The Panic-demic and the Planets, Part 2
Moira Lake
If you have not read the first part of this article you might like to, as although the dates covered in that piece are now past, it does tell a coherent story of the context of the main planetary action in these times, in particular what the complex Saturn-Pluto conjunction in January 2020 has all been about, and why it continues to be so important throughout December 2020 and the coming year. This instalment will focus on two main events, the solar eclipse on December 14th, and the winter solstice on December 21st, which give the flavour of what is happening now, and the year to come. We will look at charts set for these events, as well as some trends in the new year, looking a little more widely than just focusing on the pandemic.
Just before we do that, to give us some context let’s take a quick look at some of the major pandemics historically. Probably the worst on record was the Black Death (bubonic plague) of the Middle Ages which lasted from 1346-1352, and continued to break out in local epidemics for several more decades. It led to 100 million deaths, including half the population of Europe, and resurfaced in London as the Great Plague of 1665 which caused around 100,000 deaths. It erupted again from time to time, until the last recorded outbreak in Europe occurred in 1894. Scientists have decided that the Black Death began in China and spread westwards, along with recent pandemics such as Asian flu in 1956-58, Hong Kong flu in 1968, several outbreaks of bird flu in the late 1990s and 2005, SARS in 2002, swine flu (which began in Mexico but was a mutation of the bird flu virus of China), and of course Covid-19 in 2020. Even the ‘Spanish’ flu of 1918 (50 million deaths), which was previously thought to have begun in Kansas, is now believed to have been brought by Chinese labourers en route to Canada. Why do all these diseases appear to have begun in China? I don’t know, but it’s interesting, and the assumptions about them starting in live animal markets are not quite adequate. Anyway, you may remember the media attempts to whip up panic about each virus as it came along. Oh, and in case you are wondering, the plague bacterium has not vanished, it is in storage, and carefully vetted scientists are allowed to play with it now and again. So that’s reassuring.
Just before we do that, to give us some context let’s take a quick look at some of the major pandemics historically. Probably the worst on record was the Black Death (bubonic plague) of the Middle Ages which lasted from 1346-1352, and continued to break out in local epidemics for several more decades. It led to 100 million deaths, including half the population of Europe, and resurfaced in London as the Great Plague of 1665 which caused around 100,000 deaths. It erupted again from time to time, until the last recorded outbreak in Europe occurred in 1894. Scientists have decided that the Black Death began in China and spread westwards, along with recent pandemics such as Asian flu in 1956-58, Hong Kong flu in 1968, several outbreaks of bird flu in the late 1990s and 2005, SARS in 2002, swine flu (which began in Mexico but was a mutation of the bird flu virus of China), and of course Covid-19 in 2020. Even the ‘Spanish’ flu of 1918 (50 million deaths), which was previously thought to have begun in Kansas, is now believed to have been brought by Chinese labourers en route to Canada. Why do all these diseases appear to have begun in China? I don’t know, but it’s interesting, and the assumptions about them starting in live animal markets are not quite adequate. Anyway, you may remember the media attempts to whip up panic about each virus as it came along. Oh, and in case you are wondering, the plague bacterium has not vanished, it is in storage, and carefully vetted scientists are allowed to play with it now and again. So that’s reassuring.
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Solar Eclipse December 2020
On December 14th 2020, we have a total solar eclipse – a New Moon in which for a time the Moon hides the Sun from view – although this one is not visible in the UK. The chart is set for London, representing the UK, although apart from references to the houses, my comments will apply anywhere. A solar eclipse happens roughly every six months, and gives us an idea of the shape of things for the next six months, especially the first couple of months after eclipse. This eclipse is on 23 degrees Sagittarius in the 6th house of health, disease, the body, the servants and workers of a society, which shows that the pandemic will continue to be the collective focus for some months yet. Sagittarius is a sign that wants to be free to roam and explore as it chooses, but here we see the Sun and Moon in that sign still confined by the health measures which we are told will ‘keep us safe’. |
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However, the Sun and Moon have recently separated from the trine to Mars, and reached the exact degree of trine to Eris, the far outer planet which relates to those (in this case most of us) who increasingly resent having been excluded from the plans and whose voices have not been heard. The Sagittarian longing for freedom combined with the building anger of Mars and the bitter resentment of Eris, both in Aries, indicate that forceful opposition and demands for liberty will increase. The horizon of the eclipse chart falls exactly across the axis of summer and winter solstice, hinge points of the year, emphasising the chart’s significance and showing that its information reinforces what we learn (below) from the winter solstice chart.
