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.

Paola Emma’s astrological musings for October-November 2022: the ongoing Saturn-Uranus’ saga

A shorter version of this post was publishe in issue 126 of 'The Uki Village News'

Between the intensity of Scorpio-Taurus Eclipses, the Retrogradation of Mars and the ongoing Saturn-Uranus’ square we will need to be flexible, because our long term plans may need significant adjustments to eventually succeed.

On October 25 a Solar Eclipse (02° Scorpio New Moon) will energize the early degrees of the Fixed Signs (0-5 of Scorpio-Taurus-Leo-Aquarius), potentially altering our perspective on life in profound ways, and thus creating pathways for future progress.  

On November 8 a Lunar Eclipse (16° Taurus Full Moon) could have an emotional impact on the middle degrees of the Fixed Signs (Taurus-Scorpio-Leo-Aquarius). An emotional climax of sorts may be on the cards, resulting from the way we may have dealt with previous experiences. This could be a time for profound realizations about the past, when you will look inward for answers.

The Saturn-Uranus’ square: this ongoing transit is maintaining its formidable hold on world affairs and many people’s lives. The degrees 16^th to 20^th of Taurus-Aquarius-Leo-Scorpio will be especially under this transit’s radar. We could be driven into taking some serious decisions, between contrasting, even conflicting choices, creating inner tension as well as strain in our personal relationships and environment, while hopefully moving us on from humdrum situations (see 2021).

Collectively, economies and governments around the world could also witness the escalation of tension and be forced to make hurried choices to implement urgent socio-economic changes. Make or break decisions, for better or worse, will decide the world future direction for the next ten years or so.  

The Sun, Mercury and Venus will become catalysts for the manifestation of the Saturn-Uranus’ edgy energy, between the first and second week of November. Furthermore, on November 8, the last Lunar Eclipse of this year (Taurus-Full-Moon), will conjunct Uranus and form a 90 degrees angle to Saturn in Aquarius. The US crucial mid-term elections in early November will have to deal with a share of this disruptive energy. Lunar Eclipses represent the climax of matters that have been maturing for a while, like a crop ready to be harvested; and also the start of more conscious new cycles. This particular Eclipse, aligning with the most transformative transit of the year could indeed carry a punch and not just for the US.

An escalation of the Russia/Ukraine conflict and others around the world is very possible too. While the same transit was active, on and off, in 2021, when relations between the two countries were becoming steadily worse, the invasion itself took place at the end of February this year, when Saturn had temporarily separated from the transit but was sitting on the very same 18^th degree of Aquarius that it will occupy in October and November; the November 8 Taurus Lunar Eclipse will be part of the mix too!

The United Kingdom is also closely aligned to the Saturn-Uranus’ unsettling transit, as well as the Lunar Eclipse, via Neptune in Scorpio 18° and Venus on 16°Aquarius, within England’s Natal Horoscope (January-1-1801). The Solar Eclipse (Scorpio-New-Moon), on October 25, will also be conjunct the United Kingdom’s Natal Jupiter. These synchronicities could indicate a difficult and uncertain transition for the present king and the British monarchy in general, marred in controversies and unforeseen events.  

New Zealand’s Natal Pluto (Natal Chart cast for June 18 1852) will be aligned to the October 25 Scorpio Solar Eclipse, while Jupiter and Saturn are loosely aligned to the November 8 Taurus Lunar Eclipse as well as the Saturn-Uranus’ transit.

The Natal Chart of modern, non-imperial Japan (April 28, 1952) has also Pluto in Leo at right angle to the November 8 Lunar Eclipse and the Saturn-Uranus’ transit. Some important event may befall both countries in the next few months.

Jupiter’s Return into Pisces

For a brief spell of seven weeks (October29-December21) Jupiter will be retracing its steps into Pisces. For people with the last two degrees of the Mutable Signs highlighted in their Birth Charts (Pisces-Virgo-Gemini-Sagittarius) Jupiter’s return visit could bring to fruition a wish, a dream, an opportunity they recently thought was close to be realized but then seemed lost. For some though attaining it may not bring the perfect fulfilment they hoped for.

