2020 AND JANUARY 2020 GLOBAL ASTROLOGICAL OVERVIEW

We have begun the new decade of the 2020’s.

 

I think most people feel a little uncomfortable about prospects on a global level of the coming 10 years and indeed reality demands we should.  Anxiety is the precursor to action. Nature is screaming loud and clear to us. If we don’t listen on a globally united political level, the hubris/nemesis effect will be apparent.

Saturn is now seriously conjunct Pluto in Capricorn (a sign representing conservatism and the economic establishment) for much of the year, a very powerful phenomenon not seen since the early 16^th century. Also, uniquely, alongside this powerful combining, Uranus continues in Taurus, which indicates upsets financially, and shocks in our natural world and ecosysyem. Neptune also for the long haul in Pisces, is creating ongoing increased sensitivity to nature and the awareness of the precious need to protect it, in much of humanity, for obvious reasons.. However, negatively, this Neptune position also correlates with an ongoing deceptive, smoke and mirrors factor in media power. Put together, it will be a decisive year in terms of determining the path of the future of mankind … one-way or the other.

Events such as the catastrophic bushfires in Australia will be the sort of terrifying climate change induced tragedies that force, by sheer necessity, a change in priorities in our values. Saturn is the necessity principle, he blocks and limits us when we are misguided; When we are chasing the wrong goals he will often deny us those goals, if they are ultimately not good for us. What we want and what we need is often not the same thing.  Saturn is not called the benevolent despot or the karmic schoolteacher, for nothing. He forces humility and reality on us; and when hitting Pluto, a planet that symbolises so often a ruthless, obsessive power, he will be a very troubling and challenging inconvenience to that determined, tenacious Pluto desire to keep on doing what he is doing, in terms of the establishment.

As Hubert Reeves so wisely said "man is the most insane of species. He worships an invisible God and destroys a visible nature .Unaware that this nature he's destroying is this God he's worshiping"

Saturn is now revealing the reality of what we have been doing to our planet and will force us to face the necessary fundamental reform of any toxic misuse of our power, and to change direction and much of our value system, as a human race. This planetary coming together will however potentially be a clash of the titans. Pluto can be either transformational or destructive…in fact he can be saint or sinner in manifestation. Whichever way his power and obsessive determination is used, it is huge. Cooperation or war between these two planets is the choice.

In the light of the climate crisis and hugely increasing inequality, the forces of determination to make the changes needed, versus the forces to keep the status quo, no matter how destructive that status quo is, will be formidable.  These two planets, Saturn and Pluto, must cooperate. If they do, the potential is tremendous. In fact this combining of these two planets has been called the aspect of the magician, when used positively and with mutual respect of each other’s mission. Working well together in their positive manifestations on our planet, can bring huge transformative potential. Motive and wisdom is everything.

January is a very intense month planetary wise. We have a lunar eclipse (eruptive and rather primeval in energy) on the 10^th at 20 degrees of Cancer, a sensitive degree, as it will be so near to being in opposition to Saturn and Pluto, and importantly, Saturn exactly conjuncts Pluto from the 6^th-16^th. Also the Sun will conjunct Saturn and Pluto on the 13^th and Mercury also conjuncts them on the 12^th.

The Sun this month will square Uranus on the 22^nd-24^th, which brings the unexpected and some more shocks, not least geophysically.

So the period from the end of the 1^st week till around the 18^th will be pretty powerful, event wise, in all areas of being, socio politically, economically and environmentally.

On a less existential level, here in England we are facing a rather surprisingly large majority Tory government, although a win for Johnson was very predictable astrologically; however the size of it, maybe was not so predictable, but it was indeed like a fairy tale for Johnson. He did have Mars conjunct his Neptune and opposition Jupiter (which I mentioned last month) on the day of the results, which happens every 2 years for him. This, by influence, is dream like and a little deceptive in its achievements. It is like the jovial used car salesman who wins the rather questionable deal, far more lucratively than even he thought. Promising more than is deliverable, both to self and others, is the keynote of this transit, especially economically (The transit involved his 2^nd and 8^th houses of finances). He is in denial about that, or maybe not bothered. He will indeed have to find a way to opt out subtly, or not so subtly of many promises, when reality hits, which will be harsh.

