Astro Blog
by Adrian Duncan | Jul 4, 2011 | Adrian's Articles 2011
Every astrologer knew it was going to happen. But it still caught them by surprise. You check out the last time it happened (31st March 1927 and 13th January 1928) and study the historical events. But 84 years have gone by and civilization has changed immeasurably, making it difficult to predict what will happen in the 21st century, when Uranus once again enters Aries. Nobody wants to be a prophet of doom, so many predictions have been reasonably upbeat. But we know that once Uranus enters Aries it is just a matter of time before it goes on to square Pluto… and that’s a kind of meltdown, isn’t it?
Actually when Uranus entered Aries 84 years ago there was an 8.0 magnitude earthquake in Tango, Japan (Note 1), but then Japan did not have any nuclear reactors. Weeks afterwards there was an 8.3 magnitude quake in China which killed 200,000 people. It is curious to see that the 8.9 magnitude earthquake, the largest recorded in Japan’s history actually struck when Uranus was at 29.57 Pisces and it was the ravages of the ocean (Pisces) that went on the create the energy (Aries) crisis. The best symbol for this transition point from Pisces to Aries was perhaps the image of a large ship carried into the middle of a Japanese city.
So welcome to Uranus, which is commencing a new 84 year cycle through the solar system. In 1927 to 1928 there was a myriad of inventions like color television, the first TV broadcasts, the flight of Lindbergh from New York to Paris and tremendous advances in commercial passenger flight. 84 years on science has advanced exponentially. In March last year, two months before Uranus made its first (short) entry into Aries, Richard Branson of the Virgin empire successfully launched the first test flight of a commercial spacecraft, and such pioneering innovation is typical of Uranus in Aries. You can already book your flight. (Note 2)
Uppermost in people’s mind at the time of writing – one week after the Japanese earthquake – is the fate of the nuclear reactors in Japan.
EARTHQUAKE: March 11th, 2011 14:46:23 at 38N22 and 142E32 (AS 17.57)
You might expect to see powerful planets on the MC/IC or AS/DS at the time of the earthquake and subsequent devastating tsunami, but there is nothing except MC square Venus. But Pluto is at the exact midpoint of Saturn/Uranus, and Saturn is exactly sesquiquadrate the Moon/Neptune square. And of course Uranus in square the Moon’s nodes… never a good sign when it comes to disturbances on Earth. For those interested in harmonics, the Sun, Moon and Pluto configure as an exact conjunction in the 5th harmonic, in other words they are in exact quintile. The Ascendant in the earthquake chart is in fact on Japan’s Saturn (Note 3) and Neptune at 29.12 Aquarius is exactly square Japan’s own Neptune… and in the next couple of months Neptune changes sign and will transit Japan’s Mercury at 0.36 Pisces. Obviously the repercussions of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear failure on Japan’s communication and infrastructure will be apparent for months to come.
Whilst Japan builds all major constructions to cope with earthquakes and has training programs for the population in the event of tsunamis, the combination of earthquake and tsunami was enough to create a nuclear disaster for Japan. Reactors automatically shut down with the occurrence of the earthquake, but the tsunami knocked out diesel back-up generators that supply cooling water. It seems even when you stop a nuclear reaction, the fuel still gives off vast amounts of energy, and if the coolant is not constantly circulated, the water turns to steam and lots of explosive hydrogen is produced, which is why the buildings that house the reactors exploded, making it more and more difficult to cool nuclear fuel which is still producing immense heat.
This is the process that leads to meltdown, and as mentioned before, Uranus in fire sign Aries, moving to square Pluto, is the astrological signature of nuclear meltdown. As this aspect gets stronger and stronger over the next four years, this does not bode well for the nuclear industry, which was just entering a new phase of popularity with the growing shortage of oil. Germany, Sweden and Britain are going to have great difficulty continuing their growing investment in the nuclear industry, for which the Fukushima reactor explosions have been a total disaster, even though modern reactors (the Fukushima plant is from the seventies) have in fact many more safeguards in place. (Note 4)
Certainly for Japan, it is unlikely that public confidence in nuclear power will recover in the near future. One of the main consequences for Japan of the entry of Uranus into Aries, will be major efforts to find alternative power sources, which in the long term may be a good thing. Right now, as Neptune changes sign on April 4th to conjoin Japan’s Ascendant-ruler Mercury, which, being in the 10th house is related to government policy, there will be disarray for months to come. Neptune goes on to square Japan’s Pluto, which may bring some kind of dissolution of the Japan’s nuclear industry.
Adrian Duncan 20th March, 2011.
1. Chronology of World History – Ken Polsson
2. Check out http://www.virgingalactic.com/
3. The Meiji chart from 1889: Feb 11th 12.05 LMT Tokyo (AS 9.50 GE)
4. Modern systems can shut down and cool fuel without power being available, and have double and even triple backup systems. www.guardian.co.uk 20.03.2011
by Adrian Duncan | Apr 7, 2011 | Uncategorized
| If astrological tradition is anything to go by, then Saturn has been going through a particularly difficult period in these years. Give it the limitations of Capricorn with plenty of hard work, self-discipline and obstacles to overcome, and Saturn is quite happy. Perhaps not actually happy, but at least not disgruntled. Put it in soft and vulnerable Cancer, and it behaves quite inappropriately. What can it do with all that need for security and belonging? Saturn is a bit stiff when it has to deal with all the mushy emotional stuff, but if you want a nice hedge, fence or wall, then Saturn will be pleased to oblige.Perhaps that is why Israel has been so busy constructing their “fence” since their progressed new moon, which took place at 14 Cancer in September 2001 at the time of the terror attack on New York . Winding its way a little too far into Palestinian territory on the West Bank , this massive construction is a testimony to just how clumsy Saturn can be when in exile in Cancer. America , reeling from the grave wound inflicted on its financial heart, was hardly in a position to object, and feeble protests from EU countries were brushed off as anti-Semitism. Europe does not have a strong record for protecting Jews.
Walls do not last forever, but a good wall should last 29 years – if the Berlin Wall is anything to go by – so Palestinians can expect their trumpets to reduce the Israeli wall to dust around 2030. (Note 1)
The equivalent wall in America is the Homeland Security Act, which has effectively prevented many of the best young foreign brains from entering the United States and created the impression amongst those who have managed to enter the country – and added photos of their irises to the vast homeland security database – of a brave new world indeed. America is a Cancerian country, so security has been something of an issue post 9/11 and during the Saturn in Cancer period. It is not surprising then, that the electorate re-elected their Cancer president, George W Bush in 2004. He was the candidate smart enough to campaign on a platform of security.
On July 16th 2005 , Saturn moves on into Leo and the issue of security will fade from public awareness, to be replaced by concerns about leadership and problems regarding mass entertainment, child-rearing and celebrity affairs. Saturn was last in Leo from 1976 to 1978 when it made some very uncomfortable squares to a deadly Uranus in Scorpio. This was a “death of the future” period with black clad children and punks – who with their Mohican haircuts, and (just to make the message completely clear), metal chains and sharp objects piercing the skin – viciously parodied hippy dreamers. Johnny Rotten himself, of the very Uranus in Scorpio “Sex Pistols”, did manage to immortalize the heartfelt patriotism of the young with his unforgettable “God Save The Queen”. I guess that’s exactly how enthusiastic Saturn in Leo gets about royalty… no wonder it is in exile there.
Clearly the older generation from this period will have felt that a bit of discipline would have been quite a good thing for the young punks, and perhaps some of them will have thought wistfully about that golden age from 1946-1948 when Saturn combined with Pluto in Leo. That was a time when toilet training was all the rage, and young bottoms were placed on potties with the military discipline that was to be expected after 5 years of war.
If there is a sense that Saturn in Leo evokes resistance in children and the urge to tighten up in parents, then we can expect the Saturn ingress in 2005 to bring heavier demands on children as regards education and general behaviour. The perception that children are spoiled and being corrupted will lead to authoritarian attempts at repression. These attempts are doomed to fail – there is no Pluto conjunction to crush resistance now, just an opposition to Neptune to undermine Saturn.
It is the Neptune opposition that will dominate Saturn in Leo as regards children, gambling, life quality, celebrity scandals and anything else concerned with Leo. The Saturn/Neptune synod takes place every 35 years, and the last opposition was in 1972, when limits on oil led to a disastrous economic crash in the West. As Saturn enters Leo here in 2005 and a powerful grand cross is formed, preliminary conditions for later economic downturn are liable to be established. Looking at the graph for this period it can be seen that direct and retrograde Mars knits together Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune over a six month period activating the energy of the four fixed signs and producing a stagnant climate where energy gets inextricably mired.
An erstwhile celebrity in Britain is Tony Blair, who was born under the exact conjunction of Saturn and Neptune in 1953.
See chart : Tony Blair 6.05.1953 6.10 BST Edinburgh (AS 4.50 GE)
Saturn and Neptune are of course very strongly linked to social idealism, and there can be little doubt that Blair – with Ascendant ruler Mercury in Aries opposing the conjunction – passionately believes in applying socialist dreams to create a socialist utopia. With five powerful planets in the 12th house, he probably feels a religious conviction that he is a channel for change. Given that his Taurus sun is square Pluto, any convictions will tend to have a fanatical edge, and with Jupiter also in Taurus, his beliefs tend to be unshakeable. You never get Blair admitting he is wrong.
The Neptune transit to Blair’s Moon in Aquarius was the beginning of the dissolution of his celebrity status. With the vast majority of the British people vociferously against any involvement in Iraq , he supported Bush and declared war. Here the weakness of his Mercury opposition Saturn/Neptune came into the open, for this is an aspect noted for smokescreens and lies. People in Britain felt they had been lied to – and they were – and Tony Blair was revealed to be an ordinary politician very out of touch with his electorate. With transit Neptune moving on to square Blair’s Sun, he managed to win his third term as Prime Minister, but with a greatly reduced majority.
See chart : United Kingdom 1 Jan 1801 0.00 LMT London (AS 7.10 LI)
With the coming grand cross in fixed signs, Britain and Blair are likely to bear the brunt of the economic difficulties on their way. Saturn in Leo will station in opposition to Blair’s Moon at 11.30 Aquarius in November 2005, and his unpopularity is liable to peak at this time. Bearing in mind that 1801 Britain has Mars at 11.46 Taurus in the 8th – in exact square to Blair’s Moon – an implacable resistance is likely. Noting that transit Mars returns to this position in August and November 2005, and January 2006, there will be enormous focus on the deception that occurred when Neptune squared Mars and Britain went to war, and on any economic corruption or scandal that may have resulted. The retrograde Mars suggests withdrawal of troops.