Mars’ Retrogradation in Gemini

In October Mars is slowing down because it is due to turn Retrograde on the 30^th, an event taking place every two years. Turning Direct on January 13 Mars will exit Gemini only on March 25 next year. This planet signifies the function of assertion in action: when we want to achieve something how we go about it: in a timid, self-doubting way; or in an overly assertive, insensitive way; or fairly? This Retrogradation represents an opportunity to reconsider the way we usually act to get what we want and also the way we handle disagreements and conflicts in our lives. How effective and fair is the way we assert ourselves when we are challenged? Do we give our opponents space to make their point, or we just want our viewpoint to be heard?  Perhaps we have the opposite problem: we let others win an argument for the sake of peace or become overly emotional, to gain the upper hand by manipulative ways?   

A 90 degrees angle from Mars to Neptune, becoming exact three times, during and after its Retrogradation (October12-November20-2022-March15-2023), happens to be one of the most challenging in the coming months. The function of these two planetary energies is in fact naturally at odds. Mars is physical and ‘yang’; action and assertion its key words. Neptune is instead a ‘Yin’ planet, yielding and metaphysical in nature. The square aspect always tends to pit one planet against the other. So it is action or non-action? Is it assertion or surrender? It could get confusing to decide the right course when torn between these conflicting drives. I could compare their successful combination to a type of martial art, where physical skill and stamina combines with a dance form and spiritual philosophy to realize the perfect, non-aggressive self-defence practice.

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.

Breakthroughs in December 2020 and January 2021: Jupiter conjunct Saturn on the threshold of Aquarius; Uranus in Taurus; Gemini-Sagittarius Eclipse Season

***

Site for Astrology seekers and apprentices

Ask the Wild Bee what the Druids knew…

Just as it began, this fateful year ends with two eclipses, major planetary shifts and a historical conjunction. As different planetary patterns take hold things around the world should start to improve.

My Ganymede, Cup Bearer of the Gods

Critical Dates

In December 2019 and January 2020 the focus was on eclipses and conjunctions in Capricorn-Cancer, while all the major alignments involved Pluto. This planet in astrology is symbol of all ultimate experiences, death, loss, as well as profound personal/collective transformations. Pluto, in Capricorn until 2023, still remains active in the short term though, especially from late December 2020 to end of January 2021. Dates to watch are those when fast moving bodies will form challenging transits to the slow moving ones, in particular to all mighty Pluto. Here are some:
December 24: Mars in Aries square Pluto in Capricorn – December 30: Venus in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces – January 7: Mars enters Taurus – January 9: Venus enters Capricorn – January 13: Mars in Taurus square Saturn in Aquarius – January 18: Jupiter in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus – January 21: Mars conjunct Uranus in Taurus – January 23: Mars in Taurus square Jupiter in Aquarius – January 29: Venus conjunct Pluto in Capricorn.

Despite all of that now that Jupiter and Saturn have separated from Pluto its power for destruction is definitely reduced. Regeneration comes after destruction; hope after despair, and resilience too, allowing us to tap onto those inner resources we all need to thrive in a difficult world, the very positive aftermath of all Pluto’s transits.

Jupiter-Saturn momentous conjunction in Aquarius

As they quickly move away from Pluto Jupiter and Saturn are getting closer to a right angle to Uranus. But, first of all, they have a date to keep: December 22 (few hours past the Capricorn Solstice) when they will finally become conjunct on the threshold of Aquarius, marking the beginning of a brand new twenty years cycle. These recurring conjunctions are important because they show the direction the world is going in the areas of government, law, religion, ethical issues etc, for the whole of two decades. The current twenty years event is particularly special because it begins an even greater cycle. This will last roughly two hundred years, during which Jupiter and Saturn will become conjunct mainly in Air Signs. Astrological researchers have found that the transits of Jupiter-Saturn in Air Signs (also known as the ‘humane Signs’) tend to move the world’s political needle toward progressive trends, strengthening a collective spirit of reform and innovation. Aquarius in particular is the Sign of individualism and friendly cooperation.

With Aquarius and Uranus thus strongly highlighted progress seems certain, if slow and fraught with difficulties. In the coming year, for instance, Saturn will undoubtedly attempt to slow down the process of reform and innovation (square Uranus), manifesting the karmic consequences of the Covid19 crisis that has widened rather than reduced the gap between the ‘have’ and ‘have not’ of this world.  2021 critical dates for the difficult Saturn’s square Uranus will be: February 18, June 15 and December 24.

