From the Archive: Saturn-Pluto and the Coronavirus

For some time now astrologers have been anticipating a conjunction between Saturn and Pluto. This occurred on January 12, 2020, in Capricorn at 22° 46' at 4:59:20 PM GMT. These conjunctions have been important throughout history indicating periods of difficulty and struggle and, also, of hardening attitudes and ideologies among the populations of the world. This has been apparent throughout the entire time that Saturn has been in Capricorn applying to this conjunction. This ingress of Saturn into Capricorn happened in December 2017, by which time Pluto had been in Capricorn for some time. The effects of this pair of planets in Capricorn have been evident through that entire time since then until now (March 2020).

However, while the typical effects of Saturn-Pluto conjunctions have been manifesting, something else has occurred in recent months that adds a great deal to the picture. This is the advent of the novel (meaning a new form of) Coronavirus also known as COVID-19. Epidemics and pandemics, while they are not inconsistent with the combination of Saturn and Pluto, also do not necessarily follow from the symbolism. The general symbolism of Saturn-Pluto has to do with difficulties What is the connection between the Saturn-Pluto conjunction, if any, and the advent of COVID-19?

First, let’s examine the nature of the Saturn-Pluto combination. Saturn’s basic virtue is low energy, rigidity and hardness, known in traditional literature as cold and dry. Pluto can be described in several ways, but the simplest description is to describe it as irresistible, or at least nearly so, transformation. Obviously, these two have little in common and they are a good example of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object. The combination can be characterized in other ways as well. Because Saturn tends to refer to ‘less’ rather than ‘more’, it can be called a transformation that involves shrinkage or an increasing lack of something. In sociological terms this would lead us to consider that the Saturn-Pluto combination has to do with increasing lack, want, poverty or, on the other hand, increasing rigidity such as we find in political movements throughout the world at present (March 2020). Below, I have chosen to discuss briefly several conjunctions that are illustrative because of the particularly obvious Saturn-Pluto symbolism in their times.

1.         Three conjunctions in 1786: March 27, August 9 and December 8. This was a time when the situation in France deteriorated rapidly in the face of increased famine, the anger of the peasants and lower classes as a result of their poverty, and the increasing isolation of the King and aristocracy from the people. It was a time, simply put, of depression. This depression led in turn to the French Revolution beginning in 1789 which eventually put all of Europe and a good part of the rest of the world into a state of upheaval until Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo in 1815.

2.         Three conjunctions in 1819 and 1820: May 5 and October 5 in 1819 and January 11 in 1820. In the years after Napoleon’s fall the kingdoms of Europe met at the Congress of Vienna, in an attempt to reconstruct Europe according to the way it had been before the French revolution. This led to the installation of reactionary governments and political repression over most of Europe. Revolutions against this state of affairs began in 1830.

3.         Three conjunctions in 1851 and 1852: June 6 and November 11 in 1851, and February 10 in 1852. The effects of these conjunctions were most evident in the United States. In this time the states of the union tried hard to make compromises that would prevent a civil war. They not only failed, but made the situation worse, so that by the time these three conjunctions were finished the likelihood of Civil War in the near future had become inevitable. The North and the South hardened their positions making further compromise impossible. The so-called “Compromise of 1850” was the most important event in this time, followed in 1857 by the Dred Scott decision in the Supreme Court which appears to have been an effort to placate the South but merely inflamed the North.

4.         Three conjunctions in 1914 and 1915: October 4 and November 1 in 1914, and May 19 in 1915. World War I began shortly before these, which was up to that time the bloodiest war in history. Arguably also, it was the direct cause of World War II because the settlements made at the end of World War I were not intelligently made, according to most historians.

5.         One conjunction on August 11, 1947. This conjunction, which coincided with the transit of Mars passing over the conjunction several times, represented the final closing of the “Iron Curtain” until the late 1980s and early 1990s. The term “Iron Curtain” is itself enough to indicate the presence of the Saturn-Pluto energy. During this time, the last of the nations that had been independent in Eastern Europe, including Czechoslovakia, fell under Soviet domination.

