Category Archives: cycles

1918 Flu vs. COVID-19

As COVID-19 spreads, many are recalling the influenza pandemic of 1918. With the largest population in the U.S. (5 million), New York City was the worst hit. 33,000 died over a year, a third of all cases in the country. The City’s response was very different than for the 2020 Coronavirus restrictions, as the astrology shows.

When the flu first struck in the spring, it wasn’t serious. But New York was the arrival port for troops returning from Europe in World War I, and that fall influenza became a serious health concern. Young, healthy people were falling ill and dying.

The City’s health system, recently galvanized to combat tuberculosis, advised the public to avoid spitting and to use handkerchiefs – reminiscent of some of the hygiene suggestions we’re receiving a century later. The Health Commissioner ordered staggered work hours to lessen rush-hour crowding. 150 emergency health centers were put to work. But businesses, theaters and schools remained open to avoid panic. Teachers and school personnel were expected to assess children for symptoms and educate them. These measures seem to have worked as the death rate was much lower than in other large cities (about half a percent).

New York City has a dynamic horoscope, with Jupiter rising in Libra: it’s well-known for its focus on business, publishing and the arts. The Sun conjoining the 4th house in Capricorn reminds us that many make their homes here, too, and the T-square with Jupiter in Libra and the Midheaven in Cancer creates a lively, active place. Four planets in Sagittarius put the emphasis on communications and the value of its ports and many immigrants. Venus and Jupiter are in mutual reception and dispose of all the other planets, making New York a rather large and successful city.

As the flu arrived in the spring of 1918, a total Solar Eclipse activated the City’s Neptune conjunct Pluto in air-sign Gemini, and transiting Jupiter conjoined first Pluto, then Neptune in the 9th – allowing for a wide spread of a deadly pathogen by air. In September, when the flu became more dangerous, the progressed Moon in late Capricorn conjoined progressed Venus and the North Node, and squared the progressed Ascendant in Libra. Transiting Jupiter in Cancer conjoined the MC as it stationed on the City’s natal T-square, squaring 1st house Jupiter and opposing Saturn. As is so often the case, the emphasis on angularity made for more significant events.

While the cardinal signs and angular houses are again emphasized, the 2020 Coronavirus scenario is quite different. The authorities’ recommendation to shelter at home and avoid unnecessary travel are clearly shown by the transiting combination of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn in NYC’s 4th house. With so much Capricorn, there is a more serious, organized and controlled response.

Transiting Saturn conjoined the City’s North Node in the 4th in mid-February, perhaps the time when the infection originally arrived. When the first cases were reported in NY in March, transiting Jupiter in Capricorn conjoined natal Mercury (ruler of the 9th and 12th) in the 4th house. The progressed Ascendant at about 19 Capricorn conjoined the progressed North Node at 20 Capricorn (right on the January Lunar Eclipse at 20 Cancer), further adding to the emphasis on Capricorn and the North Node that we also saw in 1918. But as Mars, Saturn and Pluto have now moved away from these degrees, hopefully the imposed restrictions will help alleviate the contagion.

Mundane Astrology

The comprehensive astrological textbook Mundane Astrology: an Introduction to the Astrology of Nations and Groups (1984) benefits from the contributions of three accomplished astrological authors – Michael Biagent, Nicholas Campion and Charles Harvey – who raised the level of astrological discourse with their contributions. While readers need a familiarity with basic astrology to understand this book, those interested in the subject, whatever their level of knowledge, will find much valuable information.

This is one of the excellent astrology books published by the U.K. based Aquarian Press in the 1980s. It begins with a concise history of western mundane astrology dating back to the Babylonians. Basic meanings of planets, houses and signs in mundane astrology are provided, along with information on various planetary cycles. Other topics include ingress charts, lunations, eclipses, Astrocartography, the astrology of cities and countries and much more. This book predates Biagent’s Astrology in Ancient Mesopotamia and Campion’s Book of World Horoscopes and The Great Year, and provides an introduction to those works. I had never read Charles Harvey before, and his discussion of planetary cycles is phenomenal, including many references to Andre Barbault’s work. He also addresses midpoints, giving us a better understanding of this topic, too. The work of Charles Carter and John Addey is also covered, and with numerous references to the works of others, the book serves as a resource for more.