Witness the conjunction with your own eyes

Even visually this conjunction is an event we could do well not to miss, the two planets appearing closer to each other than they have been in 800 years! Look west in the early evening, on December 21 and 22. Jupiter, the brightest, and Saturn will be so close to appear as a double star. We will need not only a clear night though, but also a clear view of the westerly sky. The two planets will be in fact near the horizon and quickly sink out of sight.

Uranus in Taurus, a come back

With all the attention given in 2020 to the fateful Capricorn alignments, no much thought has been given to the transit of Uranus in Taurus, one of the most significant in recent years. It was easy enough to predict that, during the seven long year of Uranus’ passage through Taurus we could see changes of great magnitude happening in the financial and business world; as well as major challenges to our sense of security and wellbeing. Uranus in Taurus is coming to the fore again in 2021.

Jupiter will be the first to reach the right angle to Uranus, one and only time on January 18, a transit that could bring significant breakthrough in the area of collective cooperation, to do with the global availability of Covid19 vaccines and therapies for example, also inspiring greater confidence in the eventual improvement in the economic and security future of the world, and encouraging more risk taking in the areas of alternative technologies and more sustainable ways to do business. We could even experience an excess of enthusiasm for a while, driving us to make changes before we are truly ready for them. The same transit could bring also some unusually extreme weather globally and worsen the autocracy/democracy conflicts proliferating around the world; change will not come without formidable global grassroots movements. Negative outcomes possible, especially while other challenges are active from Mars and Venus to the end of January and afterward when the Saturn square Uranus will become active (first pass exact on February 18).  

Saturn in fact will significantly make three passes of the square to Uranus, the most significant planetary theme of 2021. Uranus always suggests the need to do things differently, to find new untried ways, to re-invent ourselves if necessary.  Saturn in 2021 will severely limit our collective drive toward real deep reforms, a new economic model, or enacting sufficient countermeasures to climate change and social injustice.  In a period when the drive for change is so compelling this slowing down will be a frustrating trend, but it could prove necessary to obtain more ground braking results in the long run. Personal responsibility and greater grassroots involvement in social issues will be a must.

Gemini-Sagittarius Eclipse Season: Lunar at the Gemini Full Moon, on November 30, 7.29 pm; and Solar at the Sagittarius New Moon on December 15, 2.16 am.

The Eclipses in Mutable Signs end the year showing the need for greater adaptability and a more optimistic and open minded approach to problems. If, in your Birth Chart, the Sun, Moon, any Planet or Chart Angle happen to fall around the 8^th degree (Lunar Eclipse) or 23^rd degree (Solar Eclipse) of the Mutable Signs (Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo, Pisces) these cosmic events may affect you in more personal and tangible ways.

The Lunar Eclipse could manifest as a significant emotional climax in the area of experience indicated by the sector of your Birth Chart where it will take place (the Houses of the Horoscope). For some will be relationships, for others work, career, health, study, family etc.  And not just for now but possibly for many months to come, depending how close the alignment is.

The Sagittarius Solar Eclipse will be a very special New Moon if closely aligned to sensitive points in your Birth Chart. It could mark the beginning of a brand new phase of your life, extending far into the future. The area of your Chart where the eclipse falls will determine the experiences and opportunities driving you toward the goals you seek.

Capricorn Solstice 2020, December 21, 8.02 pm

The seasonal Capricorn Solstice is this year simultaneous to the double ingress of Jupiter-Saturn into Aquarius and their rare conjunction. This synchronicity indicates that the Aquarian effect will strongly persist over the whole three months of the new season, summer in the southern hemisphere, winter in the northern. This is indeed a real opportunity to choose the collective good above more ego-centered tendencies, striving toward humane reforms against stale conservatism.

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

***

Site for Astrology seekers and apprentices

Ask the Wild Bee what the Druids knew…

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

***

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.

 

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

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.

 

 

SATURN BLUES: making the most of our darkest moods

The picture I have chosen to describe the Saturn effect is one of the many wonderful cartoons by accomplished satirical artist Michael Leunig (Australia). I have re-constructed this one from a fuzzy image on the net. For more art work by Leuinig please visit his official site: http://www.leunig.com.au/. This sensitive artist is great at expressing the feeling of those oceanic blues we all occasionally experience, and that, for some, are an everyday occurrence.

