Release
and the end of our exploring
will be to arrive at where we started
and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Eliot
The ascendant of the astrological birth chart is where an individual starts, and throughout life transits to this point renew the birth in some way, and the knowledge is viewed as if for the first time. The United States just had such an experience. According to the Sibly chart the USA has 12 degrees Sagittarius rising. It's impossible to say for certain, but with Pluto at 12 when the World Trade Center came down, we have a pretty good rectification. Even disregarding the ASC, Jupiter just leaving the 12th degree is significant.
The last lunation was a special one with the new moon eclipse in Virgo and the full moon in Aries. The clean precision of Virgo coupled with the surgical action of Aries removed obstacles holding back repair, indicated by the Saturn transit of Virgo just beginning. The heightened feeling was unmistakable so I took my customary peek into the transits, and sure enough, I found some fascinating connections.When the Towers came down, the sun was at 18 degrees Virgo. And where was this new moon eclipse, you might ask? Naturally. 18 degrees Virgo. The moon
was at 28 Gemini on September 11, and Mars during the full moon was at 28 Gemini. To top it off, this Aries full moon was in trine with Jupiter just crossing the USA ascendant, exactly where the Pluto-Saturn opposition was when the explosion came. A little too much to bypass for me. The results of that experience plus the Pluto transit of Sagittarius across the ASC are starting to come in. The country's beginning to recognize herself.
Some fear life and the future, seeing bad times in the here and now, and worse times ahead. Some have romantic notions about the past, but if they lived then, they'd feel the same way. Others look forward to experience regardless of present or past circumstance. Sagittarius is associated with this positive outlook, and the country is known for optimism and spirit. With the first transit of Pluto to the ASC, America has established identity anew and with this passage of Jupiter trine the last Aries full moon, it suggests that the initial job is complete.
An odd event happened to me the Friday after the disaster. I decided to attend the monthly meeting of the local astrology chapter, something I rarely do, and amazingly, the speaker had previously prepared a lecture on the Saturn-Pluto opposition. Naturally there was a lot to add to her notes. She talked about the place in the individual charts that received the opposition and what it meant to spiritual development. What was blown apart by the explosion? It was a very very good presentation. For example, Joe mentioned how difficult it was for him to communicate during this lunation. Well, it just so happens that he has Saturn at 14 degrees Gemini in his first house, exactly where Saturn was on 9/11. There are reasons the people of the USA got a leveling with this opposition and I can't help but look at myself during this connected time and see what I can see, even put together. It happened in my 2nd and 8th. Wouldn't it be good if Saturn in my second could help me put an actual price on myself? Maybe a high one with Pluto in the 8th.
With Pluto in Saturn ruled Capricorn there likely will be continuing efforts with these lessons delivered with the downfall. For many, practical usage will come.
As a Sagittarius rising, The United States holds a potentially promising position for the world. It's impossible to deny this country's high spirited nature, despite the troubled waters of the Pluto transit. There are many serious problems ahead, but the basic rebirth is accomplished. The Towers marked the rebirth, so it appears. The beautiful Aries Moon joined up, giving the energy to push on with enthusiasm.
The degree of the ascendant is open for debate, as always.
Photo: Galen Rowell. Owens Valley, California
posted by jm at 3:14 PM
17 Comments:
Sag rising for the US seems to be about right. If nothing else, it explains the heaping amount of religiosity we have here, but also all of the diversity and interest in other cultures, and the fact that we ourselves are such a diverse nation. Pluto in Sag has really reinforced that.
Neo, I'm decided. The diversity is more than any other place in the world, so I'm told. Others are not so convinced, of course, so it prevents common ground at times, but I'm proceeding on that premise. Part of the Pluto transit was to establish the Sag identity.
I also see it in the love of sports, sports vehicles, and the answer to every problem...take off on a jaunt and burn gas like there's no tomorrow. No tomorrow is Jupiter to the max. With all the Cancer, people here have mastered the art of camping out and taking home with them on the road. Unfortunately, tomorrow is right around the bend and the Pluto return will tighten the purse-gas strings. Some interesting developments in my town which I will be reporting on.
Some interesting stats:
Stock market crash and the beginning of the Depession: Saturn was in Sagittarius.
Oct. 24, 1929: Moon in Cancer.
Sun 0 Scorpio, NN 12 Taurus, exactly inconjunt the ASC.
Mars exactly conjunct the SN at 12 Scorpio. Investments.
I also see it in the love of sports, sports vehicles, and the answer to every problem...take off on a jaunt and burn gas like there's no tomorrow. No tomorrow is Jupiter to the max.
I'd throw a trip to the mall into that too, jm. I think of all the stadiums, casinos, shopping plazas and malls, particularly the new ones built since Pluto's ingress into Sagittarius in 1995. Sports, shopping and entertainment seem to be solutions in and of themselves. We build new stadiums and big box stores now the way we used to build up new factories. If only they provided jobs with living wages the way those factories once did.
