Time to get real: the astrology of the 2020 Saturn-Pluto cycle

Police wisely seized  weapons wielded  yesterday in Portland, OR.

The summer season is often volatile in times of political or social unrest, and it hasn't  been difficult to predict that this summer would be especially so. 

There’s just so much oppressive Saturn-Pluto energy (complicated by other factors, of course) that people will put up with, without fighting back. 

Perhaps most visibly in this weekend's news, Portland, Oregon was set upon by right-wing extremists and those protesting their presence there—hauntingly similar to the situation in Charlottesville a year ago. Thankfully, the Portland police managed to keep the peace much better, perhaps having learned from the east coast example. Considering that these protests are likely to continue into the 2020 election campaign, we might be getting a sneak preview of things to come.

A less successful peace-keeping operation has been roiling Hong-Kong for weeks, as protests against mainland China’s attempts to take over Hong-Kong’s more democratic judicial system have grown progressively more precarious. There’s still no end in sight for this struggle, which threatens to become a bloodbath if the Chinese military acts on Beijing threats. 

China is trying to impose its rule more heavily on Hong-Kong.

Then there’s the nuclear accident in Russia’s northwestern Arkhangelsk region, and the Russian government’s attempts to obfuscate the situation. What exactly happened in the White Sea on August 8^th when several nuclear scientists were blown into the sea, we have to wonder. Yes, Neptune is deeply involved in this season’s precarious goings on. 

More questions than answers arise in all this, it seems: for instance, in light of the last post here, we have to wonder whether Russia was testing a nuclear-armed system that would have violated the INF Treaty—the treaty that Trump and Putin recently decided to toss in the circular file. Saturn and Pluto also rule nuclear energy, and not surprisingly, the power dynamics involved in nuclear politics.

Again, Neptune is also deeply implicated here, as well—those who have enabled or passively profited from the 2016 U.S. election, from eroding democratic (small “d”) institutions, from undermining our ability to know truth from “fake news” and facts from “Reality TV,” and have benefitted from stoking the panicky “we’re being invaded” xenophobia that turned so deadly in the August 3^rd El shooting, are certainly doing a toxic Neptune’s dirty work. 

Russia first denied that this explosion happened; facts emerged gradually.

Considering that Neptune’s primary nemesis is Saturn, it’s easy to see why those who passively look the other way as critical safeguards are dismantled from key systems (ethical, nuclear¸ environmental, rule of law, etc.) are doing a toxic Neptune’s dirty work. 

Consider Trump’s passive stance vis-à-vis the INF Treaty—he didn’t promote the rewriting or updating of the treaty—he just decided to pull out of it and let it go. We can speculate why, but whatever his true reason, his actions have enabled the dangerous recklessness we just witnessed with Russia’s August 8^th nuclear accident.  From the New York Times: 

“The still-mysterious episode last week killed seven people and released radiation, apparently when a small nuclear reactor malfunctioned during a test of a novel type of missile near a naval weapons testing site.

Russian officials have released a flurry of misleading or incomplete statements playing down the severity of the accident, which the military first reported on Thursday as a fire involving a liquid-fueled rocket engine. It was not until Sunday that Russian scientists conceded that a reactor had released radiation during a test on an offshore platform in the White Sea…

President Vladimir V. Putin boasted last year that Russia was testing a cruise missile that would be propelled by a small nuclear reactor, in addition to carrying a nuclear warhead, flying a path too unpredictable to be intercepted. Western analysts called the missile “Skyfall,” and on Monday, President Trump tweeted that the accident last week was a Skyfall exploding.

The Russian authorities have not said that the new type of weapon was linked to the accident. But they have acknowledged that radioactive material and a reactor were involved in the incident at a missile testing range.

Russian statements about the intensity of the radiation release have been contradictory."