Quite apart from that, the coming grand cross will trigger 1801 Britain’s grand cross involving Saturn at 23 Leo, Neptune at 18 Scorpio, Venus at 16 Aquarius and Mars. This rare constellation will have a profound effect on British political life. The pressure on Blair from 2005 to 2006 will be huge, and his survival is probably at stake. The subsequent pressure on Britain in 2006 and 2007 from the continued Neptune/Saturn opposition, which peaks in June 2007, will create a continued economic downturn and acute discomfort for New Labour.
One of the basic points of the grand cross is Jupiter. When transiting Scorpio it brings knowledge of secrets, and in political terms economic power play and corruption. Jupiter squares Saturn in December, dwells in square to Neptune in the winter of 2006, then squares Saturn twice more in June and October 2006 just as Saturn moves up to oppose Neptune. This is an extremely powerful aspect pattern, and the summer of 2006 is obviously the most dangerous period for Blair. This will also herald economic power battles in the world’s largest economies. Economic cartels will be revealed to have corrupt methods, and Saturn in Leo will reflect political attempts to limit the economic corruption of previously respected leaders.
It is very likely that falling oil production – reflecting the Saturn/Neptune opposition – will trigger an economic crisis in this period. It seems that the activation of the UK chart means that Britain has a central role, and is also profoundly affected by the economic pressures. There are no indications that Britain will give way under pressure – so in relation to the European Union, the lack of flexibility that manifests at this time will severely undermine EU structure. As far as the EU is concerned generally, there will be huge disillusion about further expansion – but when Jupiter later moves into Sagittarius, moves to include Turkey will probably go ahead.
Apart from Britain , another country with significant planets in fixed signs – and a country very sensitive to the Saturn/Neptune cycle – is Russia . The 1917 Revolution chart (Note 2) has a Sun/Mercury in Scorpio in T square to Saturn in Leo opposing Uranus in Aquarius, so the Saturn return here is likely to pile the pressure on Putin too. The 1991 “Flag Up” horoscope has a Venus/Pluto conjunction in Scorpio, so this too is affected by the Saturn/Neptune opposition. Putin has seemed to live a charmed life until now, but he will be in trouble from 2005 to 2007, with special focus on economic scandals. His persecution of oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky of the Yukos oil company may come back to haunt him, or he may go on to dismantle the empires of other oligarchs. Still, unrest in Russia is likely to undermine his position.
It is likely that any revered leader or high-profile individual will be vulnerable during the Saturn transit of Leo. Public scepticism will put people off hero-worship, and questions will be asked about what well-known people are doing in their private lives, and how they are using the vast sums of money at their disposal. Pop stars, football players and other stars would be advised to keep a low profile. The likelihood of celebrity sexual scandals is high, as Jupiter in Scorpio focuses on secrets, sexuality and corruption. Public disillusion will reach new heights.
As Jupiter makes the contact with Neptune , bubbles will be inflated and rise to huge heights. The last Jupiter/Pluto square took place as Dot Com company lastminute.com went public, and the crash that followed – devastating thousands of technology companies – happened as Jupiter went on to conjoin Saturn in Taurus. The latest bubble has been the property boom, which is the result of many factors – not least globalisation and the easy transfer of money across borders. Those who have cashed in their equity and partied over the last few years will be experiencing sizeable hangovers. The lesson of Saturn in Leo is clear – the party is over.
Adrian Ross Duncan 15.06.2005
Adrian Ross Duncan was editor of the Astrological Journal from 1998 to 2001, and author of Doing Time on Planet Earth and the recent Astrology: Transformation ad Empowerment. His articles, software and other astrological offerings can be seen at www.worldofwisdom.co.uk
1. Construction was started the Berlin Wall on August 13th 1961 , and demolition started on November 10th 1989 .
2. Russian Revolution. 8 Nov 1917 2.12 St. Petersburg (AS 14.20 VI).
3. Russia – Flag up. 25.12.1991 20.45 Moscow (AS 25.16 LE)
Data from Book of World Horoscopes. |
by Adrian Duncan | Apr 7, 2011 | Adrian’s Articles 2005, Adrian’s Articles 2005
| A conservative calculation concluded that sixty thousand people were killed in the capital city alone. Not one church or government building was left standing after the earthquake and the subsequent tsunamis and fires. How many others perished on the coastline of Spain and Morocco could never be exactly computed. Waves over ten meters in height swept over the harbor, sinking all the ships and those that had taken refuge in them. The whole harbor disappeared, complete with ships, and no trace of them was subsequently found. In the space of half an hour the city of Lisbon disappeared off the map in what was the greatest natural catastrophe of its time.There have been many earthquakes since, with great loss of life, but the Lisbon disaster stretches across the centuries to form a link with the Sumatran tsunami as regards magnitude and loss of life. The ocean was the killer in both cases. Not surprisingly then, there are remarkable links between the two charts for the events. …Read More |
by Adrian Duncan | Aug 7, 2010 | Uncategorized
If you happen to be on the moon some time, cast a glimpse down to Dubai on the Arabian Peninsular. Here a glittering palm tree shaped island will be visible shining into space – a man-made construction which contains more than 30 five-star hotels as well as residences for the glitterati like Brad Pitt, David Beckham, and other people who choose to be more anonymous. That is just in 2010 – two more paradise islands are planned, as well as a 300 island archipelago representing all the countries of the world. And another one featuring the universe.
Where is the world’s tallest building? The world’s only seven-start hotel? Which country currently has the most cranes in the world? The world’s largest indoor skiing slope? That’s right: Planet Dubai. Apparently when driving into town from the airport the visitor is greeted by billboards proclaiming “Welcome to Everything”, “Be Unlimited”, “Anything is Possible”. (Note 1)
You will not be surprised then to see that the horoscope of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which includes Abu Dhabi as well as Dubai, shows the Sun on the Midheaven conjoining and at the exact midpoint of Jupiter and Neptune in Sagittarius. What could be a better astrological signature for a country which expands out into the ocean creating fantasy islands that contain the world, the universe… well, Everything?
Dubai: 2.12.1971 12.00 25N18 55E18 (Book of World Horoscopes)
The United Arab Emirates were proclaimed at 12 noon in Dubai on December 2nd 1971 at the time of an exact full moon, with the Sun at 9.29 Sagittarius and the moon at 9.36 Gemini. What makes these degrees fascinating is that they are placed on the fixed stars Aldebaran- the Eye of the Bull – and Antares – the eye of the Scorpion. These are amongst the brightest stars in the universe, placed exactly opposite each other and they have traditionally been revered in the Arab world, far back in history when they formed the axis for the Age of Taurus. Furthermore, the epoch-making Pluto/Neptune conjunction of 1891-2 took place at 8-9 degrees Gemini, marking out a 492 year long planetary cycle, which encapsulates the iconic dreams and ideas of world history. With the full moon in Dubai’s chart activating this conjunction, it probably has a significant role to play for a half-millennium or so.
Which might explain why its ruler Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum feels the call to build a 21st century Xanadu in a desert country with average summer temperatures of 40+ C and virtually zero rainfall. Really the place should not exist. In a Muslim society with strict restraints on alcohol and sex, there is no difficulty getting a drink or buying other more forbidden services. Despite the apparent openness, there is no parliament or political parties, and no trade unions either. Which is bad news for the approximately 50% of the population who are Indians and Bangladeshis slaving away in temperatures that can reach 50C and living in labor camps conveniently placed an hour or so away out of town.
The rise of Dubai and Abu Dhabi has been meteoric. In the early fifties the population was about 20,000, whilst now it is 1.4 million. (Note 2) Even 30 years ago it was mostly desert and scrub. But with the rise of Arab fortunes after the first Oil Crisis of 1972, prosperity came quickly. Interestingly Mercury is exactly stationary in Dubai’s chart, which means that at the country’s inception it had extended itself to the furthest it can go in relation to the sun. Overextended in fact in its sign of detriment. From 1972 to 1992 it progressed retrograde, conjoining Jupiter in Sagittarius on the way – once in 1983 and then in 2007 – which pretty much indicates its expansion period. In 2011 it will once again be at the degree at which it started – 28 Sagittarius, and in 2012 it will enter Capricorn and face reality, where it will go on to meet the Venus/Pluto square. More on this later.
After the 2nd Gulf War, with oil prices hitting the roof, the region had more money than it knew what to do with. Dubai has in fact very little oil, so it wisely adopted a policy of building up its image as an international center, both politically and business wise. “Where shopping is a lifestyle” as the billboards say. With no income tax Western investors streamed to the country, and it embarked on an orgy of building.
However, if the truth be told, today the skyline is dominated by half-finished skyscrapers, and the hotels and shopping malls are in trouble. Dubai has proved to be just as vulnerable to the financial meltdown as other countries. When the global financial crisis hit Dubai, prices collapsed by 50 percent in a year leaving projects unfinished or scrapped. The horoscope for Dubai is dominated by the full moon conjoining Jupiter and on a Saturn/Neptune opposition. Whilst Saturn/Neptune does show a desert state with fortunes founded on oil (from Abu Dhabi), and does show the ability to build a new city on millions of tons of rock transported out into the sea, the Saturn/Neptune opposition also requires an element of realism. In many ways the full moon in Dubai’s chart shows an extravagant dream built on the slave labor of poor immigrants – the Moon/Saturn conjoining the IC.
Although Sheik Mohammed has been much worshipped hitherto by the business community, the Sun/Neptune/Jupiter square Mars in Pisces in Dubai’s chart shows rulers who not only are visionaries… but also dreamers. He has forged ahead with fairy tale developments, wooing investors and creating his own massive speculative bubble. Dubai’s own development vehicle, Dubai World, shook markets in December 2009 demanding a moratorium on its $60 billion debt, meaning that it can no longer keep up payments. Abu Dhabi has reluctantly indicated that it will help, but other major developments are still at risk. The creditworthiness of Dubai has been downgraded by international institutions.
