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 and the Australian floods, April-May 2021: Jupiter’s first ingress into Pisces

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A shorter version of this article was published, in late March, on the Uki Village News

Astrology and the Australian Floods In ancient times the art of predicting the weather was one of astrology’s most valuable uses. In the absence of scientific instruments astrological weather forecast was naturally of the greatest importance for early agricultural people who relied on it to decide the best times for sowing and harvesting. Meteorological astrology is an art in itself, with very complex sets of laws of its own. I am not an expert in this specialized topic, but I can very much appreciate the cosmic synchronicity that I observed at play during the recent Australian floods.    Astrology is an amazing mirror of both ‘reality’ and ‘psyche’. In its cosmic mirror the two merge: the outer life of events and experiences and the inner life of thoughts and feelings. Becoming aware of this underlying nexus is at the heart of our art, opening up a fascinating view of the world and ourselves. That is why for me it’s not farfetched to hear the sound of rain in the Water Signs; to feel warmth, dry weather in the Fire Signs; temperate, moist weather in the Earth Signs; cooler, windy weather in the Air Signs; as well as identify possible extreme events in some intense planetary configurations. The lunar cycle, during which the peak of the floods has occurred, began at the Pisces Water New Moon, on March 13, with increase in rain activity in many parts of the country. During that phase the Moon and Sun weren’t just transiting a Water Sign but were also in close conjunction to Venus and Neptune in Pisces too. At the time I began writing, March 20, day of the Aries Equinox (yearly ingress of the Sun in Aries, a crucial time in the cosmic calendar), Venus was still in Pisces and again conjunct the Sun! Early on March 22 the First Quarter Moon, another crucial phase of the lunar cycle, fell in Water Cancer, at a significant distance of 120 degrees (trine) from Pisces Mercury. All the above suggests water events and also translates as a highly emotional period, when compassionate and loving feelings prevail (Water), within families (Cancer) and communities (Pisces).  April 2021 During the first two to three weeks in April the focus will be on the Fire and Air Signs: Venus transiting Aries from April 1 to 15; Mercury will be in Aries also, April 4 to 19; Mars, in Gemini since March 4, will be in this Air Sign until April 23; Jupiter will remain in Aquarius until May 14; Saturn will be in Aquarius all the way to early 2023; Chiron in Aries until 2026. Only the trans-Saturn planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are found in Earth and Water Signs. The Fire and Air Elements cause a planet to express its particular power in an outgoing and sometimes even forceful manner, showing more oomph, but also less sensitivity. This will be a great time then to walk the talk, putting into action our ideas with confidence and optimism.  Aries Mercury and Gemini Mars are in fact bouncing off each other by occupying each other Signs for a while, what is known in Astrology as ‘mutual reception’. Venus in Aries encourages us to be more assertive in our relationships, if less emotional and diplomatic. Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius remain a great stimulus for everyone to participate more in the life of the community, getting involved in collective projects, making new friends and trying new and exciting things, including social dissent. Independence and self-motivated actions are the keys to make the best of this period. By far the most important transit, exact on April 7, will be the 45°angle (semi-square) between Aquarius Jupiter and Aries Chiron. This difficult transit between the planet of expansion and the planet of illness and healing, peaking again in mid August and mid November, seems significant, with the world still in the grip of a pandemic and the southern hemisphere entering the year’s colder months that have proven so difficult for many during the North American and European winter. On April 19 Mercury and on April 23 Venus will enter Taurus, the same day Mars will leave Gemini to enter Cancer. Mercury and Venus’s transits in Taurus will last only until May 4 and 9 respectively; while Mars will remain in Cancer until June 12.  These are the three faster planets, affecting the way we deal with life from day to day and week to week. Their shift into the Earth and Water Signs indicate a less independent period for many, when relationships and feeling will come more to the fore, helping us to establish stronger emotional connections with family and loved ones.   May 2021 The month of May opens with the yearly conjunction of Sun-Uranus in Taurus, in itself a sign that some unexpected and sudden events are on the cards. The Sun will become, at this time, a powerful catalyst for the energies of both Uranus and Saturn by also squaring Aquarius Saturn on May 4. These transits could anticipate the challenges of the upcoming second pass of the Saturn-Uranus’ 90° angle, exact again on June 15. Escalation of personal and collective conflicts is likely, as we have seen happening around the world recently. The need for change in our social structures, laws, cultural bias etc. are compelling this year but also enormously challenged by the world’s most conservative mind set. As it was impossible to sugar coat the difficult transits of 2020 so it is for the Saturn-Uranus square, the most powerful and difficult transit of 2021, another clash of Titans. Jupiter in Pisces, May 14 to July 28 The Mutable Signs will become more active this month and in June-July. Mercury and Venus will enter Mutable Gemini in May 4 and 9 respectively. Most importantly, on May 14, Jupiter will leave Aquarius, Sign it entered only on December 19 2020, to enter Mutable Pisces. Jupiter’s stay in Pisces will not last long, covering only the first two degrees of the Sign. Jupiter in fact will re-enter Aquarius in retro motion on July 28 (until December 29). Jupiter will end its transit in Pisces on May 11 but will return to this Sign again for a short period, between October 28 and December 21 2022, date of its final ingress into Aries. Jupiter enters the last of the Water Signs about every twelve years, ushering a period when we are encouraged to listen more to our inner self, be inspired by heightened imagination and sensitivity. We could also become more responsive to the feelings of others, seeking to identify with their souls, their emotional needs and suffering. And, on a grander scale, we could become more open and receptive to the soul of the planet and all its creatures; an especially urgent need during the immediate drama of the Covid pandemic and the ecological tragedy looming on our world.  Feeling of collective empathy and compassion should inspire our life philosophy if we are able to respond to Jupiter’s amazing prompting. Of course there is always another, darker side to all coins, including ‘beneficial’ Jupiter’s. Pisces sensitivity often means a lack of boundaries and proper discrimination, the qualities of its opposite complementary Sign of Virgo that Pisces is in great need of consciously cultivate. We could then run the risk, as a collective, to be contaminated (for lack of a better word) by all sorts of fanciful notions, from wild conspiracies theories to actual physical infections. These could in fact spread even more readily under this influence. Let’s hope that rational thinking and Pisces’ uplifting spiritual insight will prevail, for the good of the planet. Upcoming Mercury’s retro period in Gemini and the first Eclipses of 2021 The Mutable shift will be also significant because of Mercury’s Gemini retro period (from May 30 to June 23), causing our little brother to transit Gemini for a protracted period, until July 12. To add to this, the first Eclipses of 2021 will fall in Mutable Signs too: a Lunar at the Full Moon in Mutable Sagittarius, on May 26, and a Solar at the Gemini New Moon, on June 10. The emphasis on these Signs will make this period feel more transitional and uncertain, on the bright side stimulating us to adapt better to swiftly evolving circumstances.

