“What the Heck is Going on with the World?” The Total Solar Eclipse and Other Transits you Should Know About for the Years 2017-2020

 

I don’t blog much and when I finally do, it is usually about some potentially nasty transit that I want to warn my friends and clients about, just in case it manifests.  So at the risk of sounding like Sybil Trelawney (“Harry Potter, you are in grave danger!”) today I am posting yet again about a potentially tough transit.  I do this not because I revel in nasty transits and enjoy scaring people but because I have been getting a lot of questions lately about “What the heck is going on with the world right now??”  This article is my response.  And if you don’t know much about astrology, this article is especially for you.  

Some of the forecasts sound kind of dire, some of the others not so much. Some may manifest, some may not.  Oh well.  But if you read this article, then at least you will know what most astrologers are thinking and talking about right now.

A series of planetary alignments has got astrologers buzzing lately.  The first kicks off this summer with a total solar eclipse on August 21st, beginning at 16:48 UTC (Saros series 145, 28 degrees Leo).  There are a lot of varying opinions on what eclipses mean and how they operate. However, here is what most astrologers do agree on when it comes to the eclipse on August 21:

1.  The eclipse will have significance for you if it triggers something in your natal chart.

Dig out your natal chart (or call an astrologer) and see if you have a planet or point at 28 or 29 degrees Leo or Aquarius.  If you do, this eclipse might be marking a significant new direction in your life.  

Eclipses are game changers.  They signify that a brand new cycle is beginning, one that might be totally unexpected.  Solar eclipses can bring to the surface what has been hidden from view.   They can reveal knowledge to you that you might not have had access to before.  And the effects of this particular eclipse could last for the next three years.  Sometimes an eclipse feels positive, other times it will be challenging, depending on what shape your own personal natal chart is in already.   Since this eclipse takes place in the sign of Leo, the issues that are highlighted are:

1.  Issues about the Ego:  self-worth, self-value, self-confidence, pride, feeling special, self-centeredness, self-expression
2.  Issues about Leadership:  being a ruler, a leader or a celebrity, being a stand-out, being in the spotlight
3.  Issues about Fun:   creativity, the arts, play, enthusiasm and love of life
4.  Issues about Children:  babies, children and youth, also your inner child   

2.  The eclipse will be especially significant for the United States.

Path of Totality across USA (Source:  NASA)

While bits of North America and Hawaii will see some of the effects of the eclipse, the only view of the total eclipse is from within the continental USA.  The sky will darken dramatically along the actual path of the eclipse, which travels from Oregon to South Carolina, a distance close to 70 miles.  The last time a total eclipse traveled from one coast of the USA to the other was in 1918. And it will be the first time that an eclipse was visible solely from the USA since the year 1257!  So this eclipse is a Big Deal.

3.  The solar eclipse will affect Donald Trump in an important way.

The eclipse will occur at 28 degrees Leo.  Leo, ruled by the sun, signifies kings and rulers.  So this eclipse is talking about political leaders of countries.  Since it takes place in the USA, it is talking especially about the leader of that country.   The eclipse will also trigger Donald Trump’s Mars and Ascendant (Rising Sign) which just happens to oppose the Moon in the chart of The United States of America (countries have charts, too, just like people, based upon the time of origin of the country). Trump himself was born during a lunar eclipse.  For astrologers, all of this put together is another Big Deal.  The cosmic signs are all pointing to Trump and the USA.  

Natal Chart of Donald Trump (Source: Astrodatabank

In ancient days, the king’s chart was essentially a chart of the fate of the kingdom and its people.  This particular eclipse occurs in Leo (sign of rulers) conjunct the fixed star Regulas (star of kings).  Traditionally interpreted, this is a pretty bad sign.  The ancients thought that it meant the king would die or lose all honor and greatness.  But we no longer live in ancient times.  Today, transits don’t tend to manifest in such literal terms.

Unlike other transits, eclipses are tricky to interpret because they can take a few years to reveal their effects.  So there seems to be a lot of contradictory opinions about what eclipses really mean for modern life.  Some astrologers, such as Gemini Brett, are connecting the dots to previous eclipses (of the same Saros or Metonic cycle) when United States presidents went through disastrous events. For example, JFK was assassinated in 1963, the year of a Saros 145 eclipse. As well, the Saros 145 eclipse of 1981 saw an attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. And another Regulus solar eclipse in 1988/89 witnessed the impeachment of Bill Clinton.  In an article published by OPA, Brett also makes some sobering connections to Saros 145 eclipses and historical nuclear arms energy events, such as the bombing of Hiroshima.  Does this automatically mean that Trump is in “grave danger?”  Or that the world is?  No.  Well, perhaps. Eclipses are slippery to interpret.  So all we can do is conclude that this is an interesting correlation and keep watching…

On a different note, Kepler College astrologer Christine Arens has predicted some sort of health problem for the president. Trump’s natal Mars and Rising Sign are in Leo,  which suggests back trouble (at the very least) or heart trouble (at the very worst). 

