APRIL 2020 GLOBAL ASTROLOGICAL OVERVIEW

We are clearly in a game changing global health crisis and a resultant, burgeoning socio-economic tsunami.

As many of you who have followed my blog and that of other astrologers, over the last several months or so will know, this rare critical period has been anticipated, because of the current planetary combinations of Saturn (karmic schoolteacher) being in conjunction to Pluto (major power drive).  This conjunction has been building over 2019 and culminated in January/ February this year, in the critical karmic last 10 degrees of the sign Capricorn, a sign that represents establishment driven socio economic systems.

 It has been obvious, at the least astrologically, that a crisis in our whole economic system was looming, but what exactly would trigger it, was not so certain. This powerful, rare conjunction in Capricorn last happened approximately 500 years ago.

While Pluto has been in Capricorn, since 2008 (till 2024/2025), the flaws in the values of our global socio-economic system and the prevailing establishment (the principles of Capricorn) have been, increasingly more evident for some years in terms of its fallout for our planet and its inhabitants. Pluto often equates to selfishly ruthless and obsessive tendencies in the pursuit of the power, in the area of life symbolised by the sign he is moving through.  Think of the words Plutonium and Plutocracy, to understand the potential strength and misuse of this power

Saturn by contrast is indeed a severe, if necessary, disciplinarian, a karmic schoolteacher and is a reality check agent, bringing karmic lessons, re any abuse of power associated with the principles of the sign he is travelling through, He has been in Capricorn since the beginning of 2018.

When Saturn closely linked up with Pluto in Capricorn late last year/ early this year, this flagged up the beginning of the real clash of these two powerful, contradictory planetary energies. Firstly, by showing the whole system the clear need to confront the impact of human activity induced climate change; and now to face up to the dramatic trigger event of the spread of the Covid 19 virus, which is also linked to human interference with the natural order of nature.

Saturn, is therefore now putting a huge brake on and indeed exercising an enforced assault on the express train of Pluto, which has seen the neo liberal capitalist economic system gallop along unchecked ruthlessly since 2008, despite the warnings then of the financial meltdown at that time (Banking crisis). We did not learn our lessons then, so Pluto’s intense power in Capricorn, has served since then to escalate and rubber-stamp the unmitigated principle of a relentless desire for economic power and growth, at the expense of the planet and indeed, many of its people, in terms of growing huge inequality. Climate change denial by the big players has been rife. It really has been an inconvenient truth.

Interestingly, just as the power of Covid 19 became apparent in its effect on all our lives so dramatically, Saturn nudged into the 1st degree of Aquarius on March 22^nd  (every 30 years) where he hangs out temporarily till the very beginning of July.  He however still remains conjunct to Pluto throughout. Saturn is the planet of uncomfortable necessity, a brake on unwise energy; an enforced limitation and he is a karmic schoolteacher. He enforces maturity, constructive austerity, hard work and discipline (benevolent despot). He will impinge on and also focus significantly on Aquarius characteristics while in that sign. These are about individual freedom and the necessity of big picture insight. Aquarius also rules technology, science, the future and humanitarian principles.

Saturn, (necessity) in Aquarius now, correlates with the necessary current limits on the freedoms of individuals, the need to conform, for the sake of the many. This is likely to be in place till the beginning of July in many countries..

Technological development, scientific research, the production of medical equipment and a focus on scientific insight is now, and will remain, an essential and frantic urgent mission, suddenly invested in as a necessity, not because of economic opportunity, but as a humanitarian imperative, in order to resolve the many issues we face.  It is interesting that suddenly experts are honoured and desperately needed, after recent sentiments by some, that we have had enough of experts.

Saturn will force us to appreciate the scientific ingenuity principles of Aquarius operating powerfully, particularly till the beginning of July, after which, Saturn moves back to Capricorn till mid December.

When back in that sign, Saturn in the last 6 months of the year will reveal fully the economic fallout of this crisis, and so highlight the flaws of our socio-economic system. There will be a need to radically rethink this system as a result. Every crisis is an opportunity. If we do try to go back to the same old values and global behaviour, especially re environmental issues, this sort of event will keep recurring.

 During this current lengthy pause in normal human activity, and not least in the reduction of road traffic and flights, there has already been a significant improvement reported in the quality of the air in many places, and nature has bounced back in many cities. We need to take note

This Saturn brake on the power of the Pluto trajectory during this time, is and will be a particular shock to those of our world leaders, not least in the USA and Brazil, amongst others, who espouse the principal of eternal economic growth as the only god worth worshipping, and who seem to see it as more important than human life and the planet itself.  Their ego is totally tied only to the visible power of a thriving economy. Their time is nearly up.

The warnings of the fallout of climate change and planetary pollution, for our planet, as a result of our obsession with economic power and eternal growth, have been now largely acknowledged, but the systemic response to reverse or combat this has been inadequate to say the least.  However nature will always have the last word. She (mother nature) is now demonstrating a different approach through Covid 19, to reveal the now clearly globalised fall out of our abuse of nature, not least of animals and how the results of this abuse has become a serious threat to us all, in a different guise, i.e. in a now more direct, personal and a potential lethal form.

