‘Your coronavirus predictions were spot on back in May! Opening up in July and August and then second wave in Sep/Oct/Nov’
Saturn/Pluto Conjunction
Back in January, we knew that the rare alignment of the Saturn/Pluto conjunction in Capricorn would require a reset.
Saturn and Pluto’s challenging aspects often coincide with a time of endings & hardship. The Grim Reaper (Saturn) meets God of the Underworld (Pluto) in Capricorn, the star sign ruling the establishment – it was never going to be a happy marriage between the two and it smacked of a global recession.
What we weren’t aware of at the start of 2020 was the major impact of the coronavirus globally, although it had already kicked in. Reading back through my Saturn/Pluto article from January, the following words now make more sense:
What I want to do in this article is consider the astrology for the onset of the virus to see if that can help us work out the timing of events and where we need to pay close attention.
As always, I’ve tried to keep the astrology simple to help make sense of things. I will also continue to update the article as the year progresses.
Quarantine & Lockdown
When I was thinking about the Saturn/Pluto conjunction back in January, the image of a prison came to mind. Saturn rules walls, boundaries, confinement; Pluto rules caves, the Underworld, dark places.
The ‘lockdown symbolism’ is evident. Which brings me to cruise ships, the monolithic vessels surging through our seas. I’ve never been a fan of cruise ships.
Yes, you travel to amazing places but you can’t get off them in the middle of the ocean which is my personal idea of hell. They’re not great for the environment and they have exploded in popularity in recent years.
The quarantine on the cruise ships which turned out to be a fertile breeding ground for the virus is a shuddering reminder of the Saturn/Pluto ‘lockdown’ symbolism.
If Saturn/Pluto is the equivalent of a reset button, we are being forced to consider the way we travel around the globe. One of the good things that could come out of our current crisis is that the planet’s getting a clean up!
South Node In Capricorn
There is another key planetary factor involved. The definitive date for the corona virus was December 31, 2019, when China alerted the WHO (World Health Organisation) to the spread of the disease.
On this day, the Sun was exactly conjunct the South Node, both at 8 degrees Capricorn. The South Node is a point in astrology that’s often associated with ‘bad fortune’. Traditionally, this is a point linked to release and letting go, especially when you slip into bad habits, your comfort zone.
Normally, a virus would be represented by Neptune in astrology, the mysterious, intangible planetary influence which often shows in personal illness, especially any condition which is hard to diagnose. And, the virus did spread greatly during Pisces season – Pisces is ruled by Neptune (see below).
Yet, the coronavirus took hold as the planets moved through Capricorn, affecting the structure and foundations of our lives.
Jupiter In Capricorn
Looking at the coronavirus timeline, one of the first cases was on December 1, 2019. What’s interesting about this date is that Jupiter was at 29 Sagittarius on the verge of joining Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn the following day, December 2, 2019.
Jupiter is the global planet, linked to foreign connections, travel and study, also religion, hope & faith, broadcasting and the Law. Its most significant planetary aspect in 2020 is a conjunction with Pluto which happens three times on the following dates: April 5, June 30 and November 12, 2020.
These major planetary aspects act as a backdrop to the year – they can be specific date-wise but more often they bring a theme to the year’s events. We are already seeing how this is playing out as severe travel restrictions are being put in place. Jupiter rules travel and Pluto is the wipe-out planet.
Therefore, it’s super important to consider your travel plans in the year ahead, limit unnecessary travel and ensure that you have good insurance as soon as you book. The impact of the coronavirus is already hitting the airline business and limiting our freedom, another key feature of Jupiter.
Another area to note are schools and places of study, again ruled by Jupiter, which again are being closed when there’s a case of coronavirus confirmed. Here too, you need to be ready for significant changes or cancellations.
Jupiter and Pluto are planets that are about big money – Jupiter rules abundance and Pluto rules hidden riches. These two planets are often key when it comes to finances. We already know that this is going to be a wild year financially.
Ideally, you want to ditch debt and know that the stock markets are going to be in for a rocky ride. This also fits Uranus in Taurus’ symbolism; Uranus brings change and Taurus rules money.
It’s been discovered that Jupiter/Pluto conjunctions are often prevalent at times of virus or plague. Pluto is God of the Underworld, with its theme of invisibility. Jupiter is linked to global events and spreads or expands what it touches.
The third & final Jupiter/Pluto conjunction took place on November 12th and as predicted, there was a second wave of the virus. Yet, also the first breakthroughs were occurring around vaccines – Jupiter is knowledge & education.
Writing now in November 2020, both Jupiter & Saturn have finally managed to move away from Pluto and are completing their transits through Capricorn.
Then, on December 17th, Saturn enters Aquarius and two days later December 19th, Jupiter enters Aquarius. Their epic conjunction takes place on December 21st at 0 degrees Aquarius, the start of a new 20 year chapter.
