The flood
During the weeks of unending rain, I mused about the astrological dimension of the extreme weather event that was unfolding. I knew that some challenging transits had become active from late February, remaining in force at least until the first week in March. They started with the most difficult and far reaching: the Jupiter semi-square Pluto on February 24, coinciding to the day with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, threatening security in Europe and the world. This has been in fact the first instance in a great numbers of years when a world first power leader has used the threat of nuclear weapons as a deterrent against its opponents’ intervention in aid of Ukraine. The same transit also marked the onset of major flooding in South East Queensland. More difficult transits continued, in close sequence, in early March, especially around the March 3 Pisces New Moon, and soon after.
The Pisces New Moon phase has been, in my view, central to the whole event. It has been significant, in regard to the floods, because of its watery nature, of course, but also for its alignment to Jupiter, the cosmic amplifier, and Neptune, the water and tempest planet, also in Pisces. The disaster, while bringing great sorrow and loss to many and much destruction to the environment, has also strengthened our sense of community and human compassion. Friends, family and complete strangers have come to each other help and comfort (the Neptune’s effect). These now all too frequent climate calamities hopefully will force us to develop a radically different vision for the future and a new environmental philosophy, to guide our policies and actions, individually and collectively (the Jupiter’s effect).
Other transits, becoming active close to the March Pisces New Moon, also added their own flavour to the flood’s story. Many hard conjunctions happened in fact on the same day or during the same week.
On New Moon day, March 3: Mercury became conjunct Saturn in Aquarius. This is an alignment often described by astrologers as marking a time for serious, practical and focused thinking, and, because it happened in Aquarius, indicating also an occasion for becoming more aware of the needs of our global village, lending a hand to our fellow people, while keeping mental cool and detachment.
Negatively this conjunction is also said to manifest as limitations in our ability to communicate with others, frustration originating from these restrictions or inhibitions; with possible sense of isolation and feelings of alienation and depression. One of the unusual consequences of the floods has been the near complete and prolonged breakdown of communication by phone or internet for a great number of people (Aquarius ruling science and technology, in particular the internet). This inability to connect, as we are all so used to do, compounded the isolation caused by overflowing rivers and creeks and by the numerous mudslides blocking access roads for weeks. The conjunction Mercury-Saturn may have had a hand in this!
Here is a list of the other transits that became exact on New Moon day and for few days afterward. They are worth noting because of the numerous interactions between the destiny makers slow moving planets and the fast moving ‘personal’ planets: powerful experiences fostering evolutionary changes.
March 3: Sun-Moon semi-square Venus and Pluto; Mars conjunct Pluto; Moon semi-square Mars; Moon conjunct Jupiter and Neptune.
March 4: Sun semi-square Mars; Venus conjunct Pluto; Moon semi-square Uranus and sextile Pluto, Venus and Mars; Moon semi-square Mercury and Saturn (conjunct since March 3).
March 6:Venus and Mars, after aligning to Pluto in Capricorn one day apart, on March 3 and 4, having been on/off conjunct in Capricorn since the first week in February, became conjunct each other again on the very threshold of Aquarius, on March 6.
This is one transit, among others, that show the possibility of friendship and tolerance to emerge from the collective difficulties we are facing, and not just in Australia. The naught degree of Aquarius is the very same in fact where Jupiter and Saturn had their rendezvous at the end of 2020. That historical alignment promised that the world’s mind will be evolving in the right direction in the next twenty years. Venus and Mars may hopefully be catalysts to this promise in the shorter term.
The proof in the pudding of astrological meteorology
Of course the same phase and accompanying transits were also active all over the world, even in places where they are experiencing a drought or where the weather is just fine!
A clue to the different effect of the same transits in different places, meteorologically and otherwise, is the planets’ orientation to the local horizon, changing from place to place, more markedly the farther the places are from each other.
In astrological meteorology New Moon, Quarter Moons and Full Moons are important indicators of weather trends for the weeks and months ahead. In this instance, at the time of the Pisces New Moon the unpredictable planet Uranus was found very closely aligned to the nadir of many localities on the Australian eastern seaboard, particularly close to it between Gympie and Sydney. Meanwhile the other difficult alignments, exact during the same period, could be found grouped around the local Ascendant (Rising Sign’ degree) in the same localities where Uranus was aligned to the nadir.
When attempting to predict the weather via Astrology the four cardinal points of the horoscope are those to observe for signs of good or bad outcome, from mild to extreme weather etc. In particular the nadir degree and the rising degree are traditionally considered the most important for weather forecast.
