for the four weeks beginning MARCH 18, 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 United States, the 12 months beginning January 15, 2020 are dominated by Uranus on Eastpoint and a triple Sun-Saturn-Pluto conjunction (with some Mercury) at Midheaven. It will be a difficult year with more challenges than blessings. Perhaps our best way to use of 2020 is to prepare for the even more severe patterns coming in 2021.
URANUS gives the main flavor of a year full of surprises: sudden rupture or eruption, shock, revelation, and overflowing of boundaries and limitations. Among Uranus events caused by human actions are surprise attacks, changes in foreign relations or in leadership, riots, revolts, and other populist uprisings.
However, the main story likely will be told by the foreground cluster of Sun, Saturn, and Pluto. For half a century, every election year except 1984 had Pluto on Capsolar Midheaven, a perfect symbol. This year, Pluto conjunct Saturn is the closest aspect (0°15'), 2° from a culminating Sun: It seems astrologically inconceivable Donald Trump's presidency will survive the year.
This will be a horrible struggle, probably with great damage along the way. SATURN CONJUNCT PLUTO signifies hardship including catastrophic disasters often laying waste to a landscape, feelings of irrevocable loss or separation, a seemingly apocalyptic moment. The U.S. last had an angular Saturn-Pluto this powerful in 2001, for the 9/11 attacks. Historically, the aspect has marked the downfall of cities and nations (which would be an extreme expression). [So far, in 2020, the Wuhan coronavirus and consequent events have been the most obvious expression of this.]
In the U.S., the Sun-Saturn-Pluto triplet is angular in southern Florida, New Orleans, and coastal Mississippi. I fear these areas won't make it through 2020 without a devastating (Category 5?) hurricane after the fashion of Hurricane Andrew. A Mars line through Santa Barbara County makes it seem certain this year's fires will be more severe than the already-terrible ones of the recent past. You can see the impact of these lines outside of Washington, DC here.
SUN-SATURN marks primarily sad events. (Even happy events occur under arduous conditions.) Examples include the death or restraint of national leaders; government gridlock; restrictive, controlling, or failing government that causes or worsens disaster, fiscal crisis, structural collapses, natural disasters, and other events mandating government oversight and response. [We have seen much of this already in the Wuhan virus debacle.] SUN-PLUTO possibilities are diverse, from natural disasters to political confrontation: Routine motifs include removing or assailing those in power, rebelling against conventions, and disrespect for and disobeying the law.
Uranus squares Sun, Saturn, and Pluto mundanely. SATURN-URANUS signals bubble-bursting confrontation by harsh reality and wide pendulum swings between polar opposites like freedom-restriction, liberality-conservatism, or the forces of change and status quo. URANUS-PLUTO is destabilizing, revolutionary, revising, remapping, anti-establishment, and anti-government with a spirit of revolution that dismantles current systems and tears down existing structures. People ignore, challenge, or reject precedent, custom, convention, and authority. SUN-URANUS signals sudden, startling events that are psychologically (and sometimes physically) explosive such as surprise attacks, changes in leadership, and life-altering technology breakthroughs.
We are already in a new American civil war, at least with respect to culture. This chart portrays a nation hurled more deeply into division in 2020, closer to the spirit of a new American revolution. As Pluto transitions from Sagittarius to Capricorn, every solar or lunar cardinal ingress of the next three years worldwide will have Sun or Moon closely conjunct, opposite, or square Pluto.
Sun conjoins Mercury, their midpoint on MC. Beyond the usual (seemingly trivial) Mercury themes one would hope that the flow of international commerce resumes at its old pace. We anticipate a year of technology altering everyday life at even a faster rate than currently anticipated. Mercury squares Uranus (0°10' in RA), so these developments are within its purview: We have a year of discovery and amazement ahead, even as we endure a persistent sense of emergency and alarm.
MEDIUM-TERM PATTERNS (The Bridge)
Bridge patterns mix Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars, with much of the month centered on Mars-Uranus.
- Uranus squares Cansolar Moon beginning 3/29, with a likely run of sudden, eruptive, surprises, overflowing natural bounds and limits, and startling impact. Change is in the air!
- Jupiter conjoins Capsolar MC from 4/7 onward. Jupiter in the Capsolar and Uranus in the Cansolar share enthusiasm for progressive social change, passion for expanded opportunities, technology breakthroughs, and no small chance of spring flooding.
- Mars combines with them twice during the month. First, Mars conjoins Capsolar MC March 23-29, overlapping with Uranus on 3/29. They are volatile, waiting to explode with psychological (if not physical) bombshells, surprise attacks, eruptive tempers, and a general sense of alarm and armament.
- Then, Mars conjoins Cansolar Moon April 6-9. Uranus squares the same Moon - Mars and Uranus are on Cansolar Moon worldwide - which signifies a heightened state of emergency worldwide, with pulses pounding harder and frequent news stories focused on violence and damage. Jupiter conjunct Capsolar MC at the same time suggests, in the U.S., concurrent effort to alleviate, cure, or resolve the threatening circumstances, whether by diplomacy, relief aid, or other means.
- Mar 23-28. Mars.
- Mar 29. Uranus Mars.
- Mar 30-Apr 5. Uranus.
- Apr 6. Uranus Mars.
- Apr 7-9. Uranus Jupiter Mars.
- Apr 10-14. Uranus Jupiter.
SHORT-TERM (Lunar Ingress) PATTERNS
Caplunar (Mar 18) The Caplunar covers March 18 to April 14, especially the first week, March 18 to 25. Mercury dominates the month and most of its weeks. Furthermore, this is a positive expression of Mercury, especially for the first two weeks. In the Caplunar, Mercury 0°24' from MC squares Venus (1°31' PVP, in azimuth). Our collective conversation is dramatically different than that driven by Moon-Saturn-Pluto for the prior month: Topics are lighter, less stressed, more entertaining, more social, and far less apocalyptic.
