Astrological Highlight February-March 2023: Saturn in Pisces and Pluto in Aquarius

Puppet of ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ by Bernd Ogrodni

In February and March two major planetary actors will be moving to new Signs: on March 8 Saturn will enter Pisces, after nearly three years in Aquarius, and, on March 23, Pluto will enter Aquarius, after sixteen years in Capricorn.

February then will be an interlude, perhaps a mix of hopeful expectations and off-putting apprehensions. While Saturn will not return to Aquarius for another thirty years, Pluto will make a brief foray back into Capricorn from June 12 this year to January 22 next year.  In this article I am mainly focussing on Saturn’s passage through Pisces.

Saturn in Pisces (March2023-May2025):  a series of unfortunate events or order into chaos?

One thing is certain: Saturn is not in an ideal environment in the Water Sign of Pisces. This planet’s function is in fact to build strong and durable foundations upon which, individually and collectively, we create a measure of practical know-how and psychological maturity to deal with life’s many demands.

In Pisces Saturn will have to erect those foundations in an often shifty, murky environment, where, to make headways, this planet’s rigid nature will have to acquire greater flexibility. It would be like building a solid, safe bridge over a fast and deep river, full of hidden currents and even dangerous maelstroms! Certainly not impossible, but not easy either.

Pisces is all about the un-spoken and inchoate world of emotions, psychic awareness, dreams, ideals, often at odds with our experience of reality. How are we going to reconcile Saturn need for order and structure in this fluid, ever changing setting? Adaptability is one key word and another could be ‘planning’. Without these qualities we could fail to make the best of this opportunity. And there is a lot of positive that we could derive from this transit.

We could manage, during these three years, to get our act together, tackling the issues that have surfaced in the last thirty years but remain unresolved. It is true that Pisces, last of all Signs, represents a time for reaping the fruit of previous actions, paying the price for our errors etc. Acceptance of our collective responsibility about the state of the world and our own personal lives will be a necessary if painful first step toward realistic solutions. It is time to face the music, take stock of things realistically and find viable rather than fanciful solutions to problems. For example we could benefit from Pisces’ fertile imagination to perceive practical solutions that linear thinking could not possibly offer.

At the same time we may be able to better scrutinize, in the light of reason and realism, the wild beliefs and theories that, as a global psychological pandemic, have infected the world in recent years, especially via social media.

Saturn tends to throw a realistic light onto the weak aspects of any Sign it transits. In Pisces its scrutinizing lenses will focus on beliefs and make believe, on fanciful notions and shoddy thinking which are Pisces’ weak points.

Saturn could be the raft we build to navigate the world’s troubled waters as well as our own inner currents that risk to bring us astray from our spiritual destination, the peace and contentment we all aspire to. Let’s remember that in Pisces is distilled the whole wisdom of the zodiac and no cycle ends where it began.

More pandemic pandemonium?

A number of astrologers feel that the passage of Saturn into Pisces is an indication that the Covid conundrum will worsen in the coming years, and new pandemics could even emerge. What is the origin of this belief? Saturn is known as the Lord of Fate, whose role is to test humanity thorough all sort of difficulties and limitations; and Pisces is the Sign associated, among other things, with fatalism, passivity, and extreme susceptibility to external influences, even literally to infections. While there is a certain logic to this thinking, I would like to explain here the difference between this upcoming transit and those that foreshadowed the 2020/21 Covid crisis.

In its orbit around the Sun Saturn returns to the same Sign every 29 and half year. Does the world experience an exceptional pandemic every time Saturn is in Pisces? If this was the case such a crisis would be a regular, cyclical experience. What happened in 2020/21, on the other hand, was a series of rare cosmic events, namely the alignment by conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto and the then current Capricorn-Cancer Eclipses, adding the Sun, Moon and Mercury to the mix! For years previous to those alignments astrologers pondered on their possible long term significance for the world.

No transit as intense as those are on the card this year. Because of this I am not inclined to predict a doom and gloom scenario of a world gripped by pandemics while Saturn transits Pisces. However, due to the fact that Covid variants of various severity are still emerging and vaccines haven’t been the solutions we hoped for, while many are still living with the challenging aftermath of this illness, a semi-square angle (difficult) between Saturn and Chiron (a planet associated with medicine, illness and healing), occurring in February, August and November this year, and another semi-square between Saturn and Pluto next year could yet prolong the effects of this virus, three, four long years after its inception.  These possibilities, if they are meant to manifest, are remnants however of that 2020 historical alignment rather than simply the product of the passage of Saturn through Pisces.

Saturn in Pisces and You

The Signs more directly impacted by this Saturn’s transit will be the Mutable Signs Pisces, Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius, and, to a lesser degree, the other two Water Signs, Cancer and Scorpio. This transit’s difficulties and opportunities could apply to you more than other people.

Also people born in 1935/37, 1964/67, 1994/96 (for greater accuracy check your date of birth with Saturn’s position in your Birth Chart) will be experiencing, between March this year and May 2025, their Saturn Return, a time of consolidation, ending a thirty years cycle and beginning a brand new phase of experience.

An outline of some encouraging long term effects of Pluto in Aquarius

Just two days past the Aries Equinox, traditional start of the new astrological year, Pluto will enter Aquarius, for the first time since 1778, 245 years ago. Next time this shift will happen will be in 2270, 247 years from now! In 2023 though Pluto will be transiting this Sign only until June 12, moving back into Capricorn for a brief seven months spell. Its permanent ingress into Aquarius will happen in fact only from January 22 2024.

Here are few random concepts that could describe the potential positive significance of this historical passage: power to advance humanity; new eco-industrial revolution; profound and far reaching transformation of science and technologies; humanity working together toward ultimate regeneration to allow a rebirth of ideas and communities, shedding old national identities and political ideologies; new revolutions; people power.

May the Force be with us, to make the best of this amazing passage into a Brave New Age …

Historical planetary shifts unfolding: December 2022 and January 2023 Astrology: Jupiter in Aries, Saturn in Pisces, Pluto in Aquarius, Mars Retro in Gemini

A shorter version of this article was published by the Uki Village News, issue 127

DECEMBER 2022

This month is not just the close of another year but also the completion of the difficult 90 degree angle between Aquarius Saturn and Taurus Uranus, active since 2021. The November 8 Total Lunar Eclipse in Taurus, aligned by conjunction to Uranus and by square to Saturn, has intensified and prolonged the effect. The whole configuration has in fact generated extreme tension between the urge to progress and embrace evolutionary changes and the need to maintain a sense of permanency and the safe foundations we have relied upon for a long time, in our personal lives as well as our collective experience. 

For many this transit has signified having to move away from their comfort zone, further away perhaps that they may have envisioned possible. For others the change may have come as bewildering but otherwise positive developments, causing rapid psychological advancements, even epiphanies, brought about perhaps by unusual circumstances or encounters. The end results of this long lasting influence will become more obvious early next year, in ways that perhaps we didn’t see coming.

December and January will also be the forerunners not only of a new year but of imminent cosmic shifts destined to affect all our lives in 2023 and beyond. 

MARS RETRO

Until Mars continues its backward appearance (until January 13) the progressive effect of other transits (in particular the expansive effect of Jupiter returning to Aries) may seem to stall, forcing us to go over again old terrains we thought we have covered. Forward action may be held in check for a while, but there are visible openings, especially when the next Mercury’s retro period in Capricorn will also end (December29-January19). The Mutable Signs will be the most obviously affected by this transit (Gemini/Sagittarius-Pisces/Virgo).  Not only this retrogradation will keep Mars in Gemini for nearly five months (from October 30, 2022), but Mars will also be out of bounds’ (exceeding the Sun’s north declination), operating like a maverick, in unpredictable ways. A recurring square angle from Mars to Neptune in Pisces calls for extra caution too, to avoid falling into make believe traps that could bog you down for a while (last pass on March 15, 2023).

JUPITER RETURN TO ARIES

Just in time for Christmas, school and work holidays, on December 21, Jupiter will enter Aries and transit there until May 16 2023. This transit represents a four and half months window of opportunity to embrace a more optimistic, confident, forward looking mind set, encouraging energetic, enterprising, even militant perspectives, particularly in the Fire/Air Signs (Aries-Leo-Sagittarius-Libra-Aquarius-Gemini) and the other Cardinal Signs (Libra-Capricorn/Cancer). 

The time will be right to take decisive initiative and to make bold choices, putting into actions matters we had to keep on the back burner for a long time. Driven by faith and vision in better things to come we can sweep aside difficulties that might have seem insurmountable earlier. For many it could mean also to take a courageous stand to fight for what they believe in.

MERCURY RETRO

Mercury will retrograde in Capricorn (24°-08°) from December 29 to January 19. It could be advisable to postpone serious New Year’s resolutions until after the retro effect has passed. People more directly affected will be the Cardinal Signs (Capricorn-Cancer-Libra-Aries), having to revisit practical matters and commitments that may not be as solid as they thought they were. These are only temporary glitches however and, positively, they will urge you to be more conscientious and methodical when dealing with important practical matters next time.

SATURN INGRESS INTO PISCES

Now direct and gaining speed Saturn will cover five degrees of Aquarius during December and January (20°-26°). The ringed planets is in fact preparing to leave Aquarius (February 7, 2023) to begin its nearly three years transit through the Water Sign of Pisces. The whole transit will last until May 24, 2025; then return between September 2025 and mid-February 2026,  the cycle ending with the historical conjunction to Neptune on the threshold of Aries (February/March 2026), another game changer, like the alignments of 2020 have been (Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto).  

Saturn is the most solid of all the planets, intent at growing roots, establishing rules and limits, helping us to deal successfully with the practical demands of life. Saturn will find itself in a strange environment in the inconstant, emotionally receptive waters of Pisces, the least firmly anchored Sign of the whole Zodiac! How the world is going to deal with it this time around?

Saturn’s transit through the last zodiacal Sign marks, I feel, the end of an era on so many fronts, from down to earth experiences of the world to our collective spiritual path. Would we put our ability to build and make secure on less materialistic foundations? Or would we be swamped by escapism and make believe, becoming victims of our own blundering?

Aquarius and Pisces, last two Signs in the cycle, in a world-based astrology, represent our evolutionary struggles as a collective,  entire cultures, Eco-systems etc, toward progressive thinking (Aquarius) and spiritual realization/redemption (Pisces). All the way to the end of 2025 the opportunity is here to take responsibilities and work for the benefit of a wider world than our own private, egocentric domain. Could we as a collective meet the challenge of chaos and misinformation with disciplined minds and facts-based perspectives? I hope we will.

