Let’s begin with the obvious. 2020 has been a transformative and turbulent year.
The year kicked off with a conjunction (face-to-face meetup) between Saturn and Pluto in January.
When I initially discussed this aspect (on my Instagram account in April of 2019), I described it as “foundational collapse.” I didn’t mean that in a hyperbolic end-of-times way; it was a literal interpretation of the astrology: Pluto (collapse) conjunct Saturn (foundations).
Here’s the thing: Pluto and Saturn meet up every 38 years. So, we’ve lived through prior Saturn-Pluto conjunctions (and will continue to persevere through future ones). As I always say, astrology consistently demonstrates that life goes on. Sure enough, history books show that we — as a collective global village — have survived extremely challenging planetary configurations.
With that said, Saturn and Pluto hadn’t met in Capricorn since the year 1518. And, with Capricorn as the sign that relates to business, corporations, economics, finance, government, and labor, this was a Saturn-Pluto conjunction on steroids (hence me not flinching with that “foundational collapse” description).
As the year went on, three personal planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars) retrograded. While Mercury retrogrades three times a year, there are some years in which Venus and Mars never retrograde.
In addition, the stick of dynamite we call Mars — the planet that most loathes its retrograde period — felt emboldened while in its home sign of Aries (where it has been since late June, and will be until January 7 of 2021) and got into all sorts of caustic arguments with other planets.
Those arguments, by the way, are not completely over. More on that later.
The question I most frequently receive in my Instagram DMs is: “when is all this intensity and craziness ending?”
The last two months of the year have a significant amount of astrological activity that will begin to change “the vibe.” And, yes — the intensity we have been feeling since late August is coming to an end.
I’ll explain all that (and more!) in this post. Let’s begin.
NOVEMBER 12: JUPITER AND PLUTO MEET UP FOR ONE LAST TIME
Jupiter and Pluto first met in Capricorn on April 4 of this year. They then parted ways, but Jupiter retrograded and they had a second rendezvous on June 30. They parted ways once more, and now that Jupiter is making its way through the final degrees of Capricorn, they will meet one more time on November 12.
When a planetary aspect occurs three times in a short window of time due to a planet moving forward, then retrograding, and then moving forward again, this is known as a “triple pass.”
This is important for two reasons:
- It means the aspect is at play for a longer period. In this case, the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction is in effect for a total of seven months, with the first week of April, the last week of June, and the middle of November being the “peaks.”
- Usually, the first pass brings an issue to the surface, the second brings that issue to a crisis point, and the final pass brings a resolution
This particular final pass is especially significant because, during this last Jupiter-Pluto rendezvous on November 12, we have a planetary melee.
- The moon will be square Pluto and Jupiter, which adds emotional intensity.
- Mercury will be on its way to oppose Uranus, which adds unpredictability and brings sudden news and developments.
- Mars will be opposite the moon and Venus, which makes diplomacy and harmony much more challenging
Can you say “boiling point”?
This planetary configuration on the day of the last Jupiter-Pluto conjunction gives me the indication of a “dramatic ending.”
On another note, I attribute the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction as a contributor to the waves of COVID-19. The dates of the exact conjunctions (plus or minus one week) align with a significant uptick in cases. Given the astrological landscape, I expect cases to continue to climb until late November. I don’t expect significant decreases in cases until December 27 — when Jupiter and Pluto are too far away from each other to have much of an influence.
“Fun” Fact: Jupiter and Pluto were conjunct during the second wave of the Spanish Flu (specifically in August and September of 1918). The infamous Philadelphia Liberty Loan parade (which sparked a huge outbreak) took place during a Jupiter-Pluto conjunction.
As a reminder (I mentioned this in my April 21 COVID-19 post): when COVID-19 first began to spread, I received a few panicked messages from Instagram followers who had come across some Facebook astrology pages “predicting” ‘the next’ Black Death (the bubonic plague epidemic that decimated half of Europe’s population) or ‘the next’ Spanish flu (during which 50 million people died, at a time when the global population was 2 billion).
While a Jupiter-Pluto conjunction at the same time that Neptune (the planet that rules viruses) is in Pisces (the sign that rules viruses) certainly increases the likelihood of such events, these three planets are getting along (they are communicating via a benevolent aspect known as a sextile). Things would be a lot different if they were communicating via squares or oppositions.
As a general rule, please consult another source if you ever come across astrological analysis that sounds like a “biblical end of times” narrative. I despise fear-based clickbait. It’s mental junk food. Rant over.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming. If we look at these planetary archetypes, we see that Jupiter relates to growth, expansion, knowledge, and beliefs; Pluto rules transformation, power, and purging.
It’s quite interesting that this aspect — taking place in Capricorn — has its final peak ten months after the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn. I say “interesting” because, while Pluto is involved in both, Jupiter is the archetypal opposite of Saturn. From where I sit, this indicates some stunning reversals in power, globally, over the next few years.
