Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Spring dawns in K’yiv: the March 20th Aries ingress chart and what it says about the months ahead

 



 

“Power and domination continually conspire against life....”- Leonardo Boff, Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor 

 

If you’ve followed mundane astrology and its practices over the years, you will know the significance of the Aries ingress (aka, the spring equinox). This entrance of the Sun into Aries on March 20th each year is considered the astrological or solar new year, and the chart for that inception moment can thus be regarded as a snapshot for at least some of the coming year’s geopolitical "tone” or events.  Differing opinions exist about how seriously this snapshot should be taken and about how long we can expect the conditions reflected in it, cast for a given location, to apply, but in my experience, ingress charts always have something valuable to say about the road ahead. This is especially true when we explore the deeper cyclical pictures that underlie these charts. 

So, I continue to use Aries ingress charts as important yearly signposts—an exercise that feels even more important this year than ever, given how the news is so dominated by Putin’s vicious war of choice on Ukraine. For that reason, today’s post will consider this important ingress milestone from the perspective of Ukraine and its quest to remain an independent nation (Chart #1).   

 

The Aries ingress coincides with the Spring Equinox

Then, armed with that perspective, we’ll briefly consider the same chart cast for Washington, D.C. (Chart #2). Clearly, in trying to respond to Ukraine’s crisis, the world has run smack up against a critical geopolitical crossroads for global Democracy, and the U.S. perspective is certainly important in that regard. We’ll consider whether our response to the Ukraine crisis is likely to be facilitated and effective during the coming months. Where will the opportunities and/or pitfalls for an effective response lie?   

Let’s first flesh out what an “effective” solution or response to this crisis in Ukraine might look like. Thoughts on this issue among foreign policy analysts seem divided into two rough camps: first, those who feel, as Biden does, that the U.S. and NATO nations must proactively and aggressively help Ukraine, but from outside its borders and airspace; and second, those who feel that it’s simply a matter of time before the U.S. and NATO will be compelled to join Ukraine’s struggle, so why not get it over with sooner, rather than later, and save a lot of threatened Ukrainian lives in the process?  

Choosing between these two responses is far from straightforward, even if there is a pretty bright line separating the two: like most things Biden has had to navigate in his first year as president, he’s “damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.” Personally, I’m grateful he’s in no hurry to commit us to WWIII, but like most Americans, I’d really like to be doing more to save Ukrainian civilians from Russian air bombardments, not to mention Putin’s latest pernicious attempt to build a pretext for the atrocity of bioweapons attacks.  How many scenes of genocide can we witness in our daily news without offering to more directly intervene? Can the world really just stand by and watch Putin crush the Ukrainian people (as he helped Bashar al-Assad do to his Syrian people) to satisfy his twisted delusions of Russian history and his own personal power? I find that difficult to believe.  

Putin's war strategy is considered weak by many.
Even so, to directly intervene could be exceedingly reckless and shouldn’t be pursued in response to political pressure, such as Trump boosters claiming Biden is “weak.”  For one thing, the U.S. intervening militarily might be exactly what Putin wants: he would have the perfect excuse to escalate the conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders, and he wouldn’t have to totally fabricate his justifications as he’s done with Ukraine.  

We also know from reports in multiple outlets that Putin’s now seeking mercenaries to join his fight —fighters who will kill for a paycheck will spare him the trouble of explaining so many body bags at home. His megalomania seems to know no bounds: we’ve long entertained the dark fantasy of “robot soldiers” in movies and dystopian sci-fi: how is hiring fighters with no loyalties to anything but a paycheck any different? Of course, it’s a startlingly self-serving move for Putin: the more body bags that come back to Russia, the more likely the Russian people will wake up and realize what’s happening in their name.  

All things considered, it’s hard to see how direct U.S. military intervention would help Ukraine in the long run; the war would officially become “World War III,” dragging our NATO allies into the fray more than they already are, and much more devastation and havoc would be wrought before such a war could be resolved (if it could ever be resolved). Putin has already demonstrated with his forces now occupying two of Ukraine’s nuclear reactors that he’s willing to flirt with nuclear destruction, which would be suicidal, but at what cost to life on this planet as we know it? Maybe he’ll station his mercenaries close to the reactors so he need not have any qualms about what happens; they’re just lackeys on his payroll, after all.   