Perhaps the thing that concerns astrologers most is that the eclipse will fall near Trump’s natal Mars, planet of anger, aggression, masculinity, and war.  Wild-card Uranus in Aries will trine his Leo Mars/Ascendant, suggesting an impulsive, hot-headed, aggressive reaction due to pride.  Trump’s self-identity (progressed Sun recently entered Virgo) is receiving a bit of a dent these days– he is perhaps more reflective and self-critical than ever before in his life, and he is also struggling to adjust to wounds caused by outside critics (Mars/Ascendant/Progressed Sun inconjunct transiting Chiron).  The process looks emotionally draining and physically exhausting. Will Trump reach for the “War button” as a cure for a flagging ego?  Before you panic, Saturn is making a trine to his Mars in an effort to cool things off and make him a bit more cautious and aware of the long term plan.  Phew.  I am hoping that it will be enough to keep him in check of any impulsive aggressive tendencies. A raging lion is a dangerous thing and a wounded lion perhaps even more so.  

While these forecasts may sound dire, other astrologers are making milder predictions, saying merely that some kind of change will likely happen in Trump’s life. Despite all the contrary opinions, astrologers agree that something significant will be happening with the president and that this will have ramifications for the country he rules.  

So now the big question is when? Some astrologers think that the effects of a solar eclipse take place immediately or even a few months ahead of time. Other astrologers such as Dr. Ben Dykes claim that the effect of this particular eclipse will only begin to take place 9 to 12 months later.  The effects of this eclipse are thought to last 3 years.   So now we settle down to wait and watch.

4.  The solar eclipse is merely one of a number of planetary alignments that are signifying “Interesting Times Ahead.”

Currently, astrologers have their eye on the period of 2018 to 2020 when a number of transits will play out, signifying huge changes to economic systems, political systems, and even geological systems across the globe. 

The Big Crash?  Saturn conjunct Pluto in Capricorn, 2019-2020

This transit will really start to cook in 2019 but hits for real in January of 2020.  Government, banking and currency systems will likely experience a certain amount of upheaval.  And there might be some major geological disturbances as well.  (Pluto rules subterranean events, like volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunami.  Also rules nuclear power.  Hmmm…)  

Saturn (the planet of limitations) is pairing up with Pluto (planet of deep transformation) in the sign of Capricorn (sign of big business, commerce, banking, government). Read literally, this pairing suggests ”major transformation of all material systems on earth triggered by reaching the limits of the current systems.” Not good news for a planet already in the midst of severe social and economic crises and on an ecological brink.   The words “fiat currency collapse” are getting bandied about a lot these days, not only by conspiracy theorists, but by conventional economists as well.  The astrology of Saturn conjunct Pluto in Capricorn seems to provide backup for these theories, in an unsettling way.   

The Saturn/Pluto conjunction is also associated with fanaticism, which is not exactly good news to hear, since the earth is already up to its ears in fanatics right now and this transit hasn’t even peaked yet.  This conjunction could whip up extremists into even more of a lather.  I expect this to specifically affect groups like ISIS as well as violent right-wing groups in North America and Europe.

In his book, How to Predict the Future, (Hermetician Press, 1995) the Astrologer James Braha states that the conjunction of transiting Saturn with Pluto indicates that a choice must be made. One path is easy and comfortable, the other is riskier, but more exciting and true to our hearts.  The choice of path will determine one’s future for years down the road as well as how much power, control and authority one will have, so the decision should be made with great care. Following one’s heart in the choice may lead to a loss of some things that are dear but ultimately the results will be better in the long run if one follows their true heart in the matter.  It is like the stars are asking humanity, “C’mon – it’s time to make the right choice. Follow your heart and do what is right.  What really matters!  Might be your last chance for a while.”

Revolution in Food and Finances:  Uranus Enters Taurus, 2018-2026

The other Big transit that astrologers are buzzing about is Uranus entering the sign of Taurus.  This happens in 2018 and lasts until 2026.  Uranus (planet of shock and sudden change) will enter Taurus (the sign associated with finance, food and values).   The last time Uranus entered the sign of Taurus was in 1935 during the Great Depression, five years after the US stock market crashed in 1929. Erk!!!  This is not a great sign. Will there be a repeat of  The Great Depression?  No one knows, but what is known is that a different method of exchange and food production is about to be born.  These new methods will be unique and independent of the current traditional systems. Think: local barter, local exchange and new methods of producing small-scale locally grown food

Making Changes for the Future

If this is the first time you have bumped into the theory that global economic upheavals lurk ahead, then you might consider googling around to read what economists are saying about the possible collapse of the fiat currency system, and what you can do to protect your finances. And while you are at it, you might like to google around and tap into local barter systems and start networking. Developing relationships with your local food growers could come in very handy in the future. Similarly, you might wish to cast an eye about your home and think about what changes you can make now to get off-grid a little more.  I am not suggesting that you start panicking and make extreme changes (unless you feel called to do so.) But there’s no harm in doing things like extending your vegetable garden. Even if nothing major happens in the next few years, at the very least, you will end up saving money in the long run and have a few more potatoes to boot.

Understand Your Spiritual Role in the Transformations

Above all, do not panic.  If you happen to be dwelling on the planet today, it is an indication that you are part of the “transformation crew” —  a wonderfully courageous and perhaps slightly fool-hardy lot who decided to be born on the earth to prepare humanity and usher in the upcoming changes.  Congratulations!  Just by being you, you are helping to bring transformation to human consciousness.  So do not despair– continue to visualize a positive future for humanity and all the species on Earth, living together on a healthy planet.  Then get out there and do what you can to take action and bring that positive future to fruition, (no matter how small or insignificant you think your action might be).  Take things one day at a time.  Don’t panic.  You’ve got what it takes to deal with this.  How do I know?  Because you are here.  Now.

To find out more about how the upcoming planetary transits could affect your life, you can contact me for a personal astrology chart reading.