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History never
exactly repeats
itself, but rather
it rhymes (Mark
Twain)
Cycles of Uranus,
Pluto. and Hades
Joyce Levine
(a revised copy of
this article was
published in the
NCGR Spring 2012
Journal)
As we watch what's
going on in the
world and try to
make sense of it, we
look to planetary
cycles. The
transits of the
outer planets show
us how social,
political, and
economic trends are
likely to both recur
and change over the
years.
Current Cycles – the
Conditions
We predict what's
likely to happen
during particular
planetary cycles by
understanding the
meanings of the
planets in the signs
and the aspects
among them. A look
back at history
shows us what
happened in the past
during particular
planetary
configurations. We
recognize that the
world changes so
that the
socio-economic
conditions of the
current times will
be different than
that of the past and
that the entire
previous planetary
picture cannot be
repeated.
The Chinese saying "May
you live in
interesting times"
applies to the
current planetary
cycles. From 2012
through 2015,
transiting Uranus in
Aries will form
seven exact squares
to transiting Pluto
in Capricorn. This
follows, and
coincides with,
transiting Uranus
forming five exact
squares to the
transiting
TransNeptunian
planet Hades in
Cancer during 2010
and 2011.
To understand the
implications of
these planetary
configurations,
let's look at each
of them
individually,
examine what has
happened in the past
during these cycles,
and then examine the
likely present
repercussions of
these aspects
cumulatively.
Uranus is the planet
that represents
individuality,
truth, and
rebellion. Its
positive urgings
help to break
through barriers
(likely to be
Saturn's
creations). In a
societal context
these urgings
challenge the social
structure and
ideally help to
create new realities
that are more just
than those they
destroy. Its
negative urgings
incite freedom at
the expense of
responsibility. It
can bring forth
radical behavior and
cold detachment.
The aftermath of
revolutions such as
Stalin's purges in
Russia represents
Uranus gone amuck.
By nature, Uranus
fits well in Aries.
Aries is the sign of
the individual.
Aries is associated
with a "me first"
attitude in what's
not always a
complimentary way.
But that can also
mean being the first
to take up what
might be unpopular
positions, to have
the courage to veer
from the crowd, to
follow a personal
sense of right and
wrong regardless of
potential
consequences. Aries
is the sign of the
warrior, the bravery
of the individual
soldier who despite
peril is willing to
be the first soldier
over the hill.
Uranus in Aries by
itself would signify
changes in the
status quo. With
Uranus here, the
trend is for people
to want the freedom
to direct the course
of their lives.
Pioneering ideas
flourish.
Previously held
definitions of the
way things are
supposed to be
would, at a minimum,
be questioned.
Uranus has an
84-year cycle and
remains in a sign
for 7 years. It
entered Aries in May
2010.
Pluto in mythology
was the god of the
underworld. It
represents hidden
power, the force of
will, and focused
attention. Its
positive urgings are
to understand
through knowledge
and to seek wisdom
and transformation.
Its negative
expression
represents the
destructive side of
power and control,
including death and
annihilation.
Atomic energy,
discovered at the
same time as Pluto,
provides a perfect
metaphor. Atomic
energy can provide
heat and warmth or
it can utterly
destroy the earth.
Pluto represents the
cycles of nature:
birth, growth,
decay, and death,
and ultimately,
rebirth or
transformation.
Pluto represents not
only our personal
underworld – that
which is hidden from
our individual
consciousness – but
the underworld of
the society at
large. During its
trek through each
sign, the dark sides
of that sign surface
so that they can be
transformed.
Capricorn is the
sign associated with
hard work, duty,
responsibility, and
conservatism and
tradition. It
represents doing
what's correct, but
what's correct is
defined by the past
rather than the
future. Capricorn
represents, among
other things, the
status quo,
government, and big
business. Pluto, as
the ruler of Scorpio
and the eighth
house, has to do
with banks and other
people's money.
Pluto takes 248
years to travel
around the Zodiac
and due to its
erratic orbit does
not spend an equal
amount of time in
each sign. Pluto's
trek through
Capricorn began in
2008 and remains
until 2024. Pluto's
last trek through
Capricorn coincided
with the beginning
of the Revolutionary
War and the end of
Great Britain's
authority over the
colonies. This
placement has
special meaning for
the United States as
Pluto was in
Capricorn in the
founding chart.
Pluto in Capricorn
highlights the
destructive power of
governments and big
business and the
links between them.
Hades is the
TransNeptunian
planet that most
closely resembles
Pluto's symbolism.
Hades represents the
principle of
disintegration.
It's associated with
breakdown and loss,
ruins, slums, the
seamy side of life.
Hades is associated
with those "less
fortunate." Hades
is outside the orbit
of Pluto and spends
approximately 30
years in each sign.
Hades first entered
Cancer on August 1,
2010, and remains
there until July,
2041. Cancer is the
sign associated with
home, family, and
motherhood. The
ideas of home and
family can be
expanded to include
clan, ethnic group,
or country.