Financial markets try to make reassuring noises about Dubai, pointing to the oil revenues in the region and to Dubai’s status as a business center, but all the astrological indications are that the current crisis with Dubai World is not just a blip on the radar screen. It is in fact the beginning of a long process of economic restructuring that will not end until 2014 at the earliest. The transit of Pluto over Dubai’s Venus in Capricorn is the warning shot. Clearly money is going to dry up, or at least be subject to draconian lending terms. The United Arab Emirates has a Venus/Pluto square to start with, so this is a development that has always been on the cards, it was just a matter of time. Now with transiting Saturn on Pluto on the one hand, and transiting Pluto on Venus on the other, Dubai is caught in a vice, and the screw will be tightened in 2010, bringing the highest level of discomfort from July to November 2010, the latter date being the final square from Pluto to Venus.
The movement of progressed Mercury – as it returns to its birth position – will be a reminder of the latent folly in the UAR chart, and when Mercury progresses into Capricorn as 2012 starts, Dubai will start applying its first strong dose of reality as concrete steps will be taken to place limits on the unreal expansion that has taken place. A new iron administration will take control from 2012 to 2014 which embodies an acceptance of traditional business realities. In other words the concept “Be Unlimited” will no longer apply.
Other indications that the euphoric mood of Dubai will slump can be seen in the movement of the progressed Moon which has been in Libra and the 8th house since 2007, highlighting the architectural achievements with borrowed money. In February 2010 the Moon will move into Scorpio, still in the 8th house, and Dubai will find itself mired in debt.
Furthermore, transiting Neptune is now extending its tentacles to the UAR Ascendant which it will station on in May 2010 and subsequently transit three more times, leaving Dubai metaphorically submerged by the time the last transit takes place in December 2011. Fortunately Dubai’s geographical placement in the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf makes it immune to a tsunami, but there will be no immunity to the flood of dismay that the economic downturn will bring.
Of course Dubai will prevail, and in the future it will live out the dreams and fantasies of the world and the universe. With the Sun and Moon on Aldebaran and Antares – two of the four royal stars of the Persians, Dubai will continue to make fantastic architectural statements to the world once this time of crisis is over. But it will always be vulnerable to hubris – such is the nature of a Sun conjoining a strong Jupiter in the 10th house of a nation’s chart. Dubai is entering a period of contraction when loss and debt will eliminate its natural optimism for a while. It will enter a period of chaos, when there is no longer a clear sense of direction. The Neptune transit to the Ascendant may also have repercussions for the many immigrant workers, who will lose their jobs, but not want or be able to go home. The Pluto transiting Dubai’s Venus will see Sheik Mohammed losing investor friends… and discovering who his real friends are. Nevertheless it is worth noting that Dubai’s progressive Mars trines Dubai’s Sun from 2010 to 2011, and this could indicate that he will take an active role in leading Dubai out of economic danger in the years to come through courageous initiatives, not least in continuing to convince investors that Dubai has a future.
I do hope so… prices have already gone down for the Burj al Aran 7-star hotel. (Now starting at only $1500 per night).
Adrian Ross Duncan 14.12.2009
1. Guardian Weekly: journalist Jon Henley 11.12.2009.
2. Information from Wikipedia
by Adrian Duncan | Aug 7, 2010 | Uncategorized
Normality is soon to be a thing of the past, and over the next half decade we will be witness to social, technological, political and personal transformations which will result in a world quite different to the one we know today. This could have been said in 1988 – just prior to the Saturn, Uranus and Neptune conjunctions opposite Jupiter, which precipitated the New World Order and fall of communism. It could also have been said of the mid sixties – just prior to the Uranus/Pluto conjunction opposite Saturn, which polarized youth and age and evoked a social revolution. It could have been said of the early 1940’s, when Jupiter conjoined Saturn in Taurus and squared Pluto going on to conjoin Uranus, which led to Germany’s seizure of most of Europe’s land.
But no historical period quite mirrors another, as no astrological combination is every exactly repeated. What makes the period between June 2012 to March 2015 significant are the seven Uranus/Pluto squares which take place over an unusually long period. (Note 1) But already in 2010 the wanderings of Saturn and Jupiter weave the connection between Uranus and Pluto, and therefore we are getting a taste of the extremes of behavior associated with these two outer planets. (If you want a visual expression of their craziness see Batman Forever, starring Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face – Pluto – and Jim Carrey as The Riddler – Uranus.)
Together Uranus and Pluto suspend normal moral behavior in favor of uncompromising change. Students in China during the cultural revolution in the mid-sixties threw their teachers out of upper floor windows on the grounds that their age and experienced had already corrupted their minds… Saturn was involved in this instance. When Pluto combines with Uranus, their mission is total revolution, and humanitarian concerns are sidelined.
Here in 2010 from April to July, Saturn returns to Virgo after making two squares to Pluto from Libra, and dwells in a powerful opposition to Uranus, which was exact on April 26th at 28 degrees Virgo/Pisces. This was the beginning of an extreme period of unrest, which was reflected in Europe by the financial crisis in Greece, which awakened great anxiety for the economies of Portugal and Spain and ultimately threatened the viability of the Euro. And in almost every country in the world, governments are trying to find a balance between cutting expenditure and dampening the subsequent social unrest.
But unrest is coming, and with unrest comes repression. Taking Thailand as an example, the government clampdown on protestors in mid-May 2010 – before Uranus had even entered explosive Aries – is an example of the choices the establishment faces, when confronted by its people. (Note 2)
Thailand. June 24th 1932 12.00 Bangkok AS 27.41 Virgo (Source BWH)
Although the birth time for Thailand is unknown, it is tempting to use the noon time, because the Saturn/Uranus opposition falls exactly on the Ascendant/Descendant axis. The transiting Pluto opposing Thailand’s Sun at 2 Cancer, shows the leadership dispute that lies at the root of the current unrest. What makes this horoscope interesting is the 1932 foundation year, when present constitutional system was established via a revolution. It was at this time that the last Uranus/Pluto square was exact, which predisposes this country to times in its history when extreme events wreak havoc… and the current repeat of the aspect may well be one of these times. It is worth noting that Mars in this horoscope has progressed and is now on the Pluto/Uranus square, which indicates dictatorial repression. And later, as the series of seven squares pick out the retrograde Venus at 10 Cancer, economic chaos and restructuring lie ahead, perhaps as a consequence of a second social revolution.
On May 28th – two weeks after this article has been written – Uranus moves into Aries, and almost immediately Jupiter also enters Aries, conjoining Uranus on June 8th at 0.18 Aries. Whilst Uranus in Pisces is prepared to play a victim’s role, it will not do so in Aries. The last time Uranus was in Pisces, Hitler was in jail and writing Mein Kampf, but when it came into Aries, he was well on the way to establishing his credentials as Führer (leader) of the Arian race.
Of course the Uranus/Jupiter conjunction is not malefic in itself, and it plays a tremendous role in technological development cycles. The last conjunction in Aries in 1927 saw the first transatlantic flight, by Charles Lindberg, which led to an explosion of pioneering international flights the same year. This was also the year when the Talkies began… all movies until that time had been silent. (Initially people were extremely skeptical… who needed to hear people speak, when you could see them?) 1927 was also the year of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, which stated that certain experiments could not be relied on because the presence of the observer affected the experiment. This was a concept which revolutionarized scientific materialism.
We can expect amazing pioneering discoveries now, especially because the digital world is so unlike anything experienced before in history. A scientific group in the USA has in fact just created – for the first time – life. The controversial leader of the project, Dr Venter, is quoted as saying:
“We were ecstatic when the cells booted up with all the watermarks in place,” “It’s a living species now, part of our planet’s inventory of life.” For 15 years his research time had coded genomes until they could be chemically combined by digital software to create living bacteria. (Note 4) Primitive life forms can now be digitally created in the laboratory. Unfortunately his company is patenting tis process, which raises the prospect of someone actually owning the building blocks for life creation. Otherwise known as god.
The current Uranus/Jupiter conjunction takes place just once in Aries… the next two take place in Pisces, as both planets retrograde. This could indicate a summer of unrest, with a mopping up effect from August 2010 to March 2011. But in the explosive period from the end of May to early September 2010, anything can happen. Probably the USA will not be exempt, because the IC on the USA (Sibley) horoscope is at 1 degree Aries, indicating unrest – or more extreme events – close to the White House. In 1969 Jupiter and Uranus conjoined at the opposite point – 1 degree Libra on the Midheaven – just as Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. This current conjunction is the time of the World Cup which takes place in South Africa on June 11th 2010. This is obviously going to be a riveting and electric international event. The security had better be good though. The World Cup took place for the first time in 1930, as the last Uranus/Pluto square was building up.
Security is exactly what Pluto in Capricorn is interested in. It is the solution to everything. This means surveillance cameras, extra police, control over the movement of people, the joy of the global database. As Jupiter and Uranus move into Aries, their message is freedom for the individual – at any price – whilst Pluto in Capricorn is interested in protecting the state – at all costs. As Saturn currently opposes Uranus and Jupiter, the incredible desire to break free is stopped by Saturn – it is simply impossible and impractical. With Saturn disposing of Pluto, the indications are that whilst Saturn is in Virgo it will serve the people, and whilst it is exalted in Libra until October 2012, the leaders of the state – Obama for example – will take a balanced and fair approach. But when Saturn moves in to Scorpio, which is does at the next presidential election in November 2012, all bets are off. Saturn in Scorpio sextile Pluto in Capricorn is successfully repressive… and may have to be with an economy that has hit rock bottom.
Uranus enters Aries tentatively, going retrograde at 0.35 Aries in July and returning to Pisces. Jupiter meanwhile, emboldened by its brother at arms Uranus, continues on, going retrograde at 3.24 Aries whilst in exact square to Pluto – an aspect that lasts for many weeks. The indications are that revolutionary behavior at this time is ill-judged and will be brutally stamped out. The last time Jupiter/Uranus conjoined in Aries in 1927 the palace of justice in Vienna was stormed and burned by an angry mob. Very appropriate. Angry mobs may want to mete out their own fiery brand of justice this summer and there are many places in the world this can happen. In Greece a government elected by the people to protect the laid-back social fabric of their society is being forced by the EU to impose draconic financial cuts, which the people find oppressive. Rather than contemplate a domino effect which causes the Euro to collapse, the EU must impose its will… Pluto in Capricorn. The Greek people are furious that the government they elected to protect them forces them to suffer even more.