I’m publishing here some Saturn material I wrote nearly ten years ago. I was drawn to reflect on depression on the strange ecliptic night of June 26 2010. The eclipsed Full Moon in late Sagittarius (on top of my natal Chiron and opposing my natal Mercury-Mars in Gemini and my natal Cancer Sun) was in conjunction to transiting Pluto in early Capricorn (also in opposition to my Cancer Sun) and in square to transiting Saturn in late Virgo (aligned to my own natal Saturn). This event had therefore a palpable darkening effect on my soul, despite the beauty of the clouds speckled Moon entering the Earth’s shadow.
Since then this article has been languishing among the many drafts I never managed to post in full. In good saturnine fashion (having been born with the Sun, Mercury, Mars and Chiron in T square to Saturn) I didn’t think the material good enough to bring out, feeling it needed further editing.
Seeking perfection we often become paralyzed and ineffectual, a very saturnine handicap. Accepting the unavoidable limitations and shortcomings of any enterprise can be instead liberating. So here it is.

How to make sense of depression

When there isn’t an obvious cause of depression, like a serious loss, illness, grave financial difficulties etc., we ask ourselves: from where those feelings of hopelessness are coming from? And do they have any positive or constructive side?

Your whole being revolts against the dark tide of nothingness that you know is coming to envelope everything, tainting all your experiences and relationships, but you feel powerless to alt it.

How to make sense of depression and look this condition in the eye without resorting to medications to numb the unbearable feelings?

Astrology can help because it employs an archetypal language, meaning a universal language of symbols that anyone can relate to, being devoid of judgement and non personal. Through the lens of Astrology depression is just another human condition that we all need to experience, at some time and at some level, as we all go through potentially depressive transits and progressions. The main thing is not to unduly prolong those influences and, most importantly, to understand the reasons behind them and unravel the positive role they can play in the evolution of consciousness.

There is much that is positive about anti-depressant and I am not denying here the usefulness of these drugs when the depressive condition is acute and debilitating. But we also need to remember that when a depressed person is on medication the actual condition is still going on, only muffled and eased by the numbing drugs. The underlying cause of depression cannot be addressed by medication alone, because the individual is never given a chance to understand his/her state by actually going through the stages of the depressive journey!

Which are the Blues’ astrological indicators?

If you have a ‘strong’ Saturn or Pluto or even Neptune in your Birth Chart (angular, aspecting either of the Luminaries and any of the ‘personal’ planets Mercury, Venus, Mars or being Ruler or co-ruler of the Ascendant or in aspect with it) you are due to a bout of the blues, during some astrologically stressful times.

They say Saturn is the king of the Blues. Yes, it is true, but like some Roman emperors who ruled in a Triumvirate (three-men show), Saturn is not the sole ruler of depression, because he shares his empire with two other kings, his own sons, Pluto and Neptune. I will attempt to describe their contribution to depression in a future post. For now we concentrate on Saturn.

The Alchemist of Renaissance Europe devised a whole process (Opus) by which they could live through the most difficult experiences and not only survive them but acquire power from them. Astrology and Alchemy use similar symbols to indicate different states of mind and stages of the Opus, each a step toward greater wholeness.
For instance, in both astrological and alchemical texts we find that the planet Saturn was recognized as the main culprit for the surge of melancholic and heavy moods.  In Alchemy Saturn used to preside over the stage of crystallization, when the individual is faced with all the physical and environmental limitations of an earthly life. Liz Greene, in her great astrological book ‘Dynamics of the Unconscious’, describes this stage as a sort of entombment. Some alchemical texts depicted it with the image of a King, the Ego, dead in a coffin.

Depression and workaholic behavior

The first observation I want to make is that depressing feelings aren’t necessarily conscious. They can indeed remain unconscious while tainting the general quality of our life.  Often, especially when Saturn is the main culprit, we tend to cover up our inner feelings of despondency, insecurity and unworthiness by working harder, stuffing our lives with extra duties and responsibilities. Ask any workaholic about the depth of loneliness one can experience through all that forced labor: being busy can help to forget, for a time, the dark whale of the night.

What I am suggesting here is that we begin exploring the darkness on the inside of the whale because there are unknown jewels to be found and, while seeking those, one may even found a way out of the gloom. First of all we got to begin to think positively about depression, realize how interesting it is and how much it can tell us about ourselves. Stop covering up the depressing thoughts with artificial or excessive busyness. Rather pose and feel them in all their awfulness.

