All in a day's work: navigating changing times with Jupiter & Uranus

 

As if the recent total eclipse wasn’t enough awe-inspiring cosmic adventure for one month, it’s now time to turn our attention to the upcoming conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus and the inception on April 20th of their new, roughly 14-year cycle. 

 

Jupiter-Uranus cycles tend to be significant and impactful for all things futuristic and technological—much more on such things ahead—but also for the general sense of progress, possibility and “aliveness” that societies experience when they are captivated and driven by future visions. Change—potentially radical and revolutionary—is to be expected in powerful Jupiter-Uranus times.

Given the freedom they need to manifest these revolutionary visions, engineers of all sorts blow our minds with new developments and novel ways of solving the problems of the day; scientists in all disciplines keep nudging out the boundaries of human understanding—we might even say in this period of AI-everything that they keep employing “machine learning” to question where Humanity stops and Technology begins.  

All in a day’s work for the Jupiter-Uranus cycle.

Of course, it’s not all pie-in-the-sky because the standard disclaimer applies as always: no cycle operates in a vacuum, but as an integral part of our overall solar system, and as in any system, what we get out of it will only be as good as what we put into it, so the social, political and cultural environment in which transitions are made from one cycle to the next have a real impact. In other words, the revolutionary potentials of Jupiter-Uranus cycles are routinely limited and shaped by the ideological power structures of their times—the dynamics more typically reflected in the Saturn-Uranus and Saturn-Neptune cycles. They’re also subject to collective sentiment and fear—a form of resistance that’s often cultivated by powerful, deep-pocketed influencers (Saturn-Pluto).  

 

Iranian missiles over the skies of Israel on 4/13.

 

In today’s case, of course, this transition between the 2010 Jupiter-Uranus cycle and the new 2024 one is being intensely colored by the powerful Aries eclipse times we find ourselves in, a reality that’s already manifesting pretty starkly, given Iran’s bombardment of Israel last night (4/13) with drones and other weaponry. The Aries eclipse point fell in the 9^th house the 4/8/2024 eclipse chart (discussed here), cast for Washington, D.C., basically forecasting that foreign affairs of the militant (Aries) variety would be on the agenda going forward.

For its part, Jupiter and Uranus (less than 3 degrees apart), fell in the 10^th house of prominent state concerns in that eclipse chart: images of Biden and his cabinet meeting in the White House Situation Room in the news today certainly seem to fit here. Foreign Policy summarizes these new developments here:

“On Saturday, Iran launched its first-ever direct military attack on Israel, sparking fears of a broader regional war in the Middle East. The assault, which included more than 300 drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles, was in response to a deadly airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria in early April. Israel says it intercepted more than 99 percent of the missiles and drones.”

On his YouTube videocast, Foreign affairs analyst Ian Bremmer addresses all this with much-needed clarity: suffice to say here that he sees Iran’s retaliation last night as a deliberately measured and one, apparently designed for maximum fore-warning and minimal casualties. It may even have a surprising upside: considering how well Israeli and U.S. defenses intercepted 99% of the incoming assault, Israel’s Netanyahu is likely to take a victory lap and can enjoy a distraction from the unrelenting criticism he’s been receiving in regard to the Palestinian situation. No one seems very concerned about the damage that was done to one victim—what didn’t happen and what we can expect Israel to do in response is the far greater focus.

So, after the dust has settled, will Biden benefit from his efforts to counsel restraint going forward? Warmongering voices are already intensifying their criticism, so as in all things in this viciously fraught political year, he may be damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. If there’s no pleasing everybody, he probably just needs to follow his advisors’ best judgment and hope for the best.

So this, in a nutshell, seems to be the energy we’ll be carrying into the new Jupiter-Uranus cycle, and it’s hard to say that any of it is surprising. Despite so many better uses for this cycle’s energies (in my view, anyway), history is full of connections between Jupiter-Uranus cycles and warmaking, some of which we’ll consider ahead. Those who want to make war for all the “benefits” it accrues to them will find reasons to beat those drums.