Greece revolution – 24.03.1821 12.00 Kalavryla AS 19.25 CN (Source BWH)
Modern Greece was founded when the Ottoman occupation was overthrown on the last but one Uranus/Neptune conjunction in 1821 when both planets where in exact conjunction to the minute of arc at 3 Capricorn… where transiting Pluto is in 2010. Subsequent horoscopes for Greece consistently show 3 – 6 degrees of cardinal signs to dominate completely. For example the July 24th democratic revolution in 1974 against the military dictatorship shows a Moon/Pluto conjunction at 4 Libra square Venus at 3 Cancer. The pressures on Greece are massive, and the government cannot survive 2010. Even Greek membership of the Euro seems in doubt. Nothing less than a total reconstruction of Greece can be effective… an iron hand will probably initially keep the people under control, but the Uranus transit in 2011 will bring unrest and revolution.
How this will affect the rest of Europe is uncertain, but with Pluto slowly approaching 9 degrees Capricorn – where the sun is every New Year’s Day, which is the date for the foundation of many European institutions as well as the horoscope for the United Kingdom – turmoil is indicated until 2015. Russia, China and the US horoscope are all profoundly affected by the transits of Uranus and Pluto, so we are entering an unstable period for the world with continued recession and increasing unemployment. Scapegoats will be sought, and the wise individual must refuse to be drawn in to mass movements that demonize specific groups. It is worth remembering that the last Uranus/Pluto square in the early 1930’s did not coincide with war… just extreme political movements and economic depression.
It is quite likely that the two retrograde conjunctions of Uranus and Jupiter in Pisces will bring innovative solutions to environmental problems, as well as radical and effective solutions to help the unemployed and underprivileged, as well as providing finishing touches to health reform in the USA. Also, when Neptune enters Pisces in April 2011, there will probably be extremely strong humanitarian forces trying to heal those who are victims of the coming changes.
As the Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto are moving through cardinal signs in the coming years, this is a period of dynamic change rather than passive inactivity. What pays for the individual now is to act… to keep ahead of things. There is no status quo… everything is movement and this means taking personal initiatives for change. There are waves that need to be surfed, trains that need to be hopped on to, falling bridges that need to be sped over. After one initiative is taken, it is time to take the next, as each change rapidly becomes obsolete and consigned to the past. Therefore this is also a period of radical progress in all directions.
By the year 2020, with Pluto at the tail end of Capricorn and soon to enter Aquarius, and with the first of a 200-year cycle of Saturn/Jupiter conjunctions taking place at 0 Aquarius, a new era will dawn. At this time the repressive governments that were created to handle crisis will be swept aside. Technological change will sweep the last of an oil and coal based world away, people will unite in a one world state of digital union, and a new electromagnetic world of light will emerge. In the meantime perhaps we can find inspiration in the words of French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau, who wrote – at another Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in Aries in 1762 – “Man is born free yet everywhere is in chains”. (Note 4) That was the state of things prior to the French Revolution in 1789, and now perhaps we are still slaves… to capital.
Adrian Duncan 20th May 2010
1. This aspect repeats itself about every 80 years, but you have to go back to 1755 – 1758 for the last series of seven squares.
2. The crucial date for the formation of Thailand can be traced back to April 6th 1782, when the capital was moved to Bangkok. In 1932 however the present constitutional system was established via a revolution. Interestingly Mars is at exactly the same degree – 1 Gemini – in both horoscopes.
3. Interview with The Guardian May 20th 2010.
4. Le Contra Social – 1762. This book expressed antimonarchist views and Rousseau has to take refuge in Switzerland to escape prosecution.
by Adrian Duncan | Aug 7, 2010 | Uncategorized
The life of a miner is almost impossible to understand for someone who has never been down a mine. 2000 meters under the surface the temperature is 35C and the humidity 90%. There is no light, except for the lamp in your helmet. So when the mine collapses – as it did for the 33 Chilean miners on August 5th, 2010 – and you have two days food rations to survive on, death seems a near certainty. Death is what comes to most miners under these circumstances. In China at the same time there was a mine explosion which killed 37 miners. (In fact over 2500 miners lost their lives in China in 2009.)The Chilean miners were into their 17th day of darkness and starvation when a drill piece entered their chamber on August 22nd. They we able to send a note saying “estamos bien el refugio los 33″ – all were alive and well – and from that moment Chile was galvanized into national effort to liberate the miners from the bowels of Mother Earth. Engineers, designers, psychologists and experts from around the world devised a method to keep the miners sane and to bore through solid granite. They went into action, expecting – if all went well – to have the miners out by December. The story of the resurrection of the 33 miners has become a metaphor of rebirth with political repercussions worldwide.
After all, it has been estimated that one billion people witnessed the rescue of the miners 69 days after their burial. People in Pakistan ask why – in comparison to their president who was in Europe during their catastrophic floods – the president of Chile was present at the mine and welcomed each and every miner coming out of the birth channel so laboriously drilled. Chinese miners ask what Chile can do, that China is unable to. Workers listen the words of President Pinera of Chile (whose approval ratings have soared to 86% – re-election anyone?) who said that from now on Chile would start aiming to become the first Latin American country in which poverty, bad working practices and injustice would be eradicated.
Traditionally Chile has been one of the more enlightened Latin American countries, giving strong support to the UN and other international organizations, and welcoming free trade agreements and open banking. In the West we tend to associate Chile with the 17 years of repression under General Pinochet, but in actual fact this country has been remarkable free of military dictatorship at other times in its history, in comparison with for example Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.
Chile gained independence on February 12th, 1818, which was a time of the complete dissolution of Spanish power in South America.
CHILE: 12.02.1818 12.00 LMT – Santiago, Chile. AS 13.42 TA (BOWH)
Horoscopes in this period of history show that a new conjunction cycle of Uranus and Neptune began – a cycle which repeated once again in the early 1990’s with another dissolution of a dominant political entity – the Soviet Union. Napoleon had been defeated in 1815 and the European map was redrawn, and this awakened independence movements all over South America. In the horoscope for Chile, Uranus is catching up with Neptune in Sagittarius, and drawing ever closer to a square with Pluto, which in turn is conjoined by Saturn… an extremely unstable constellation, which brought revolution in Spain and the subsequent loss of Mexico and the rest of its colonies in South America.
Spain was not very happy about Chile’s declaration of independence and sent an army to crush the rebellion. This was thoroughly defeated at the Battle of Maipu on April 5th of the same year, which is an alternative horoscope that can be used for Chile. (Note 1)
In both horoscopes for Chile the Sun conjoins Venus. In fact, taking 12 noon as the timing for the independence chart, the Moon and North Node conjoins the Ascendant in Taurus, and this may well be an indication of Chile’s greatest resource – it is a major supplier of copper, which is traditionally ruled by Venus. Chile has thrived and prospered through these copper resources since 1818, but in the 1960’s the Cold War saw Chile being drawn in to the communist sphere of influence, which led to the election of President Allende, who promptly nationalized the US owned copper mines. As there were huge corporate US interests running major industries in Chile, and because the US did not take kindly to visits by Castro and Soviet officials, the US government started plotting the downfall of Allende.
It is difficult to know how much Allende contributed to his own downfall – his radical left-wing policies alienated students and workers alike. But the CIA financed the ultra-conservative forces in Chile and as recently released records show that President Nixon’s avowed policy was, quote, “Make the economy scream [in Chile to] prevent Allende from coming to power or to unseat him”, there were powerful forces arrayed against him. A military coup took place on September 11th, 1973, Allende was killed in the Presidential palace (or took his own life), and an era of brutal suppression followed under the dictatorship of general Pinochet. In fact about 3000 people lost their lives (and countless were imprisoned), strangely reminiscent of the 3000 people who also lost their lives under another infamous catastrophe that took place on September 11th … 28 years later in New York.
The military coup took place when transit Uranus was opposing the new moon conjunction Venus of the battle of Maipu horoscope. More significantly, Saturn at 3.37 Cancer was square Pluto 3.31 Libra. Saturn/Pluto aspects are the signature of repressive dictatorships, and in this case they activated the position of Jupiter at 4.52 Capricorn and Mars at 5.13 Cancer in the two 1818 foundation horoscopes.
It is interesting then that the mining drama in Chile also took place 37 years after the coup under the next Saturn/Pluto square… this time signifying resurrection for Chile.
MINE ACCIDENT: August 5th, 2010 12.00 Calama. AS 14.31 SC
I do not have the exact time for the accident, but the mine collapsed when the miners were having lunch in their shelter, which was very fortunate. Here we can see the massive T-square with Mars conjoining Saturn, both opposing the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction (still in Aries at this time) and squaring Pluto. The position of Jupiter at 4.52 Capricorn in the 1818 horoscope is powerfully stimulated by this T-square. This itself indicates are that there will be a major reform of the mining industry, which Jupiter in Capricorn symbolizes.
The unfolding of the drama deep inside the bowels of the earth in northern Chile, appeared to synchronize with the unique dance of Mars and Venus, as they conjoined twice with Venus entering Scorpio and moving retrograde, allowing the much slower Mars to catch up.
Seventeen days into their living burial, hope came to the miners, their families, and President Pinera who committed the resources of the Chilean state, and his own credibility, to rescue the miners from what at first seemed an impossible situation.
The horoscope for the discovery of the miners on August 22nd happened exactly as Venus moved through Libra to conjoin Mars. If Mars represents the men (in detriment in Libra) Venus was their savior. This conjunction exactly opposed the new moon for the Maipu horoscope. Furthermore, Mercury at this time had just moved stationary retrograde at 19.02 Virgo, exactly squaring independence Uranus and opposing independence Chiron. Surprising news for the healing of the nation.
The remaining 52 days was a media scramble that transformed the arid desert where the miners were buried into a hi-tech colony. But underground, as Venus and Mars entered Scorpio, the miners – now with food and communication – still had to battle with the darkness and desperation. We cannot know – yet – what they went through, but Venus will go direct in November and once again trace its steps through Scorpio. The miners had made a pledge of silence about the first 17 days, when nerves snapped and hysteria sometimes took over. However, with huge sums of money being offered for the full story, many details will come out during the period from November to January, when Venus makes its final pass through Scorpio. We will learn of the wives and mistresses left behind, and the way money can be used to get people to divulge secrets they would rather not.