JUPITER ENTERS ARIES

On June 7 Jupiter makes his first entrance into Aries. The Giant planet will return to Pisces in retro motion between September and December 2010, re-entering Aries in early 2011. The long-awaited conjunction to Uranus will occur on June 8, while the Moon in Aries has been activating the conjunction since June 6.

Jupiter is just separating from his historical opposition to Saturn (exact on May 23 and active throughout the year).

The next big transit of Jupiter, after the conjunction of Uranus, will be the square (90 degrees angle) to Pluto in Capricorn exact on July 25 and active, on and off, until early next year. And, of course, the ongoing opposition to Saturn. Under these peculiar astrological circumstances we can expect a marked acceleration in the pace of change, coupled or rivalled by an equally strong tendency to resist change. There is ground to believe that we will see more of the conflicts and upheavals we are already experiencing, each deciding our future direction as a collective in a big way.

It is easy to concentrate on the doom side of these powerful transits, but we shouldn’t forget that ahead of us, ending the waning cycle of Jupiter-Saturn that has just began, is the next conjunction of the two giants, exact in December 2020, on naught degree of Aquarius, a promise for better things to come and a more just and democratic world view in future decades.

More about Jupiter’s transits in the 2010 Forecast page, especially in this article. You can also find more about the Jupiter-Saturn’s opposition in this recent post.

September to December 2009: Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron’s conjunction, a pandemic …

 Libra Equinox to Capricorn Solstice

Welcome to my astrological thoughts covering the major cosmic events of October-December 2009, and beyond.

One of the most significant transits of this period will be the passage of Saturn into Libra on October 30, after two years in Virgo. This is the first in a series of planetary shifts that epitomize our period in history: Pluto in Capricorn (November 2008) – Saturn in Libra (October 30, 2009) – Jupiter in Pisces (January 2010) – Chiron in Pisces (April 2010) – Uranus in Aries (May 2010) – Neptune in Pisces (April 2011, and, for good, February 2012).

Libra is the Sign of Saturn’s ‘exaltation’, a lofty position for this earthy planet, and a real opportunity for all of us to become more responsible and adult like in our relationships. Libra is the Sign of Justice and Equanimity, so that the laws of the lands could now begin to reflect more faithfully the democratic and equalitarian principles exemplified by Libra, with its innate respect for others. Libra Saturn, representing the implementation of the law, will strive toward a more democratic social order.