A long section pulls the techniques together to analyze World War II, as many European astrologers failed to accurately forecast it (ironically, Americans Elizabeth Aldrich, Louise McWhirter and Evangeline Adams had all predicted U.S. involvement in a conflict years earlier).

While this is a long book, many chapters are inclusive in themselves. The Table of Contents and Index make it easy to find topics of interest.

And it’s time for a reprint! While the book is available second-hand, copies tend to be rather expensive. The charts are small and hand-written, and can be challenging to read. Planetary abbreviations at times also make for a less than fluent read (it took me a while to find the key and realize that SO stood for the Sun!). Notes and sources sometimes follow one chapter and other times are placed further along in the text. The use of a 90-degree dial around the outside of many of Harvey’s charts is not explained until the very end, and it would’ve been more helpful at the beginning. A tiny font detracts from the Index. (Perhaps the 1995 Thorson’s edition may have resolved some of these issues.)

But these are quibbles. Mundane Astrology is a classic of astrological writing, superbly researched and clearly written. The authors generously share their abundant knowledge, and anyone interested in this complex subject will profit from reading it.

Check out Mundane Astrology on Amazon.com

Saturn Chasing the Moon

How can we forecast long-term trends with astrology? I wondered what took my grandmother away from her home in the U.S. for nine years during World War II. She had lengthy transits of Pluto and Neptune through houses, but their aspects changed and didn’t seem the most descriptive of her situation. Her progressed Sun in Sagittarius in her 4th house would show the developments in her home situation, including foreign travel, but that’s a longer trend. She also had Saturn chasing her Moon.

Since the progressed Moon’s cycle through the signs and Saturn’s transit cycle are similar (around 28 or 29 years), some of us will experience extended periods of time with Saturn repeating the same aspect to the progressed Moon. This, too, is such a long-term influence that it may be tough to categorize.

Saturn opposed my progressed Moon for over 20 years. For me, the period coincided with career development, important decisions, a lot of hard work and important housing issues. I also researched my family genealogy, broke an ankle and had minor surgery. I lost my father and became a caretaker for my mom. The symbolism is clear, but these are also typical life events that many of us will experience in a 20-year period.

My grandmother Ida’s cycle started in 1935 with Saturn in her 7th house opposite the progressed Moon in the 1st, and didn’t end until after 1948, with Saturn in the 1st and the Moon in her 7th (lasting about 13 years, nearly half a Saturn cycle).

Ida’s natal Moon was in the 12th and Saturn in Pisces in her 8th house. Both might relate to events she couldn’t control. There’s no close connection between the two planets, but they’re widely inconjunct (over 3-1/2 degrees apart), not the most comfortable aspect.

Ida had been away from her native land and family members for about six years when her progressed Moon began to oppose transiting Saturn. She never gave us convincing reasons why she didn’t come back to New York before her visa expired. Though when back in Germany, her mother wasn’t well and she also had no great affection for her husband in the U.S. She worked on the family farm and later had jobs as a mail carrier, waitress and housekeeper. World War II brought major limitations: food shortages and life-threatening situations. Her mother and two brothers died during this time. Ida finally got back to New York in 1947, but a year later her husband had a stroke and died, leaving her with little money and an infant to raise. The final two exact passes of her progressed Moon to transiting Saturn came later that year.

Most people won’t experience dire events like these. And because of its length, the transit Saturn-progressed Moon cycle is somewhat unwieldy for astrologers to interpret. It nests within many other cycles and we need to do a lot more research to understand how best to describe it.

See my previous post for more information on Ida’s natal chart and her experiences as a refugee and displaced person.

Jane Austen… Again

Over 200 years after her death, Jane Austen’s popularity continues to soar. Her numerous book spin-offs include plays, film adaptations, soft-core porn sequels and even things like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. With Neptune rising in her horoscope, it appears that everyone can see something different in Austen.

Neptune conjoining the Ascendant in Virgo in Jane’s chart makes her work multi-layered. Her books give us her personal impressions and are true-to-life reflections of daily concerns that strike a chord with readers, perhaps because there is usually some romanticism and often the suggestion of happy endings. But typical of Neptune, we don’t even know what she looked like!