RESCUE: First miner rescued 13th October, 2010 00.10 Calama. AS 4.30 CN
The first miner emerged from the earth – a second birth – just after midnight on October 13th. This rescue horoscope speaks eloquently of the rescue as the first man to be “reborn” emerges with the Descendant exactly on the Pluto/Node conjunction and Mercury exactly conjoining the IC – travel up the tube. Mercury is exactly opposing the new moon of the Maipu chart. By this time Mars had in fact overtaken Venus, which was now retrograde exactly on the South Node in Scorpio in the independence chart. Here the nodal axis from Taurus to Scorpio serves as a kind of birth canal, leading from the darkness underground to the blinding television lights above. The nodes are the escape route for Venus, uniting the men underground, with their women above. In parallel, during the course of the next day, the moon conjoins Pluto and the north node, and the god of the underworld releases his victims, allowing them to come back to the surface and a new life.
The actual date when all the miners reached the surface was 13.10.10, which – as President Pinera himself pointed out, adds up to 33. It took 33 days from commencement of drilling to reach the miners… one day per man. The diameter of the shaft was 66 cms. As Maria Segovia, sister of miner Dario Segovia said, “The 33 appears in everything, everything matches, it’s a miracle,” and the many devout Catholics in Chile point out that Jesus was 33 when he was crucified and resurrected.
The true miracle will be if mine owners review safety practices and improve conditions for their workers. The mine in Chile had actually been closed because of safety concerns and reopened because the price of copper has been extremely high. Miners worldwide have traditionally been exploited by corporations and governments. The bond of solidarity between miners and mining communities is extremely strong, but it is no compensation for the danger from accidents and lung disease that all too often claim the lives of miners. If the miracle in Chile is to have long-term impact, then Saturn in Libra must bring balance and justice in regulating that the heartless guardian of the mines… Pluto in Capricorn.
Adrian Duncan 19.10.2010
1. The Battle of Maipu took place on the new moon in Aries on April 5th, 1818 and ended at 14.30 with the defeat of the Spanish forces. Source: The Book of World Horoscopes – Nick Campion.
by Adrian Duncan | Aug 7, 2010 | Uncategorized
Last month we looked at how the major planetary cycles will affect the first six signs of the zodiac using solar house astrology. These signs will be affected indirectly by the movement of the outer planets, but for the signs from Libra to Pisces, there will be greater personal change. Saturn moving in to Libra and constellating in a square aspect to Pluto will profoundly affect Saturn-ruled Capricorn and Aquarius, whilst Jupiter moving into Pisces, and further into Aries in conjunction with Uranus, is bound to make 2010 an exciting and unpredictable year for Pisces and Sagittarius.With the Saturn/Pluto square already having taken place on 15th November 2009, the signs are already there. The release of the disaster movie 2012 was for example one interesting sign. The control that Saturn always tries to exert becomes more obsessive when Pluto is involved, and this can lead to institutional oppression and its consequences. Fortunately an exalted Saturn in Libra stands up for justice and rights and actually disposes of Pluto in Saturn-ruled Capricorn. Drastic measures need to be taken, but they are less likely to be extreme. At the exact square world leaders announced in Singapore that the climate conference in Copenhagen would not take any binding decisions… they would have to come at a later stage. Greenpeace reacted with a banner saying “Your survival, your choice” – quite a polite protest, really. Legislation on climate change is very much related to the Saturn/Pluto square, and the anxiety it evokes, and will almost certainly be enacted whilst the aspect lasts.
For the individual affected by Saturn and Pluto, survival issues will be paramount and there will be a lot of anxiety to deal with. But the challenge of Saturn is to overcome anxiety through determination and perseverance, and through powerful alliances. Survival must not bring out dishonorable behavior, but neither must it evoke weakness. Long-term faith in ones abilities in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles is the way forward. After all, the Saturn/Pluto square is over in September 2010, and then it has a good run without problematic aspects. With retrograde Mars sextiling Saturn in February and March 2010, the indications are the Saturn is fully equipped to achieve its agenda.
If 2010 is going to be a year of transformation and empowerment for Capricorns and Aquarians, it is going to be quite a wild ride of Sagittarians and Pisceans. The year starts with Jupiter moving into Pisces, where it is dignified, but it races in into Aries, where it will be – together with Uranus – until September, and the last conjunctions of Jupiter with Uranus take place in Pisces, showing the combination of burning idealism and compassionate change. Early extremism will probably be dampened in the latter part of the year.
Looking at the last six signs of the zodiac, it is possible to get quite a good idea of general trends, just by studying the slow moving planets, and the retrograde cycles of both Venus and Mars:
Libra
The sign of Libra is sure to have an amazing year, and with Saturn in this sign until October 2012, there is a long period for you to build new life structures which will affect the important relationships in your life. You will already be feeling the influence of the Saturn/Pluto square on your family life, and this involves digging deep into sensitive areas that need transformation. It is important to grasp the nettle and eradicate bad family habits, or work on some sort of home rebuilding project, or to set limits in relation to authoritarian family figures. When Jupiter and Uranus move into your 7th house of relationships in June, an incredibly outgoing period begins. For the unattached Libra this will bring travel to exotic destinations, sudden meetings with exciting fringe groups or involvement with international organizations. For those in relationships it will be necessary to give partners more space, or to do some exciting – or even wild – things together. Partners may be gripped by a kind of craziness which goes against all the rules… and your better judgment. With your sign ruler Venus conjoining Mars in your sign in August, this is a time when there are positive relationship developments, but as Venus goes retrograde in Scorpio and Mars then catches up with Venus in October, it will be you who is compromised and partners who make the decisions. You will need to tread carefully – not least financially – in the last four months of the year.
Scorpio
The main issue for Scorpio from October 2009 to June 2010 is the retrograde and direct movement of Mars through Leo, which suggests that you will be able to express your creativity in your career, and gain recognition and prominence. Up until March 10th however, it may seem as if you are making very little progress and you may also have taken a few wrong turns or decisions that you have to change once more. Fortunately the influence of Saturn at this time means that you are helped considerably by people of integrity. There are a lot of developments in your working life this year, and the summer period is a time of radical change… a good time to seek some freedom from the power battles that are going on amongst colleagues, or even to change job. The most positive time of the year is when Mars is in your sign from September to the end of October. With Venus also in your sign this is an excellent time for love and sex, and you will be very much the one who decides how things shall be. The Mars/Jupiter trine in late October is a truly wonderful time for children, love and creative projects generally. December 2010 is the decisive period for you, and at the Mars/Pluto and Mars/Saturn square in the latter half of the month, you will be involved in a tough fight to get your views across.
Sagittarius
Your sign ruler Jupiter moves into Pisces on January 18th when it immediately connects with Pluto in Capricorn, suggesting that this is an empowering time for you, when you eliminate unrealistic dreams on the one hand, and implement practical changes – especially in home and family matters – on the other. Economic reform is much on your mind, and there are ways of cutting back on expenses and making sensible investments in January. When Jupiter joins Uranus in Aries in June, the fun really starts. This is an incredibly exhilarating period for you, when you are willing to take some amazing risks and gamble on getting things right. It is all about spontaneous action, but there are serious questions about your judgment and you really need to avoid getting into financial troubles. Travel will probably on the cards, and the urge to express freedom and do exactly what you want is irresistible. However, with Jupiter returning to Pisces, together with Uranus, from September onwards, the focus is back on the home, where deep and satisfying changes take place in the autumn period. For some the year is about developments with children, and for others visionary ideals will be implemented in connection with the home and environment.
Capricorn
With Pluto in Capricorn until 2024, you have some interesting years ahead, but 2010 is all about the Saturn square to Pluto, which you already have had a taste of in November 2009. Clearly this is about dealing with power and the professional challenges that occur at an executive level. You will encounter people who are willing to use power without much concern for how it affects others, and you in turn will develop the will and character to overcome whatever is thrown in your way in the process. You may choose to stay in a particular professional position despite the pressure, or you may drop a particular career direction completely. Everything hots up when Jupiter and Uranus conjoin in Aries and shake up your domestic and family life from June to the end of August, and this is surely a good time to get away from it all. Far away. But if you remain in the firing line, this can also be a time when you make a break for it and pursue a new and original direction which promises space and freedom. It does seem that you are torn in several directions at once at this time. As you get familiar with the power games of the time, you gain strength and resilience. You manifest this incredibly strongly in December 2010, when Mars conjoins Pluto to give you superhuman powers. You’ll need to be tough, but be gentle with loved ones.
Aquarius
With Mars in your solar 7th house of partnerships until June 2010, and favorably aspecting Saturn, this is a great period for getting into the harness together with your partner to achieve a specific professional goal. There is much to achieve, especially in connection with getting your message out to others. The Saturn/Pluto square which repeats itself in February and August evokes a lot of anxiety about survival and existence itself, and you learn that everything starts with thought, and that through thought you can gain sovereignty over your fate. You fight a battle for what is right, and you fight from a position of strength. Uranus, which is also associated with Aquarius, changes sign on May 28th 2010, ushering a period of dramatic change for you when you are energized, brave and unstoppable. The choices you make in the summer period will give a strong indication of where the next seven years will lead you. Communication is the field in which you will excel and you will reach a lot of people with your message. Some international commuting seems to be in the picture too. Saturn retrogrades back into Virgo from early April 2010 to mid-July, and this period will give you the chance to deal with the economic issues that worried you in 2009 and enable you to find practical solutions, especially in matters connected with tax, banking and other people’s money generally. From July 22nd and onwards, you forge ahead with your lofty vision for the future, which brings breathlessly exciting changes.
Pisces
With sign ruler Jupiter coming into Pisces on January 18th, you get off to the best imaginable start to a year that will prove to be extremely exciting, not least in the way you choose to define your talents and generate your income. January and February is the time when you clear out the cobwebs in your life, throw out those unrealistic dreams that never got you anywhere, and concentrate single-mindedly on what is really important to believe in and go for. There is no doubt that there is a certain amount of survival anxiety, and other people may hold the money strings, but it is all for the best and you work very hard to build up your credit. The conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus in Aries on June 8th 2010 – which repeats, but this time in Pisces, on September 19th – is a rare occurrence that last took place in 1997, but this is the first and only time in your lifetime that it will happen in your sign. This is therefore the time to grab the opportunity of a lifetime and go for what really inspires you in life. For what you really dream of. This is where your future income can come from, and this is where your unique talents lie. July and August will be a very intense process for you and you tend to embrace an extreme ideology at this time, which risks alienating some important people. It is the soft values that you are so good at expressing, and the last part of 2010 will be a time when you express these values through a universal, humanitarian vision.