Moon still closely conjoins Pluto (0°07' in mundo) and squares Sun (0°18' in mundo); but Saturn is gone from the mix. Great intensity and confrontation remain, but the sense of dread and obsession with mortality are gone. Instead, Moon conjoins Jupiter (2°14' in mundo) and (somewhat widely) Mars, bringing uplifted mood and refreshed vitality.
Standard Mercury themes take the lead, including commerce, communication, transportation, strategy, and science. However, most of these are such a big part of our everyday lives that it may be hard to notice the difference. One area where angular Mercury usually shines is in placing the media itself in the forefront of their own story. Press celebrities may, themselves, be in the news. Special broadcasts, breaking news, and unusual press events interrupt normal programming, or some central story holds our attention round the clock.
(A passing observation, as an experiment in case it proves important: The USA natal Mars exactly rises in the Caplunar, paran transiting Mercury.)
- 3/23: CapQ Dsc = T Jupiter conjunct Capsolar Saturn-Pluto.
Arilunar (Mar 25) The Arilunar, covering March 25 to April 2, resembles the Caplunar in most respects. The one difference is that Saturn re-enters the picture.
Mercury is again most angular (0°14' from IC). Venus is 2°38' below Descendant, adding overt benefic character. This time, the Mercury-Venus square is along the prime vertical (2°52'). As before, Moon squares Pluto closely (0°15'). Moon also closely squares Jupiter and Mars. These effectively duplicate the Caplunar.
However, for Washington (but not the world in general), Moon squares Saturn (0°44' in mundo), nearly as close as the Moon-Pluto. Tragic news emerges that perhaps was missed or underplayed the prior week. Nonetheless, with a Mercury-Venus paran on the angles, we expect a more upbeat tone, a happy news media and good press, a trending appreciation of form and artistic design, and such results as diplomacy, negotiations, treaties, and peaceful agreements.
Moon's aspects to Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars suggest strong swings in the stock market but, I think, with more health as business competition thrives. A restructuring of financial or market oversight may emerge this week. The tone is not entirely bad; it is mixed and active.
- 3/26: CapQ Dsc = T Pluto and (a little more widely) Mars on Capsolar Sun. CapQ MC squares Jupiter.
- 3/30: CanQ angles = T Mercury & Jupiter. Possible treaty or other advantageous agreement signed.
- 4/1: CapQ Dsc = T Mars-Saturn conjunction. Danger!
Canlunar (Apr 2) The Canlunar covers April 2-8. For a third week in a row, Mercury shines brightly (this time 0°33' from Eastpoint). However, the God of News is not with Venus this time, but with Neptune, which squares MC (0°05'). Mercury conjoins Neptune within 0°03' in mundo.
Mercury-Neptune signals confusion and disorientation amidst (or leading to) bad, confused choices. If we are not outright misled by those in authority, it at least feels like we are, causing uncertainty, doubt, and anxiety. Unreasoning reaction (even hysteria) is more the tone of the day. The usual form uncertainty takes is wondering, "What happens now?" Information channels become perverse. Transportation routes are impaired.
Moon again exactly aspects Pluto (opposition 0°10'), as it will do with little interruption for the next few years. However, a hand-off from pessimistic, sad Saturn to enthusiastic, upbeat Jupiter continues with a partile Moon-Jupiter opposition (0°27'). Moon opposite Saturn weakens and fade (gone for the world in general, 3½° in mundo for Washington).
The focus, then, is on Jupiter-Pluto, which can be politically destabilizing but - coming out of the near-apocalyptic shared experiences for the last many weeks - has the feeling of regeneration, even salvation. Since transiting Jupiter begins to cross Capsolar MC before this week is over, there is a definite sense of "coming out the other side" or a collective ordeal.
- 4/2: CapQ Dsc finishes crossing an unusually harsh Saturn.
- 4/4 & 4/7: CapQ Asc squares Uranus.
- 4/7-8: CapQ MC squares ingress Pluto-Saturn. Dsc finally reaches T Mars.
Liblunar (Apr 8) The Liblunar covers April 8-14. Though Mars looks to be more angular ecliptically, Venus is actually closer. The most angular planets are Venus (Asc 1°56') and Uranus (square MC 1°05'), followed by a Mars more widely (MC 3°26') and, more distantly, angular Saturn.
With Venus square Mars (1°30'), both planets in signs of high dignity, the key this week is passion. (Next week's Arisolar repeats this.) Feelings run strong through the nation. Mars squares Uranus (0°28'): When not overtly explosive, this signals psychological bombshells. Both aspects favor war over peace, but Venus holds the upper hand: At worst, I expect heightened tensions and bold engagement with other nations. In non-political arenas, these could be quite pleasant, with high emotional vitality, enthusiasm, and an impulse to hard, wild partying.
Suddenly, lunar aspects are all positive: With the attention-seizing Moon square Pluto (a mere 0°06'), Moon also squares Jupiter (0°15') and opposes Uranus (1°53' in mundo). Usually, this marks ideological conflicts and railing against ingrained tradition, and is typical of storm and flood. On the upside, it shows surprising, unexpected wins, increased prosperity (the market will be up for a week), beneficial scientific breakthroughs, ingenious solutions, and passion for remapping a larger social contract.
- 4/8: CapQ Dsc = T Mars square T Uranus. MC squares ingress Saturn. Despite the upbeat Liblunar, this will be a day of enormous severity.
- 4/10: CapQ MC square T Pluto atop Capsolar Sun. T Mars (about the same speed as the angle) is still mere minutes from Dsc
- 4/13: CapQ Dsc = T Mars exactly.
