for the four weeks beginning OCTOBER 6, 2019
If you are unfamiliar with the methods and interpretations of Sidereal mundane astrology, please see my free book Sidereal Mundane Astrology. (A link to the current edition can be found near the top of the Publications sub-forum.) For standard interpretations, see Chapter 8 of the current (16th) Edition.
LONG-TERM (Solar Ingress) PATTERNS
For the United States, the 12 months beginning January 15, 2019 are dominated by Uranus on IC square Sun on Eastpoint (0°08' wide in RA). Sun-Uranus signals startling events such as surprise attacks, sudden changes in leadership, and technology breakthroughs.
URANUS forecasts explosions (literal or metaphorical), sudden rupture or eruption, shock, surprise, overflowing normal bounds, and revelations. Uranian events often define the character of an era. SUN concentrates attention on the government (especially the head of state) with heightened perception of government’s presence in people’s lives. Sun's aspects to Uranus and Pluto infer rebellion against present leadership and rejection of prevailing political views. Sun-Pluto brings disrespect for the law or those that create or enforce it (which sometimes means removing those in power).
MERCURY CONJOINS SATURN in the foreground. Expect restrictions, delays, failures, or calamity in transportation and communication. Information flow is interrupted or rationed. Data integrity is doubted: cybersecurity remains a higher priority than cyber-expansion. Economic narrowing and backtracking on recovery interrupt commerce. More newspapers and retail close their doors.
Reinforcing the message of economic crisis, MARS square JUPITER exists only mundanely: It is geographically distinctive to Washington. This could be as slight as further government shutdowns or as ravaging as a market crash, but probably will be something between. Resources are squandered, stretched past capacity. Belief-driven aggression accelerates. Bigots have louder voices. In nature, as in human affairs, expect stormy weather.
MERCURY CONJUNCT PLUTO anticipates collisions of information, communication, and ideas. Perhaps opponents in Congress will engage passionately again, unlike the tepid, rigid polarization of recent years. Investigations drill deeply into untapped data to disclose information that reframes how people think. Cyber attacks include remote undermining of critical communication and cyber-control networks.
With Saturn in Sagittarius all year, immigration, aviation, elitism, hierarchical economic separation, and nationalism (anti-internationalism) dominate the public discussion.
Arisolar (Apr 15)
As the July 17 Cansolar is dormant, the Arisolar remains the Quarter chart until October 18. It shows great severity. Saturn rises within 0°02' in Washington. Pluto is 2°34' below Ascendant, with Saturn conjunct Pluto. Together, Saturn and Pluto PVP square Moon, with Moon-Saturn partile.
With SATURN RISING so closely, expect loss and deprivation, whether of property or human life. The stock market will falter and the economy narrow. Banks are imperiled. Damage from natural disasters increases. Foremost with this Moon-Saturn-Pluto trio, human cruelty rises, hearts harden, and sadness spreads like a dark cloud. Saturn-Pluto brings dramatic hardships with a sense of irrevocable loss or separation. Moon-Saturn means sacrifice, loss, and sadness. Moon-Pluto emphasizes separation, alienation, and departures. The emotional impact of genocide matches these aspects; other physical outcomes are possible, of course.
Libsolar (Oct 18)
Beginning October 18, the Libsolar succeeds the Arisolar as the active Quarter chart. A single aspect dominates it: Sun square Pluto. Sun is 0°27' from MC, Pluto 1°00' from EP, and they are square within 0°48' in right ascension.
Although the range of Sun-Pluto themes can be highly diverse (from severe natural disasters to political confrontation), repeated motifs include removal of or assault on those in power, rebellion against prevailing political views, and an element of disrespect for and disobeying the law. In the current political climate, with the prominence of Sun exactly on Midheaven, the most likely expression is surely an effort to topple the United States' current Chief Executive. This is not the only possibility, of course - Sun-Pluto aspects are common for bombs, wars, high-impact national disasters, and anything that circumvents the odds to upend expectation. (There is always a theme of law-breaking or operating outside the bounds of conventional behavior.)
Additionally, Moon opposes Jupiter (0°34'). This is difficult to reconcile with Sun-Pluto. As it affects the whole world, it may mean an upward surge in markets or a singular diplomatic success of far-reaching importance. Within the U.S. political landscape, I suspect it means cronyism, wherein elitism offers protection and advantage to the few. Moon-Jupiter's most common themes are "our people (nation, group) first!"
MEDIUM-TERM PATTERNS (The Bridge)
- URANUS squares Cansolar Moon until 10/17. This signifies winds of change. Conditions rapidly shift. Something new is breaking the horizon, changing more or less everything. It may be new technology that startles us or upending discoveries or political disclosures.
- Transiting Mars squares Capsolar Ascendant 10/7 to 10/13, within the time of the Uranus transit. This makes these changes and surprises more threatening with a general sense of emergency and alarm if not outright attack or conflict.
- After Uranus passes and as the Libsolar begins, CanQ Moon opposes Cansolar Mars beginning 10/18. The conflict and sense of emergency are not over; rather, they accelerate and reach their peak within the subsequent Sidereal month.
SHORT-TERM (Lunar Ingress) PATTERNS
Caplunar (Oct 6)
The Caplunar covers October 6 to November 2, especially the first week, October 6-14. Foremost, it is a chart of public happiness, though not without weighty and costly events and perhaps an element of finality. Moon square Venus is its foremost aspect, with Venus half a degree from MC, dignified in Libra, square Moon on Eastpoint.