It should be said that astrologers have been looking at the year 2010 in awe for many years. It is so rare to see the outer planets changing sign simultaneously and forming a powerful T-square on the cardinal points – Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. This heralds dynamic change. The time for action is upon us, and there will be little debate and discussion. Those people, who grab the torch and run with it, making a leap into the unknown, will be those people that end up with success. Hesitation is not an option. Anxiety may be a driving force, but it will bring out the best human qualities – chivalry, honor, courage, perseverance… and dramatic progress.
Adrian Ross Duncan 17th November 2009
by Adrian Duncan | Aug 7, 2010 | Adrian's Articles 2010, Adrian's Articles 2010, Adrian's Articles 2010, Adrian's Articles 2010, Adrian's Articles 2010
As we head in to 2010, a series of extremely dynamic planetary constellations start shaping up, setting the scene for five or six years of dramatic change for the world. These patterns are reminiscent of the 1930’s when the world was struggling with economic depression on the one hand and political extremism on the others. The years of ideological battle, religious extremism and uncertainty connected with Uranus, Saturn and Pluto in mutable signs will soon be definitively over, and a new philosophy of decision-making and action will become dominant.
Major world capitals will undoubtedly go through important power battles and transformation processes in the coming years, as on every New Year’s Day the sun will be conjoining Pluto and square Uranus, especially between 2012 and 2016. In 2010 the Sun will constellate with Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto at every major ingress – the spring and autumn equinox, and the summer and winter solstices, which form the Cardinal Cross of the horoscope.
The first major long-term planetary cycle to consider is the Saturn/Pluto square, which is part of a 36 year cycle that started with the conjunction in 1982 – 1983. Saturn enters Libra, where it is exalted, on October 28th 2009, and already makes its first square with Pluto on November 15th at 1.41 Libra/Capricorn. Subsequent squares take place on 31st January 2010 at 4.19 degrees and August 21st at 2.56 degrees. This square signifies colossal battles in trying to impose principles of justice and fairness. We can certainly expect the pressure to pile up on Iran and North Korea at this time, and this will probably result in a successful limitation of both countries nuclear ambitions.
It is worth remembering that the 1991 horoscope for Russia has the sun at 3.26 Capricorn. If there is anyone who thinks that the balance of power between Prime Minister Putin and President Medvedev will remain in harmonious, they will be proved wrong. (Note 1) With Putin thinking about becoming re-elected as president in 2012, there will almost certainly be an enormous power struggle taking place beneath the surface… and only one of them will survive it. Medvedev is said to be mild-mannered, but with a Sun conjoining the Uranus/Pluto conjunction in Virgo, and Mars in Scorpio, he is definitely a force to be reckoned with. And with his progressed Mars in a protracted square to Uranus and Pluto in these years, he is probably involved in a long battle for survival.
The other fascinating planetary cycle culminating in 2010 is the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction, which first takes place in Aries, when Jupiter and Uranus simultaneously enter that sign in May/June 2010. Jupiter just reaches Pluto where it dwells in a tight square aspect in July and August, bringing a high degree of brinkmanship and ideological extremism. We can expect some dangerous threats at this time, and an enormous indignation about the abuse of government power. This presages a period of world revolution that takes place between 2012 and 2016.
Jupiter returns to peaceable Pisces to make its last two conjunctions with Uranus in Pisces in September 2010 and January 2011, which I am sure will be excellent for idealistic climate initiatives, and innovative technologies that help the planet.
The Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in Aries however makes the period from the end of May to the middle of August extremely explosive. Considering that the (Sibley) horoscope for USA has its IC at 1.04 Aries, this can be uncertain times, perhaps dangerous times, for the White House. There is very likely to be domestic unrest in the USA at this time, and the rise of right-wing extremism in the form of militias will become a growing threat to the system.
But how will these dramatic planetary cycles affect the individual horoscope? To get a general picture, it works to make a solar horoscope for each sign, and then see which solar houses the outer planets find themselves in. Clearly this will be a major time of change for Saturn-ruled Capricorn and Aquarius… more so for Aquarius as co-ruler Uranus also changes sign. With Saturn exalted in Libra the trends will be positive, but power battles are inevitable because of the square to Pluto.
Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius and Pisces can also expect major changes, and with Jupiter most of the year dignified in its own sign, this will also be a positive year, but with unpredictable events in the summer as Jupiter enters Aries and conjoins Uranus.
This will also be an interesting year for Mars-ruled Aries and Scorpio, for Mars will be in Leo until June, completely untouched by aspects to the outer planets, which sounds like a lot of fun. For Venus-ruled Taurus and Libra, the most challenging period will be the retrograde cycle when Venus is in detriment in Scorpio from September to December.
This month’s article will deal with developments for the first six signs of the zodiac in 2010, and the following article next month will deal with the last six signs:
Aries
The main issue for Aries in 2010 is the placement of Saturn on the solar Descendant up until April and then again from July onwards. This shows a series of challenges in relationships that require hard work and commitment, but the likelihood is that the demands of other people are reasonable, and because Mars in Leo repeatedly sextiles Saturn in early 2010, the wise Aries knows how to live up to responsibilities. In fact this position of Mars is excellent both for love and children… also in the long term. With Pluto positioned on the Aries Midheaven, where is has been for a year or more, the effect of the Saturn square will be to evoke major professional power struggles. Autocratic leaders can try and impose their will on you, and this can lead to important restructuring at work. And with Jupiter and Uranus affecting the Ascendant from June to August, there are also likely to be radical changes in life generally. This could show a long and exotic summer holiday, but the summer break can very well result in radical career change or a move, which may take effect immediately, or may manifest at the end of the year when Mars conjoins Pluto just before Christmas.
Taurus
For Taurus, 2010 promises to be somewhat more stable than for the rest of the zodiac. With Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces for most of the year, the emphasis will be on friendships and group allegiances, which can be very idealistic and very favorable too. With sign ruler Venus conjoining these two planets in February, this should be an excellent month for your social life, especially if you consider joining environmental groups or creative organizations. The long transit of Mars through your 4th house until June shows dynamic developments at home, with the emphasis on live-in partners who know how to live life, and on children. The Saturn/Pluto square may only affect you indirectly, mostly from restructuring in the work environment, perhaps due to draconian job cuts. With Venus conjoining Mars in Libra in August, love will happily be on your terms, but the last four months of the year are more challenging, and at this time the focus in on power structures in relationships. You will have to tread very carefully. As Venus is in Scorpio at this time, you will probably not feel secure enough emotionally, and you may obsess about not having enough control in your love life. As Venus slows and makes a long conjunction with Mars in Scorpio in September and October, relationships will be passionate and you will be dependant on the will of your partner. If you don’t mind a bit of domination, this can be quite rewarding.
Gemini
For Geminis, 2010 starts with intense mental pressure that culminated over the preceding Christmas period. With Pluto in your solar 8th house in this period of your life, you are moved to uncover your inner demons and work on psychological complexes that are normally buried. The Saturn/Pluto square brings power battles on an inner level, perhaps evoking anxiety about relationship security and your erotic life. This square aspect may also affect children, with whom there can be intense battles of will. When Jupiter and Uranus come into Aries in the summer period, there can be dramatic developments in your relationships, but because so many exciting events happen socially at this time, you can probably seek refuge with friends and exciting groups. This is an excellent time for personal development. This is also good year for career expansion, particularly if you can work on something idealistic, either socially on an ecological front, or creatively via art, film or music. There is a growing sense that you are not getting job satisfaction with what you are currently doing. The end of 2010 is eerily similar to the beginning, with deep self analysis which hopefully will make your relationships more meaningful and deep.
Cancer
As a Cardinal sign you will be profoundly affected by the placement of Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter and Uranus in cardinal signs in 2010. Furthermore, the lunar eclipse falls on 4 degrees Cancer/Capricorn – exactly on Pluto – on June 28th, which suggests that there will be significant developments for partners and in relationships generally, probably in the form of a transformation of power balance. With Saturn affecting your 4th house of home and family, you can expect a favorable consolidation of your domestic situation, but because of the aforementioned relationship developments, there can be considerable upheaval or a specific family crisis, which recedes towards the end of the year. The Pluto/Saturn square can also indicate implacable enemies, and you will need to mobilize total family solidarity to handle them. The Uranus/Jupiter conjunction in Aries brings a foretaste of amazing career changes from May to August, and this is the time to go for independence and innovation, especially in terms of technological advance and radical international initiatives. The end of July and beginning of August is likely to bring you and your family to an exotic location. This is also a time when there can be a sudden move because of career developments, which will become even more exciting in 2011.
Leo
With saucy Mars in Leo until June, 2010 will prove to be a very stimulating year for you, and there is a good chance you will be spared the upheavals that affect many of the other signs. The first part of the year is excellent for creativity and for love, and you do your best to live life to the full. The solar eclipse in February in Capricorn emphasizes the many upheavals that take place in your working environment this year, and it is likely that some colleagues will disappear as major restructuring takes place. It is unlikely you will be in agreement with the general autocratic line at work, which may incline you to change your work environment after the summer. This is an excellent year for studies and travels, and the summer will almost certainly bring a journey to a distant and exotic destination especially in late July and early August. If your education is important to you, there can be a radical change of direction at this time, perhaps because you cannot bear to be limited by the system. This is also an interesting time for partnership, and exotic possibilities may arise – especially when you are on your travels.
Virgo
The Saturn transit through Virgo ended in late October 2009, and this, along with the opposition to Uranus probably brought a lot of challenges and changes in personal relationships. With Saturn now in Libra, the focus is more on averting financial crisis through taking new initiatives. Love involvements at this time tend to be very erotic and intense, bringing considerable psychological insight, especially in the summer, when you can be involved with someone who is untraditional but also rather unreliable. Saturn actually returns to Virgo from April to July, and this may be a time when you have to put the final touches to lifestyle and relationship changes that began a few years back. As Virgo is an Earth sign and Mercury ruled, and the three retrograde cycles of Mercury take place in Earth signs, this will be a very constructive year for you, when you consolidate your footing and are ready to make the most out of the future. As Mercury conjoins Pluto at the very beginning and the very end of the year, it will nevertheless be a very intense period, especially in connection with children, or, if you like to live on the edge, love affairs. Having said that, with Jupiter in your opposing sign Pisces most of the year, this is an excellent time for a harmonious relationship with a kind, creative and generous person.