Bottom line, maybe we should be grateful that we don’t have a hothead in the White House at the moment? Maybe an effective solution is one that helps dial back the threat-o-meter while exerting sane, measured power in ways both big and small? Maybe swaggering in like a drunken cowboy with 6-guns blazing is not the way to go?! Maybe the less toxic Ego and recklessness contained in our response, the better?  

IMHO, we should certainly give as much material assistance, both military (weapons) and humanitarian, as possible, but maybe getting the truth of the situation to the Russian people would be among the most helpful things we could do. The Russian people are being purposely kept in the dark by Putin’s squashing of his nation’s independent press, but they could have the most sway over Putin’s actions if they knew what is actually happening in their name. As the thousands of Russian protestors who have already been hauled to prison over this know, Putin is very fearful of that power: it feels too much like democracy!  

Finally, for those who are looking for more detail about the challenges of and possibilities for helping Ukraine militarily, here’s a very insightful article, as posted in The Bulwark.  

Now, on to the astrology of the coming Aries ingress, set for Kiev.  

 

  

The astrology 

 

Chart #1. Sun enters Aries, March 20, 2022, 5:33:14 p.m., ST, Kiev, Ukraine. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node. All charts cast on Kepler 8.0 and courtesy of Cosmic Patterns Software. 

The angles of this chart are so tightly connected to the planetary picture playing out within them that I have to believe this chart will be greatly relevant to Ukraine’s national crisis going forward. For starters, the Sun (Aries)--the “star” of this ingress chart—conjoins the DSC (Pisces), opposes the ASC (Virgo) and widely squares the MC-IC axis (Gemini-Sagittarius). So, a fiery cardinal focus within a fluid, mutable and chaotic context. The 7th house placement of this fiery Sun suggests that the focus of Ukraine’s leadership will continue to be on alliances, partnerships, and of course, on the “enemy,” Russia, and its menacingly escalating war on their nation.  

A militant, steel-spined Mars (Aquarius) rules this Aries ingress, of course, but a mutable Pisces Mercury rules the chart itself: again, we see a challenging blend of strong warrior energy with the chaotic forces of misinformation and other Neptunian/Piscean factors. On a more positive note, this Neptunian Mercury suggests that we will continue to see the creative outpouring of arts-based resistance to Putin’s dark agenda. Both light and dark possibilities exist, as in any situation.  

Consider the dramatic concentration within the 5th to 8th houses of all points but the asteroid Ceres (Gemini) and the Moon (Libra). Setting aside Ceres for the moment, we have a kind of skewed “bucket” configuration formed between an amazing fan-shaped stellium of 16 planets, asteroids, Chiron and the No. Node, all within those four western hemisphere houses, and the Moon, the one point found in the eastern hemisphere. This Moon lies opposite Eris and Part-of-Fortune (Aries) which are near the outer, upper edge of the stellium and is therefore the “singleton” or “focal” planet. According to Palden Jenkins: “If this planet can be grasped and made use of it focuses all of the other planets and turns the key to the whole energy configuration.” [1] This suggests that the Ukrainian people and how they are supported and “made use of” are the key to unlocking the potential of the stellium to Ukraine’s benefit. Which makes perfect sense: Ukraine is more than a land mass with buildings on it; it is its People and their specific needs and reality, as reflected in this chart.  

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So, this “bucket” configuration tells a real story. In addition to the disruption reflected in its oppositions noted above, the Moon sits square Pluto (Capricorn), widely trine Saturn, and trine a number of key midpoints, including: Sun/Pluto, Mercury/Mars, Mars/Jupiter (all 29°+ Aquarius), Venus/Jupiter and Mars/Neptune (both 1°+Pisces). The determined humanitarian effort and gritty will to survive Russian aggression and corrupt propaganda should benefit from military and logistical support with these energies, it seems. Ukrainians will likely be far from out of danger as this coming spring unfolds—the war will probably escalate (Mars/Jupiter) before it winds down, and Putin’s ocean of misinformation and propaganda (aided by Tucker Carlson’s complicitywill continue fogging up the situation—but it does appear that the wellbeing of the Ukrainian people will motivate a robust response that has both military and legal dimensions.  

