On March 2, 2017, the U.S. Sibly chart began the 3rd
Quarter of its 8th progressed lunar cycle, which ends on March 25,
2024, when a completely new cycle begins.
The May 3, 2016 post here explored that transition before it happened; it’s no exaggeration to say that a lot has transpired since then that smacks of a 3rd quarter passage. One such development is the so-called “Constitutional crisis” that seems to be overwhelming D.C. since Trump fired FBI Director, James Comey.
The May 3, 2016 post here explored that transition before it happened; it’s no exaggeration to say that a lot has transpired since then that smacks of a 3rd quarter passage. One such development is the so-called “Constitutional crisis” that seems to be overwhelming D.C. since Trump fired FBI Director, James Comey.
We’ve covered the personal dimension of this crisis (as it
relates to Trump and Comey); we’ve covered the historical dimension (as it
relates to echoes from Nixon’s Watergate days), and in this post, we’ll turn to
the collective dimension—how this so-called constitutional crisis is impacting us
as a nation. At the risk of rehashing
the same event over and over, I think it’s worth considering this final
perspective. In May, I addressed the Sibly 3rd Q progressed lunar
cycle in the abstract—now we have events on the ground to fill in the picture
more concretely.
It’s not difficult to see that the current challenges to our
democracy—and to American identity itself—are related to this unfolding
progressed cycle. The news is not all bad, however: last night’s (Wednesday)
appointment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller
as Special Prosecutor by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is an event
that is being hailed by Congress people on both sides of the aisle—maybe there is something we can agree on, after all!
One thing to remember before we dig into this “collective
dimension” discussion: transits, outer planetary cycles and eclipses unfold
differently depending upon where in an entity’s progressed lunar cycle they
happen. That’s relevant because in a progressed 3rd quarter—for the coming
7 years, that is—these astrological factors will contribute to a “winding down”
agenda: finishing unfinished business, clearing outworn realities and healing
unproductive or incoherent “baggage,” so the way can be prepared for a fresh
start.
Also, in any progressed lunar passage, there tends to be an
influential planetary (or cyclical) theme:
this present passage is no different.
In this instance, I would characterize that theme as
“hitting bottom with Neptune and Pluto.” There are echoes of an addiction
crisis here that brings this imagery to mind—first, because it’s a phenomenon
that slowly takes hold over time. Second, because—as anyone with a first-hand
or even second-hand experience knows—addiction can be a Plutonian downward
spiral, for only Pluto can effectively dis-illusion the addict, stripping her
Neptunian armor of denial over time, landing her finally with that crashing
thud of self-knowledge, on the “bottom”—Pluto’s “Underworld.”
This is the realm
where survival itself can be at stake.
There’s nowhere to go but up from Pluto’s realm—back into the “real world” of Saturn’s domain
here on Earth—or up and beyond, through tragic release. Neptune and Pluto effectively
possess the addict’s soul; and yes, the addict must
“surrender to a higher power,” which can take many forms. All of them involve taking responsibility (Saturn). There’s no
other path forward with this duo.
So, am I saying that the U.S. is an addict? Broadly speaking, an addict is one who is entirely
dependent upon an illusion that is enabled by a “substance,” (and by those who
help him pursue it, either actively or passively). That “substance” can be
tangible or intangible—from alcohol to victimization and chaos, from opioids to
the rush of extreme risk-taking. It’s even possible to be addicted to one’s own
self-image, for that matter—the Trump
presidency comes to mind in this regard.
This attachment to self-image may be where the U.S. also fits
the addict category. Clearly, we’ve perpetuated illusions (the “American
myth”) over the years that don’t quite mesh with reality on the ground—such as
the ideals of freedom and equality enshrined in the Declaration of
Independence, our Sibly “birth certificate.” This founding document reflects
our original American values and represents the birth of our Collective sense
of national identity—what it’s supposed to mean to be an American.
This doesn’t mean that we’ve lost track of those values entirely: we’re a lot more “free and equal” than many nations, but the trouble is, there are as many interpretations of those values and ideals as there are political viewpoints along our Left-to-Right spectrum. And yes, we can all point to corrupt and cynical uses of those values for the sake of gain. “One bad apple…” is a Neptune-Pluto truism that rings very true here, only the “barrel” that’s gotten spoiled is our confidence in government and its role in our lives.