Putin answers to very few, if any of the Russian people for his actions and policies—they may protest his stranglehold on their elections, as they did this past weekend, but his mastery of official “murkiness” will make it nearly impossible to do anything about it. He certainly won’t be reined in by Trump and company—if they wanted to, even. If anything, Trump is enabling Putin’s nuclear ambitions, leaving our NATO allies to seriously wonder where our loyalties lie, and whether Russia will be held accountable for the “cloud of radioactive pollution over Europe”  wafting from the nuclear accident site. 

Brutal, but actions speak louder than words.

All this, while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (aka “Moscow Mitch”) has reportedly been giving one of Putin's oligarchs leverage over American politics in multiple stunning ways. Unfortunately, right-wing authoritarians seem to be prospering under our current cosmic “weather,” and I would argue McConnell is acting like one of them with his willful blocking of bills (even ones that are designed to safeguard our elections and have bipartisan support ) from getting a Senate vote. 

Trump, of course, is working hard to move the U.S. in an authoritarian direction, with his disdain for sharing power with Congress and the Judiciary, and his preference for legislating by Executive fiat. 

We’ve seen this with his inhumane, racially-charged policies, not to mention his determined push at rallies for deeper division among the American people, the more vicious the better. We’ve seen him promote conspiracy theories and fantasies bordering on paranoid delusions (toxic Saturn-Neptune-Pluto at work) about anyone who opposes him: seeking to incriminate, prosecute and jail adversaries (“lock her up?”) is taken straight out of the authoritarian’s playbook! 

Xenophobia often overlaps with racism, but above all, it's a tendency towards "Otherizing."

As for his use of racist and xenophobic tactics, we’ve seen Trump’s divisiveness inspire hair-splitting debates over whether he’s really a racist, or whether he’s just channeling the American people’s true feelings about immigration. Or more disturbingly, if his hateful rhetoric and policies are just a show he puts on to get where he wants to go—that he’s just “following his gut.” We know that he really dislikes being called a racist because it’s a brand that sticks and causes image problems for him—but he seems totally uninterested in the very real damage that a hate-driven White House does. 

Trying to get to the bottom of the actual impact on American life of all this, the social scientists of the prestigious, bipartisan Brookings Institute have studied the data linking (or not) Trump’s rhetoric and the incidence of hate crimes. Here’s an excerpt—it’s an article worth reading in full: 

“While some observers have explained Trump’s success as a result of economic anxiety, the data demonstrate that anti-immigrant sentiment, racism, and sexism are much more strongly related to support for Trump. Trump’s much-discussed vote advantage with non-college-educated whites is misleading; when accounting for racism and sexism, the education gap among whites in the 2016 election returns to the typical levels of previous elections since 2000. Trump did not do especially well with non-college-educated whites, compared to other Republicans. He did especially well with white people who express sexist views about women and who deny racism exists.

Even more alarmingly, there is a clear correlation between Trump campaign events and incidents of prejudiced violence. FBI data show that since Trump’s election there has been an anomalous spike in hate crimes concentrated in counties where Trump won by larger margins. It was the second-largest uptick in hate crimes in the 25 years for which data are available, second only to the spike after September 11, 2001. Though hate crimes are typically most frequent in the summer, in 2016 they peaked in the fourth quarter (October-December). This new, higher rate of hate crimes continued throughout 2017.”

The conclusions cited above raise intriguing points we don’t often consider, including the appeal of Trump’s blatant sexism to key voters. The correlations between Trump-supporting counties and hate crimes are the major takeaway here, however—stoking hatred of all kinds in people (including sexism, apparently) is Trump’s specialty, and unfortunately he must think this approach works for him. We know this because he shows no signs of letting up, even in the face of tragedies like the El Paso and Dayton shootings. As long as his economy remains strong, he figures he can act with impunity. Really?! 

So when hatred of one kind or another is a leader’s consistent modus operandi, the only good news is that such an extreme approach does elicit a response and will catalyze deep soul-searching. IMHO, those anguished cries of “Do something!!” from the Dayton, Ohio protestors after that city’s horrific recent shooting signal that we’re already engaged in this profound process. Astrologically, we’ve been enmeshed in this process for awhile, and because we’re in the final stage of the current Saturn-Pluto cycle (launched in 1982), we can probably count on things getting a bit worse before they get better. 

