The Astrology Blog 20 December 2021
All times in GMT
“Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb – it’s where all the fruit is.”
“People think I’m nuts.”
Shirley MacLaine
“When I don’t want to give something, I find that it’s usually because I’m not feeling enough love.”
David Manning (played by John Heard in Out on a Limb)
Link to the two part movie – https://tinyurl.com/57pnt2tb
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Shirley_MacLaine
OMICRON AND SATURN
Possibly the hardest part about enduring the wave of the new variant is that it somehow took the world by surprise, at the moment when we were all quietly beginning to wonder if we were actually seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. We were, only of course it was in fact the light of the oncoming train.
A new variant was bad enough, but one of these proportions is of course the worst possible news and especially as it’s emerged in the run up to Christmas. It’s a tough Winter Solstice, arriving hand in hand with very heavy astrology, and it was never going to be an easy end to the year.
This too shall pass is such a useful mantra for life’s darkest moments, but it’s a massive question now on everyone’s mind. I’m now being asked if the astrology holds any indications about the pandemic ever coming to an end, and I wish I knew the answer to that, but one thing I will say is that, as with all life changing events, the first thing to do is to look at how it started.
Saturn was conjunct Pluto at 22 Capricorn on 12 January 2020. Many astrologers were predicting the collapse of the world economy (Saturn as business and structures, Pluto power and wipeout, Capricorn as empire building) but nobody anticipated that massive global problems would come in the shape of a pandemic.
Historically we now know that the outbreak of the virus started in December 2019 but it was 11 January 2020 when China reported the first death and the World Health Organization was alerted. In other words, within 24 hours of a rare conjunction that happens approximately every 34 years (so the next one won’t be until 2053), was the showing, demonstrating that the exact moments of these huge astrological aspects reflect the time when the matching events come into our consciousness.
Pluto takes 248 years to work through the 12 signs so, since then, has hardly moved and is currently at 25 degrees Capricorn, reaching 26 degrees on 3 January. Saturn’s orbit is 29.5 years so by comparison he’s streets ahead, having travelled through the whole of Capricorn since then and is now halfway through the next sign of Aquarius.
As I said in the blog a couple of weeks ago I’d rather taken my eye off the wrecking ball of the Saturn – Uranus square, which has been the major backdrop for the whole year, as there’s such a long gap between the three dates, but Saturn’s onwards journey in this respect is clearly also the “astrological signature” for the onwards journey of the pandemic, for the instability of our times and now the shocking (Uranus) arrival of the new variant that’s stopped us all in our tracks (Saturn) –
- 17 February – Saturn 7 Aquarius square Uranus 7 Taurus
- 14 June – Saturn 13 Aquarius square Uranus 13 Taurus
- 24 December – Saturn 11 Aquarius square Uranus 11 Taurus
The encouraging news is that once these squares are over Saturn will then not be on a collision course with any of the other planets. The next Saturn activity will be a semi-sextile (minor aspect formed when planets are exactly one sign apart) to Neptune, and the three dates for that sequence will be 17 and 31 May 2022, and ending on 6 January 2023.
Astrologically speaking, we’re coming to the end of the worst. The Saturn – Neptune combination isn’t great for the virus still being around and causing problems, but it is nevertheless a double act by minor aspect, not a major one. It made me think if next year would be when we start to see this thing losing its power
They’re talking about peaks early in the new year, but if you keep on doubling and doubling and doubling cases, there’ll eventually be more people getting infected than there are people in the UK – so there is a limit on this – Analysis by BBC Head of Statistics Robert Cuffe –
But for now there are some major ramifications unfolding. As far as the UK is concerned, remember that the middle square in June was exactly when Matt Hancock (on his Uranus Half Return, so right in the line of fire) was forced to resign as UK Health Secretary when, having instructed the nation to observe social distancing, he was then caught in a serious clinch with his aide Gina Coladangelo, for whom he left his wife. His life changed overnight, a textbook hallmark of Uranus the rug puller at work, also known as the divorce planet, ruling splits of all kinds.
This it now seems was a kind of preview about the importance of leadership and the extremely dangerous practice of hypocrisy, all of which was also foreshadowed by the resignation of Dominic Cummins at the end of last year. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Boris Johnson goes out on a vote of no confidence as we’re now in the realms of “the bleeding obvious” that he’s an expert liar and was fully aware of his government’s Christmas partying last year, and that life for the elite still has privileges denied to everyone else.
This third and final Saturn – Uranus square falls at exactly 11 degrees and 03 minutes of their respective signs –
- Saturn at 11 degrees and 3 minutes of Aquarius clashing with Uranus at 11 degrees and 3 minutes of Taurus
- This plays into Boris Johnson’s chart as his Ascendant (the starting point of any chart, beginning of the 1st House that is primarily about us as opposed to everyone else in our lives) is 11.06 Libra
- Saturn therefore in trine to his Ascendant and Uranus in the “blindspot” quinqunx
- He has Jupiter at 15.45 Taurus (opposite Neptune 15.23 Scorpio) so Uranus will get to that opposition next May. So if he gets through this testing point he’s by no means out of the woods …
BORIS JOHNSON – NAZANIN RATCLIFFE
On the subject of Nazanin, Boris has, in my view, already shown his true colours. Yesterday, through Change.org, Richard Ratcliffe posted an update about his wife who is still detained in Iran. He and their daughter face the 6th Christmas without her, along with Nazanin’s birthday on 26 December.