Adrian Ross Duncan 20.10.2009
Note 1: Putin is born on 7th October 1952 at 9.30 in St. Petersburg and Medvedev is born 14th September 1965 in St. Petersburg.
by Adrian Duncan | Aug 7, 2009 | Uncategorized
It’s been a long time. Neptune was discovered on September 23, 1846 and as it takes 165 years to go around the Sun, it is only recently that it has returned to its discovery position, which was 26 degrees Aquarius. One year after its discovery Neptune entered the sign it was later to have rulership over… Pisces. We have just experienced a Neptune birthday, and on April 4, 2011 this enormous planet will enter Pisces once again. This is going to be quite an event.The discovery of Neptune coincided with worldwide social upheaval, which was mostly peaceful. In 1848 the Communist Manifesto was published, which was a response to the inhuman conditions in expanding cities where new factories were sprouting as a result of steam power and industrialization. This was the period when Charles Dickens wrote his novels of social realism, and social democratic demonstrations shook the capitals of Europe. This was also a time when painters like Renoir, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Cezanne and Monet made their impressionist paintings, expanding the world of fantasy and imagination. On the scientific front Darwin’s theory of evolution completely undermined Christian tradition. The first photographs were taken, ultimately leading to the coming world of the movies. Anesthetics were used for the first time in hospitals. Opium became a socially acceptable drug. The accepted reality of the day was undermined and new spiritual, emotional and political realities took form.
Here in 2010 we can now document the movement of Neptune through each of the twelve signs, and await a new spiral of Neptunian evolution. The function of Neptune is to expand our experience of so-called reality by introducing new dimensions of consciousness. It is a unifying force, making us aware that we are all in the same evolutionary boat. Neptune reveals the illusion of generally accepted truths. What we think of as truth is in the last analysis a relative concept. Whatever personal truth you hang on to as a buffer against reality, Neptune is happy to dissolve it. Awareness of the human condition, which for a large part is suffering, and an identification with fellow sufferers, gives the potential for the awakening of compassion, which is the spiritual enrichment that Neptune offers.
The collective influence of Neptune can especially be traced in the dominant media and myths of the time. Neptune in Libra showed the idealization of Hollywood romance, and the reality of the dissolution of the iconic relationships of celebrities. Neptune in Scorpio was free love (meaning free sex) and the drug scene of the 1960’s. Neptune in Sagittarius was the Star Wars period culminating in film star President Ronald Reagan’s dream of a space-based missile system. Neptune in Capricorn was Wall Street and the idealization of greed. And the recent transit of Neptune through Aquarius from January 1998 to April 2011 has coincided rather nicely with the ban on smoking in public buildings (who would have thought that possible?), the surge of the internet, all those Facebook friends, the democratization of the cinema through YouTube, Dot Com crashes and DreamWorks, aided and abetted of course by Uranus in Pisces, which for much of this period has been in reception with Neptune.
But the tone of the world is about to change, and it will change because of social unrest, which is the inevitable result of the draconic restrictions that must be imposed by governments trying to weather the meltdown of capitalism. For that is what the transit of Pluto through Capricorn represents, and when Pluto finally enters Aquarius in 2024, there will be little that remains of the autocratic structures that are currently being put in place to safeguard the banks and corporations whose survival is currently threatened.
There were 180 million unemployed people around the globe at the time the Great Recession started (which was when Pluto came into Capricorn in 2008); this figure has increased by 30 million in the last two years, the largest increase being in the United States. (Note 1) Youth unemployment in Spain has doubled to almost 40%. Workers in Europe are accepting pay freezes and pay cuts. With the replication of the Uranus/Pluto square from the 1930’s – but this time with Pluto in business-Capricorn, rather than nationalistic-Cancer – this recession is just about to bite. Any recovery will be excruciatingly slow, and it will be largely jobless. The loss of jobs in the US means that people are getting evicted from their homes, some to live in their cars, and when they cannot pay for the cars, then in tent cities springing up all over the country.
That is why Neptune is needed in Pisces. Forget the dreams of billionaire fortunes made by internet startups and social networking sites; what is needed now is universal concern for the millions of economically displaced people who have to resort to state handouts and charity. You could become one of them. The awareness of the suffering of the underprivileged has scarcely begun. What we will see over the next few years is the extreme polarization of right-wing solutions, which is part of the Uranus/Pluto effect in Aries/Capricorn, in contrast with left wing solutions, reflected by the Pluto/Neptune sextile from Capricorn to Pisces.
This process will take place in stages, with initial awareness and concern as Neptune dips its toe in the Piscean ocean on April 4, 2011, retreating to Aquarius again from August 5, 2011 to February 3, 2012, after which time there will be 13 straight years with Neptune in Pisces. Early in this period there will be good governance reflected by Saturn in Libra, which can be characterized as the time of President Obama.
It is when Saturn moves into Scorpio, in reception with Pluto in Capricorn and trining Neptune, that things get interesting. This combination is a strong counterpoint to the survivalist dictates of the Uranus/Pluto square, and shows a serious mobilization of state compassion. Generally this will coincide with left-leaning governments worldwide, though there could just as well be right-wing quasi-dictatorships. It is worth remembering that the year Neptune entered Pisces for the first time – 1847 – the Communist Manifesto was published with the memorable words “Workers of the world, unite!”
2013 is the year when the Saturn>Pluto>Neptune pattern really kicks in. Saturn enters Scorpio immediately trining Neptune, goes on to sextile Pluto then retrogrades to make a long trine to Neptune in June, July and August 2013.
The intersections in the above graph show the aspects between Pluto/Neptune/Saturn
The Saturn/Pluto sextile is tough love. The need for a transformation of existing state, business and banking structures will be strong, but nobody is going to use democratic methods to ask anybody for their point of view. This is emergency surgery, performed by powerful rulers through secretive and autocratic methods. Taxes will be ruthlessly imposed with a view to alleviate the social disasters of the time. There will be corruption and the rooting out of corruption. Industry barons will do all within their power to maintain their advantages at this time through strong links to government. But they will also be moved to reach out to the disadvantaged to alleviate their suffering, if only to burnish their image.
It is difficult for us to imagine at this stage the plight that society will find itself in. To give an example: On the exact day when Chiron, which is after all a very minor planetary body, moved into Pisces, the oil rig Deepwater Horizon exploded, leading to the biggest pollution disaster in American history. The oil poured out of an open wound in the ocean floor for many months and – in true Chiron fashion – could not be healed. There is a strong likelihood that the entry of Neptune into Pisces will have even more far-reaching consequences. No doubt this will bring a very strong focus on nature and the environment in the coming decade, but it will be the social conditions of the human family that will take precedence. Neptune’s arrival in Pisces can also bring fears of epidemics (note 2) but in the long run this influence is sure to bring wonderful advances in medicine, just as the last transit through Pisces brought chloroform and the wonders of anesthetics, as well as the first collective health schemes.
The transit of Neptune through Pisces will see the beginning of the ascendancy of Africa. In fact it was when Neptune entered Pisces in 1847 that the first African colony gained independence, when slaves freed in America returned to Africa and declared Liberia an independent country. Slaves liberated an enslaved land. It is likely that the growing worldwide food shortages can be alleviated by more effective farming in Africa, which currently is very inefficiently cultivated, and the riches found in agricultural, mineral and oil reserves will finally bring prosperity.
The sensitivity of nations to food shortages will probable be one of the major sources of unrest in the developing world in the coming period. Here in 2010 drought and fires in Russia have led to a ban on wheat exports and prices worldwide have risen over 60% leading in turn to the danger of food riots in countries that traditionally import a lot of wheat, like Egypt. Back in 1847 there was famine in Europe, and over the next 13 years two million immigrants arrived in New York… over a million being Irish. (Note 3)
In response to shortages, harvesting the sea will also be undertaken on a vast scale in this period, and with mass production of factory fish, a much greater awareness of the ecological downsides of the process will dawn, leading to more humane standards for fish. Extraction of oil from the ocean will play an even greater role, and as a shortage of oil begins to threaten the smooth functioning of industry, vast undersea reserves will be exploited in previously pristine environments around Greenland and in the Arctic.
Neptune in Pisces will bring a global focus on the suffering of humanity and a corresponding urge to alleviate this suffering through social change. The social upheaval that shook Europe from 1848 – 1850, as the Communist Manifesto was translated into every European language, resulted in a revolution in Czechoslovakia (successfully suppressed), in Austria (suppressed but serfdom abolished and emperor abdicates), Budapest, Berlin, Milan and Rome, Ireland and Britain (the Chartist movement). In France students and workers seized Paris, and a new French Republic was proclaimed. Thousands of workers died as the French military put down the revolt. France was the European country most marked by the entry of Neptune into Pisces, and the 1848 revolution led to the abandonment of the monarchy and the establishment of the Second Republic, founded with a Sun/Neptune conjunction in Pisces. (It did not last long).
Neptune’s influence in a sign is not necessarily as drastic as that of Uranus or Pluto, but it reaches deep and subtly alters everything. For example it was after Neptune entered Capricorn that the Iron Curtain was torn down and the Berlin Wall fell. This was the beginning of a new political order in Russia (and the world) which initially caused immense hardship for the people. But there was euphoria too for those who felt liberated from decades of repression. When Neptune entered Aquarius in January 1998 (which it did simultaneously with Bill Clinton saying those famous words: “I never had sexual relations with that woman” – the biggest and funniest media lie ever) it was the time when the world was bewitched by the virtual world, and dot com millionaires made their fortune. We all relocated to cyberspace and people dematerialized to reappear as ghostly presences on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and the rest. A global unification was created, but digital revolution also created the web of financial structures that brought financial chaos and dissolution.
Neptune in Pisces will bring a need for spiritual content. Not the digital psychics and clairvoyants who have thrived with Uranus in Pisces, but for compassion-centered altruism. People will withdraw from the small comfort of a Facebook universe – sell your shares now (it’s a bubble) – and seek privacy and seclusion. Suffering will be too real for dabblers in spirituality, and true solidarity will be found in helping people who are in situations where – but for the grace of God – you could find yourself.
Adrian Ross Duncan September 17, 2010.
1. The Guardian Weekly September 10th, 2010. (Larry Elliot – “When austerity is not enough”)
2. When Neptune entered Pisces in 1847 15,000 people died in a flu epidemic in London. There was also a serious economic depression in England at the time.