In my view, to all of us Saturn in Pisces will not be a care free period. Pisces, as the last Sign, encapsulates in fact collective and individual karma accumulated in the last thirty years, now materializing in our lives, mostly past our ability to control. 

PLUTO FIRST ENTRY INTO AQUARIUS, 2023-2024

2023 will be the testing ground for this twenty years long transit, lasting until 2044. After sixteen years in Capricorn Pluto will take its time to leave, at first transiting Aquarius between March 23 and June 12, to enter this sign for good only on January 22 2024.

To get an idea of the type of influence we are looking at, the last time this transit occurred was during the ground-breaking end of the 18th century (1778-1798), period epitomized by the French, American and industrial revolutions, marking the beginning of our modern version of the world, a powerful upgrade that changed everyone’s lives and also the natural world in very radical ways. 

Changes of immense magnitude seem to be on the cards for our planet then; not just because Pluto is changing Signs but because Uranus and Neptune, the other two giant at the edge of the solar system, will also shift Signs by 2025, respectively in Gemini and Aries. We are in for a mighty turn of the screw; hopefully we will not crack under such pressure.

The astrological end of 2021, another dramatic year: Pluto in Capricorn square Eris in Aries. Venus Retro in Capricorn. Will 2022 bring more of the same? Our reasons for hope. Last Eclipse of 2021

A shorter version of this article has been published in the Uki Village News issue 121, December 2021 – January 2022.

Last eclipse season for 2021 and last pass of the Saturn-Uranus’
to farewell another difficult year

The Sagittarius Solar Eclipse (December 4, 6.42 pm, dls), connected to Uranus, planet of revolutions and upheaval, will be a rather special New Moon, setting the tone not just for the month ahead but for the next six months or more.   The adventurous Sagittarius New Moon, occurring around this time every year, marks usually a time when we are eager to turn a page on the past, feeling ready to embrace the future with renewed optimism and vision; time for aspiring New Year resolutions, seldom destined to withstand the test of time. This time the Moon is eclipsed while, due to the collective experiences of the past two years, we feel more impatient than usual to move ahead. The Sun and Moon, during the Solar Eclipse, will also connect directly with Uranus, planet of revolutions and upheaval (extremely close 150 degrees or inconjunct aspects).  Again, finding ways to moderate extremes of feelings and passions will be a must in the coming months, to maintain a modicum of peace and harmony in our lives.
Because the third/last pass of the Saturn-Uranus square is still approaching (Christmas Eve) our impatience will be yet tested by limiting circumstances (Saturn’s effect) but also fired up by a spirit of rebellion (Uranus’ effect). This significant transit, that permeated the whole of 2021, remains influential, especially because it occurs around the Capricorn Solstice, heralding the New Year. Must this still be a recipe for frustration and antagonism?  Or an opportunity to find a healthy medium between social responsibilities and our innate desire for self-determination?
For sure, next year the challenging right angle between Saturn and Uranus will be over, getting closer again in September-October but not becoming exact again. Jupiter though, transiting Pisces on and off in the coming year, will form difficult if minor angles with both Saturn and Uranus (semi-squares). It could then, in 2022 and early 2023, become an agent for those two sworn enemies’ ongoing feud. 
Hopefully Jupiter in adaptable Pisces could also play the role of a deal-breaker, by providing greater tolerance of differences, with the ability to forgive and move on.

The Retrogradation of Venus in Capricorn

This loop takes place every eighteen months or so and represents an opportunity for self reflection in the area of relationships. One of the major consequences of this transit will be to greatly intensify and extend in time the effect of a Venus-Pluto conjunction. The Retrogradation will last from December 19 2021 to January 29 2022, while Venus transits backward between 26^th/11^th degrees of Capricorn. Usually a yearly transit that remains active for just a few days, this time the conjunction will repeat three times: on December 12-25, and again on March 4 2022.

These events could shape our attitude on relationships and love (Venus), presenting to us in a revealing light some recurrent negative patterns we experience, while also providing us with the psychological tools to tackle them. In particular matters of shared assets and/or finances could come to the fore, as well as issues of control, jealousy, repressed resentments, perhaps feelings and thoughts that have remained hidden for a while or that, for peace sake, we have evaded so far (Pluto). What are we seeking from those who are close to us?  What are they looking for in us? This is not time to be content with superficial answers. Not only there is a need to be more realistic (Capricorn), but to be also ruthlessly honest, first of all with ourselves (Pluto).   

2022 Jupiter’s journey between worlds: from Pisces to Aries and back again

Just as the year ends, on December 29, Jupiter will be moving into Pisces and transit this last Zodiacal Sign until May 11, when it will enter Aries, first in the sequence. Due to Retrogradation it will re-enter Pisces again, just for a few days, between October 28 and December 21.
Jupiter is well placed in Pisces, having been associated with this Sign since antiquity.
In Pisces the philosophical function that Jupiter represents merges with our collective longing for spirituality, unity and compassion. It could be especially so in 2022, because Neptune, the metaphysical function within our collective psyche, is also still transiting Pisces (until 2025) and Jupiter will become conjunct Neptune on April 13. Regrettably there will be only one pass of this beautiful transit, enough hopefully to inspire the collective to embrace non judgemental, non divisive ways to deal with each other and our ailing blue planet.
It has been this year that pharmaceutical companies began to make public some of the positive results of new anti-viral drugs, while some of those have already become available to help in the fight against covid19. Jupiter has already entered Pisces earlier this year (May 14 to July 28). This synchronicity could be a sign that Jupiter’s return into Pisces at the end of December will bring some improvement and progress in these areas too, Pisces being the Sign of drugs and medications and Jupiter the planet of expansion and optimism.
The transits of Jupiter through Pisces could also encourage the grassroots involvement of people from all walks of life in the fight against environmental crimes and neglect. Many will respond more readily to the calls for help the natural environment and its creatures have been sending us for a very long time.
When in Aries (May 11 2022 to October 28 2023) Jupiter will be likely to inspire us to embrace a more militant mindset, eager to change the world. Actions will speak louder than words, our collective mind expanding by being more courageous and driven.

Pluto in Capricorn square Eris in Aries

Another positive change happening now is the near end of Pluto’s square to Eris, a very difficult transit, active since 2019/20. This aspect has been a powerful ingredient of the extreme experiences we have had during the last couple of years.
 
Eris (at first known as Xena) is a dwarf planet, only discovered in 2005, orbiting the outer reaches of the solar system, at three times the distance of Pluto from our Earth. Eris is part of the so called Kuiper Belt of which Pluto is also a member. Its orbit around the Sun is a very slow 558 years! Due to its extremely elliptical orbit Eris spends different lengths of time in each Sign.  Eris is not just a generational planet but rather a multi-generational planet. For instance Eris is now transiting Aries, having entered this Sign in 1926. It will be 2048 before she leaves Aries to enter Taurus.  Its influence then has more to do with slow historical trends, developing over centuries, rather than specific events within a number of months or years.  
 
Who is Eris astrologically? She was the Greek Goddess of strife and discord, wicked sister of sweet Harmonia, Goddess of peace and harmony, and of ferocious war mongering Ares (Mars).
 
After the discovery of Eris and other dwarf planets (within the space that is now known as the Kuiper belt) astronomers decided to demote Pluto from its status as planet to dwarf planet. The first effect of her introduction in the planetary pantheon was thus to disrupt the status quo, creating controversies that are still raging today.  Many astrologers have found fault particularly in the demotion of Pluto, fact that seems to somehow belittle its amply proven impact on our lives.
 
Curiously the same name of Eris was also given to another, not so unpleasant Goddess, who presided over good works, in particular cultivation of the land. She exerted her power by stirring people into action when they compared themselves to more successful and ambitious neighbours!
Both forms of Eris were known for causing some form of strife, but while one was mainly negative, encouraging violence for violence sake and pitiless if righteous revenge, the other Eris had a more constructive role.

Of course there is a very positive and evolutionary role for the first Eris to play too, in particular regarding the emancipation of women and their still fierce battle against misogyny and inequality. While transiting Aries this Goddess has taken a more militant form, pro-active and courageous rather than just vengeful. Seeking revenge can be viewed in fact as a form of passive aggression, when direct opposition is not an option.  

After the profound crisis caused by the First World War, during which many women took on more masculine roles, in the absence of husbands, fathers and brothers figures, the 20s ushered a time of greater freedom for women, continuing unabated to the present day.  A good example, now part of the history books, was the massive and global Women Marches of January 2017 (estimated five million worldwide), when revolutionary Uranus became conjunct to Eris (transit active from June 2016 to March 2017).

In 2020 and 2021 the difficult angle between Pluto (ultimate experiences, power abuses, trauma) and blood-thirsty Eris contributed, together with other cosmic clashes, to the discord and violence that spread all over the globe, not just in response to the pandemic measures, but also via proliferation of conflicts in countries fighting for basic democratic rights and social justice, as well as governments’ fierce resistance to relinquish their grip on power.

Furthermore, due to the dramatic tension between Pluto and Eris, much corruption and dirty secrets have been revealed, with major beneficial results. The same transit though has also fomented much paranoia and misguided mistrust among people and people/governments/main stream/social media, wrecking more havoc that has added to the pandemic many challenges.

Pluto is still close to the square aspect but it will not return to it in 2022 or for the foreseeable future.

2022 and beyond

2022 seems to be a transition year for the world, hopefully less eventful and unsettling; said that, many astrologers, including myself, have been prematurely optimist before. We really need to wait and see how long and how severe the global crisis will still be.

For a while now some extraordinary planetary dynamics have been pointing out at spectacular shifts impending on the world, on many levels. These cannot be summed up just by few dramatic events, but they will be rather part of a long drawn and difficult process of transformation and rebirth.

In my view the existential treat of the climate crisis, with an ever more populated world scrambling for resources, is at the root of our collective angst. This pandemic and possible future ones are just symptoms of the general malaise the world is suffering from: the lack of the spiritual values needed to turn things around and speed up our human evolution.  

All we can say is that the effects of the dramatic 2020/21 transits are still lingering, but no major alignments will be activated in 2022. 

Amazing cosmic shifts loom in the future though: Saturn will enter Pisces in 2023; Pluto Aquarius, in 2023/24; Neptune Aries and Uranus Gemini, in 2025; and Chiron Taurus in 2026. Pluto’s exit from Capricorn many astrologers consider to be particularly significant when looking for an end to the pandemic crisis, with all its dark connotations.
 