The Robotics revolution is here--how will we manage it for the benefit of people?.

Spiritually, it’s clear that this nation needs the Saturn-Pluto purge we’re experiencing. The question is, will we emerge stronger in the end, with our democratic institutions and sovereignty intact?  Or will it take us the entire next Saturn-Pluto cycle to rebuild what we’ve lost? This latter possibility may be where we’re headed because along with the socio-cultural convulsions we’ve been experiencing, there’s a technological upheaval waiting in the wings, and it may require that we adapt our governmental systems in ways we hadn’t anticipated. 

Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is promoting ideas that strike me as being in tune with this looming technological order. The labor market has been undergoing a major shift towards more automation for years already, a trend that promises to accelerate ahead. More jobs will be lost to that continuing shift than were ever lost to foreign outsourcing, so any public policies going forward should work with that reality instead of against it. No, I’m not endorsing anyone at this juncture, but he’s brought ideas to the fore which may make sense, given the Saturn-Pluto and Uranus dynamics currently in play. More on the Uranus piece of this puzzle in a bit.

Thankfully this heavy Saturn-Pluto cycle is not happening in a cosmic vacuum, even though it’s definitely the “500-lb. gorilla” in every event chart at the moment. We’re also in the final stage of the 2000 Jupiter-Saturn cycle, and the new Aquarius cycle (the reason Uranus is so key going forward) beginning in late 2020 could be very promising, if we approach it constructively. Of course, there’s a potential negative flip side to that story—among other things, Election 2020 will likely be very dicey. This is a good leaping off point for considering a key chart. 

The astrology

Before the new Jupiter-Saturn cycle can launch in Aquarius, both planets will be forming new separate cycles with transiting Pluto, as well as transiting over Sibly Pluto. It’s almost as though our Cosmic middle managers, Jupiter and Saturn, are being compelled to tour the mythic Underworld (Pluto, in Saturn-ruled Capricorn), in preparation for their upcoming appointment with Sky God, Ouranos (Uranus, ruling Aquarius). 

We can extend the corporate metaphor here—unfortunately, it isn’t as ridiculous as it sounds. Anyone hoping to wield any power at all these days pays obeisance to the corporate moguls (Pluto)—can we name one issue in American politics right now that isn’t focused on either fulfilling the demands of corporations, or on getting a better deal for American families despite corporations? 

So, Pluto is the underworld “dragon” guarding the national treasure held in our radix Sibly 2^nd house, and when Trump touts his economy as the “strongest ever,” he’s likely identifying himself with this dragon, who jealously guards where and how that treasure is distributed.

Not surprisingly,  Sibly Pluto falls opposite his natal Saturn-Venus in Cancer: when he delights in “tens of billions streaming into the U.S. Treasury” because of the punitive (Saturn-Pluto) tariffs he’s imposed and the disruptions he’s caused to Wall Street investors (who flee from stocks to U.S. Treasury bonds when the Market wobbles), we can see here that these billions likely feel like personal gain to him, and a source of personal authority/power. 

Speaks for itself!

Trump is playing increasingly costly games with on-again, off-again tariffs, but can we imagine what a rush it must be to send out some quick tweet in the morning and watch the markets crash or soar at his whim? This must be an intoxicating level of power, and Trump wields it over corporations and individuals alike—over the Economy (big “E”) and the economy (small “e”). That kind of power is not meant to be concentrated in one person’s hands in a democracy—all the more reason the Fed must remain independent of his bullying—but here we are. 

So what can astrology tell us about this difficult period we’re caught up in? First and most importantly, it can tell us that it won’t last forever! Second, that maintaining perspective is key: we are not helpless, and indeed, the same energies that seem to have launched us on a leaky gondola across the River Styx are also available for those who commit to using them in positive, life-affirming ways. 

