Easter comes early this year, taking place on 12 April 2020. It is always the first Sunday after the full moon of Aries, which itself takes place on 8 April 20. With the Easter festival at the full moon of Aries, we begin the three great spiritual festivals of every year – Aries (Easter), Taurus (Wesak) and Gemini (Goodwill). In connection with those festivals, it is important to take note of what the Aries ingress of the Sun indicates, because in effect, that marks the start of the spiritual year and sets the spiritual tone for the year. The Aries ingress of the Sun occurs on 20 Mar 20 at 03:50 UT.
The chart for the ingress is below (bigger):
To begin the analysis, everything is bundled together to one side of the nodal axis. In Vedic astrology this is called ‘kal sarpa’, or ‘kaal sarp’ and is not considered to be a favourable alignment. Among its features: delayed work along with a habit of procrastination, mental peace at its lowest level, loss of confidence and a marked inferiority complex, chronic health issues, obstacles in job, profession, career or business, unwanted worries and anxieties, unhappy married life, secret enemies, robbery and deceits, and to top it off, non-cooperation from family and friends. Delightful, right? Vedic astrology is known to be a little fatalistic.
The situation is said to be ameliorated if the nodal axis is aspected by the benefics (it’s not), if two or three planets are exalted or in their own sign (Venus and Saturn in the signs they rule), or if the rulers of the 1st, 9th and 10th houses are in exaltation. In a mundane chart, one would have to look to the locality for the latter. With Venus and Saturn in their own signs, I guess we don’t have to worry about the dreaded kaal sarp. In terms of modern astrology, the situation is a little different.
The main feature of this chart revolves around the nodal axis, because the Sun squares that axis in the figure. This is otherwise known as a ‘moon wobble’, which again, is not viewed generally in a favourable light. More on the moon wobble in a bit, but there are other factors that go along with it.
The nodal axis is conjunct the dwarf planet Quaoar, which is on the south node. Quaoar is described in a separate article. In this case, it represents the need for imaginative solutions to problems that have arisen from past actions, and which have sown chaos in the present. We can see that in the needed responses to the coronavirus, especially regarding the broken health care system in the US, and with the financial system, with which Quaoar also seems to have a connection through its transits. Being square the Sun, Quaoar also points to the drive for resolution to such problems and the struggle to resolve the social and emotional woes that beset the planet at the moment, as represented in the moon wobble. But all is not gloom and doom.
The nodal axis forms a midpoint, Node=Mer/Ura, “the desire to work on the realization of new ideas together with others (by cooperative effort). – Surprising news, turn or changes.” This is accompanied by the midpoint to the Sun; Sun=Moon/Ven, “protective care of the family, gracefulness, the appreciation of artistic forms – Actors or stage-performers [politicians]. – The expression of love.” Nice. But wait, there’s more…
In the figure we see a conjunction of Mars and Jupiter, partile, which also lies at the midpoint, Mar/Jup=Sun/Ven. If you want a ‘love’ combination, one doesn’t get much better than that. The Mars/Jupiter conjunction is one of the biggest ‘luck aspects’ one can have in a chart. It gives a joy for living, material support, magnetism, success, unions (especially marriages and business) and so forth. We are going to need that energy as the quarter unfolds. Then, along with the Sun/Venus midpoint it points to a strong creative/procreative urge (it would be interesting to track the number of children conceived in this time frame and due to quarantine measures for the coronavirus) and to ‘fruitful unions’ in general. What could possibly go wrong? Well, no chart is perfect.
Along with the above, we see the Neptune=Saturn/Uranus midpoint, described as follows: “The inability to face emotional stresses, falsehood or malice caused through weakness. – A resolve to resign oneself to the inevitable, the abandonment of resistance, weakening strength, separation, mourning and bereavement.” The general theme there is ‘resignation to one’s fate’, and a general feeling of weakness. This will be seen in the general response internationally to the COVID-19 virus and financial instability, as we are already noting, but which will carry on through the quarter. The financial repercussions will be felt throughout the year, as our derivative-based economy is increasingly exposed as the fraud that it is. Fraud also applies to Neptune.
So, before we get into what the Aries figure and quarter will entail, we need a proper context, and that goes back to the Capricorn quarter and what has transpired since, setting the scene for the present quarter. In the Capricorn ingress article we spoke of events that might amount to ‘geopolitical earthquakes’ due to the Saturn/Pluto conjunction. Keeping in mind that Saturn has been conjunct Pluto for several months now as a general background energy, especially since the Capricorn ingress, indeed there have been such events since then, as follows:
- The assassination of Soleimani in Iraq
- The resulting missile strikes by Iran on two US air bases in Iraq (see Soleimani article)
- The reorganization of the Russian government
- The emergence of the coronavirus, now known as COVID-19
- The operation by the SAA to clear the M4 and M5 highways in Idlib
On the surface these may not seem to be big events, but they have been catalysts for greater events to come in the immediate years ahead. The reasons for saying so are outlined in the linked articles. We need not go over them here.
The most likely events to occur in the coming months and years include a financial shakeup. We are approaching such a thing now, and one of the astrological indicators is that Quaoar will be changing constellations (leaving Serpens Cauda and entering Scutum in or around 2022), having entered that transitional period this year, especially toward the end of this year. Whenever these outer planets change constellations (note: constellations, not signs), they very often signal changes in the social fabric. Quaoar changed constellations ca. 2009.