The world could indeed look like a different place when all of the above have come to pass.

Astrology for February-March 2020 and beyond, by Paola Emma: Saturn in Aquarius, Pluto in Capricorn, Mercury Retro

‘Morning On The Seine In The Rain’ by Claude Monet

A shorter version of this article was published in issue 110 of the Uki Village News

The big picture

No doubt the January 11 Full Moon Eclipse in Cancer brought a major shift of energies to our region, with rain finally falling on our parched land. With the Eclipse’s extraordinary alignment to one of the major astrological occurrences in recent year, the Capricorn Saturn-Pluto’s conjunction, the weather change was only one of the many events that this powerful transit brought in its wake.  This regional experience reflects the fact that the long awaited and by many dreaded alignment is now technically behind us, even if still powerfully close. The numerous thunderstorms we are experiencing are just another sign that a massive pent-up energy is being released. Many of us feel lighter and more optimistic; also awed by nature’s uncanny power to surprise us.

We are certainly not out of the wood though. The failure of the December 2019 UN Madrid Climate Conference to achieve significant commitments from participating countries clearly demonstrates that we are still hovering at the edge of a chasm, separating us not only from viable solutions to the pressing climate crisis, but also from a unifying vision for the future: first world countries versus developing ones; aging politicians and plutocrats versus angry activist teenagers; science versus conspiracy theory etc.

Pluto in Capricorn is destined to bring profound changes that could be lethal if we do not take responsible charge of the situation. Allowing Pluto, ancient God of the Underworld, to do his own thing could mean unprecedented ecological disasters, massive extinctions and consequently social upheavals the world has not seen in a long time. Positively the slow passage of Pluto through Capricorn (2008-2023) could instead provide us with the moral courage and resourcefulness to tackle this crisis and indeed survive it, if not completely avoiding the dangers we are facing, as the Australian fires have sadly demonstrated.

Saturn, known as the Lord of Karma among other titles, is not missing this opportunity to deal out some heavy penalties for our past transgressions and callous indifference. For this reason it is considered by most astrologers an ominous companion for Pluto. To me Saturn represents also a hopeful side of this difficult equation though:  the down to earth, responsible attitude that is absolutely crucial to the success of any human intervention. Like knowing, for instance, the limits of what can be realistically achieved, finding viable local and global solutions, rather than aiming for the stars only to fail miserably.

Apart from all that, there is indeed a light at the end of this tunnel because Saturn will soon be leaving Capricorn (March 22) to enter Aquarius. This transit, due to retrogradation, will last only until July 2. When Saturn will re-enter Aquarius for good, on December 17, it will also, few days later, become conjunct to Jupiter, on December 22. This alignment could indeed bring some welcome opening to unity and humanitarian reforms, all sentiments that seem unattainable under the ominous shadow of the current conjunction to Pluto.  Furthermore the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Aquarius is not just one of their regular twenty year meetings. It represents in fact the momentous shift of these alignments from the Earth Signs (where most of these conjunctions have occurred since 1802) to the Air Sign (where most will occur until 2140!). Astrologers throughout the ages have considered the alignments of Jupiter and Saturn extremely influential in shaping world’s history, its prevalent ideologies and socio-political leanings. While collectively the Earth Signs are driven by the need for material security and a pragmatic view of life, the Air Signs are driven by ideals and a reforming, sometimes even revolutionary spirit.

However 2020, with Jupiter in Capricorn also activating Pluto in early April, at the end of June and again in mid November, will see most probably an exhalation of similar issues to the ones we have experienced in 2019. Only at the very end of the year Jupiter’s ingress into Aquarius, with Saturn, could mark a positive shift. The next UN Climate Conference will be held in Glasgow, England, on November 19 2020, just a month before the Aquarius alignment. There is hope that the Aquarian spirit of mutual understanding and friendship may prevail over our differences and that more visionary, idealistic goals could drive the discussions toward the more radical approach needed in this grave emergency. Pluto, in Capricorn until 2023, can in fact provide enough down to earth focus to manifest ideals into practical forms.

In the short term

The Sun

It is that time of the year again, on March 8, when the Sun will align to mystical Neptune in Pisces, encouraging us to become more conscious of our innate intuition, imagination and compassion. It will be easier to forgive and forget, washing past resentments into the unifying water of this oceanic Sign. With Mercury, returning in Pisces, after retrogradation, from March 16 to April 11, the gentle, artistic, dreamy influence of this Sign will remain with us, softening the harsh realities of the intense Capricorn experience.

The Retrogradation of Mercury between Pisces and Aquarius
February 17 to March 10

Mercury is ready for its regular loop, reminding us that it is time to review our thinking and the way we communicate our thoughts, to achieve the best possible outcome personally and in our social life. People who happen to have the Sun, Moon, Planets or Chart’s Angles in the first half of the Mutable Sign of Pisces-Virgo-Sagittarius-Gemini or the last two degrees of the Fixed Signs of Aquarius-Leo-Taurus-Scorpio will be more directly affected by this retrogradation.

To avoid feeling severely ‘muddled headed’ (a common side effect of Mercury in Pisces, even when not retrograde), we could all try to take it easier at this time; not attempting to deal with too many matters or to stick too strictly to plans and routines. The best would be to stay mentally pliable, in order to adapt to shifting circumstances. It could also be wise to be tolerant of confusing or mixed messages we may receive from other people. Whom can we expect to trust when we cannot even trust ourselves?

Venus

From February 8 to March 5 Venus will transit fiery Aries, where she takes on the role of Warrior Goddess, fighting against injustice and inequality. During this transit she will cross swords with all the Capricorn planets: first with Jupiter, on February 24, then with Pluto, on February 29, and finally with Saturn on March 4. This could mean heightened chance for disputes and open conflicts, when ‘winning’ is the whole point. On the positive side, things that need facing, directly and courageously, can be faced at these times. All will be well if we manage to move on afterward. No time for regrets and looking back when Venus is in Aries.

Venus will transit Taurus from March 5 to April 4, a more relaxed and affectionate place for Venus, when art and pleasure could inspire creativity and also ability to focus more intensely on whatever we do. Said that, just as the Sun separates from Neptune (March 8) Venus becomes conjunct Uranus (March 9), bringing two powerful outer planets to play on the daily stage of life and relationships. Despite the loyal and steady nature usually attributed to Venus in Taurus the alignment to Uranus will bring up the more rebellious side of the Goddess, if for a few days.  New and exciting relationships could spring up as from nowhere, and perhaps opportunities for adventure or to just prove our independence.

Mars

From February 16 to March 31 Mars will be transiting Capricorn, joining the planetary group already there, Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn. This will be therefore an important transit because Mars’ role is to bring things out into the open, also activating into action the slower moving celestial bodies. Mars will first meet Jupiter on March 20, then Pluto, on March 23, and finally Saturn but not before both entering the Sign of Aquarius, between March 31 and April 1. As with Venus activating the same planets earlier, this Mars will increase the chance of open conflicts at these times; the sort of confrontations when we test our strength against another, trying to establish ‘who is the boss’. Moderation is recommended, remembering that Mars can cut bridges permanently if let loose.

The final alignment to Saturn, on April 1, could manifest as a strong drive to action but also great frustration as we face delays and limitations that could severely try our patience. No time to expect immediate gratifications.

Positively the whole period of Mars in Capricorn could prove particularly constructive, helping us to get things done, putting in the extra effort and discipline necessary for success, making a ‘real’ difference: a test of our self confidence and leadership abilities.

The Aries Equinox

If you would like to celebrate the advent of autumn, the Aries Equinox will occur this year on March 20, at 2.49 pm Eastern Daylight Saving Time. The map of this cosmic event, the traditional beginning of the astrological year, the Ram leading the flock, shows, in a nutshell, the transits that will be relevant in the next six to twelve months. As it has been the case in recent months the accent is on the Earth Sign of Capricorn where many planets are still congregating at the time of the Equinox, namely Mars, Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn, the latter though on the verge of entering the next Sign of Aquarius.  The fact that, just around this crucial time, Saturn finds itself at the threshold of a new Sign (together with Mars!) seems to me indicative that during the next few months the world will be at an important crossroad, the growing aspirations for meaningful changes (Aquarius) still held back by the powerful pull of the past and the way things have been done until now (highlight on conservative Capricorn).

For more insightful Astrology please visit my site: livingmoonastrology.com

Grand Trine in Earth Signs: Mars in Virgo, Jupiter/Venus in Taurus, Pluto in Capricorn

This post has been edited a couple of times since publication. I got a good excuse, Mercury is Retrograde in my Ninth House of Publishing!

A Grand Trine happens when two or more planets orbiting at a distance of 120 degrees from each other (from Earth’s standpoint) happen to be at the same distance from another planet or planets. If we were to trace these distances with an imaginary line, they would form an equilateral triangle.

The date of this complex event is March 15, 2012, but its effect could be easily felt one week before and after the actual time of exactness.

A perfect Grand Trine always connects Signs belonging to the same Element, enhancing, generally in a positive way, that Element’s particular energy and power.

This is an entry on the Grand Trine in my summary of aspects configurations in my Astrological Tutorial on Aspects Page:

This is traditionally a beneficial aspect, indicating potential talents and opportunities. But the study of numerous Charts and dramatic events in history led many astrologers, ancient and modern alike, to believe that there is more to the Grand Trine than mere blessing or joy. This beautiful configuration can sometimes be inauspicious too, exaggerating perhaps the positive influences to the point of self inflation; or expressing them in a climax type of atmosphere that entails some danger.

Possible effects of Trines (and Grand Trines) in the four different Elements:

Fire Trines: inspiration, passion, creativity, faith, generosity, joy, romance, artistic abilities, intuitive awareness.

Air Trines: refinement, sociability, friendliness, fairness, learning, communication, cooperation, intellectual awareness.

Water Trines: empathy, sensitivity, caring, psychic powers, imagination, psychical awareness.

Earth Trines: practicality, efficiency, sense of responsibility, power for service, reliability, calm, concentration, physical awareness.

The degrees occupied by the planets when this configuration becomes exact determine who will be more likely to come under its spell. This Grand Trine happens on the tenth degree of the Earth Signs of Taurus (Venus and Jupiter), Virgo (Retro Mars) and Capricorn (Pluto). You could feel the Grand Trine more personally if your Sun, Moon, any Planet, Lunar Node or Angle (Ascendant, Descendant, Mid-Heaven, Lower-Heaven) happen to be on the tenth degree of these Signs or within two/three degrees either way of it.