This doesn’t mean that we’ve lost track of those values entirely: we’re a lot more “free and equal” than many nations, but the trouble is, there are as many interpretations of those values and ideals as there are political viewpoints along our Left-to-Right spectrum. And yes, we can all point to corrupt and cynical uses of those values for the sake of gain. “One bad apple…” is a Neptune-Pluto truism that rings very true here, only the “barrel” that’s gotten spoiled is our confidence in government and its role in our lives.
If we believe the intelligence released thus far regarding Russian
meddling in our 2016 election, that “spoiling” was also purposely enabled from
outside our borders.
The fragmented array of interpretations of American ideals
(“freedom to” vs. “freedom from” is one of the most slippery) has become
increasingly chaotic and controversial, especially since Obama was elected in
2008. This is a good place to remind ourselves how the overall progressed
cycle—the one ending with the current 3rd Q passage—has unfolded
over time. Please see Table 1, below:
Table 1. Current
U.S. Sibly Progressed Lunar Cycle.
Progressed New Moon
|
Progressed 1st Quarter
|
Progressed 2nd Quarter
|
Progressed 3rd Quarter
|
Cycle Mode
|
Cycle Triplicity
|
Sibly House(s)
|
10/14/1994
20°Aq
|
Fixed
|
Air
|
3
|
|||
6/10/2001
27°Aq-27° Tau
|
Fixed
|
Air-Earth
|
3-6
|
|||
12/25/2008
4° Pis-4° Vir
|
Mutable
|
Water-Earth
|
3-9
|
|||
3/2/2017
12° Pis-12°
Sag
|
Mutable
|
Water-Fire
|
4-1
|
Significantly, the Sibly’s 2nd progressed quarter
(the full phase) launched on Christmas Day, in December, 2008, during the worst
of the recession, when there was an outpouring of support for Obama’s more
liberal, almost “New Deal”-style view of government’s role. This quarter also
launched the conservative backlash known as the Tea Party, however, so Obama’s
victory was very quickly hamstrung by that opposition and the hardening non-cooperation
from Congress (especially after the November, 2010 mid-term elections).
During those 2010 elections, the Affordable Care Act (a “New
Deal”-esque effort) was getting off to a rocky start, galvanizing the GOP
against the Obama agenda, and the country wasn’t too happy with Wall Street at
that time either. Remember the outcry about Obama’s “bail-out,” made more
controversial by sensational cases like Ponzi-schemer Bernie Madoff’s (Dec.
2008) pitting the country against Wall Street? Then, the Tea Party (2009) and
the “Occupy” movement (2011) vied for media attention. How about the Dodd-Frank
bill and Elizabeth Warren’s Consumer Protection Bureau? There was something for
everyone to either love or hate, sometimes both.
It’s almost uncanny how the Obama years correlated with this
2nd Q, "full" passage, so it’s not surprising in retrospect that Election
2016 allowed for serious disruption. In retrospect, the change has been serious and destructive, with Trump
doing everything he can in a short period to erase Obama’s legacy. Even so, I
have to imagine that the disruptions have probably not been quite what Trump
voters envisioned.
Besides, whoever
one voted for, it’s hard to deny that the disruptions have impacted American identity. Getting back to a coherent
sense of that identity is the challenge presented by these times—our 3rd
quarter opportunity to clear out the debris and coalesce around a path forward.
If the angry, grim, torch-led protest over the removal of a Confederate
statue in Virginia this past weekend is any indication, however, our sense of
national identity is under literalfire these days. Are we really going to re-litigate the Civil War going
forward? We’ve never completely healed its wounds, clearly. Troublingly,
Obama’s presidency seems to have ripped our unresolved racial issues wide open
again, and Donald Trump’s campaign leveraged our white supremacist demons to
its own benefit.
But let’s not rehash all of that, except to say that during the
present 3rd Q, we need to consciously sort through decades of
fragmentation, polarization and growing chaos and decide what essentials are
worth carrying forward into the next cycle (March, 2024). This may, in the end,
be a very positive process, yet returning to that “hitting bottom” analogy, we
probably haven’t seen the worst of it yet.
Let’s revisit that March 2, 2017 Progressed Lunar Cycle
chart, set against the Sibly chart for some added insight. Since the Comey
firing event marked the latest “crisis” we’ve been considering, we’ll use that
as the outer wheel of the triwheel. We’ll confine this to the most collective-oriented highlights here;
please see the May
10, 2017 and May
13, 2017 posts for more detail.