Which brings us to the coming Pluto ingress into Capricorn. The seeds are being sewn now for what will shortly burst out into the open next year.
There is lots of talk of government restructuring and consolidation here in the Midwest. The old industrial cities, like Cleveland and Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Akron, Toledo, Dayton, Youngstown, Canton and Detroit are talking about reconstituting themselves and forming regional governments.
Many big cities are also planning new downtown developments such as skyscrapers, lofts and apartments. Chicago and New York come to mind. Cleveland developers are also planning some changes to the city's skyline. Very Capricornian things. Urban living seems to be coming back in style with a vengeance.
But also, the old, depressed and mostly abandoned farming and railroad towns too far out to be considered suburbs or exurbs are generating new interest and investment as well. Organic farming is emerging in these places and around the country as a necessary and high-yield alternative to industrial petro-chemical farming.
As the Saturnian resource limitations emerge, the Sag Pluto suburban/exurban expansion will end, and "re-localization" will be the new buzz word, as more and more interest will shift back into the cities and small towns, along the old supply lines and around sustainable systems of living.
I'm with you in part, Neo. Urban living is indeed en vogue especially here in Minneapolis, but the lofts and condos are multiplying with hefty price tags, shouldering out less-affluent residents and corner stores that can't cut it with soaring property taxes and rents.
The rural renaissance with respect to organic farming, artisanal products, etc. is very encouraging. Many of them reside just outside the metro area and come to the city every weekend to sell their produce. Being involved in connecting farmers and consumers, I am am acutely aware of the concerns of farmers I've come to know and patronize. They see land prices rising and pushing out the ones who are struggling. Many go under fighting, or give up in total disgust. We treat our farmers the way we treat the soil-- like dirt. So shortsighted.
Despite the Saturn limits to expansion, the land gets paved over for new developments and lots and roads, leaving me to wonder where the hell we're going to grow our food... Oh wait, silly me, we're supposed to import it from China.
By the way, Neo, you may be interested in The New Rules Project. Because the Old Rules don't work anymore. :o)
I think of all the stadiums, casinos, shopping plazas and malls, particularly the new ones built since Pluto's ingress into Sagittarius in 1995.
As the Saturnian resource limitations emerge, the Sag Pluto suburban/exurban expansion will end
I do believe you're right. I found a great story in my paper today and I'll write a post on it.
No matter what, people take care of people all the time in some quarters. That will always be. In the towns and cities they do this because they're smart enough to know it's cheaper than creating bigger social problems down the road. I would imagine there's more pride in the towns than in the country now. Capricorn will bring this out.
Many cities are in fairly good shape all across the nation.
Despite the Saturn limits to expansion, the land gets paved over for new developments and lots and roads
Some places are worse than others and we do have local control. The expansion of the wealthy class has made them all go psycho with their high end stuff, but that will end in time. It's really ludicrous. I feel sorry for them.
In this town they moved all the homeless away to build the baseball stadium, but being flexible as they are, they adjusted quickly. The new mayor started all kinds of programs for them at the same time, so it all levels out.
The old industrial cities, like Cleveland and Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Akron, Toledo, Dayton, Youngstown, Canton and Detroit are talking about reconstituting themselves and forming regional governments.
This is great. We have to face the fact that the Industrial Revolution days are over and a new economy will be structured in the coming years.
I'm with you in part, Neo. Urban living is indeed en vogue especially here in Minneapolis, but the lofts and condos are multiplying with hefty price tags, shouldering out less-affluent residents and corner stores that can't cut it with soaring property taxes and rents.
You're right, Joe. Minneapolis is expensive! I checked into it a couple of years ago out of curiosity, and rent even for a decent, no extra frills or perks downtown apartment was ridiculously high then. It's probably even moreso now. I do think rent will come down somewhat in the next few years though, maybe considerably so and especially as the over-hyped and over-blown housing market shakes out and settles down. A house is after all, just a house, and not the economic machine unto itself that the market folks warped it into being over the past several years.
But I do think people priced out of the 'burbs or displaced by foreclosure, or just plain tired of the increasingly longer and more pricey commute in and out of town will be looking inward for some sort of cost-effective living arrangement. This will be particularly true of those of us in the Pluto in Libra generation, who I think have a natural inclination towards the sort of social living arrangements and settings that are a byproduct of high-density development. But a lot of people regardless of generation will be moving back into the central cities as energy costs continue to climb.
I am am acutely aware of the concerns of farmers I've come to know and patronize. They see land prices rising and pushing out the ones who are struggling. Many go under fighting, or give up in total disgust. We treat our farmers the way we treat the soil-- like dirt. So shortsighted.
I really see that too, Joe, and it is ridiculously shortsighted. I think we'll have to collectively step back from our current policies though, over the next few years, and give farming its' due. Certainly, we won't be able to go on for very much longer porting large quantities of perishable food and other goods here from overseas. It simply isn't cost effective to do so, and is a waste of energy when you can grow and produce locally so much of what we need here. Yes, some of the more exotic foods will probably become a lot more difficult to find, or at least will be more expensive in the grocery store, but we'll find a way to get by with what we do have.