Austen may not always be what she appears, especially as Neptune squares her 4th house Sun in Sagittarius. Commentators have seen her as a conservative, a house-mouse and a feminist (she never married and while tied to her family, she produced great novels). Her Mercury in Sag. in the 3rd attests to her need to write, and it opposes Uranus in the 9th house, giving her an independent outlook. Jupiter in Gemini in the 9th shows her education and the ability to publish, especially as it trines her Moon and Saturn straddling the 2nd house cusp. This aspect is probably part of what has continued to keep her books popular with readers, as Saturn can bring longevity. (While she sold some work during her lifetime, Jane did not make much money at it.) Venus in Scorpio indicates her deep feelings.

The Moon in Libra conjoining Saturn gives Austen a consistent interest in relationships, which were both persistent (especially those with women) and limited (she quickly broke off an engagement). The Moon and Saturn also square Mars in Capricorn in her 4th house, suggesting responsibilities and obligations to the home and family. Her life had limitations. Saturn squaring Pluto in Capricorn shows her pragmatic and realistic side. The Sag. and Capricorn planets combine to make her work both humorous and ironic.

With Pluto trining the writer’s Ascendant in 2020 and returning to its natal place in 2021, the recycling of her brand will probably continue. Hopefully some of it will get to the heart of what makes Jane Austen special.

Jane Austen was born on December 3, 1775 at around 11:45 pm in Steventon, Hampshire, England, according to a letter from her father – see Astrodatabank.
Helena Kelly’s feminist analysis, Jane Austen, Secret Radical, deconstructs Austen’s life and work and provides an encyclopedic look at the history and culture of the time.

Jupiter in Sagittarius

Jupiter is called the greater benefic and Sagittarius is the sign where it’s most at home. Jupiter and Sagittarius think in broad terms and enjoy expansion. The combination also accentuates its meaning, as planet and sign share similar qualities. Jupiter/Sag. people often like to do things in a big way and may at times over-reach or go too far. Though we may feel that some have a lot of “hot air,” they tend to be naturally exuberant and positive people.

Jupiter entered Sagittarius, its own sign, on November 8, 2018, where it will remain until December 2, 2019. My father and two aunts had Jupiter in Sag., each born 12 years apart. They were all warm, optimistic and talkative people, with an openness and candor. They had lots of energy and an upbeat attitude, actively engaging with life and others. I found it easy to enjoy their company, as all of them laughed wholeheartedly and were good story-tellers. They each had strong opinions on certain topics, and although Sagittarius is a mutable sign, they were committed to their ideas and beliefs.

Though all were angular, with very different aspects and house placements, their expressions of Jupiter were varied. My dad worked in the legal system throughout his life. One aunt was bilingual and enjoyed travelling; the other had strong religious convictions. Some of the typical expressions associated with Jupiter and Sagittarius are experiences with the law, foreign cultures or philosophical beliefs.

Let’s look at some celebrity examples for a better idea of the many expressions of Jupiter in Sagittarius. Notice how many of these characters could easily fit into more than one category.

Philosophers: People committed to their beliefs, whether they’re astrologers or in touch with the metaphysical world, share Jupiter in Sagittarius. They may have insight into the cosmos or our connection with the divine: Howard Sasportas, Carroll Righter, Karl Ernst Krafft, Marc Edmund Jones, Antoine de St.-Exupery, Eckhart Tolle, William Blake, Henry David Thoreau, William Butler Yeats.

Like Laughter: It was easy to find comedians with this combination, as many of them have an irrepressible sense of humor, while also offering insight into life: Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, Sacha Baron Cohen, Allison Janney, Damon Wayans, Ted Danson, Cameron Diaz, Tracy Ullman, Hugh Grant, Alan Alda, Bernadette Peters, Jim Henson, Billy Crystal, Kevin Kline, Richard Simmons, Phylicia Rashad.

Law and Politics: Government and the legal system are other natural outlets, as many legal experts and politicians share Jupiter in Sag: Justin Trudeau, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michael Avenatti, Prince Charles, John McCain, George H.W. Bush, Janet Reno, Al Gore, Antonin Scalia.