The Birthdays directly aligned with this Grand Trine will be: Taurus born April 27 to May 1; Cancer born June 29 to July 3; Virgo born August 30 to September 3; Scorpio born October 30 to November 3; Capricorn born December 29 to January 2; and Pisces born February 26 to March 2. And, of course, anyone born within few days of the exact trines (approximately March 12 to 19).

The Planets involved instead determine which psychic functions have been activated by the configuration. In this case we have a complex blend of Venus (cooperation, attraction, creativity), Mars (assertion, action, courage), Jupiter (expansion, faith, search for meaning) and Pluto (transformation, depth, personal power), the overall dynamic of the configuration. You can see then that this could indeed be a very powerful configuration, generating energy for all sorts of projects and ventures, giving a boost to our social life, personal relationships, study, career, business, and, most importantly, giving all a real opportunity to change the perception we usually have about love, work, the way we tackle difficulties and confront obstacles. Pluto’s presence always implying an intense desire to change things in a radical way, getting rid of all that do not work anymore for us, to be more truthful with ourselves and others, even if it hurts; while Jupiter adds the personal confidence and faith in better things to come, attitudes that can greatly help to face difficulties.  We could become, during this period (lasting a week or so) more resourceful, energetic and brave, feeling empowered to act by the difficulties we are facing rather than be passively overwhelmed by them.  As I described it in a recent post on Venus’ Transit through Taurus, this configuration could encourage, in many of us, a ‘renewal of confidence in self and life’.

I can add here that we could all feel life more passionately and intensely, getting more out of our experiences, more depth of understanding, more meaning and a sense of our destiny unfolding. To decide which areas of your life could be more likely affected by these transits you should look at the House positions of the four planets relative to your Birth Chart.

To know what personal effect these transits and others are having on your life, past, present and future, you may want to book a reading-consultation with me. I am available in person, by phone or Skype. Click my Astrological Consultations Page for details, HERE.

For everyone the fact that these trines occur in an Earth-Fixed Sign means that the opportunities will be very real, not just fanciful feelings or far fetched ideals, encouraging a practical and realistic take on life, making things really happen for us, if we are able to use wisely the gift of this rare configuration. 

While it is true that Grand Trines can prove very beneficial, increasing the potential for expressing in creative and fulfilling ways the Element they are in, in this case Earth (practicality, sensuality, realism, efficiency), studies done by many serious astrologers have also revealed their potential for negative expression. This seems to be mainly due to their close circuit nature, where the planetary energies bounce from one another, keeping on moving in circles, so to speak, without achieving much, while creating feeling of self-inflation or excessive optimism.

Of course we should not forget also that, at the same time, Mercury has started his Retrograde period (becoming Stationary on March 12), now moving backward into Aries, while Mars is still Retrograde in Virgo. These facts will tend to slow down the pace of progress for everyone, forcing us to repeat experiences and face challenges we may have thought to have left behind.

Talking about retrogradation I have to apologize for an error (now corrected) in my previous post on the magnificent visual conjunction Venus-Jupiter (exact on March 15) where I stated that Jupiter was Retrograded at this time. He is not, while Mars and Mercury are. A Retro Mercury’s trick?

Below is a Chart calculated for the moment Mars trines Pluto, using my local coordinates of Wollumbin in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. At this time Venus and Jupiter are separated from their respective trines to Mars and Pluto by only a few minutes in longitude. To convert the time of this Horoscope to your own time, please visit the World Clock site HERE.

click to view larger image

Pluto in Capricorn, 2008/2024

Aged Angel by Odilon Redon

I re-post here an edited version of an article I wrote for the Art of Healing in 2008, around the time Pluto was making his first ingress into Capricorn.

I came across it while putting some order in my Articles Page. I feel that the transits of Pluto in Capricorn remain as significant today as they were then, especially in the light of the third pass of the Jupiter trine Pluto at the end of October and of the square Uranus-Pluto to begin in 2012.

You may find the following relevant to your experience if you, like me, have had or are having your life turned inside-out by Pluto.

One thing is certain: we all experience Pluto at times in our lives, for short or long periods. We all need Pluto’s crisis to sound our depths and evolve.

Pluto in Capricorn marks a time of heightened emotional experiences for Capricorn, Cancer, Aries, Libra. One does not need to be born under one of these Sun Signs; having the Moon, a Chart’s Angle or a planet in these Signs will be sufficient to experience Pluto in a personal way. Because of Pluto’s extreme slow motion different degrees of the same Signs will be touched by its transits during the course of years (2008 -2024).

Apart from people directly aligned to this transit, the unrivaled power of Pluto will be felt by many more in potentially destructive and/or liberating ways.

But what in Astrology we mean by the power of Pluto? How this mysterious body, relatively small and nowadays even demoted from the rank of major planet, could possibly have such a profound impact on our experience of ourselves and the world?

Lost in the coldness of space, at a bizarrely long distance from the Sun around which it revolves in a long elliptical orbit of 248 years, Pluto‘s cycle oversees the destiny of many generations. In the length and pace of this historical cycle we can begin to glimpse the meaning of Pluto’s power over our lives. This power come to us from the ancestral past and project us into an unknown future, full of potential but also of changes that will make the present disintegrate and our sense of security and continuity shatter. That’s why we associate Pluto with ultimate experiences, death and passions alike, and with the renewed sense of life and meaning that is sometimes attained after serious traumas or periods of deep personal crisis. Pluto is known to operate the way volcanoes do, stirring for a long time in the bowels of the earth, to erupts or even explode, in time, with sudden devastating force.

The transits of Pluto can give us a frightening sense of how much subterranean currents drive our external lives, often totally unrecognized by our conscious selves. We tend to experience the power of Pluto via the agency of other people or the hand of destiny. But people and even circumstances, which seem beyond our control, are mirrors, often dark and mysterious, of our own longings, our unlived lives and those traits of character we are unable to accept in ourselves. Pluto in particular suggests our drive to control and manipulate, a very difficult trait to acknowledge in oneself, but easily spotted in others (the New Testament’s ‘mote in thy brother eye‘).

All the disowned bits come back to haunt us and claim admittance in our conscious lives. This is the reason why Pluto’s Transits can be so confronting, because we have to recognize as belonging to us sentiments and behavior we thought were alien, even repellent to our idea of ourselves. The potential of a Plutonian crisis is truly amazing and life changing.

Experiences of loss and separation are possible, though Plutonian crisis eventually bring their rewards, in the realization of how much more true to yourself you have become, and how much more profound and meaningful relationships you can now experience. The positive, life giving side of this transit could manifest as a surge of passion, a grand passion of sort: an event or relationship becoming the catalyst to a whole new sense of identity and life direction.

Apart from those who are directly challenged by Pluto, the entrance of this epoch making planet into a new Sign is significant for all of us, showing the collective karma of the time continuum it presides over.

Capricorn represents the skeletal structure in the human body as well as the social and moral structure of society, the work ethics, the government, authority and dynastic goals of each generation. Pluto embodies those indispensable crisis and losses that are a vital part of human history and evolution. Pluto transforms past decay into the fertile humus of the future. This combination suggests the need for changes in the structures and mores we have been used to and upon which we have based our sense of collective security. Pluto is coming along to overcome and terminate these aspects of the old social structure that have outlived their usefulness.

Looking back at the historical occurrences of Pluto’s passage through Capricorn we discover that the more recent transit happened between 1762and 1778. This was a time of great political and economical ferment, culminating, in one example, in the American Declaration of Independence, in 1776, and the war with imperial Great Britain. This fostered the birth of the American nation, event that dramatically altered the old world order.

Pluto was also in Capricorn between 1515 and 1532, an epoch of religious and philosophical turmoil in Europe, with Martin Luther publicly challenging the Papal Church for the first time in 1517. This was the beginning of the Age of Reformation, another great leap in history, ushering a profound change of outlook, for all faiths. Secular and religious powers become then separated, the beginning of a truly modern way of thinking. In 1522 Magellan also circumnavigated the globe for the first time; this event too changing spectacularly the established order. And in 1521 the Aztecs were defeated by the Spanish Conquistadors, not just another victory but a real milestone for the destiny of South American and the whole world.

We will experience, in the next 16 years, the slow but sure transformation of our ideas of authority and government. We could also see, at least at first, a more rootless approach to government and power. These are attempts at controlling what is really uncontrollable, the vital urge for change which is broiling unheeded in the depths of our collective psyche. More draconian laws and restrictions on privacy and individual rights could be the last, tough resistance of a system destined to soon crumble, having reached the term of its natural life (Pluto in Capricorn).

But what about the children who will be born with Pluto in Capricorn (2008-2024). Some already call them “The Reformers’, for obvious reasons. They will certainly yield individually more power and clout than previous Pluto’s generations. They will be compelled to challenge the status quo and transform the social fabric in dramatic and profound ways, from the inside out, breathing new life and meaning into the old structures, ruthlessly getting rid of all the outlived functions.

Abuse of power, which is indeed a grave risk with this position of Pluto, can only be counteracted by more and more individuals becoming themselves empowered, taking fuller responsibility for their lives, participating more wholeheartedly into the working of society and the task of governing. Gaining power over one’s own inner life a person can defuse and weaken the external control of any power to be.

Pluto was officially discovered in 1930 while in Cancer. Around that time scientists were attempting the first atomic fission (accomplished by Fermi in 1934) and Pluto has come to represent, amongst other things, the destructive potential of nuclear power. As Pluto in the next sixteen years completes its half cycle since its discovery, the management of this dangerous energy will become an even greater preoccupation for many world governments and people (Capricorn).

SUN in ARIES WAXING SQUARE to PLUTO in CAPRICORN

Today, March 26 2010, the Sun has reached the fifth degree of Aries and  is now exactly 90 degrees away from Pluto in Capricorn. The Sun is advancing toward the opposition to Pluto, that will become exact around the Cancer Solstice (June 26). This is the reason why we call this a waxing square, comparable with the outer conflicts that take place around the time of the First Quarter Moon, a week before the Full Moon.

This is a very active angle (waxing and between Cardinal Signs), when core issues (Pluto) will surface to consciousness (Sun) and should be confronted with zest and courage  (Aries).