There are several other conjunctions in between these which I have avoided mentioning not so much because they did not exemplify the energy of Saturn-Pluto as that the energy was not as obvious as in the examples that I have cited. However, the qualities of the time leading up to this most recent conjunction have clearly demonstrated its presence. Given the precision of modern astronomical calculations employed in astrological software I think we can safely assume that the hour and the minute given above are correct but I’m not entirely certain of the exact second of time. It may very well be accurate to the second. Below is the chart erected for Greenwich UK with the planets placed in the signs of the zodiac rather than houses. This chart and all other charts in this article are erected using the signs as houses, also known as the Whole-Sign House System.

It is immediately obvious that one of the defining characteristics of this chart is not only the Saturn-Pluto conjunction but also the fact that within 1° to either side of the conjunction are to be found the Sun, Saturn and Mercury. This is a very close conjunction of four planets and it certainly adds importance to the Saturn-Pluto conjunction. It is not only the exact conjunction of Saturn-Pluto but also the annual conjunction of the Sun, with Pluto and Saturn, a superior conjunction with Mercury (Mercury is direct) and not too long before the Sun made its annual conjunction with Jupiter. Also, we should note that Saturn disposes of the entire conjunction reinforcing the Saturnian quality of this particular Saturn-Pluto conjunction.

So, we can easily see that the potential for this conjunction as an indication of hard times is real. However, by itself it does not necessarily indicate a time of something like the current coronavirus pandemic. This is especially so since we do not immediately see something that would affect the entire planet, or do we not? However, there is an indication with which most modern astrologers are not familiar, but it is an indication to which all astrologers until the early modern period routinely paid attention. If we examine the position of Mars, we find is that it is 23° 42’ from 0° Capricorn. The Saturn-Pluto conjunction, on the other hand, is 22° 46’ from 0° Capricorn in the other direction. Also, Mercury is 23° 18’ from 0° Capricorn in the same direction the Saturn-Pluto. Longitudes that are equidistant from either 0° Capricorn or 0° Cancer are said to be in each other’s antiscion (pl. antiscia) from the Greek meaning ‘counter-shadows’). In my experience this relationship, when it is this close, is as powerful as a conjunction. It is also true that planetary relationships that involve 0° of the Cardinal signs have been regarded both in ancient and modern astrology as connecting a planetary configuration to the entire world. No locality need be specified to see this. Considering the relationship between Mercury and breathing, and Mars with inflammation, and the Saturn-Pluto with obstruction, I believe the coronavirus (along with other similar types of illness) becomes an obvious potential manifestation of this conjunction.

This is to some extent 20-20 hindsight. I am not sure that I would have made this connection before the fact. But this conjunction occurred quite close to another significant astrological event, the ingress of the Sun into the sign of Capricorn, the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. Although the details of the method of ingresses vary, it is commonplace in astrology at least since the middle ages and quite possibly from earlier times, to cast the chart of the ingress of the Sun into the four cardinal signs, Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. Some systems suggest that the Aries ingress should be used for the entire year with the other three playing subordinate roles. Other methods of using ingresses do that only under certain circumstances. In my own studies I have found it useful to erect all four charts. For these to be meaningful, however, they need be erected for particular places on earth. I will start with the Capricorn ingress for 2019 which occurred a few weeks before the Saturn Pluto conjunction.

The houses in a mundane chart have significations that are clearly derived from those of natal astrology but adjusted according to the needs of forecasting for the collective social order rather than an individual. This will be demonstrated below.

The sign of the Midheaven, Gemini in this case, and the sign of the Ascendant, Virgo, are both signs that are ruled by Mercury. With Virgo rising, using whole-sign houses, Virgo is the first house of the chart. Likewise, Gemini with the Midheaven in it is the tenth house of the chart. This is not always the case with this house system. In many signs depending on latitude both in terms of distance from the equator and whether the latitude is north or south, the Midheaven may fall in the ninth or eleventh houses and in extreme latitudes even in the eighth and twelfth. There is a procedure for dealing that will be illustrated in some of the charts below.