Saturn and loss of meaning

The Saturnine aspect of depression has especially to do with the loss of meaning in life, in one’s activities and relationships. When the physical world and our personal experiences and limitations become the whole there is, soon or later depression will set in. It could take many different forms. For some will be an illness, making them more dramatically aware of their mortality. For others a loss of meaning in their jobs and chosen profession, or serious financial difficulties that seem to mock their continued efforts. Saturn can negatively affect all aspects of life, including, of course, relationships. We feel alone, cold, unloved, unable to express our feelings and affection for fear of rejection. Via Saturn we are forced to grow up from early romantic notions we may have had about love, family, friends.

When we experience a Saturn’s transit this way we are really shutting our eyes to the positive. We are simply interpreting something that is happening the wrong way.

As we grow up something within us wants to stay young. It is natural. After all we describe maturing and adapting to the different stages of our lives as going through the ‘growing pains’. We need to accept responsibilities for our lives, the joys as well as the pains. If something within us remains childish, and we keep on looking for guidance or solutions outside oneself, expecting to be always supported, soon or later we will discover we are the only ones who can support ourselves, and find solutions to our problems. At this stage we can experience disappointment and even deep sadness, like babies weaned from their mother’s milk. We are discovering a very simple reality of life: that once your growing up period is concluded you are alone to decide for your own destiny, to create the material and emotional security you need to survive. Unless you become an authority in your own right Saturn will always affect you negatively.

Dealing with Saturn’s emotional scarification

Facing Saturn problems (such as lack of hope, lack of initiative, fears, procrastination, low self-esteem) in a fair and square way, with supreme honesty, will be the most appropriate way to deal with a powerful Saturn transit or just an innate (natal) Saturn’s tendency toward depression. Taking stock, assessing your routines, work, responsibilities, finances, commitments in order to establish your degrees of success and/or failure, not just on your own terms but in the terms of the society you live in. How you score? What can be improved? These are the questions you need to ask yourself, without wallowing in self-pity or becoming paralyzed by dread. While guilt is one of the truly malignant side effects of a half digested Saturn, there is something positive even in guilt, if we manage to strip from it the emotional wallowing that often accompanies it. At the root of guilt there is a sense of not having done our best, and there is some truth in this in everyone experience if we could look at it with some objectivity. To be mindful and honest, to do our part and contribute in some way to family, community, society are basic Saturn’s demands, often ignored at our own peril.

I like to add here a few more words about Saturn and the self-perpetuating fear of failure.

Fear of failure is one of the most negative side of Saturn when prominent in the Birth Chart (character and early formative years) and in Transits and Progressions (life changing and character building opportunities). Anticipating failure reduce the ability to strive toward our goals. Why try if we already feel we are not going to make it? Or even: why strive to achieve anything when we will eventually lose it? Because nothing lasts, nothing is really important, life has no meaning. From one thought to another, slowly but surely Saturn, when experienced without sufficient awareness, can lead us to believe that there isn’t much sense in anything, or build such a barrier of fear that moving forward becomes impossible.

‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s’

The above is a sentence from Matthew’s Gospel that encapsulates very well the right attitude needed to deal with the demands of Saturn, the cosmic task master. Caesar, the generic name of all Roman emperors, is the power to be we all have to pay our taxes to in order to be acknowledged as worthy contributors to the collective good.

Like the double-faced Roman god Janus (as Saturn associated with the Sign Capricorn and with people in authority like the emperors) Saturn has two very distinct faces. One face is focused on the world, looking to the past as the repository of practical wisdom born of experience. This side of Saturn is necessary to assure some continuity, to establish rules of social behavior, to basically guide us to function in the world and succeed in achieving our goals, via careful planning, method and hard work. If we however concentrate only on this face of Saturn we will become prone to all the negative potentials described earlier. Saturn can then stifle our creativity, limit our true potentials and eventually bring dissatisfaction, paralyzing fears and cynicism. This obvious aspect of Saturn is very well exemplified by his relative position in the solar system’s hierarchy. Saturn in fact is the last of the visible planet, its famous rings restricting our vision of whatever is above and beyond our physical perception of reality, often limiting our expansion due to the demands of early societal and family conditioning.

The other face of Janus/Saturn instead looks outward, to the invisible realms of Chiron, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, symbols of higher consciousness and more refined, inclusive perceptions of ‘reality’.