Triwheel #1: (inner wheel) US Sibly Chart, July
4, 1776, 5:10 p.m. LMT, Philadelphia, PA; (middle wheel) US Sibly Chart,
Day-for-Year Progression for March 2, 2017, March 2, 1777, 1:56:40 p.m. GMT,
Washington, D.C.; (outer wheel) Comey Firing, May 9, 2017, 5:05 p.m. DST,
Washington, D.C..
One configuration
leaps off the page immediately: the Firing Mars-Neptune square
(Gemini-Pisces) ties in tightly with the Progressed Cycle Sun-Moon square, with
Firing
Mars opposing Cycle Moon and Firing Neptune conjoining
Cycle
Sun. Mars and Neptune in combination can bring uplifting and noble
energy to a situation, or they can bring the darker potentials of sabotage and
deceptive, underhanded actions. In fact, this interchart T-square assures that we’re
seeing both right now in D.C., and
the way people see the situation is colored by their predisposed “filters:”
Trump’s either the beleaguered victim of a “witch-hunt,” or he’s the
justifiable target of an intense investigation into questionable presidential
behavior.
This Neptunian “Fun House mirrors” effect is the reason a
totally independent, non-political investigation is so critically needed. There
must be facts that can be tracked
down and evaluated dispassionately.
Please note that Firing Mars also conjoins Sibly Uranus
(Gemini). The job market may be fairly volatile during this progressed
quarter—ups and downs, with some gains for people (Sibly Uranus disposes the
Sibly Moon), but little certainty or stability. This isn’t directly relevant to
the Comey firing and the ensuing crisis, however many Trump voters are still
holding out hopes that jobs and trade issues will improve under this president,
and it’s hard to confirm that here.
Public servants (the 6th house is naturally
Virgoan) will find their work very lively and unpredictable—clearly, we’re
already seeing that with Trump’s “crisis du jour” presidency. Job security is
hard to come by in D.C. these days, but some individuals will undoubtedly shine
(or become infamous) in the process. For instance, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein
is being praised today for naming a Special Prosecutor (Wednesday, 5/17)—a sign
that our checks and balances are in safe hands.
Some are directing the praise to the “Trump
administration;” if that’s what it takes to get to the bottom of the issues
under investigation, more power to them.
The Sibly horizon’s (ASC-DSC) involvement in this
interchart T-square raises the issue of American identity that was noted earlier. Emotions (progressed Moon) are
running high these days, and there’s tremendous confusion (Firing Neptune conjoined
progressed Sun). Is American identity today all about the partisan divide—meaning we might as well
be two nations instead of one—or is
it about something deeper, more fundamental and unified?
The challenge of this t-square is reflected perfectly by a
comment by Rep. Ben Sasse
(R, NE), who says that too much time is spent in Congress re-waging the
“Hatfield-McCoy feud,” instead of rebuilding public trust in our public
institutions; in fact, the 4th house position of our Sibly
progressed Sun suggests that we need to go back to basics and
rediscover our core ideals and principles—who we are as a nation, in other
words.
Pisces is a sign which breaks down boundaries and divisions; this can
take light and dark forms, of course, but if a greater sense of solidarity
comes out of this for We the People, it’s all good.
In his unruly, “trickster” sort of way, Trump may be forcing
us to do this.
Firing Mercury-Uranus (Aries) conjoins Sibly progressed Venus (Aries)
and t-squares Sibly Mercury-opposite-Pluto (Cancer-Capricorn). The Aries points
also trine Firing Saturn Rx (Sagittarius). Revelations will likely
continue to emerge regarding Trump’s conflicts of interest (including Russia),
and as we saw today on Wall Street (closed at -373 points), the markets may be shaken
up by the unpredictability. Trump’s hardened attitude towards the TPP
(Trans-Pacific Partnership) could come back to bite us financially and in terms
of global influence (Mercury opposite Firing
Pluto, and Firing Pluto opposite Sibly Sun, ruling 9th house).
Trump seems to think he has a “great relationship” with
China’s Xi Jingpin, but Xi could be running strategic circles around his
American counterpart. As transiting Pluto gradually returns to its Sibly
position, any such mistakes being made will “come home to roost.”
The challenges extend to Trump’s negotiations with U.S.
allies elsewhere in the world, of course: we might judge his whirlwind trip to
the Middle East later this week a success if he returns with all our diplomatic
ties intact. These are dicey times all over.
