Saturn Square Pluto: Reshaping the World We Live In

November 14, 2009 By
Part I:  A history lesson

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For the past month or so, two major players in the astrological pantheon have been preparing to face off against each other in a challenging 90 degree formation that astrologers call a “square” aspect. These two players are Saturn and Pluto, affectionately known as the Lord of Karma and the Lord of Death.

Saturn is the planet that defines limits and creates restrictions and boundaries; it inspires self-doubt and the knowledge that hard work is required in order to achieve our goals. Wherever we find Saturn, there is work to be done (hence the term the Lord of Karma). Saturn has just entered Libra, the sign of beauty, relationships, and those things upon which we place value. Here it is challenging us to confront (Saturn) any romanticized (Libra) ideals that we hold which are not firmly grounded in reality.

Pluto (yes, Pluto is still a planet for astrologers!!) is the Lord of the Underworld of power, darkness, death and rebirth. Pluto rules the kind of transformation that begins at the cellular level, where everything is dismantled and something completely new arises in its place. Pluto entered the sign of Capricorn (the sign that is ruled by Saturn) in January of 2008 and proceeded to destroy the financial and governmental structures (Capricorn) that were weak and lacking a solid foundation.

Just like the four phases of the lunar cycle, in which the Sun and Moon dance from the New Moon (the conjunction) through the first quarter square, to the Full Moon (the opposition or 180 degree angle) and the closing square, planets engage in a similar dance that we call the “synodic” cycle. The cycle of Saturn and Pluto coincides with major shifts in the global landscape as an outmoded structure is replaced with something new. For the individual, there is often an internal shift that creates a new way of seeing the world and perhaps the necessity to let go of something so that transformation can occur.

The current cycle between Saturn and Pluto began with the conjunction back in late 1982-3 when both planets were in the late degrees of Libra. In the United States and Britain, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher began a conservative revolution that transformed the financial systems in both countries and reverberated around the world.

The opening square (90 degrees) between Saturn and Pluto in March of 1993 coincided with the first World Trade Center bombing on February 26 which we can argue began the war of Islamist fundamentalism that continues today as we complete the current Saturn/Pluto cycle. At this time Bill Clinton took office and reversed the conservative policies of Reagan, and the disarmament crisis in Iraq forced the UN inspectors out of that country which we can once again argue began the road to the invasion of Iraq that forever altered the political landscape around the world.

The opposition phase (180 degrees) between Saturn and Pluto began in August of 2001, the period in which heightened activity by Al Qaeda resulted in the attacks on September 11. The opposition corresponds to the Full Moon cycle in which the unconscious elements of the planetary dynamics are brought into full view and in this case the seeds that were sown during the opening square came to fruition at the time of the opposition in the war against Islamic fundamentalism and the invasion of Iraq.

Other significant events marking a major transformation in the global landscape during this period include the entry of China into the World Trade Organization, cementing its role as a major player in the global economic system.


Tomorrow we will look at the current cycle and what we can expect over the next eight months or so.
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Nidal Malik Hasan: An Astrological Analysis of the Fort Hood Shooting