In cardinal Libra, this Moon reflects that Ukrainians are fully aware that peace is no passive affair. And they know, all too vividly and viscerally with the 2nd house placement of this Moon, that there’s nothing “abstract” about their struggle for democracy—their basic needs, tangible resources and values are all on the line. A potent and Saturn-inflected Venus, conjunct Mars in Aquarius, rules this 2nd house: too many Ukrainian parents have already buried their children, seemingly targeted by Russian forces; too many families attempting to evacuate have been brutally cut down by enemy air fire; too many families are being stranded without heat, electricity, food and water in besieged areas, with no safe way to exit. The humanitarian dimension of Ukraine’s crisis is very concrete and pressing, but so is their amazing unity around the values of democracy and independence. This is well reflected in the substantial Aquarius energy in play.  

Ukrainian musicians continue to inspire and uplift their people.
Mars, Venus, Juno and Saturn (all Aquarius) join forces in the 5th house here of “casual” influences, such as the arts, popular cultural institutions and so on. In my view, this house (part of the 5-11 axis that takes in "official” associations) also covers the casual, but powerful networking that goes on in places that are less formal than the U.N., NATO, etc. So, by the “Old Boys’ Club,” so to speak. This seems especially relevant here with both Saturn and Pluto (Capricorn) inhabiting this house. This is not about gender, however: a number of influential women (in official position and not) are also contributing—Aquarius Venus and Juno have steely backbones, too. This also suggests that what has normally been considered “soft” negotiating power now acquires much “harder” status. And with Venus in mutual reception with Uranus (Taurus), there are, as one analyst put it, no “risk-free options.”  

Importantly, Venus, Mars, Juno and Saturn all fall square Uranus (Taurus), and Saturn—co-disposing all the Aquarius points with Uranus—also squares the Nodal axis (Taurus-Scorpio). Clearly, Saturn-Uranus energies are dominant here—quite fitting, considering the terror and hardship that Putin is inflicting on Ukraine. Aquarius Mars definitely adds to this, but it may also strengthen Ukraine’s military response. The Venus-8th house Uranus mutual reception suggests that financial upsets and change are on the table here, as are upheavals concerning resources such as food and electricity. The people (Venus also disposes the Libra Moon) are likely to continue suffering the fall-out from these upheavals, however there could be some glimmer of hope that negotiations and outside mediation could be effective.  

The Saturn-Nodal axis t-square seems to reflect the general difficulty of the geopolitical situation of the moment: bombs have already fallen just miles from NATO country borders, so it’s no exaggeration to say that the post-WWII “world order” is being existentially challenged in front of our eyes. Remember, even though we’ve cast this chart for Ukraine, this ingress and this aspect specifically impact the entire world community—not just Ukraine.  

Saturn doesn’t just willy-nilly inflict difficulty on nations and people, however: there’s a logic to dark Saturnian times which can only be met with thorough, responsible, patient leadership, supported by seriously committed people. We’re certainly seeing this from Zelenskyy, but leadership elsewhere is also key. There is no room for hotheads in the response to this level of crisis, and to my mind, we have to avoid any rushes to judgment about how “weak” or “strong” our leaders are. We can’t know a lot of things that are guiding their actions, so we’re can’t really be in a position to judge. History will judge. Perhaps familiar cliches describe the responses called for here: “all hands on deck,” “noses to the grindstone,” and “tightening our belts.”  

For at least a decade now, we’ve been hearing about an international trend towards authoritarianism, and we could certainly view the present crisis and the above Saturn-Nodal axis configuration as the culmination of that trend: if Russia is allowed to swallow Ukraine whole just because Putin feels he’s entitled to do so, and he’s allowed to continue imprisoning his own people when they speak the truth about their nation’s “war” (a word they’re not allowed to use in reference to Putin’s actions), authoritarianism will score a major coup, forcing even more extreme adjustments in the world order as we know it.  

The U.S. is hardly immune to this encroaching tyranny: we’ve been seeing this toxic will-to-power-over bear fruit in the U.S., as well, with the ludicrous Florida law that makes saying the word “gay” in schools a felony, and in states like Idaho that want to dictate what its women can do about unwanted pregnancies when they’re not even in the state by giving “blood relatives” the right to sue if they get an abortion anywhere. There’s something gravely disturbing about such a law: first of all, that the woman basically has no say over her own body (despite a complicit Supreme Court, federal law still dictates that she does), and second, that the long arm of this oppression doesn’t stop at Idaho's own jurisdictional borders. Weaponizing women’s family members and the threat of lawsuits will sow hatred and discord in families and do nothing for the children that may be born in such rancorous situations. Imposing state power over women’s bodies and choices in this way is tyranny, plain and simple. More on this in a future post. 