Striking Voices: Jupiterians come across in a big way or may literally have an exuberant voice: Idina Menzel, Amy Winehouse, Carrie Underwood, Stella McCartney, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Andrew Lloyd Weber, David Mamet, Jackson Pollack, Maria Callas.

Wide Acclaim: People with Jupiter in Sagittarius are often attracted to other cultures and may reflect their ethnic heritage, share something from another culture or become widely known, even internationally: Sofia Coppola, Emma Thompson, Alan Turing, Yves Saint Laurent, Selena, Ricky Martin, Julia Child, Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens, Florence Griffith-Joyner.

Speak their Minds: Sagittarians have a need to enlighten and educate. They’re sincere truth-seekers, with faith in their ideals. Some celebrities with Jupiter in Sag. speak out on political or educational issues or are simply known for being outspoken themselves: Jada Pinkett Smith, Jane Lynch, Amber Rose, Ben Affleck, Simon Cowell, Truman Capote, Sarah Ferguson, Robert Redford.

Go too Far: The flaw in Sagittarius and Jupiter may be not knowing when to stop. Since they like to see the big picture and may enjoy gambling, some have ideological beliefs or what the Greeks called “hubris” – arrogance towards the gods or excessive pride. We can find both people and situations that typify this trait: Martin Shkreli, Edward Snowden, Lance Armstrong, Kim Jong-Un, statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee placed in Charlottesville, VA park (Lee also surrendered on a Jupiter in Sagittarius), Titanic sailing.

Astrological Birth Control

Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder’s Astrological Birth Control (1972) is a very odd book. It reports on the theories and work of Eugen Jonas, a Catholic psychiatrist in Czechslovakia, who purportedly developed a system of pinpointing astrological fertility cycles.

Obstetrician and medical astrologer Margaret Millard has told us it can’t work. But astrologers I respect say they’ve used it with success. The basic theory seems intuitively logical, that the repetition of the Sun-Moon angle from a woman’s birth chart indicates fertile times.

For several years in the 1960s, Jonas, along with other physicians and researchers, received grants to study birth control, fertility, sex selection and viability astrologically. The fertility and sex selection cycle was reportedly identified by projected estimates based on the size and length of newborn infants. While this might symbolically produce a meaningful horoscope, it seems far-fetched that it would lead to the their consistently reported 85-98% success rates.

Almost nothing in astrology is this simplistic or constant. I also find it hard to believe that so many couples were able to routinely follow such specific instructions at home. People are not lab animals.

The authors state several times that the theories haven’t been proved and that little documentation was available, but everything about the book suggests a breakthrough. Some time is spent summarizing numerous scientific studies that support astrology but have little to do with the topic at hand.

Several of the few examples reproduced from Jonas’ work have errors. The authors don’t appear to be astrologers (nor does Jonas for that matter), so that the presentation of the actual techniques is also not very compelling. (It may be worthwhile to consider Jonas’ close Moon conjunct Neptune in Virgo, which exactly squares the Nodes, suggesting that publicity and hype may outweigh content.)

Astrological Birth Control is historically intriguing, as it was released by a major publisher, was designed for a wide audience, and influenced many astrologers. But for better books on this topic, I’d recommend Your Fertile Hours (reprinted in 2015) by Emily Faugno, a readable memoir and textbook with horoscope delineations from another Catholic devotee, or The Lunar Cycle (1989) by Francesca Naish, which is a practical guide. The Moon and Childbirth (1999) by Margaret Millard, M.D. is an excellent work that covers many topics (in vitro, predicting sex and the prenatal epoch), but unfortunately it’s difficult to find reasonably-priced copies these days. Fertility Astrology (2018) by Nicola Smits-Allsop provides sophisticated astrological analyses of fertility in the birth chart and presents astrological techniques for in vitro fertilization (see my review of this book here).

Click the links above to see more on these books on Amazon.com

The Modern West is Linear

Horoscopes have survived for over 2,000 years and represent a unique remnant of the ancient world. There is absolutely nothing else like them, as they symbolically represent the sky and are able to convey the events and experiences of a life. While we can use various techniques to progress or direct the chart into the future, the horoscope itself conveys the entire life.