With that in mind, let’s examine the dynamics that will be available to us between now and the new Jupiter-Saturn cycle more closely, for starters. The timeline below details key planetary and cycles milestones, and provides some precedents to consider. Precedents don't necessarily repeat exactly from cycle to cycle, but there are often similarities and shared themes. 

Table 1. Major 2020 Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto cycle milestones, Aug. 2019-Dec. 2020

Event type/relevance (Washington, D.C.)	Date (first exact) or range	Degree or range	Precedent(s)
Jupiter-con-Galactic Center (GC) Possible volatility in markets? Neptune still squares Jupiter, confusing and distracting focus	11/10-23/2019	25°-27° Sagittarius	11/2007-12/2007-beginning of Wall Street crisis/recession (Pluto conjoined the GC from 11/2006-2007)
Jupiter ingresses Capricorn Weakened growth potential, increased restrictions	12/2/2019	0°Capricorn	12/2007 (with Pluto still hovering within a couple degrees of the GC) during Wall Street crisis
Saturn-con-Pluto Forms wide square to 11/1982 launch degree—a challenging 2nd act for ongoing deep structural transformations, emerging nations, mass purgings, compulsive uses of power. Resources are key.	1/12/2020	22°+Capricorn	Nov. 1982 cycle at 27°+Libra ushered in end of Cold War and “new world order,” including fall of USSR; during full phase (19°+Cap-19°+Can, 2/1931) of 10/1914 cycle (0°+Cancer), Hitler consolidated power over German gov’t; WWII in Europe ensued in 1939.
Aries Ingress (Equinox) Chart applies to full year (fixed ASC). Eris squares Cap stellium turmoil over resources? “Big Money” issues, enflamed resentments.	3/19/2020	0° Aries	Annual phenomenon.
Jupiter-con-Pluto Economic restrictions (markets reined in over excesses); growth of debt (possible crisis there); resource issues.	4/4/2020	24°+Capricorn	Last Capricorn cycle was in 2/1771, perhaps reflecting the economic oppression that spawned the American and French Revolutions. Most recent example in 12/2007 (28°+Sagittarius), led into Wall Street crisis. 11/1981 cycle (24°+Libra) brought in the relatively prosperous “Yuppie” period under Reagan.
Jupiter-con-Saturn New technological era likely—heavy focus on environment and climate; change/rebellion, mass movements (reacting to authoritarian trends) impact societies.	12/21/2020	0°+Aquarius	Trines 5/28/2000 cycle, 28°+Taurus, which ushered in significant change w/WTC attacks vs. US finance sector, “dot.com” crash on Wall St., Afghan & Iraq wars.

Clearly, a lot is happening astrologically between now and December, 2020, but then we know that 2020, being a national election year, will be ridiculously intense. Besides, there’s no reason to believe that 2019’s volatility will simply melt away next year, as the new cycles kick into gear. It will take awhile for the “newness” to manifest in our public discourse, although I do hope that we will start to feel that something essential has changed with each new cycle.

We’ll examine all the charts referenced in the above Table between now and 2020, but because so much seems to be riding on the Saturn-Pluto cycle these days, let’s examine that chart here.

Chart #1. Saturn-0-Pluto 2020. January 12, 2020, 11:45:34 am ST, Washington, D.C. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node. 

Saturn-Pluto conjunction forms part of an 8-point Capricorn stellium (Mercury-Pluto-Saturn-Ceres-Sun-MC-Jupiter-So. Node); Saturn-Pluto-Mercury tightly square Eris (Aries). It’s hard to imagine a “heavier” beginning (literally and figuratively) for a major planetary cycle, but this may be a positive, ultimately because there will be no doubt where our focus needs to be—on earth-related priorities. It’s notable that this amazing gathering falls entirely within the ideological 9^th house (it’s a bit difficult to see in the chart, but the 10^th house cusp falls at 26°+Capricorn, beyond the stellium). 

