You’ve got a date with destiny and now you’ve got to get there. So you decide to drive rather than take public transportation, because it’s faster and, besides, you like being in the mix of what’s happening on the streets. Well, you’re about to get your wish!

You start out casually, taking care of some old business via headset, and pretty soon the traffic opens up and you’re cruising along with impunity. Or so you think. For out from the lane on your right comes an enormous big rig, which cuts in front of you and then seems to lose control. It jackknifes and bursts into fierce flames right in front of you!

You swerve to avoid a catastrophe and almost sideswipe a guy on your left, who gives you the finger and guns it into the spot you were heading for. You finally pass the disaster but find yourself in the middle of a protest march-cum-riot. No way can you avoid getting mixed up in this, so you just get out of the car, join the crowd until it picks another target, get back in your car and cruise out of the subsequent traffic jam.

You finally arrive at your intended destination and when someone asks you how your day is going, you look up and say, “Great! No problem. What’s up with you?” You’re grateful you made it through and feel like looking ahead, not back.

And that’s the energy of this week: obstacles galore and lots of drama, some of it pretty fierce. But your awareness can make the difference between a true disaster and a momentary, if galling, delay. No path is smooth and keeping your eyes on your goal is what gets you through. These are indeed the times, as they used to say, that try men’s souls. This is a time of personal breakthroughs or breakdowns. Sometimes, both.

This week leads up to the first of seven precise squares (90-degree, tension-filled angles) between Uranus—the Revolution come to call—and Pluto, the slow-moving but deeply transformational energy that is shaking up the world’s status quo. This occurs on Sunday, June 24^th (12:44 am PDT, 3:44 am EDT). Uranus is then at 8 degrees 24 minutes of arc in Aries (a sign whose motto is: “I want it NOW!”). Pluto is at the same degree and minute in Capricorn (which says: “Now, let’s not be hasty and respect tradition.”).

This is the first time since the mid-1960s that Uranus and Pluto have been in major aspect to each other. That vibrant period saw a mass awakening of consciousness that is still reverberating, along with social chaos and the rise of the counterculture. Reactionary forces were also fierce, just as they are today.

In the 1960s, Uranus and Pluto were conjunct…their energies blended together and planted seeds that are returning now to our awareness. Many of the same issues from the Sixties are back—unpopular wars, environmental issues, social protests and resistance to needed change.

But the square, in astrology, signifies internal tension that can have outward consequences…it is no longer enough to be aware; now we have to do something positive and actually resolve these seemingly intractable issues. And this on a worldwide scale. Otherwise…well, you don’t want to know.

Uranus, synchronistically discovered around the time of the French and American Revolutions, carries the energy of freedom, innovation and immediate demand for change. In response to this energy, voila!—we have seen the Occupy movement suddenly spring to life.

Government and Big Business is associated with Capricorn, the tradition-minded sign of ambition and the status quo. Pluto’s entry into Capricorn heralded the global recession and Wall Street’s various foibles. 2012 through 2015, during these seven exact squares, is where the rubber hits the road.

We are—right now, this week—entering a time period that will be so dramatic it will make the 1960s look positively dull by comparison. It’s an exciting time to be alive, but there are so many obstacles to overcome that maintaining our own inner peace is an essential part of our task as we navigate through this tremendously difficult celestial traffic jam. If we do it well, there is a real chance of a global cultural renaissance. If not, say goodbye to much of what we have known and loved.

Several planets (including Mr. Pluto) are still retrograde and slowing down this week, making the energy tough to navigate if you’re not completely focused. Saturn is almost stationary, turning direct (at 22 degrees, 46 minutes of Libra) at 11:50 pm, Sunday, June 24^th PDT,…yes, just 23 hours after the exact Uranus-Pluto square. Not the day to expect a lot of tranquility unless you really work at it. Generally, a Saturn station is a time of pulling teeth, but the fact that the Planet of Work, Structure and Discipline is turning direct means that projects that have been delayed may see the light of day again.

Venus, our Love, Sex, Money and General Pleasure Planet, turns direct next week as well, which should help matters in all these categories. This week, she’s still got her head turned the other way, so a little extra effort is required to catch her glance.

Chiron, the dwarf planet discovered in 1977 at the midpoint between Saturn (tradition) and Uranus (innovation), turned retrograde last Monday as well, at 9 degrees Pisces. Chiron in Greek mythology was a Centaur who is called the Wounded Healer. He represents issues which come up to be healed, and his planetary station is when such things are most intense. That’s now.

