The Sun enters Libra on the 23rd of September this year, marking the equinox, autumn in the north and spring in the south. What follows is a brief forecast for the Libra quarter through to Christmas, plus a review of the one just passed.
The autumn quarter in the northern hemisphere often sees financial difficulties, which is unsurprising given Libra is associated with money and contracts. In that vein it is associated with legal matters – litigation in particular, often the result of or leading to the signing of contracts. That includes marriages, which can be some of the most litigated matters in courts today. But before we get into what this quarter will bring, we start with a review of what transpired in the previous quarter:
The summary of the last quarter, with bolded highlights, was as follows:
“We note the emphasis on the struggle to survive described in the midpoint, and this would apply equally to Ukraine and to Israel, the latter now fearing for its very existence. The main counteroffensive (we have not seen the ‘big one’ yet) of Ukraine will be launched this quarter and decided. Then a real crossroads will be evident – will Ukraine survive or not? Russia certainly will. Then there are the rising tensions with China, with the US seeking to use Taiwan in the same manner as that of Ukraine. The Sun is quincunx Pluto in the figure, showing the struggles for power amongst various factions.
Tensions will still be running high this summer, signalled by the Mars/Uranus square, with Uranus showing no other major and moderating aspects. That square often shows as a test of nerves, the possibility of accidents due to hasty actions and misjudgements and injuries. Still, given the apparent doom and gloom just mentioned there are also positive and forward-looking indications in the chart.”
What transpired of any significance in the Cancerian quarter, given the preceding summary? We have the following, in order:
- The Prigozhin mutiny in Russia
- The Jenin incursion by Israeli forces
- Iran joined the SCO
- Mark Rutte resigns as PM of the Netherlands
- China and the Solomon Islands sign a cooperation agreement
- Typhoon Doksuri formed
- The 2023 Greek wildfires
- The Nigerien coup
- The 2023 Maui wildfires
- The American–Japanese–Korean trilateral pact was formed at Camp David
- India’s Chandrayaan-3 becomes the first spacecraft to land near the south pole of the Moon
- The Gabonese coup
- BRICS becomes BRICS 11
- The Marrakesh-Safi quake (post is coming)
- The 18th G20 summit
- The Derna flood (post is coming)
- The 8th Eastern Economic Forum
- Kim Jong Un paid a visit to Russia
- The UAW strike
- Nagorno-Karabakh conflict flared up again. Armenia lost.
From the bolded text in the summary preceding the bullet points, power struggles were certainly in evidence – Prigozhin’s mutiny (which sent him on a different great adventure), the Jenin incursion, Iran and the SCO, Rutte’s demise, the China-Solomon Islands pact, two coups in Africa, the UAW strike and Nagorno-Karabakh. The struggle to survive was shown in the natural disasters, some of which had ‘help’ (as in arson) from human interventions.
Ukraine launched its counteroffensive, which turned sour pretty quickly. And just to note, NATO’s wooden Norwegian, Jens Stoltenberg, just admitted to his Western audience what the rest of the world has known all along: NATO expansion provoked the Russians to invade Ukraine. Then, the result of a lovers’ spat, Poland has decided not to send weapons to Ukraine any longer. Of course a lot of that is electioneering by the Polish PM, who is up for re-election next year. Congress may decide to cut funding to Ukraine this quarter, too. Zelenskyy is having a ‘bad moment’.