Those “dicey times” are reflected in this Firing
Saturn Rx also opposing Sibly Mars (Gemini), with
that axis t-squared to Sibly Neptune (Virgo). The tension
and potential damage built into this t-square is enhanced by Firing
Saturn Rx’s square to Firing Chiron (Pisces), and Chiron’s
trine to Sibly Mercury. Progressed Saturn Rx (Virgo) also quincunxes
Sibly Jupiter-Venus (Cancer). All of this reflects how tightly
interwoven our domestic and foreign affairs are, and how potentially volatile
all of this has become.
I’ve never seen an attempt to quantify (in dollars and
cents) what America’s global leadership is worth to “We the People” in terms of
actual revenue, jobs, etc., but Firing Chiron’s semi-sextile to Sibly
Moon (Aquarius) suggests that we do have a considerable stake in the
matter. Our post-World War II “glow” is wearing dangerously thin in
the world, it seems, and we now have to earn every bit of influence we have.
“There’s a new sheriff
in town”—enter Robert Mueller
It may sound alarmist, but many analysts are worrying out
loud these days about the health of our democratic institutions and our system
of checks and balances. Their concerns are amplified by a wave of support for
more nationalist-leaning, authoritarian leaders in key nations—in Turkey, in
the Philippines and across Europe, even in
France.
Nothing—not even democracy—can be taken for granted at the
moment, so did we really think everyone would be fine with Trump and Vladimir
Putin arranging a meeting for Putin’s people in the Oval Office, with Trump
excluding the American press? Or, with Trump firing the FBI director
investigating his ties to Russia one day, and yucking it up with the Russians
the next, while he brags about his “great intel” and reveals classified
information?
Even those who want to cut
Trump some slack (or who buy into his victimization
story) have to admit there’s a problem with the optics here.
When Rod Rosenstein relented from his original position and
appointed a Special Prosecutor yesterday, it was reportedly
because he feared the American people would not trust the results that come out
of the various Congressional and FBI investigations into Trump-Russia ties (and
Russian meddling in our election). Rosenstein was close to being a tainted “fall
guy” for Trump in Comey’s firing, and by this appointment, he vindicated
himself.
Rosenstein was clearly concerned about the public’s mistrust
of partisan biases, so most analysts in the press are hailing his decision to
bring former FBI Director and decorated Marine, Robert Mueller into the fray.
Mueller now has the weight of these investigations on his shoulders: chalk up
one for our democratic institutions and the “rule of law!”
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough (a Republican) praised Rosenstein’s
move in glowing terms, quoting
Churchill – “America always does the right thing…after exhausting all other
possibilities.”
Let’s take a quick look at a noon chart for Mueller (birth
data from Astrodatabank.com—no
time available), against the Sibly chart and the Sibly 3Q progressed lunar
cycle chart—again, with an eye to the collective
dimension.
Triwheel #2: (inner wheel) US Sibly Chart, July
4, 1776, 5:10 p.m. LMT, Philadelphia, PA; (middle wheel) US Sibly Chart,
Day-for-Year Progression for March 2, 2017, March 2, 1777, 1:56:40 p.m. GMT,
Washington, D.C.; (outer wheel) Robert Swan Mueller, III,
August 7, 1944, 12:00 p.m. (noon chart, no time available), New York, NY.
Interchart Mutable
Grand Cross: Mueller Mercury-Chiron-Mars
(Virgo) conjoin Sibly Neptune (Virgo) and oppose Progressed Sun (Pisces); this
axis squares Progressed Moon (Sagittarius) opposite Sibly Uranus-DSC and
Mueller Uranus (Gemini). Mueller’s Purple Heart for Valor in the
Marines certainly shines here (Virgo=military), along with his career as a methodical,
thorough public servant. The mission he has now accepted puts him in the
crosshairs of America’s somewhat chaotic evolutionary moment (tying into Progressed
Sun-Moon square), and there’s always the potential for disruption to
himself, and to the nation (his Virgo points square the Sibly horizon, where
his natal Uranus falls).
As we’ve seen a lot in the past year, with such powerful
mutable energies, anything goes! We can undoubtedly anticipate diversionary
tactics from Trump (his mutable planets tie into all this, as well): the
challenge will be to contain the damage and chaos caused by his efforts.
Mueller Sun/Venus (midpoint, Leo) opposes Sibly Progressed Mercury
(Aquarius). The proximity of Progressed Mercury to Sibly
Moon (Aquarius) is a consideration here, as well, when it comes to the collective
dimension—“We the People” have a stake in Mueller’s taking firm, beneficial control
(Sun/Venus in Leo) on these complex investigations. Progressed Mercury is significant
because Mercury rules the Sibly radix 7th and 10th
houses—concerning the nation’s defense and role in the world—sensitive points during
volatile times.