Again in the “bleeding obvious” category for not caring or intending to do anything about the situation is Boris. His dodging of the questions during PM’s question time last month was on the news and was truly horrible and dismaying to watch, muttering something along the lines of not wanting to give her false hope –
We reached out to the Prime Minister asking him to speak to Nazanin on her birthday. He was not available. His office did not explain why. Your 3.7 million signatures that we delivered to him during the hunger strike, did not get a personal response this week either, only an acknowledgement from a junior minister. The PM is keeping his distance again, not a good sign.
So if you are still willing to help after 6 years of petitions, please do consider downloading the song and sharing the video:
https://music.apple.com/gb/album/naz-dont-cry-single/1599259180
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09N9YD7Y4/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp
https://open.spotify.com/album/77LOpSJ0eHqObHiXEgXAA9
For those in the UK and beyond, still looking for a last minute Christmas gift, the deadline for downloads for the Christmas charts is 23:59 GMT Thursday December 23. Generally, it takes 8,000 sales in a week to get into the official charts, and ten times that to get close to the top.
So Boris gets to spend Christmas at Downing St with his wife and new baby daughter whilst continuing to ignore Nazanin. I wonder how he would be reacting if it were Carrie Johnson under detention?
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK?
Here’s your “at a glance” look at the week ahead –
Monday 20 December
- Mercury 11 Capricorn trine Uranus 11 Taurus 20.19
Tuesday 21 December
- Sun ingress Capricorn – the Winter Solstice 16.00
Friday 24 December
- Saturn 11 Aquarius square Uranus 11 Taurus 07.14
Saturday 25 December
- Venus conjunct Pluto 25 Capricorn – 2nd time – 12.14
Sunday 26 December
- Mercury 20 Capricorn sextile Neptune 20 Pisces 21.30
So you can see straight off that the week is bracketed by Mercury making positive aspects to two of the outer planets –
Monday 20 December
- Mercury 11 Capricorn trine Uranus 11 Taurus 20.19
Sunday 26 December
- Mercury 20 Capricorn sextile Neptune 21.30
I know a lot of people, as am sure you do too, whose Christmas plans have been severely disrupted by the explosion of Covid, but Mercury in Capricorn is nothing if not pragmatic. If you have to shift to or devise plan B then waste no time.
Positive Mercury – Uranus combinations are extremely lively and great for inspiration, spontaneity and thinking on your feet. If your original plans have been cancelled be open to your options, maybe connected to other friends as Uranus links to your wider circle of contacts and social life as well as the collective.
The trine between these two planets is in earth so get the week off to a good start with practical jobs or decisions, food shopping, gift buying or wrapping, and any kind of prep that you can do now that will save you stress later in the week. Mercury – Uranus also often springs surprises, such as hearing from someone who’s been out of touch or news that you definitely didn’t expect to hear.
Mercury – Neptune is the theme for Boxing Day and is a totally different vibe. Neptune rules the booze, so it’s a sleepy combination if you overdid it on Christmas Day, great for watching movies and chilling out, or it’s equally good for drinks parties (Covid safety stuff allowing) and great for connections and conversations of the relaxing or intimate kind. Just watch out for “sad wine”.
ANOTHER TOUGH WINTER SOLSTICE
This is like déjà-vu. Last year I wrote that in ordinary times this would be something to celebrate, the festival of Yule being the moment of Midwinter and the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. It’s the ultimate symbolic “death/rebirth” moment as from this moment the days start getting longer again. As Elisabeth Brooke writes in A Woman’s Book of Shadows witches celebrate the winter darkness at Yule but at the same time they also celebrate the coming of the summer. One defines the other.
It was this time last year that a new variant triggered lockdowns and cancellations, which was then shown astrologically by the fact that the Winter Solstice coincided exactly with the Jupiter – Saturn conjunction (known as the Great Conjunction which happens approximately every 20 years when Jupiter “overtakes” Saturn in his orbit. This one was particularly poignant as it fell at 0 degrees of Aquarius, a critical degree in the sign of the collective).
So this time last year Boris Johnson introduced a new tier four level of restrictions, scrapping a planned relaxation of rules over the Christmas period, news that effectively cancelled (Saturn) festive plans (Jupiter) for millions of people. Feel familiar?