I’m hoping that governments will then start to ease their lockdown policies although we already know that Saturn in Aquarius from March 22nd to July 1st coincided with lockdown and social (Aquarius) distancing (Saturn) for many people/countries.
What we don’t yet know is what Jupiter will bring to the Aquarius party – will it promise freedom? If it doesn’t, the other freedom planet Uranus kicks in during January/February 2021.
This is when we’re likely to see more protests/unrest around the lockdowns and the possibility of mandatory vaccinations. 2021 promises to be an interesting year.
Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto Retrograde
The three major planets in Capricorn that have been the striking symbols of the virus turned retrograde in April & May 2020 on the following dates: Pluto – April 25th, Saturn – May 11th, Jupiter – May 14th.
What we’re currently seeing is that the brakes are being taken off the lockdown situation in many countries and travel (Jupiter) is slowly starting to take off again.
However, all three planets turned direct in September/October 2020 on the following dates: Jupiter – September 13th, Saturn – September 29th, Pluto – October 4th. The astrology suggested a second wave and it arrived.
Mars In Capricorn
Which brings me to another important point astrologically and the reason why March 2020 was pivotal. This is the fact that Mars, the planet representing speed and ferocity, was also in Capricorn. It moved there on February 16th and remained in Capricorn until March 30th.
We immediately saw Mars’ impact as the virus accelerated. For example, the first international sports match to be was postponed was the Ireland-Italy rugby game and the announcement came on February 26, 2020.
On this date, the South Node in Capricorn was conjunct Mars, the planet which rules sport and physical activities, both at 6 degrees Capricorn.
Mars conjunct Jupiter on March 20th and Pluto in Capricorn on March 23rd also turned out to be pivotal turning points. In fact, the UK went into lockdown on March 23rd.
Then, in the second half of the year Mars entered Aries and took on some epic clashes with the trio of planets in Capricorn. More importantly, Mars was retrograde from September 9th to November 14th, a symbol of frustration, feeling held back, plans thwarted. Writing this in mid-November, there’s a more positive feel moving forward and Mars wants to move, wants action.
0 Degrees Aquarius
Mars joined Saturn in Aquarius on March 30th and they met at 0 Aquarius on March 31st. When I drew up the chart for December 1, 2019, the first coronavirus case, I chose a sunrise chart and the Moon was at 0 Aquarius.
The Jupiter/Saturn conjunction which heralds a New Age also takes place at 0 Aquarius on December 21, 2020. These dates and planetary alignments will herald a new chapter within history and our society.
Saturn in Aquarius turned out to be a classic symbol for social (Aquarius) distancing (Saturn). The next time, Saturn enters Aquarius on December 17th, it will be joined by Jupiter on December 19th, the expansive planet, which feels very different.
This is a 2020 virus insomuch as we have to wait for the slower-moving planets, Jupiter & Saturn, to complete their journeys through Capricorn before we know where we stand.
I’m hoping that next year’s Aquarius theme will bring a vaccine – Aquarius rules technologies – and a new way of living with/handling the viruses prominent in our world. n.b. Aquarius is one of the air signs and viruses are air-borne – therefore, we are going to have find new ways to adapt moving forwards.
Neptune’s Role
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the virus a global pandemic. This was an interesting date astrologically. Mercury turned direct on March 10th, a move that often brings news to light.
Mercury’s three week retrograde phase through Pisces, Neptune’s star sign, starting on February 17th coincided with the spread of the virus. During Mercury retrograde, events remain hidden.
Mercury turned direct and suddenly everyone knew what was happening. Plus, this fell at a peak time astrologically as it was during the Full Moon in Virgo, a symbol of illumination, on March 9th.
Full Moons bring culmination – perfect timing for the announcement. Here too, Neptune was playing a pivotal role as it was exactly conjunct the Sun in Pisces during the Virgo (health) Full Moon.
The ‘Eyes’ Of The Universe
The symbolism of the Sun/South Node conjunction in Capricorn which coincided with the announcement of the corona virus is intriguing. In traditional astrology, the Sun and Moon represent the eyes; the Sun is the right eye, the Moon the left eye.
The astrologer Maggie Hyde discovered that the corona-virus was named because the spikes on the virus reminded the scientist, June Almeida, of the spikes you see on the corona of the Sun.
The Sun’s ‘corona’ is invisible to the human eye except during an eclipse. Then, it’s brought to light. The eyes of the world – the Sun & Moon – look down upon us as we stand and fall, make mistakes, abuse the earth we live on and, hopefully, try to make amends.
As always with astrology, there’s a sense that the steps we take in life as human beings are closely connected to the cosmic order, the movements of the stars & planets. We are seeing that in what’s happening now as we’re being forced to consider how we lead our lives on our beautiful planet.
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Here’s the link to another article you may find helpful: Saturn in Aquarius: The New Age written on March 22nd 2020