In this case Uranus’ placement right on the nadir in the localities worst affected by the floods showed a potential for upheavals of great magnitude.
The nadir’s degree moreover fell in Taurus, Sign traditionally ‘ruled’ by Venus, at the time of the New Moon embroiled in an intensely difficult conjunction to both Mars and Pluto in Capricorn (death, anguish, drama, loss, destruction)! This and the conjunction of Mercury to Saturn (communication breakdowns), another transit that contributed to the sad and trying nature of the event, were all grouped around the Aquarius Ascendant (Rising Sign’s degree). The Capricorn conjunction was in the Twelfth House of unavoidable, fated events, and the Mercury-Saturn’s conjunction in the very active, prominent First House. Both Capricorn and Aquarius are traditionally ruled by Saturn, while Aquarius is also co-ruled by Uranus. All the above set of circumstances certainly highlighted a time of rather uneasy planetary fellowship.
And finally the Pisces New Moon itself, with its alignment to Jupiter and Neptune, fell, in all the horoscopes under consideration in the Second House of security and finance, showing the enormous and ongoing economic impact of the floods, as well as the community and government financial and overall help provided to the victims. Pisces and Neptune in particular signify charitable institutions and acts of compassion, while Jupiter indicates general good will and support coming from high places.
Horoscopes of the Pisces New Moon in nine different localities
Here are the horoscopes I’ve cast for the March 3 2022 Pisces New Moon, in nine different locations, to provide a visual for the above statements. They are nine places, from North to South: Cairns, Rockhampton, Gympie, Brisbane, Murwillumbah, Lismore and Ballina, Orange, Sydney and Melbourne.
In all the Charts I have highlighted Uranus’ distance from the nadir and also the other relevant transits, the latter grouped around the Rising Sign of each Chart: Venus-Mars-Pluto’s conjunction in Capricorn + Mercury-Saturn’s conjunction in Aquarius + Moon and Sun, on the same degree at New Moon, and conjunct Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces.
What it’s very telling is that Uranus, the extreme weather planet par excellence, shifted away from the nadir in places north of Gympie, south of Sydney, or further west from the coast!
What next?
Since the start of this year all celestial bodies, excluding the Moon during half of its cycles, have been transiting within a narrow span of five Signs, in a 150 degrees arc. This lopsided configuration will last until June/July. The same tight pattern happened during the first half of both 2020 and 202, a great visual reminder of the worsening lack of harmony in our world, in personal and political relationships. We feel we have no choice but to take one side or the other; compromise appearing now more difficult than ever. At the time of all Full Moon phases, for example, the Moon will again transit alone in the opposite hemisphere to all other bodies, heightening the emotional struggle to reconcile many opposites. And to put this trend in even greater relevance the Lunar Nodes, representing the world axis of destiny, connected to the current eclipses and at right angle to karmic Saturn, are the points closing the half hemisphere’s grouping!
Paradoxically though, while many astrological indicators are showing the potential of widening the already deep fractures in the collective psyche, triggering personal confrontations and even full blown wars, other significant transits seem to tell a very different story. Like the flood’s tragedy bringing the best out of people, even helping many to resolve differences that have divided us during the Covid outbreak, the positive transits of Jupiter, in particular its conjunction to Neptune (already active in March, exact on April 13 and in force for a few weeks after that) offer us hope that things could get better; that good will could prevail in the long term, if we give peace a chance.
Important Dates in April
April 12: the Lunar Nodes in Taurus/Scorpio at right angle to Saturn in Aquarius. Only a day shy of this year’s most important transit, the Jupiter-Neptune’s conjunction, this difficult angle is here to remind us that excessive optimism is not warranted at this time and that the world is as yet due to pay some karmic debts before we can move forward and in a new direction.
April 13: Jupiter will conjunct Neptune on the 23/24 degree of Pisces. Due to the ‘aquatic’ nature of this alignment there is a potential for more heavy rains in the next few weeks, but also for more sharing, loving, forgiveness and mutual understanding, a great plus at a time when antagonism is rife.
Between the two, Jupiter is the fastest moving body, so it represents the energy that activates and expands the role of Neptune. Astrology credits Water for more than just rain and floods. First and foremost this Element represents emotions, empathy, the sensitivity needed to feel someone else pain, with the desire to alleviate their distress. Water helps us to merge with one another, to erode away the barriers that stifle our connection with each other and with nature.
