It won't be long until the winter solstice on Dec. 21. Here is what I wrote about the season in the 2014 and 2015 Janet's Plan-its calendars:

"The beginning of the end is in sight for the madness that's plagued us for years. The Uranus-Pluto square exerts its final major blast this winter. A week before the winter solstice [Dec. 14 (P), Dec. 15 (E)], the square is exact for the sixth of seven times, magnified by Uranus's standstill precisely on the Solstice. Their last square is March 16. As winter begins, Mercury and Venus surround Pluto, marking a time to discuss values, resources and finances. Since they're in Capricorn, talks should be mature and responsible. But Mercury and Venus are also out of bounds. Judgments and a superior attitude can intrude. The Sun and Moon are semisquare Mars, setting a confrontational tone. Mercury in a sesquiquadrate to Jupiter turns up the volume. With the Moon at the end of its cycle, certain situations are poised for a finale. In broadminded and flexible Sagittarius, it aids legislative and international issues. Saturn at Scorpio's last degree adds another impetus for endings. Venus and Saturn in a semisquare increase pressure to set fiscal matters straight. Both spar with the Nodes, adding incentive to steer in a different direction."

There are two times in the next three weeks to exercise extra caution. First, watch out for being overly optimistic or stretching yourself too thin around the time Jupiter stations (comes to a stop) and turns Retrograde on Dec. 8. And then (as mentioned above) there's that pesky Uranus-Pluto square, exact Dec. 14-15. It could throw anyone for a loop, even if you don't have anything in your chart around 12-13 degrees of a Cardinal sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn). Saturn interacts with them for an added dose of difficulty, and the Moon gives them all trouble on Dec. 15 and 19.

As 2014 turns to 2015, we're in a good period to be experimental and take some risks. This is mainly because Mars will be in Aquarius from Dec. 4 until January 12. This is the sign ruled by Uranus. Meanwhile, Uranus is in Mars-ruled Aries for about seven years (2010-11 until 2018-19). This is the second of four instances during this period that they are in a "mutual reception" relationship (in the sign each other rules), a sharing of their influences. As I write in Janet's Plan-its, this is a time when "individuals have a stronger need for freedom. People act quickly without deliberation or hesitation. Intuition and initiative work together to give a positive push to endeavors. Potential drawbacks to this aspect are jumping to conclusions and thinking you know everything."

Slow-moving Saturn changes its sign every two to three years. It's just about ready to shift from Scorpio, where it has been since Oct. 5, 2012 into Sagittarius on Dec. 23. It dips its feet in until June 14 next year, when it backtracks into Scorpio for one last hurrah. When it re-enters Sagittarius Sept. 17, 2015, it remains there until Dec. 19, 2017. Here is an excerpt from Janet's Plan-its calendar:

"The planet of organization and structure visits the sign associated with higher education, law-making and courts, foreign travel and interactions, and widespread information sharing. Saturn's sobering and mature influence may calm the divisiveness and antagonism in government. Expect consolidation in international businesses, more regulation of internet commerce and increased standardization of educational methods and materials. Individuals may be more flexible about interpersonal boundaries and obeying laws."

If you have 28 minutes to watch an episode of LOOKING UP, the December program will be all about Saturn in Sagittarius, with a look at how this will affect each sign. This show should be posted in the archive on or shortly after Dec. 1.

The two most recent New Moons (Oct. 23 and Nov. 22) at zero degrees of Scorpio and Sagittarius, respectively, are part of a repeating cycle of New Moons within one degree of 0° of the signs from September 2014 through March 2015. New Moons regularly repeat at a certain degree of consecutive signs in groupings of about six months, but they don't often do this at zero degrees, the beginning point of signs. New Moons, of course, signal something new. And the zero degrees of signs are also starting points, reinforcing the signal for fresh situations.

Look for the houses in your chart where Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius are. These point to the departments in which to expect a lot of new conditions. If you have anything at 0, 1, 2, 28 or 29 degrees of any sign in your chart, you're receiving a continuous impulse to initiate activities in the part of your life indicated by the affected part of your chart. Check the sign and house location for clues as to what type of thing to start.

When New Moons repeat in a groove, so do Full Moons. Full Moons are within one degree of 14° from October 2014 through May 2015. Full Moons are a time for a culmination or peak, and sometimes herald the end of circumstances that have run their course. To see what's coming to a head in your life, look for anything you have in the 14-17 degree-range. If the sign is one of the Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), that part of your chart has already been under assault for much of 2014 - and it's not over yet! The Lunar Eclipse at 14 degrees of Libra on April 4, 2015, will bring another hit.

When you have some extra time (ha-ha, like that happens this time of year!), you might like to listen to the podcast of a lecture I presented recently, Looking Ahead to 2015. This a free (50-minute) downloadable MP3 file on my website. OR you can wait for the January episode of LOOKING UP, on the same topic. It's shorter (28 minutes). Much of the same information is included in the 2015 Janet's Plan-its (see next article).

To see when planets will be Retrograde in 2015, check the graph on 2015 On a Page. Notice how one of the smoothest times (with only one planet going backwards) is January 10-20. This barely overlaps with the Mars-Uranus mutual reception (see first article, above) on just three days: January 10-12. Too bad these are during the waning lunar cycle and not an appropriate time for beginning a new venture. However, there should be a lot of forward thrust available for activities already underway.

It's b-a-a-a-a-ck! Another Janet's Plan-its is in production and almost off to the printer. It can certainly be in your hands before the solstice. Following in the tradition of the recent expanded paperback, it will guide you through the days, weeks and months of 2015, explaining what the planets are doing and how you can use their energies to your advantage.

In honor of Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, I am offering you, my loyal followers, a 15% discount on your Janet's Plan-its 2015 Celestial Planner order, good through Dec. 4. At check-out, enter coupon code SBS15.

If you have already placed your order, THANK YOU! I'd hate for you to miss a nice little discount, so contact me and I will refund you the difference. As a Libra, I want to be fair to the early-birds.