Contemplating this and even worse oppression as the basis for a new world order closing in on us is like trying to imagine how the past 80 years would have been had Hitler won World War II. In fact, today’s situation could be even grimmer than that: Hitler wasn’t the one with the nuclear weapons at the time. But the parallels are many and are detailed convincingly by Politico writer Alexander J. Motyl here 

All of that impacts the reality unfolding on the ground as we approach this Aries ingress. Putin’s fascist tactics—particularly his willingness to wage genocidal warfare—is perhaps reflected in the Moon opposition to 7th house Eris-Part-of-Fortune in this chart. It seems to reflect Putin’s intention of crushing the people’s resistance quickly with his horrifying attacks. Evidence on the ground seems to suggest that the Ukrainian people who resist Putin's will-to-Power are not simply incidental or collateral casualties in his war; he is willfully targeting them. He’s taken similar approaches elsewhere—most notably in Chechnya and in Syria, and unfortunately, he’s gotten by with it 

From Russia's attack on a maternity hospital in Mariupol.
As discussed by many analysts, Putin is totally detached from the pain and trauma of his victims. And, as the Pisces 7th house cusp suggests, he’s willing to use lies, misinformation, fabricated pretexts, conspiracy mongering, and whatever other devious means he can use to get what he wants. If you’ve ever wondered why these techniques work, despite the clear, verifiable falsehoods Putin forever pushes, here’s a fascinating article from The Bulwark. 

Putin’s driving desire to conquer Ukraine does seem clearly reflected here in the Aries Sun, sitting just above the cusp of the 7th house of foreign relations, partners or enemies, while his apparently favored means for getting what he wants (Neptune) sits less than 7 degrees behind, on the 6th house side of the Pisces cusp it rules. The 6th rules the military and workers, so Ukraine should prepare the best they can for a no-holds barred sort of offensive on multiple levels from Russia. It’s become a truism that when we hear Putin complaining about or accusing others of some dirty tactic, it’s a sure sign that his forces are about to unleash such tactics. All this powerful Neptunian energy suggests that there will be more devious, subversive tactics to come. And the position of Jupiter (Pisces) in this chart suggests that the devious tactics, and probably the war itself, will expand further before it subsides.  

On that note, it’ll be interesting to see if China opens up its coffers and offers military assistance as Putin has reportedly requested—on the basis of what they must know are Putin’s lies. What damage to its own economy and stature in the world will China risk to bail out Putin’s overreaching agenda? 

Officials say Russia has requested military aid from China.
Putin’s tactics may, in fact, be amplified and reinforced by China for a time: Jupiter (Pisces) is hovering a mere 5°+ degrees earlier in Pisces from its Pisces co-ruler, Neptune, and these two planets will be starting their new cycle at 23°59’ Pisces in the coming few weeks (the conjunction will make one exact hit on April 12, with Jupiter moving on pretty quickly from there). My guess is that if Putin is going to realize a boost from China’s cooperation, it may be during the early days of that new cycle.   

Neptune is likely playing another key role here, in fact, and we haven’t even considered the aspects it forms yet! That role is to obfuscate the lines of responsibility. For starters, it could end up being quite difficult to hold Putin’s hired warriors (mercenaries) accountable for any war crimes they commit for him. And it could certainly be more difficult to hold Russia and/or Putin himself responsible, especially if China continues to back them. The U.N. Security Council will likely be unable to even condemn their actions: China and Russia will simply veto any statement the Council drafts. And do we really expect Putin will ask his mercenaries to fill out legitimate paper work or something? All of this is bound to be very difficult to trace, and again, with Jupiter (Pisces) about to quickly catch up with Neptune over the next month, I wouldn’t expect this issue of holding Putin accountable to improve any time soon.  