Alongside earth-related priorities, it’s likely that education will be an urgent priority—perhaps it’s time to forgive all those billions in student debt so our next generation can get a leg up in these trying times? 

Saturn rules Capricorn, of course, so ushering in a more climate-friendly approach to agriculture could be one important priority. Independent American farmers have become pawns in Trump’s trade wars with China, and they need a break. Agriculture in general—especially farms and ranches engaged in raising livestock—is a major source of destructive greenhouse gases, and researchers know that the integrity of our food systems are going to suffer if our food producers don’t adapt to new climate realities. 

Climate change is becoming risky business for farmers.

This new Saturn-Pluto cycle could definitely push for a major restructuring of such systems. 

In fact, systems that are basically embedded in the economy, such as energy, mobility and natural resource extraction, are all due for a serious makeover as well, and this cycle will likely facilitate. Again, infrastructure renewal could be a prerequisite for tackling any of the above transformations—the good news is, the investment required by massive infrastructure projects would generate tremendous returns for both the “Big E” and the “little e” economies. 

The square from Eris to Saturn-Pluto is a bit concerning here—will those who want to forge ahead with such massive undertakings for all the right reasons be blocked by anger-and-resentment-fueled objections? Will such projects fall prey to corrupt entities that see opportunities to exploit U.S. politics and the economy in the process? 

Kentucky’s Russian-owned aluminum plant, shepherded by Mitch McConnell under shadowy circumstances comes to mind, unfortunately. McConnell has arguably opened quite a “Pandora’s Box” of toxic leverage across the nation with his move. Political and legal watchdogs may have a lot on their plates with this 9^th house Capricorn stellium. 

Bottom line, will our national focus be distracted with more needless, destructive divisiveness (as we saw in Portland, OR this weekend?), or will we focus on more constructive ways to work together? 

Eris (Aries) and Uranus (Taurus) rise at Aries ASC; chart ruler Mars (Sagittarius) inconjoins Uranus. These energies gathered at and ruling the ASC here influence the tone of this cycle, which is, as we’ve seen, likely to usher in some volatility. 

Some of that restless energy may be quite productive—Uranus in earth sign Taurus trines Jupiter-So. Node in earth sign Capricorn, so we can expect an aggressive focus on change that builds substance and (ideally) economic progress. Jupiter has left his comfort zone in Saturn-ruled Capricorn, however, so economic growth may be restrained and too dependent upon unproductive “default” industries and tactics (So. Node). 

Of course, how any economic progress is handled and shared across the economy is the “devil” in the details—we can take nothing for granted here. Productive uses (IMHO) of this earthy energy would involve massive infrastructure projects and projects that tackle climate change seriously, for a change.

Complete systems overhauls are very gradual processes, of course, and the Uranus-Mars inconjunct suggests that there will be frustrating bumps in the road—some, perhaps, even violent. For every stakeholder in this transformation who eagerly looks to the future, there will be several others who want to slow and/or obstruct change. 

Managed change isn't the same thing as wild instability, is it?

Some of this resistance may be perfectly understandable—obviously, change for the sake of change can be just as bad as no change at all. We’ve seen a massive amount of change under Trump thus far, in fact, but IMHO, not much of it has been positive for the nation or its people. It’s felt more like change for the sake of destroying a system of checks and balances in government that he’d like to consign to the dustbin of history.  

Some change is absolutely necessary and inevitable, however. The question is, who will shape the direction of that change, and according to which ideals and values? 

Eris rises from the 12^th, conjunct the ASC and Uranus widely conjoins the same point from the 1^st house. The gap between Eris and Uranus could be a saving grace here, and the faster Uranus moves away the better. We will experience volatility, but perhaps it will be a bit restrained because in Taurus, Uranus has more constructive accomplishments in mind. 