So currently Uranus
(revolution and
rebellion) is
triggering Hades
(those less
fortunate), and
Pluto (death and
rebirth).
The Past
Uranus - Pluto
First, let's
consider aspects
between Uranus and
Pluto. Aspects
between Uranus and
Pluto have to do
with unconventional
behavior,
fanaticism, anarchy,
and freedom from
oppression. This
results in social
unrest. Conflict
between the haves
and have nots
increases. Shifts
in consciousness
become more likely
as do rebellions and
revolutions.
Uranus – Pluto
Square 1930s
The last time Uranus
and Pluto formed
transiting squares
was from 1932 to
1934. Uranus was in
Aries and Pluto in
the cardinal sign of
Cancer. Cancer on a
societal level
represents one's
country. Differing
responses of the
United States and
Germany to this
planetary
configuration show
the possibility of
extremely varied
manifestations.
Financial crises and
social unrest in the
United States
resulted in reforms
that benefited the
society and
protected future
generations. Crises
in Germany brought
about
state-inflicted
genocide, during
which more than
6,000,000 Jews were
killed.
1932 to 1934 marked
the depths of the
Great Depression.
After Black Tuesday,
October 29, 1929,
the United States
stock market
declined 89%.
Unemployment rose
from 3.2% in 1929 to
24.9% in 1933. Bank
failures wiped out
savings for millions
of Americans. (Bank
deposits were not
insured.) Homes and
farms were
foreclosed.
Homeless people
built shacks and
formed shantytowns,
which were called
"Hoovervilles" out
of bitterness toward
President Herbert
Hoover's policies
against direct
intervention in the
economy.
The 1932 election of
Franklin Delano
Roosevelt provided a
change in the status
quo and a new
direction for the
United States. The
New Deal produced
programs designed to
reduce unemployment
by providing public
works jobs; to
assist agriculture
by raising farm
prices and paying
farmers not to grow
surplus crops, and
to regulate banking
and the stock
market.
Important
legislation was
passed to prevent
future speculation.
The Glass Steagall
Act of 1933
separated commercial
and investment
banking activities.
Excessive risk by
commercial banks had
been a major cause
of the stock market
crash. Banks had
not only invested
their own assets,
but sold new issues
to the public, as
well as issuing
unsound loans to
companies in which
they had invested.
Bank clients were
encouraged to invest
in those same
companies. (Sound
familiar?)
Glass Steagall set
up a firewall
between commercial
and investment bank
activities. Only
10% of a commercial
bank's total income
could stem from
securities, with the
exception of
government bonds.
This, in essence,
meant that banks
could not speculate
with depositor
money. (At the
behest of Treasury
Secretary Robert
Rubin during
President Bill
Clinton's
administration,
Glass Steagall was
dramatically gutted
by Congress under
the
Gramm-Leach-Biley
Act of 1999. Upon
leaving Clinton's
administration,
Rubin went to work
for Citigroup, a
bank that directly
benefited from this
repeal. Rubin's
compensation from
Citigroup was
reported as over
$17,000,000 and
$33,000,000 in stock
options as of 2008.)
Adolph Hitler's rise
to power in Germany
shows the extremely
detrimental
possibilities of the
Uranus – Pluto
square. Germany was
devastated by
sanctions placed on
it by the Treaty of
Versailles in 1919.
Pre-war Germany was
broken up, and
Germany was forced
to make reparation
payments for all
civilian damages of
World War I. This
created economic
chaos, which led to
Hitler's rise.
The collapse of the
Weimar Republic
during the Great
Depression of
the1930s gave Hitler
the opportunity to
build the Nazi
Party. Mein
Kampf , written
in the 1920s, had
targeted democrats,
communists, and
internationalists,
and especially Jews,
whom he portrayed as
responsible for all
the problems of the
world, particularly
Germany's defeat in
World War I. He
portrayed the German
people as one of
racial purity,
destined to be the
master race. By
eliminating the
Jews, Germany could
take its natural
place as a superior
culture.
In 1933, Hitler
became the Fuhrer,
or leader, of all of
Germany. The first
to be sent to the
Buchenwald
Concentration Camp
were political
enemies and the
intelligentsia.
Disabled and
mentally retarded
were sent to
hospitals,
sterilized and later
killed. Jewish
businesses were
boycotted and Jews
were removed from
civil service
positions. Then
anyone with a Jewish
parent or
grandparent was
removed from
practicing law,
banking, medicine,
and journalism. All
non-Nazi
organizations were
banned.
Manufacturing
conglomerates
supported the Nazis
as they advocated
rearmament. Some
bankers supported
the Nazis believing
they would gain the
freedom to trade.
Without the union of
capitalism and
Nazism, the Nazi
party could never
have controlled
Germany. Hitler
then turned to
conquering Europe
and exterminating
Jews.
Economic chaos can
lead seemingly
ordinary people into
unthinkable acts.
In Germany, the
Uranus – Pluto
square manifested as
"us versus them."
"Us" was first
defined as the
purity of the German
race and ultimately
the Nazi Party.
"Them" was any other
group. Pluto's
placement in Cancer
intensified the idea
of "us."
