Saturn Conjunct Pluto - January 2020 - Phoenix Igniting
The moment that we have been waiting for for so long is finally here... Saturn conjunct Pluto! As we can see at the time of the writing of this article, the world is already changing around us. Many things are ending, and many things beginning. We cannot stay in the realm of the "old world" any more, because that "old world" will soon no longer exist. This time period is a serious catalyst in the growth and development of humanity as a whole, and we are experiencing these changes on a personal level even as we speak.
Saturn Conjunct Pluto will be exact on January 12th, 2020 at 08:56:55 PST (or 19:56:55 (7:56:55 PM) UTC). Saturn conjunct Pluto by itself does not come around very often, but when it does, it portends major changes. The last time Saturn conjuncted Pluto in Capricorn, it was around the time of the Protestant Reformation, shortly after Martin Luther's 95 Theses. Saturn, as we are aware, is the taskmaster, the disciplinarian, the gatekeeper, it restricts and contracts what it touches normally. Pluto is the destroyer and the renewer, it sends to the underworld and dredges things back up from the same underworld. Saturn is structure and stability. Pluto upends everything to allow for new things to come, at a cost. Put these two bodies together, and you see the overarching fabric and structures of society start to break down and new patterns emerge. And there is even more emotional tension in the air than normal this time around, for this conjunction take place about two days after a Lunar Eclipse in Cancer! Right now, things are beyond hyper-intense!
Saturn conjunct Pluto in Capricorn this time around is joined in a very tight stellium this time around with the Sun, Mercury, and Ceres. There is a great deal going on here. We just explored Saturn and Pluto combined in the previous paragraph. The Sun joining this adds fire, it adds an air of urgency to things, the collective consciousness and collective will, ego, and identity is also being affected. What the world could "normally" be expected to be looking like right now, it is being upended quite harshly. A great deal of changes and events will be in store with this combination.
Mercury is the messenger, governing motion, messages, technology. Mercury joining this indicates a time period where what is being communicated is bound to be quite upsetting and unsettling, but it is needed to move us along into a different space. Mishaps and errors in communications are more likely now, even with Mercury being full-direct, and the consequences of those missteps and miscommunications are much more earth-shattering and provocative right now. In the news is the Iran Air flight that was shot down, seemingly by mistake, after taking off from Tehran, Iran, right after Iranian General Soleimani was killed in an air strike, and the resulting Iranian retaliation of many missiles fired at U.S. bases in the region. So far this has not out-and-out triggered a major war, but this is very likely to be a catalyst for near-future world events. The downing of the airplane is a prime example of the kind of grave errors that can occur with this Saturn-Pluto-Sun-Mercury alignment.
Ceres joining Saturn, Pluto, Sun, and Mercury, this points to some serious shakeups when it comes to harvest and homestead. Domestic difficulties leading to large-scale changes, both in our home lives, and also in the domestic affairs of entire nations, this is going to be quite prominent. Food supply issues are something that comes to mind (remember: harvest). I am unclear as to what exactly could be forecast with this placement here, but we could see some food supply disruptions due to catastrophic weather, improper food safety handling, or at worst, malicious actors seeking to poison the food supply. At best, we could see some serious breakthroughs in food production and nutrition science during this time, something that could change our understanding of how food and the body relate to one another. As home is where we lay our heads and rest, I would venture a guess that overall health and healthcare issues will also be prominent and undergo major changes within the next several months as well. We will see if this guess holds water.
Another aspect we need to consider to this stellium is Mars in Sagittarius semisquare Sun-Mercury-Ceres-Saturn-Pluto. A semisquare points to conflict that I think could be termed as a struggle of our own making, and lies at its tightest at a 45 degree angle in a zodiac chart. It's between a semisextile and a sextile. Put simply, we are going to see some major anger and disruptions where we see the overall status quo of our society challenged, though not as pronounced as if this were a full square. A lot of these challenges are of our own making too. This will likely be related to systemic failures in the structures of our society, such as poverty exacerbated by punitive measures by institutions that tend to punish those who have fallen behind (one small example being late fees when your paycheck comes in a day after your utility bill's due date, making it harder to keep up).
