by Robert Bonomo
Those who believe that the world of being is governed by luck or
chance and that it depends upon material causes are far removed from the
divine and from the notion of the One.
— Plotinus
On May 27, 2010 the planet Uranus entered Aries and in December of that
same year, in Tunisia, Tarek Bouazizi self-immolated himself after his
electronic scale and the fruit he had bought on credit were confiscated
from him by a corrupt policewoman. That spark sent flames throughout
the Middle East, toppling regimes from Libya to Yemen. Uranus would
make its definitive entry into Aries on the fateful day of March 11,
2011, coinciding almost to the hour with the earthquake and ensuing
disaster at Fukushima. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and the
most self driven while Uranus is the planet that represents revolution,
innovation and change- together they make a radical, ego driven
cocktail.
Uranus reflects many of the traits of the time it was discovered, 1781,
when the American Revolution was in full bloom and the French variant
was ready to boil over. The last time the restless Uranus had passed
through the cardinal sign of Aries was between 1927 and 1935, a time
when two of the most revolutionary (Uranus), and megalomaniacal (Aries)
leaders in history consolidated power. Uranus will not definitively
leave Aries until March 6, 2019, by which time the world will have
undergone profound changes. We cannot say with certainty whether
another calamitous dictator will appear on the world stage, but, at
least in the West, we are devoid of inspired political, cultural and
spiritual leadership and someone with exceptional qualities could become
the focal point of a world thirsty for meaning and direction.
On one level, astrology is understanding cycles and knowing how to
distinguish relevant themes from the noise. Astrologically speaking,
the synodic cycle between Uranus and Pluto lasts approximately 128
years, which means that it takes that much time for the two planets to
circle each other once. Since Uranus (84 year orbit around the sun)
moves much faster than Pluto (245 year orbit around the sun) the
synodic cycle describes how long it takes Uranus to ‘lap’ Pluto in their
‘race’ around our star. Astrologers measure these events from the
moment the two planets are exactly together (conjunct) and pay special
attention to when the two planets are at hard angles: opposed to each
other (180 degrees) and square (45 degrees). The story begins with the
conjunction and slowly unfolds at the first square, reaches a climax at
the opposition, and resolves itself at the second square before coming
full circle and beginning again.
The Pluto/Uranus Cycle
This current synodic cycle between Pluto and Uranus began when the two
planets met between 1962 and 1968 in the sign of Virgo. A conjunction
in astrology refers to a more congenial blend of the planetary forces,
but in the case of these two transpersonal superpowers, even when
cooperating, their force can seem overwhelming. Uranus is the symbol of
revolt, change and technical innovation while Pluto is the lord of
death and debt- the cosmic enforcer and the ultimate symbol of power.
When these two met in the 1960’s all hell broke loose. Pluto waged war
in Vietnam and set off the Cultural Revolution in China while Uranus
instigated the sexual revolution, the Civil Rights Movement, the May of
1968 unrest in France, the Prague Spring, and the space age. Some would
say the dark Plutonian forces won out when the Prague Spring was
crushed, the Kennedys and Martin Luther King were assassinated just as
the Uranian energy was devolving into Mansonian madness. The Apollo
Program was one of the few areas where the Uranian revolutionary
technology meshed well with Plutonian brute force. But each planet also
reached into the sphere of the other, the helicopter in Vietnam had a
very Uranian flavor to it while the gods of Rock & Roll certainly
had a Plutonian, underworld feel to them.
The key to unraveling where we are now is to uncover the seeds sown in
the 1960’s and discover what fruits they have borne so far and how these
forces will continue to interact, albeit in a more antagonistic and
adversarial way as we pass through a long series of squares. Pluto is
now in Capricorn, the sign of governments, armies, corporations,
bureaucracy and culture. Pluto is certainly at home wielding all this
power and the Plutonian compulsion to vaporize all that is weak,
superfluous and temporary is implacable. Just as Pluto entered
Capricorn for the first time in January of 2008 the financial crisis
began, and by his second entry into Capricorn in November of 2008 the
world financial system was teetering on the edge of disaster.
As Pluto was shaking out the fraudulent bankers like a mafia Don
knocking off underlings who had their hands stuck in the cookie jar,
Uranus in Aries was creating a quirky brand of revolutionaries such as
Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and Eric Snowden. The police state that
emerged out of 9/11 has a very strong Plutonian flavor which is being
opposed by this eccentric band of techno-freedom fighters very much in
the Uranian mold.
On November 1, 2013 we reached the apex, or fourth of the seven direct
squares between Pluto and Uranus, where the two planets will be at an
exact 45 degree angles to each other. Four was the number of endings,
of life without spirit for the ancients, and dividing the 360 degree
zodiac into four gives us the most malignant of aspects, the 90 degree
square. On the other hand, the zodiacal circle divided by the benefic
number three gives us the most harmonious aspect of 120 degrees, or a
trine.