Uranus-Pluto
Conjunction 1960s
Transiting Uranus
and Pluto formed
exact conjunctions
in Virgo 1965 and
1966. The
conjunction of two
planets indicates a
new beginning for
their energy.
Uranus, the
rebellious planet of
change, conjoining
Pluto, the planet of
transformation,
brought forth many
cultural changes.
Uranus stands for
freedom. Pluto
rules, among other
things, sexual
drive. Virgo is the
sign that
represents, among
other things, work
and day-to-day
activities.
Termed the
"consciousness
revolution," the
Sixties were a time
of political and
social upheaval.
Young people
challenged
traditional values
of older
generations. Baby
boomers, termed
"mystical militants"
by writer Michael
Harrington, sought
to purify
institutions by
"righteous fire."
The hippie
subculture of sex,
drugs, and rock and
roll took root.
(Neptune was in
Scorpio at this
time.)
Social revolution
swept the nation.
Members of the
counterculture
movement initially
were primarily white
upper class youth.
They were the first
American generation
who had sufficient
leisure time to be
concerned about
social issues—civil
rights, the Viet Nam
War, women's rights,
sexual liberation.
They rejected the
materialistic view
of the American
dream in favor of
more spiritual
ideals.
The New Left was
formed as
counterculture and
anti-establishment.
Speaking for the New
Left were the
Students for
Democratic Society
(SDS) which attacked
racial bigotry,
poverty, and nuclear
weapons. SDS
supported Lyndon
Johnson in his run
for presidency as
his Great Society
program embodied
their beliefs. But
as the Viet Nam War
escalated, SDS
changed its focus.
The Free Speech
Movement, the Civil
Rights Movement, and
the Anti-War
Movement joined
forces. Protests on
college campuses and
marches on
Washington ensued.
Civil disobedience
became the order of
the day.
During this
timeframe communal
living communities
formed.
Experimentation in
psychedelic drugs
spread across
college campuses.
Greenwich Village in
New York and
Haight-Ashbury in
San Francisco became
centers for those
dropping acid and
dropping out. "You
can't trust anyone
over 30" became the
mantra of the day.
This youth movement,
started in the
United States,
spread worldwide.
The Civil Rights
Movement occurred
simultaneously.
Civil rights had
begun to make
headway in the 1950s
with the Supreme
Court decision of
Brown vs. Board of
Education of Topeka
regarding school
desegregation, but
the movement began
in earnest in the
1960s. College
students and
feminists began
supporting civil
rights. Race riots
spread throughout
the United States.
Backlash came from
groups like the Klu
Klux Klan, who
fought back,
targeting civil
rights workers.
Malcolm X, Martin
Luther King, and
Robert Kennedy were
assassinated.
The Feminist
Movement came into
its own around the
same time. The
National
Organization for
Women was founded.
Betty Friedan
published The
Feminine Mystique.
Women demanded
gender equality:
equal pay for equal
work (the Virgo
emphasis). The most
profound societal
change was in the
perception of
sexually
differentiated
roles. In the early
1960s a commonly
held perception of
what was called
"natural
differences"
existed. Males were
heads of
households. The
male went to work
and supported the
family. The female
stayed home, took
care of the
household, and cared
for the children.
This was seen as the
natural order of
things and
legitimized
divisions of labor
between the sexes.
Women, for all
practical purposes,
were powerless.
Divorce was not an
option as women
could not support
themselves.
The Feminist
Movement led to
changes and the
betterment of
conditions for
women. By the 1970s
an unprecedented
number of women were
working. This gave
women greater
freedom and allowed
them to leave
abusive spouses.
Sadly to say,
equality in pay,
while better today
than the past, has
never been reached.
What may be less
remembered is that
there was also a New
Right.
Conservatives were
against affirmative
action, busing, big
government and
taxes, and mourned
the loss of
traditional family
values. So, as with
any cultural change,
there are always
those who resist.
On the scientific
front, this
timeframe coincided
with breakthroughs
in technology and
the expanded use of
computers. The
Uranus – Pluto
conjunction took
place in Virgo, the
sign of workers.
There was fear that
technology would
replace human
workers. The
realization of this
fear came years
later, particularly
as transiting Pluto
in Sagittarius
formed squares to
the original
conjunction in Virgo
and now as
transiting Uranus
and Pluto form
squares once again.
Uranus square Hades
Aspects between
Uranus and Hades
also signal social
unrest: Uranus, the
rebellious forces,
and Hades, the
underprivileged.
The last square of
Uranus to Hades
occurred during 1956
and 1957 with Uranus
in Leo and Hades in
Taurus. This
coincided with the
Polish and Hungarian
Revolts against the
Soviet Union. The
background for these
revolts began at the
end of World War
II. The Red Army
militarily occupied
the Eastern European
countries where they
had defeated the
Germans. During
World War II Stalin
trained Eastern
European communists
in Russia. After
the war these
Eastern European
communists returned
to their own
countries and became
government
ministers. They
packed the army and
police with
communists and
discredited and
arrested
non-communists.