Clearly, the events unfolding around us these days are not just limited to the Middle East “tango” we’re so embroiled in at the moment: it’s all part of a much larger picture with global ramifications. This shouldn’t be surprising, of course: the same planetary cycles and the sociopolitical dynamics they reflect operate everywhere, although they can take unique forms, depending upon local conditions, geopolitical relations, ideological structures, etc. Even so, parallels and “pings” can be expected.

 

 

Shambling forward

So it’s no surprise, given the deep sense of chaos, enmity and division that’s afloat these days, that Fareed Zakaria has released a new book this year that claims we’re living in an “age of revolutions!” In it he covers a multitude of challenges and dynamic trends across the globe, digging into the history that has brought us to this moment. A quick excerpt illustrates:

“Our times are revolutionary in the commonly used sense of the word. Wherever you look, you see dramatic, radical change. An international system that had seemed stable and familiar is now changing fast, with challenges from a rising China and a revanchist Russia. Within nations, we see the total upending of the old political order, as new movements that transcend the traditional left-right divide gain ground. In economics, the consensus that emerged after the collapse of communism around free markets and free trade has been overturned, and there is deep uncertainty about how societies and economies should navigate these uncharted waters. In the background of all of this is the full flowering of the digital revolution and the coming of artificial intelligence—with new and disruptive consequences.

In fact, our seemingly unprecedented moment also constitutes a revolution in the other sense of the word, a nostalgic desire to roll back to where we began. Radical advance is followed by backlash and a yearning for a past golden age imagined as simple, ordered, and pure.” [1]

Sound familiar? He goes on to frame MAGA-style nostalgic nationalism as part of more widespread trend—basically, a determination to turn the clock back to a long-ago time when minorities and women knew their “place” and wealthy white men ran everything. In the case of the U.S., those more “simple, ordered and pure” days may have been “great” for profiteers and the soldiers (white only) who benefited from the post-WWII G.I. bill, but few others, and that nostalgia, aligned with an ambitious Christian Nationalist movement that wants to install Christianity as a State religion and the basis for Law, now threatens to roll back our democracy itself.

The “upending of the old political order” that Zakaria warns of in the above excerpt is indeed a possibility and has incredibly complex ramifications in this nation. Taking away a woman’s reproductive rights is the only thing that matters to such nationalists until they realize they’re going to lose power over it!

Significantly, the final 3Q waning phase of any planetary cycle (such as Jupiter-Uranus) tends to express itself the most radically. And the deeper into the waning phase we go—the 2010 Jupiter-Uranus cycle is now deep into its balsamic phase—the more desperate or chaotic the expressions seem to become. Doors fall off flying airplanes; artificially pumped-up stock values plummet; technologies malfunction in shocking ways, and well-heeled people threaten the very foundations of democracy (Uranus) for the sake of a tax break (Jupiter) and so on.

 

Celebrating Retro-Futurism, 1950s-2010s

 

Technology’s key role

Even so, this upcoming Jupiter-Uranus cycle launch—again, perfecting on April 20th in earth sign Taurus—conjures in my mind visions of technologies that succeed beyond our wildest dreams because they work with Earth, instead of against it. The new PBS series, Brief History of the Future, hosted by futurist Ari Wallach, certainly reflects this possibility, showing new buildings and communities that are literally integrated into greenscapes, allowing urban people to cultivate abundant food crops on a minimum of land and so much more.

Bottom line, if we can outlive the greed of billionaires and the system(s) that enable them, Humanity can outlive and perhaps even overcome climate change. Or so the most hopeful message of the series seems to say, but to get anywhere near this outcome, we must think in radically new ways about our relationship with nature, about our lives in society, and we must design our world accordingly.

With all this in mind, let’s examine the new cycle chart (Chart #1 below) for this upcoming Jupiter-Uranus event. 

 

Chart #1. Jupiter conjoins Uranus (cycle launch), April 20, 2024, Washington, D.C. All charts are cast on Kepler 8.0 by author, with Tropical Equal Houses and True Node, and courtesy of Cosmic Patterns Software.