Saturn has not quite finished with Virgo yet. It will re-enter the Sign in retro motion on April 8 and make it back into Libra for good in July 2010. Saturn will then transit Libra until October 2012, a time of grounding, concrete success, as well as tough confrontation with insecurities and fears for all Librans. Ask your Virgo friends who have just spent the last two years in the company of this ponderous planet and they will tell you about the unavoidable tribulations and well deserved triumphs of their close encounter with the mythical ‘Lord of Time’. You would not want to miss it.

Difficult Saturn’s transits at the end of 2009 and in the first half of 2010 will, however, make the path a rough and difficult one for many, at least for a time; with a right angle to Pluto (November 16, first pass, February 1 and August 21, 2010, second and third passes); and renewed oppositions to Uranus in 2010 (exact April 27 and July 27).

The birthdays in direct line with these transits are, again, the early season Libra (22/25 September), Aries (20/23 March), Capricorn (21/24 December) and Cancer (21/24 June). The austere and sobering ray of Saturn is added to the intense Pluto atmosphere, and the electrifying impact of Uranus. These transits exemplify a breakage from the past. There will be an unprecedented drive for change, or unavoidable changes will have to be met, willing or not. Deep down you know that they were over due, really, and that you have been procrastinating. This may seem, at times, to shake badly the sense of personal and/or material security you might have built and thought quite solid and permanent. It will certainly be a lesson in impermanency, and an opportunity to re-invent yourself, starting your life on new foundations.

Collectively the situation has both implosive (Pluto) and explosive (Uranus) potentials. A 90 degrees angle between Uranus and Pluto is now in its incubation stage, becoming exact between mid 2012 and the end of 2014.  Saturn is stimulating that transit into early activity. The so called Techno-Punk’ generation, born between 1963 and 1969, who had the Uranus-Pluto conjunction signature in their birth charts, are now experiencing the mid-life crisis defined astrologically by the opposition of Uranus to their birth Uranus-Pluto, and the right angle between their Neptune and the transiting Neptune. This is an important spiritual and existential crisis, enacted in everyone’s life from the early to mid forty years. These people will be the next generation to yield positions of power on the world stage, the ones who will need to deal creatively with this unprecedented crisis. The emergency itself has a lot to do with the use and abuse of our planet’s resources (Pluto) and of technology (Uranus).

The triple conjunction of Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron will be exact again, for the last time, between December 2009 and January 2010. These conjunctions have permeated the whole of 2009, helping to raise our spirits during the global financial crisis. At the time of writing (early June 2009) Obama has been visiting Egypt to show a friendly hand to Palestinians and Muslims in general, making historical speeches of reconciliation. He is also campaigning to have Guantanamo Bay shut by the end of 2009, a brave move, hopefully coinciding with the last pass of the Aquarian conjunction, in December.

All these events exemplify to me the progressive spirit of the Aquarian conjunction, with its idealism and humanitarian principles, as well as the downside of the same, as chimerical hopes of easy solutions, and social/political naivety. Obama himself has Ascendant and Jupiter in Aquarius and became officially President at the time of his Jupiter’s return in early Aquarius, in January 2009, while his Moon’s South Node, part of his ‘axe of destiny’ is conjunct the historical conjunction Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron in late Aquarius.

Neptune can embellish every picture, but has the potential of being also deceptive, elusive and unrealistic. Jupiter on his part tends to exaggerate, usually accentuating the promising parts rather than the problematic issues. Finally mysterious Chiron portends the potential for collective healing of old wounds or, negatively, karmic illnesses. Chiron is physically and symbolically the go-between the known world (Saturn boundary) and the Uranian vision of a new world, forever reminding us of the painful limitations of our human condition (Saturn), while igniting the spark of our godlike genius (Uranus).

We see a Jupiter conjunct Neptune every twelve years or so, not a rare event, after all. But we experience a triple conjunction Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron only once in a while, the last in 1945, at the end of World War Two. Even rarer is the same triple conjunction in the same zodiacal position, Aquarius, which occurred the last time in 1843. This was a period very close to the ‘discovery’ of Neptune in 1846, considered historically, philosophically and literarily an idealistic era. Many proletarian, grass root revolutions also started then (Marx’s Communist Manifesto was published in 1848). On the religious front it was a messianic period, when many Christians awaited the second coming and the advent of a new world order of peace and enlightenment.

Similar hopes in a redeeming time ahead are alive and well in 2009. We may at times feel we need a Saviour or a miracle to overcome the huge obstacles ahead of us; but hope alone will not save our troubled world.