This year the Solstice coincides with this massive third and final Saturn square Uranus, the two events being less than 24 hours apart –
Tuesday 21 December
- Sun ingress Capricorn – the Winter Solstice 16.00
Friday 24 December
- Saturn 11 Aquarius square Uranus 11 Taurus 07.14
It’s hard to imagine that there won’t be any further lockdowns, not just in the UK but across Europe and any other Omicron hotspots. Given that this “out of control” combination is going to be exact in the early hours of Christmas Eve just makes last minute restrictions or cancellations even more likely, not just from the government but from the consequences of Omicron still spreading like wildfire and yet to reach its peak. If you’re intending to travel and have any choice in the matter then earlier in the week is definitely better.
THE SECOND VENUS – PLUTO CONJUNCTION
Since the start of the pandemic Pope Francis has made several comments about domestic abuse but yesterday he went one step further with his strongest language yet, condemning domestic violence against women as “almost satanic”. Venus rules women, Pluto is god of the underworld. It’s a shame he didn’t take out the word “almost” but the message is clear. As we go into the Christmas period it’s vital to keep an eye on anyone you suspect might be at risk.
I could write a whole blog on this Venus – Pluto stuff, it’s tough enough in itself but with the second conjunction falling on Christmas Day, and only a day after the Saturn – Uranus finale, this is a big part of why the astrology is showing us that it was never going to be an easy end to the year –
Saturday 25 December
- Venus conjunct Pluto 25 Capricorn 12.14
And here’s a reminder of the full sequence –
- 11 December Venus conjunct Pluto 25.18 Capricorn – 1st time
- 19 December Venus turns retrograde 26.29 Capricorn
- 25 December Venus conjunct Pluto 25.43 Capricorn – 2nd time
- 29 January Venus turns direct 11.05 Capricorn
- 3 March Venus conjunct Pluto 27.50 Capricorn – 3rd and final time
So we had the first Venus – Pluto conjunction last weekend (Saturday 11th) and for that week’s blog I wrote that there were two glaringly obvious examples of this symbolism already in the news. Venus (women) Pluto (power and control, use of/abuse of, sexual abuse, ie the rape of Persephone) drew us directly to Aung San Suu Kyi’s detention and Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial (birthday on Christmas Day).
Add to that list Nazanin Ratcliffe already mentioned earlier, birthday on Boxing Day, and back in the headlines this morning is the Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai (yet another Capricorn, 8 January 1986, Venus 14 Capricorn conjunct Sun 17 Capricorn) reported as saying that her post about sexual assault had been widely misunderstood. Her original post included, “Why did you seek me out, take me to your home, and force me to have sex with you?” Not a lot to misunderstand about that. The more she now tries to minimize it, the more it’s obvious that she’s being coerced.
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Peng_Shuai
WHAT ELSE DOES VENUS – PLUTO SUGGEST?
Is there anything good about this aspect? If Venus is love and life’s pleasures, including money, produce and wine, and Pluto is black holes, does that add up to misery? Um, well, yes, for some. Look out for those who are alone. Pandemic stuff aside, Christmas can be a really hard time for a lot of people anyway. I know several people who already just want it all to be over.
The fact that festivities will inevitably spread the virus is also indicated in this aspect. In medical astrology Pluto can be that which poisons. Use your common sense. Be prepared for people cancelling on you for reasons beyond their control. Stay out of arguments, especially the ones that nobody can win, and ban touchy subjects.
If you’re in charge of the cooking then plan it like a military operation! This aspect is textbook for missing vital ingredients, running out of wine or serving up burnt offerings lol. Get prepared.
If Venus is love and Pluto is invisibility and absence then that’s another big toughie for Christmas Day, making us even more aware than usual of those who can’t be with us or who are no longer with us.
Love affairs – Venus/Pluto is textbook for triangles and all the feelings these involve – the secrecy, intensity of feelings, including jealousy. Relationships in trouble with no third party involved, this Christmas will be an acid test. And there’s nothing more acid than resentment. If you’re already clear that you don’t want to spend the rest of your life with someone then when is the rest of your life going to begin?
Psychologically a great deal of our innate happiness and contentment with life rests on being with the right people and also on perception of choice, in all areas. Being backed into a corner of any kind, feeling trapped into living in a way that suits others but which isn’t that great for you, any battle with power/control issues, stress connected to how you’re going to turn things around financially, becoming aware of what you really need but don’t have, these are the kind of issues that you’d expect to “peak” on the middle of the three Venus – Pluto conjunctions.
The fact that this falls on Christmas Day is likely to intensify whatever your own key issues are. Let those New Year resolutions roll!! Visualise clearly where you want to find yourself by the end of January when Venus turns direct again.
Back to the point about is there anything good about Venus – Pluto, the answer is yes! The biggest message of all with this complex stuff is about empowerment, doing what’s right for you regardless of what others might think. That’s why I chose Shirley Maclaine this week for my quotes, who has an exalted Venus (ie in best sign of Pisces) trine (harmonious) Pluto (in Cancer), that clearly comes across in her accounts of her own spiritual journey. And that line quoted at the top that’s spoken by David is a pivotal moment, as you’ll see if you watch the two part movie.
Just remains for me to say have the best possible Christmas – speak to you on the other side!
With much love from Greece
Joanna