It is important how we handle this energy now, because a full on confrontation is in the cards in June. We should start to know better our enemies, those inner demons that we find so difficult to acknowledge and too often project onto other people or onto situations external to ourselves. A rediness to change, to look deeper into one’s own contribution to life unending problems is the beginning of a more honest and fulfilling life. Those demons then can become resources of power to be more effective and more true to ourselves in our work and relationships.

The fresh impulse of the Aries Sun has been checked by the heaviness of the past, of those obsolete structures of which we have become slaves, trapped in an underworld of unspoken and destructive feelings (Pluto in Capricorn). The Sun rays, with their well-known healing power, can today shine a bright light on what has been festering unheeded in our psychic underworld. Resentment, repressed anger, jealousies, regrets we haven’t been able to face, confrontation with one’s own meanness and egotism are some of the challenges this angle entails.

Astrology outlook for August September 2021 and beyond: Saturn versus Uranus; stationary Pluto

A summary of this article has been published in issue 119 of the Uki Village News (August September 2021)

The big picture: darkness and light

‘Allegory of Life ‘ by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes

Watching the news or connecting with world events through social media we know that our beautiful planet is going through a difficult period of transformation. We are all asked to master our inner resources and be ready to change ingrained habits in order to restore some balance to a severely lop-sided world.

It is often difficult to remain hopeful and upbeat when things seem to be getting more difficult for many of us. A serious astrological assessment of the global situation may sound negative at times, but it simply reflects the enormous challenges we face, while also showing how the same energies that are disrupting the status quo are also harbingers of future renewal, fostering the vision of a better, cleaner, more just and united world.

The present difficulties should truly force us to embrace the changes we need to make. In Astrology we call ‘transits’ the ever shifting mutual relationship between Sun, Moon and Planets, meaning that those relationships, by their own nature, are, transitory. Good news if you are looking for the light at the end of this tunnel.     

Many Planets in retrogradation

In August and September 2021 all the major planetary players, Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Neptune and Pluto will be traveling in retro motion. And Uranus will join them soon, turning Stationary Retrograde on August 20. Between October and December they will all turn Direct again. 
A period with many Retrograde could mean that time seems to stand still; things do not change as quickly as we wish, while unresolved issues are still simmering below the surface, ready to fully manifest again in the near future.

Saturn versus Uranus

For instance, the most important transit of 2021, the 90 degrees angle between Aquarius Saturn and Taurus Uranus, is not anymore exact (the second pass was in mid June) and will be exact again only on December 24, moving away for good after that.

This is the transit epitomizing the severe limitations the Covid19 pandemic has placed on everyone (Saturn), as well as the resentment and desire to rebel against those same limitations (Uranus). The same transit has also manifested into the rapid escalation of conflicts around the world as well as the weather extremes coming fast upon us: sweltering heat in Canada and Siberia, deadly unprecedented floods in Asia and Europe, destructive bush fires in North America the Middle East and Europe; as well as many countries on the verge of economic and social collapse, civil unrest, even civil wars; and a new Cold War afoot.  All these events, in a relatively short period of time, should make us more aware of the need for urgent and radical measures to uphold unity in the face of many mutual dangers; to counteract social inequalities, the global threat to democracy and the ultimate challenge of climate change, with the very survival of the planet at stake.

This divisive combination of antagonistic energies will remain active the whole year, more keenly felt when close to being exact or when other celestial bodies set it off by transit.  

In August, for instance, Sun and Mercury in Leo will connect with the Saturn-Uranus’ transit, by opposition and square, between August 4 and 8. 

The August lunar cycle will also tend to activate Saturn and Uranus: on August 1, the Taurus Last Quarter Moon will be conjunct Uranus, while at right angle with Sun and Mercury; on August 8 the Leo New Moon will be opposing Saturn and squaring Uranus too; and, on August 22, the last degree Aquarius Full Moon will instead align to Jupiter, another major player in the evolution of the global crisis we are still caught up in.
The fact that the Moon will be so involved in the current planetary dynamics could stir even deeper emotions, leading to outbursts of passions, falling out between people, more clashes with authority and social unrest.

Where is the positive in all of this? Is Saturn just a sadistic master squeezing the world into its authoritarian fist? Doesn’t Saturn represent rather the sense of responsibility that we need to develop, as people and nations, to become truly adult individuals?  Does it not represent also the willingness to make personal sacrifices for the benefit of society as a whole (Aquarius)? The need to be more realistic, limiting our wants to reduce their destructive impact in an ever more fragile environment?

Is Uranus just a destroyer of peace, source of divorce and war, alienating people and countries from each other? Or is not rather the light of intelligence illumining the new paths we need to take, to bring the changes we can imagine possible? Is it not Uranus anticipating future trends and overcoming negative past conditioning and prejudice? In Taurus Uranus is here to especially show us alternative ways to make a wiser use of the Earth’s depleting natural resources.

Stationary Pluto

What about Pluto in Capricorn?   With his ‘God of the underworld’ persona, not a reassuring bedfellow either!  This planet has been one of the main actors in the pandemic’s play, bringing personal loss and a sense of fate to our collective experience. We are facing a global catastrophe, the virus just the tip of the iceberg. In many unhappy places this is a war of people versus the virus, people versus authorities; people versus people; the environment versus people. Opinions abound and they are all fiercely defended as the gospel. From now to the end of 2021 Pluto will remain stationary on the 24^th degree of Capricorn. This degree is the same that was activated in a big way by the transits of Jupiter in 2020. For this year, at least, this degree will remain the focus for the expression of Pluto’s dark energy.

There is another side to Pluto’s coin though: the Pluto’s experience, at the personal or collective level, should ultimately empower us, making us aware of our resilience in the face of very difficult, even unprecedented circumstances. Pluto is a symbol of survival, of defeating the greatest odds, of facing the deepest fears and come out winning.

Jupiter and Chiron

Retro Jupiter re-entered Aquarius on July 28, ending then a two and half months foray into Pisces. Jupiter will transit Aquarius until December 29.  The second pass of  Jupiter semi-square Chiron in Aries, exact again on August 18, is a reminder that this is still a time for greater collective vulnerability to negative external agents (from viruses to misinformation). Gentle healing will be needed, to restore hope and confidence in better things to come. This transit too will not be over until nearly the end of 2021 (third pass on November 18).

Jupiter’s function is to seek the philosophical aspect of all our experiences, to view our personal circumstances as part of a much bigger, universal picture, thus gaining a wider perspective on everything.  The difficult link between Jupiter and Chiron, the planet of wounding, illness and healing, has an obvious significance. What larger understanding of life and ourselves can we glean through the ongoing difficulties and dangers? What are we learning from this historical crisis that could make much better prepared for other unavoidable challenges? I believe that Jupiter will help us to become more aware of the profound connection we share with all other people on earth, of one nation to all other nations (Aquarius/Pisces). Tackling this medical crisis in one country will be only part of a more global solution. The same can be said for all other crisis facing the world, climate change in the first place. We could tackle the challenge successfully only if we work together toward a solution.

2021 Astrology’s hopes unfounded? Covid and Pluto’s Station

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Ask the Wild Bee what the Druids knew…

Giorgio de Chirico's 'Mystery and Melancholy Of A Street'

The hopeful view I and most astrologers put across at the end of 2020 was for the pandemic situation to definitely improve in 2021. The main reason for optimism was the December 2020 Jupiter and Saturn’s splendid conjunction on the threshold of Aquarius. That rare transit ended in fact their passage through Capricorn where their alignment to Pluto had proven so disastrous for the world. But the hoped for positive impact on the pandemic didn’t eventuate the way many expected.

The world’s economically leading countries have seen undeniable changes for the better in 2021. After imposing strict and often controversial borders closure, lock downs, social distancing, masking mandates and vaccinating a great number of their citizens these countries seem to be on their way out of the wood. It is a different story globally though, with infections on the raise and the death toll actually worse than in 2020.

So what happened? Why is it taking so long for things to really improve? To better understand the situation astrologically I had another look at Pluto, because it was after all Pluto, ancient god of the underworld, of dire losses and deep transformations who mainly contributed to paint this period in such dark hues.

One of the most important tenets of astrology is that degrees highlighted by significant transits remain sensitive for much longer than the actual period when the transit makes an exact hit. Because of this the area affected by the significant alignments of Jupiter-Saturn to Pluto will remain sensitized for a long time, easily brought back to life by any challenging transit from fast moving celestial bodies (conjunctions, 45, 90°, 135° and 180°) or by any stations of planets. The latter are the degrees when a planet seems to stand still before it turns retrograde or direct. These degrees become always a strong focus for the expression of that planet’s energy. 

For example Pluto was Stationary Direct on the 24^th degree of Capricorn (the same degree where the conjunction with Jupiter occurred between March and July 2020) at the end of April 2020 (one of the pandemic peak period in Europe) and will be again Stationary Direct on the same degree on October 7 2021! At the end of this year Pluto will move for good from that fated degree; hopefully good news for our tired world.   In the mean time however Mars, the catalyst in chief, will activate that degree again on June 6 (opposing Pluto from Cancer), and on October 22 (squaring Pluto from Libra), as it did three times in August, October and December 2020 (squaring Pluto from Aries during a long retro period), with dire effect on the world.

At this point, despite everyone’s understandable wishes for a rapid recovery, I don’t think the brutal effect of the Covid pandemic could really end until Pluto will move out of Capricorn. And that will happen only between March 2023 and November 2024. Mine may seem like a very pessimistic outlook, after my hopeful early outlook, but what I am talking about is a global recovery not just confined to some ‘lucky’ countries.

On a more positive note and despite serious setbacks (not just regarding the pandemic), the alignment of Jupiter-Saturn in Aquarius has already began to deliver some of its promises for a more just and inclusive mindset in the world. It seems to be unavoidable that this should prevail in the course of the next twenty years. We are still however only at the inception of this progressive trend and a long way from fulfilling it.

Changing Times: October and November 2020 Astrology: Saturn and Pluto’s Stations in Capricorn. Jupiter-Pluto’s conjunction

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• This is a longer version of an article published in issue 114 of the Uki Village News (link).

The Babel Tower

October and November 2020 will be abuzz with cosmic events. We are nearing the last stage of the planetary saga that began at the end of last year and has dominated the world since. In December Jupiter and Saturn will finally align in Aquarius, ending this tough Capricorn year with a promise of redemption. Here are the highlights for this interim period, as I see them.