The H1N1 influenza virus that spread from Mexico in April 2009 have raised the interest of many Astrology’s students because some of the transits active in 2009 and 2010 are similar to those that were active at the time of the infamous Spanish Influenza that struck Europe and the globe between February 1918 and April 1919. That H1N1 virus (another Swine Flu) allegedly killed 20, 40 or even 100 million people worldwide, according to different sources. The number remains uncertain because the infection spread rapidly during an extremely unsettled period of our history, toward the end of the First World War that also killed and displaced millions. Many soldiers leaving the trenches spread the deadly virus on their return home. At the beginning of 1918 the war was dragging on when the initial strain of the Spanish Flu made its first appearance. This was a mild strain, a common flu from which most people recovered quickly. Around August of the same year a second strain, a mutation of the original virus, started killing people instead, a catastrophe comparable only to the endemic pestilences of earlier centuries. I am not surprised then that normally indifferent governments have been taking extraordinary steps to try to stop the virus from spreading. The memory of that pandemic is engraved on the collective psyche, where it has remained hidden, repressed, for a long time.

Astrologically the similarity with present transits is undeniable: Saturn was opposed Uranus in 1919, the same as it has been throughout 2009 and will be for a good while in 2010. Jupiter was also conjunct Neptune in 1919, as is happening in 2009 (last pass in December). Another transit that connects our time with that distant past is the recent passage of Pluto into Capricorn. Pluto has a lot to do with collective karma and mass deaths, like those caused by natural disasters, wars or industrial and mining accidents. Pluto had entered Cancer just before the First World War, portending the mass destruction of families during the two World Wars. It has reached Capricorn, 180 degrees away from his 1918 position, and now lies on the opposite Solstice point. These points, together with the Equinoxes, are the most active of the whole Zodiac, enhancing in great measure the power of Pluto.

A crucial difference is the fact that in 1918 Saturn was separating from a conjunction to Neptune, a powerful signature for a natural disaster such as the Spanish Flu pandemic. When ‘afflicted’ in a personal horoscope Neptune can portend death by drowning which was the manner of death from the deadly strain of the N1H1 virus (the lungs becoming filled with fluids). Jupiter, by becoming conjunct to Neptune after Saturn, acted as a cosmic carrier, spreading the contagion even further. Jupiter, in the picture even now, is spreading perhaps only the fear and not the reality of the contagion!

Many scenarios are indeed possible. According to medical experts, this strain of influenza and its possible mutations will stay with us for a long time. Astrologically the more critical periods could be between November this year and September next year.

Due to the fact that Aquarius is the Sign of science and innovative technologies, some astrologers have even suggested that this virus could be a man made product, purposely or accidentally released into the environment. Apart from these speculations the Aquarian connection suggests to me that a program of universal inoculations presents also many hidden dangers. A sad story of a mass vaccination gone terribly wrong is the one that occurred in 1976 in America, when ‘Swine’ flu vaccinations had to be suspended after the death of numerous people who suffered irreversible adverse effects (Guillian-Barre syndrome); while the feared spread of the virus did not eventuate. At that time Jupiter was in opposition to Neptune! So, we have been warned.

To conclude; yes, the planetary configurations active in 2009 and 2010 could manifest in a pandemic. On the other hand a serious but rather common outbreak of flu could be taken for a plague of biblical proportions, due to the inflating tendency of Jupiter and the deceptive nature of Neptune. We may found ourselves under the spell of prophecy makers who seem to believe in the unavoidable end of the world as we know it.

The media interest in a possible pandemic tends to glamorize the issue and make it look exceptional and dangerous, another Neptune’s effect. The reality is that influenza pandemics are not rare events. In the last five century more than thirty have been recorded. In First World countries one is more likely to suffer serious ill health due to harmful habits and lifestyle, heart diseases, cancer or accidents. Concentrating just on the possible dark side of influenza is part of Neptune’s morbidity. Collectively we are more gullible, fanciful and impressionable. Perhaps we are using this fear of pandemics to distract ourselves from the real threats, like global warming, pollution, man’s inhumanity to man, racism, sexism, inequality etc. To keep a firm grip on reality is more than ever important. In case of a serious outbreak it will be the weak, old and poor of the world who will be more at risk, as usual (see the transits of Saturn, archetype of old people, those of Neptune, archetype of the feeble, those with low immunity and the underdogs, and Chiron, archetype of people with chronic illnesses).

Whatever you do, keep positive; help the planet recover from its many illnesses, because we will all be healthier in a healthier environment. Sky stories are fascinating but can be read in many different ways and the ending is always open to review; it is not a black and white, ready drawn picture. It is partly up to us. Happy transits, everyone.

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