 

For starters, in this late-Scorpio rising chart, the Jupiter-Uranus cycle point falls just before the Taurus 7th house cusp (the DSC) and almost exactly sextiles a 4^th house Mars-Saturn (and wider, Neptune) conjunction in Pisces. This “submariner” Pisces gathering takes on added importance, considering the total solar eclipse we just experienced in Mars-ruled Aries, so I would expect that this cycle will facilitate (sextile) potentially prolonged and difficult to navigate conflicts and alliances that are designed to control and/or subvert, or conflicts that arise from such machinations.

How appropriate for the events and power dynamics afloat in the Middle East over the past few days: in fact, Uranus’ rule of the Aquarius 4^th house cusp (set for Washington, D.C.) suggests that a rebellious groundswell is possible in response. Those “uncommitted vote” campaigns during the primaries may have portended more to come if Biden isn’t able to broker a lasting deal. And how “convenient” that Iran’s symbolic, but toothless attack on Israel on 4/13 gives Israeli PM Netanyahu cover for continuing his war on Gaza—that Neptune-infused Mars-Saturn duo has been busy!

Bottom line, as this Jupiter-Uranus cycle transition clicks into “New” mode, we are likely to see more of the same, but who will finally do right by the Palestinian people? 

 

Tech advancement & war often seem like two sides of same coin.

War is not the usual focus for a Jupiter-Uranus cycle, but these combined energies do seek out opportunities for progress, and war-making can seem to be the ticket. Unfortunately, as a nation we’ve been very entrepreneurial about finding pretexts for war, and it’s always the most vulnerable who suffer the consequences.  Jupiter and Uranus together boost all sorts of technologies, but where profit is the only guiding motive, promoting and supplying a war effort looks like a great opportunity.  

Again, no cycle operates in isolation: here, the Mars sextile to the Jupiter-Uranus cycle point opens the door for this war-related diversion. Indeed, the Israel-Hamas war and the possibilities it’s already presenting for conflict with Iran seem more than related here. As I’m writing this, the following news story is breaking on CNN.com:

“Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has seized a container ship in a helicopter operation near the Strait of Hormuz, state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday.

IRNA reported that the IRGC seized the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, which is now being ‘directed back to Iranian territorial waters.’

According to IRNA, the vessel is managed by the Zodiac Maritime, a company linked to Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.”

Can’t make this stuff up!

Seriously, though, the tendency towards conflict built into this cycle chart could be reinforced by the fact that wealth-accumulating Taurus (the cycle point) is ruled by a feisty mid-Aries Venus and here, Venus falls within a fairly tight Aries No. Node-Mercury-Chiron-Eris stellium—all in the Pisces (Neptune-ruled) 5^th house. I think it’s fair to say that we can expect aggressive “chaos” agents like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and others like her (possibly on both sides of the aisle) to continue capturing headlines for now.

Let’s not overlook that, with a Neptune-ruled 5^th house, certain influences can dominate: misinformation (Neptune does tightly oppose the Virgo Moon here) among them. For some, thankfully, Neptune can also be compassionate and inspirational—the Academy Award winning short documentary The Last Repair Shop comes to my mind for its uplifting portrait of a beautiful, Neptunian effort most of us are probably oblivious to in our day-to-day lives. I’m willing to bet that so many more inspiring Neptunian stories go unnoticed in our midst…IMHO, it’s time to highlight these positives.

Perhaps this chart will help that cause, in fact: its Virgo Moon (the People) falls trine the Taurus cycle point, suggesting that perhaps the American public will respond favorably to any and all inspiration if given the chance. Who knows? The state of Michigan has finally taken the milkweed plants that are so vital for the survival of Monarch butterflies off our official “noxious plant” list, so hope springs eternal!

 

 

We should also consider that Mars and Pluto co-rule this Scorpio-rising chart from the 4^th and 3^rd houses respectively, suggesting the likelihood of powerful grass roots movements during the life of this Jupiter-Uranus cycle—perhaps during election years such as this one, but not necessarily limited to elections. In Pisces, Mars could bring the potent energies of dispositor Neptune to bear on any actions, so passive aggressive tactics are possible.

