2020 – An Extraordinary Turning Point

This year has come with fears, uncertainty and sorrow. It is now possible to say that society as a whole, regardless of race and creed, has been involved in the ongoing turmoil which has been restricting those cherished – and perhaps given-for-granted – freedoms which had allowed the latest generations to thrive freely and constructively. One question rises spontaneously as we are all struggling under fearful change: are we looking at a negative milestone in history? Absolutely NOT…

This year’s unusual concentration of slow-moving planets within a small section of the zodiac is a detail of great importance. However, the time for the ripening and widespread application of these new social ideas hasn’t come yet. Does this mean that astrology has been proposing the idea that our lives are “dependent” on the cosmos? The answer is no, society is not “dependent” on anything. However, for millennia the astrological world has been aware of the unmistakable resonance which permeates different layers of existence. What emerges from the analysis of cosmos is not any “predictable event”, but the underlying pattern of social development. This pattern unfolds through a cyclic series of perturbation, dismantlement and rebuilding.

It is worth looking at the ongoing patterns which accompany and rule these important months. The astrological community has recently been trying to catch minute details among the often-confusing buzzing reality of the cosmos. Many have proposed the idea that one specific aspect, planet, or asteroid has been “responsible” for the pandemic. My idea is that heavy-weight, slow planetary dynamics should to be assessed first and foremost.

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Three MAJORLY important cycles originate in 2020:

Saturn-Pluto

• January 12^th, 22Capricorn46

Jupiter-Pluto

• April 4^th, 24Capricorn53
• June 30^th, 24Capricorn06 (Retrograde conjunction)
• November 12^th, 22Capricorn51

Saturn-Jupiter

December 21^st, 0Aquarius29

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One does not need to be an astrologer to understand that society has not yet reached a point which even faintly represents the opportunity to move forward.

The last three Saturn-Pluto cycles have originated in 1914/15, 1947, 1982; this gives us an idea of the peculiarity of this cosmic encounter. It is not right to associate this cycle solely with wars, famines and pandemics, because its influence over humanity is not that simple and straightforward. As with all things in astrology, we have to look at the underlying psychological dynamics which accompany the onset of such major events of the skies. Saturn itself, in its 29-year cycle, describes a “growing pattern“. Saturn’s transit through the various sectors of a person’s natal chart describes the shifts along the progressive development life compels one’s inner realm to go through. Traditionally, studies have shown how Saturn entering a new astrological House or Sign just brings new “troubles”. To a certain extent that statement has its value, but it nonetheless constitutes a shamelessly limited vision over the more complex reality which supports Saturn’s astrological meaning. The influence of this planet, taskmaster-in-chief and timekeeper of the zodiac, is that of rebuilding structures and fostering responsibility. In other words, the arrival of Saturn into one’s specific area of life signals the time when one can overcome certain issues and obstacles; oftentimes such process turns out to be extremely painful and unfriendly, but it helps in building responsibility. Saturn’s alignments often cut ties with the past, surprisingly enough, given that its influence strongly relates to what “has been”. This occurs simply because through the experience of Saturn’s transits and progressions, there is a need to “re-structure and re-organize” our lives in realistic ways which are fully in tune with the current trends. It is possible that ongoing restrictions have to be acknowledged and accepted, or new blockages may be raised, but the final goal is that of achieving wisdom and stability. No wonder Saturn is often quite hard to welcome in our lives, but this definition, simple as it is, goes a long way from the simplistic denomination of it as a “malefic“.

Pluto is quite small and the scientific community kind of underrated it at the beginning of the new millennium. From a deterministic point of view, the planetoid is understandably “inferior” to the rest of the Solar System’s main participants but, from a purely astrological point of view, the story is quite different. Almost a century of study and observation has given astrologers the absolute right to say that Pluto’s cycle significantly drives the evolutionary trends of humanity, as it leads to profound, irreversible changes. One example which gives us an idea of this faraway planet’s energetic essence is the unrestrained global development of power which characterized the years following its discovery. Humanity became officially aware of its presence in 1930, at the beginning of a decade which saw the rise of unbelievably violent ideologies.

Oftentimes, Pluto is the “chief malefic” of the zodiac, but such restrictive consideration obviously fails to describe the importance of that little, faraway planet.

The cycle of Pluto corresponds with long-term developments which constitute the “rise and fall of societal dynamics and ideologies“. Every “death” constitutes the opportunity for “regeneration”. This is a symbolic fact, as it refers to the recurring shifts which bring individuals and society into new, fertile territories. Important points in its relative motion through the skies undoubtedly correspond with watershed moments in history.

Jupiter is a more uplifting planet, because its 12-year cycle is evidently indicative of a more ideological, philosophical, visionary trend. If Saturn and Pluto generally precipitate things into extreme seriousness, Jupiter tends to initially aggrandize and inflate. The indulgent qualities of this astrological fellow are oftentimes equally disturbing; if no awareness resides within the individual or the collective, things often get out of control. Jupiter’s realm is often masked by a veil of optimistic self-indulgence.