Continuing further on in the summary from last quarter there were more positive indicators:
“…an increase in energy and enthusiasm, a sense of enterprise and inventiveness and organizing talent. This is bolstered by two aspects – the Jupiter/Saturn sextile (a wealth-building aspect, one of the best to have) and the applying trine of the Sun to Saturn, giving a sober and sound outlook along with planning ability and benefits to be had from consulting wiser and more experienced people. It also shows elder statesmen in a mundane chart. Such enthusiasm, planning and wealth-building as just described will be shown in nations not directly concerned with the conflict in Ukraine, which are largely the nations of Asia (including West Asia), Africa and South America, which are consolidating their interests…”
Emphases added. Along the lines of the bolded and italicized text, there was the Chandrayaan-3 landing on the Moon, BRICS 11 (which far exceeded expectations), Iran and the SCO (which was also about Iran’s survival), the Kim visit to Russia, which was actually in response to the American–Japanese–Korean trilateral pact (but which was also a common-sense move for both nations), the Eastern Economic forum, and so on. Given the preceding, then, what can we likely expect from this quarter? We start with the chart, which is below (bigger):
The most notable feature of the chart, being a solar ingress chart, is the Sun/Neptune opposition, along with the Sun/Saturn quincunx. Note: In ingress charts we do not deal with the angles because those change according to one’s region. In the positive, the Sun/Neptune opposition gives sensitivity, a wide and sweeping imagination, enthusiasm, an inclination to mysticism, and the cultivation of soul-life or inner life-experience. In the negative that opposition can give rise to great disappointments, chaotic conditions and entanglement in scandals. The ongoing Biden saga and the growing attacks on Russel Brand would be good examples of scandals, while the conflict in Ukraine is looking increasingly disappointing to the Western powers, not to mention Ukrainians. Both modes will be in evidence this quarter, depending upon other influences in one’s chart.
However, we note Neptune forms midpoints in the day with Uranus/Pluto and with Mars/Saturn, marking this quarter as being particularly ‘memorable’. The Uranus/Pluto influence gives more of the mystical side to the quarter, whereas the Mars/Saturn brings us back to sobering reality. We cover the midpoints more in depth after finishing with Neptune.
Winter is coming in the northern hemisphere and with weather becoming a little more extreme each year thoughts turn to heating one’s house. Neptune – aside from ruling emotions, water and imagination – also rules oil. All crude oil prices are now on average at about $95/barrel, and rising. US oil production is down. The strategic petroleum reserves in the US are at their lowest point in almost 40 years. The EU, on the other hand, is importing record volumes of LNG from Russia via third parties. The oil price cap is a joke, as are sanctions against Russia and Iran. And now the Saudis and UAE are BRICS 11 members. Control of oil pricing has been taken out of the hands of US influence. We can look for more tensions regarding oil markets and pricing this quarter.
It is hurricane season in the Western hemisphere now and matters with water will play a significant role in events this quarter. The Neptunian influence will also point to weakness in some areas, as in structures, leadership, environment, etc. This will be accentuated by the sesquisquare of the Sun to Jupiter, giving a note of excessiveness and over-optimism to the quarter. The caution here is to not get too caught up in one’s perceptions and go overboard with imagination. It is a great combination for writers of fiction (but that also goes to the fiction we see on the news every day).
There are two eclipses this quarter – the 14th and 28th of October. The 14th graces us with a solar annular eclipse at the new moon, also starting a moon wobble, while the full moon on the 28th is a partial lunar eclipse. These will bring their due effects in the months to follow. Those will be discussed in separate posts. On Oct 18th the Sun completes the moon wobble at the south node, square to Pluto. No doubt that will signal some ‘interesting’ events along with the activations of that eclipse, starting with the Mars activation in late May next year.
Next we turn to look at the midpoints. Looking back over the planetary indicators for this year we see September was a month for particularly strong midpoint activity – and it showed, in the form of disasters. Tensions within governments and other disasters will increase during this quarter.
At some point will come a moment of reckoning this quarter, perhaps early next month, when Mars transits square to Pluto, activating the Plu=Sun/Ura midpoint: “A radical reformer, the desire to rearrange things. – Tragic experiences, great physical suffering, sudden physical restrictions. (Imprisonment).” Then in early December Mars again aspects Pluto by semi-square, bringing with it more fun and games. We won’t speculate on what might happen. Maybe not much would happen, but that is a powerful combination of factors.
There are a few midpoints that will develop this quarter worth noting. From 30 Oct – 3 Nov we have the midpoint Ura=Mars/Sat: “A test of nervous strength, intervention by Higher Power or by Providence, a sudden illness, a sudden accident, separation or case of death.” From 18 – 24 Oct we have the Sat=Mars/Nep midpoint: “Instability, feelings of inferiority, misdirected energy. – Unfortunate consequences as a result of a weak will, lasting weakness or illness. an epidemic.” Recall the COVID epidemic was taking root at that period in 2019, but the midpoint can also signal events in politics and world affairs.