A LUNAR ECLIPSE AND A SOLAR ECLIPSE
We astrologers pay attention to what we deem “eclipse season” because it is usually a time of significant changes.
A lunar eclipse is, basically, a “full moon to the tenth power”; a solar eclipse is “a new moon to the tenth power.”
If a lunar or solar eclipse falls within a few degrees of your sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, or sensitive angles, then it affects you. It opens up a six-month window of unavoidable change. Lunar eclipses tend to close chapters and phase things out; solar eclipses bring fresh beginnings.
We’ll have a lunar eclipse at 8 degrees of Gemini on November 30th as well as a solar eclipse at 23 degrees of Sagittarius on December 14 (as I noted in my 2020 United States election post, the December 14th solar eclipse opposes Donald Trump’s sun and North node in his tenth house of career, which, to me, suggests that his public role as president is phasing out).
November 18, 2020 NOTE: A previous version of this post stated that the November 30th lunar eclipse opposed Donald Trump’s moon. I apologize for any confusion. The original blog post referenced in the above paragraph has always correctly stated that it is the December 14 solar eclipse new moon that opposes Donald Trump’s sun.
These are actually rather calm eclipses. This year, we’ve had regular new moons and full moons that packed a powerful punch (the October 16 new moon was quite tumultuous, and the October 31 full moon was akin to a magnitude eight earthquake).
While we can’t forget that eclipses are harbingers of change, neither of these eclipses are rollercoasters of turmoil. I believe that these eclipses indicate a six-month shift in the landscape that will bring a sense of stability.
DECEMBER 21: JUPITER CONJUNCT SATURN IN AQUARIUS
Oh, right — this is the other huge astrological deal happening in 2020.
Jupiter and Saturn are conjunct (AKA: meet in the same spot) every 18 to 21 years.
Jupiter’s and Saturn’s meeting establishes a sociopolitical and cultural ‘background tone’ for the next 18 to 21 years, usually defined by the sign where the conjunction occurs.
Jupiter and Saturn continuously meet, every twenty years for roughly 200 years, in different signs of the same element (fire, air, earth, water). In other words, we’ve had a two-century-long period during which these two planets only met in Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius (fire signs).
That is important because we are wrapping up two centuries of Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions in earth signs. The earth element (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) Jupiter-Saturn conjunction cycle started in 1802 and wraps up on December 21, 2020 when these two planets meet at zero degrees of Aquarius.
We had a “sneak peek” of the air elements cycle in 1980, when Jupiter and Saturn temporarily bucked the earth-sign trend and met in Libra (the next conjunction, in the year 2000, took place in the earth sign of Taurus).
Once we have this conjunction in Aquarius on December 21, Jupiter and Saturn will exclusively meet in air signs for the next two centuries.
It’s not just that Jupiter and Saturn officially kick off an air-cycle era on December 21, 2020. There’s another tidbit that’s very significant: they are meeting at zero degrees of Aquarius. Zero degrees of any sign is considered a “critical degree” — a sensitive point where that sign’s energies are highly concentrated. Aquarius is progressive, forward-thinking, revolutionary, unpredictable, unexpected. It is also the sign that rules science and technology.
This gives the period between 2020 and 2040 (the next Jupiter-Saturn conjunction takes place in Libra on October 31, 2040) a significant amount of radical, unconventional, innovative, experimental energy.
Hopefully, you can now understand why I look at this conjunction as a harbinger of significant transformation and the beginning of a new era. Remember, we are looking at the start of a 200-year era. So, while there is significant, transformative, and revolutionary change ahead (especially once Pluto officially enters Aquarius in 2024), this is not Uranus-style “my entire life changed in 48 hours!” energy.
If I analyze this conjunction in the most literal way, here is what comes out:
- Belief systems (Jupiter) are expanded (Jupiter) and locked into place (Saturn)
- New (Jupiter) paradigms (Saturn) are solidified (Saturn)
It’s worth noting that, over the last 200 years (minus 1980 – 2000), the earth sign-based Jupiter-Saturn cycle expanded and solidified things relating to the three earth signs: banking, big government, corporations, finances, powerful empires, security, and surveillance.
This new 200-year cycle we begin on December 21 will focus on, and bring significant shifts in, air sign them: community-building, communication channels and platforms, dissemination of information, relationships (how they are defined and legally recognized), revolutions, scientific advancements, social uprisings, solutions meant to enhance the greater good, and technology.
As I mentioned earlier, 1980-2000 was a preview of the Saturn-Jupiter air cycle.
During this period, personal computers went mainstream. Additionally, the internet ushered in a new era of how we communicated, acquired information, and sought out romantic partners/relationships.
As the internet (air sign) expanded (Jupiter) and became a new paradigm (Saturn) that locked (Saturn) itself into society, it brought up new (Jupiter) issues and concerns that relate to air sign themes: ownership of ideas (who ‘owns’ the internet?), how technology can be mobilized for the greater good, and the democratization of information gatekeepers.