3. “The People’s Chronology” pp 446. James Trager 1979.
by Adrian Duncan | Aug 7, 2009 | Adrian's Articles 2009, Adrian's Articles 2009
When people discuss the question of fate and free will, they tend to forget just how deep in the past the root causes of our existence lie. As we deal with life day by day, and moment by moment, we are actually dealing with the consequences of actions that we took earlier, sometimes many years earlier, and sometimes, if you believe in reincarnation, many lifetimes earlier. Our actions in the current moment are completely conditioned by our view, and this view was in turn conditioned by individual perceptions and conditioning all the way back to birth. So-called free will is extremely limited under these circumstances. You are going to do what you have always done, because of the unstoppable dynamics of your personal psychology.
But there is a way.
No amount of rational analysis, decision-making or resolve is going to get you out of the prison bars created within your own mind. But the mind itself has a quality of self-awareness that – if all distracting thoughts and emotions are stilled – enables it to observe its own workings. The farther we go towards stabilizing this self-awareness through mindfulness or meditation practice, the closer we get to seeing the stream of causation in our personal history that robs us of the capacity to make meaningful change.
If, using mind training techniques, you tune in to the constant stream of thoughts, you will discover that in the beginning thoughts will arise all the time. There may be pauses for shorter or longer periods of time, but soon the mind latches on to a thought or idea, and off it goes. You can catch it, stop, continue to focus on your breathing or your body or some other kind of support, but off it will go again. Perhaps this constant electric flurry is what we understand as astrologers as Mercury. It is the trickster, and however you strive for mental peace, it will use your own meditation process to lure you off track.
Mental impulses seem to well up from the ocean of the unconscious without apparent logic or reason. But if you sit long enough you might discover, that as the world revolves on its axis, and the planetary angles activate your own planetary patterns in sequence, then there is a kind of logic to the thoughts and feelings that arise. If Mercury is at 20 degrees Sagittarius and square Mars at 21 degrees in aspect to Neptune at 22 degrees, perhaps when the moving Ascendant axis hits 20 Sagittarius, you start dwelling on an injustice – a situation that is in your opinion not right or fair – which you then get angry about, and then feel helpless and sad about. Every day. Every day you carve deeper valleys in your psychological landscape through the same series of thought processes. Where is free will here? And how much stronger and more intense will this be when a passing transit, Uranus conjoining Mars for example, shakes up the configuration?
Being aware of this process changes everything. From an astrological point of view the awareness itself has nothing to do with Mercury. Thought cannot monitor itself. It has to do with the Sun, which is the one constant in the busy spiral of activity of Mercury, Venus, Mars and all the other planets as they revolve around the sun.
The sun – or self – is in its basic nature untouched by the activity of the mind and Mercury, by attachment and Venus, by aggressions and Mars, and if you are centered there and observe the workings of the trickster and his associates, then a different kind of process starts to happen. Thoughts still unfold, feelings mild or violent still arise, but centered as you are, you observe them coming and going out of the corner of your eye, as it were. The difference now is that you are no longer giving them any energy. They will ultimately wither and die like a planet without water.
If though patterns stem from a powerful history of deceit connected with the Mercury/Mars/Neptune configuration for example, this astrological cactus will not wither overnight and will probably survive for years before receding from consciousness. But the actions you have previously taken based on the unconscious impulses from this planetary pattern will be modified, because you have become a witness to the energy in your consciousness stream. You do not want to water that particular plant. At this point it is possible to talk about free will.
The sun itself has universal qualities shared by all the stars in the universe. The paradox is that if through mindfulness training you can rest in the central core of your self, then there is a powerful awareness of the strength of personal identity. Yet ultimately this self-aware Self sees that the idea of separate identity simply does not reflect the true state of things. It is through a strong self that you can reach the idea of no-self, just as the sun and the stars share the quality of starlight.
Astrology teaches that the sun reflects identity, and with the position of the sun in any one of twelve signs, the personal identity is circumscribed by the sign it is in. What follows is a description of the sun in the 12 signs, with an emphasis on the sense of self and its strengths as reflected in each of the signs.
The sun in Aries gives access to a fiery energy which can be channeled without delay into dynamic action and brave initiatives. There is a core enthusiasm in your nature, and an unquestioning sense of personal identity. You are out there in front, inspiring people by example, with few doubts about where you are going and why. You are guided by the principles of chivalry and honor. When you turn within to meditate on your inner core, and shut out emotional and mental distractions, you find the living power of fire within, which transforms into a dynamo of energy… a fountain of creativity.
The sun in Taurus puts you in touch with the rock solid and fertile power of the earth, evoking in you a sense of being completely grounded and stable. Whilst deep in your inner being there is complete calm and equanimity, you have access to enormous strength that can be channeled into constructive deeds for very long periods of time and without exhaustion. You are a rock others can rely on, and while others bend with the wind, you stand firm. You are strongly associated with Nature and fertility and when you go within, you draw inexhaustible resources from your roots which go down to the very soul of Gaia.
The sun in Gemini gives access to a multiplicity of talents linked to all facets of the mind. The world of thoughts, contact and communication are a playground for you, as you dance from one thought to another without holding on. Restlessly exploring the myriad of connections in the world, you are like a spirit of the air, enchanted by the constantly changing scene. When you still the ceaseless activity of your mind, you discover the very nature of thought itself, and are fascinated by the dark twin of duality which mysteriously emerges from one source, one union, one being.
The sun in Cancer tunes you in to a world of feeling and connectedness, awakening in your soul a desire to give birth to and nurture the people and things you love and are deeply attached to. To live, for you, is like being a part of a rushing river – a process of constant change which you react to with a whole spectrum of constantly changing emotions. You feel a sense of belonging, to the world and to the human family, and you are instinctively motivated to fiercely protect what you love. Going within you discover a world of overwhelming emotions, and in these emotions you discover the energy and power of positively motivated feeling.
The sun in Leo puts you in touch with a burning furnace of power which is the throne of your identity as a human being. You know that being a powerful individual, securely centered in yourself, liberates creativity and enables you to be a shining light for others. Strong in yourself, you radiate the idea of life as celebration, and gather others into your benign orbit. When you turn within, free from disturbing thoughts and emotions, you can sense the inner central mandala of power that lies at the seat of your identity – a stable core that emanates inexhaustible spiritual power.
The sun in Virgo brings an ability to apply analytical thought to solve problems, and motivates you to offer your services to others with an unselfish spirit. You have an instinctive awareness of what works, and know how to arrange the parts to make an efficient whole. When you apply your discrimination to your inner life, you understand the interaction between the smallest components of the body in subtle play with thought processes. You know exactly how the movement of the wings of a butterfly can create a tempest, and you apply this knowledge in rituals, health awareness and ecological consciousness.
The sun in Libra awakens an understanding of balance and motivates you to create harmony in outer relationships and discover inner poise. Your ability to tune in to others and meet them exactly how they are makes you a true peacemaker. You know what is right and just. Beauty and taste reflect for you an expression of the natural harmony of the world. When you turn within you can quickly attune to an inner world of balance and visualize the pure energy of color and sound. Here opposites resolve… the masculine and the feminine, the left side and the right side, the outer world and the inner world, and as your scales settle in equilibrium, you find inner peace.
The sun in Scorpio means that you feel things intensely, but privately, like a pebble being dropped into a deep well. In relations with others you sense all the emotions under the surface and exercise strong control. Once you have mastered your own anxiety you are able to empathize deeply with others and somehow, almost magically, empower them. Turning within you feel the maelstrom of your desires and passions and instinctively realize the transformative and purifying power that lies in immersing yourself in your emotions. In the deepest roots of your being, where fear is transformed into power, you find access to an inexhaustible source of energy.
The sun in Sagittarius evokes a fiery awareness and burning desire to understand the meaning of your life. Restlessly inquiring, you travel to the farthest reaches of the earth – and of your mind – gathering ideas and investigating beliefs. You are motivated to share with others what you learn, and find a mission in spreading enlightenment to the collective. For you, it is the most natural thing in the world to turn within, because you instinctively know that the world outside is an extension of the world within. Applying the wisdom you have gathered from mentors or all shades, you embark on a long journey to discover the inner guru, the mind itself. Only here is your thirst quenched.
The sun in Capricorn brings the opportunity to be master of the world you live in, and to learn mastery of the world that lives within you. You are willing to bear whatever burden is necessary to reach your long term goals, and you do this uncomplainingly. You dutifully offer support to those who follow in your footsteps, and obedience to those in whose footsteps you follow. The discipline for spiritual practice comes as naturally to you as the discipline to make progress in the world. When you turn within, you systematically and patiently develop proficiency, slowly removing the obstacles in your path, overcoming self doubt and become an example to others.
The sun in Aquarius awakens in an appreciation of humanity – the wonderful uniqueness of the men and women who cross your path. You are there for them without judgment… open, tolerant and accepting. You feel united with your fellow human beings, understanding instinctively how they are connected – what happens to one of them happens to them all. The space you give to others, and expect for yourself, is also the space you find when you go within the expanses of your own mind. You discover how the power of consciousness and conscious thought is like a tool that can make changes in the inner world and the outer.
The Sun in Pisces immerses you in an ocean of thoughts and feelings that seem almost to encompass the whole of humanity. Empathy is a natural condition for you, as you sense what people feel even before they do. When you have learned to orientate yourself in this ocean of impressions, you give people unconditional love, acceptance and understanding, sensitively offered with humor and humility. Accessing the riches of the soul through meditation and mindfulness is your natural birthright, but you do not seek personal happiness; satisfaction for you can only come when other people also can experience the rewards. Only then can you enjoy the rewards yourself.
If you do dwell in contact with the power of the sun in your horoscope, resting in your self and observing thoughts arising like waves and sinking back into the ocean once again, then you will also notice that you bring with you a certain attitude, which is not only characterized by the sign position of the sun, but also by any planets that aspect your sun. If Saturn is there, you will be a hard taskmaster, rounding up and suppressing your thoughts, and treating your Self in an authoritarian manner. If Jupiter is there, you may be seduced by success and fall from the sky through hubris. If Uranus is there, the very clarity you achieve may disguise unconscious rejection of the emotional cradle in which you rest. Neptune could lead to an inability to rest in a strong sense of self, and a tendency to merge all too soon with the cosmic ocean. Pluto could bring total success in whipping thoughts and feelings under control, with a corresponding sense of inner deadness.
In other words the mirror of the self itself needs to be polished and purged. But this is achieved through the alchemical ability of the Self to reflect on itself without thought. There is more than enough energy in the sun to clean itself of impurity. If you ever make it there, you will have all the free will you will ever need.
Adrian Ross Duncan 16.08.2009