I think farms and farming are likely to crop up again pretty much everywhere people live. Even the most dense of urban, concrete jungles can and likely will become very green places. Consider, for instance, the rooftop farms and gardens that have been present for years in some communities of New York City. We'll see much more practical creativity along these lines with Pluto in Capricorn.
Grass breaks concrete to grow. It will happen. It's a growing phenomenon in the West as the grocers realize the profit to be gained subsidizing local small farmers. When oil was cheap it was more cost effective to import, but not anymore. There's a long hard road to bring these growers back to health and up from despair, but Pluto is rebuilding from destruction, so it can be done.
Neo, one jarring thing about the cost of living here is the lack of mass transportation. We have a wimpy light rail, as I said elsewhere, and a slightly better bus system, but the best (read: most convenient) way to get around is still by car. And the gridlock is maddening... The city could be so much better-managed than this! It's mostly wishywashy politicians who would rather pass the buck than administer badly needed discipline in the form of wise use of resources and fair taxation to get certain jobs done.
We need Saturn in this city badly, and I think one glaring example of that was the bridge collapse.
JM, I find your comment about the US Sag ascendant very enlightening in the changing times. Here in the PNW where outdoor activities are king, I've noticed a change in how people are accessing the National Forest where I camp regularly. For example, the ranger station reported revenues for summer camping was significantly down this year and at the private campgrounds I attend RV camping has been going up, although this year it seemed down a little from previous years. On the trails I hiked this summer there were fewer individual hikers like I'd experienced previous years and more organized groups of hikers with particular goals in mind, such as amateur astronomers hiking above the tree line for star gazing. To my mind, these are all indicators how the economy is changing quickly and significantly.
Agreed, joe. I've also seen a lot of talk about restoring and building new rail systems, but there's been a lot of debate and outright knuckle-dragging involved. Ohio for years has talked about connecting the "three Cs" Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland by high speed rail. Nothing yet. There's also supposedly another project floating around that would connect the cities in the western portion of the state with the likes of Toronto, Indianapolis and Chicago. But nothing has taken shape yet along those lines, either. Columbus just killed an intra-city transit plan, and Cincinnati and Dayton seem to be drawing up something new now. There's been a lot of talk, but Pluto in Cap will definitely put and hold the politicos feet to the fire.
Nathan, very interesting. I love these facts since they tell the real stories in between the lines of the media diversions.
On the trails I hiked this summer there were fewer individual hikers like I'd experienced previous years and more organized groups of hikers with particular goals in mind
That in itself is noticeable. Goals? Capricorn? In the 1st.
A local economist who has uncanny accuracy says we're in the recession now. This one could be different with the changing circumstances. We've had this happy-go-lucky spell for quite a long time, people have no savings and are in debt, so I suspect responsibility and budgeting are ahead. The swing to the Democrats is right in time with it all, sensing the need for change, but the new development is the beginning abandonment of the Republican Party because of fiscal irresponsibility. This is unusual and a sign of the changing economic situation.
I will be curious to see how the people incorporate their love of nature trips into the tightened situation. In a way, it all could work together as the preservation of the wildnerness could be enhanced. It's a universal thing here, the love of rubber on the open road.
Neo mentioned the return to urban living as a result of higher energy costs and this will be something to watch. Pluto will oppose the US Mercury, ruling transportation, just before the return in the 2nd house.
Sagittarius rules the hips and extensive forward motion, hiking, mountains, etc. If the economy changes enough, could that motion be transmogrified? Or have the people been too lazy, watching their Sagittarius sports on TV, not getting enough exercise, and weakening dangerously. Maybe this will be addressed with the Mars retro progression.
The development of the urban park systems is gaining momentum and the urge toward walking paths is growing. This could replace some of the traveling desire, requiring no fuel. I did a post on an experiment they are doing with walking communities, fitness, and weight control.
here are some interesting facts:
The President's council on Physical fitness was started in 1953. But it really got going with a national advertising campaign in 1961 when JFK came aboard with Jupiter and Saturn in Capricorn trine Pluto in Virgo. Uranus entered Virgo shortly after.
We'll have Saturn in Virgo for a few years trine Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn, but the real push might come when Uranus in Aries squares the Capricorn. Then Uranus in Taurus trines with the big conjunction in 2020. So priorities will change.
There could be a campaign in favor of physical fitness, hopefully within the towns and cities, consuming less and turning motivation inward with the Mars retro. I would like to see fitness emphasized in schools again, not just competetive sports.
In 1961, the NN was also in Virgo. In 2016, when the NN goes into Virgo again, Jupiter will be there.
On the day the NN leaves 0 Libra for 29 Virgo, Mars will be at 29 Virgo. All with Pluto in Cap. Saturn will be beginning the transit of Sagittarius. So health and fitness could be big in the upcoming years. People don't realize what a difference it makes. Health care is not up to some bloated primitive politicians in Washington. It's up to each individual.
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