November 7, 2009 By
Military personnel are struggling to retrace the steps of the suspected shooter in Thursday’s massacre at the Fort Hood military base in Texas. Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a devout Muslim, has been named as the gunman.  He allegedly opened fire shouting “Allahu Akbar” (god is great) before killing thirteen people and wounding 28 others.  He was shot down by police and is currently on a ventilator.
Hasan has described himself as being of Palestinian descent (second generation), although some sources have listed his background as Jordanian.  He was born in Arlington Virginia on September 8, 1970 (no time available), and joined the army immediately after completing high school, against his parent’s wishes.  He attended Virginia Tech as an enlisted soldier and went on to medical school at a military university, earning his medical degree in 2001.  Further education trained him to be a psychiatrist, and he was promoted to Major in 2008.
Hasan’s parents died in 1998 and 2001, after which time he is said to have become more devout, attending the local mosque regularly and after September 11 he became more and more outspoken against the “war on terror” which he felt was a war against Islam.  Perhaps as a result of his increasing distress about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he became the target of harrassment from other soldiers and had recently hired an attorney to attempt to be released from his military obligations.
Hasan’s astrological chart reveals a deeply introverted individual, with four planets in the service–oriented sign of Virgo.  Virgo is very much about rules and the need for life to follow a certain order, and it is likely that Hasan embraced life in the military as a means to achieve that sense of order.  News reports suggest that he joined the army against his parents’ wishes out of a sense of duty to the United States.
Hasan’s Virgo planets form a challenging square to his Moon which is in Sagittarius.  Sagittarius is the sign of optimism and faith, and the Moon describes our emotional needs.   This placement suggests that Hasan was always struggling between a rigid sense of duty and routine (Virgo) and a need for freedom and escape (Sagittarius), and perhaps his religion, which falls under the Sagittarian mantle, provided that hope for release.
Hasan’s chart also reveals a bit about his desire for love, with Venus, the planet of attraction and relationships, in the intensely passionate sign of Scorpio.  The intensity of Scorpio can make relationships difficult or overwhelming, especially for someone with such a well-defined need for order and routine (Virgo) with a secret desire to escape (Sagittarius).  His Venus conjoins Jupiter, which ordinarily can be a blessing in drawing and attracting love, but in this case may have simply served to expand (Jupiter) the obsessive intensity of Hasan’s passions which, because of his lack of success in the area of relationships, may have instead been funneled through religion (Sagittarius Moon).
Although Hasan’s Mercury (his thoughts and communication) is in the sign of Virgo which typically conveys an orderly and detail-oriented mind, it is retrograde in his chart which suggests that he had difficulty expressing himself and felt that he could not make himself heard.  This tendency is exacerbated by a conjunction of Pluto, planet of obsession and intensity, to Mercury in his chart which enhances a potential for obsessive and destructive thinking.
We also see Saturn, the planet of self-doubt, is retrograde in this chart.  Retrograde Saturn typically describes an individual who has a tendency to be self-critical and more than others, to feel a sense of inadequacy.  Saturn in the chart is opposed by Neptune, planet of illlusion and spirituality, suggesting a tension between his need for structure and rules (Saturn) with his desire to escape or transcend his life (Neptune).  The combination of Saturn and Neptune can lead to a Grand Delusion in which the ends justify the means.
I want to emphasize that this is not a particularly difficult chart; these are garden variety challenges that are found in virtually every chart.  Each of us has the choice every moment whether we are going to react to the challenges in our chart, or consciously strive to become better integrated and better able to make the changes in our world that we desire.
During the period of time in which Hasan’s parents died, which seems to be the turning point in his life that propelled him into a more intense embrace of his faith, transiting Pluto was beginning a challenging square to the Virgo planets in his chart.  Beginning with a square to his Mars in 1998 with the death of his first parent, which could have unearthed (Pluto) a deep rage (Mars) within him, Pluto went on to square his Sun in 2001 with the death of the second parent, a time that coincided with the September 11 attacks.  By this time the underworld of Hasan’s psyche would have been deeply activated, and it appeared that he used his religion and his outrage against the wars as an outlet for the emotional debris that was released by Pluto and intensified by the presence of Saturn, the planet of tests and challenges, in that square formation.
Back in 2001, transiting Saturn was oppose Pluto in the sky, a planetary combination that peaked with the September 11 attacks.  At that time both planets formed a square to Hasan’s Virgo planets.  This would have been a time of tremendous distress for anyone, and for someone with an unresolved sense of identity such as Hasan had it evidently created a powderkeg of distress.  I suspect that it was this period which holds the clues to Thursday’s events. t it
In 2006, transiting Pluto completed the transit of Hasan’s Virgo planets with a square to Pluto in his natal chart.  We call this the “Pluto square,” one of what I affectionally call the “midlife crisis transits.”  Pluto rules transformation, death and power, and at the time of the square from Pluto in the sky to Pluto in our chart nothing is simple or easy; we are often blocked at every turn.  This can be an opportunity for us to become empowered and clear about our motivations, or it can be a time of great distress.  Often it is both.
In Hasan’s case this Pluto square was immediately followed by a transit of Saturn across his Virgo planets again, which just completed in September.  Saturn was exactly conjunct Hasan’s Sun in June when another Muslim went on a shooting spree at a Little Rock recruiting center, an event which apparently had an effect on him.
At the same time, Hasan’s progressed Mars (rage and aggression) was exactly conjunct progressed Pluto and squared by transiting Saturn, and the inner rage which has been building beneath the cautious Virgoan personality began to explode.  However, Saturn’s pressure and confinement was creating restrictions and compression that likely exacerbated the developing rage within him.
Again – there is nothing in this chart that would have suggested or excused an act such as this. After an event such as this one, the people that knew the shooter always say “he was such a quiet man,” or “I can’t believe he could have done this.”  Had Hasan not retreated so completely into himself where he could not find a more objective way to handle his emotions and create the change in his life that he desired, there could have been a very different outcome.  How ironic, and tragic, that as an army psychiatrist he was trained to accomplish this very thing for other soldiers.
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Taurus Full Moon November 2

November 1, 2009 By

The Taurus Full Moon occurs when the Moon in Taurus opposes the Sun in Scorpio, creating a 180 degree angle and a tension between the conscious mind (Sun) and the emotional instinctive reactions (Moon), and the challenging square of both luminaries to Mars will definitely spice up the Full Moon!

