As a country, we’ve been experiencing the conjunction of Saturn and Pluto in opposition to the USA’s natal Mercury for a while now and I have spoken extensively about this difficult aspect. Then Jupiter changed signs last December and quickly moved into a three-planet conjunction with Saturn and Pluto, putting additional strain on the USA’s natal Mercury. If Saturn and Pluto were the fuel in this configuration, then Jupiter was the match that set everything on fire. By the end of February we were hearing more and more about Covid-19 in the news. And by the third week of March it was a full-blown crisis and being referred to as a pandemic.
Pluto rules viruses and destruction, and Jupiter rules expansion, while Saturn rules confinement, contraction, and isolation. We all know how this combination has turned out so far. On March 23, Saturn changed signs. While it was still in a conjunction with Jupiter and Pluto, now that it was in Aquarius it was also making a difficult square aspect with Uranus in Taurus.
Why is this important? Saturn is still in the USA’s second house of resources and income and is its natural house ruler, giving it additional influence in this position. And remember that Saturn rules contraction while Uranus is a rebellious, destabilizing influence. I believe that this aspect, which will last through March of 2021, will depress the economy for the rest of this year and into the next. Jupiter will form a conjunction with Saturn in Aquarius in December 2020 and also come into a square aspect with Uranus. On the other hand Jupiter and Uranus in aspect together can bring both good luck and runaway inflation.
The interesting quality of the Saturn/ Jupiter/ Uranus configuration is that it also aspects the USA’s North and South nodes. The USA natal North Node is at 7 degrees of Leo in the country’s 8th house of other people’s money, insurance, taxes, inheritance, and death. The North node represents an entity’s dharma. The word dharma means “to hold or maintain” and is considered the path of righteousness or liberation. Saturn and Jupiter will be opposing the North Node and Uranus will be squaring it. This suggests a crisis within the country that, while initially material in nature (Saturn and the 8th house), may become spiritual in nature (North Node and Jupiter).
When a planet is opposing the North Node, then it must also be in conjunction with the South Node. The USA’s natal South Node is in the 2nd house with Pluto. Remember that the 2nd house rules income and resources. The South Node represents an entity’s karma. The definition of karma is the culmination and consequence of all intentional action, usually resulting in need to experience rebirth. It is akin to the concept of having one’s chickens coming home to roost. Jupiter, which will conjunct the USA’s natal South node in January 2021 is a very spiritual planet. However, Saturn will also conjunct the USA’s South Node throughout much of 2021 and Saturn is considered the Lord of Karma. Uranus will continue to be in the difficult square aspect to the Nodal axis off and on 2021. This will keep the economy, incomes, and investments stirred up. To say that 2020 and 2021 will be turning points in the future evolution of the country is an understatement.
We will have a short reprieve from both the virus and, to some extent, the economic fallout created by the virus, starting in the second half of May when 4 planets go retrograde. This will continue through August, when 5 planets are retrograde. Things may even briefly appear somewhat normal. It is during retrogrades that we get to slow down and retrace our steps. This is also a good time for preparation because my feeling is that once Jupiter and Saturn go direct again at the end of September the virus may resurface. We will also have another take-no-prisoners election. And when Uranus in Taurus forms a to-the-minute transiting square with the nodal axis at 7 degrees of Leo/ Aquarius later in November, we may all feel like we are front row passengers on Coney Island’s Cyclone roller coaster.