for the four weeks beginning APRIL 14, 2020
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 longer original interpretation of the 2020 Capsolar, please see the January 15 forecast.) For the U.S., the 12 months beginning January 15, 2020 are dominated by Uranus on Eastpoint mundanely square a triple Sun-Saturn-Pluto conjunction at Midheaven. This difficult year will have more challenges than blessings and foreshadows even more severe patterns coming in 2021. [Notice that much of this describes the experience of the coronavirus pandemic thus far.]
- Uranus: A year full of surprises, sudden ruptures or eruption, shock, revelation, overflowing of limits and boundaries, surprise attacks, changes in foreign relations or leadership, riots and revolts.
- Sun, Saturn, and Pluto are the main story: This year will be a horrible struggle with great damage along the way. It seems astrologically inconceivable that Trump's presidency will survive the year.
- Saturn-Pluto: Hardship including catastrophic disasters laying waste to a landscape, feelings of irrevocable loss or separation, a seemingly apocalyptic moment, even (in the extreme) the downfall of cities and nations.
- Sun-Saturn-Pluto across Florida, New Orleans, and coastal Mississippi suggests devastating hurricanes this year, after the fashion of Hurricane Andrew. Mars through Santa Barbara County sparks unusually severe fire. See the maps.
- Sun-Saturn: Sad, arduous events; death or restraint of leaders; government gridlock; restrictive, controlling, or failing government that causes or worsens disaster, fiscal crisis, structural collapses, natural disasters, events requiring government oversight and response.
- Sun-Pluto: Diverse possibilities from natural disasters to political confrontation; removing or assailing those in power, rebelling against conventions, disrespect for and disobeying the law.
- Saturn-Uranus: Bubble-bursting, harsh reality, wide pendulum swings between freedom-restriction, liberality-conservatism, liberty vs. safety, change vs. status quo.
- Uranus-Pluto: Destabilizing, revolutionary, revising, remapping, anti-establishment, anti-government: a spirit of revolution dismantles current systems and tears down existing structures; people ignore, challenge, or reject precedent, custom, convention, and authority.
- Sun-Uranus: Sudden, startling, psychologically (and physically?) explosive, surprise attacks, leadership changes, life-altering technology.
Arisolar (Apr 14)
Due to a dormant Cansolar, the Arisolar serves as the Quarter chart from April 14 to October 17. The Arisolar is marked by a single aspect, Venus square Mars. Specifically, Venus (dignified in Taurus) rises (0°31'); Mars (dignified in Capricorn) culminates (1°33'); and Venus squares Mars 1°03' in mundo.
Foremost, the aspect means passion in every respect. People feel powerfully about things. In an election year (even one clouded by a worldwide pandemic) we can expect inflamed passions to prevail over reason across the terrain of political engagement (i.e., the usual).
More broadly, great restlessness sweeps the land, tempers burn short, and selfish wants win out over any greater social mindfulness. Venus-Mars also frays international relations: It commonly signals wounded alliances and even military attacks. Even though deadly times do not usually lead to expanding family sizes, with couples sequestered at home for months with this aspect we probably can expect a 2021 baby boom.
MEDIUM-TERM PATTERNS (The Bridge)
Most of the month centers on Jupiter-Uranus. (Some of it adds Mars.) Jupiter and Uranus share enthusiasm for expanded opportunities, technology breakthroughs, and no small chance of spring flooding.
- Jupiter conjoins Capsolar MC all month and is emphasized worldwide in every lunar ingress this month. In the U.S., expect stimulus checks and incentives to jump start business amid efforts to get stalled economies "open for business" as soon as feasible.
- Uranus squares Cansolar Moon until May 4 bringing sudden, eruptive, surprises, overflowing natural bounds and limits with startling impact worldwide. Besides, people are aching to get outside again!
- Mars joins Jupiter and Uranus April 19-24 (square U.S. Capsolar Ascendant) and especially April 20-23 (doubled up, conjunct CanQ Moon). These will be volatile days with psychological bombshells, tempers erupting, a renewed sense of emergency, alarm, and armament - and breathtaking, confident risks. (Some of the risks will pay off.)
Mars is in Capricorn until May 5, continuing the virus pandemic as the primary news story with a focus on brutal realities of survival. Beginning May 5, Mars enters Aquarius: the main story changes. (Summaries of longer-term trends from outer planet sign transits are here.)
SHORT-TERM (Lunar Ingress) PATTERNS
Caplunar (Apr 14)
The Caplunar covers April 14 to May 12, especially the first two weeks, April 14-29. Like last month, the dominant voice is Mercury combined with Moon aspects with Pluto, Jupiter, and (half of the month) Sun. The similarity of this month to last month is remarkable.
A primary slogan for this Mercury + Sun-Jupiter-Pluto Caplunar is, "The check is in the mail," as millions of people eagerly await stimulus checks from the government. Presumably they will be delivered during these four week.
Mercury's day-to-day expressions have shifted significantly amidst "stay home" policies around the country that have reduced transportation, routine flow of business, and workaday communication. Currently, a lot more communication is occurring by digital means (with the very mercurial word Zoom having risen in popularity). People are listening to even more round-the-clock news, more statistics, and perhaps more science. It's a strange time for Mercury.
Mundanely, Moon squares Sun with a 0°00' orb, partile worldwide but exact for the U.S. Already, we know several Moon-Sun themes that will operate: First, this month is a critical turning point, a crossroads. Second, it shows the increasingly strong, controlling government presence in day-to-day life. Third, this aspect is common for cyclical market turning points. There may be more.
