We are entering a heated astrological season. Mercury moved retrograde, opposing both Jupiter and Neptune once more; I think we have been struggling to see the truth. We have somehow realized that, in order to move ahead, we had to wait for the right moment. We have recently entered a new lunar month, characterized by an overwhelming Jupiterian presence. In fact, the last New Moon fell in Libra in tight opposition to this planet, which is currently moving retrograde in Aries. Maybe drama is the primary signature of these confused days. Also, a ground shaking Eclipse season is approaching. Just before Mercury turned direct, we heard about the leaks of Nord Stream 2, as well as Putin’s annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Public Opinion Shifting
As explained in Saturn-Neptune and Politics, the global left was expected to go through rough times during these months. This is because the main cycle which relates to liberal thought is currently coming to an end. The recent Italian elections have brought the far right to power again. Giorgia Meloni represents a fresh face, a new leader whom the people seem to have suddenly become quite interested in. We should not forget that the public opinion swings periodically, moving in accordance with the fluctuating archetypal currents. We are preparing for a quick entrance of Pluto into Aquarius, which is likely to bring leaders of this kind to the forefront. Astrology clearly tells us that we always get the leaders we ‘need’, according to the historic phase we are asked to live in. Reactionary thinking is likely to emerge worldwide now, and we seem to be preparing for it. It is not a coincidence that Giorgia Meloni has been through a long conjunction of Pluto to her natal Sun. Just as it stations direct for the last time in the vicinity of that natal degree, her party wins the majority at elections which months ago were not even expected. She is a Sun-Chiron leader, but so are Biden and Putin. They all have the natal Sun square Chiron, an indication of ancestral limitations, of a difficult life path. This configuration often brings issues of self-acceptance in one’s private life, but one never gets to know those dynamics unless there is a personal connection. When it comes to dealing with world leaders, what can we learn from their Sun-Chiron natal patterns? We know that these people tap into the collective wounds, using unsolvable collective dynamics to gain popularity. They generally and naturally emerge in the midst of widespread discontent, especially after times of prolonged institutional undoing. They may genuinely try and help the community, but their purpose is directly linked with the integration of social pain. There is a capacity in Sun-Chiron politicians to be perceived as ‘redeemers’, ‘liberators’ and ‘sensitive leaders’. They are able to speak to the belly of the masses, the emotional core of the most unfavored parts of the population. However, though Chiron’s mythological journey was one of healing and compassion, the individual born with a prominent Chironian pattern often treads along the fine line between healing and wounding.
Italian National Chart
The 1946 Republic chart has 19 Scorpio rising, the Moon in the 12th at 4 Scorpio and a Sun-Uranus conjunction in the 8th at 17-19 Gemini. Within months, the nation will have a Progressed New Moon near the Virgo Midheaven. Furthermore, the Solar Arc Directed Sun-Uranus conjunction has reached the Midheaven as well. These are clear signs of a major governmental overhaul approaching. Over the next few years, the nation is likely to change its status. What can this mean? Though Meloni and her allies deny any intentions to cut the nation’s strong ties with the EU, is that still a possibility? We should not forget that Uranus is still transiting conjunct Italy’s Descendant, and this will continue to shake all of its alliances. It is interesting to observe that Neptune’s prolonged square to the national Gemini Sun caused many years of confusion, tri-polarism and contributed to bringing no majority votes at any of the recent elections. Several unsavoury coalitions have been ruling the country as a result of that. For years, many Italians felt they had lost the power to choose their leaders. Now that Neptune’s square to the national Sun is opening up, and with Mars stationing retrograde in Gemini, the nation wakes up abruptly. The rise of dogmatism and fanatical thinking is not a choice, but a clear manifestation of the radical phase the country is living through. It must be noted that such fanaticism has risen across all the parties which ran for the election, with some of them using the war in Ukraine and the public aversion to Russia’s actions to promote themselves. With Mars-Neptune one often fights indirectly, too shy perhaps to launch a straightforward campaign, but also too enmeshed in glamorous thinking that conventional advertising is hardly fulfilling.