Interestingly, Mueller’s Venus conjoins Trump’s volatile
Mars,
so it will be interesting to see if he tries any bully
tactics on Mueller. This will also be an interesting relationship to watch once
the August eclipse explored here takes hold (see May
2, 2017 post).
Mueller Saturn (Cancer) conjoins Sibly Venus-Jupiter (Cancer), trines
Progressed Sun (Pisces) and quincunxes Progressed Saturn Rx (Scorpio). Mueller’s
Saturn
also widely conjoins the Sibly
Sun (Cancer), exerting authority over the “Executive” and the nation
itself in some ways. This may dampen economic growth (Sibly Jupiter-Venus) in
the short term (we witnessed some Wall Street jitters yesterday), but it may
also impose much needed discipline and perspective on all of the above. This Saturn
also falls conjunct Trump’s Mercury (Cancer), which disposes his
key Gemini points, so having to answer to Mueller will not be taken lightly.
The trine to our Progressed Sun here bodes well—Mueller’s
intervention feels perfectly timed. The quincunx to Progressed Saturn Rx suggests
that Mueller will engage Congress and the Judiciary in a frustrating, extended
process, in which there will probably be attempts to derail progress. It will
be awhile before even a competent professional like Mueller will have all the
facts, and awhile longer before the facts turn into accountability (Saturn).
Mueller Jupiter (Virgo) conjoins Sibly Progressed ASC (Virgo); both
oppose Sibly Moon (Aquarius). Any Jupiterian benefit to “We the People”
is a good thing right now, so Mueller’s relationship to us looks hopeful. Given the involvement of our Progressed ASC, we may be
looking at an improved “new day” ahead, as this progressed cycle unfolds. It
may not feel like that for awhile, but his entrance on the scene looks
positive.
Final thoughts
In the same way that external wars galvanize people, an
internal falling apart may eventually do the same for Americans. Unfortunately,
we seem to have forgotten that unity is strength, and that there are real
external forces that stand to gain from our chaos and dissolution while we work
out our divisions. Judging from the past week’s news, Trump seems far too cozy
with one of those forces.
We’ve had many such learning experiences in our history, in
which we’ve had to regroup and get back to “square one:” after the Civil War,
of course, but also in the wake of both world wars, during the Depression, the
McCarthyist era (roughly 1947-1956), during the Civil Rights turmoil and the
high-level assassinations of the 1960s, after the Viet Nam/Watergate debacle, after
9/11, the 2008 Recession, and so on.
It seems we’re heading into another such period, only this
time the threats to our democratic system are challenged by a president who
doesn’t seem to understand his role, or its many nuances. In a week when we’ve been hearing about Trump
soliciting oaths of loyalty from his appointees, it’s sobering to realize that many
are wondering where his loyalties
lie.
We looked at parallels with the Nixon administration in the
last post here: another such parallel is the attitude we’re getting from Trump
lately that (I’m paraphrasing), “if the president says something it must be
true…If the president does something, it must be legal.” This reflected a
distortion of Executive authority when Nixon did it, and it reflects the same
today.
This takes us full circle back to the issue of addiction and
illusions: it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what illusions Trump and team operate
under, but we can probably start with Trump’s deep need for personal power (it’s
all over his chart and constantly displayed in his behavior). It sure seems
that everything else flows from that: he’s been determined to shoe horn his
“empire” into the confines of the White House from day one—and these two
realities simply cannot coexist without serious conflicts.
On the other hand, not all
illusions are negative or toxic: maybe we, as a collective, need to hold on to
our illusions (or aspirations, at least) of freedom and equality a bit longer—if
we can imagine it…you get the drift.
Besides, what are the alternatives?!
Raye
Robertson is a practicing astrologer, writer and former university English
instructor. A graduate of the Faculty of Astrological Studies (U.K.), Raye
focuses on mundane, collective-oriented astrology, with a particular interest
in current affairs, culture and media, the astrology of generations, and public
concerns such as education and health. Several of her articles on these topics
have been featured in The Mountain Astrologer and other publications over the
years. Raye can be contacted by comment here, or
at: robertsonraye@gmail.com.
© Raye Robertson 2017. All
rights reserved.