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For centuries, astrologers east and west have looked to the chart of the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn – the Great Conjunction – for clues about world events for the forthcoming era. The chart is a symbolic synthesis of the dominant postive and negative energies around us as seen by Jupiter, the Great Benefic and Saturn, the Great Malefic. This astronomical configuration takes place every twenty years and can be seen as a marker for coming major events and as a long-term indicator for global trends. For example, some stargazers believe the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC was the Star of Magi that accompanied the coming of Jesus Christ. The Great Conjunction of 1345 was part of a very afflicted chart and can be interpreted as a warning for the Black Death that wiped out a third of Europe’s population from 1347 to 1350. The conjunction of 1901 can be seen as containing the seed of World War 1 and the unleashing of the destructive power of the twentieth century as the warrior planet Mars was conjoined with Jupiter and Saturn while the Great conjunction itself was exactly aspected by malefic Ketu (South Node).
Our current times therefore similarly reflect the heavenly circumstances of the most recent meeting of Jupiter and Saturn in the sky in 2000. The September 11 th attacks on the USA and the subsequent “War on Terror” have left an indelible stamp on our era. Certainly, the horoscope of this conjunction does show the uncertain and turbulent times of our post 9/11 world. Jupiter and Saturn conjoin in sidereal Aries, a fire sign known for its aggressive nature. Moreover, it is subject to a trinal aspect from Ketu within just three degrees, albeit across signs. Ketu’s influence is inherently unstable and is often the harbinger of sudden or unwanted change. That clearly has been the case in the wake of the growing militancy of fundamentalist Islam as Western nations have been forced to rethink their relationship to the Muslim world. But to make matters even more uncertain, the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction is also closely squared by radical and rebellious Uranus, suggesting the next two decades will be more tumultuous and subject to even more sudden changes and revolution than normal. The power of these close aspects is greatly magnified by the proximity of the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction to the 10 th house cusp (Midheaven), the horoscopic point most associated with the seat of government. This strongly points to a thorough revamping or restructuring of key institutions and societies all over the world. And since I have cast this chart for Washington, DC, one may surmise that the USA will be at the centre to these upheavals. Governments will be a likely focus of this change since Sun, the significator of the State, is closely opposed by power-hungry Pluto and widely conjunct violent Mars. One additional troubling element here is that the midpoint of Sun and Mars falls directly opposite Pluto. Although it may be a truism to say it, this signature reinforces the notion that our world will exhibit high levels of collective violence, including terrorism, until at least 2020, when the next Great Conjunction occurs and our collective fates will reflect new celestial forces.
But happily, it’s not all doom and gloom since Venus is close to the Sun and trined by Neptune and sextiled by the Moon, perhaps indicating a revival of idealism and the redemptive power of beauty, art, and aesthetics. The Venusian presence with the Sun may indicate the rise of significant social movements led by or associated with women. Venus is especially strong in this chart since it is placed in the 10 th house of power and is in its own sign of Taurus. It can therefore more easily express its positive associations. And with the Moon closely sextiling Venus, there is another significant feminine influence in this chart. It is therefore not unreasonable to think of the coming era as highlighting female strength and the feminine and artistic contribution to society. The predominance of female symbols connected with the 10 th house of status and power may also herald the election of a greater number of female heads of state.
Mercury is also strong in its own sign of Gemini in the 11 th house of gains, so this might lead us to the conclusion (and an obvious one at that) that communications and technology will continue to flourish and reshape our world in a positive direction. Given the favourable position of Mercury near the equal 11 th house cusp in this USA-centered chart, it seems likely that the West will continue to enjoy a leading role in technological innovation and economic power for the foreseeable future. Interestingly, when this chart is centered on Beijing, Uranus rises and therefore again highlights the Jupiter-Saturn square aspect in a way reminiscent to the pattern in the USA chart. An important difference is that Sun sits on the IC, thus setting up a Sun-Uranus mundane square. This configuration should give the current communist leadership in Beijing cause for concern about their unrivalled position of authority. It’s safe to conclude that the current political structure in China will undergo major change in the next ten to fifteen years and will include the loss of the communist party’s monopoly on the political power.
All in all, this particular Great Conjunction chart looks both promising for human technological progress and women’s development into full and equal partners in humanity and difficult in terms of violence, war, and sudden societal change. So there’s no promised land around the corner anytime soon, although there are still astrological grounds for hope. So here’s to Mercury and Venus — let’s hope they can keep Ketu and Uranus at bay.
*All charts on this website by Solar Fire, a product of Astrolabe – www.alabe.com.