for the four weeks beginning DECEMBER 16, 2020
If you are unfamiliar with the methods and interpretations of Sidereal mundane astrology, please see my free book Sidereal Mundane Astrology. (A link can be found near the top of the Publications sub-forum.) For standard interpretations, see Chapter 8 of the current (17th) Edition.
LONG-TERM (Solar Ingresses)
(Summarized from my original interpretation in the January 15 forecast.) For the U.S., the 12 months beginning January 15, 2020 are dominated by Uranus on Eastpoint mundanely square a Sun-Saturn-Pluto conjunction at Midheaven. This difficult year will have more challenges than blessings, setting up even more severe patterns for 2021. Much of what follows accurately describes the life-conditions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and civil outrage experienced thus far this year.
- Uranus: 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 have survived the year.
- Saturn-Pluto: Hardship including catastrophic disasters laying waste to a landscape, feeling irrevocable loss or separation, an apocalyptic time, even (in the extreme) the downfall of cities and nations.
- 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, antigovernmental: 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, explosive, surprise attacks, leadership changes, life-altering technology.
Libsolar (Oct 17)
Three high-risk months (mid-October to mid-January) likely redefine the U.S., rewriting "life as we know it" and paving the way for whatever "new normal" comes after. The Libsolar is shocking and overthrows existing structures. The 0°05 Uranus-Pluto mundane square (about 1° from angles) is destabilizing, revolutionary, revising, and remapping. New conditions are unbound by precedent, custom, or convention and challenge or reject authority.
Mercury with Uranus and Pluto is typical for travel catastrophes, especially air crashes; but also for earthshaking disclosures of information, major tech breakthroughs, and radical departures from the way information is processed or handled. Best outcome: A medical breakthrough in the COVID-19 pandemic. Worst: An attack on our country (especially cyber-based, possibly the power or information grids) or efforts to overthrow the nation's fundamental structure. Events will be harsh and attacking: Mars squares Uranus (0°12'), Pluto (0°35'), and Mercury (2°24').
Sun is most angular (WP 0°46'). Events have centered on the presidential elections. Sun's closest aspects are a mundane opposition to Mars (0°09') and ecliptical square to Saturn (0°36'). If Sun refers to the president, these aspects have described a "war" to expel him from office. In the alternative, the heart of the nation itself is attacked by foes assailing America's identity.
With Moon square Saturn, I fear much of the impact has been the anticipated new COVID-19 wave. However, some of the impact is political.
MEDIUM-TERM (The Bridge)
Transiting Mars conjoins Capsolar angles 12/26 to 1/13. At a time that routine constitutional processes should be moving smoothly through their steps, this transit forecasts crisis, conflict, aggression (and probably violence), accidents, fires, and ferocity as the main characteristics of the time. "Inflammatory crisis" may be a catch phrase and, if COVID-19 has not been brought under control, means pandemic-spawned fevers racing through the nation.
Mars is in Pisces until 12/26 when Mars enters Aries. During its September Aries transit, news was dominated by fires, election combat, authoritarianism, riots (more peaceful than not) against continuing police violence, and enhanced polarization, so we likely will now experience something similar. -- Summaries of longer-term trends from outer planet sign transits are here.
SHORT-TERM (Lunar Ingresses)
Caplunar (Dec 16)
The Caplunar covers December 16 to January 13, especially the first week, December 16-23. Sun conjoins Descendant (1°14') conjunct Mercury. Moon conjoins Pluto exactly (0°29' mundo).
Falling two days after the Electoral College voting, no one should be surprised that the nation's focus is on the final stages of the U.S. Presidential election and the processes of the biennial reformulation of Congress and the selection of its new leaders. Individual weeks of the month will have their own distinctive characters, but the impression of the whole is the march toward confirming leadership.
Arilunar (Dec 23)
The Arilunar covers December 23-31. Two days earlier, Jupiter conjoined Saturn at 5°27' Capricorn: In this Arilunar, Jupiter and Saturn square the 5°35' Aries Midheaven.
Most generally, Jupiter-Saturn aspects foreground in an ingress are political and economic. Under this influence, people ask, “What will it cost me to win?” or “What do I gain if I lose?” A “seesaw” of opposites in comparable strength compete for dominance. Traditional institutions, finance, business, religion, and politics mark major events. Some old infrastructure collapses, while new forms, patterns, and structures are constituted.
However, the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction every 20 years is epochal, often regarded as a "changing of the guard" - the establishing of a new 20-year socio-politico-economic era. When this Arilunar forms, we will already be moved toward that new pattern and it becomes the central focus for the week. Also, in simpler terms, Jupiter and Saturn both being so close to the angles as the aftermath of the presidential election moves through its paces ensures that much of the country will think, "Good things are happening," while much of the rest things, "Bad things are happening."
There is, therefore, division. That division is likely expressed through violence. Mars squares Pluto (0°09') and conjoins Moon (0°57''). Assassinations and comparable violence have occurred under such Moon-Mars-Pluto combinations. Mars' mundane squares with Jupiter and Saturn suggest intense political engagement and stormy social conflict this week.
Canlunar (Dec 31)
The Canlunar covers December 31 to January 6. Its main message seems straightforward, based on Neptune angular 0°01', closely square Venus, with Moon aspecting Pluto and all three malefics. (Moon-Neptune is a PVP square. Moon-Saturn is much closer in mundo than ecliptically.)
What is that easily recognizable theme? It's exactly what you'd expect the world to do on the last, intoxicated night of the most horrible year in any living person's memory. It's a drunken, irresponsible, orgiastic submerging of reason that mingles intentional self-humiliation, self-destruction, and celebration. A "last night before shipping out," or "senior bash," or "Can you believe we got through that?" or "I just want to forget the whole damn thing."
This is the night that we step into 2021 - with our eyes much more open than at the start of 2020. Much of this Canlunar's tone will be determined by whether or not there is a vaccine and treatment for COVID-19 by then. In either case, this week will have its baggage of pregnancies, social embarrassment, self-destruction, self-liberation, refreshment, release, and stories people will not want to tell for the rest of their lives. Regrettably, there also will be some murders.
More generally - socio-politically - Venus-Neptune signifies intense devotion, passionate belief, compelling fantasy or role-playing, performance art, disillusionment, betrayed alliances, perceived offenses, diplomatic embarrassment, and loss of esteem. With Moon aspecting Mars, Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto, expect a dark side of all these.
Liblunar (Jan 6)
The Liblunar covers an entire month, January 6 to February 3, since the following Caplunar, Arilunar, and Canlunar are dormant.
Jupiter is 0°20' from Westpoint and Uranus 2°34' from Midheaven. They are square (2°35'). Jupiter also conjoins Saturn (1°39' mundo), though Saturn is only widely angular. These portray a time of much change and reformulation with a clear bottom line that things are getting better: It is a month of optimism, hope, and active engagement of powers.
This chart overflows with progressive social and political movement. This does not, however, mean that they have won the election or the day: We saw the same in 2017's Capsolar where the meaning was that the political left, having been shockingly trounced in the election, rallied with fervor it had not shown in half a century. (Moon square Jupiter, 1°28' mundo, is typical of civil rights moving forward, probably by judicial or activist means.)
Jupiter squares non-foreground Mars, conjoins foreground Saturn, and squares foreground Uranus: Despite overall optimism, I'm not sure the stock market is performing well in January. There are conflicts: Moon squares Saturn and Pluto. Perhaps this is the disease still having its way, or perhaps it is hardship caused by social violence by whoever lost most in the election.