Mars is in Leo now, where the role of personal development is emphasized, and the Full Moon occurs in the sign of Taurus. Taurus is focused on stability and physical security, as well as the peace and serenity that comes from a life that is full of contentment and material gifts. This Full Moon could highlight any areas of our life where our personal ego gets in the way of our ability to achieve comfort in our lives, but will also help to energize us to fulfill the dreams of the Full Moon.

Any lunation, or lunar event, encompasses all of the planetary combinations that occur at the time of the event. Taurus’s ruler Venus, the planet of love and beauty as well as harmony and peace forms a harmonious trine to Neptune on the day of the Full Moon. This harmonious dance between the planet of spirituality (Neptune) and the goddess of love helps to wrap our experience in a veil of magic and conscious awareness which helps us to utilize the energy of Mars in a more productive way.

Of course the approaching square from Saturn to Pluto is also a part of the lunation, adding a touch of darkness to the event and a requirement that we not forget that death is at our door while we celebrate at the party of pleasure. Humans are the only species with an awareness of death, and this more than anything is what inspires us to greater spiritual wisdom.

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Fear and the upcoming Cardinal Cross

August 27, 2009 By

You’ll be hearing a lot more about this planetary event over the next few months and years.  Ray Merriman is calling the event the “Cardinal Climax,” and astrologer Gary Caton in this recent article in The Mountain Astrologer is calling it the “Cardinal Crisis.”  This is an alignment of planets in cardinal signs that will continue to create change in our inner and outer worlds.  The cardinal signs are the signs of action, and with various planets conflicting with each other in cardinal signs there will be a great deal of energy for change.

It’s easy to become afraid when we know something big is coming, but it’s wise not to let fear take over.  Change can be exhilarating and joyful just as easily as difficult.  This week Mars in Cancer is opposite Pluto in the sky, and although I expected major flareups in the news that has not occurred.  Nor did it occur in my own life, despite the fact that this planetary combination directly affects Mars in my own chart.  Instead, there has been a tremendous amount of energy that has been relatively easy to manage and we’re seeing that in the global arena as well.

I’ve laid out a scenario of what is likely to happen over the next few years in my radio show a few weeks back and you may want to take a listen if you haven’t already heard it.  I’ll be writing a great deal more on this topic over the next few months, especially as Saturn moves into Libra in late October and begins to form a square to Pluto.

Meanwhile, we are working with Saturn/Uranus and the force of resistance to change.  This is the key factor that we will be faced with over the next few weeks.

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Part III: The Opposition from Saturn to Uranus: 2008-2010

October 15, 2008 By

If you’re just finding us, catch up with Part I and Part II.

The first stage of the opposition is beginning to align at this moment, and in the US election we’re seeing a vivid portrayal of the battle between the new America (Barack Obama) and the old America (John McCain).  Saturn represents the voice of the establishment, “the way it has always been done.”  Uranus is the innovator – the unusual.  The One who does Not Belong.

Over the past couple of years astrologers have looked to this major planetary cycle for clues as to who would win the election, with divided results.  Planets give us a weather map, but they do not reveal the future.  Who will prevail in this battle?  Just because Saturn won over Uranus in Greek mythology (see Part I) doesn’t mean Saturn will always prevail.  After all, Uranus is the lanet with more astrological oomph.  In fact, the pull between Saturn and Uranus is a continuing process which begins with the radical urge of Uranus to bring change and new ideas puts pressure on Saturn to evolve and transform, resulting in tremendous resistance and fear and a longing for the past (Saturn).  When Saturn regains its foothold, the cycle begins again.

The current opposition cycle began with the conjunction of Saturn and Uranus in 1988-1989 which began in Sagittarius and moved into Capricorn.  This period witnessed the economic restructuring in the Soviet Union called perestroika which began the radical changes (Uranus) to the Soviet order (Saturn), and Soviet forces (Saturn) withdrew from Afghanistan under pressure from “freedom fighters” there (Uranus), setting the stage for the battle underway at the present time.  In Poland, the communist government (Saturn) legitimized the Solidarity trade union movement (Uranus).  Neptune became involved in that planetary system in February and March of 1989, resulting in the biggest oil (Neptune) spill in history, and a geomagnetic (Uranus) storm (Neptune) wiped out a huge power grid (Saturn), resulting in the loss of power to six million people.

The opening square occurred in 1999-2000 with Saturn in Taurus and Uranus in Aquarius.  At the time Enron traders of energy (Uranus) were circumventing established rules (Saturn) to create artificial energy shortages (Saturn again) and get rich.  The murder of young gay teen Matthew Shepard in late 1998 as the square began to form resulted in a battle in Congress over whether to include homosexuality (Uranus) in federal hate crime legislation (Saturn) which failed at that time, and Dr. Kervorkian pushed the legal envelope (Uranus) on physician assisted suicide and was found guilty (Saturn).