Jupiter in Capricorn conjunct the South Node points to some major decisions and karma from the past coming back to haunt us at this time as well. As I have further studied the matter, I am reminded that Jupiter is in Fall position in Capricorn (where I erroneously did not think as such before), so Jupiter is actually weakened right now as well. Ultimately what this tells me is that lessons learned from our past regarding what we've learned, what we've chosen to believe, these are all going to be up-ended right now too. We may find our beliefs being challenged very heavily right now, and only those beliefs that still ring true will endure this period. We need to consider that there are those out there who will not handle the demolishing of said belief structures very well. These individuals could lash out pretty harshly as the walls of their reality come crashing down. However, there are also those that can take to heart some very enlightening lessons from their past, and they may be able to integrate this into their lives much more ably. Try to keep an open mind during this time period.
Uranus in Taurus, which is no longer retrograde, semisquares Neptune in Pisces during this Saturn-Pluto conjunction as well. Again, belief structures and what we think we know will be heavily challenged. We will see where we have made some missteps and if we trust in our intuition and inner voice, we can take steps to get back onto the path we need to be on to go forward.
The Moon in Leo quincunx Neptune in Pisces, and also sesquiquadrate Chiron in Aries also points to some discordance in how we're feeling right now and what we are going through in our individual lives. Many of us will have experienced a major shock recently, and this shock is making us confront where we feel vulnerable and wounded, and of course we also have the challenge of using our best judgment and intuition to help us resolve and get through these issues right now. We are undoubtedly confronting some rather deep fears which are challenging our egos and our collective sense of self. Ask yourself if you're on the right path, or if there is something you need to give up so you can move forward with more meaningful pursuits and goals in your life. It could be something as simple as a game you've spent time on that no longer brings you joy, or some busywork that isn't actually getting you closer to getting that manuscript finished.
Regarding other asteroid aspects to the Saturn-Pluto conjunction, there are quite a few that adds to the picture we're seeing. 12927 Pinocchio conjunct Saturn-Pluto-Sun-Mercury-Ceres adds a caution of deception into this stellium. The more lies are told, the more apparent they will be. Also, if fear wins out, we could feel that we're puppets with strings attached. The trick is to cut those strings and be your own being. No, not like Ultron from that one Avengers movie. Actually... Ultron is an extreme example of rebelling and seeking to cut one's strings. Taken to that extreme, Ultron clearly did not regard others. Be your own person, be truthful, and things should progress far better than they would otherwise.
1981 Midas retrograde, 407 Arachne retrograde, and 545 Messalina retrograde opposing the Saturn-Pluto stellium also warns us of creating ties that bind to things that glitter that may not be gold. How appropriate that Arachne was opposing Pinocchio in this. Messalina also warns us to control our more lustful desires and impulses, lest we set up our own downfall. As these three asteroids are retrograde, these matters are turned inward. Are you in a state of trying to polish something that isn't really gold? Are you tying yourself up or leaving too many loose ends? Are you acting in love, or lust? There are many questions, and to get to the truth of the matter, we need to take a sharp look at how we're approaching different issues in our lives.
11823 Christen in Libra square Saturn-Pluto, and 136199 Eris in Aries also opposing, this forms an asteroid Grand Cross when considered with Arachne/Midas/Messalina. Again, I'm thinking of some institutional drama and downfalls happening, and I'm thinking something to do with organized religion, and of both protestant and Catholic church structures in particular, this is going to come to a head over the next several months. The Pope could step down, as one example of a change, and there's debate as to the Prophecy of Saint Malachi and his list of popes to consider in that scenario. I think the mixing of Evangelical Christianity and U.S. politics is going to come to a head within the next couple years, and the Vatican power structure will change, that's what I'm thinking. What that means for other religious/political power structures such as Saudi Arabia (where the King is also the Custodian of the Two Mosques), I can only speculate. Overall, belief structures and power structures are going to come to a reckoning. This is what I'm getting from this.