We began the year in January with Saturn and Pluto in conjunction on the 12th, and Jupiter fast approaching them. These three (see Part 1) have dominated the year, frequently activated by a combative Mars in Aries. At the eclipse the trio of Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto are still close together in Capricorn, in the 8th house. This, Pluto’s favourite house, can be a place of the profoundest healing and transformation, and it can also be a place of hidden manipulation, secrets and the corrupt use of power, especially in the areas of sex, money and ‘the occult’ – areas of life where humans can be so easily controlled. Jupiter, tremendously benign when left to itself, is still flanked on each side by the bosses, Saturn and Pluto, as it has been for months now. The image that comes immediately to my mind, seeing them together in the 8th like this, is of a confident, rather naïve undergraduate who suddenly realises that s/he has just been recruited by the secret service or worse.
As well as the pandemic, the UK is also in the final stages of Brexit, and we are almost certainly leaving the EU ‘without a deal’ so far as most of the population are concerned. But there is no doubt that secret deals on many fronts have been done, and will be done, and this power base in the 8th house shows us this very clearly. You can see Jupiter as representing the law and courts, religion and in particular the Church, the universities, the wealth of the nation and also its cultural wealth. It is an expansive energy in contrast to the contraction enforced by Saturn, but much as Jupiter prefers a distance from Saturn, it is no radical. Saturn will not be seriously challenged until it squares Uranus, which it does three times in 2021.
We began the year in January with Saturn and Pluto in conjunction on the 12th, and Jupiter fast approaching them. These three (see Part 1) have dominated the year, frequently activated by a combative Mars in Aries. At the eclipse the trio of Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto are still close together in Capricorn, in the 8th house. This, Pluto’s favourite house, can be a place of the profoundest healing and transformation, and it can also be a place of hidden manipulation, secrets and the corrupt use of power, especially in the areas of sex, money and ‘the occult’ – areas of life where humans can be so easily controlled. Jupiter, tremendously benign when left to itself, is still flanked on each side by the bosses, Saturn and Pluto, as it has been for months now. The image that comes immediately to my mind, seeing them together in the 8th like this, is of a confident, rather naïve undergraduate who suddenly realises that s/he has just been recruited by the secret service or worse.
As well as the pandemic, the UK is also in the final stages of Brexit, and we are almost certainly leaving the EU ‘without a deal’ so far as most of the population are concerned. But there is no doubt that secret deals on many fronts have been done, and will be done, and this power base in the 8th house shows us this very clearly. You can see Jupiter as representing the law and courts, religion and in particular the Church, the universities, the wealth of the nation and also its cultural wealth. It is an expansive energy in contrast to the contraction enforced by Saturn, but much as Jupiter prefers a distance from Saturn, it is no radical. Saturn will not be seriously challenged until it squares Uranus, which it does three times in 2021.
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Winter Solstice 2020
The Moon and Saturn arrive together in the sign of Aquarius on 17th December, implying that at this stage the majority of the people (Moon) are still obediently led by the authorities. Now let’s look at the winter solstice chart, again set for London. This gives us a taste of the year to come, and applies particularly to the first three months until the spring equinox. Here is where the year’s seeds are planted, and by spring we will see very clearly what this new growth is. In this chart the Moon is on 23 degrees Pisces, squaring the position of the solar eclipse and indicating that these charts together contain most of the information we need. Mars is now exactly conjunct Eris in Aries, exactly squaring Pluto and closely squaring the degree of the Saturn/Pluto conjunction in January. This activity of Mars is very important: actions against lockdown, economic collapse and financial injustice, plus a rapidly growing understanding of what we are up against are expanding fiercely, and may lead to increased violence on all sides and harsh prison sentences. But remember (see Part 1) that the pact between Saturn and Pluto made at the conjunction, which involved the world’s rulers (by which I mean not just governments and their agents, but the hidden rulers behind these) was a binding pact. While the other significators move ahead, Pluto remains in Capricorn for the next four years, continuing to sound the leitmotif of that conjunction and reminding us that its energy continues. |
Jupiter/Saturn conjunction
The most powerful factor in this powerful chart is, as you have probably heard, the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, which occurs on 0 degrees Aquarius, in the twelfth house, still close to Pluto. This conjunction happens roughly every 20 years, and is one of the crucial cycles used in financial astrology. (You won’t be surprised to learn that many – maybe most – big investors and corporate heads use astrology in their financial decisions.) The conjunction always brings economic instability, with contrary impulses to expand or contract, but as Saturn is ultimately the stronger planet – and thanks to lockdown and a no-deal Brexit we are already in economic breakdown – we can expect depression, foreclosures and bank failures. We know that we have to let things break down before we can replace them with something better, but these will be hard times for many people, and we are at a disadvantage because most of us have not been planning this for years, unlike the architects of breakdown.