Then there’s Neptune, Mr. Fog City himself, who says that things may not be what they seem. We must use our creative imagination and spiritual awareness to clear away the mist from our life. His recent retrogradation is still pretty potent. So all in all, this is the time when we need to make lemonade out of whatever lemons life hands us.

I find it fascinating—and wonderful, since I’m a big fan—that the music of the Beatles (the very epitome of the 1960s) has had yet another resurgence. This is their 50^th anniversary (Paul’s 70^th birthday is Monday) and their music is again as widespread and relevant as ever. How many signs have we seen in the Occupy camps that say, “All You Need Is Love”, “Revolution,” “Give Peace A Chance,” even “Working Class Hero”? There’s a clue here as to what is to come—CREATIVITY IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE AGAIN.

Creative artists and free-thinking people will once again be the leaders in this revolutionary period. We cannot recreate the 1960s, but to a certain extent the creative spirit of that time period is once more loose upon the land. And this time—quite literally—the future of our planet is at stake. This is a serious time with very serious issues to tackle that will be chaotic but also free up space in the human psyche to begin to solve the problems that have been bedeviling us. It’s going to be a bumpy ride, to paraphrase Bette Davis, even a tragic one. But this is it, and this week is the beginning.

Monday is Dark of the Moon-time, the day before the New Moon when it’s best to finish up old things, keep your head down and prepare for the cycle to come. Moon in a harmonious trine to Saturn is good for steady work. Since one’s Solar Return (yearly birthday) chart can predict the upcoming year, I expect Paul McCartney to be a bit nostalgic and working on some old projects this year.

Tuesday is a mashup between the New Moon at 28 degrees Gemini (8:02 am PDT, 11:02 am EDT) and the Moon’s sliding into sensitive Cancer shortly thereafter. Moon’s fortunate trine (120-degree angle) to Neptune makes this a day to get creative with your future. New Moon days are for making plans for the next month as to your accomplishments.

Wednesday is like riding a bucking bronco, with some tension early in the day from the Moon’s T-square to Uranus and Pluto, Venus’s awkward angle (quincunx) to Pluto, Mercury’s square to Saturn. In the midst of all this occurs the SUMMER SOLSTICE, when the Sun enters Cancer and in the Northern Hemisphere is at its height (4:09 pm PDT, 7:09 EDT). This “longest day” may seem very long indeed. Take it easy and create a ritual to welcome change. The Earth’s energy is balanced today, and it’s not considered a sacred day for nothing.

Thursday is smoother, helped by the Moon’s sextile (gliding angle) to Mars. The Moon enters Leo tonight and it feels like a pre-weekend party! Friday is equally enlivening as the Moon sextiles Venus and trines Uranus. Go out and do something unusual. Wait, no, I don’t mean THAT!

Saturday starts out tough, but later the Sun’s lovely trine to Neptune puts magic, music and compassion in the air. We need it, as Sunday is D-Day. Shortly after midnight comes the exact Uranus-Pluto square, so I wouldn’t be out driving drunk if I were you. Moon square Jupiter and opposing Neptune means a weak grasp of reality, even as Uranus-Pluto smacks us upside the head and the Authorities (Saturn stationing direct) come down on us.

If the Middle East (God forbid) is going up in flames, this energy might be a catalyst for it. A big earthquake, hurricane or tsunami wouldn’t be a surprise, either. Industrial accidents, airplane crashes (Jupiter in Gemini, sign of travel, near the eclipse point) and incidents of terrorism are waiting to happen under this energy. Expect some high drama—personally and in the world at large.

So here we are, at the beginning of a tumultuous but exciting cycle. Best thing to do now is to take Ram Dass’s advice: “Hang on tightly, let go lightly.”

This week’s forecasts for the 12 Sun-Signs, with dates being approximate for convenience:

ARIES (March 20-April 19): You feel like you’re a lobster in a horror movie called Boiled Alive! Your usual impatient mindset is tested to its limit this week, and you seem to get redder with each passing moment. It’s not that you don’t want to curb your temper, it’s that life keeps throwing you back into the pot. You can escape a sorry fate this week if you keep yourself calm, so self-control is your friend. That and an opportunistic grasp of escape mechanisms. Put your high I.Q. to work and plot out Plans B, C, D and Z.

TAURUS (April 20-May 19): The best thing about you is your stick-to-it-iveness. The worst thing about you is that you’re stubborn. It’s the same characteristic, used in different ways. This week, your follow-through needs to follow through. So many canisters are exploding around you that if you pay attention to anything other than your own next step, the tear gas gets you. And what good are you then? So put your mask down and keep on steppin’. This is what’s called being intrepid.