Getting outside the realm of religio-politics, the Eris square to this Saturn-Pluto stellium alone tells me that the changes that will be made in the world over the next few years, they're going to be more discordant and chaotic than previous changes. Do what you can to navigate the shifting tides as best as you can. The world is going to be changing, a lot. That's what I'm getting from this.
390 Alma in Scorpio sextile Saturn-Pluto could point to some developments in people's private and hidden devotions and practices of belief, and these changes and developments may be a saving grace to navigating the changing world. There is solace in belief, and keeping one's faith, or opening one's heart to a true spirituality (not one that's dominated in earthly dogma) can be a boost to one's mental well-being.
896 Sphinx in Taurus trine Saturn-Pluto points to a time where we will be unearthing many answers to riddles that we have had vexing us for some time as well. This could manifest as some major scientific discoveries that propel humanity further into the stars, or it could be something as simple as solving a long-cold case via some discovery in forensic science?
151 Abundantia in Sagittarius semisextile Saturn-Pluto indicates that this point in our history could lead to increase abundance and prosperity for many if the right changes and steps are taken. 1862 Apollo in Aquarius semisextile the Saturn-Pluto stellium also points to a time where we could be shining a lot of light on truth, and by making the necessary changes, we will be able to better protect those who cannot defend themselves. That's what I'm getting from this. Also, again, this is a time period that points to the exposure of many lies and deceit, and brings the truth to light.
3402 Wisdom retrograde in Gemini quincunx Saturn-Pluto is a bit difficult, but I see this being a time where we will have to look within for answers as well, rather than trusting blindly in others. Inner intuition, when one listens in silent contemplation, can yield many answers, more than just frantically searching Google for answers. Suppose by looking where everyone else has gone before you adopt the wrong answer? Think things through and be clear with what the question really is.
1912 Anubis, 16 Psyche, and Nessus in Pisces semisquare Saturn-Pluto... this is a tricky one. We need to make sure we are not chasing after self-styled gurus for guidance, as they may be drawing you in to harvest your energy, among other things. Conversely, we may also be straying away from those who could offer us guidance in the fear that the truly-beneficial teachers would use and abuse us. 16089 Lamb conjunct Mars in Sagittarius and semisquare Saturn-Pluto also adds to the vibe of being afraid of being a victim. There are many wolves out there, this is true, but sometimes the wolf goes after a ram instead. And rams have big horns and can put up a fight, I imagine. Know your worth, know your intuition and inner voice, and be well-aware of what's going on so you do not become a victim. That said, do not throw away good advice either in the fears of ulterior motives. Wisdom may be a little clouded right now, but you need to trust yourself.
Finally, 307 Nike retrograde in Virgo sesquiquadrate Saturn-Pluto shows us a time of difficulty in getting things done, due to the shifting sands of what's going on in our lives. We want to go forward and just get things done, but we may be feeling apprehensive not knowing what to expect. What I can tell you is: standing still and bunkering down, and getting nothing accomplished, that's not going to get you to where you need to go. Sometimes you need to look adversity in the eye and say "screw you" and just go do it anyways!
IN closing, Saturn and Pluto's exact conjunction is being greatly amplified by all planets being direct, the Sun touching this conjunction tightly when it goes exact, and a great amount of uncertainty in the air in general. I did get on a soap box more than usual this time, but this is what came to me as I wrote this article. We'll need to trust in ourselves and in things working out as they should more so than ever, and we'll need to trust that we can build a better world in the aftermath of all the alignments happening right now. It's time to build a better world, your own better world, our better world. Or we can stay in fear and doubt and let an opportunity to change things for the better slip away. What will you choose?