On October 25th a Solar Eclipse will occur at 2 degrees of Scorpio. It will be of the South Node type and conjunct Venus. Its co-rulers Mars and Pluto will form a quincunx with each other. The eclipse will also be widely square Pluto in late Capricorn. The dramatic signature of this eclipse is obvious. What strikes me is that it will be angular at the Midheaven in Italy and that it will fall close to the national Moon’s position. One may wonder how its coercive, dark and emotional signature will manifest upon the territory and the masses. The exact Sun-Moon conjunction is directly overhead in Naples. This makes me think of Mount Vesuvius, considering the volcanic qualities of the lunation. Eclipses in Fixed signs generally bring geological events, however more research needs to be done on this topic. We should keep in mind that, like in every other case, this eclipse’s message may not become clear until either Mars or other planets activate its degree by conjunction or opposition. However, we may soon witness something which gives us an idea of the energies involved. The rise to power of the far right will shift the paradigm quite powerfully within the country, possibly attracting collective experiences of a more extreme nature. The political scene is likely to get more heated all across Europe as a result of this further shakeup. Something which seems quite clear is that Italy as a nation will be more prominent, perhaps in dramatic ways, in front of the world’s eyes.
Italy’s global image is going to change dramatically, but it is still too early to imagine how this can happen. However, the unexpected rise of the far right has been a major event indeed, and it seems to resonate along the lines of the birth of a new nation. The astrological symbolism clearly tells us that we can see this whole story as a ‘rebirth’ for the country. Not all rebirths are pleasant, but they signify a necessary moment of radical change. This is exactly the case for Italy right now, and possibly for the entire European Union as well.
Saturn-Neptune and the Global Left
The Saturn-Neptune conjunction of 2025/26 will bring a new beginning for liberal communities worldwide. One may wonder how the next US elections are going to play a role in this, and how the American Democratic party is going to evolve. On the other hand, there is also a historic connection between Russia and the Saturn-Neptune cycle. It seems clear that the nation is preparing for a reorganization of some sort. There will be connections to the Eastern collapse of the late 1980s, which was accompanied by the last Saturn-Neptune conjunction. Putin often speaks of how he sees that historic phase as a major defeat and humiliation for his country. How is that collective energetic shift going to play out the next time? Will he succeed in restoring the old Soviet utopian, Neptunian idea, or will this campaign lead towards another downfall and reorganization?
Planets Station Direct
These days, with Mercury stationing direct in opposition to Neptune, we may feel quite uncomfortable. However, some important information may soon be revealed. Chances are, we may hear more about the suspected sabotage of Nord Stream 2. The symbolism is uncanny, because Neptune is commonly associated with oil and gas. Quite interestingly, both sides have been blaming each other, but are we going to hear anything else? We should not forget that Pluto and then Saturn are going to station direct within the next few weeks. The Saturn-Uranus square, which has accompanied us for many months, will reach its apex at the next station of Saturn during the third week of this month. Since this aspect became tight in 2021, we have been stuck between past and future, unable to completely let go of the pandemic’s wave of fear and darkness, yet desirous to reimagine a free world with no COVID restrictions, vaccines or territorial invasions. The last Jupiter-Neptune conjunction, which occurred this year in springtime, has given us a push towards some sort of distension from the pandemic restrictions. However, the rise of new fanaticism has accompanied all that, in a very controversial manner. The period between the Jupiter-Neptune and Saturn-Neptune conjunctions will be a major phase of reassessment for all. Under this energetic signature we have witnessed a comeback to Cold War times, with the fierce opposition between Russia and the NATO countries, a dangerous standoff between East and West.
I find the next Full Moon in Aries quite interesting. It will fall at 16 Aries, in conjunction to Chiron, and its ruler Mars will be making a square to Neptune. It is important to note that the US Independence Chart has Saturn at 14 Libra. In Retrograde Mars square Neptune: the Voice of the Unheard I wrote about the long retrogradation of Mars in Gemini and its square to Neptune. There is a direct connection between this martyrial fighting kind of energy and the USA as a nation. These days are bringing a first hit of the nation’s current Mars return, and we have already seen how the opposition between Russia and the USA has quickly escalated once more. How is the American Mars-Neptune ‘crusading’ spirit going to be reawakened this time? Are we dangerously close to the onset of a wider conflict? Hopefully common sense will reign, but the extremism of this configuration is hardly a mitigating factor.
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