Property, taken away
from the families
who had supported
the Nazis, was
redistributed to the
peasants. The
Soviet Union
extracted harsh
penalties in the
form of war
reparations from
these countries. In
1945, 65% of
Hungary's output was
dedicated to paying
war reparations to
the Soviet Union.
Repressive regimes
in Eastern Europe
were dictatorships
modeled after Joseph
Stalin's Russia.
Following Stalin's
death in 1953, there
was a relaxation of
terror in Russia and
Eastern Europe.
Countries wanted to
modernize their
economic system to
be able to compete
with the West. Yet
the more
conservative rulers
resisted change.
When Nikita
Khrushchev revealed
that Stalin had been
a mass murderer,
Eastern European
countries mistakenly
took that as a
signal that it was
okay to change.
In June of 1956,
Polish factory
workers went on
strike. Groups
demonstrated at
secret police
headquarters and the
prison, storming the
prison, releasing
prisoners, and
seizing weapons.
Workers demanded
bread and freedom.
Unfortunately for
the Poles, Russia
had tens of
thousands of troops
stationed there.
The uprising was
quelled. Diplomacy
prevailed on October
19, 1956. Nikita
Khrushchev accepted
reform leader,
Wladyslaw Gomulka's,
assurance that the
communist system
would not be
endangered by
workers' struggles.
Then came the
Hungarian uprising
on October 23,
1956. This uprising
was originally
launched by
intellectuals and
students, but joined
by workers.
Demonstrators
demanded the
immediate withdrawal
of Soviet troops,
the formation of a
new government,
recognition of
workers right to
strike, and general
amnesty for all
insurgents. Rebels,
some armed with
kitchen utensils and
gasoline, attacked
and disabled Soviet
tanks. Initially it
looked as if the
rebels had won. The
Pravda promised
greater equality
between the Soviet
Union and Eastern
Europe. Hungarian
Prime Minister Imre
Nagy publicly
rejected the Warsaw
Pact and appealed to
the United Nations
for help in
establishing
Hungary's
neutrality. Radio
Free Europe
encouraged the
rebels to fight.
Yet no help from the
West was
forthcoming. By
November 7, 1956,
the Soviet Union, in
an apparent change
of heart, had
crushed the
rebellion.
Interestingly enough
the European
Revolution of 1848
also occurred under
the Uranus – Hades
square, from 1846 to
1848. Uranus was in
Aries and Hades in
Capricorn. It
should be noted that
difficult planetary
aspects,
particularly those
from Uranus to Hades
or Pluto generally
coincide with severe
weather patterns,
which in turn cause
problems in harvest.
In 1846 there was a
severe famine, which
led to higher food
prices. High food
prices reduced
consumer demand and
led to plummeting
profits, which in
turn led to high
unemployment
accompanied by
higher prices. This
set off the revolt.
(You'll note that
higher food prices
in the Mideast in
the 2000s were a
contributing factor
to the Arab spring.)
In 1848, the spark
came from Paris. In
February 1848, Paris
officials cancelled
a banquet of liberal
doctors, lawyers,
and merchants who
were pushing for the
extension of voting
rights. Skilled
workers and factory
laborers joined them
in taking to the
streets. The
citizen militia of
Paris defected from
King Louis-Philippe
and the army
garrison stationed
in Paris joined the
revolutionary
protestors. The
king fled and
demonstrators
proclaimed the
Second Republic on
February 24.
Ultimately, the
disparity of aims
between the
bourgeois and those
more radical led to
the failure of the
revolution. The
government headed by
Louis-Napoleon (the
nephew of Napoleon
I) returned France
to a monarchy four
years later.
France's revolution
set off a wave of
protests throughout
Europe. German
uprisings followed
in February and
March. This led to
the dismissal of
unpopular
ministers. A
national parliament
was called for, but
the rulers of the
German states
recovered their
authority.
Revolutions in
Austria, Hungary,
Bohemia, and Italy
fared less well as
armies loyal to the
Austrian Empire put
down the rebellions.
Reasons for failure
of the revolts are
attributed to a
number of causes.
Lack of
communication among
the revolting
countries allowed
the Austrian army to
fight each uprising
in isolation from
the others. The
moderate liberals'
distrust of what was
considered
radicalism of the
workers prevented
any long term
alliances.
In these examples
the results of
revolts under Uranus
– Hades came to
naught immediately,
but had the impact
of planting the
seeds of future
revolutions. Also,
as in the Uranus –
Pluto aspects, the
precipitating causes
for the revolts were
the economic
conditions of the
general populace.
The few controlled
the wealth while the
majority suffered.
Where Are We Now?
The Mideast
Uprisings against
governments began in
the Middle East.
Tunisia's uprising
began in December
2010, Egypt's in
January 2011, and
Libya's in February
2011. Abidine Ben
Ali was out of power
in Tunisia on
January 26, 2011.
President Hosni
Mubarak's fall in
Egypt came on
February 11, 2011.
Mubarak's fall
occurred just before
the exact square of
Uranus to Hades on
February 18, 2011.