As to other events, we will see a gradual drawdown in Syria, a chastening of Turkey/NATO as a result, shifting sands in Middle Eastern politics and relations and a strengthening of the Eastern economic bloc, much as the powers that be in the West will try to scuttle it.
China will rebound from the coronavirus, starting just before midyear, when their production starts in full swing again. The virus is already losing steam there with Xi Jinping pronouncing the epidemic finished, only to pick up in places like – where else? – the US, Japan and Europe, the economic drivers of western economies.
One of the key features of the Capricorn chart was the Ura=Mer/Nep midpoint, pointing to “A suddenly misguided imagination, convulsive disturbances in connection with the nervous system. But that can also represent, “A suddenly stepped up power of imagination, ideas, inventions, inspirations.” We see this especially in the world reaction to the coronavirus (panic), Erdogan’s overreaction to what is taking place in Idlib and his bloviating, the US response to the coronavirus (which is basically to throw money at it), and then, “Westlessness” from the Western attendees of the Munich Security Conference. Pompeo and Esper were actually delusional in their speeches there.
The economy in the US was doing better for the quarter, until the virus hit, and then the stock market took a nose dive, not seen since 2008. That goes back again to the just-listed midpoint and people’s panic. Panic can be described as a ‘suddenly misguided imagination’. There was also a trade deal that was struck between the US and China in that quarter, which had lessened tensions in finances. But that has been put on hold due to the virus.
Then, there was the Sat=Mars/Nep midpoint: “the realization of the limits of one’s sphere of influence”. That has certainly been borne out by the West in general from the Munich Security Conference, by Erdogan in his misadventures in Idlib and Libya and by the US with the missile strikes, mentioned previously. The East is rising. The West is having a re-think.
Given this background, what can we expect from this quarter, then? Starting with the main feature, the moon wobble, at its worst a moon wobble can indicate disasters, like the emerging economic disaster we are witnessing and the coronavirus, especially if they are part of a lunation, as in eclipses or lunations square the nodal axis. That is not the case here. However, it does point to a darkened mood.
Venus’ energy will be intensified for the quarter, going out-of-bounds (OOB) on 9 April to 2 June. This will highlight areas of cooperation, justice and will precede the height of primary season in the US elections. There is also another area that is quite important, where agreements may come about, and that is on the issue of nuclear arsenals. The five members of the UN Security Council have agreed to meet, and one of the items high on the list is going to be the new START treaty. This is being pushed by Putin after the US withdrew from the INF treaty last year. It is receiving little if any attention in the mainstream media. China is already balking at the idea.
In all, then, the Aries quarter looks to be less restive militarily than the Capricorn one just passing, but at the same time, more chaotic. The hopes for agreements will be running high, but panic will be a strong undercurrent as well. Although there is also an undercurrent of resignation to emerging realities, this will stimulate the need for greater cooperation in urgent matters, such as the nuclear arsenal, cooperative efforts in disease control, agreements being struck in the Middle East, economic difficulties and so forth. The nations that are likely to see the greatest change in this quarter in particular are Turkey, where a fistfight has already broken out in its parliament over the crisis in Idlib, as well as the US and Italy, in response (or reaction) to the coronavirus.
Major progress has been made in Idlib by the Syrian army in liberating the region from the takfiri, much to the Sultan’s dismay. Also to his chagrin are his worsening relations with Europe, the US (which has abandoned him) and especially Greece, not to mention tensions at home.
There will also be emerging realities for Trump about China and the US dependence on Chinese imports as a result of the coronavirus. Those realities have yet to hit the US economy, but the gains in the stock market since last year have already been wiped out, and worse, with the bond market going into negative yields. Such negative yields usually signal a recession, something Trump can ill afford in an election year. This quarter will also be decisive for the Democratic Party in the US. And then there will be a crisis in the US fracking industry with the crash in oil prices and the price war that has been instigated by the Saudis.
In all, the Aries quarter for 2020 will appear contradictory. It holds the promise of meaningful agreements being reached, in the backdrop of weakening economies, fear of uncertainty for a variety of reasons worldwide, Turkish fears of a loss of prestige and territory (affecting Europe with another possible refugee crisis), a possible political solution begun in Syria after Idlib is settled, with attention then being turned to Israel and Iran and a possible lessening of tensions between the two. A perfect storm of events is in evidence when taken together:
- A new migration crisis in Europe, with the Turks refusing to close the gates. It comes at a time when the EU can ill afford it.
- Russian refusal to limit oil production to keep the prices high, which has produced panic in Saudi Arabia, where the king is said to be dying. In what appears to be a poorly planned move, the Saudis have commenced a price war and actually increased their production. This will be addressed in a separate article. That price war will destabilize the Middle East.
- The West’s poor preparation for and response to the coronavirus. The virus is being blamed for the instability in many areas, but it is actually only a precipitating event. The cause of instability has deep roots and goes back many decades. That will be addressed in a separate article, too.
- The battle between the oligarchs and the people in the US, reflected in the election, which at the moment the oligarchs appear to be winning. The response of the people there will have a great bearing on the way forward for the West in the immediate future.
In reality, a political solution in Syria takes away Netanyahu’s major political leverage – the ‘threat’ that Iran poses to Israel’s security. That will be interesting to watch. The US is poised for a very restive summer and fall quarter as a result of what eventuates with the DNC and the Sanders/Biden battle for the nomination and the economy. Its deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan is already off to a bad start. As for the positive midpoints listed before, there will be no love lost in US politics this year, especially within the DNC.
Featured pic from DeviantArt