Let’s now examine the actual aspects Neptune forms in this ingress chart: 

  • It conjoins DSC-Sun (Pisces-Aries), opposes ASC (Virgo) and squares MC-IC axis (Gemini-Sagittarius). In other words, Neptune forms a tight grand mutable square with the chart’s key angles, thus infusing the entire situation with its potentially undermining, erosive and chaotic force. Everything Neptune touches slows down to a crawl because its force is applied very gradually (like the drip-drip-drip of so-called “water torture”). We’re somewhat familiar with how this kind of Neptunian assault feels: consider how the pandemic has unfolded over a mercilessly long time—always with the implied threat of having to start all over again—so, wearing down our will power and making it so difficult to stay focused and “do the right thing.”  

  • It semi-sextiles Saturn-Juno (Aquarius) and Eris-Part of Fortune (Aries). These aspects are worth a deep look: frustrations predictably follow when the urge to disrupt and overthrow (Eris) bumps up against a strong Saturnian wall of resistance. Juno’s presence, aligned with Saturn reflects the challenges that Ukraine’s allies (the U.S. included) are experiencing, trying to be good partners in Ukraine’s cause. Like so many wives we’ve seen, anguished at leaving their husbands and fathers and sons behind in Ukraine to fight, Ukraine's long-distance “partners” (U.S. is included here) are likely also feeling more and more helpless, frustrated and outraged as events escalate. Despite the best judgment of most western alliance military advisors, Neptune in aspect to these points could blur the boundaries of obligations and treaties and draw more allies into the fight, ready or not.  

Of course, the geopolitics of fossil fuels (ruled by Neptune and Pluto) are deeply implicated in this conflict, and all the heavy Saturn energy we’ve discussed above could point to shortages and economic downturns, not to mention cracks in NATO unity as the conflict drags on. This Aquarius Saturn is also interested in pushing the production of electric vehicles and infrastructure, however; it may turn out to be very fortuitous that Biden’s massive infrastructure bill is in the process of being implemented as we speak.  

Biden has noted repeatedly how important NATO unity is to keeping the conflict contained, of courrse, and he seems to be fully aware of the “energy” dimension of the struggle, so hopefully these issues are being hammered out as we speak. Only Saturnian discipline and skill can resist the Neptunian “fog of war,” so it might end up being quite helpful to have a strong Saturn right now, despite some of its less positive, frustrating possibilities.   

Zelensky "slams" NATO for denying a no-fly zone.
These frustrations are being felt on both sides, of course, by Zelenskyy and Putin. Zelenskyy will probably continue to run up against the Saturnian wall of NATO and U.S. resistance to getting directly involved (for good reasons, but frustrating, nevertheless). But Zelenskyy isn't the only frustrated player in this war: Putin’s not achieving his strategic aims as easily as he thought he would, and while that’s a good thing, it may also lead to rash behavior on his part. Most analysts seem to think he will escalate and/or find workarounds, rather than back down, and that seems to fit the picture here as well. The Neptune/No. Node (midpoint, Aries) falls at that sensitive 24°+Aries point (conjunct Eris and the Part of Fortune). Of the negative possibilities for this midpoint on its own, expert Michael Munkasey says: 

“Spies or terrorists which enter for villainous purposes; drug policies which avoid important concerns; an ill-adapted and inadequate hospital or medical system; scandals caused by foreign concerns.” [2] 

This sounds apt in almost every way: if Putin sees his goals continue to be frustrated, Ukraine can probably expect that he will try subversive and terroristic tactics (he’s already doing some of this). We’ve seen his assaults on Ukraine’s hospitals and medical facilities, and with his oligarchs more and more disgruntled about Western sanctions, who knows what kind of scandals might arise? Putin finds endlessly creative ways to weaponize dis- and mis-information, so maybe we’ll even see a replay of something like Trump’s “perfect phone call” with Zelenskyy. Can we imagine Putin accepting that this courageous young man has bested him? More likely, Putin will sink to the lows we know he is capable of to crush Zelenskyy, his people and take K’yiv. IMHO, the world needs to do more to actively protect Zelenskyy: we need more like him!!   

It’s important, I think, that we look at this chart as a momentary snapshot of the “moving” situation that it is. We can envision, in fact, that as the planets in this daunting Capricorn-through-Aries stellium continue moving counterclockwise around Ukraine’s national chart, events on the ground will naturally unfold according to their potentially difficult logic. The slower, weightier planets will continue to creep forward like that intimidating 40-mile long Russian convoy did, with their energies being triggered by transiting Mars and others. It's a horrific waiting game for all concerned, but it’s also true that resistance is possible against the weightiest “convoy,” as the valiant Ukraine military and volunteers have proven.  