Colonel Muammar
Gaddafi in Libya was
killed on October
20, 2011, just
before the next
exact square of
Uranus to Hades on
October 24, 2011.
These countries were
all ruled by
despotic leaders.
In most, wealth
remained in the
hands of the few,
while the multitudes
lived in poverty
with little hope for
the future. There
were few jobs, even
for the educated
middle class.
Perhaps what ignited
the powder keg was
the dramatic rise in
the cost of food,
which had the effect
of sinking the poor
further into
poverty.
As in the past, the
Uranus-Hades harsh
aspects that began
in April 2010
ushered in more
violent uprisings,
the revolts of the
"have-nots" against
those that "have."
(It should be
pointed out that
Saturn was opposite
Uranus in late 2009
and 2010.)
Empowered by social
media, these
uprisings began
without leaders.
Protestors showed
solidarity,
overcoming
traditional
prejudices of
Catholics versus
Muslims, Shiites
versus Sunnis,
capitalists versus
socialists. But
once the battle
against the outgoing
governments was won,
deeply endowed
prejudices quickly
surfaced. In Egypt,
attacks against
Christians
intensified.
As of this writing,
the Muslim
Brotherhood, an
Islamic party,
appears to have
taken 40% of the
vote in Egyptian
elections, and the
ultraconservative
Salafis, 20%. The
Salafis, who reject
popular
entertainment and
women's right to
vote, are
particularly popular
outside of large
cities. Preacher
Mustafa al-Adawi has
issued a fatwa
prohibiting Muslim
women from wearing
high heels as they
are a source of
seduction for men.
Cleric Sheikh
Mahmoud Amer issued
a fatwa prohibiting
Muslims from voting
for Coptic
candidates and
Muslims who do not
regularly pray.
It remains to be
seen how much power
the ruling military
will transfer to
elected officials
and whether the
voices of more
liberal protestors
who sought greater
freedom will be
heard or squashed.
With another Uranus
– Hades aspect to
come and many Uranus
– Pluto squares to
follow, it's
unlikely that these
issues will
subside. The
question is whether
the Arab countries
will follow the
United States
precedent in the
1930s and make their
countries more just,
or follow the
example of Hitler's
Germany and
scapegoat
intellectuals and
minorities. (During
World War II the
Grand Mufti of
Jerusalem Hajj Amin
al-Husseni openly
encouraged Muslims
to join Nazi units.)
Looking at the
charts of the Camp
David Accord and the
Egypt-Israel Peace
Treaty, it seems
likely that the
long-term alliance
between Egypt and
Israel will be among
the first casualties
of Egypt's Arab
Spring. These
charts (the Camp
David Accord,
September 17, 1978,
in Washington DC and
the Egypt-Israel
Peace Treaty, March
26,1979, Washington,
DC) are
significantly
triggered by both
the Uranus – Hades
square and the
upcoming Uranus –
Pluto square.
Drawing a noon chart
for the Camp David
Accord puts its Moon
at 1 degree of
Aries, approximately
the same placement
as transiting Uranus
in its square to
Hades at the time of
the Egyptian
elections. The
Egypt-Israel Peace
Treaty, also drawn
for noon, has a
Mercury-Sun
conjunction at the
Midheaven in Aries,
with Mercury at 1
degree and the Sun
at 5 degrees.
Transiting Uranus
will be at 5 degrees
three more times
before the end of
2013. The natal Sun
in the Peace Treaty
chart opposes natal
Pluto at 12 Libra.
Three of the seven
upcoming transiting
Uranus – Pluto
squares fall within
approximately a
degree of this
Pluto. Also the
natal positions of
Ceres, the Moon, and
Mars in Pisces and
Saturn and the North
Node in Virgo will
all be triggered by
transiting Mars
Retrograde during
2012. Given all
this, it appears as
if power struggles
and turmoil between
Egypt and Israel are
inevitable.
The United States
In the United
States, both the Tea
Party and the Occupy
Wall Street
protestors are
clamoring for
change. The Tea
Party people want to
limit big government
and taxes. Occupy
Wall Street
protestors'
attention is focused
on Wall Street.
They call for an end
to corporate
entitlements and for
the top 1% to pay
their fair share.
The Occupy Wall
Street protests
started in
Manhattan, but
quickly spread
around the rest of
the country.
As different as
these movements are
(and the ones in the
Mideast), they share
the rejection of
traditional
political
elites--those who
have become wealthy
at the expense of
everyone else. They
recognize that
globalization
benefits the rich
while the middle
class and the poor
lose economic
ground. The main
difference between
conservatives and
liberals is where
they place the blame
for the financial
mess of the United
States economy.
Occupy Wall Street
protestors blame
large corporations
and the Tea Party
people blame big
government. Yet
both share anger
against what is seen
as a corrupt
political system
that intertwines the
interests of
Washington and Wall
Street at the
expense of Main
Street. They both
represent the
astrological
symbolism of Uranus
in Aries square
Pluto in Capricorn:
the little guys
standing up against
the power
structures.