Adding emphasis to the importance of this moment, we had a total solar
eclipse on November 3, 2013 in the very Plutonian sign of Scorpio which
could portend a resolution much like the one we had in the 1960’s. The
cosmic call to attention will become even more intense in December with
the ominous entrance of the comet ISON, which could potentially put on a
brilliant show across the winter nights. The last exact square of Pluto
and Uranus will be in March of 2015, at which point the two planets
will move apart and the cycle will look for new themes when the planets
reach opposition in 2043.
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| Jupiter and Thetis, 1811, Jean Auguste Dominique |
What will be the outcome of this great battle? One place to look is the
last time Pluto was in Capricorn, over two hundred and thirty-years ago
during the American Revolution. At that time the strong hands were the
colonists who overcame the weight of the of Capricornian British
Empire, but they had someone on their side, which was Jupiter. Jupiter
is Zeus, the great benefic, giver of good fortune, opposing Pluto in
Capricorn. Jupiter was in Cancer during the American Revolution. Cancer
is a very feminine, lunar sign representing the individual, the home,
roots and directly opposes the authority and bureaucracy of Capricorn.
The United States has come full circle and once again, as in 1776, we
have Jupiter in Cancer, and Pluto in Capricorn, only this time, instead
of the enemy being the British Empire, the enemy is the US Government
itself, with its NSA, CIA, Federal Reserve, and military sprawled across
the world reeking havoc and chaos on the entire planet. But it seems
clear, especially after the failed attempt to attack Syria, that US
power is on the wane and some major event will drive home the need for a
change of the global guard.
The plan to attack Syria had a definite Plutonian flavor, not only
through the gruesome massacres and filmed barbaric acts, but with the
way many governments of the world quickly closed ranks to carry out the
attack on Assad. Only the Uranian rebelliousness of the British
Parliament and the American voters stopped them short. But as the
sixties showed, Pluto can never be stopped, only momentarily diverted.
What started in Libya as Uranian restlessness wound up in a horrific,
filmed and very Plutonian fratricide. How will Pluto counterattack in
Syria? We should remember that Pluto was discovered in 1930; the
historic background of the Depression and the rise of fascism should
give us pause when considering the essence of Pluto’s meaning.
This tension will come to a head on April 20, 2014, when Jupiter in
Cancer goes head to head in opposition (180 degrees) with Pluto in
Capricorn, with both planets square (45 degrees) Uranus in Aires.
Astrologers refer to this aspect as a T-Square, and it is considered
the most tense and conflictive aspect that three planets can form. The
Plutonian force is the NSA scooping up every email and phone
conversation in the world; Pluto has not limits, and as he works his way
through Capricorn, the sign of time and culture, he is shredding all
the false claims of security and patriotism. He is the Egyptian
military storming its way back into power, he is the Saudis doing all
that is necessary to oust the Assad regime in Syria. Pluto doesn't do
body counts. It was Pluto who wiped Osama bin Laden off the face of the
earth without trace.
Uranus is the Middle Eastern youth tired of oppression and corruption,
facing down the old regime, he's the Occupy Movement and the mad rush
for technology. He’s Eric Snowden escaping to Moscow with thousands of
Plutonian files. Uranus is the upsurgent alternative media that refuses
to believe the Plutonian mainstream propaganda. Something has to give,
and that is the beauty of three.
The Magic of Three
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| Jupiter-Uranus-Pluto T-Square April 2014 |
Esoterically, the unity of ones falls into the duality of two, which
becomes the resolution of three. Jupiter, the philosophical benefic,
friend of man, is in Cancer where he is exalted. Exaltation in
astrology means the sign where a planet reaches its higher resonance.
The beauty and love of Venus becomes the love of God in Pisces. The
violence of Mars becomes a standing army in Capricorn, and Jupiter’s
genius, philosophy and pride serve man in Cancer. Maybe we saw
Jupiter's hand in the diffusing of the American attack on Syria, though
one shouldn't count Pluto out on that score; he’ll be back to try to
complete his agenda. Jupiter is Zeus, the ruler of the Olympians,
including Pluto, and through his higher thinking there still might be a
way out.
The easy answer is to call for the much lauded happy medium- a little
Uranian eccentric individualism, a smattering of Plutonian force behind
Capricornian order, and of course the Jupiterian law and philosophy
aiding the man in his Cancerian home. But a battle of this magnitude
will not end in a smoke filled room but rather a bloody, smoked covered
battlefield. The stakes have become too high. The Capricornian
financial system has created a Plutocracy never before witnessed and
this regime will either conquer all or be conquered, there is no
negotiating with Pluto; it will be winner take all.
The concentration of power that we are witnessing in the world,
financially, culturally and militarily, in many ways is a direct result
of the Uranian technological advances of the 20th century. We can see
the Uranus/Pluto relationship perfectly in the Internet. On one hand
it’s anarchistic and liberating, but by the same token it allows the
Plutonian Big Brother a clear view directly into almost every moment of
our lives.
