A Very Quick Look at the Astrology of 2024

A Very Quick Look at the Astrology of 2024

2024 Annual Overview

In any given year the most dramatic and lasting influences always come from the movement of the slower (or slowest) moving planets. Both the ingresses and the unfolding synodic cycles between the planets have impacts that last months, years, and sometimes even decades after the exact moment in question.

In 2024, the long-lasting influences have to do with: the movement of Pluto back and forth between Aquarius and Capricorn (and back again), and Jupiter's changing phase relationship with both Saturn and Neptune. Saturn will change terms (or bounds) for the first time since entering Pisces in 2023, subtly changing the flavor of all planet's transits through Capricorn and Aquarius.

On the shorter term we've got a Mars retrograde bringing up the rear of the year, while Mercury's reliable retrogrades triple highlight the Earth signs.

The dramatic and showy notes of the year have to do with the eclipses and 2024 brings us the first indications of the upcoming Pisces/Virgo cycle.

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What follows are brief outlines of the transits most likely to be felt by everyone. Detailed overviews of each month will be available for students in monthly

January

January begins with Mercury stationing direct. Apt. A delightfully fitting metaphor for working to turn things around and getting one's shit together. Or, ya know... the New (Gregorian) Year.

Transit Highlights

  • 1st - Mercury stations direct at 22° Sagittarius
  • 4th - Mars enters Capricorn
  • 11th - New Moon at 20°54' Capricorn
  • 14th - Mercury re-enters Capricorn
  • 20th - Sun enters Aquarius
  • 21st - Pluto re-enters Aquarius
  • 23rd - Venus enters Capricorn
  • 25th - Full Moon at 5°15' Leo

Enclosures

There are two windows of malefic enclosure early in the month, and one window of benefic enclosure late in the month.

February

By February, every single planet is moving directly ahead. Saturn will break new ground in Pisces after the 8th aweing us with visions of dread and abject horror. Or, providing a rock solid structure for some epic-world building work.

At least one person, right now, is out there plunking away on a sweeping and majestic work of world-building fiction which will enter the world right around the Saturn/Neptune conjunction of early 2026. Maybe it's you?

Transit Highlights

  • 5th - Mercury enters Aquarius
  • 8th - Saturn leaves post-retrograde shadow
  • 9th - New Moon at 20°41' Aquarius
  • 13th - Mars enters Aquarius
  • 16th - Venus enters Aquarius
  • 19th - Sun enters Pisces
  • 23rd - Mercury enters Pisces
  • 24th - Full Moon at 5°23' Virgo

Enclosures

There are two windows of malefic enclosure for the Moon this month, but sadly, not any benefic ones.

March

March brings us back into range of the Dragon's Tail (aka - a South Node Eclipse), and brings us to one of the phase changes pertaining to the backdrop of slow-moving outer planet synodic cycles.

Jupiter separates 45° away from Neptune, entering the waxing crescent phase of their 12-13 year cycle. We should be seeing a new stage reached in the developments that came along with their conjunction. Among them: the James Webb Space Telescope.

Transit Highlights

  • 4th - Jupiter enters waxing crescent phase of Neptune synodic cycle
  • 10th - New Moon at 20°17' Pisces, and Mercury enters Aries
  • 11th - Venus enters Aries
  • 20th - Sun enters Aries
  • 22nd - Mars enters Pisces
  • 24th - Jupiter clears post-retrograde shadow
  • 25th - Lunar Eclipse at 5°07' Libra

Enclosures

There are, once again, two windows of malefic enclosure this month. And, thankfully, a window of benefic enclosure too – with Venus exalted, and the Moon moving from the lesser to the greater benefic to boot.

April

April is a month that's going to demand a lot of us, in terms of patience, endurance. There are a few moments here and there that offer reprieve in the form of levity, pleasure, or potentially escapist behaviors, depending on how you do.

And there's the Solar Eclipse at 19°24' Aries.

Transit Highlights

  • 1st - Mercury stations retrograde at 27°13' Aries
  • 4th - Venus enters Aries
  • 8th - Solar Eclipse at 19°24' Aries
  • 19th - Sun enters Taurus
  • 23rd - Full Moon 4°17' Scorpio
  • 25th - Mercury stations direction at 15°58' Aries
  • 29th - Venus enters Taurus
  • 30th - Mars enters Aries

Enclosure

My fellow children of the stars this month has the dubious honor of having a malefic enclosure every single week. The repeated instances of the Moon's connection with one malefic and then the other sometimes occur in rapid succession (i.e., mercifully brief) but in one instance is drawn out over the course of 5 and half hours. There are no benefic enclosures this month.

If you're keeping score for 2024, so far it's:
Malefic Enclosures: 11
Benefic Enclosures: 2

Sad trombone noise.

May

The beginning and end of May are going to feel very different. Early in the month we have a preponderance of planets in signs that are dense, downward trending, of the night, and wet. By the end of the month the noticeable emphasize is on the mutable signs, and the quality of changeability, and the tension between Gemini and Pisces becomes most apparent.

Transit Highlights

  • 2nd - Pluto stations retrograde at 2°06' Aquarius
  • 7th - New Moon at 18°02' Taurus
  • 15th - Mercury enters Taurus
  • 20th - Sun enters Gemini
  • 23rd - Full Moon at 2°55' Sagittarius, and Venus enters Gemini
  • 25th - Jupiter enters Gemini

Enclosures

This month favors benefic enclosures of the Moon, if only slightly, at 3:2 in our favor.