The Tea Party
movement started in
2009 when transiting
Saturn in Virgo was
opposite transiting
Uranus in Pisces
triggering the Mars
– Neptune square in
the United States
chart (July 4, 1776,
in Philadelphia).
Occupy Wall Street
began on September
17, 2011 at noon in
New York City.
Transiting Uranus
was square Pluto
within two degrees,
having formed an
almost exact square
in July. This
square encompasses
the Venus-Jupiter
conjunction in the
United States chart.
Venus and Jupiter,
called benefics by
the ancients, are
the planets that
signify wealth,
abundance, and well
being. This same
planetary
configuration also
signifies
extravagance.
Malfeasance by the
banking industry as
well as overspending
by the government
and households
worked to create the
current financial
crisis. The causes
of the crisis are
too many to
enumerate here.
Those interested may
want to read All
the Devils Are Here
by Bethany
McLean and Joe
Nocera.
Currently, the
government tells the
populace that they
need not worry, that
the economy is
growing, albeit
slowly, and that it
will grow its way
out of debt. It
touts low inflation
and slowing
unemployment. More
prudent voices
express extremely
different views.
John Williams of
Shadow Government
Statistics,
www.shadowstats.com,
compares the way the
current unemployment
numbers are
calculated to the
way they were
calculated in the
1980s. Rather than
having under 10%
unemployment, the
figure jumps to
approximately 23%.
In the same manner,
Williams compares
inflation as
calculated today to
the way it was
calculated in the
1980s. Instead of
inflation being
around 4%, it goes
up over 10%. This
is not news to those
out of work or to
anyone who buys
groceries, pays for
health insurance, or
has tuition bills to
pay.
And with regard to
growing our way out
of debt, a recent
interview with
Hayman Capital hedge
fund manager Kyle
Bass, put the
current debt in
context.
Paraphrasing Bass,
"if Warren Buffett
and Bill Gates
turned over all
their net worth
(approximately $100
billion) to pay off
United States debt,
their entire worth
would amount to one
month's debt."
Bass, who earned
enormous amounts of
money for his
investors (he
refuses to say how
much) betting on the
housing crisis and
Greece's likely
default, predicts a
larger financial
crisis in the United
States in the next
three to five
years. This
timeframe coincides
with the coming
Uranus – Pluto
squares, and its
triggers to the
United States
chart.
The transiting
Uranus – Pluto
squares have not yet
become exact. When
they do, they will
move from triggering
the United States
Venus – Jupiter
conjunction to its
Sun. More chaos can
be expected for
years to come. It's
likely that
society's conditions
will continue to
deteriorate. This
will further the
causes of both the
Occupy Wall Street
and the Tea Party
movements. As
transiting Mars in
January, 2012, turns
Retrograde
conjoining the US
Neptune in Virgo,
which squares the US
Mars, the likelihood
of increased social
unrest and violence
is immediate and
ongoing.
In addition, Jupiter
represents values as
well as wealth.
While not all Tea
Party members are
religious
conservatives, the
Tea Party members
elected to Congress
are. This may stem
from the Tea Party's
emergence during the
Saturn – Uranus
opposition –
traditional versus
more liberal
values. It is hoped
that the Tea Party
and Occupy Wall
protestors can get
together to make
economic changes
needed to transform
the country. Yet at
the extreme ends,
social values divide
them.
Meanwhile on
December 3, 2011,
just before the last
Uranus–Hades square,
the United States
Senate first passed
the National Defense
Authorization Act.
This law allows for
the military to
detain American
citizens suspected
of being involved in
terrorism. The
final version of the
bill passed the
Senate on December
16; 86 for, 13
against, 1
abstention.. Among
those opposing the
bill are Tea Party
libertarian Ron Paul
and Independent
Socialist Bernie
Sanders. This
legislation denies
terrorist suspects,
including US
citizens apprehended
within national
borders, the right
to trial and
subjects them to
indefinite
detention.
Initially President
Obama threatened a
veto, but signed the
bill into law on
December 31, 2011.
A December 5 post
of the
Washington's Blog,
quoting Paul Craig
Roberts, suggested
that President
Obama's real reason
for opposing this
bill is that under
it military
detention would make
these alleged
offenders prisoners
of war. Prisoners
of war are subject
to the protections
of the Geneva
Conventions, which
"enemy combats" are
not. The practice
of rendition has not
changed under the
Obama
administration, and
enemy combats are
still sent overseas
for torture.
Pluto in Capricorn
warns of those in
authority becoming
more oppressive.
The practice of
rendition, the NDAA
bill and some of the
reasons against it,
eerily follow the
tenets of the rise
of fascism detailed
in Naomi Wolf's
The End of America:
Letter of Warning to
A Young Patriot.
The tenets are: (1)
invoke a terrifying
internal and
external enemy
(September 11,
2011) (2) create a
gulag (Guantanamo
Bay); (3) develop a
thug caste (security
contractors); (4)
set up internal
surveillance
(wiretaps and cyber
surveillance); (5)
harass citizen
groups; (6) engage
in arbitrary
detention and
release (currently
Occupy Wall Street
arrests); (7) target
key individuals, (8)
control the press (a
few major
corporations control
most media outlets);
(9) dissent equals
treason; and (10)
suspend the rule of
law (The National
Defense
Authorization Act).