In Aquarius, Pluto is “colored” (disposed) by Saturn and Uranus, suggesting that any movements that manifest could be seriously consequential for American society, especially in the arena of government authority and the Rule of Law, in regulations and policies regarding technologies and taxation. Mars and Pluto fall 50°32’ apart, bringing the discordant 7^th harmonic to bear: perhaps a reminder that the painful dysfunction at work in our national institutions and public discourse isn’t likely to soften on its own. Over the life of this Jupiter-Uranus cycle, efforts must be made.

For its part, Saturn—even conjunct Mars—is undermined by its position in Pisces, suggesting authority and laws that are potentially toothless. Stall-and-delay tactics, an atmosphere of raw inertia and other tactics are likely to be used to avoid responsibility under this Saturn. It follows that a “do-nothing Congress” that keeps deferring action like the desperately needed aid package to Ukraine to some nebulous future date just because it can is clearly doing so by design. Are we really prepared to wash our hands of Ukraine’s fate and let Russia have its way? I suspect this cycle launch will provide a turning point for that conflict, and I do hope we will not abandon our ally because Trump admires (or is somehow beholden to) Vladimir Putin!

Compounding the difficulties caused by being in Pisces, Saturn is currently also navigating its balsamic phase with Neptune, so we’re not due to find relief from this Neptunian “drag” at least until both planets ingress Aries in 2025 and conjoin for their new Aries cycle in February, 2026. Meanwhile, they’re likely to “color” any forward-focused agenda of the new Jupiter-Uranus cycle in ways we may not be imagining quite yet.  

Perhaps an example from Jupiter-Uranus cycles in history will provide some insight.

 

 

The Space Race was a productive rivalry, at least.

 

History speaks

For starters, it seems that the so-called AI revolution has been upon us for some time already, but this new Jupiter-Uranus cycle is likely to unleash it on something of a scale that the 18^th century Industrial Revolution achieved—changing the world as people knew it then, in fact.

For instance, the steam engine was a 1700s marvel that started small, but proved its fuller usefulness in the 1760s when James Watt basically tweaked an earlier iteration to make it more efficient. Jupiter and Uranus were, of course, instrumental, having launched a vibrant new Aries cycle in March 1762 and achieving a 1Q square between cardinal Libra and Cancer. Britain was fast becoming the world’s technological powerhouse at that time—to this day, technological advancement always seems to accompany geopolitical prominence.

For better or worse, I’m old enough to remember a lot of the post-WWII “Space Race” between the U.S. and the then-Soviet Union, not to mention the scramble we went through to reach the Moon first. From Wikipedia:

“Public interest in space travel originated in the 1951 publication of a Soviet youth magazine and was promptly picked up by US magazines.^[2] The competition began on July 30, 1955, when the United States announced its intent to launch artificial satellites for the International Geophysical Year. Four days later, the Soviet Union responded by declaring they would also launch a satellite "in the near future". The launching of satellites was enabled by developments in ballistic missile capabilities since the end of World War II.^[3] The competition gained Western public attention with the ‘Sputnik crisis’, when the USSR achieved the first successful satellite launch, Sputnik 1, on October 4, 1957. It gained momentum when the USSR sent the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into space with the orbital flight of Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961. These were followed by a string of other early firsts achieved by the Soviets over the next few years.^[4]

Gagarin's flight led US president John F. Kennedy to raise the stakes on May 25, 1961, by asking the US Congress to commit to the goal of ‘landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth’ before the end of the decade.^[5]”

Kennedy’s aspirations were all about shoring up U.S. geopolitical influence in the post-WWII world and they were pure Jupiter-Uranus in spirit. Within that 1951-1961 time frame noted above was the 3Q phase of the 1941 late Taurus Jupiter-Uranus cycle (the 3Q was first exact 5/1951 at 8°+Aries) leading into a new 1954 Jupiter-Uranus cycle in late Cancer. This latter cycle was marked by a staunch 1Q quarter square between Scorpio and Leo under which Kennedy took office in 1961. In regards to that Jupiter-Uranus-infused Space Race, Kennedy also memorably said that,

“We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon... We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too.^[12]”

By July 16-24, 1969, just months into the new 1968 Jupiter-Uranus cycle, NASA had landed our Apollo 11 spacecraft carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon, with Commander Neil Armstrong taking that first “giant leap for Mankind” on its surface.