The 1980 Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Libra was the first one in an air sign since the year 1405! But, with it being the anomaly during an earth element cycle, its effects were somewhat mitigated.
I am frequently asked if the upcoming Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Aquarius means we are entering the age of Aquarius. Not necessarily.
In my opinion, the “age of Aquarius” concept is overhyped and misunderstood. Perhaps this is my hyper-logical and rational Virgo moon on overdrive, but I don’t get behind the notion that the entire world is suddenly going to wear flowy white robes as we all “ascend to the fifth dimension” (I still don’t understand what that even means!).
Part of what makes humanity interesting is the wide range of emotions that we experience. I don’t know about you, but I need to feel anger, frustration, and dismay once in a while. It’s how I know that I want to improve, make changes, and be a better me. And, I believe that astrology is meant to help us embrace the light and the dark. I don’t want the entire planet to turn into self-help bobbleheads that spit out trite mantras.
My hyper-grounded Virgo moon aside, the astrology shows that we are moving toward a new era where the concept of “the greater good” is elevated and much more in the spotlight. I think that will really kick into high gear when Pluto makes its way through Aquarius from 2024 to 2044.
Ah, my Virgo moon is claiming more time on the floor to add one more FYI: we are talking about real life here; not panaceas or Candy Land. This new 200-year period will have challenges, of course. In fact, throughout 2021, Saturn and Uranus will square one another (more on that in a future post). Such is life.
But, much like muscles, astrological ‘stress’ is required for growth and evolution. When there is such a significant shift from the energy of one sign to the next (as we shift from a time of extreme Capricorn energy to a significantly more Aquarian energy), there are some initial bumps in the road. But, we are undoubtedly moving into new pastures.
UPDATE ON THE 2020 UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
As I type this at 8:03 AM (Pacific Time) on November 4, 2020, the United States presidential election has yet to be determined. Some states — like Nevada, where I currently live — have announced they won’t even begin to resume vote counts until November 5.
I am not surprised. As I explained in my October 4th blog post about the United States 2020 presidential election, both presidential candidates had significant aspects that I placed in the “points to a win” column, and significant ones that I placed in the “does not point to a win” column. The astrology did not indicate that either candidate would sweep the electoral college on Election Day or be elected by the kind of landslide that would have one party celebrating before midnight.
Add in the chaos of actual Election Day (Mercury starting out the day in retrograde motion and then stationing direct and changing direction at 12:50 PM Eastern Time; Mercury’s square to Saturn and Pluto; the moon in restless Gemini squared by nebulous Neptune) and it was a recipe for chaos, confusion, and delays.
So, what now? My analysis:
We are on the cusp of several important astrological events.
- On November 12, we have the final Jupiter-Pluto conjunction;
- On November 13, the current Mars retrograde ends;
- On November 14, we begin a new moon cycle in Scorpio (if you’re on Eastern Time, this new moon is on November 15);
- On November 14, the sun sextiles Jupiter and Pluto;
- On November 17, Mercury opposes Uranus;
- On November 19, the Mercury post-retrograde shadow period ends. This is the date on which Mercury (which has been moving forward since November 3) moves past the degree where it began its retrograde).
I will be watching this date range (plus or minus three days) for significant developments. All of these aspects, to me, point to clarity (that Mercury-Uranus opposition on the 17th can bring clarity ‘out of the blue’ or through a sudden decision).
If the results of the election are clarified and confirmed prior to November 9, I will still be watching this window of time (November 9 – November 22) for significant global developments. I could see it bringing important news about COVID-19 treatments or a vaccine.
WHEN DOES ALL THIS INTENSITY DIE DOWN?
As I mentioned earlier, we have collectively been going through it this year — especially since late August. This stretch of road (that is the astrological equivalent of a road full of potholes that is also covered in black ice) has almost reached its end, though.
- Between November 3rd and November 28, three planets (Mercury, Mars, and Neptune) end their retrogrades.
- The November 30 – December 14 eclipses point to an energetic shift.
- The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction on December 21 also points to a new stretch of road.
Those three bullets show how the last seven weeks of the year are much different than the first ten months.
With that said, Mars has a pending boxing match with Saturn and Pluto.
The Mars-Pluto fight takes place from December 17 to December 31.
The Mars-Saturn face-off takes place between January 6 and January 27.
When Mars squares off against these two heavy hitters, anger and resentment surfaces. While that may sound “bad,” these are also aspects during which whatever has festering finally come to a head so it can be addressed once and for all — head-on.
This brew of anxiety, tension, intensity, and anger that has been brewing since late August begins to cool off in early December, but it is at a simmer (not a boil!) until the end of January. Once we get to the first week of February of 2021, it’s removed from the cosmic stove top and allowed to cool.
I’ll address the astrology of 2021 in a future post. For now, let’s get through the rest of this year.