Let us hope that
this is not the
cycle under which
the United States
becomes more like
Germany during World
War II.
World Wide Issues
Charts of the
Federal Reserve, the
World Trade
Organization, the
World Bank, and the
Euro all point to
continuing financial
crises worldwide.
The Federal Reserve
came into being by a
law passed by
Congress on December
23, 1913, at 6:02 pm
in Washington, DC.
This chart has a 0
Aries Midheaven, the
Sun, Ceres, and
Jupiter in Capricorn
at 1, 7, and 23
respectively, and
Cancer Rising,
Pluto, Mars, and
Neptune in Cancer at
18, 0, 19, and 27
respectively. In
Uranian astrology, 0
Aries is the world
point. With the
dollar as the world
reserve currency,
the actions of the
Federal Reserve
affect the rest of
the world. The Sun
– Pluto opposition
in this chart shows
the opposition to
the Federal Reserve
from the start and
its own secrecy.
The transiting
Uranus – Hades
square sits firmly
on this Sun – Pluto
opposition. Calls
for an investigation
of the Federal
Reserve united Tea
Party favorite,
Senator Rand Paul
and liberal Senator
Bernie Sanders, the
only Socialist
sitting in
Congress. The audit
of the Federal
Reserve revealed $16
trillion in secret
bailouts between
December 2007 and
June 2010. These
bailouts went to
United States banks,
corporations, and
foreign banks. To
put this in
perspective, the
gross domestic
product of the
United States is
only $14.5
trillion. This
means that the
Federal Reserve lent
out more money, at
0% interest, than
the total United
States economy earns
in one year. In the
period to come, it's
unlikely that the
Federal Reserve will
be allowed to return
to its veil of
secrecy.
The World Bank is
another institution
that is likely to
come under fire
under upcoming
transits. The World
Bank came into being
on December 27,
1945, in Washington,
DC. In the absence
of a precise time, a
chart for noon was
drawn. The World
Bank is an
institution that
provides loans to
developing
countries. It has
the Sun at 5 degrees
of Capricorn, again
right in the middle
of the transiting
Uranus – Pluto
aspects. This
portends more
banking crises to
come, although at
this time it is the
developed countries
that need aid, not
the developing ones.
The World Trade
Organization's
purpose is to
supervise
international
trade. It came into
being on January 1,
1995, in Geneva,
Switzerland. In the
absence of a precise
time, the chart was
drawn up for noon.
This chart has the
Sun, Moon, Mercury,
Neptune, and Uranus
all in Capricorn.
Pluto's trek through
Capricorn alone
would indicate
dramatic changes to
come in world
trade. The Sun and
Moon at 10 degrees
of Capricorn put
these celestial
bodies right in the
middle of the Uranus
– Pluto squares to
come, with Pluto
conjoining them.
This indicates not
only changes in
world trade, but
significant conflict
to come. The
likelihood of trade
wars heats up over
the next few years
as the economic
climate deteriorates
world wide.
The Euro may prove
another casualty of
the current economic
climate. The
official signing of
the contract that
brought the Euro
into being was
December 31, 1998,
at 1:51 pm in
Brussels, Belgium.
The Euro as a
currency came into
being on January 1,
1999, at 0:01 am,
Brussels, Belgium.
These charts have
the Sun at 9 and 10
degrees of
Capricorn, once
again the focal
point of the Uranus
– Pluto square, with
Pluto conjoining
them. If the Euro
survives, it's not
likely to be with
the current group of
countries.
While the European
Union (November 1,
1993, Brussels,
Belgium) is not
being triggered by
these transits,
transiting Saturn in
Libra and Scorpio
will conjoin the
Venus, Jupiter, Sun,
Mercury, Mars, and
Pluto in this chart
between 2011 and
late 2014. The
current economic
crises are the first
that the European
Union has had to
face since its
inception. Only
time will tell
whether it can
survive the coming
challenges.
Resource wars are
another
possibility. While
the United States
and the rest of the
developed world
languish in debt,
China is using its
accumulated reserves
to buy up natural
resources in the
rest of the world.
And it's not just
oil that is likely
to cause battles.
Conflict over water
rights has already
begun. This is not
just a problem in
drought ridden
Africa or in the
Mideast desert. As
an example, Texas
ranchers are
concerned that
drought has made
ranching more
difficult and oil
wells being drilled
by hydraulic
fracturing are using
up this valuable and
limited resource.
This pits the oil
companies against
the ranchers, who
are typically
conservative
business allies.
Other likely hot
spots include Iran,
China, India, and
Russia, all of which
are being triggered
by the Uranus –
Pluto square in some
fashion.
The combined world
wide global debt has
never been as high
as it is now. It
has only
approximated this
amount during
wartime. The coming
cycles warn of the
possibility of
wars. Given today's
world it's hard to
know whether wars
will take the form
of troops on the
ground, trade wars,
economic wars, cyber
wars, or a
combination of all
or some of these.