Should we be surprised then, as the 2024 cycle finally clicks into gear on the 20^th of this month that NASA has been working towards an even more dramatic return landing of more humans on the Moon? Their latest announcement reads in part:

“NASA announced Tuesday updates to its Artemis campaign that will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all. To safely carry out these missions, agency leaders are adjusting the schedules for Artemis II and Artemis III to allow teams to work through challenges associated with first-time developments, operations, and integration.

NASA will now target September 2025 for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission around the Moon, and September 2026 for Artemis III, which is planned to land the first astronauts near the lunar South Pole. Artemis IV, the first mission to the Gateway lunar space station, remains on track for 2028.”

Interestingly, both the 2025 timeframe for Artemis II and the projected 2026 date for Artemis III will fall within the New phase of the Jupiter-Uranus cycle launching this month, which could be helpful to their cause. As an astrologer, I find the probable commercialization of the Moon or Mars more than troubling, but am I surprised that we’ve come to this moment? One question: where’s the “Moonshot” determination to mitigate climate change here on Earth? Now there’s an effort that could really be for the “benefit of all!”

 

 

Final thoughts

So, the new Jupiter-Uranus cycle that is literally upon us in days promises to be intensely consequential for American life going forward. The U.S. is deeply Jupiterian as a nation—it’s hard to argue otherwise—but Jupiter and Uranus together have clearly played a key role in the major highlights of our history: from the Enlightenment period that drove our revolutionary origins, to our Civil War (1861-65), to our entry into WWI and in WWII, on the heels of the December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, and so on.

Each war unfolded, in fact, within the early days of a relatively new Jupiter-Uranus cycle: the American Revolution fell within a 1775 Gemini cycle; the Civil War fell within the 1Q and early 2Q phases of the 1858 late-Taurus cycle; the U.S. entered WWI on April 6, 1917, still within the New phase of the 1914 Aquarius cycle, and we declared war against Japan for the Pearl Harbor attack in the early New phase of the 1941 late-Taurus cycle. Jupiter-Uranus cycles aren’t necessarily about waging war, but somehow wars seem to find us during their more opportunistic moments. Even the 9/11 terrorist attacks that sent us off to two wars in the Middle East happened during the early 1Q phase of the 1997 Aquarius cycle.

So, it’s difficult to deny a connection, even though war often serves the few at the expense of the many and there are far more constructive ways to use the energies of this cycle.

For instance, the 2010 Jupiter-Uranus cycle about to end in days has spanned some truly critical years for getting a grip on climate change, but every step of the way has been blocked, obfuscated and resisted by fossil fuel industry advocates, slowing the needed progress down to a crawl. Will the 2024 Jupiter-Uranus cycle be able to make up for lost time? Its revolutionary thrust should help motivate the public and hopefully our government, unless that public spirit is co-opted and deflected onto more short term goals.  

The earthy inception degree of the new cycle could help to keep us focused on earth- and people-centric priorities, but that same earthiness (Taurus, ruled by Venus) could mean that the profit motive remains a major obstacle to true progress. Bottom line, those who benefit from war and other toxic diversions will find reasons to beat those drums.

On that note, I can't help but think that we still have a lot to learn and a deep need for wise teachers. But we must do what we can to bring in this coming new cycle with high hopes and hearts full of light...may the Jupiter-Uranus "force" be with us all!

 

 

"Always in motion is the future..."

 

[1] Fareed Zakaria, Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present, W. W. Norton & Company, Kindle Edition, 2024, p. 7.

 

Raye Robertson is a practicing astrologer, writer and retired educator. A graduate of the Faculty of Astrological Studies (U.K.), Raye focuses on mundane, collective-oriented astrology, with a particular interest in current affairs, U.S. history, culture and media, the astrology of generations, and public concerns such as education and health. Her articles on these topics have appeared in several key astrology journals over the years, including most recently, the TMA blog. For information about individual chart readings, contact: robertsonraye@gmail.com.