June

Wet hot astrological summer?! By the time of the Cancer Solstice four of the traditional planets will be in signs which 'have a share' in moisture or wetness – in an Earth, or water sign.

Transit Highlights

  • 2nd - Mercury enters Gemini
  • 6th - New Moon at 16°18' Gemini
  • 9th - Mars enters Taurus
  • 14th - Mercury-Sun cazimi 24°06' Gemini
  • 16th - Venus enters Cancer
  • 17th - Mercury enters Cancer
  • 20th - Sun enters Cancer
  • 22nd - Full Moon 1°07' Capricorn

Enclosures

There are two windows of benefic enclosure, while there are five malefic enclosures of the Moon.

July

July sees us drying out after June's pool party with multiple planets moving into air and fire signs.

Transit Highlights

  • 2nd - Mercury enters Leo and Neptune stations retrograde
  • 5th - New Moon at 14°23' Cancer
  • 11th - Venus enters Leo
  • 20th - Mars enters Gemini
  • 21st - Full Moon at 29°09' Capricorn and Mercury enters pre-retrograde shadow
  • 22nd - Sun enters Leo
  • 25th - Mercury enters Virgo
  • 26th - Chiron stations retrograde

Enclosures

Finally we have a month where the benefic enclosures outnumber the malefic. Enclosures aren't the same thing as a great election, but they do point to a nice time.

August

By August we're thoroughly dried out, but also begin cooling down as first Venus and then the Sun enter Virgo.

Transit Highlights

  • 4th - New Moon at 12°34' Leo and Mercury stations retrograde at 4°06' Virgo and Venus enters Virgo
  • 14th - Mercury returns to Leo
  • 19th - Full Moon at 27°15' Aquarius
  • 22nd - Sun enters Virgo
  • 28th - Mercury stations direct at 21°27' Leo
  • 29th - Venus enters Libra

Enclosures

There are three sweet moments this month where the Moon is enclosed between the joyful and protective benefics. There's only one instance of the reverse - a rough patch that comes while Mercury is retrograde.

September

September has a lot more variability and action than previous months. Pluto re-enters Capricorn for the final time that any of us will live through. Between the eclipse and the downward trajectory of dignity of three planets - plus a lunar eclipse - there's a fair bit of difficulty to contend with.

Transit Highlights

  • 1st - Pluto re-enters Capricorn and Uranus stations retrograde
  • 2nd - New Moon at 11°04' Virgo
  • 4th - Mars enters Cancer
  • 8th - Mercury enters Virgo
  • 17th - Lunar Eclipse at 25°41' Pisces
  • 22nd - Sun enters Libra and Venus enters Scorpio
  • 26th - Mercury enters Libra

Enclosures

This month is even with respect to rad and wretched moments, and they're spread out across the month - four of each.

October

As the Sun begins moving noticeably southward toward December's Capricorn eclipse, we find ourselves in the middle of an eclipsed lunar cycle.

Transit Highlight

  • 2nd - Solar Eclipse 10°03' Libra
  • 9th - Jupiter stations retrograde at 21°20' Gemini
  • 11th - Pluto stations direct at 29°38' Capricorn
  • 13th - Mercury enters Scorpio
  • 17th - Full Moon at 24°35' Aries and Venus enters Sagittarius
  • 22nd - Sun enters Scorpio

Enclosures

Again, the benefic outweighs the malefic this month, with respect to lunar windows.

November

November begins and ends with the renewal of the Moon.

Transit Highlights

  • 1st - New Moon at 9°35' Scorpio
  • 2nd - Mercury enters Sagittarius
  • 3rd - Mars enters Leo
  • 11th - Venus enters Capricorn
  • 15th - Full Moon at 24°00' Taurus and Saturn stations direct at 12°41' Pisces
  • 19th - Pluto enters Aqarius
  • 21st - Sun enters Sagittarius
  • 30th - New Moon 9°32' Sagittarius

Enclosures

There are three windows of benefic enclosure, and two days made tough by malefic enclosure.

December

The final month of the year presents a a fair bit of volatility in the form of direction changes.

Transit Highlights

  • 6th - Venus enters Aquarius and Mars stations retrograde at 6°10' Leo
  • 7th - Neptune stations direct at 27°07' Pisces
  • 15th - Full Moon 23°52' Gemini and Mercury stations direct at 6°23' Sagittarius
  • 21st - Sun enters Capricorn
  • 29th - Chiron stations direct
  • 30th - New Moon at 9°43' Capricorn

Enclosures

There's just one particularly sweet day and one particularly rough one, based on the separating and applying aspects of the Moon.


As always, I hope these words find and treat you well...

If you've found this annual overview useful, please consider sharing it with your family and friends. If you'd like to know what the major transits of 2024 mean for you in particular you can schedule a private consultation with Bear below.


Bear Ryver is a professional astrologer helping his clients hone strategies for grounded growth and embodied empowerment by bringing them back to the BASICS. Winner of OPA’s Most Promising Astrologer in 2018, Bear has lectured at conferences like NORWAC and ISAR. He holds certifications in Hellenistic, Electional, and Horary astrology, and specializes in Intersectional Astrology. He was a teacher for the Portland School of Astrology, and has volunteered as a mentor for AFAN. When he’s not talking stars, or pulling cards, you can find him climbing rocks and playing guitar.