In the contemporary west, we live in a world of linear time, where we adhere to schedules and see ourselves evolving into the future. Others in the past and elsewhere are different. In polychronic cultures, time is cyclic, and deadlines are unimportant. People from India that I’ve known seem to have a more polychronic attitude, for example, and interestingly enough many in India also value astrology.

Astronomer and anthropologist Anthony Aveni gave an excellent example of polychronic works of art in his book, Conversing with the Planets. In a museum in Mexico City, he observed Aztec plant sculptures that contained both the mature fruit and blooming flowers – which cannot co-exist at the same time. “Each half of the calabash and maize sculptures seemed totally faithful to what I have actually seen in my garden at the beginning and the end of the season… But the artists who made these carvings just a few generations before Cortés landed on Mexico’s shore… had conflated different stages of plant metamorphosis into a single coherent image… for reasons that escape us, the polychromic image – the combination of realities pulled from different time frames and brought together by the human imagination into a composite whole – seems to have held greater significance.”

A horoscope can also be seen as a “composite whole.” And it’s worth noting that the Maya, who predated the Aztecs by at least 1,000 years, were keen sky observers who also had their own elaborate system of astrology.

One reason that astrology is commonly criticized today may be that mainstream western society is so time-driven, ordered and quantitative, while horoscopes and astrology are qualitative and cyclic. Those of us who value them are able to do so despite the linear culture that surrounds us.

Aveni’s Conversing with the Planets is a wonderful book that looks at the many cultures through history that developed astrology. It was published in 1992 as the Uranus-Neptune conjunction in Capricorn approached, and is one of the first books to seriously address the cultural history of astrology for a wider audience. Buy on Amazon.com:
Conversing with the Planets: How Science and Myth Invented the Cosmos

Neptune with Leo

How do artists capture the soul or spirit of humanity? Somehow they are able to reflect the metaphysical, transcendent and numinous (spiritual or holy) in ordinary life. A poet sees beyond the mundane to the essence of life and immortalizes it for the rest of us.

I’ve always enjoyed reading biographies and memoirs to see how lives unfold and the twists and turns of circumstance. The best illuminate something about the human condition. And any biography will help us learn more about astrology.

Frank McCourt in Angela’s Ashes (1996) captured the town of Limerick, Ireland in the 1930s and ‘40s – it’s warmth and weaknesses, wealth and poverty, kindness and cruelty. Given McCourt’s character, talents and the unforeseen events of his life, we get a telescopic view of why he had to be who he was and how closed doors became open windows. McCourt’s interactions with others, for better or worse, provided key events in his life. And his own early experiences of poverty, loss and illness also included great understanding, love and compassion.

His horoscope includes Mercury in Virgo and Venus in Libra, both signs of their rulership, which accentuated his mind, sense of balance and relationships. We can easily see why he eventually became a writer with the ability to share his feelings with others. In his book, he presents his life with affection and humor.

McCourt’s Sun in Leo conjoins Neptune in Virgo. This combination gives him the ability to see the world with an artist’s eye. In a hospital with typhoid fever as a child, he was introduced to poetry and Shakespeare. His father was an alcoholic who loved his family but couldn’t cope with life.

Frank McCourt also had his Moon way Out of Bounds in Gemini. Kt Boehrer felt that this could indicate a “Cindarella” type who experiences hardship in life but succeeds later on.

But perhaps the most telling pattern in this horoscope is Saturn in Capricorn opposite Jupiter in Cancer. (Saturn has almost exactly returned to its natal place as I write this.) Saturn is in its own sign and Jupiter is exalted, showing his experience with those who were resilient, supportive and idealistic, as well as authorities and others who had become hardened or cautious.

McCourt worked his way out of the family’s straightened circumstances (Saturn), returned to the U.S. (where he’d been born) and expanded his circumstances through education (Jupiter). Leading a stable and secure life as a schoolteacher for many years, it was only after his retirement in 1988 (at age 58 and the start of his Saturn return) that he began writing the memoir that captured his early years in such vivid colors.

Frank McCourt was born on August 19, 1930 in Brooklyn, New York, no time is available.

Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir

Uranus in Taurus and Fascism

Astrologers have noted the link between Uranus in Taurus (April 1935 to April 1942) and Fascism, which coincided with Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin’s authoritarian regimes. Madeleine Albright’s book Fascism: A Warning provides insight into this period of history.

