ARIES EQUINOX 2020; Easier Said Than Done

Artist Benjamin A. Vierling

Looking ahead to this Equinox ‘New Beginning’ and what it may portend is a rather daunting and humbling task. I say ‘Easier said than done’ in my title because the archetype of Aries is to get going, and start something new.  This requires much effort and courage given the enormous pull of South Node/ Mars/Jupiter/Pluto/and Saturn in the heaviest of earth signs, Capricorn, which will challenge Aries mightily in the next month to come.

I don’t pretend to be an expert Mundane Astrologer.  You may want to Google some of the people I tend to read or watch:  William Stickevers, Jude Cowell of ‘Stars Over Washington’ blog, Bill Herbst, Wendell C. Perry, and Alex Miller.  Some of these are regular contributors to ‘The Mountain Astrologer’. There is  also a new breed of astrologers returning to Hellenistic Astrology who are scholars at heart, and write highly detailed articles as well as discoursing on Podcasts in deep and meaningful ways.  Google Chris Brennan, Austin Coppock, and Gray Crawford for starters.  Most of these primarily male astrologers are working full-time and you can subscribe to most of them for up-dates in newsletters or on YouTube.

I, quite frankly, don’t have the time at this stage in my life to be scholarly or do the necessary research required for those tasks. I’m too busy now as a full-time caregiver for my handicapped husband while living simply in the forest without an indoor bathroom. Our heating comes entirely from our wood stove in a two-room barn house down a long dirt road.  I’m not complaining!!!  I’m actually grateful.  :). I cross the state twice monthly to visit our grandchildren and continue to share with my wonderful clients both here and around the globe.

My blog writing plan from now to whenever I need to stop will primarily be about sharing my own experience as a personal astrologer to clients, both young and old, these past 45 years. The insights I’ve gained additionally come from my life experience being a parent of four adult children, as well as a grandparent of six ranging in age from 20 years to 2 months. This gives me additional perspective on the various generations. Those of you who read my blog may come from America or elsewhere.  We each have our unique point of view and I value yours highly.  Just remember, I’m no pundit!

For today I’m looking at this chart for the Aries Equinox commencing at 11:50 pm on Thursday, March 19th in Washington DC.

We see a Scorpio Rising chart meaning that Pluto in Capricorn is decidedly the ‘ruler’ of this chart. The Sun at 0 degrees of Aries is about to conjunct Chiron in Aries. Notice the bundle pattern with everything below the horizon deep down leading with a complex stellium of Capricorn energies in the second house of money,  solid matter, values, and bottom line basics.  The Moon sits in Aquarius in the third house, exactly where it was when the U.S. Sibly Chart was established back in 1776.  Another notable aspect is the waning square of Saturn to Uranus which is about to begin in earnest.  Neptune in Pisces rests in the fourth house with it’s message of chaos, dissolution, and the need for a greater spiritual understanding at the nation’s roots.

If we expand into a more complex chart we see Asteroid Juno in the 111th in Libra and Retrograde, asteroid Athena in Capricorn very near Mars and Jupiter, asteroid Demeter right close to the Moon in Aquarius, and asteroid Vesta just above the 7th house cusp at the last degree of Taurus.  Let’s not forget Dark Moon Lilith (strong here) exactly conjunct Chiron in Aries.  Juno possibly represents our relationships with the rest of the world which needs balance.  Athena in Capricorn may represent the wisdom of right order and timing.  Vesta wants us to focus on basics and tangibility.  And Demeter; why she’s right next to that Moon in Aquarius which is perhaps the need for ‘by the people, for the people’ and the nurturance of teamwork and tolerance more needed now than ever.

Still, the bundle pattern of this chart expresses a trend we’ve been seeing for many months now with only the Moon creating shifts in the pattern as she moves around the wheel.  Bundle patterns create quite an impact within one-third of the wheel and don’t give much opportunity for dialogue or objectivity.  They narrow the scope considerably.  A good example of this type was dictator Benito Mussolini during World War II.  There’s a lot of power in a bundle pattern but usually a lack of seeing any other point of view which comes from oppositions usually.

This seems as good an example as any for expressing the complete global focus now on COVID-19 which is growing and mutating day by day.  How long will it last?  Does anyone realistically know?  We do see here the conjunction of Jupiter/Pluto which hasn’t even reached exactitude.  The first week of April is the first time, the last week of June is their second conjunction while both are retrograde, and the final third time won’t be until the middle of November.  We have a ways to go it would appear.