Strong Venus themes predominate, especially involving peace, public happiness, and causes for celebration. Anticipate alliances rather than antipathies. Stories of love hold the public’s attention more than usual. We have a limited protection against most categories of violent tragedy.
Saturn is widely foreground - not close enough to stifle Venus, but close enough to add somber gravity to the occasion. Saturn squares a non-foreground Sun (1°00'), which hints of government gridlock or grave conditions for the president. Otherwise, in the upbeat context of Moon-Venus, Saturn shows a ribbon of sadness and the need for conscientious care.
Moon widely conjoins Pluto in mundo. Additionally, the bright star Achernar is on IC: it marks the end of the river Eridanus and, if such things are valid in these charts, joins Pluto in signifying that something central to the month's events has run its full course.
The week begins with transiting Sun exactly on CapQ Asc and transiting Saturn exactly on its IC. Most likely, this means adversity for the president, though arduous, sad conditions, gridlock or otherwise failing government, or the loss of a significant national leader is possible. In contrast, CanQ MC conjoins transiting Jupiter (squares ingress Neptune): The CapQ likely will outweigh this, but a distinct expression of this Jupiter is also likely the same days. -- Sun remains on Q Asc all week with Pluto crossing IC on 10/13. CanQ Asc crosses Neptune 10/10 and 10/11.
Arilunar (Oct 14)
The Arilunar covers two weeks, October 14-27. Mercury, alone and unaspected, is angular. What are we to make of this? It can, of course, mean many things.
I think it means, foremost, an accelerated output of news. Even in our current 24-hour news cycle, this singularly mercurial fortnight will, I think, resemble times past when the media camped on a story round the clock.
I think it less likely to refer to transportation matters because there is no other planet providing the adverb to Mercury's verb. It could mean intensified focus on matters of commerce, though it is hard to imagine what that particular story might be, just as it is hard to think of a technology story that would persist as the main feature of two entire weeks. - No, I think it's primarily an ultra-mobilized news media.
In seeking something to modify Mercury and give a clue of the topic of this news flood, we have to reach for astrological techniques not yet proven valid in lunar ingress charts. Therefore, what follows may not be right, though it gives us a chance to learn something by observing. First, Mercury is at the Uranus/Asc and Venus/Asc midpoints, suggesting matters pertaining to rapid shifts in foreign relations (or U.S. relations with a particular foreign power). In personal astrology, these contacts suggest rapidly shifting conditions due to discoveries, disclosures, and "liberated" information, especially if it involves Venus matters (from the art world to relationships).
A very different picture comes from noticing that Mercury is conjunct the fixed star Zuben Elgenubi, the Southern Scale of Libra (20°20' Libra), an unfortunate star - in fact, it marks the hypsoma (exaltation degree) of Saturn. This Saturn-like star is credited with tragic misfortune, usually of conditions more than events. Should the Mercury themes of this fortnight be obviously black, unfortunate, and sad we might consider paying more attention to fixed stars in lunar ingresses (though, so far, they haven't proven to be of much significance).
Finally, for the entire world the Arilunar, has a 0°03' Sun-Pluto square. For Washington, it is in the immediate background though virtually exact. Four days after this Arilunar, the new Libsolar sets up, dominated by Sun square Pluto on the angles. Of all the possibilities, I think it most likely that the particular expression of Mercury in the Arilunar will be found in the Libsolar, interpreted earlier on this page.
Transiting Sun remains on CapQ Asc most of the week, with a Sun-Pluto square on angles 10/15. Ingress Sun joins the mix 10/18 with ingress Uranus on WP, an aspect discussed under the Capsolar forecast above. This most seems to focus on the president personally, though other meanings are possible.
Canlunar (Oct 21)
The Canlunar is dormant. It keeps the Sun-Pluto theme alive because, for Washington, Moon closely squares Sun (1°07' in mundo) and more widely opposes Pluto (3°55' in mundo). Again, this seems to place focus especially on the president in some cathartic or crisis fashion.
CapQ Dsc crosses Uranus 10/26.
Liblunar (Oct 27)
The Liblunar covers October 27 to November 2, days that most echo the happiness and grace shown in the Caplunar. Venus squares Midheaven (0°31') with Mercury on Eastpoint (1°41'), Mercury conjunct Venus being the chart's main feature.
We seem now at peace with whatever has had us on edge for the prior two weeks. Mercury-Venus is typically an aspect of peace, kind words, diplomacy, treaties, and other agreement. Even its worst expressions generally show the news media being happy: It doesn't guarantee good news, but nearly always brings good press.
Uranus is barely foreground, made more important by a partile opposition to a foreground Sun. This aspect is eye-catching because it is the central feature of this year's Capsolar. This week will bring a new batch of surprises, probably about matters itemized earlier on this page whenever Sun-Uranus was interpreted. This has its greatest strength in the first days of the Liblunar week.
CapQ angles touch transiting Uranus 10/28 (a Sun-Uranus opposition square CapQ MC) and 11/2. We also have strong Mars all week: transiting Mars enters 2° orb of CanQ Dsc 10/27 and exactly conjoins it 10/29 when Mars squares Cansolar Venus-Saturn for the harshest day of the month (if not of the year). As usual, allow a 2° leeway.
Hadn't heard of that, but it's that time of year. Something they are calling the Real Fire apparently shut down the 101 for a while. I'll keep my eyes open for more.