© Raye Robertson 2024. All rights reserved.

 

 

More on the April 8th eclipse…on slicing through the Gordian knots of our times

 

Alexander cutting the Gordian knot

It seems to me that, by their very nature, total solar eclipses tell us what they’re about, but whenever the details and speculations and commercialization start to cloud over the fundamentals of eclipse astrology, I try to return to the basics that Celeste Teal provides so efficiently, first by emphasizing the role that the Lunar Nodes play. She reminds us that the Nodes “make an eclipse possible only about every six months, when a New Moon or a Full Moon aligns closely with either the North Lunar Node or the opposite South Lunar Node” [1]

Of course, a Total Solar Eclipse is only astronomically possible at a New Moon, which is perhaps the best starting point we have for drawing out the wisdom of such an event. Teal elaborates, emphasizing the cosmic “portals” that open during such events as well:  

“When we have a Solar eclipse, it’s like a super New Moon, with effects lasting for many months due to the magnetic properties of the Lunar Nodes, which draw upon the energy vibrations of nearby planetary bodies to a powerful degree. The North Lunar Node and the South Lunar Node act as portals through which cosmic energy flows, and these portals remain open during the entire span of the eclipse era, enabling new energy to stimulate conditions and bring about events at certain times within the eclipse era whenever another planet passes by the open Lunar portal.” [1]

As we discussed in the last post here, Teal also posits that the passages of Mars and/or Saturn over this Lunar portal are particularly key to the unfolding “story” of any eclipse, and as it happens, this potent  April 8^th eclipse will offer us an opportunity to test this principle.  Mars will transit conjunct the Aries region of this eclipse in May 2024 and May 2026 and will oppose that same region in September 2025 and August 2027. Teal teaches that the Saturn passage over an eclipse point “closes” the eclipse portal, so bringing closure to its story, but it will be interesting to see if the Mars passage in August 2027 re-stimulates it in some way. 

 

A scene from the 4/3/2024 Hualien earthquake

 

We also discussed in the last post that eclipses are known to wield influence for some time period before they even perfect, which may explain some of the volatile stories in the news this past week. For instance, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Hualien, Taiwan about 8 a.m. this past Wednesday morning, killing a growing number and injuring hundreds, with more missing. Jupiter and Uranus were conjunct and rising near the Taurus ASC (Chart #1 below) when the quake struck, but the all-important Aries-Libra Nodal axis (the axis that will be active during the eclipse on Monday) stretched across the chart’s 11^th-5^th house axis and dramatically punctuated with the No. Node conjunct Aries Chiron.

The No. Node thus resonated with this volatile Uranus (natural 11^th house ruler) and the So. Node did likewise with the mid-Aries Sun (natural 5^th house ruler). Thankfully, it appears at this time that material damage (Uranus rattles Taurus) will outweigh the human toll, but our hearts go out to all who have been touched by this event.

Chart ruler Venus exactly conjoined Neptune in Pisces, also in the 11^th house, perhaps reflecting the closely offshore epicenter of the quake; adding more watery pressure were Mars conjoined Saturn in Pisces in the structure-related 10^th house. Not to be ignored, Chiron fell precisely where the April 8^th eclipse will perfect on Monday, as if to “warm up” that degree for things to come. Taiwan builders know how to construct for earthquakes, but news pictures show many tall buildings that are tilted precariously and possibly trapping people, nevertheless. 

So, did the upcoming eclipse cause the Hualien earthquake? It may be more accurate to say that the Nodal Axis conjunct Chiron in mid-Aries gave Hualien a “sneak peek” of the impending 19°+Aries eclipse degree and could very well have triggered other conditions that lent themselves to Monday's events.  

 

Chart #1. Hualien Earthquake, April 3, 2024, 8 a.m. ST, Hualien, Taiwan. Source: Reuters news story.

 

Shifting to Gaza, in an even more disturbing outbreak of volatility during the late night hours of Monday, April 1^st, 7 aid workers with the World Central Kitchen were killed by an Israeli strike—despite their 3-vehicle convoy traveling along a designated “humanitarian corridor” with well-marked and identified vehicles and despite the efforts that were made to coordinate with the Israeli military for safe passage. Prime Minister Netanyahu apologized and claimed the deaths were a “tragic case of our forces unintentionally harming innocent people in the Gaza Strip.” Words that seem very hollow in the face of this horrendous loss. 