Pluto conjoins Moon within minutes in each ingress this month, being stationary April 25 at 29°58' Sagittarius, only 0°02' shy of crossing into Capricorn. In the Caplunar, it is 0°03' from the 0°00' Capricorn Moon worldwide; for the U.S., the orb is 0°01' in mundo. Pluto joins Moon-Sun in marking this a crossroads month. Worldwide, Moon-Pluto concentrates a sense of crisis, drawing a line in the sand between our future and life as we have known it in the pass. Mass attention centers on such Pluto themes as death, but also on reconceiving what "normal" looks like. Unprecedented conditions and irrevocable shifts stun our sensibilities daily, halt the mind with their intensity, and hold our unflinching attention.
Also, Moon aspects Jupiter in every lunar ingress this month. In the Caplunar, their conjunction is partile (0°52'). Usually, Moon-Jupiter signifies growing prosperity, though sometimes from recovery efforts (as in the aftermath of natural disasters). This is why I think the government stimulus funds will start to flow freely this month. Moon-Jupiter also brings its usual “my people first” characteristics of focus on family and community. Even though conditions remain rough, this is a month when quality of life is improving.
Recovery and healing are also anticipated by the Jupiter-Pluto combination. This aspect often marks turning a corner or reversing the tide. While it is likely far too soon to expect any sense that this is over, there is a clear sense of "rounding the bend." Just as Saturn-Pluto aspects have a strong historic connection to disease epidemics, Jupiter-Pluto aspects have timed numerous cases of successful containment of epidemics, so it is exactly the aspect we might hope for now.
We can expect other common Jupiter-Pluto themes: challenging beliefs, traditions, values, and the political-cultural systems that sustain them, political undermining or reversals, reconstitution of the social order fueled by ideological zeal, and money crisis,. But the main theme at the moment, I think, is the forging of effective alliances and the clear beginning of recovery and healing.
- 4/14: CapQ Dsc = T Mars (ongoing all week).
- 4/15: CapQ MC sq. T Saturn.
- 4/16: CapQ MC = Capsolar Uranus.
- 4/20: CapQ MC = T Uranus, WP = T Saturn.
Arilunar (Apr 22)
The Arilunar, covering April 22-29, is dormant. Moon square Pluto is 0°02' worldwide, Moon conjunct Sun is unique to Washington (0°04' in mundo). Moon conjunct Jupiter is 1°27' worldwide. Additionally, a sense of breakthrough is signaled by Moon conjunct Uranus (conj. 2°28' in mundo in Washington).
- 4/22: CapQ Dsc = T Mars (continuing all week).
Canlunar (Apr 29)
The Canlunar covers April 29 to May 5. Including all the active factors of the Caplunar (except Sun), it adds Saturn and a strong Mercury-Uranus. We learn something new and it tends to be bad news.
Moon and stationary Pluto (opposed 0°02') square Midheaven. Mercury and Uranus (conjunct) square Ascendant, their midpoint half a degree from Zenith. Suddenly, new information "changes everything." This new information is in the form of discovery, revelation, or disclosure that takes us by surprise. (Aside: Mercury-Uranus tends to transportation disasters worldwide, perhaps less likely now since nobody is going anywhere.)
Mostly, this new information is bad news: Saturn is 3°47' below Descendant. (But not devastating news: We still have Moon-Jupiter and Jupiter-Pluto.)
Moon, 0°08' from an angle, will surely be a distinctive voice in this mix. Angular Moon marks powerful emotional response by the masses feeling strongly about something. Human-interest stories move the public to an unusual degree.
Predicting the exact revelation would spoil the surprise: We settle for describing the public mood and the feeling of the mass response. For example, an optimistic possibility is that the virus will have peaked and begun flattening by that point, but with sad news such as an enlarged reported death toll, the death of someone dear to the public heart, widespread tales of those who suffered most, or extending isolation times. (A pessimistic possibility is that the curve has not flattened.)
Mercury, while conjoining Uranus, squares Saturn (1°55'). This signals more interruptions in travel, communication, and trade, more general restrictions, frustrations, and delays.
Moon-Jupiter-Pluto are angular on a curve from the Florida panhandle to the Dakotas and through coastal Virginia due north through New York (with NYC getting Jupiter exactly). Deadlier Saturn sets through the Carolinas, West Virginia, Ohio, and Michigan, where much of the saddening news may center. The Rockies get another dose of Venus.
Liblunar (May 5)
The Liblunar covers May 5-12. Uranus sets (1°08'). Sun and Mercury conjoin (1°14' in mundo) on Westpoint (Mercury on WP 0°04'). Suddenly, the tone changes, as if the wheels of industry are starting up again. The focus on personal freedom and affirmative Mercury themes (travel, transportation, commerce) suggests that, in the U.S., things overall start opening up again.
May 5 is too early for a complete return to normal, and some isolation orders likely will remain in force; but the feeling of things starting to open up will be clear in the national mind. Other astrological circumstances remain: Moon-Pluto are still square within 0°03'; Moon squares Jupiter within 2°06' but - mundanely, distinct to the U.S. - Moon also squares Saturn (1°55'). Therefore, prevailing stories will be a fairly even mix of relief and recovery (Moon-Jupiter) and hardship and loss (Moon-Saturn).
Another important factor also occurs May 5: Mars enters Aquarius (by 0°02' in the Liblunar). The top headlines each day will stop being primarily about the brutal realities of survival. A new story begins, perhaps focusing on such Aquarian themes as freedom, wide open spaces, and science.
This doesn't mean "it's all over." The next Caplunar has Mars rising in Washington. Re-engaging the world and forging a "new normal" will be tough work. (But more about that next month.)
- 5/6-7: CanQ MC = (Cansolar Venus-Saturn opposition).
- 5/9: CapQ MC = T Mercury.
- 5/9-10: CanQ Asc sq. (Cansolar Venus-Saturn opposition).