For the United States nothing captured the Uranus/Pluto conjunction of
the Summer of Love better than the Uranian liberation of Haight-Ashbury
and the Plutonian violence of the Vietnam War. The Uranian desire for
change and innovation led spiritual seekers of the sixties to turn their
acid trips into PC’s and the Internet, while the humbled military
industrial complex bounced back, putting soldiers in over eighty
countries and killing people by remote control. Both of these forces
have made enormous strides in the dehumanization of man, from Chinese
factories to Wall Street speculators, even to the point where West
Coast, Uranian hipsters are playing footsie with the NSA by giving them
access to literally all of humanities digital communications. The
answer to this truly Cardinal T-Square is Jupiter, Lord of Olympus,
wielding his thunderbolts from the very personal and human sign of
Cancer.
Astrology is very much like Schrodinger's cat in that until we open the
door, we don’t know whether the poor feline is alive or dead. The same
goes with this T-Square. Only by actively seeking an answer in the
cardinal sign of Cancer, temporary home to Jupiter, will the options
begin to emerge. The consciousness we bring to it will create not only
the solutions but the synchronicities that confirm them.
The World Soul
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| Anima Mundi |
We have lost a central belief that the ancients intrinsically
understood- that the world is alive and has a soul. They felt the world
breath and saw its life force reflected in the world’s soul, the Anima
Mundi. Our modern dogmatic religion, science, refuses to accept that
the earth is alive and has a meaning interwoven with its existence just
as each and every one of us knows that our lives have purpose. For
dogmatic materialists, astrology is as absurd as the idea of the soul
itself. For them, the world is a dead rock, an arbitrary spark in a
meaningless sea of chaos.
The meaning we give, and the connection we make between our lives and
the earth's life will finally confirm the reality we help create by
unmistakable signs in the heavens and on earth. We treat dogs
differently then we do rocks and we approach a plant more subtly than we
do a hill of sand. What astrology is begging us to remember is that
not only are we alive, but so is the earth, our galaxy and our universe.
When we finally see ourselves as living beings, fractals of what is
above, reflections of what is below, only then will we find our way.
Cancer represents the most basic feminine principle of form and being.
By denying that our very home and common mother breaths the same life
we do has allowed us to drift so far on this misguided, patriarchal
adventure. The wisdom of Jupiter illuminating the primeval feminine
Cancer might awaken us again to this long forgotten truth.
As we feel more and more squeezed between the financial, militaristic,
and corporate Plutocracy on one hand, and the gadgetized, ever evolving,
egocentric and meaningless technological void of Uranus on the other,
Jupiter in Cancer may well help us re-encounter our common soul, Anima
Mundi.
One analogy used by
Graham Hancock
is that of televisions. Are we all creating and watching our own
programming, or are we receiving a cosmic signal and each decoding it in
our own manner? If we reject the unique separation model, than our
true selves lie in the signal, not the dumb terminal of the mind.
Awakening to our unified soul against a materialistically dogmatic
backdrop is the great challenge of our time. What type of cosmic event
could change our focus, moving us away from the mundane to the cosmic?
Where we are Now
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| Lightning strike on the Vatican, Feb. 12, 2013 |
If there is coherent meaning to our existence, then there are meaningful
coincidences, or synchronicities as Jung called them. On February 11,
2013, with the Sun in the sign of Aquarius, which many modern
astrologers designate as ruled by Uranus, Pope Benedict XVI announced
that he was resigning. The most widely recognized symbol of Western
dogmatic spirituality would resign by his own accord for the first time
in over 700 years. The next day, as if for emphasis, a lightning bolt
struck the top of St. Peter’s Basilica. Four days after the papal
resignation, a meteor exploded over the skies of Chelyabinsk in the
Russian Urals, shattering thousands of windows, sending over 1,400
people to the hospital and for a few moments creating a light brighter
than the sun. Uranus made its case in the opening salvos of the year in
his sign, Aquarius, so what will Pluto bring us as the sun moves
through Scorpio, the sign many consider to be ruled by him?
With the Sun in Scorpio, on November 1st we had the fourth exact square
between Uranus and Pluto and on November 3rd a total solar eclipse.
What other events could await us as we reach the peak of activity for
the current Solar cycle? It wouldn't be surprising if in the final
weeks of Scorpio we were given one more synchronicity, one more reminder
that our souls lie beyond our heads, the circus that captivates us and
the money we so desperately seek. One more powerful synchronicity might
reawaken the awareness of our common soul and liberate us from the
prison of false isolation. One potent sign born out of the cosmic
duality that moves our attention upward and beyond the mundane with such
a powerful force that few could doubt its significance.
Robert Bonomo is a blogger, novelist and esotericist. Download his latest novel,
Your Love Incomplete, for free
here.