In mundane astrology, which is the oldest form of astrology even though it has changed significantly from its earliest forms, the tenth house indicates the ruler or governor, or in general the executive head of government as opposed to the legislative branch. The latter is typically assigned to the eleventh house. The first house is assigned to the people, their general condition, health and prosperity. Therefore, Mercury in this chart has rulership over both the executive branch of government and the people in general. Note that Mercury is in Sagittarius only 3’ from the Imum Coeli in the fourth house. This house signifies land in a physical sense, real estate, natural resources and everything else derived from the earth. Also, Mercury is in a close square (90°) with Neptune on the Descendant in Pisces. In modern astrology Pisces is said to be the sign “ruled” by Neptune, but as a user of traditional sign rulers I do not accept that. Pisces is, however, the sign in which Mercury is most debilitated. As you can see, both the Ascendant and Midheaven ruler is debilitated.

When I first saw the Mercury square to Neptune in this chart, I immediately assumed that it symbolized confusion and miscommunication between the people and the executive branch of government. One could easily connect this with what are widely regarded as Donald Trump’s “misrepresentations,” and there is some basis for this astrologically speaking, but it is more characteristic of Mercury-Neptune combinations in their most extreme and difficult form to indicate delusional thinking which may in turn lead to such misrepresentations. So, I saw this as indicating the continuation of, shall I say, “Trumpery?”

However, in retrospect it does seem apparent that Mercury’s natural rulership over the lungs and Neptune’s generally debilitating qualities regarding physical health is another indication of lung disorders. This would not have been easy to see in advance but in retrospect it does make sense, especially given the direct connection between Mars, Mercury and the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in that chart.

Previously, I mentioned that it is customary to regard the Aries ingress chart, which occurred in this case in the spring of 2019, as dominating the entire year until the next Aries ingress in the spring of 2020. I also mentioned that I like to look at all ingress charts, not just the Aries ingress regardless of its characteristics, but let us take a quick look at the 2019 Aries ingress for Washington DC.

The result is interesting. The rising sign is again Virgo and the Midheaven sign is again Gemini. Also, Mercury, again ruling both the Midheaven and Ascendant, is now in Pisces conjunct Neptune on the Descendant. Both charts have indications about the relationship between the people and the U.S. presidency, and the possibility of lung infections among the people. The two charts give the same message. The Capricorn ingress of 2019 reinforces the Aries ingress. However, Mercury is more debilitated in Pisces than it is in Sagittarius and in addition in the Aries ingress Mercury is retrograde. It is interesting to note that the planetary positions are the same for every location of any given ingress chart but the positions regarding the Ascendant and Midheaven are not. This astrological condition requires a capital or city somewhere in the general vicinity of Washington DC. It may not be clear to some readers, but this does include all locations in New Jersey and southern New York. These areas are close enough to Washington so that the house relationships will be identical.

Now, we should look at the Aries ingress that has just occurred for Washington DC at the beginning of the spring of 2020. The chart is below.

In this chart we have Scorpio rising, which in traditional astrology is ruled by Mars and Mars is in Capricorn, its exaltation, conjunct Jupiter and Pluto, and, a bit more distantly, Saturn. These are all in the third house, again using whole-sign houses. Mercury, which rules the Midheaven is again in Pisces a sign in which it is debilitated. It is not conjunct Neptune, but Neptune is still in Pisces. Of the two main problems we have seen in the previous charts, communication problems from the executive branch of government, and lung diseases. We see the first of these two problems quite clearly with Mercury in Pisces on the Imum Coeli and ruling the Midheaven. This is a case in which the Midheaven does not fall into the tenth sign but the eleventh (a situation I referred to previously). According to Vettius Valens, an astrologer of the second century CE, this means that the sign containing the Midheaven, namely Virgo, does double duty indicating both the executive (tenth house) and Congress (eleventh house). The actual tenth sign is Leo which refers solely to the executive, which is indicative because Leo is the U.S. president’s ascending sign. One problem with the technique of rulerships here is that in an ingress chart the Sun is always at 0° of one of the Cardinal signs. The problem is that if the Sun is one of the major significators in the chart, it is always in one of four positions, 0° of a Cardinal sign. None of the older books, with which I am familiar, seem to deal with this.