It becomes clear from all of this that before we can leap into the unknown and higher states of consciousness we need to pass through the gates of Saturn and pay to him a fee, as right of passage to the higher realms. To pass the narrow gates of Saturn we have to demonstrate the maturity and sense of personal responsibility which are the necessary perquisites to gain metaphysical experiences, tapping into higher creativity, true original thinking, compassion, spirituality and eventually be ready to let go of all worldly entanglements.

It may seem a contradiction that we actually need to be grounded and responsible before being uplifted to better things, but such is the ambivalence of the human condition, of human beings uniquely divided between our animal and angelic natures.

Conclusion

There is no silver bullet to get rid of depression, even if ‘getting rid’ of it could be a wise thing to do. The ways of Saturn are often difficult and tortuous, the ‘Narrow Gate’ of Matthew’s Gospel (was he a Capricorn or strongly Saturnine person? I wonder). Only ‘working’ through stuff we can hope to reveal the friendly face of Saturn, once king of the Golden Age of abundance and contentment.

2017 Capricorn Solstice Rainbow Horoscope !!! Saturn in charge !!!

***

2017 CAPRICORN SOLSTICE RAINBOW HOROSCOPE
!!! SATURN in CHARGE !!!

Please note the perfect conjunction of the Sun to mighty Saturn, a sign that the year ahead will be one of restructuring and hard work, a reality check on a grand scale, individually and collectively.
If interested please navigate from HERE to my post: ‘2018 in an astrological nutshell’.

2017 Capricorn Solstice, December 22

August 11, 6.30 pm, Eastern Australia, looking at the Moon to find Mars and Saturn

Here is a snapshot of the sky from the astronomical program Stellarium. The time is tonight around 6.30 pm, looking up. It shows the yet to form conjunction of the Waxing First Quarter Moon to Mars and Saturn, edging closer to each other. You can observe the Libra and Scorpion constellations behind them. In the Tropical Zodiac however the Moon is actually transiting through the end of Scorpio, while Mars and Saturn are transiting in early Sagittarius (they will becoming conjunct in Longitude on August 24). To better understand the difference between Sidereal (Constellations) and Tropical or Seasonal Zodiacs please navigate to this tutorial of mine.

Note also bright Spica, alpha star of Virgo, the ear of corn in the Maiden’s hand, lower, toward the western horizon. This star could be easily confused with Jupiter or even Venus which are also visible in the early evening, the latter still setting only shortly after the Sun.

More about the visible night Planets in the next few days….

Sky Constellations Planets August 11 2016 630 pm

Aries New Moon aligned to Uranus, Saturn and Pluto

Firefly by Jimmy Lawlor

The Aries New Moon, on April 7, is the first of the astrological year, because of the New Moon nature as the beginning of a new cycle every month; as well as the New Moon in the first Zodiacal Sign.

The Sun and Moon are closely aligned (conjunction) to Uranus in Aries, Saturn in Sagittarius (trine) and Pluto in Capricorn (square), promising that this new cycle will be one of significant changes, positive and/or unsettling for a lot of people on the planet. This will be particularly true for Aries people born within two days of the event, as well as Librans, born between October 9 and 13; Cancerians, born between July 8 and 12; and Capricornians, born between January 6 and 10, of any year.  This could be a personally important event also for anyone with Moon, Planets or Birth Chart’s Angles between the 16th and 22nd degrees of Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn.

The prominence of Uranus brings unexpected twists to our experiences, with unforeseen changes of plans, windfalls and/or disruptions of various nature. Be prepared to alter your course of action because new circumstances present themselves or people you may have relied upon unexpectedly change their plans and outlook, veering in a complete new direction. Exciting, for sure, but also highly unsettling if you like your routine and have very set goals!  Try to keep your balance while things become uncertain or you could get stressed and alienated. The easy aspect of the Sun and Moon to Saturn (trine) could help you to keep a more level head, testing the viability of your new choices.

Pluto, on the other hand, adds intensity and wilfulness. You could feel like pitting yourself against the will of others, in an intense struggle to assert your own will. The difficult nature of this transit (square) calls however for greater caution in order to avoid destructive emotional extremes, painful separations etc.

Here is a chart of the Aries New Moon. April 7. 9.23 pm.

click to view larger image