THE FIRST impression I get looking at the 2008 chart is that of big wheels turning, whether we call them karmic or collective. Deep powers in the unconscious are moving to awaken, purify and rebalance ancient karmas, to clear the way for the reclamation of the very essence of our spirituality and the healer in us, personally and collectively. Like the recent Jupiter/Pluto conjunction, which is still very much in play, deep and far-reaching change is upon us, driving powerful growth and expansion on all levels, and bringing inevitable challenges.

There is also much that is wonderful in this chart and despite the trouble we're in on the planet, there are obvious reasons for hope. The Sun is conjunct Jupiter in Capricorn, the latter in turn conjunct Pluto in the last minutes of Sagittarius. Any Sun/Jupiter contact represents big, glorious energy systems that are tremendously growthful and light-filled, driven by grace and the pervasive benevolence of life, love and the gods, however you see them. Pluto adds depth, power and the guarantee that none of this change is going to be superficial, requiring the letting go of old patterns, beliefs and identities. Deep structural alterations are in motion, the power of which can be harnessed on any level - psychological, spiritual or material.

At home, we will experience the best of this: the mining and property "booms", the change in government, and the responses to global warming are all external expressions of a positive energy cycle that will continue all year at least. We would do well to use this energy to make changes on the home front, on inner and outer levels, to secure the foundations of our lives, and to give our families greater freedom and support. And to encourage personal and emotional development, as well as in the material. To overemphasise the latter would be a grave mistake, for as good as any Sun/Jupiter is, the combination also has a reputation for excess and waste, higher inflation and interest rates, and the inflation of egos and expectations.

There are a number of warnings in the chart about being very aware and discriminating in how we use this abundant energy. Multiple squares from all this energy in Capricorn to a Libran Moon points out that if we overemphasise material or ego driven advancement, we will compromise and even damage our relationships, and put the feminine offside, within and without. Whoever said that "the true measure of a society was how well it treated its underprivileged" would be a little concerned, looking at this chart. It calls for vigilance, responsibility and an ongoing reassessment on the emotional impacts of our actions and choices. Fortunately, the Capricorn planets also have strong multiple trines to Saturn in Virgo, which positively reinforces the constructive aspects of the Sun/Jupiter/Pluto threesome, while putting some healthy braking on its excesses. History and mythology are full of examples of what happens when humans take the grace and abundance of the gods for granted.

The other major warning, and the toughest challenge of the chart, is oppositions from Capricorn to Mars in Cancer conjunct Medusa in Gemini.

If the state of the planet is a reflection of both the goddess and the feminine, clearly we are in trouble on multiple fronts and these oppositions will magnify them. In the Australian chart, Mars and Medusa are the highest points, making it a little too easy to be complacent about the rest of the world when things appear to be going well here. To do so would invite some nasty backlashes and constitute a lost opportunity on multiple levels. What we do with our rage and anger from all sources will either make or break us as individuals and as a civilisation. The owning and healing of such empowers us and gives our actions more clarity, effectiveness and Shakti (spiritual power).

The most extraordinary aspect of this year's chart is the gathering of Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius with the North Node of the Moon. Anything conjuncting the North Node represents opportunities for owning ancient parts of self, seeking new expression, individually and collectively. In this case, it's an awesome combination of the mystic and the healer, which incorporates the archetypes of the visionary, alchemist, shaman and magician. On a personal level, it speaks of extraordinary openings spiritually and profoundly exquisite experiences of healing right down to the very soul level. The quality of Shakti moving through our chakras, nervous systems and emotional bodies will have a quality unknown to most of us in this life, especially with Chiron exactly on the North Node, all the way from June to October.

It is also an invigoration of the psycho spiritual genius within, calling for greater levels of faith and trust in our own unique levels of knowing and ability, however alternative, intuitive and eccentric their sources. If these are not ready for manifestation, they will, at least, become more apparent within, strengthening our belief in the visions of the soul, of the potential future. If ever there was a time to welcome true spiritual magic into our lives, it is this year.

Daniel Sowelu (BSc DipEd) is a therapeutic astrologer, primal therapist and group leader in his 21st year of private practice.