Again, it’s essential that we learn to access Eris’s energies more positively (see above for her square to Saturn-Pluto)—she could fuel a more serious, determined response to the many challenges of the day, if we do. Again, no endorsement intended, but presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has an interesting Eris profile in her chart that she seems to have embodied in her career and campaign style. She’s far from alone in this among the candidates, but the importance of Eris in this cycle chart suggests that a positive, well-integrated Eris will be important in the next leader. 

For the record, Eris opposes Mercury in Trump’s chart, and it shows in his thin-skinned mindset of angry resentment. 

Coming back to Chart #1, it’s worth noting that Vesta (Taurus) also occupies the 1^st house, but rather than conjoin its housemate Uranus, it trines MC-Jupiter in the ideological and internationally-focused 9^th house.  Households are likely to be intensely focused on the consumer economy (Taurus), so it will be interesting to see what impact a period of restrained growth (Capricorn Jupiter-MC) will have.  

Venus (Aquarius) sextiles ASC-Uranus (Aries-Taurus) from 11^th house. Chiron (Aries) conjoins Venus/Uranus (midpointAries). Clearly, Venus and Uranus energies are tightly interwoven here, with Uranus (ruler of Aquarius) disposing Venus. The midpoint involved here is significant; here’s expert Michael Munkasey’s interpretation of the “politics or business” impacts of the midpoint without Chiron’s influence:

“A treasury which shows unexpected rises and falls in its valuation; rulers using unusual means to develop the plant or tree resources available; a strange appreciation for financial assets or planning…Distinctive settings which are suddenly exploited for development; the ruling bodies unable to cope with sudden infusions or lacks of financial resources; unpredictable vanity shown by leaders or executives.”[1]

This sounds very prescient, given the current wild swings we’re seeing on Wall Street, and the fact that economists are starting to question how long the American consumer (Venus) will continue to shore up the economy. Stable leadership is an important key to navigating a recession, if one transpires (looking increasingly likely), but that’s sorely lacking these days—unfortunately, Trump’s “vanity” and inability to admit mistakes is totally predictable. 

This may be a moment to consider that one of the female candidates running in the Democratic primary may fit the Venus-Uranus profile seen here quite well. With this potent fixed Venus, we may find that a woman will bring the stable leadership we've been missing. We might also consider that the coming cycle years will support women's progress on several fronts. More on this in future posts!

As for the “resource” issue raised in the above excerpt from Munkasey, Trump used a campaign stop at a Pennsylvania petrochemical plant, currently gearing up to produce plastic from the by-products of fracking, to sing the praises of plastics and to dismiss their dangers to the environment. Moving beyond fossil fuel dependence has never been more important, but here we are, still trying to build plants that do exactly the opposite. Consumers (Venus) have choices, happily, and making helpful ones will be increasingly critical. We’ll see much more about environmental issues during Election 2020.

Chiron rules wounds that defy healing, yet also rules healing itself.

 

Which brings us to the impact of Chiron’s conjunction to the Venus/Uranus midpoint. Consumerism and our fossil-fuel technology-driven (Uranus) economy have helped spawn the “wound” (Chiron) of a warming climate (fire sign Aries), and that wound is beginning to hurt, badly. Ask our farmers—click here for important data on this topic from the Union of Concerned Scientists. 

Chiron is lurking in the 12^th house of this chart, suggesting that the situation it represents is still gestating, but if we extend the metaphor, the health of our environment may depend upon what we do during this “prenatal” period. 

Even those who dispute the human causes behind climate change have to admit that we’re “it” when it comes to dealing with it! Aquarius Venus is co-ruled by a demanding Saturn in this chart—measures that help limit and mitigate greenhouse gases won’t be easy to pass, given the big money flowing from the fossil fuel industry (Pluto) into political campaigns, but none of this is easy. 

Moon (Leo) inconjoins Neptune (Pisces). It’s interesting, in my view, that this Moon—representing the “People” in mundane astrology—is so disconnected to most of what’s happening in this chart, but it’s connected fairly strongly to Neptune. Because the Moon moves so quickly, it will be moving into an inconjunct soon enough with Sun-Ceres-Saturn-Pluto-Mercury, but in this exact moment of cycle launch, its focus is being blurred and shaken by a potent Neptune. 