Saturn and Pluto packing a punch during their stationary periods

Between mid September and early October all three history making planets transiting Capricorn, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto, turn Direct, beginning thus the last lap of their 2020 momentous alignments. When planets begin and end their retrogradation they enter a stationary period during which they sit on one degree of the eclipse for a sustained period of time. This makes their influence more intense and longer lasting. Saturn will pause on the 25^th degree of Capricorn until the end of October and Pluto on the 22^nd until the third week in November. If these same degrees of Capricorn, Cancer, Aries, Libra (the Cardinal Signs) were occupied by Sun, Moon, Planets or Angles in your Birth Chart this is for you a time of serious adjustments and even profound changes. It could become a necessity to establish more realistic foundations for your future, moving away from past choices, even if the process of doing so can disheartening at times. The whole of this year we have been urged by circumstances and inner feelings to take a stand, to reinvent ourself using untapped before inner resources.  This is one of the last calls this year to embrace courageous if difficult choices because they feel deeply right.  

An example in point: transiting Saturn and Pluto will be, for a long while, stationary opposite US President Donald Trump’s birth Cancer Venus-Saturn, the challenge of a lifetime, just during his struggle for a second term. At the same time the USA itself is preparing for its first Pluto’ Return since independence from Britain, one of the most intense period of transformation any country can go through; a lengthy and difficult process of shedding its old skin, very close now and in 2021, exact in 2022/23 and ending only in early 2024.

Jupiter last historical passes in Capricorn

In October and November it is Jupiter though that will take front stage again, forming the last ‘passes’ of two major transits: the harmonious angle with Neptune in Pisces, exact for the last time on October 12; and the difficult but transformative conjunction to Pluto in Capricorn, exact for the last time on November 14.  Both these transits influence will last until December, when a new shift is on the cards. We can thus expect Jupiter to amplify again the current health/economic crisis, as well as manifesting as extreme weather events, social-military conflicts and social unrest on a grander scale than usual. As it has already done this year Jupiter could be also prying open boxes full of secrets and scandals, exposing corruption, propaganda and misinformation,  

The conjunctions of Jupiter and Pluto are not rare events, occurring roughly every thirteen years. At times they acquire greater significance however, happening simultaneously with other major planetary shifts, as it has been the case this year, when Saturn also aligned to Pluto.  Here are just a couple of examples astrologers have ascribed, at least in part, to the effect of the Jupiter-Pluto’s conjunction.

• 1930-31 in Cancer: the Great Depression that spread from Wall Street to the world and its aftermath.
• 1955 in Leo: the day of conjunction, November 1, became the earliest date for the official recording of American combat deaths in Vietnam, as well as the start of the social unrest against it that continued to divide America and the world to the war’s bitter end in 1975. 
• 2020 in Capricorn: the first pass of this conjunction occurred in early April when the pandemic became more widespread and serious. The second pass happened on June 30, four days shy of the horrible explosion that rocked Beirut, exposing the criminal neglect and corruption of the Lebanese government.  July was also the month the pandemic took a turn for the worse in many regions of the world. On November 14 we will witness the last of these fateful alignments. It is not all bad news though! Being the last of these alignments this should also bring the beginning of closure to the issues that have plagued the world thus far. Whenever Jupiter is involved in a major transit, even a difficult one, the aftermath is often a collective expansion of consciousness, greatly helping to make sense of otherwise inexplicable misfortunes.

Mars still extremely active and influential

Mars, Retrograde since September 10, ignites the current period with the second pass of its frustrating angle to Saturn in Capricorn (90 degrees) on September 30, an alignment whose influence will spill over the first two weeks of October and yet return in mid January 2021. This is the transit so far principally responsible for the social unrest we have seen enacted in a number of countries all over the world: related to the intense frustration caused by the unprecedented government measures to minimize the spread of the pandemic, as well as exasperation with rigged elections (see Belarus), governments’ failures and corruption, endemic racism and police brutality.
Retracing its steps through Aries, Mars will also reach again its challenging angles to the other two planets in Capricorn, forming a 90 degrees angle to Pluto on October 9 and to Jupiter on October 19 (both angles to be repeated for the last time on December 24 and January 23 respectively).  These transits could again escalate social unrest all over the world, exasperation with governments’ failures, political and ideological divisions. We have seen the power of Mars (the God of War) to instigate conflicts and rebellion, to jump into the fry without thought of consequences, following an often blind instinct to head on address real or perceived wrongs. Another period likely to produce open conflicts and widespread intolerance is approaching. More of the same is on the world cards, not just for the rest of this year but also the beginning of 2021, when things should hopefully begin to ease up.  

Retrogradation of Mercury from Scorpio back into Libra (October 14 to November 4)

Last but not least Mercury will go through its last retro period of 2020, from on October 14 to November 4, moving direct only after the US presidential elections. This seems to highlight the potential for communication breakdowns, general chaos, mistrust and flourishing of misinformation during the last league of this historic campaign.

On October 14 Mercury will become Stationary Retrograde between the 11^th and 12^th degree of Scorpio. On October 28 Mercury will re-enter Libra and continue to transit this Sign all the way to the 25^th/26^th degrees, becoming then Stationary Direct on November 4, to re-enter Scorpio for good on November 11. Of great significance during this Retro period will be three passes of difficult angles to Uranus in Taurus, Neptune in Pisces and Chiron in Aries, in early and late October, and again in mid November.
During the whole of Mercury’s Retro period avoid, if you can, to make serious commitments or big purchases, as circumstances are likely to change in the near future, so that early choices may give cause for regret.

Lunations in October-November: Aries Full Moon, October 2, 7.05 am – Libra New Moon, October 23, 5.30 am – Taurus Full Moon, November 1, 0.49 am – Scorpio New Moon, November 15, 3.07 pm – Gemini Full Moon, November 30, 7.29 pm, also a Lunar Eclipse.

Critical days in October: September 30: Retro Mars in Aries square Saturn in Capricorn – October 2, 7.05 am : Aries Full Moon – October 8: Mercury in Scorpio opposition Uranus in Taurus – October 9: Retro Mars in Aries square Pluto in Capricorn – October 11: the Sun in Libra square Jupiter in Capricorn – October 12: Jupiter in Capricorn sextile Neptune in Pisces – October 14: Mercury turns Retrograde + the Sun in Libra opposition Mars in Aries – October 15: the Sun in Libra square Pluto in Capricorn – October 18: the Sun in Libra square Saturn in Capricorn – October 19: Retro Mars in Aries square Jupiter in Capricorn – October 20: Retro Mercury in Scorpio opposition Uranus in Taurus – October 23, 5.30 am : Libra New Moon –

Critical days in November: November 1: the Sun in Scorpio opposition Uranus in Taurus, as well as Taurus Full Moon, 0.49 am – November 4: Mercury turns Direct – November 14: Jupiter conjunct Pluto in Capricorn – November 15, 3.07 pm: Scorpio New Moon – November 17: Mercury in Scorpio opposition Uranus in Taurus – November 30: start of the last Eclipse season for 2020: Lunar Eclipse at the Gemini Full Moon, at 7.29 pm. The next Solar Total Eclipse, at the Sagittarius New Moon, will occur on December 14.

The Astrology for August-September 2020: the crisis continues… Focus on Mars and Jupiter trine Pluto

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Site for Astrology seekers and apprentices

Ask the Wild Bee what the Druids knew…

‘Monks’ Garden’ by Catherine Nelson

A shorter version of this article has been published in issue 113 of the Uki Village News.

The Big Picture

All serious practitioners could tell you that predicting anything via astrology is an enterprise fraught with difficulties and pitfalls. In fact, at any given time, many factors play upon the cosmic stage, creating a medley of often discordant voices. There are special times however, like the present, when it is relatively easy to match the planetary chorus with the exceptional events we are experiencing. The astrology has tellingly shown us the peaks and valleys we have gone through as the transits of the major actors, in the Sign of Capricorn, reached their climatic alignment, slowly separated, only to gain strength again. The peak times, so far, have been March/April and June/July.

August and September may seem less eventful as the slow moving planets Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto separate from their fateful alignment and the eclipse season is behind us, even if not quite spent. The next major peak, with the third and last Jupiter-Pluto’s conjunction should not happen before mid November. That is, if it were not for Mars’ prolonged transit in Aries; more of Mars later.

Capricorn Jupiter’s harmonious angle to Neptune in Pisces

A beautiful Jupiter-Neptune’s transit (second pass of a 60° angle, exact on July 28) shines a bright light on an otherwise difficult period ahead. This particular influence, whose first pass was one of very few positive aspects last February, will remain active this time well into August and then return, for the third and last time, on October 12. The energies of those two Planets, when in harmony like now, promise a reawakening of spirituality and goodwill, and an evolving philosophy of compassion and acceptance that could help us greatly to deal with the challenging trend still in the cards for the next few months.  Considering the power Mars is gaining from now to the end of the year, through a long period of retrogradation and difficult transits, this harmonious alignment could help to develop the qualities that are now more than ever needed to avoid all out conflicts, in our personal and social lives.

Focus on Mars

Mars entered Aries on June 28 and, due to Retrogradation (Sep10-Nov14), it will transit Aries all the way to January 7 2021. This is very important because some of the Red Planet’s difficult transits, becoming exact at first in August and September, will re-occur from October to December, even spilling over into 2021. These transits will be triggering again the planets at the centre of the present crisis.  A transit of Mars lasts, on average, from a few days to a week. In this instance however Mars’ motion will slow down considerably, fact that will cause its transits not only to last longer but also to be more intense and problematic.

The astrological Mars controls our physical drive, spontaneous reactions and the desire to act upon our impulses, to be direct and assertive or, negatively, manifests as our uncompromising, confrontational, aggressive, me-first tendencies.

Mars square Jupiter: August 4 – October 19 2020 + January 23 2021
The Mars in Aries’ transits will begin on August 4, with a right angle to Jupiter in Capricorn. The same will be repeated on the 19^thdegree of same Signs on October 19 (and, from Taurus to Aquarius, on January 23 2021!). This is a transit for risk taking and the irrepressible urge for freedom of action and expression. A sense of self-righteousness may prevail in the collective, as well as an exaggerated sense of entitlement, lack of caution and forethought. While it could be a positive thing to fight with courage for our rights, personally and collectively, it could also lead to more severe confrontations and divisions.  An exhalation of emotions and passions is likely around these times.