Further midpoint activity began at the end of August through to the 8th of October with the Jup=Sat/Plu midpoint: “the inclination to sacrifice oneself for others, religious and social fanaticism, difficulties caused through illness.” It was in that period we started hearing about the rise in COVID cases related to the Eris sub-variant, mainly in the United States. And we still hear Biden and other Western leaders calling for the peoples of the West to sacrifice their way of life for democracy Ukraine. Mars will be square to Pluto by transit on the 8th of October, denoting a restive period, starting two weeks before. We can expect significant developments in the European and Ukrainian situation, in Russia’s favor.
And finally, we have the Plu=Sat/Nep midpoint starting from the end of September to the end of the year: “Heavy emotional depression, difficult growth or development of one’s faculties. – A serious illness.” Will the powers-that-be try to foist another pandemic upon us? We’ll see. But that midpoint also highlights something else: The increasingly poor state of affairs in Ukraine, as well as the geo-economic outlook for the West. Some nations will fare better than others, but there are a few points worth noting regarding the West.
There are elections in many Western nations in 2024 – Australia, the US, Belgium, the EU Parliament, Finland, Georgia, Moldova (think: Transnistria), Romania and regional elections in Germany. Western governments are weak, weakened by the war, by economic policy, by sanctions against Russia and so forth. There is also the presidential election in Russia in March, where at the moment it would seem to be a given Putin will be re-elected. But that also points to something else – growing calls in the Russian public for the Putin government to show a more aggressive response in Ukraine.
Recent visits by Shoigu to North Korea (along with Chinese officials) and Iran point to greater military cooperation between Russia and those nations. Then there was Kim’s visit to Russia. Iran and North Korea are replete with weapons the Russians can use if there is to be a major Russian offensive this quarter – entirely possible. The Ukrainian land war is finished, with Ukraine having been attrited. And it may just be propaganda, but there is a recruitment video from the Russian MoD (scroll toward end of article) with Russian soldiers in a trench talking about where they will be taking vacations – in Kiev and Odessa. Hint, hint. Something bigger is definitely in the works in Ukraine from the Russian side.
Some tough decisions will have to be made this quarter, shown by the quincunx between the Sun and Saturn. Added to that is the Sun=Mer/Mars midpoint, denoting the probability of quarreling and finger-pointing. The US and its EU minions will somehow have to cope with their loss in Ukraine, which will be all-too-evident this quarter. This is not some happy-go-lucky indicator. And Saturn is retrograde, showing matters are still in the works, probably to come into evidence when Saturn turns direct on the 5th of November, when the quincunx will be within 30’ of arc to the exact ingress degree. That is also a year away from the US presidential election and there are increasing calls from the Democrats to ditch Biden. His leaving wouldn’t change the policies because although presidents change, policies appear to remain the same. Perhaps the Dems may win next year – or perhaps not. Either way, it will matter little to the wider world.
So, across the West we see rising inflation, with nation after nation in Europe sliding towards recession if not depression, As it stands, all 20 Eurozone nations are now in recession, and largely due to following in lockstep with Washington over Ukraine, and that breeds political instability. With winter in the north at hand, prices will undoubtedly go up, creating further restiveness.
The US is stepping boldly into chaos, with COVID, waning influence on the world stage, political polarization at a level unseen for decades, all the various ‘isms’ in the US creating deep societal divisions, censorship gone mad…take your pick. And it is not just in the US. It appears to be a creeping sickness in liberal democracies these days, with its leaders exhibiting what has been called a psychological pathology, wherein to abandon their ideals is tantamount to death.
Libra can exhibit as the most extreme of the signs in its swings back and forth or it can exhibit as the balanced individual, secure within and enthusiastic in pursuit of wisdom. And while there may be disasters (as there always are), political missteps and plans gone awry, the sun still rises and sets, the birds still sing and the world continues. In the months ahead may we each find the peace of mind that comes from resting in the center of contrasting and conflicting forces. The eye is a place of comfort and peace within the vortex of a storm.
Featured pic from DeviantArt