Early on, the author shares the odd coincidence that Charlie Chaplin and Adolf Hitler were born only four days apart, quoting a line from Chaplin’s The Great Dictator (1940): “You are not machines! You are not cattle!” which literally underscores themes related to Uranus in Taurus.

The former Secretary of State turned history professor is a Nazi refugee who speaks from her own personal experience. I found it refreshing to hear her sensible arguments and deep understanding of the scope of history. Albright has Mercury retrograde widely conjunct Uranus in Taurus and trine Neptune in Virgo (no birth time available). She’s approaching her Uranus return.

Albright quotes Hitler as attributing his own popularity to his ability to reduce issues to their simplest terms so people would easily accept them. It appears that the potential danger of Uranus in Taurus lies in strong, ideological convictions. Based upon world history, fixating on the wide-scale acquisition of land and property may also reflect this symbolism.

Madeleine Albright defines Fascism as an extreme authoritarianism linked to nationalism, the lack of concern for the rights of others, and leaders taking whatever means necessary to achieve their goals. Through optimism and traditional views, Fascists typically generate hope for political change. Their unwavering trust in their own judgment attracts followers who see them as decisive, and they may accomplish some things early on.

Fascists often take control through legitimate means but soon dismantle democratic systems. They despise reasoned debate, take steps to thwart the freedom of the press and an independent judiciary, and divide by striking out at enemies both within and outside of their own parties. Fascists typically admire other authoritarian leaders and seek to emulate them. At the end of the book, Albright adds that, “the herd mentality is powerful in international affairs.” In the 20th century, “steamroller” effects were not recognized until it was too late.

Uranus in Taurus may have firm but simplistic views and could also be insensitive (Albright uses the term “moral numbness”). Though it can initiate radical change, it does suggest monomaniacal systems and self-serving principles rather than democratic ideals.

Buy the book at Amazon.com — Fascism: A Warning

When to Act? And How?

Astrologers are often called upon to advise on the coming planetary weather. When important life events are on the horizon, it’s helpful to know what to expect in the coming months and years. Clients will take our advice when they can. But we often see examples of people who, without the benefit of astrology, acted unwisely.

A neighbor had a dispute with his landlord. I happen to know his birthday. He has a lease, but rather stubbornly resisted any compromises offered. His progressed Sun was just past sextiling natal Uranus. In January, transiting Jupiter trined his Saturn. Then in March, Saturn sextiled his Uranus. These would’ve been good times to settle with the manager, as the Sun’s aspect might bring an innovative solution, Jupiter’s transit could stabilize legal issues, and Saturn’s bring about some change. We should always try to take advantage of helpful influences that the Universe provides for us!

In addition, though, the progressed Sun and Mercury will go on to approach a square to Neptune, creating a T-square with natal Venus opposite Neptune. And the neighbor also had Neptune squaring Neptune during this period, a long-term transit. He did seem to have illusions about the future of the relationship and what he could hope to achieve. An astrologer would advise clients not to hold out for something unrealistic. Though admittedly with Neptune, people find it hard to know what is unrealistic.

The months went on, with the landlord making concessions in hopes of avoiding a court case. The neighbor refused to budge. In April, Uranus squared his Sun and Jupiter squared both his Mercury, then Saturn. The Jupiter aspects might make one feel that they have “the law” on their side, but they add challenges to resolve any issues. And certainly with Uranus squaring the Sun, the situation might radically change. It did.

The landlord finally offered a deadline, which was missed. He then called a lawyer, and the neighbor will now have to take the time and trouble to go to court to resolve the matter. Neptune will exactly square the tenant’s Venus in July, and the hard transits from Jupiter repeat in September: things may not be resolved for some time. Jupiter will trine the neighbor’s Sun in November, when Saturn also sextiles his Uranus again. So things may ultimately be resolved to his satisfaction (five months away).

Evangeline Adams called working with the planets “intelligent non-resistance.” You can’t control everything. I’m a very Saturnine person who asks, why make things difficult? Life is hard enough. But without the help of astrology, many people can’t know when it’s best to be stubborn or when to take advantage of an offer or opportunity.