There are three concentric Jupiter/Saturn cycles of which this twenty-year cycle is the smallest. Secondly, there is a cycle of 200 years, during which the series of conjunctions takes place in the same element, so that for the last 200 years the conjunctions have taken place in earth signs. This conjunction in Aquarius marks the beginning of a new 200-year series in the air element. There is a third roughly 800-year cycle between the beginning of an element series and the beginning of the next series in the same element. The last series in air signs began in 1226 and ended in 1405, with conjunctions in Aquarius.
So let’s look at this conjunction in the chart. It is close to the ascendant, having just risen above the horizon, giving it a prominent place in the chart and emphasising its importance. However, it is still technically in the twelfth house, traditionally the place of hidden enemies, poisons, and incarceration in prisons and hospitals. So the secret plans continue, and perhaps we’d better not get too excited. But then the twelfth house can also be the place of dreams and inspiration. It can be a way into an expanded spiritual consciousness where we receive messages from the higher self and Spirit, and we can operate at the high, fine levels that those who so trouble this world cannot reach. So let’s not be down-hearted, because we are in the mysterious realms where we could be powerfully creative behind the scenes, drawing on the immense energies available to us when we are in contact with our true, powerful selves. I’ll tell you one thing for sure, though: while we have much help available and strong allies in spirit, the mess is ours to sort out, so stay grounded and stay discerning. Far too many people are oohing and aahing about this conjunction in Aquarius, clutching desperately at a belief in a glorious new age of freedom, based on a gooey piece they saw on You Tube by some irresponsible platitudinous astrologer.
Currently, from our different viewpoints we are collectively sharing the breakdown, economically, spiritually, physically, culturally and in all ways, of our particular version of Earth. Earth and her inhabitants are already inhabiting plural realities and we experience this every day. The proliferation of worlds will intensify, and most importantly, above everything, we must develop our creative power, our courage and our commitment. This is what is required of us, and attempts to reassure you by saying that the worst is over and now it’s all lovely and Aquarian are, whether intentionally or not, tricks and traps to mislead and disempower you.
By the way here is something interesting, if you don’t mind taking another quick look at the Black Death. Medieval astrologers, scholars and priests sought the cause of this plague, and the award for the best answer was given to the astrologers, who attributed it to the conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars which had taken place on 19 degrees of Aquarius in April of the previous year. They reasoned that Jupiter/Saturn conjunctions always brought instability, and when conjoined with Mars this meant trouble. Faced with Mars and Saturn, the benign power of Jupiter could only inflate the harmfulness of the other two, and the noxious plague was quickly spread by particles borne through the air (Aquarius). I’ll just quietly leave that on the table and move on.
What is Aquarius really like?
Many astrologers are expressing glee that this Jupiter/Saturn conjunction takes place in Aquarius, and forecasting a lighter and freer time ahead, after 200 years of conjunctions in earth signs and an intensely Capricornian year for us all. Aquarius has a reputation for being all about freedom, humanitarian ideals, democracy and utopias generally. Since the 1960s when the musical ‘Hair’ made the idea of ‘The Age of Aquarius’ familiar to everyone, despite the fact that no-one agrees on when it will start, or if it has already started, millions of people have been awaiting this wonderful dawn. Certainly there are many indications that we are entering or have entered an Aquarian age. As with all things in astrology, this is neither all good nor all bad, and needs to be looked at carefully. We can set aside discussion of the Age of Aquarius for now, and consider the sign in relation to this conjunction.