But Netanyahu made no mention of the dire humanitarian impact these deaths are bound to create, as the WCK has now suspended its operations in Gaza. Official denials abound, but it’s difficult to dismiss suspicions expressed on the part of WCK head Chef José Andrés that the aid convoy was deliberately targeted and destroyed. The Israeli government has terminated two military officials who were involved, but time will tell if their targeting practices will change. 

 

(L-R) Chef Jose Andres and the remains of a destroyed WCK vehicle.

 

Chef Andrés’ suspicions are potentially upheld by a 10 p.m. chart cast for this event (Chart #2 below; the news reports don’t commit beyond “late night attack”) that shows Taurus Jupiter and Uranus conjunct on the 7^th house cusp and Chiron tightly conjunct the impending 19°+Aries eclipse point.

As we saw with the Taiwan earthquake chart, Chiron’s wounding influence is poised to usher in the energies of this eclipse, the impact of which is likely to be amplified by the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction and the Pisces Mars-Saturn conjunction, both aspects that will remain strong in the April 8^th eclipse chart discussed in the last post.

In Chart #2 below, Pisces Mars also sextiles the early Capricorn Moon, which stands in wide 3Q waning square to the Aries Sun. This positions the WCK convoy attack as a harbinger of the final lunar quarter ahead (leading into the New Moon conjunction/eclipse of April 8^th), one that could continue triggering volatile events and tightening the “Gordian knot” of contradictory priorities and entangled power relationships. Leaders must be equipped to navigate such contradictions and still be able to issue clear, rational and ethical policies and implementation orders; if this had been the case with Israeli leadership this past week, perhaps the soldiers who launched weapons at the WCK convoy would have made better choices. 

 

Leadership in a nutshell?

 

Legend has it that Alexander the Great was confronted with a physical “Gordian knot” to untangle, and he chose to simply slice through it with his sword. Biden may need to be a little more nuanced about resolving today’s issues and contradictions, but the need for unwavering, decisive action remains. 

 

Chart #2. Israeli WCK strike, April 1, 2024, 10 p.m. DST, Deir al Balah, Palestine. Source: NYTimes.com report.

 

Personally, I take heart at the incredible outpouring of global revulsion and protest that has met Israel’s killing of WCK aid workers—accidental or not: may we continue to feel the same about every Palestinian child or mother who starves from lack of aid going forward. Indeed, with their lack of consideration for civilians, Israel may have badly damaged the world’s sympathy for their quest to eliminate Hamas.

Perhaps they are beginning to get that message, especially since the Biden administration is now more intensely pressuring Israel PM Netanyahu to negotiate an immediate cease fire. I don't think Biden has a "magic wand" that he can wave to change things overnight, but continued pressure and leverage might just start making a difference.

Of course, the situation in Gaza and our long history of support for Israel threatens to strangle Biden’s political fortunes in that mythically difficult “knot:” he must reckon with not only an unmovable extremist right-wing force in Israel that keeps the carnage flowing and a UN that seems determined to prosecute Israel for war crimes against humanity if it doesn’t heed the calls for immediate ceasefire, but he must also deal with an American left that has found its voice against this war during an election year.

I would be lying if I said I'm not concerned for Biden's political fortunes going forward, especially if this Middle East situation doesn't come to some kind of resolution, and soon. I'm a little too reminded of the Vietnam era astrologically, and with the way it opened the door to Richard Nixon's corrupt presidency. That era was also marked by a dicey combination of Cardinal and Mutable energies and by potent Aries eclipses, two in the critical year of 1968, for instance. 

I find it deeply disturbing to even raise this precedent for our current moment, but I think we must be willing to face that even the most justified sounding wars are prone to madness and geopolitical destruction. Rarely is there any "winning," per se. Israel seems to have a valid case against Hamas, but where is the line between a justified war and a campaign of revenge or stark territorial convenience? 