GEMINI (May 20-June 19): The Jupiter transit of the recent Solar Eclipse point is still providing a rocket boost to your ambitions this week, and this is where you learn how to enter the next stage of the journey. Before the second stage rocket can engage, enough thrust has to occur to move you toward your goal. And things could go bad at any moment. So steering well is what this week is all about. You want height and no deviation. If you’re going to aim for the unattainable, at least give yourself a chance to attain it.

CANCER (June 20-July 19): You hear a knock at the back door at night, but are a bit afraid to find out what it was. You’re not sure you really want to know. So you go back to sleep. Then it occurs again, this time louder. So you get up and it turns out to be a neighbor with food from their garden for you. She couldn’t wait until morning. Neither can you. This week works best when you face down your fears. Otherwise, the resulting energies turn mean and give you nastiness instead of rhubarb and strawberry pie. Your choice.

LEO (July 20-August 19): That special person who’s caught your eye may be looking your way, too, but standing there thinking about it won’t make a connection happen. So you move in and try to be suave but chaos erupts around you and the resulting non-connection frustrates you. Wait, here’s another opportunity! Alas, their gaze is elsewhere. You see a car ahead and know you’ve got to make a dash before the moment is gone. That’s your job this week—maneuvering through stuff, and smoothly, too. It’s called grace.

VIRGO (August 20-September 19): Part of why you’re so practical has to do with being naturally organized. This week, the wind blows all your papers askew. What do you do now? Well, what’s worth saving and what doesn’t matter if you find it again? Oh, hell, just run quick as you can and pick them all up! That’s the energy of this week, anyway—a lot of running about and snatching things out of the air. Some could be valuable parts of your past that you haven’t looked at in a while. But these are new times, and it’s time.

LIBRA (September 20-October 19): Who’s sitting in your favorite chair waiting for you to come home? Sure, you invited them to visit, but did you really mean it? This week for you is about deciding how sincere you are regarding the flippant things you say. If you mean what you say to yourself, this week is a whirlwind of preparation for the manifestation of those desires. If not, someone may show up, but they’ll rip you off and call you names. How you speak now must be in alignment with how you really think.

SCORPIO (October 20-November 19): Why won’t the doctor just tell you what’s wrong with you? Answer: She feels you’re the one who ought to know. It’s one thing to think you’re an insightful being, it’s another to actually comprehend what’s going on. This week, your ruling planet Pluto gets into a brawl with Uranus and the result isn’t pretty. You could be beaten up by the energies at work if you don’t take care to avoid dangerous situations. What’s dangerous to a Scorpio? Your own intensity misdirected.

SAGITTARIUS (November 20-December 19): The New Moon opposing your sign, and the recent Lunar Eclipse in it, gives you an added bit of “How much more can I take?” this week. It’s a time of emotionalism, unusual for a Fire Sign, and not very serene because of the Uranus-Pluto time bomb  ticking outside your window. The good thing is that Jupiter in Gemini causes the postman to come by and defuse it just in time. Defusing crises seems to be what this week is about for you. Attend to your task carefully.

CAPRICORN (December 20-January 19): Your ruling planet Saturn, not known for its love of speed, has its foot so far on the brake right now that you may need new floorboards. But that suits you just fine. You don’t like change. What’s upsetting is that the planetary neighborhood is going to hell. Pluto in your sign is having garbage dumped on its front lawn by Uranus. It may be time to think about moving. Alas, no other neighborhood is immune from the same crud. Hold your breath if you must, but deal with things now.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 19): Uranus was known as Lord of the Heavens in Roman mythology. He’s your ruling planet, but somehow he took personal offense and decided to teach Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, a lesson. The result for you is that this is a week where you cannot count on anything to be entirely consistent. But it can be inspirational. Wherever you are, there are battles occurring. If they’re inside your own head, that’s better than being trounced in an alley. Take a tourniquet along for your brain.

PISCES (February 20-March 19): Chiron and your ruling planet Neptune are both retrograde in your sign. That’s like having stigmata but only by means of a temporary tattoo. What you have going on right now is a spiritual identity crisis, and this week is where you find out what your real questions are. What’s worth pursuing in life? Well, how about that electrifying bliss that comes from actually getting some answers? The energy this week is about life holding your head so you can see what’s really written on the wall.

NEXT WEEK: To everything—turn! turn! turn!—there is a season—turn! turn! turn! Both Saturn and Venus turn direct, Uranus and Pluto remain locked in their grudge match, and we come back to see whether we’ve broken down or broken through.

Find out, right here in STAR POWER! Astrology Unleashed.