Aquarius is an air sign, which means it is concerned with the mind (human mind, that is), communication, thought, intellect, science and technology. It is not concerned with matters of the physical body, or with emotions or feelings. Aquarian energy is detached and essentially unemotional. Please do not misunderstand me here – I am certainly not saying that this describes everyone born as an Aquarian (ie having their Sun in Aquarius). A birth chart is a very complex map, and an Aquarian person may have many factors in their chart that make them warm and loving. But the part of their chart that is Aquarian will have the above characteristics, which will have to be integrated with the rest. We are talking here about the intrinsic qualities of Aquarius. There is sometimes an inventive, far-seeing brilliance about Aquarius, and this can lead equally to the development of politics and technologies which genuinely help the world, and to those which devastate it. To see what I mean by this far-seeing brilliance, you might imagine the sudden clarity given by a flash of lightning, a sudden cold glare which shows everything clearly for a moment. There is high intelligence, without necessarily the depth or compassion of wisdom. (Again, I am not saying that Aquarian people do not possess compassion or wisdom, I am talking about the inherent qualities of the sign itself.)
Brilliance, invention and knowledge are ends in themselves for the Aquarian mind, please be aware of this, and consider its implications. The creation of unlimited artificial intelligence, the internet of things where every appliance in our house is snooping on us, constant bombardment by the EMFs of 5G and every higher G, forty thousand satellites zapping this beautiful Earth from the sky, the anti-human agenda of transhumanism, the creation of settlements on Mars, all of which are already well advanced…these are all quintessentially Aquarian projects. Unless we find our true power to bring love, devotion to Earth, and high spiritual compassionate creativity to the project of shaping this Aquarian mentality, the above is all we will have.
The demand for freedom, space and far sight can indeed be an exhilarating prospect after the concentrated and confining energy of Capricorn, and we can draw on this in what we create in these times. But let’s not buy the half-true hype about everything turning out fine, which will simply send us back to sleep. It’s more complicated than that. It is absolutely true, I deeply believe this and I want you to hear it, that we will create, we are creating the true world of our hearts, the world of love and beauty in which all life is honoured. In fact, this world has already been created, it exists and is ready for us. The complication is that we must sustain our courage, our compassion, our commitment and our creativity as we walk the fine bright line to that world. We are not being given a free pass, we must reach for ourselves beyond the binding hoop of Saturn which confines us within a degraded version of ourselves, to reach our true being.
Saturn rules Aquarius
The Jupiter/Saturn conjunction in Aquarius does mark Saturn’s departure from Capricorn, but this is not a huge change for Saturn. I need to explain something about planetary rulership to make this clear. For countless generations astrologers worked with the stars and planets visible to the naked eye, so for this solar system they worked with the Sun, Moon and five planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They developed a system of planetary rulers according to which the Sun and Moon each ruled one sign, and the other five planets ruled two signs each, one of which was its daytime masculine expression, and the other was its night-time, feminine expression. (This does not refer to actual day and night, but to the qualities associated with them.) Saturn, the remotest planet, was the lord of the boundary, seen as a negative influence and known as the ‘greater malefic’ ie ‘harm bringer’, (the ‘lesser malefic’ being Mars). Saturn was seen to rule both Capricorn and Aquarius, and the truth is that this planet is equally at home in both. What it will do at the solstice is to move from its ‘nocturnal’ feminine sign of Capricorn into its ‘daytime’ masculine sign of Aquarius. Its attributes of structure, strategy and constructive focus will then operate happily in the fields (described above) of Aquarius.
You may think this must be wrong, because surely Uranus is the ruler of Aquarius? In comparatively recent times astrologers decided to give rulerships to the outer planets, Uranus Neptune and Pluto, and Uranus was given to Aquarius. But this is based on a misunderstanding of the meaning of the rulerships of the inner planets, which relates specifically to what one might call the Saturnian system. Lockdown and quarantine are second nature to Saturn, whose job it is to keep our awareness focused on the concerns of this reduced reality. It does not want us reaching out to the much wider cosmos where teaching, wisdom and aid from more highly developed beings (as well as less desirable forms of interference) are available to us: this is one of the reasons why it was seen as malefic, even though its gifts are invaluable in managing this reality. There is of course a bigger story behind this which I cannot go into now. Suffice to say that the outer planets are completely outside this Saturnian system and have nothing to do with planetary rulership. However, there are affinities between the outer planets and the signs they have been mistakenly given, to the extent that each outer planet can offer a link to the higher possibilities of the sign concerned. One could imagine, for instance, Uranus standing far back from Aquarius, observing how it functions within its Saturnian bounds, and sending into it a beam of inspiration and greater intelligence, giving it the desire to move beyond those bounds. So we see immediately that there is conflict between the different agendas of Saturn and Uranus, and this will become significant this year.