In a better world this combination would be indeed very positive, fostering peace rather than war, enhancing our more humane and spiritual side. Some even hope it could mean a cease fire in Ukraine and other hot spots around the world. It could, of course, especially considering that the conflict has now reached a stalemate, no side winning/losing outright. With all else going on, this remains only a wish though. Realistically, lasting peace on the planet seems to be yet remote to a born pessimist like myself.
There is a darker side to all planetary alignments, and the Jupiter-Neptune’s conjunction is no exception. One of the most obvious at present is the continuing spread of misinformation, principally generating from social media outlets, the focus shifting from the pandemic to the war in Ukraine and other topics. Everything is out for grab, apparently; documentary evidence is worth nothing; trust of serious, fact based reporting is dwindling, while boundaries of what is actually believable are breaking down. The fluid energy of Pisces, so powerful in the last few years, is showing its irrationally dangerous side, when trust in democratic principles is threatened by propaganda that services only despots and others with not so concealed interests in spreading lies.
Important Dates in May
Eclipses in May could bring profound experiences and realizations, even the foundation or culmination of important life cycles, especially for some whose birth Sun, Moon, Planets and Angles fall within a couple of degrees from the Eclipses’ degrees.
May 1: the Taurus 10°28’ Partial Solar Eclipse fosters new beginning in the areas of creative imagination and relationships because, on the same day, a perfect conjunction is taking place between Venus and Jupiter, both very well placed in Pisces. At the same time Uranus is extremely active too, positively promoting originality, a spirit of adventure and risk taking. Coupled with Venus-Jupiter’s exuberance the Uranus’ effect could make many feel too restricted by committed relationships and all forms of set routines and creative work that seems to have lost its spark. Negatively Uranus’ radical, uncompromising stance could even produce estrangements, emotional isolation and wild goose chases bringing us nowhere in particular. Positively taking risks in relationships and creative work at this time could open new and exciting prospects.
From May 10 to June 4 Mercury will perform its magic loop (from Gemini 04°49’ to Taurus 26°05’). This is a shift between the abstract thinking and swift mental adjustments of Gemini to Taurus’ solid, factual thinking. It shows the need to concentrate our brain power, stay focused and realistic in our personal communication, work and study projects. Slowing down could be frustrating but necessary at this time.
May 11: the big shift! Jupiter will enter fiery Aries today. Our giant neighbour will remain in this combative Sign until October 28, making then a brief sortie back into Pisces until December 20. The Aries transit will end on May 16 2023.
Jupiter’s yearly Sign change always shows us a different way to tackle social, political and ethical issues. While during the Jupiter in Pisces period our views have been basically motivated by emotional responses, ideals and beliefs, during the Aries period we will seek to manifest our principles and standards through right action, unplanned intervention, moving quickly and boldly in order to bring on the desired changes. We will need to beware of aggressive confrontational stances to prove a point, one of Aries’ less desirable traits, endeavouring to remain sensitive to other peoples’ viewpoints and rights. Positively this could prove a helpful transit to tackle all range of social problems with greater urgency and courage.
Just after stepping into Aries Jupiter will form the first of three instances of a difficult angle to Uranus, a semi-square. This transit will return on September 29 and December 24.
Looking back at the events that unfolded at the one and only pass of the Jupiter-Pluto’s semi-square (Feb24), we cannot underestimate Jupiter’s role in adding momentum to the power of the planets it meets in transit. Pluto in fact confirmed its more destructive and ruthless side when amplified by Jupiter, in particular via the Ukraine invasion.
Uranus, orbiting with Neptune and Pluto beyond the ‘safe’ boundaries of Saturn, becomes activated when necessary but unsettling changes have to happen. Uranus is the key symbol of rebellions, of all calls for freedom and self-determination. This year and into early next year the transits of Jupiter are again bringing into sharp focus the same theme of authority versus individualism that the world experienced in 2021 via the long lasting square Saturn/Uranus. This is because, in July, September this year and up to March next year, Jupiter will also semi-square Saturn, thus becoming the amplifying go-between Saturn-Uranus’ conflicting powers.
The combination Jupiter/Uranus is also known for causing freak and intense weather events and earth tremors, the locations potentially affected depending on local factors difficult to determine beforehand, as I explained earlier.
May 16: the Scorpio 25°17’ Total Lunar Eclipse will be rather a time of realizations and harvesting the fruit of previous actions and thoughts. Sun and Moon will be at 90° angle to Saturn, all in Fixed Signs, indicating constraints caused by external circumstances as well as inner insecurities and fears. To overcome the impasse it will help working through these with dogged perseverance and awareness of all that’s involved.
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