Do we have any indications here of continued lung diseases? Yes, but it is one, with which most modern astrologers are not familiar, but which I have found to be very powerful. In modern astrology there is a common tendency to equate the signs with the houses, making the first house, for example, just like the sign Aries, the second like Taurus, the third house like Gemini, and so forth. There is only one important way in which this was done in ancient and medieval astrology. This was to equate the houses and the signs regarding organs and parts of the body over which they were supposed to rule. Therefore, Aries and the first house signify the head, Taurus and the second house, the throat and neck, Gemini and the third house, the shoulders the arms, the hands and fingers, and the lungs. Notice that in this chart we have Mars, Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn in the third house in Capricorn. Of these planets Mars is in its exaltation, Jupiter is in its fall, Saturn is in its domicile. Pluto, as an outer planet, has neither dignity nor debility by sign following the traditional system of dignities. Jupiter is also said by some sources to rule the lungs. Now, of course, this is not the chart of an individual. This is a chart that concerns the entire USA. However, I don’t think it is unreasonable to regard it as applying to the people of the country, because the first house is the house that signifies the people, and Capricorn in this chart is the third house counted from the Ascendant.

It is not easy to say whether the spring quarter will be as bad as the winter quarter has been. The only indication here is that Jupiter rules Sagittarius, the second house, which is the wealth of the people and it is in fall and arguably besieged by malefics to use the ancient term. (The state known as “besieged by malefics” was generally considered to be one of the worst conditions a planet could have in the chart.) By this time astrologers looking at the previous charts should already be encouraged to look at these charts to see if there are any further indications of the coronavirus or something similar. And in this chart, we have found one. Let us move on to the summer quarter, the Cancer ingress.

Once again, we have Scorpio rising and Virgo on the Midheaven while Leo is the actual tenth sign from the Ascendant. These are the same signs as in the Aries ingress. However, Mercury in this chart is in Cancer but it is again retrograde. And, we do still have Jupiter in fall in Capricorn in the third house along with Pluto, so I don’t think we can quite say that we are out of the woods in the summer quarter, although there may be some improvements in the situation. This has been suggested by several people in the news, especially from the administration, largely by analogy with influenza which does usually become less dangerous in warm weather. It has also been pointed out that the analogy with influenza may not be reliable, but I don’t think we really know one way or the other.

Now, let us look at the Libra ingress, designating the beginning of the autumn quarter to see what we can find.

This chart is somewhat less encouraging from the point of view of the easing of illness among the people. First, we find Mercury in the twelfth house (just barely because the Ascendant is in the first degree of Scorpio). And Mercury is in close and applying opposition to Mars in Aries. Mercury is neither strongly dignified nor debilitated. Mars is retrograde, which makes it behave strangely, but otherwise it is in its domicile and, contrary to widespread belief dignity by domicile or other essential dignity does not make a planet better, it makes it behave more authentically for good or bad. Mars is also the ruler of the ascending sign as it is in the sixth house of the “illness of the people.” And as if that were not enough, they are both squared by Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn in the third house. There are two possible interpretations that come to mind immediately. The first, given what we have been discussing here, is either a continuation or resurgence of the coronavirus or something similar. A second, equally plausible, interpretation is that these issues are dominant in the minds of the people and may be a factor in the U.S. election, or, of course, both.

Robert Hand – March 29, 2020