The nature of Uranus is emotionally detached, given to flights of inspired thought, and insistent on liberty. It was first associated with revolution and freedom fighting when it was discovered in 1781 during the American War of Independence, shortly before the French Revolution and during the First Industrial Revolution. We are currently being told that we are in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where we are all becoming increasingly linked to and controlled by the internet. While this may be one form of the Aquarian agenda, we have to make sure that we do not comply with it simply by failing to attend to it. These things are frightening, and we all have so much to deal with already, it is so easy to feel overwhelmed by the horrors stealthily surrounding us. As more of us see what is happening and refuse our consent, we may need to call on the power of Uranus to activate our determination to resist.
Plenty more in 2021
The pace continues with some important transits in the new year. Mars pays its last visits to the power trio of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. On the 23rd December it squares Pluto for the last time, then on 12th January (anniversary of the Saturn/Pluto conjunction in 2020) having moved into Taurus it squares Saturn. On January 20th Mars moves into conjunction with Uranus, giving us a potentially explosive couple of weeks, and on 22nd it squares Jupiter. On 17th January Jupiter squares Uranus, and on 17th February Saturn squares Uranus. All these squares are dynamic, challenging aspects, and the Saturn square to Uranus particularly so. Saturn squares Uranus again twice more in 2021 as it moves through Aquarius, on June 14th and December 24th. These charged aspects will be a continuing theme through 2021, bringing confrontations between those acting ostensibly in the name of ‘safety’ and the law, and those acting and dreaming for freedom.
This will not be a restful year, but here we are, meeting it truthfully and with love, not allowing ourselves to go back to sleep, watching with fierce compassionate clarity for the healing opportunities that will come…sometimes staggering and sometimes striding towards the world that is truly ours.
The most powerful factor in this powerful chart is, as you have probably heard, the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, which occurs on 0 degrees Aquarius, in the twelfth house, still close to Pluto. This conjunction happens roughly every 20 years, and is one of the crucial cycles used in financial astrology. (You won’t be surprised to learn that many – maybe most – big investors and corporate heads use astrology in their financial decisions.) The conjunction always brings economic instability, with contrary impulses to expand or contract, but as Saturn is ultimately the stronger planet – and thanks to lockdown and a no-deal Brexit we are already in economic breakdown – we can expect depression, foreclosures and bank failures. We know that we have to let things break down before we can replace them with something better, but these will be hard times for many people, and we are at a disadvantage because most of us have not been planning this for years, unlike the architects of breakdown.
There are three concentric Jupiter/Saturn cycles of which this twenty-year cycle is the smallest. Secondly, there is a cycle of 200 years, during which the series of conjunctions takes place in the same element, so that for the last 200 years the conjunctions have taken place in earth signs. This conjunction in Aquarius marks the beginning of a new 200-year series in the air element. There is a third roughly 800-year cycle between the beginning of an element series and the beginning of the next series in the same element. The last series in air signs began in 1226 and ended in 1405, with conjunctions in Aquarius.
So let’s look at this conjunction in the chart. It is close to the ascendant, having just risen above the horizon, giving it a prominent place in the chart and emphasising its importance. However, it is still technically in the twelfth house, traditionally the place of hidden enemies, poisons, and incarceration in prisons and hospitals. So the secret plans continue, and perhaps we’d better not get too excited. But then the twelfth house can also be the place of dreams and inspiration. It can be a way into an expanded spiritual consciousness where we receive messages from the higher self and Spirit, and we can operate at the high, fine levels that those who so trouble this world cannot reach. So let’s not be down-hearted, because we are in the mysterious realms where we could be powerfully creative behind the scenes, drawing on the immense energies available to us when we are in contact with our true, powerful selves. I’ll tell you one thing for sure, though: while we have much help available and strong allies in spirit, the mess is ours to sort out, so stay grounded and stay discerning. Far too many people are oohing and aahing about this conjunction in Aquarius, clutching desperately at a belief in a glorious new age of freedom, based on a gooey piece they saw on You Tube by some irresponsible platitudinous astrologer.