Mars square Pluto: August 13 – October 9 – December 24 2020
Next will be the right angle Mars-Pluto, on August 13. This transit will repeat on October 9 and December 24, on the 23^rd degree of these Signs, the same sensitive degree where the Saturn-Pluto conjunction occurred in early January, the aspect at the center of the whole Covid saga and its aftermath. During this transit our drive for self determination will encounter obstacles that may seem at time insurmountable. We could find ourselves in a situation we cannot control, particularly resenting its negative impact on our lives. A similar transit became active in March at the heights of the restrictions most governments had to put in place to deal with the worsening pandemic.

Mars Square Saturn: August 25 – September 30 2020 + January 13 2021.
This must be the exemplary transit of frustration and angry discontent. The desire to act out our desire is strong with Mars in Aries. It is now finding though powerful obstacles stopping us in our tracks. It could be anything, from bad luck to lack of opportunities, even other people standing in our way, making duties, obligations and commitments harder to bear than usual.

The Libra Spring Equinox, Waxing Crescent Sagittarius Moon,
September 22, 11.30 pm local time

 

click to view larger image

This is the yearly time to celebrate or sanctify the emerging of a new season, Spring in the Southern Lands and Autumn in the Northern, the Libra Equinox.

The Horoscope of this special event shows a near perfect opposition of Mercury in Libra and Mars in Aries, a difficult balance between the drive for direct action (Aries Mars) and the need for careful deliberation before taking action (Libra Mercury). Both Mercury and Mars are at right angle to Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn (t-square), stressing the potential for conflict and power struggles, and also again highlighting that the end of this global crisis is still in the future. Because the planetary configuration at this crucial time could mean a bumpy start to the new season, its celebrations could include some symbolical reminder of the need to create harmony and accord out of disharmony and discord, a balanced mind (Mercury) over unruly impulses (Mars).

The Astrology of June July 2020, with an eye on the Covid crisis. Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto alignment and Another Eclipse Season. The role of Mars

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Site for Astrology seekers and apprentices

Ask the Wild Bee what the Druids knew…

‘Temple Garden’ by Catherine Nelson

This a longer version of an article published in the Uki Village News issue 112, for June-July 2020

The big picture

A highly unusual astrological narrative began unfolding in early December with the ingress of Jupiter in Capricorn, joining Saturn-Pluto as they approached their historical conjunction.
During the coming months of June-July we will see a continuation of the same, with a new Eclipse season, and Jupiter’ second pass alignment to Pluto.

In astrology Jupiter has the function of expanding our understanding but also of magnifying events, for better or worse. Capricorn is known as the Sign of Jupiter’s ‘fall’, a term indicating a uniquely challenging environment for this planet.

The long anticipated Saturn-Pluto’s conjunction in Capricorn was of concern to many astrological seekers because both planets portend difficult and even traumatic transitions in our personal and collective lives. Joining together they foretold hard times ahead.  We know now that they brought even greater disruption and upheaval than anyone anticipated, marking a truly ‘karmic’ time for the whole planet.

Fortunately Saturn moved ahead of Pluto rapidly, leaving Capricorn by March 22. It will return to Capricorn between July 2 and December 17, but without reaching the degree of Pluto again, something we can all be grateful for. It could have been even worse!

The alignment of Jupiter to the Boxing Day 2019 Solar Eclipse, very close to the Capricorn Solstice, the start of a new season, was further confirmation of the powerful role Jupiter will play in shaping the major events of the coming year. Furthermore the January Cancer Lunar Eclipse was also aligned (opposition) to the Saturn-Pluto conjunction, another sign of the far reaching consequences of their encounter.

The narrative has not ended though because it has been and continues to be the role of Jupiter, and also of Mars, to trigger the darker energy of Pluto, until at least the end of this fateful year.  A highly activated Pluto can manifest as grievous losses and serious control issues, as shown by the draconian measures governments had to put in place and the resentment some of these have fueled in many people.

Pluto also has increased the need for honest appraisal of any situation, no by embellishment or false hopes, but by dealing with the starkly sad realities life is presenting to us at this moment. We can choose to be empowered or be crushed by it. If radical changes are not implemented now, in the way we govern ourselves, the hard lessons will have to be repeated and things may actually get worse rather than better in the future.

While Pluto forces us to confront our deepest fears, Jupiter transiting Capricorn and aligning with Pluto three times (April 4, June 30, November13) is making the impact of the Saturn-Pluto conjunction more profound and far reaching, it is also offering a new vision for the future though, a new philosophical outlook on life that will stretch well beyond the present crisis. This is obvious observing how many of us are heeding the call for change to the way we live, accepting personal sacrifices to stop the abuse of the natural environment, the exploitation of resources and of people less fortunate than ourselves. The unprecedented emergency is showing that things could be different, that our future doesn’t have to be a repetition of the past. There is certainly hope, but the outcome is, to a great extent, up to us. The old maxim that ‘the stars incline, they do not compel‘ is forever true. We can make the best or the worst of any difficult transit; as we can enjoy or spoil the positive ones.

The Eclipses

The June Eclipses, Lunar (June 6 Sagittarius Full Moon) and Solar (June 21 Cancer New Moon) are showcasing a difficult Sun-Moon angle to Mars-Neptune, the latter becoming conjunct in Pisces on June 14, also aligning then to the Last Quarter Moon, a critical time in every Moon cycle. This whole configuration could aggravate the collective tendency toward flights of fancy and unrealistic thinking, challenging our ability to see through the fog of misinformation.  It could also make us more impressionable and thus prone to errors of judgement, as well as aggravating our collective susceptibility to negative energies, psychological as well as physical. A healthy grip on common sense will be a must, in this confusing and anxiety riddled period. I fear that many could relax their guard too soon against the still clear and present danger of the pandemic (see the end of June second alignment of Jupiter-Pluto), or become easy prey to the numerous extravagant narratives that have been widely circulating since the start of the emergency.

The last Eclipse, a Lunar at the July 5 Capricorn Full Moon, concurs with the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction (already exact on June 30), the Moon aligning with them early on July 6. This particular event speaks loudly of the still present impact of all that went on previously, demanding a cautious and realistic approach to the crisis in order to master the unruly emotions and passions that could lead us astray.

The role of Mars

Let’s not forget that fiery Mars, who played such an important role in the escalation of the crisis in March, when transiting Capricorn and aligning to Pluto-Jupiter-Saturn, will enter Aries on June 28. Due to Retrogradation (September 10 to November 14) Mars will transit Aries until January 7 2021, again interacting by difficult 90 degrees angles with Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto, between August and October, December and January.  So, in my view, it is not over until is over.

The good news is that Capricorn, the central character of this entire saga, is a highly productive and realistic Sign, so that, if we manage to navigate these troubled waters with patience and a down to earth attitude, we will find plenty of strength and amazing resilience to cope with anything life may throw at us.  And, last but not least, the amazing conjunction of Jupiter to Saturn on the threshold of Aquarius, on December 22, is a beacon of hope for a better future if we embrace a spirit of reform and cooperation.

 

Paola Emma’s Astrology for December 2019 ~ January 2020. Jupiter in Capricorn, conjunction to Saturn and Pluto; Capricorn/Cancer Eclipse Season

A shorter version of this article has been recently published in the Uki Village News, issue 109.

We are now at the end of an eventful year and the beginning of a decade that will be remembered in the annals of the world as a watershed of immense consequence. Where we are going from here will very much depend on the action or lack of action the world nations will take in the area of natural resources exploitation, climate crisis, the planet endangered ecology, social justice, ongoing conflicts, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction etc.  To anyone who is keeping abreast of the national and international events it might seem that I am just stating the obvious here. The fact is that the global astrology for the upcoming period shows also very clearly an escalation, not an easing of the present crisis, social, political and ecological. At the personal level some individuals could be impacted more deeply, but we are all in it, one way or another.  We have to remind ourselves though that the extreme and volatile events we are witnessing here and around the world, as well as the intense transits I’m discussing all have a bright silver lining, providing the momentum, power and resources for addressing the unprecedented problems the planet is facing.

To start from the beginning, on December 3, Jupiter has moved Sign (a yearly event) to enter Capricorn (a twelve years cycle), indicating that the collective mindset should become more realistic in the coming year, ditching grandiose schemes for a more practical hands on approach.  Capricorn is very much a matter of fact Sign (Earth Element), as well as an active and motivated one (Cardinal Mode), so that the philosophy that Jupiter’s symbol embodies will be embracing viable alternatives rather than impossible to achieve ideals and difficult to maintain standards. Of interest to astrological students is the fact that the ingress of Jupiter into Capricorn corresponded, to a day, to the beginning of the UN Madrid Conference on Climate Change (December 2 to 13, 2019) !

What is especially significant here is that Pluto and Saturn, since 2008 and December 2017 respectively, have been also transiting Capricorn, the most important planetary indicators of the make or break nature of this historical period. Pluto will remain in Capricorn until 2023/24, while Saturn will hover on the first two degrees of Aquarius between March 22 (around the Aries Equinox) and July 2 2020, when it will re-enter Capricorn, transiting this Sign again until December 17 2020, day of its proper ingress into Aquarius. After that Saturn will remain in Aquarius until March 8 2023.
Jupiter then is the last of the history making planets to enter Capricorn. Being faster than the other two it will act as a catalyst for their energies, hopefully having a positive impact.

All these transits in Capricorn are becoming more critically significant due to the already active Saturn-Pluto’s conjunction, becoming exact on January 13 2020; undoubtedly the most important transit for the whole of 2020 and beyond. Among other factors this conjunction will also be the first, since 2009, to mark a waxing cycle of Saturn, a sign of active changes in the political and ideological leadership around the world.

The Sun, Mercury and largest asteroid Ceres (Earth Mother symbol) will also be in Capricorn, becoming aligned to Saturn-Pluto the day before and after their conjunction, strengthening the impact of the alignment. Furthermore, on January 11, Uranus will turn Direct, potentially accelerating the pace and increasing the scope of the alignment.

The frequency of such planetary configurations varies because Pluto has a very elliptical orbit, spending different lengths of time in each Sign, so that Saturn would take more or less time to catch up with it. There were three such alignments last century: the first in 1915, at the onset of the Great War, in the Sign of Cancer; the second in 1947, in Leo, when post war upheavals changed the face of Europe, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, historical events of enormous consequence for the whole world. The cycle that will end in January 2020 began in November 1982, with a conjunction in Libra, reaching its mid-point, a sort of climax, in August- November 2001, around the events now known as 9/11. That cycle is closing now and this could be good news! A new cycle always representing an opportunity to make a fresh start.

