Looking Toward 2019: A Year of Change, Challenge and Opportunity!

The coming year will be a year of change, challenge and opportunity for us all. In fact, looking at the astrological chart for 2019, it is fair to say that the dawn of 2019 will likely initiate a revolution in our personal lives. Why? Because in 2019 our 4^th house—the most intimate and personal of the 12 astrological houses—will be jam-packed with powerful planets that can be as transformative and volatile as they are influential. The key thing to remember about the 4^th house is that it is directly related to our sense of comfort and security—it pertains to home and hearth, to our homeland, to our mother and all that nurtures us; it is where we take refuge from the world and is the cornerstone of our happiness and contentment of our heart. In order to feel safe, secure and loved, it is essential that our 4^th house is balanced and stable. But, as we are about to see, maintaining balance and stability in the 4^th is going to be a major challenge in 2019, a year that promises change.

Let’s begin at the beginning. As we rang in the New Year Virgo was rising and, as you likely know, Virgo is ruled by Mercury, which is in the fiery sign of Sagittarius in the 4^th house. However, Mercury is not alone in the 4^th house—indeed, it has plenty of company. Sun, Saturn and Pluto—all extremely powerful celestial bodies—are also in the 4^th. That’s a total of four planets in the 4^th house, and whenever four or more planets take up residence in a single house—a phenomenon known as a stellium—the affairs of that house exert an intense, even obsessive influence on our lives. Such concentrated focus on one house can consume all our attention, time and energy, which can unbalance us and lead to dramatic and unexpected upheaval in our lives, especially the areas of our lives most affected by that house. In the case of the 4^th house, it is our personal and home life, including our sense of safety and security, that will come under intense planetary influence.

To better understand those influences, let’s take a moment to consider the nature of the planets that are parked in the 4^th house. First, there is vacillating Mercury, which can behave either as a benefic or malefic planet. Then we have Sun with its nuclear-level heat that can naturally initiate movement and change. Then we have Saturn (sometimes referred to as the planet of “blessings in disguise”) that often pushes us to take a hard, honest look at the way we think and behave, thus forcing us to change, grow and mature. Finally, there is the tiny powerhouse planet of Pluto, a relentless instigator of change known as “the God of transformation and rebirth”, which often demands us to undergo a major catharsis before allowing us to move on with our lives. And of course, all this potential change is taking place in the sign of Sagittarius, which is represented by the truth-seeking archer, whose penetrating arrow is aimed heavenward in a constant search for honesty and uprightness. So, as you can see, all the elements of revolutionary change will be at work in the 4^th house in 2019. And it is a revolution that could easily challenge our sense of personal security, stability, comfort and happiness.

But, as they say, to be forewarned is to be forearmed. In other words, being aware of what the planets are up to in our 4^th house allows us to prepare for any changes coming our way, ensuring that we can use that transformative energy to our advantage. Usually, the best way to manage the extreme influences of a stellium is by drawing upon the balancing influences of the planet (or planets) in the opposite house—in the case of the 4^th house, the opposite house is the 10^th, the house of our public persona, work and career. Unfortunately, in the 2019 chart, there are no planets in the 10^th house to help balance out the intense 4^th house energy and maintain an equilibrium between the 4^th and 10^th, between our personal and professional lives. This means it will not only be easy for personal dramas and emotional upsets to disrupt our private lives, but for those private problems to spill over into the workplace and negatively impact our career. Therefore, in the coming year, we must endeavor to create the balance needed for a peaceful, happy and successful life from within ourselves: we must balance, strengthen, stabilize and protect our 4^th house by drawing upon the most loving, caring and peaceable qualities residing in the depths of our heart.

When we focus on being kind, loving, peaceful and compassionate (especially with our loved ones at home), we shore up and fortify our 4^th house. In doing so, we will remain calm, even-tempered and good-natured no matter how tumultuous or stormy our life becomes, or how many changes we must endure—be those changes emotional, financial, romantic or professional. Indeed, with a stable 4^th house, any changes we choose to make (or are forced to deal with) in 2019 will serve to make us stronger, wiser and better people. Achieving balance in the 4^th house—in our private life—helps us generate positive energy that radiates into our “public life” 10^th house, allowing us to shine at work through our increased focus, creativity, productivity and effectiveness. In short, being healthy, calm and kind at home will allow us to be more brilliant and successful in our career and have good relations with everyone we meet. This is the type of change we want to strive for in the coming year—it will enable us to balance our 4^th and 10^th houses and effectively use the power of the four planets in the 4^th house to our greatest advantage.

And the best way to strengthen our 4^th house is by developing both a healthy and balanced lifestyle, a lifestyle supported by an optimistic outlook, a peaceful state of mind and a caring, generous disposition. Throughout 2019 it is extremely important for us to set positive goals both at home and at work, and then do all we can to achieve those goals by following a nutritious diet, getting plenty of exercise and rest, being ever-mindful of the needs and concerns of others, and remaining in touch with our spiritual nature through a regular practice of meditation, self-reflection and/or prayer. Fortunately, the Cosmos will help us in this regard as Jupiter—the planet of illumination—is in the 3^rd house in the sign of Scorpio sitting with Venus, aspecting our 9th house of higher wisdom.

To sum up, if we remain anchored to our heart, 2019 will be a great (and perhaps magical) year for transforming even the most difficult changes and challenges into incredible opportunities and amazing success stories! To quote the enlightened Guru, Paramahansa Yogananda: “Opportunities in life come by creation not by chance. When you are attuned with your soul, you will be able to think correctly about everything you do.”

Namaskar! Have a happy, prosperous and healthy New Year!