Oprah Winfrey announced a new TV venture on January 15, 2008, that she says will help her fulfill a longtime dream. Oprah is an Aquarius, one of the most famous in the world, if not the richest. A new series of eclipses begins next month in Aquarius and Leo. Might that have been a factor in her media deal? And does this event have anything to say about whether the rest of us Water Bearers will experience similar good fortune?

Apparently, there was no cash involved in Oprah’s deal with Discovery Communications, but it means that she will have total editorial control over the new channel’s content. This was something she lacked as co-founder of Oxygen, which was sold in October to NBC Universal. So, first of all, this isn’t about the money – at least, not yet.

“Fifteen years ago, I wrote in my journal that one day I would create a television network, as I always felt my show was just the beginning of what the future could hold,” she said in a press release. “For me, the launch of The Oprah Winfrey Network is the evolution of the work I’ve been doing on television all these years and a natural extension of my show.”

Future, evolution – words right out of the Aquarius script department! And Aquarius is the sign associated with hopes and dreams. But why this deal, now?

There’s a lot going on in Oprah’s chart, and we can expect to see some big changes in her life as a result of the upcoming eclipse series. However, there’s a far more significant transit looming on her horizon.

Oprah has 29 Sagittarius on the Ascendant (view her chart on Astrodatabank). Pluto, the planet of death, transformation, and rebirth, currently is at 29 degrees Sagittarius, about to enter Capricorn. He’ll retrograde back into Sag later this year, though, which means that Oprah will have Pluto hovering on her Ascendant until the end of 2008. This is a huge, big deal. Pluto takes 248 years to orbit the sun, so not everyone experiences this transit in a lifetime.

Pluto may not be a planet any longer, but he’s a powerful presence, and it makes sense that Oprah is becoming even more powerful as Pluto crosses her Ascendant. It’s hard to believe, but Oprah’s star is still rising. She has yet to reach the peak of her wealth, power, and influence.

Jupiter recently entered Capricorn, so Oprah also has this expansive energy in her favor. In terms of a big media deal, I’d say this was a major factor. Of course, Jupiter in the first house often can mean literal expansion – not the best of news for someone who’s struggled with weight gain for most of her life.

Mercury, the planet of communications and business negotiations, currently is in Oprah’s second house, which rules earned income. Many people get raises during this once-a-year transit. That said, Mercury is about to turn retrograde, and he’ll cross her Sun and Venus twice. We might expect a twist, or the deal might run into a complication or two.

I’m also pondering the meaning of her North Node tightly conjunct Chiron in Capricorn in the first house. The Sun just crossed this degree of Cap, so there’s no doubt an element of destiny for Oprah in this deal. Although no one would call Oprah a healer per se, millions of women have been inspired by her own self-made image. Aquarius, to some degree, represents Everyman – or, in her case, Everywoman. Oprah’s special mission in this life is to heal herself first, and to bring the collective with her.

As an astrologer, I’m looking forward to seeing how cosmic forces manifest through this smart, gutsy, enterprising woman. Who knows, maybe she’ll even provide some astrology programming on her new network. Wouldn’t that be just like an Aquarius?