A factor that could make this conjunction more intense and relevant for future developments is that two Eclipses are in the cards for December 2019 and January 2020. A Solar Eclipse on the fourth degree of Capricorn will occur at New Moon on Boxing Day and a Lunar Eclipse on the 20^thdegree of Cancer will follow on January 11, when the Sun, Mercury, Saturn, Pluto and Ceres will all oppose the Cancer Full Moon and align with the Sun in Capricorn! Big stuff. Eclipses often mark eventful times, individually and collectively, crises encouraging significant changes of perspective.

Before we can find in history the same conjunction of Saturn and Pluto, in the same Sign of Capricorn, we need to go much further back in time, to January 1518. This was the beginning time of the Protestant Revolution of Martin Luther. These events and their aftermath changed European culture in a big way, in particular helping to separate the religious authority from the secular. That revolution introduced new philosophical concepts centered on human rather than divine law and justice. It is odd that the 1518 historical alignment occurred around the same time of the year, on January 3 of the Julian calendar which is eleven days behind the Gregorian calendar we use now, introduced only in 1582. This means that the Sun was around the same degree of Capricorn as it will be on January 13 in 2020. Furthermore Uranus had also just entered the Sign of Taurus, as it is the case now!

Comparing the historical changes that occurred then could provide us with some inklings of upheavals this conjunction may bring, with due consideration for the obvious differences between then and now. The Protestant revolution, with all it failings and horrors, was basically a rebellion against the Catholic Church’s autocratic rule and its authoritarian high jacking of both worldly and spiritual laws. Capricorn represents in fact the power that is established by tradition and the passing of time. Pluto‘s function is to shake Capricorn’s established order from its roots, eliminating those aspects that do not align anymore with the growing global consciousness and the current needs of the planet. It is also in the nature of Pluto to create power struggles that can destroy our collective sense of belonging. Pluto is not a gentle energy but a rather forceful one, when issues are faced squarely and often ruthlessly. It is the planet of necessity rather than choice, when things have to happen, no matter what. A plutonian transformation is like birth or rebirth, never an easy process. Saturn, on the other hand, aligning with Pluto, can provide practical ways to address the challenges those radical adjustments present, realistic guidelines that could bring the collective to some very positive outcome, if we don’t put up too much resistance, leaning hopelessly toward the status quo, the devil we know. Saturn could add the resilience and efficiency needed to address the challenges the Pluto’s radical adjustments demand. Ultimately their conjunction indicates a strong drive toward major re-distributions of power around the world.

One person who may do well to watch out for these complex cosmic event is USA President Trump because the zodiacal degrees involved are in near perfect opposition to a conjunction of Venus to Saturn in Cancer in his Birth Chart. Also Neptune transiting Pisces will soon reach a difficult ninety degrees angle to his Birth Gemini Sun and Sagittarius Moon, his very own personal Full Moon! No wonder he is already feeling he cannot trust anyone and cannot see his future from the fog. We could prepare for even more irrational and misleading performances from this controversial man.

If you like to celebrate the Capricorn Solstice, the ancient pre-Christian winter festival, the date and time this year will be: December 22, 3.19 pm local time.

April-May 2019 astrological highlights: the Lunar Nodes aligned to Pluto-Saturn + Uranus in Taurus

This post has been already published, in a slightly edited form, in the Uki’s Village News, issue 105, April/May 2019.

Astronomicum ‘Caesareum’ by Michael Ostendorfer (1540)

The Lunar Node, Pluto and Saturn

The highlights of the April/May period will be two alignments of the Lunar Nodes to Pluto (April 5) and Saturn (May 1). The conjunction South Node-Pluto (and opposition North Node-Pluto) will be exact on the same day as the Aries New Moon (first New Moon in the astrological yearly calendar).

Both the Pluto and Saturn’s alignments will also happen on the same degree of longitude (23 degrees Capricorn and Cancer) as the Sun’s southernmost and northernmost degrees of declination, corresponding with the Winter/Summer Solstices . This is only a symbolical or numerical connection though: the two planes of celestial declination and celestial longitude being different from each other. Any apparent coincidence can be considered significant in astrology, because we are dealing here with becoming aware of all possible meaningful coincidences in our lives and the life of the planet (synchronicity).

Pluto will also turn Stationary-Retrograde on April 25, while sitting on this critical degree, just about on the exact declination of the Tropic of Capricorn. The alignments of the Nodes to Saturn will go beyond May, returning on July 4 and September 28.

These are all huge events in Mundane Astrology, that branch of the art that deals with the worldly effects of planetary motions.

The North and South Nodes of the Moon (also known, more picturesquely, as the Head and Tail of the Dragon) are the ascending and descending points of interception of the Moon and Earth’s orbits. Due to the Moon and Earth’s constant motion, these points naturally move too, completing 360 degrees in about nineteen years. The Nodes are closely connected to the phenomenon of Eclipses because it is only when the Sun is close to one of the Nodes, near a New or Full Moon time, that Lunar and Solar Eclipses can occur.  This means that the Nodes are linked with the deep experiences associated with Eclipses, new beginning and climaxes on a grand scale. They represent in astrology an axis of collective and individual destiny, showing the direction we are going, the trajectory between past and future enacted in the present moment.

The conjunction to the South Node (and opposition to the North Node) with Pluto occur only once every sixteen or seventeen years; with Saturn every twelve years or so.

The South Node has to do with the past; in this instance the world’s past. It has to do with letting go of what of the past is dragging us back (coal, bigotry and greed come to mind). The two Nodes are an axis and never work separately; if one is affected the other is too. So what we do with these mighty transits will have enormous effect on the future (the North Node), how things will eventually turn out.

Pluto is the planet of crisis, transformation, power struggles and all experiences in life that help to change us in radical ways. Saturn and Capricorn, on the other hand, are symbols of structure, security, ambition, the established order, authority, governments etc. These alignments certainly indicate a serious shake up of the established order of things, the sort of things we take for granted.

Much corruption, injustice and hypocrisy of our past and present are coming to the surface now. Confronting these could help remove our gaze from the scapegoats we have chosen to bear the burden of our collective guilt. Confronting stuff within ourselves (Pluto), taking responsibility and doing something about it (Capricorn and Saturn) are key necessities here.

Uranus in Taurus

We cannot forget that we are also still adjusting to the recent ingress of Uranus in Taurus (March 6), transit that will continue to 2025.  A passage over the very first degrees of any Sign is always harbinger of significant adjustments in the planet’s psyche, especially when a game changer like Uranus is involved.  The Moon on April 5-7, the Sun on April 23, Mercury on May 9, Venus on May 19 will in turn align to Uranus, bringing its exciting and/or disruptive energy to the fore around these dates. Times for things to perhaps unexpectedly change in our lives, our destiny taking a u-turn of sorts, new unforeseen opportunities arising, especially if the first four degrees of the Fixed Signs happen to be highlighted in your Birth Horoscope (from the first to the fourth degrees Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius).

All these cosmic events are actually foreshadowing the big one on the horizon, the actual conjunction of Saturn and Pluto on January 13 2020, ending a mutual cycle that had its climax at opposition, around 9/11 (covering the period from August 2001 to June 2002). Let’s hope this is good news, the end of the bitter divisions that have been breaking the world apart in recent times.

 

 

Venus’ rendezvous with Sun and Pluto: a darker, deeper Evening Star

‘Pandora opening the box’ by Su Balckwell

A very big cosmic  event has just taken place and hardly anyone is talking about it!

On Tuesday, January 9 2018 Sister Venus reached her 18 monthly (584 days) rendezvous with the Sun (Superior Conjunction). This Venus Phase can be compared to the Full Phase of our Moon, with the all important difference that Venus is actually invisible during her Full Phase, because she is moving behind the Sun from Earth’s viewpoint.

Venus did disappear from the morning sky already a few weeks ago, becoming then too close to the Sun for observation. From January 9, still rising and setting with the Sun, Venus will be making her slow passage on the other side of the Sun from us, to emerge out of the sun glare again in early or late February (the date depending on your place of observation). By then she will be the Evening Star, setting after the Sun for approximately seven months, her waning phase, until the next alignment on October 26 this year (Inferior Conjunction), the beginning of her Morning Star apparition.

The ancient sky watchers (from Mesopotamia to the Americas) considered Venus Evening Star like a distinct planet from Venus Morning Star, with very different effects on life and events on planet Earth. These two manifestations of Venus were even given different names. Modern astrologers too regard the Evening Phase as a more serene and peaceful incarnation than the often discordant and antagonistic Morning Phase. The coming Waning Phase will be a time better suited to self reflection and a more mature handling of relationships’ issues.

Venus presides over our capacity to appreciate life, enjoy pleasures, connect with others non only through love, affection and desire, but also through compassion, emotional understanding and receptivity, helping us to find the balance between our personal needs and the needs of others; our individual tastes and often less than ideal surroundings and circumstances.

The fact that the alignment (conjunction) of Venus-Sun is happening at the same time as the alignment of both to Pluto makes a great difference to the whole cycle, deepening and even dramatizing the effect, especially if the degrees 17th to 20th of Capricorn or the other the Cardinal Signs (Cancer-Aries-Libra) are highlighted in your Birth Chart (the conjunction taking place between the 18th and 19th degree of Capricorn). These alignments will then have a stronger bearing on your life events and general mood for the next few months. Something, an important encounter or relationship or a life changing event could greatly help you to transform remarkably the way you view things, also encouraging you to deal more effectively with old resentments, traumas or any emotional difficulties you may have to face. Discarding from your life people and things which are not anymore relevant to your individual journey will mean becoming more self reliant, taking greater responsibility for your happiness and well being, breaking negative patterns that have locked you in painful situations until now. You will need however courage and belief in yourself in order to access the inner resources needed to do that. Just remember that they are more easily accessible to you at this time. If breaking up with negative past stuff is not your issue now, finding deeper connections with the people you love and share your life with could be the way this transit works for you.

There is also an exciting side to this very same transit. Your creativity could in fact receive an amazing boost from this alignment. Any project you have in the pipeline at the moment could find fulfillment in the near future if you know how to take advantage of the energetic renewal and tremendous resourcefulness that this transit can bring.

The Evening apparition of Venus is always a suitable time to handle relationships with greater wisdom and understanding of the hidden motivations of all parties involved. With Pluto added to the mix and the sobering effect of Earthy Capricorn all of us, and in particular individuals directly aligned to the transit, could learn more about the role of our own psychological shadow in the way we relate to others and also to our creativity and ability to enjoy life to the full.

Cheers Venus Evening Star!