This powerful Covid 19 pandemic correlates with the current very potent placement of Neptune in Pisces (nature and its laws). This transit of Neptune in Pisces (2012-2026) happens every 165 years and is so strong, because Neptune rules Pisces, so this planet is doubly strong in its own home sign. This combination puts huge emphasis on the power of invisible, insidious spread and permeability; with no boundaries metaphorically and literally (results of unprecedented globalisation). This has manifest in the spread of fake news and the smoke and mirrors blurring of the differentiation between facts and lies. It can also manifest in literal spread of invisible viruses. Neptune and Pisces are symbolic of the underestimated, invisible power of nature to affect our planet and how it can bring to our attention, the massive results of our misuse of nature / animals and the karma we can face globally, as a result.

We have had viruses before such as Sars and Bird flu, which have emanated because of our abuse of animals. Bringing animals into contact with other animals and humans, both of which they would normally have no contact with, is a dangerous game, notably in Wet markets where live and dead animals mix and are killed in close proximity. We have invaded their territory unnaturally, as we claim more and more of their space, not least because of growing agribusiness across the world. There is also a dark economy in the wild animal market.

This unnatural interference with animal lives and territories leads to the emergence of unique mutated viruses that also infect humans and which now affect the world, because of no boundaries to travel. We are now affected, as never before and so we are all waking up. This is the downside of Neptune from our viewpoint i.e. no boundaries to the very dark fallout of our abusive treatment of nature. But this brings a balancing, if harsh learning curve. We reap what we sow.

Previously, Most of these viruses we have experienced have been contained within poorer countries, so most of us had the luxury of watching from afar.

Ironically, we humans have acted rather like a virus on the planet ourselves, through our spread of destruction of the natural world and on the habitats of our fellow creatures, all on the altar of our economic system and priorities; and of course because people have to make money somehow, anyhow.  Nature is retaliating.  She tends to have the last word.

The upside of Neptune in Pisces however, is an increased emphasis on compassion, empathy and a caring coming together of people in order to help those that need it. The power of the heart/soul is given oxygen by this Neptune transit. It will serve to help correct an imbalance in our current unsustainable value system that is threatening to destroy us all.  Community groups locally, and in many countries have recently arisen to help the vulnerable and now also the increasingly poverty stricken and especially those who are working under such difficult conditions, such as health workers. Suddenly we are all appreciating these life saving workers as never before and many governments now have to face the results of complacently undervaluing these people and of the under funding of the institutions they work in. These people are not in the purely money making game, that the economy reveres and prioritises. They work for the caring of humanity.

 It is also true to say that this transit of Neptune in its home sign of Pisces is really making us (most of us) increasingly value nature, as it is increasingly diminished and threatened. What is beautiful is valued; and as it becomes rarer or threatened, we value it more.  Neptune opens the heart to the beautiful, the simple and the essential, on our planet. The likes of Greta Thunberg personifies this and the children born 2012 – 2026, who have this planetary position in their natal charts, will value nature especially passionately and will be horrified at what their predecessors have done to the planet.

Saturn’s power in the manifestation of the need for lockdown, yes, is a current huge assault on our lives and on economic growth, but there was no choice in terms of life saving and it will bring an enforced potential realisation of a necessary shift in values. This enforced block on our usual pursuit of our everyday lives, is an opportunity to pause and have a collective fundamental rethink of our direction of travel as a planet. Saturn can be very demanding and harsh, but retrospectively his lessons are very valued.  We will have to recognise that what we need is often far more important than what we want, or think we want.

Pluto, in its power, also flags up endings /death, metaphorically, as well as literally. It certainly points now to the death of our complacency about the human condition. Change is one of the two certainties of life. The old ruthless economic order will have to die and our power to create and advance, has now to become much more deferential to the principle of nature’s survival and therefore our survival. We cannot function without nature, but nature can thrive without us…and will, if she has to.

When Saturn is back in Capricorn (1st July to 17^th December) when the conjunction of Saturn and Pluto is very strong again, we may need then to be very aware of the danger of any complacency about believing that the power of the virus has been weakened and indeed we may need to be reminded then quite harshly, that the old “normal” cannot automatically resume.

When Saturn finally commits to Aquarius throughout 2021, 2022 and till March 2023, he will certainly then step up to reinforce the lessons we are learning right now, related to the principles of Aquarius.  This will be about the future, innovation, and technology, and demand a total very urgent necessary commitment to finding ways to limit climate change fallout.  Aquarius also rules humanitarian issues and the quest for freedom and rules global cooperation and non-insularity. Saturn in that sign will force us, through some steep learning curves, to understand the necessity of global solidarity and cooperation in fighting the global problems we have, or we face ongoing disunity, which will help no one. Wherever Saturn is, shows us our karmic learning challenges, and where discipline and focus is needed, despite difficult mountains to climb. A race against time in technological development will be apparent, in terms of limiting the destructive fallout of our historic behaviour, and we will also be forced to face up to the consequences/karma of the misuse/abuse of the power of technology, which we have suffered from, over the last decade or so. 

Uranus, which rules Aquarius, is the planet that especially rules aviation, hence right now till July, and from December for 2 years, Saturn flags up a period where that industry will literally have its wings clipped, because of economic loss and fallout re ongoing caution over international travel. It will also be a time where there will be a real focus too, of necessity, on research and development on how to make flying environmentally sustainable.

This is all a huge eye opener. A very tough lesson in the need for systemic humility has been born and which we need to accept, respect and above all, learn from. If ever there was a need to acknowledge the principle of hubris and nemesis, it is now.

The climate emergency wake up call is chapter 1 and this Covid 19 crisis is chapter 2.

 What more will it take?