"Deep fake" technology makes us extra-vulnerable to media distortions.

 

This feels like a vulnerable state of affairs, especially in an election year when we need to have our “wits” about us, be aware of attempts to deceive and obfuscate, be able to tell the difference between facts and spin, between real videos and deepfake ones, and so on. 

With a Leo Moon, we may also be vulnerable to those who will play on the wounded ego needs of some (Trump would know about those). Being the world’s lone superpower used to mean that we had serious responsibility for representing small “d” democratic ideals, for principled leadership and diplomacy, but that hard-won stature has become more about satisfying Trump and company’s needs to feel “great.” His administration has exploded many tenets of conventional wisdom, but his blatant separation of “great power” from “great responsibility” has been a central theme to everything he’s done. 

We need to be conscious (Sun rules Leo) of this point as the new Saturn-Pluto cycle launches. 

Finally, it’s a bit intriguing that the People are represented by a Sun-disposed Moon in such a significant cycle launch. The Sun represents a nation’s leadership in a mundane chart—it follows with the U.S. that the 13°+Cancer Sibly Sun represents both the presidency and the president. That doesn’t mean that Trump’s chart is no longer relevant since he’s taken on that role, but we can also watch the Sibly chart to track what’s going on with our leadership. 

So, a Sun-drenched Moon would seem to indicate a populace that is fully aware that power derives from the People in a democracy. We’ve always known this in theory, but the past few years have forced us to confront the responsibilities involved. 

This responsible attitude will fly in the face of attempts to manipulate our collective minds (Neptune) to some effect--active awareness is one of the best antidotes to passive complicity. The inconjunct also challenges us to make something positive out of this Neptunian connection, however. The deeper we sink into our own spirituality (whatever that means for each of us), the better we will satisfy this need as a People.

The UK is embroiled in Trump-supported change that many fear will explode.

Final thoughts

These are harsh, unsettling times, and our need for leadership is increasingly urgent. Importantly, we didn’t even discuss the fact that Trump’s so-called foreign policy has irritated, rather than calmed, potentially volatile situations abroad. If we look at a biwheel with the U.S. Sibly chart, we see that the Capricorn Sun-Ceres-Saturn-Pluto-Mercury all fall opposite Sibly Mercury (Cancer), inconjunct Sibly Mars (Gemini) and conjunct Sibly Pluto (Capricorn).

All this points to a Big Money focus on rebuilding our military capabilities (the budget is already there, waiting for them), and on crafting a media narrative that “beats the drums of war.” Several “hot spots” exist that could be used for such escapades, and if the economy goes wobbly as many fear, it wouldn’t be surprising for Trump to use a new conflict to deflect from that, and to pump dollars into Wall Street. This would, in turn, deflect from building much-needed new infrastructure, from finally creating a decent healthcare system for all, and from doing anything that isn’t military-related. We've seen how this plays out with other nations in history--it isn't pretty.

So these are points about which the American public (Leo Moon) needs to be more aware and vigilant than ever. It’s a pain to be dwelling on such tough realities on this site, but we can’t get through this phase if we don’t face it head on and own the solutions. Neptune is gradually transiting into an opposition to Sibly Neptune (Virgo), so hiding behind Neptunian illusions (Trump’s immigration czar Ken Cuccinelli has even decided to rewrite Lady Liberty’s “American Dream” for immigrants) will not work to our collective benefit. We need a new “dream” grounded in People power (4^th house Moon) for a demanding new Saturn-Pluto cycle.

We’ll continue this discussion with the next major cycles milestone next time. Time to get real, everyone!!

Our hearts go out to the victims of the El Paso & Dayton shootings--this must stop!

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[1]Michael Munkasey, Midpoints: Unleashing the Power of the Planets, ACS Publications, San Diego, CA, 1991, pp. 204-205.