Let’s look anew at Jupiter conjunct Pluto in Capricorn:  Jupiter is symbolic of expansion and growth in a general sense.  Pluto is the chief symbol of viruses.  So Jupiter may represent expansion of everything Pluto represents. Pluto in spades! Jupiter is also wealth, wealthy people, long-distance travel, air travel, international realms of commerce and political relationships, much of education, sports, public functions, stocks in general, tariffs, welfare, legislation, even the Supreme Court,  Jupiter is considered classically as the great protector.  So what happens when Pluto merges with Jupiter?  Pluto has come to symbolize many qualities, but especially all things having to do with the under-world and death before it moves into some sort of metamorphosis and re-birth phase.  So Pluto is literally now the symbolic death of much of the world’s long-distance travel, public gatherings, and—yes—the stock market.  William Stickevers refers to COVID-19 as the ‘Black Swan’ event which will, in his estimate, trigger something much much bigger involving economics and a re-set on the planet leading to an X-event yet to come.  He is good at backing up his predictions by very detailed looks at history and the cycles in parallel to the present and future.  

Jupiter is also, with Mercury, journalism and especially newscasts covering the global spectrum.  Pluto is representing now an obsessive focus (Pluto terms) on all of this.  Pretty much every news outlet that we watch or listen to right now is on this one subject especially as Jupiter nears the exact conjunction with Pluto by April 5th.   Pluto is extremes.  It is poisons.  It is pestilence.  It is oblivion.  It is severity.  It is menaces.  It is innoculations.  It is horror.  Saturn is fear.  Uranus is shocks.  Neptune is chaos and dissolution.  Just keep applying these symbols to what is unfolding and you see how ‘as above is parallel to so below’.  

There is, of course, and ‘up-side’ to all these planetary symbols:  Pluto is regeneration and rebirth, Neptune is transcendence and nirvana, Uranus is awakening and delightful surprises, Saturn is achievements, and Jupiter is optimism.  Astrology isn’t about right or wrong.  It’s a symbolic language.

So what does Sun in Aries conjunct Chiron possibly represent as we enter, in astrological terms, the true beginning of the new year?  Aries is the primo sign of independence, courage, and me first.  Chiron in Aries represents the struggle to be OK as an individual.  The ancestral wound is conformity.  We have a generation of people born with this signature from the late ’60s to the mid-’70s now coming into their own power generationally.   We do need the warrior initiative, the trailblazers, and the high-spirited, pioneering, and courageous people to act in the face of global fear or conformity, but it’s not a time to be angry, like a bull in a china closet.  It’s a time to be pro-active, to face one’s fears, and move forward.  Both Capricorn and Aries are action signs, so right action is very much needed over the next three months before we hit the Cancer Solstice.

June/July is considered by many mundane astrologers to be the really critical time period due to three Eclipses:  the first a Full-Moon eclipse on June 5th (15+Sagittarius/Gemini); Solar Eclipse at 0 degree Cancer right on the Solstice, June 21st; and final Full Moon Eclipse on July 5th (13+Capricorn/Cancer).   Solar Eclipses play a major role in mundane predictions based on the path of the shadow created as it crosses areas of the globe.  Stickevers clearly shows this path, based on last December’s Solstice as crossing first over China and then extending westward over the Middle East (Iran) and further.

Another symbolism of Pluto is ISOLATION.  We are witnessing this and experiencing it through quarantines, shut-downs, lock-downs, and the limitation of simple physical connections with others.  How we each handle this depends on how well we work with Pluto individually.  

I would also imagine that as Mars, the trigger, finally passes over Jupiter, then Pluto, and finally Saturn that the wham wham of global punctuation will continue until the end of March.  Keep in mind that this is the year Mars goes retrograde in Aries, repeating the theme of this chart.  It enters Aries on June 28th and there it will be until January 6th, 2021.  Pow!  Powerful forces will be active during that period even as ALL FIVE PLANETS FROM JUPITER TO PLUTO WILL BE RETROGRADE IN AUGUST AND EARLY SEPTEMBER.  Take note!  A slowing down.  In fact, the retrograde parade begins with Pluto on April 25th, then Saturn on May 11th, followed by Jupiter on May 14th, Neptune on June 23rd, and finally Uranus on August 15th.