Still, with Uranus (Taurus) somewhat isolated from the other planets and sitting near the upper edge of the “bucket,” we can see that the situation in Ukraine will likely continue being driven by shocking, explosive tactics. Nuclear (ruled by Uranus) is not off the table here, unfortunately, but I suspect in Taurus, Uranus is not likely to support such reckless behavior. Putin could be looking for the shock value of nuclear, however: he certainly hasn’t held back from threatening its use and from having his military act recklessly around nuclear reactors. Let’s hope the waning Saturn-Uranus 3Q relationship stifles any sort of escalation in that regard. Notice the 8th house placement of Uranus here: scenes of bombed-out devastation are not just about buildings being collapsed—people are almost always trapped under the rubble, and by the looks of things right now, the death toll will likely continue to grow precipitously.  

 

One of many pro-Ukraine rallies held in D.C.
 

The view from Washington, D.C. 

At this point we should consider how the Aries ingress is likely to play out in U.S. affairs, especially in regards to Ukraine, for the next few months. Traditionally, a mutable sign on the ASC of an ingress chart was thought to indicate that the chart would be relevant for the first quarter of the new solar year, but perhaps not long after that. Every cardinal ingress this year could be significant for Ukraine’s cause—there will be much more to say about those milestones over the year ahead. Suffice to say here that every cardinal ingress from now through this coming December will feature a mutable, Virgo ASC in Kiev, while the same charts set for the U.S. will have different rising signs: in June, Gemini rising; in September, Taurus rising, and in December, Cancer rising. And in Chart #2, Gemini rising. Let’s take a quick look. 

 

Chart #2. Sun enters Aries, March 20, 2022, 5:33:14 p.m., DST, Washington, D.C. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node. All charts cast on Kepler 8.0 and courtesy of Cosmic Patterns Software. 

Obviously, we have the same amazing visual concentration of planets from Capricorn to Taurus in this chart as we did in Chart #1, but here, all but Ceres (Gemini) and Moon (Libra) look like they are being corralled into the upper hemisphere by the Nodal axis (Taurus-Scorpio), which basically slices the chart in two. Like Chart #1, this one tells a very dramatic story. The fairly tight stellium from Pluto-Part of Fortune (Capricorn) counter-clockwise through Saturn (Aquarius)--all in the financial 8th house—reflects the strong financial commitment the U.S. has to Ukraine’s successful resistance; there’s no reason to believe that this will end during the first quarter of the new solar year.  

There are a number of financial implications to our stance on Putin’s war, of course, and with 8th house Mars-Venus-Juno-Saturn so tightly packed and square Uranus (Taurus), it’s quite possible this war will deliver some shocks to our economy, if it hasn’t already. This is reinforced by Moon (Libra), ruling the Cancer 2nd house and opposed by Eris (Aries), with this axis t-square Capricorn Pluto-Part of Fortune. We can probably expect some profiteers (corporate or otherwise) to disrupt the marketplace by keeping commodity prices artificially high. Biden’s already warned companies not to do this, but if it can be done, we should probably count on it being done. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of “Good old boy” type corruption in this regard, either—the Moon falls in the 5th house and could support that sort of development.  

Notice that the Aries Sun—representing leadership in the 10th house, forms only a few significant aspects: an out-of-sign sextile to Pluto (Capricorn) and an out-of-sign quincunx with that all-important Moon. It also widely sextiles Vesta (Aquarius), which in turn, conjoins Pluto. Households will likely wield notable influence in public affairs in the coming quarter, which probably makes sense for an election year.  

More focused on prices and their personal economies than anything, the American people, as reflected in this Moon, could be somewhat out-of-touch with BIden’s agenda in regards to Ukraine or anything else, for that matter (Sun-Moon quincunx). This disconnect is nothing new for Biden, of course; his agenda seems to be forever “fogged over” by misinformation and a “chip-on-the-shoulder" attitude that seems to blame him for everything we’ve gone through in the pandemic. This could continue being the case, with Neptune (Pisces) widely conjunct Sun (Aries). It’s totally irrational, but it is what it is; thankfully, his response has been to simply keep on keeping on. He could nurse grievances and rail at some media outlets for their lies and distortions, but he tends to rise above such things and to just carry on doing his job.  