My attempt with this
article is to show
the link between the
past and the
likelihood of varied
outcomes based on
planetary cycles.
This article focuses
primarily on
financial and
political
circumstances. This
is by no means to
say that nothing
else can happen
during this
timeframe. I make
no claim that these
are the only
outcomes possible,
just those I find
most likely. One of
the limits of
astrologers (not
astrology) is that
we are all limited
by what we are able
to imagine will
happen. And to
paraphrase Nissim
Taleb, what is a
Black Swan to one
person is a White
Swan to another.
Bibliography
Depression
References:
Gusmorino, Paul
Alexander, Main
Causes of the Great
Depression,
http://www.gusmorinoa.com/pag3/greatdepression/index.html
McElvaine, Robert
S., Great Depression
in the United
States, http://encarta.msn.com
Wikipedia Forbes,
Retrieved November
25, 2008,
http://people.forbes.com/profile/robert-e-rubin/19713
(This article is no
longer online)
World War II Germany
References
The
Rise of Hitler
http://historyplace.com/worldwar2.riseofhitler/begins.htm
Trumbore. Brian,
Weimar Germany
http://www.buyandhold.com/bh/en/education/history/2003/germany.html
1960s References
Barringer, Mark,
The Anti-War
Movement in the
United States –
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/vietnam/antiwar.html
Ferree, Myra Marx,
Khan, Shamus,
Morimoto, Shauna,
Assessing the
feminist revolution
:The presence and
absence of gender in
theory and practice.
University of
Wisconsin-Madison,
Forthcoming in Craig
Calhoun (ed), 2006.
History of Sociology
in America: ASA
Hungarian and Polish
Revolutions 1956
References:
Hungarian
Revolution, 1956
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB76/index2.htm
Poland, 1956:
The Poznan uprising.
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=9117
Revolutions of 1848
References:
February Revolution
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0818372.html
The Revolutions of
1848 http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/1871/section1.rhtml
Mideast References:
Kirkpatrick, David,
Islamists Say They
Have Mandate in
Egypt Voting.
Accessed December 1,
2011.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/world/middleeast/voting-in-egypt-shows-mandate-for-islamists.htm
Egyptian Salafi
Clerics Issue Spate
of Controversial
Fatwas, Accessed
December 8, 2011
http://english.alarabiya.net
United States
References:
Bass, Kyle,
Interview AC2011,
Session 1.2 Come
Undone: Kyle
Bass Redux. YouTube
Gold,
Russell and Campoy,
Ana, Oil's
Growing Thirst for
Water, Accessed
December 6, 2011.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204528204577009930222847246.html
Lopez, Ralph. We Are
All Really Bradley
Manning Now: Senate
Passes Military
Detention for
American Citizens.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/We-Are-All-Really-Bradley-by-Ralph
Lopez-111203-835.html
(This article is no
longer online.)
Mikulecky, Don,
The Fed Audit: 16
Trillion in Secret
Bail Outs. Thanks
Bernie! Accessed
November 29, 2011.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/11/29/1040969/-The-Fed-Audit:-16-Trillion-in-secret-bail-outs!-Thanks-Bernie!
Williams, John.
Shadow Government
Statistics,
http://www.shadowstats.com
Wolf, Naomi. The
End of America:
Letter of Warning to
a Young Patriot.
Chelsea Green
Publishing. 2007
Suggested reading
for those interested
in the financial
crisis:
McLean, Bethan and
Nocera, Joe All the
Devils Are Here
Penguin Books, 2011
Rogoff, Kenneth and
Reinhart, Carmen,
This Time Is
Different, Princeton
University Press,
2009
Taleb, Nassim The
Black Swan, Random
House, 2007
Joyce Levine is a
full-time
professional
consulting
astrologer with more
than 30 years
experience. She
serves as a catalyst
for her clients to
overcome
astro/psychological
obstacles so that
they can achieve
their full
potential. Joyce is
available for
consulting work with
individuals,
couples, families,
and businesses.
Joyce is the Clerk
of NCGR, President
of NCGR's Boston
Chapter, and Level
IV Certified in
Consulting. She has
been a certified
professional member
of the AFA since
1979.
Publications
include:
Breakthrough
Astrology, Transform
Yourself and Your
World, A Beginner's
Guide to
Astrological
Interpretation.
Transformational
CDs: Self-Help
Series: Meditation,
Creative
Visualization,
Healing Anger,
and Contacting
Your Guardian Angel;
and Integrating
Astrological Cycles
Series: Pluto,
Neptune, Uranus, and
Saturn, and
Jupiter.
Joyce
can be reached at
joycel@joycelevine.com
or 2353
Massachusetts Avenue
#91, Cambridge, MA
02140,
617-354-7075. Her
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www.joycelevine.com.
Joyce Levine
specializes in
helping you
recognize your
natural abilities
and use them to
overcome your
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To discover how the
planets affect you,
call Joyce
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