Neptune sitting rather obscurely in the fourth house of this chart sextiles both Mars and Venus which implies that we are all in this together and need to have compassion and care for all without judgement.   Healing is at work in many unseen realms where people are working tirelessly in the medical fields just as spiritual practices are aligning with these realms as well.  Neptune is, however, in a semi-square to Uranus cautioning against crazy schemes and rumors as the mutations and changes unfold. Things will feel elusive and uncertain.  Uranus is waxing away from Neptune requiring tangible and practical measures to overcome the obstacles represented by this configuration where independence may vacillate with insecurity.

Which leads us to Saturn:  Saturn is now at the degree of expiation (the last degree) in Capricorn.  By March 22nd Saturn makes its first entrance into Aquarius where it will be until July 1st after turning retrograde on May 11th.  It will finish it’s journey in Capricorn from that July date until it finally leaves for another 30 years on December 17th.  This back and forth transition will be interesting to watch, especially if you have any planets in the early degrees of a Fixed Sign.  Take heed.  Saturn will test you and limit you in some way!  

The universal configuration to watch is going to be Saturn square Uranus which will finally become exact in 2021.  This is a high tension aspect between the push for change and the resistance of the status quo.  The good news is that Saturn in Aquarius is exalted there and very much feels at home in the realm of Uranus.  Here power will require greater restraint and there will be a conservation of energy which shuns wastefulness.  It’s actually a great place to be born with because here spirit is infused with practical common sense and it’s going to be excellent for scientific achievements as well as public concern, philanthropy, and teamwork.  Science may really get more recognition finally.  Even astrology may come more solidly into its own.  

By the end of this year Jupiter and Saturn will finally come together in Aquarius right around the Capricorn Solstice.  Another indicator of a re-set and new beginning characterized by a test of faith, a re-definition of wealth and the swing between optimism and pessimism as these two giants collide.  Aquarian energy is returning once again after a long time period of Capricorn and earth dominance.  It will still be a few more years of Pluto in Capricorn before it finally enters this air sign most concerned with the future, science, and technology.

I’d like to close with a quote from one of my long-time favorite reference tools:  Astrology The Divine Science by Marcia Moore and Mark Douglas, “The continuing rulership of Capricorn by Saturn implies that the same restrictions which the immature person finds oppressive, provide the basis for a discipline which leads the mature person to freedom.  From the outside, Saturn is gravity which pulls humans down, but on the inside, it is the backbone which holds humans up.  Time disintegrates, but time also strengthens and heals.  It is possible either to mellow or decay as the Saturninan ripening process brings all growing organisms to maturity.”

Living in a Sun/Jupiter in Cancer country like the United States and knowing that this nation is beginning it’s ‘Pluto Return’ in Capricorn, does feel like it’s time for this young nation to have a sobering reality check and mature.  Time to grow up America.

My best advice to you individuals working with these transits and cycles is to be solidly aware of where the Capricorn mass continues to fall in your chart and what it is doing to the rest of your energies.  Many earth signs and types are greatly benefiting from this configuration.  I’m seeing a lot of Virgos for example accomplishing so much!  The generation with Saturn/Neptune in Libra (those born in the early ’50s) are greatly challenged by it however.  It can be disillusioning and disheartening, or a coming down to earth with one’s vision and ideals.  The watery signs of Scorpio and Pisces can find in Capricorn a strength and resolve to face life with more backbone.  Those with a lot of Cancer face issues of relationship which can feel harsh or realistic depending on their attitudes.  There are endless combinations of course, but this gives you an idea of how to work with your own chart in making sense of it all for you personally.  

Below is a time-line to note:

March 22nd:  Saturn into Aquarius

March 30th:  Mars into Aquarius

April 5th:  Jupiter conjunct Pluto

April 25th:  Pluto Retrograde at 25 Capricorn

May 11th:  Saturn Retrograde at 1+ Aquarius

May 13th:  Mars into Pisces

May 14th:  Jupiter Retrograde at 27+Capricorn

June 5th:  Full Moon Eclipse (15+Sagittarius/Gemini)

June 21st:  Solar Eclipse at 0+Cancer

June 23rd:  Neptune Retrograde at 20+Pisces

June 28th:  Mars into Aries*

June 30th:  Jupiter and Pluto Conjunct Retrograde

July 1st:  Saturn Retrograde back into Capricorn

July 5th:  Full Moon Eclipse (13+Capricorn/Cancer)