Currently, from our different viewpoints we are collectively sharing the breakdown, economically, spiritually, physically, culturally and in all ways, of our particular version of Earth. Earth and her inhabitants are already inhabiting plural realities and we experience this every day. The proliferation of worlds will intensify, and most importantly, above everything, we must develop our creative power, our courage and our commitment. This is what is required of us, and attempts to reassure you by saying that the worst is over and now it’s all lovely and Aquarian are, whether intentionally or not, tricks and traps to mislead and disempower you.
By the way here is something interesting, if you don’t mind taking another quick look at the Black Death. Medieval astrologers, scholars and priests sought the cause of this plague, and the award for the best answer was given to the astrologers, who attributed it to the conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars which had taken place on 19 degrees of Aquarius in April of the previous year. They reasoned that Jupiter/Saturn conjunctions always brought instability, and when conjoined with Mars this meant trouble. Faced with Mars and Saturn, the benign power of Jupiter could only inflate the harmfulness of the other two, and the noxious plague was quickly spread by particles borne through the air (Aquarius). I’ll just quietly leave that on the table and move on.
What is Aquarius really like?
Many astrologers are expressing glee that this Jupiter/Saturn conjunction takes place in Aquarius, and forecasting a lighter and freer time ahead, after 200 years of conjunctions in earth signs and an intensely Capricornian year for us all. Aquarius has a reputation for being all about freedom, humanitarian ideals, democracy and utopias generally. Since the 1960s when the musical ‘Hair’ made the idea of ‘The Age of Aquarius’ familiar to everyone, despite the fact that no-one agrees on when it will start, or if it has already started, millions of people have been awaiting this wonderful dawn. Certainly there are many indications that we are entering or have entered an Aquarian age. As with all things in astrology, this is neither all good nor all bad, and needs to be looked at carefully. We can set aside discussion of the Age of Aquarius for now, and consider the sign in relation to this conjunction.
Aquarius is an air sign, which means it is concerned with the mind (human mind, that is), communication, thought, intellect, science and technology. It is not concerned with matters of the physical body, or with emotions or feelings. Aquarian energy is detached and essentially unemotional. Please do not misunderstand me here – I am certainly not saying that this describes everyone born as an Aquarian (ie having their Sun in Aquarius). A birth chart is a very complex map, and an Aquarian person may have many factors in their chart that make them warm and loving. But the part of their chart that is Aquarian will have the above characteristics, which will have to be integrated with the rest. We are talking here about the intrinsic qualities of Aquarius. There is sometimes an inventive, far-seeing brilliance about Aquarius, and this can lead equally to the development of politics and technologies which genuinely help the world, and to those which devastate it. To see what I mean by this far-seeing brilliance, you might imagine the sudden clarity given by a flash of lightning, a sudden cold glare which shows everything clearly for a moment. There is high intelligence, without necessarily the depth or compassion of wisdom. (Again, I am not saying that Aquarian people do not possess compassion or wisdom, I am talking about the inherent qualities of the sign itself.)
Brilliance, invention and knowledge are ends in themselves for the Aquarian mind, please be aware of this, and consider its implications. The creation of unlimited artificial intelligence, the internet of things where every appliance in our house is snooping on us, constant bombardment by the EMFs of 5G and every higher G, forty thousand satellites zapping this beautiful Earth from the sky, the anti-human agenda of transhumanism, the creation of settlements on Mars, all of which are already well advanced…these are all quintessentially Aquarian projects. Unless we find our true power to bring love, devotion to Earth, and high spiritual compassionate creativity to the project of shaping this Aquarian mentality, the above is all we will have.
The demand for freedom, space and far sight can indeed be an exhilarating prospect after the concentrated and confining energy of Capricorn, and we can draw on this in what we create in these times. But let’s not buy the half-true hype about everything turning out fine, which will simply send us back to sleep. It’s more complicated than that. It is absolutely true, I deeply believe this and I want you to hear it, that we will create, we are creating the true world of our hearts, the world of love and beauty in which all life is honoured. In fact, this world has already been created, it exists and is ready for us. The complication is that we must sustain our courage, our compassion, our commitment and our creativity as we walk the fine bright line to that world. We are not being given a free pass, we must reach for ourselves beyond the binding hoop of Saturn which confines us within a degraded version of ourselves, to reach our true being.