The anger that Corbyn felt after his disastrous election result; and indeed the anger directed at him from party members was palpable. Mars was squaring his Pluto on Election Day and for several days after, so it was no real surprise.

Trump has Saturn opposing his natal Saturn (23 degrees Cancer) from the 14^th-24^th of this month (every 30 years) and indeed Pluto, in his every 248 year journey around the Sun, joins forces with Saturn at the same degree, from the 19^th and stays there for the rest of January and for most of February. This is an extremely rare and incredibly powerful transit in Trump’s life. However between the 6^th and 12^th of January, when Jupiter opposes his Mercury, there can be a sort of false optimism for him, because of his ability to lie successfully to others in his camp. It can also cause him to be too impulsive in speech/tweeting, and which he later regrets.

Saturn also moves to oppose Trump’s Venus (25 degrees Cancer) in the first 9 days of next month, (every 30 years) with Pluto in tow. These Pluto and Saturn transits mark a very powerfully difficult period in his life, and they hover around all year over the same few degrees, on and off.  This sort of extremely rare transit, directly affecting natal planets, usually brings a major life challenge that prompts a rethink of everything and so often, a major change of circumstance, but it can also create a ruthless and dangerous determination to fight those inevitable forces.

Trump is somewhat impervious to truth and the reality of circumstances, so how these transits affect him will be an interesting, if not rather scary spectacle.

Jupiter, now in Capricorn since early December 2019 till late December 2020, for approximately a year, will, if anything, ironically, boost the status quo economically and encourage the persistent trajectory of growth, which will not, in the long term, be constructive for any of us, but brings some immediate short term financial gratification. However, in relation to the forces of Pluto and Saturn, this is small beer.

Saturn will separate for a while from Pluto and dip his toe into Aquarius from March 22^nd till July 1^st this year, after which, he returns to Capricorn till December 17^th 2020, in order to finish his work there, He will then commit to Aquarius till March 7^th 2023.

From Aquarius, Saturn will create a focus more on the pursuit of scientific truth and the impersonal, impartial laws of the universe; something that may well help more of the powers that be on the planet, to get a bigger picture, less ego centred perspective and value system.  It will also be a direct nemesis that we have to face in relation to the fallout of the years of misuse/abuse of technology (Aquarius) and indeed of social media.

Jupiter will join Saturn in Aquarius on December 19th 2020, where he will remain till May13th 2021, after which he will dip his toe into Pisces till late July 2021, and then he returns to Aquarius till late December 2021.  From Aquarius, Jupiter brings a more humanitarian and philosophical wisdom, with reform and universality as a theme. It also underlines a very big leap in the positive and hopefully wise use of, and development in technology.  Combined with Saturn in Aquarius, this bodes well for a much more accelerated productive use and power of scientific insight and healing technological breakthroughs, that cannot be ignored by any of us, notably in relation to the monumental battle against the forces of the climate crisis.

However when Pluto (power) commits to Aquarius (advanced knowledge, hopefully wisdom, and technological breakthroughs) in November 2024, for 20 years, the potential power of technology for good is truly great, but when Pluto is involved, there is always a significant danger of an egotistical abuse of power in the areas of interest that the sign symbolises, with destructive fallout. That is a concern.

Pluto as I said earlier, can be saint or sinner in his use of power. There are choices.

Despite my rather sober view of 2020, I sincerely hope that we all see some enlightenment, humility, love and determination to hugely limit our damage to our home planet and to bring real hope on our earth in the coming 12 months. 

 I wish my readers all the best of planetary wisdom and peace for the coming year.