July 11th:  Chiron Retrograde at 9+Aries

August 15th:  Uranus Retrograde at 10+Taurus

September 9th:  Mars Retrograde at 25+Aries

September 13th:  Jupiter turns Direct at 17+Capricorn

September 29th:  Saturn turns Direct at 25+Capricorn

October 4th:  Pluto turns Direct at 22+Capricorn

November 12th:  Jupiter conjunct Pluto 3rd time

November 14th:  Mars turns Direct at 15+Aries

November 29th:  Neptune turns Direct at 18+Pisces

December 15th:  Chiron turns Direct at 4+Aries

December 17th:  Saturn enters Aquarius for next 2+years

December 19th:  Jupiter enters Aquarius for next year approximately

January 6, 2021:  Mars enters Taurus

January 14, 2021:  Uranus finally turns Direct at 6+Taurus

For those of you interested in some of the astrological correlates to the COVID-19 pandemic chronology, here are three charts I’ve run for Wuhan giving a 9 am time (since time is not noted on Wikipedia). If you take a look in Wikipedia at the time-frame, they state that the original case emerged on November 17th, 2019.  I’m not posting that chart but it does show Moon in Cancer exactly opposite Saturn in Capricorn beginning to conjoin Pluto in Capricorn.  Sun in Scorpio as well as Mercury Retrograde.

Next we have the FIRST KNOWN PATIENT:

We see here Mars in Scorpio opposite Uranus leading the bowl pattern with now Venus in Capricorn joining South Node, Saturn, and Pluto there.  Moon in Aquarius in square to Mars and Uranus (shock wave?).  Jupiter is in degree of expiation at 29+ Sagittarius, just about to enter Capricorn.

This second chart is the date stated in the CCDC (Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention) published article of 1/1/20 relating the ‘first cluster of patients with “pneumonia of an unknown cause” identified.  Hmmm.

Note in this chart that the Moon is now in the oppositional phase with Uranus, still a bowl chart.  We see a solid Jupiter in Capricorn very close to the South Node (releasing).  Mars is still in Scorpio now in sextile to both Saturn/Pluto in Capricorn.  This Mars in Scorpio lends additional astrological information to the outbreak.  The Chinese state clearly that many of the first cases originated from four workers from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market which sold, among other livestock, several kinds of wild animals including snakes.  (Pluto rules all reptiles, by the way).  Mars in Scorpio lends itself certainly to that version.  There are also reputable people such as Dr. Francis Boyle, graduate of Harvard Law School who wrote a book entitled Biowarfare and Terrorism in 2005 who suspects that some type of leak occurred (or otherwise) from a Wuhan laboratory ‘linked to China’s covert biological weapons program’.  Dr. Joseph Mercola interviewed him in a provocative YouTube video recently on this theme.  I see, also, that the New York Times two days ago posted an article “China Spins Tale That the U.S. Army Started the Coronavirus Epidemic.” ?????  

Well, Mars in Scorpio shows up strongly in all three of these charts I am posting.  Scorpio is certainly known for its secrecy themes.  It is both in its own sign here, along with Aries, as well as co-ruler with Pluto and by December 21st they are working hand-in-glove quite nicely.  So take your pick:  bio-warfare or snakes.  With Mars in trine to Neptune there is an unearthly shroud hovering over all, if you like.

Finally we have the First Publicly Reported cases on December 24th, 2019:

We are back, again, to a Mars in Scorpio leading the soon-to-be cluster pattern that we now have.  Sun is now solidly in Capricorn with quite a dominance of that sign.  Keep in mind that Capricorn rules governments and long-standing institutions that over-see others.  The Chinese have an exceedingly authoritarian state.  Iran has one too.  In fact, it would seem that corporate-ruled states would also come under this category.

Pandora by B.A. Vierling

 So governments of all stripes across the globe must deal with this ‘Black Swan’ event and perhaps this is the Pandora’s box unleashed which will impact the entire globe before we are finished.

One bright spot is that without so many airplanes buzzing over our heads, the skies have less pollution!  Global warming is still with us.  The oil cartels may also help that situation with their in-house bickering and scramble to out-smart their competitors.  Less travel means less use of petroleum after all.  Just my thoughts on this blustery day in the Sierras where we jumped from spring-like weather in the 70s to heavy snow in hours.

Wishing you clear vision, a good sense of being grounded, and above all else, health and well being through these tumultuous times.