years later, things are unfolding pretty much as I expected.

To give just one example, WikiLeaks has taken on the Plutonian role of airing the dirty laundry of the powers-that-be. It has put the US on the defensive by publishing many of its Afghanistan war documents and diplomatic cables. Currently, Bank of America is hurriedly planning PR damage-control strategies, since WikiLeaks has warned of revealing embarrassing information that could "take down" a major American bank.

I also spoke of a Big Brother-style invasion of privacy, the current crowning symbol of which is the new airport scanners which image nearly naked bodies. (The alternative? A stranger patting down your private parts.) And the Department of Homeland Security is now looking into multiple-camera drone planes, just one of which can show everything going on in an entire village.

I also wrote three years ago that, in 2010, "we may well experience the start of something resembling another American Revolution in order to set our ship of state on a more enlightened course." I didn't have the Tea Party in mind, and have my own opinion about their level of enlightenment, but there is no question that they have brought a revolutionary energy onto the American political scene!

Here are some brief excerpts from my original article discussing Pluto in Capricorn, which I think is still worth reading three years later for a deeper understanding of this important subject. Even though the article was my 2008 forecast, most of it covers long-range trends that are still in play.

Pluto is the planet of transformation, death and rebirth. Metaphors for its processes include a phoenix burning to ash and resurrecting, a snake shedding its skin, and a caterpillar morphing into a butterfly. Pluto can also represent tremendous power and/or wealth.

Capricorn is the sign of existing institutions and structures, including big business, governments and established religions. It's inherently conservative, traditional and resistant to change. Its shadow side can be cold, dictatorial, and ruthless, believing that the ends justify the means. Its more evolved qualities include integrity, commitment, and perseverance, as well as being the "wise elder."

What can one person do when faced with such daunting astrological energies? Let's take some inspiration from Pluto itself. It's a tiny planet - not even that, if you accept its "dwarf planet" classification. And it's nowhere near the heart of the action - so far out in the boonies of the solar system that the Sun hardly looks brighter than any other star.

Yet Pluto is astrology's most powerful transiting planet. Its diminutive size demonstrates that small things can be very powerful. It does, after all, rule plutonium, a tiny amount of which can either power or decimate a city. In the same way, one person - working with Capricornian discipline and Plutonian obsessiveness - can make a huge impact during this time. By doing whatever you are most called to do - however insignificant it might seem - you will be playing your perfect part in a leaderless web of perfect synchronicity.

Stay open to change. As I tell my clients who are having powerful Pluto transits, the more you resist transformation at such times, the more you suffer. The more you embrace change - even if it's frightening and you can't see where it's leading - the more empowered you become.

Pluto can be experienced as cruel and greedy people and institutions conspiring against you, or as a river of divine power that flows through you. And that river is always strongest when you allow your actions to be guided by your inner wisdom. As with any astrological energy, you can use it or be used by it. The choice is yours.

Conclusion

I hope you've enjoyed this series on the astrological forecast for 2011. There's a lot going on this year: the tightening Uranus-Pluto square, numerous Jupiter aspects, challenging transits to the US chart, lots of powerful eclipses, Jupiter and Uranus entering Aries, Chiron and Neptune entering Pisces, and the continuing adventures of Saturn in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn.

With so much complexity, I find it helpful to focus on a few simple ideas:

• Embrace transformation.
   
• Nurture your direct connection to your own divine essence.
   
• Follow your intuition.
   
• Be your authentic self.
   
• Energize your vision of an ideal reality.
   
• Be the change you want to see in the world.
   

We are living in an extraordinary time, and we all chose to be here. Your thoughts and actions are helping to make the world what it is right now. So  why not help to manifest a more beautiful world? Help make 2011 all it can be -- hop on board the Co-Creation Express!
 
The MP3 and 58-slide PowerPoint deck of my Nov. 18 "2011 Astrology Forecast & Shamanic Planetary Invocations" presentation is now available for download. To get it, click here!    

1/10. Mercury, ruler of the mind, gets a double hit of intuitive help today - it sextiles Neptune, bringer of intuitive flow, and squares Uranus, bringer of intuitive flashes. Raise your antennae!

1/11. Mercury's at it again today, squaring Jupiter and sextiling Chiron. If your brain is hungry for knowledge and mentoring, it's a great time to indulge it!

1/12. With "do it now" Mars sextile Uranus - the sender of text messages from your higher self - it's a great time to take immediate practical action on your intuitive flashes.
        Two slower planets connect today: Piscean Jupiter makes a 30° semi-sextile to Aquarian Chiron. The weeks around this aspect are especially good for spiritual awakening, healing old wounds and doing meticulous work on breakthrough projects. Also consider expanding your horizons by spending time with cutting-edge people!

1/13. With Capricornian Mars sextile Jupiter, lots of energy and endurance are available now. Get busy with what needs doing!
        Mercury transits Capricorn today through 2/3, helping us focus our minds on practical matters.

1/15. Mars transits Aquarius today through 2/22. This has a similar effect to Mars aspecting Uranus (see 1/12), who is the modern ruler of Aquarius, so the basic advice remains the same: take immediate practical action on your intuitive flashes. This is also a great time to put fresh energy into connecting with the groups of people who can help you awaken in whatever ways are most important right now!