Fissures and Schisms

It's awe producing when the earth throttles mankind in a brief moment of awakening. A sudden cracked opening allows a universe to rush out and even though the group quickly covers it up and tries to return to normal, something remains visible. Many barriers are being considered for demolition these days, with Pluto and Saturn in fragile partnership and nervous Uranus on the way.

One boundary broken in Haiti was that between the rich and the poor. Close to all of the wealth is owned by the upper 1%, but the quake hit every stratum in one moment of equalization. Now the habitual layering is coming back into place, but the classes did a double take and information about global inequity came pouring out of the split.

And speaking of equal, who is singled out by the universe for these hits and why? Another puzzle never answered. Some people really believe in chance, or so they say, others do not. Everyone wonders in moments like this, counting their lucky stars that their own lives are secure.Jan. 12, 2010, 4:39 PM, Port-au-Prince, Haiti

The chart of the event reveals some interesting facts. Once again Cancer (rising) tells the tale in its persistent search for safety. The Cancer-Capricorn axis is appearing so often I believe some instructions will get absorbed. Catastrophes teach that there is never a full guarantee, yet at the same time, some protective entity always shows up alongside providing relief, aid, and comfort. Fears born of the struggle for survival and what people will do, both bad and good, emerge to help us remain aware and realistic about the good and bad characteristics of human beings in general. The ability to survive and endure is potent.

In this chart Saturn is at the foundation and the square to Pluto shook the structure of the nation from the depths of its nadir. People buried alive (Pluto) in their own architecture (Saturn). There are shaky structures planet wide due for toppling, some violently, some without physical violence. Humans build, build, and build to have it all come down with the passage of time. The height, strength, and massive weight of architecture is testimony, I think, to basic collective insecurity. The mental and psychological structures are included in this rearrangement, if not paramount. The lessons around Cancer-Capricorn question how people build security, both at home and in the world.

The responsibility shown by the Capricorn stellium which Saturn disposits describes a contract between people (7th house) that assures propriety and morality, at least by some, and the structural pillar of solid relationship -- Saturn in Libra at the base. An eclipse triggered the configuration, and it's been said that eclipses expose a shadowy side of the collective psyche, so I think some recognition of human wrongdoing accompanied the tragedy. I found it very interesting that colonial and corporate crimes were discussed as well as the obvious natural disaster. An element of responsibility was experienced in an attempt to share the act with nature.

By now many of you are becoming familiar with the deeds that rich and powerful countries have done to control Haiti, the USA included. The Capricorn planets show this collective guilt and a moment of reparation, since there's been talk of what is owed to the people. Some are assuaging guilt by donating large sums of money that many are confused about in terms of whether they, themselves, deserve these fortunes or not. But even if acquired by hook or by crook, the money is being dispersed.

This is illustrated by the Aquarius stellium in the 8th house of shared resources, once again demolishing the structure of separation. All classes of people worldwide are contributing. Money and greed as the evil that created the hardship is now the saving grace as well as a source of new temptation. So the duality is clearly depicted, a reminder of the importance of human choice. Resources are flowing out of their confines, further breaking boundaries and familiar routes. The urge to repeat the same predatory practices now butts against humanitarian impulses as Wall Street prepares and futurists dream. Capricorn-Aquarius. A ruptured but clean slate.

The shock waves are shown by the elevated Uranus in Pisces, and the square to the Moon with the south node conjunct the ascendant remind the collective of an underlying insecurity these days, maybe a precursor to the building of some solid and safe structures in time. But fearfulness is destined to vibrate for awhile as the war on terror continues. Until we tire of waiting for the next attack and call it quits. The ancient schism between heroic efforts to save lives and the callous destruction in warfare is one that never seems to be reconciled.

The fractures are seen in the massive breakup of families and the multitudes of orphaned children, a Cancer-Aquarius concern. After the aftershocks, some children are going to find security they never imagined with that odd mixture of safety and fear, the familiar and unfamiliar, that marks human existence. Survivors will create new relationships after the sudden violent separations that so many are experiencing together. Their personal matrices have fallen every which way, but already they're undoubtedly busy forging new connections in the war zone. Recovery wastes not a millisecond. Common grief, memory, and some sort of arcane knowledge will bond them together for ages. Stories of survival will expand and be told to all the coming children. Cancer (the tribe) becomes extended family in Aquarius.

Mars in Leo in the second house shows the pride in spending around the world. There are some small human societies that measure status by how much people give, rather than what they own and keep. Some of our rich and famous might be discovering a sliver of that, competition to be perceived as "good" notwithstanding. The jackals of predatory profit are hungrily planning but they are being watched for the moment and Pluto menaces. The leveling is probably greater than people realize.

In addition, Mars retrograde in Leo opposite the Aquarius stellium illuminates an important part of this transit. It points out that there is no individual hero, no King of the World. Ego is being blasted and sent to the rubble while millions of little heroes take the stage and enter the limelight. It's a time for the lesser lights to acknowledge their significance. Jupiter at 29 inflates the value of humanitarian efforts and one by one the usual cast of self important characters gets diminished, maybe permanently. Some humility might emerge with the Pisces transits and the Mars retrograde, especially with Saturn back in Virgo for the finale.

I consulted the Tarot for more information the night of the quake and I drew The Tower. On September 11, I drew the same card and there does seem to be a correlation. A Saturn-Pluto opposition governed that event and the south node was at 3 Capricorn, the north at 3 Cancer, exactly where Pluto is now. I took it to mean that world trade practices had become so destructive that they were due for cosmic correction. Cosmic time and human time do differ but time is supposed to tell. The trade behavior with Haiti is a large part of the story, and with Haiti's south node in Leo, she can be dramatic in her telling. With so much emphasis on homeland security, I think we humans can expect some more interesting stories in these long Cancer-Capricorn days. Our own wealth distribution is similar to that of this little country and the fissures are sure to reach us too.

The splits in the US are appearing within the political parties as loyalty becomes increasingly questionable. Party lines are wobbling like mad. The American system is in chaos cracking wildly in the astonishing Massachusetts special election. The traditional line between the parties is also disintegrating to an extent as people from all sides realize that they have common complaints and interests in some areas. The schism between the commoners and the ruling body is becoming the dominant factor while the people gradually learn to assign responsibility to both parties and to society as a whole. If anyone is guilty, then everyone is.

But perhaps the greatest schism is that between humans and circumstance and the question arises of who-what holds the power. The triumphalism of certain nations is not working and no dominant leaders are emerging while the collective as a whole takes charge. Chaos (Pisces) is prevailing in a grand moment of equalization as Jupiter at 29 Aquarius in the aftermath, along with the moon, remind the group of one of the greatest of all lessons of Aquarius -- circumstances beyond our control. The relinquishing of control in Aquarius is designed as preparation for surrender to cosmic regulation and guidance in Pisces, where Jupiter just arrived. Trust is required to take one's next breath.

Traditional alignments everywhere are on their way to being shattered and restructured in the coming years, and with that, come new opportunities. This has been quite an introduction. A universal chord struck with aftershocks, reverberations, repercussions, and harmonics orchestrating an unexpected awakening. I know I'm on high alert.