Arguably, it’s where the lives of civilians are most at stake. Similar quandaries plagued our leaders with the Vietnam war as well--the infamous My Lai massacre in March, 1968 comes to mind. Shortly after that beyond-tragic event, then-president Lyndon B. Johnson simply gave up, despite many notable accomplishments, and decided not to run for re-election. 

Doing the right thing always sounds simpler than it is—hence the Gordian knot confronting Biden and our diplomats.

In the end, Biden may pressure Netanyahu to call for immediate ceasefire, but given the approaching eclipse and how it’s already stirring the geopolitical cauldron, we dare not look the other way on this one. Simply put, violence against humanity (and the Earth, always a victim in such things) has its uses for some—perhaps the message Chiron is pressing most fiercely on us in Chart #2 above, but when does catering to special interests and extremist ideologies ever stop? I’m hopeful that Monday’s eclipse may open Chiron’s healing path for all embroiled in that war and that a permanent cease fire can be reached in short order. Slice through the Knot…Enough is enough! 

 

Being our True Self as a nation

So, we might spare our eyeballs the radiation damage of an eclipse by wearing special glasses, but the depths of a powerful eclipse’s impact on our individual and collective psyches—our national Soul, if you will—is another story entirely. Perhaps it will help to remember that Aries is an active sign, signaling the need for passion and forward momentum, driven by deep commitment to our True Self as a nation.

What does that even mean for a nation state? Always in tune with the collective and the individual challenges of our times, spiritual teacher Richard Rohr offers the following thoughts on what he terms the “false self” and the “True self:”

“Culture and even religion often teach us to live out of our false self: reputation, self-image, role, possessions, money, appearance, and so on. It is only as this false self fails us, and it always eventually does, that the True Self stands revealed and ready to guide us.

The True Self does not teach us compassion as much as it is compassion already. From this more spacious and grounded place, we naturally connect, empathize, forgive, and love just about everything. We were made in love, for love, and unto love.” [2]

Why shouldn’t these uplifting ideas apply to a nation like ours? What could better describe the challenge posed by the upcoming Aries eclipse? The “false” Aries “self” pursues division, conflict—even violence—to feel empowered; the “True” Aries “Self” enlivens, motivates and inspires, and yes, it Loves with active, fiery com-passion. Like the proverbial Knight in Shining Armor, the True Aries Self ventures forth for Humanity in whatever way it is able: surely, the sooner We the People embody this Aries passion for all the good it can do and the sooner we reject the divisive violence that some would like to evoke in us, the better.

 

A "Gordian Knot" by artist Mick Burton

 

Final thoughts

With all the heaviness threatening to weigh us down and eat away at our collective values these days, we could as a nation take the path of least resistance and just let things happen. The Pisces energy afloat in the charts we've considered here and in the April 8, 2024 eclipse chart discussed here  could enable such a passive response. Yet, this eclipse is likely to cut through any passivity and demand action, and therein lies the quandary…where to start? Well, for starters, we might try to appreciate this eclipse as the awareness-raising gift to Humanity it most certainly can be. Being aware can be painful, of course, but perhaps just painful enough that we will consciously—and with great heart—pull back from the brink of "default" disaster. Aries brings awakenings and refreshed perspectives...and not a moment too soon!

Don’t forget to wear those eclipse glasses on Monday!

 

 

 

[1] Celeste Teal, Eclipses: Predicting World Events & Personal Transformation, Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury, MN, p. 10.

[2] Richard Rohr, Silent Compassion: Finding God in Contemplation, Franciscan Media. Kindle Edition, p. 51.

 

Raye Robertson is a practicing astrologer, writer and retired educator. A graduate of the Faculty of Astrological Studies (U.K.), Raye focuses on mundane, collective-oriented astrology, with a particular interest in current affairs, U.S. history, culture and media, the astrology of generations, and public concerns such as education and health. Her articles on these topics have appeared in several key astrology journals over the years, including most recently, the TMA blog. For information about individual chart readings, contact: robertsonraye@gmail.com.

© Raye Robertson 2024. All rights reserved.