Now we are in the opposition phase, where Saturn and Uranus are 180 degrees apart creating a tension that requires balance and assimilation.  The opposition will “perfect” in exact alignment on November 4, Election Day in the US.  It looks right now as if Barack Obama (Uranus) will be elected president, in which case the Saturn backlash that we’re already seeing at McCain and Palin’s campaign stops will continue to heat up.  Sarah Palin’s “Joe Six Pack” and “Hockey Moms” are terrified of the change the Barack Obama represents.  He is like an alien to many who grew up in small towns with a homogeneous demographic, and for the Saturnian individual who cherishes stability and security above all else, the concept of Uranian liberation/chaos is horrifying.  On the other hand, for the Uranian individual, for whom personal liberty and social justice is paramount, the Saturnian need for control and pressure to confirm is similarly abhorrent.  This is the very battle which will take place over the next few years against the backdrop of Pluto’s entry into Capricorn and the transformation (Pluto) of social and governmental structures (Capricorn).

As an American I am rather focused on the outcome of the US election, but this planetary cycle of course will affect the entire globe.  Every European country has experienced a wave of immigration that has been integrating the culture, and there will be a greater desire for human rights (Uranus) that shake the established order.  In Britain, there are rumors of a parliamentary coup against Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and I have long thought that Pluto in Capricorn would bring a rebellion that would topple (Pluto) the monarchy (Capricorn) once and for all.

The second exact phase of the opposition cycle will occur on February 5 2009 but Saturn and Uranus will not be more than two degrees apart between November and February, so the effect will remain strong.  Events that are put into motion in early November under the first “hit” will continue to unfold over the next few months.  Most major planetary cycles have three hits, but this opposition cycle will have five phases, signaling its particular significance for permanent change.

The third phase occurs in September (15th) 2009, but a total eclipse of the Sun in August (22nd) conjunct Saturn will instigate the events of that phase of the cycle.  Retrograde Pluto will be stationary (moving very slowly)  in September and will change direction to turn direct just a few days before the exact opposition, so this period is likely to be rather intense.  Saturn and Uranus are in challenging 30 and 150 degree aspects to Neptune, which will erode any potential for understanding the nature of the events that occur at that time.  It will be important then (and don’t worry, I’ll remind you!) to remember that this is a natural evolutionary cycle that requires the letting go of the old in order to bring in something that is more true for us at that current time.

The fourth phase takes place April 26, 2010, again in exact aspect to Neptune.  By that time we likely will have integrated the lessons of the Saturn/Uranus opposition and are better prepared to take the steps necessary to move forward.  Neptune demands that we become visionaries and transcend boundaries that limit ordinary mortals, and in doing so there is sometimes a dissolving of aspects of our life that limit us (Saturn).  Challenging Neptune times require that we pursue a disciplined (Saturn) spiritual practice (Neptune) that enables us to open up our eyes and our mind to a completely new way of being alive on the planet (Uranus).   This third and fourth phase will be extremely exciting for those who are able to let go and enjoy the roller coaster ride, and less comfortable for those of us with more fixed natures (like me) who have a high need for control and safety.

The fifth phase on July 26, 2010 occurs at -0- degrees Aries and Libra, within range of a square to Pluto at 3 degrees Capricorn.  Normally the late stage of a multi-phase planetary cycle is less difficult than the earlier stages, because we have usually assimilated the necessary planetary energies by that time.  The addition of the square from Pluto will create greater urgency and pressure for conflict and war in order to achieve the goal of change and transformation (Pluto)  into a new way (Uranus)  of living as societies (Saturn) in the world.

This fifth phase of the Saturn/Uranus cycle is actually the harbinger of two Pluto cycles: the square from Saturn to Pluto (visiting three times between November 2009 and August 2010) and the square from Uranus to Pluto which will come within winking distance in July 11 but not perfect until June 2012, continuing through 2015.  I’ll cover these other major cycles in separate articles, but you can see that what happens during the Saturn/Uranus opposition will set the stage for the next eight years.

Knowing this information is not useful if we use it to scare ourselves to death.  It’s important to view these cycles within a framework of faith and understanding so that we can use the information to our advantage and not become overwhelmed by it.  This is a time to examine our own lives and see where our life is not authentic, and where we are not being true to ourselves (Uranus) and where changes need to be made to the structure of our lives (Saturn) as a result.  This is the perfect time to cultivate faith in the natural flow of life and to increase our understanding that we are spiritual beings having a human experience.  It’s a wonderful time to learn to let go when all of the doors to our desires are closing, but to remain strong in our intention to manifest a life of beauty and adventure that resonates with our deepest Self.  This after all is the ultimate challenge of any planetary cycle.

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