Biden addressing the nation about U.S. aid to Ukraine.
Maybe the Cosmos will give him a break here, in fact: both Saturn/Uranus and Mars/No. Node midpoints (Aries) conjoin the Sun (Aries).  In so far as helping Ukraine with weaponry and other assistance has become “political,” these midpoints could help bridge unhelpful gaps and roll back obstructions. 

It would help, of course, if the truth about Putin’s campaign and the important role the U.S. needs to play right now wasn’t being muddied by people like Fox’s Tucker Carlson and others. Mercury, ruling the Gemini ASC of this chart, falls conjunct both Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces in the 9th house of international affairs: unfortunately, this may portend more distorted information, rather than less. There may be a silver lining here, however: Jupiter rules the Sagittarius 7th house and co-rules (with Neptune) the Pisces 10th, so while it may help escalate and expand the war on one hand, it could also support authoritative diplomatic efforts.  

Last I heard, in fact, there seems to be some optimism (that would fit with Jupiter) about the prospects for Putin-Zelensky negotiations in the near future, but with Putin involved, we can believe it when we see it. I mentioned under Chart #1 that this Jupiter-Neptune duo approaching their cycle conjunction in April may point to China’s potential alliance with Russia—a matter of great concern for American foreign relations (9th house); this chart confirms that possibility. Piscean energies are supremely malleable, however; Putin (and perhaps China) will make one use of them, while Zelensky and allies will make another, perhaps seeking tactical advantages that will help resolve the conflict. That fits Jupiter-Neptune's 6th house placement in Chart #1 (Kiev) and it also fits the chart cast for Moscow.   

Saturn (Aquarius) t-squares Nodal axis (Taurus-Scorpio). I’m encouraged by the 11th house placement of the No. Node here: it suggests that our alliances will remain solid (fixed Taurus), even though Saturn’s t-square indicates the need for serious commitment, skill and discipline going forward because disruptive forces are still very much on the loose. The 8th-2nd house axis pulled into the configuration with Saturn’s placement likely guarantees that there will be financial fallout as this conflict drags on. Venus conjoins Mars (Aquarius) and together they square Uranus (Venus in mutual reception with Uranus)—surprising developments in regards to both military and financial weaponry are likely. Hanging tight against the use of Russian oil and gas may be key to bringing Putin to the negotiating table; that will take real solidarity and support between allies—that's where the fixed signs in these aspects will help.  

This staunch Saturn and other Aquarius points may also be the key to prosecuting the war crimes that we are witnessing in the news almost daily. Chiron-Pallas (Aries) square Venus-Mars (Aquarius), disposed by both Saturn and Uranus. This is a long-term issue that we’ll see unfold over the coming year, I would guess, but at least there is an ongoing investigation in place. The legitimacy of the international bodies that prosecute war crimes could be at risk here, if Putin gets by with his obvious targeting of civilians.  

 

 

Final thoughts 

It’s impossible to look at the news these days without being horrified with the scenes of devastation and outright villainy being perpetrated by Putin’s forces against the Ukrainian people. But I found Zelenskyy’s address to Congress this morning (3/16) hopeful and inspiring. He’s doing the most difficult job on the planet at this moment, and he’s doing it well, uniting his people firmly behind him. After a series of moving comments, he concluded by addressing Joe Biden directly, saying: 

"You are the leader of your grand nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace." 

I hope we can all take this comment to heart, because these are times when our hearts must lead the way. What more is there to say? 

Love and Light to all! 

 


[1] Palden Jenkins, Living in Time: Learning to experience astrology in your life, Gateway Books, Bath, UK, 1987, p. 160. 

[2] Michael Munkasey, Midpoints: Unleashing the Power of the Planets, ACS Publications, San Diego, CA, 1991, p. 336.

 

Raye Robertson is a practicing astrologer, writer and former educator. A graduate of the Faculty of Astrological Studies (U.K.), Raye focuses on mundane, collective-oriented astrology, with a particular interest in current affairs, U.S. history, culture and media, the astrology of generations, and public concerns such as education and health. She’s published articles on these topics in several key astrology journals over the years, including most recently, the TMA blog. For information about individual chart readings, contact: robertsonraye@gmail.com.
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