At the beginning of each astrological cycle there is usually a certain degree of obliviousness, which accounts for the initial upset which accompanies every planetary ingress or conjunction, including each Soli-Lunar cycle. At each significant New Moon the energy is quite primitive and it fosters novelty. Though a feeling that something new is coming may exist, no one seems to be ready to act yet. The conscious emergence of new challenges is often fully evident around the first square, whereas the “fruits” of each cycle are generally harvested at the opposition. At the waning square the existing structures start to crumble under the need for change.

The Jupiter-Pluto interaction principally brings us face-to-face with the ongoing currents of thought, addressing the needs to revolutionize any outdated trends. This cycle lasts around one and a half decade, but this year’s significant start gives it a very different flavor. This year brings a wave of change which “glorifies” the immensely regenerating power of Pluto.

In simple words, the extensive presence of such planets in Earthy Capricorn initiates a process of social, economic and structural breakdown.

Capricorn represents the 10^th evolutionary phase of the zodiacal circle; in cyclical terms, its symbolism relates to the peak experience of organization and power; however, it also reminds us of the crucial dismemberment of preexisting structures. Such is a necessary dynamic which allows humanity to reach new horizons. Together with Aquarius and Pisces, Capricorn represents the third quarter of the zodiac, which addresses “collective dynamics“. Capricorn is traditionally associated with structures and boundaries; this primarily refers to the immaterial world of “discipline and authority“. Obvious manifestations of Capricornian qualities in our world are governments and conservative realities. The incumbent Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto interaction in Capricorn aims at “reassessing and shifting” the present equilibrium of those structures. It also has to be acknowledged that Saturn will retrograde back into Capricorn on July 2^nd and it will not leave the sign until December 17^th, four days before the Aquarian cycle starts.

 

The disintegration of structure is not over yet.

Quite likely, over the next few years many powerfully structured organizations will either shift their ideologies, evolving into different social realities, or disintegrate violently under the force of growing awareness.

JUPITER-SATURN

The next Jupiter-Saturn cycle begins in early Aquarius in December this year, on the day of the Northern Winter Solstice. In astrological terms, that day offers the Solar Ingress into Capricorn. There is widespread optimism around this upcoming conjunction in the astrological community, an idea which definitely has its value. In fact, the shift of planetary influence towards Airy Aquarius is not going to be insignificant at all. It will undoubtedly represent an important “de-ballasting moment” after a year of tribulation, heaviness, sorrow and fear. However, it is not quite right to readily bestow the upcoming conjunction with qualities of an utterly redeeming type. It is way too common, at times of widespread upheaval, to try and identify a “savior”!

Let’s stick to the fact that each planetary conjunction, as specified already, coincides with a moment of oblivion. A new cycle is born, but its meaning and form are not yet easily visible and appreciable. There are strong indications of an important shift occurring towards the late part of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. However, its full meaning won’t be readily evident to humanity. Society may feel that a certain ‘psychological weight’ has been somehow transmuted into a widespread need for “freedom and knowledge“. This will enormously help the community recover from the ongoing situation. It does not necessarily mean that the world will easily go back to its recent business; by that time something will have irrevocably shifted. Year 2021 will bring a series of Saturn-Uranus squares in Fixed signs, which will activate some important mundane astrological charts. This revolutionary trend with be especially strong when acting across mid-Aquarius to mid-Taurus. It is likely that tensions will escalate, as mankind struggles to reach the accept a ‘new normality’. This explains how the upcoming Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, though liberating, will be an initially destabilizing leap into uncharted territory. It seems that 2020’s destabilizing effect will evoke the need to address matters of a humanitarian nature. All that is so dear to Aquarius has in fact been negated, because of the widespread social restrictions. This trend of widespread fear is likely to come again in waves, as the next two Jupiter-Pluto conjunctions occur.

However, such ideas will take many years, along the Jupiter-Saturn 2-decade cycle, to unfold and become real. The upcoming conjunction in groundbreaking Aquarius will open a window to the future; a peak experience will occur at the beginning of the next decade. The 2030s will in fact represent the blossoming phase of the current wave of social dismantling and regeneration.

 

The kind of awareness which is set to arise throughout the next decade is likely to be related with “humanitarian” issues

The middle part of this year will most likely see a “repeated intensification of restrictions“, as the world might feel that many issues still have to be reassessed and dealt with. In fact, the current uncertainty which dominates the global market, as well as any governmental institution, is also related to the quantity of retrograde planets. Stacked on one quarter of the zodiac, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto turn retrograde as the Sun gets separated from them.

Amidst the ongoing confusion and despair, the mid-part of this year is a phase of reassessment, and hopefully “understanding“.

 

Cover Image: Dante and Vergil in Hell by Delacroix, 1823 – Wikimedia Commons