Saturn rules Aquarius
The Jupiter/Saturn conjunction in Aquarius does mark Saturn’s departure from Capricorn, but this is not a huge change for Saturn. I need to explain something about planetary rulership to make this clear. For countless generations astrologers worked with the stars and planets visible to the naked eye, so for this solar system they worked with the Sun, Moon and five planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They developed a system of planetary rulers according to which the Sun and Moon each ruled one sign, and the other five planets ruled two signs each, one of which was its daytime masculine expression, and the other was its night-time, feminine expression. (This does not refer to actual day and night, but to the qualities associated with them.) Saturn, the remotest planet, was the lord of the boundary, seen as a negative influence and known as the ‘greater malefic’ ie ‘harm bringer’, (the ‘lesser malefic’ being Mars). Saturn was seen to rule both Capricorn and Aquarius, and the truth is that this planet is equally at home in both. What it will do at the solstice is to move from its ‘nocturnal’ feminine sign of Capricorn into its ‘daytime’ masculine sign of Aquarius. Its attributes of structure, strategy and constructive focus will then operate happily in the fields (described above) of Aquarius.
You may think this must be wrong, because surely Uranus is the ruler of Aquarius? In comparatively recent times astrologers decided to give rulerships to the outer planets, Uranus Neptune and Pluto, and Uranus was given to Aquarius. But this is based on a misunderstanding of the meaning of the rulerships of the inner planets, which relates specifically to what one might call the Saturnian system. Lockdown and quarantine are second nature to Saturn, whose job it is to keep our awareness focused on the concerns of this reduced reality. It does not want us reaching out to the much wider cosmos where teaching, wisdom and aid from more highly developed beings (as well as less desirable forms of interference) are available to us: this is one of the reasons why it was seen as malefic, even though its gifts are invaluable in managing this reality. There is of course a bigger story behind this which I cannot go into now. Suffice to say that the outer planets are completely outside this Saturnian system and have nothing to do with planetary rulership. However, there are affinities between the outer planets and the signs they have been mistakenly given, to the extent that each outer planet can offer a link to the higher possibilities of the sign concerned. One could imagine, for instance, Uranus standing far back from Aquarius, observing how it functions within its Saturnian bounds, and sending into it a beam of inspiration and greater intelligence, giving it the desire to move beyond those bounds. So we see immediately that there is conflict between the different agendas of Saturn and Uranus, and this will become significant this year.
The nature of Uranus is emotionally detached, given to flights of inspired thought, and insistent on liberty. It was first associated with revolution and freedom fighting when it was discovered in 1781 during the American War of Independence, shortly before the French Revolution and during the First Industrial Revolution. We are currently being told that we are in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where we are all becoming increasingly linked to and controlled by the internet. While this may be one form of the Aquarian agenda, we have to make sure that we do not comply with it simply by failing to attend to it. These things are frightening, and we all have so much to deal with already, it is so easy to feel overwhelmed by the horrors stealthily surrounding us. As more of us see what is happening and refuse our consent, we may need to call on the power of Uranus to activate our determination to resist.
Plenty more in 2021
The pace continues with some important transits in the new year. Mars pays its last visits to the power trio of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. On the 23rd December it squares Pluto for the last time, then on 12th January (anniversary of the Saturn/Pluto conjunction in 2020) having moved into Taurus it squares Saturn. On January 20th Mars moves into conjunction with Uranus, giving us a potentially explosive couple of weeks, and on 22nd it squares Jupiter. On 17th January Jupiter squares Uranus, and on 17th February Saturn squares Uranus. All these squares are dynamic, challenging aspects, and the Saturn square to Uranus particularly so. Saturn squares Uranus again twice more in 2021 as it moves through Aquarius, on June 14th and December 24th. These charged aspects will be a continuing theme through 2021, bringing confrontations between those acting ostensibly in the name of ‘safety’ and the law, and those acting and dreaming for freedom.
This will not be a restful year, but here we are, meeting it truthfully and with love, not allowing ourselves to go back to sleep, watching with fierce compassionate clarity for the healing opportunities that will come…sometimes staggering and sometimes striding towards the world that is truly ours.
Moira Lake: I have been working in the fields of healing and astrology for over thirty years, thanks to the endless creativity and humour of Grandmother Earth and Spirit. I am writing a book about healing, walking among the worlds, plant spirits and the nature of reality, which will come out towards the end of 2020.
www.hearthstarhealing.com
www.hearthstarhealing.com