Welcome to the COSMIC UPDATE

My COSMIC UPDATES are a way of looking at items and people in the news from an astrological perspective. And while I try to make the text as understandable as possible I realize that some of the astrological jargon baffles the general reader. 

COSMIC UPDATE: 15^th July 2001

INCLUDED IN THIS WEEK’S COSMIC UPDATE: 

• Finding the Goddess

• The Saturn-Pluto Opposition

FINDING THE GODDESS

On the 10^th July at 11hrs 55 am Preeti Shakya was chosen to be Nepal’s new living goddess, the Kumari. Until she reaches the age of puberty she will live a life of seclusion at her official temple-residence, the Kumari Ghar, and will be seen in public only rarely.

The selection of this new goddess follows a tradition in the Himalayan kingdom of keeping a virgin deity to ‘watch over’ the people. When she retires at the age of twelve she will be carried back to her parents’ house on a high palanquin and pensioned off to ordinary life.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Preeti was selected at the auspicious time of 11 55 am after consultations with astrologers.

Well, of course, I couldn’t resist looking to see why my Nepalese peers considered this moment to be so auspicious. But I have to admit that I am baffled as to why. At first I thought perhaps the answer lay in setting up the chart using the sidereal zodiac but as far as my limited understanding of Hindu astrology goes I still could not establish why the chart was so auspicious.

The sidereal zodiac is favoured by astrologers in the East. In brief a sidereal chart is based on  the constellations of the fixed stars as they are now. Astrologers in the West use the tropical zodiac, which is, loosely speaking, a mathematically derived system that does not take into account the phenomenon of precession. [See The Science Bit.]

Here first is the chart based on the tropical system – always used by me – and second the sidereal chart.

10^th July 2001  11.55am, Kathmandu, Nepal. Sidereal Zodiac
(Click For Enlarged Image)

10^th July 2001  11.55am, Kathmandu, Nepal. Tropical Zodiac
(Click For Enlarged Image)

The only feature of the (tropical) chart that I could interpret as auspicious is the degree area of the angles of the horoscope (i.e. the Ascendant- descendant axis and the Midheaven- Imum Coeli axis). The Mid-heaven at 14 degrees 47 of Cancer is a mere degree away from that of the lunar eclipse which took place some five days earlier. A horoscope that resonates with an eclipse is certainly a portent of great events, however, I would consider this chart to be a portent of events of great difficulty rather than great happiness, which is presumably what you want to achieve with the inauguration of a goddess.

My reasons for describing this chart as difficult are that Venus, the ruler of the chart, makes not one harmonious aspect. Venus is conjunct constraining Saturn and square the nurturing moon. The sun in Cancer – clearly very fitting for a goddess – is the most elevated ‘planet’ but aside from its conjunction to the Mid-heaven the sun makes no single aspect to anything else. Furthermore, the moon (the ruler of the Midheaven represents the apex of a ‘T’-square involving an opposition between Venus and Saturn at one end of Mars-Pluto at the other! Indeed, it wouldn’t surprise me if the new Kumari presides over an era that is bloody and repressive.

In the sidereal chart the relationships between the planets remain the same, so that the ‘T’-square takes place in the signs of Aquarius (moon) Taurus (Saturn and Venus) and Scorpio (Mars and Pluto). The angles of this chart similarly resonate with the lunar eclipse of the 5^th July. However, in this chart Virgo rises (very suitable for a virgin goddess) so that Mercury becomes the ruler of the horoscope - and Mercury is also the ruler of the Midheaven. And, unlike Venus in the tropical chart, Mercury is well aspected – a conjunction to Jupiter and a trine to Uranus. So the sidereal chart is a little more up-beat.

Since the nodal axis of a chart is considered crucial in Hindu astrology the conjunction of Jupiter and Mercury to the North Node (Dragon’s Head) would be deemed as highly favourable.

But clearly I’m missing something so if there are any siderealists out there – or indeed anyone who can decipher why this is such an auspicious chart – please let me know.

THE SATURN-PLUTO OPPOSITION

Saturn entered the sign of Gemini on the 20^th April this year and since that moment has moved relentlessly towards an opposition to Pluto in Sagittarius – a connection that is set to take place precisely on 5^th August.

There is no way of describing this event as a portent of wonderful things to come. Saturn and Pluto are not the most cheerful of companions at the best of times and when they are at opposite ends of the zodiac they spell hard times. Indeed, I am at a loss to put a positive spin on this combination.

It may be that Saturn will act as a stabilizing influence to Pluto thereby calming various global hot spots and limiting the effects of mass epidemics and the like. It may be that the vicissitudes of the global economy will be quelled and slow and steady progress made in an upward direction. It may be that a fascist government and a dictator or two will be held to account by the people so that we will see the end of some of the most feared regimes in the world. Perhaps the oil barons will have their power curtailed and we will see a reduction in oil prices across the globe. And maybe we will see law and order prevail and anarchy recede.

Maybe.

Rather more realistically I think we are looking at a global recession.

Of course, theoretically, recessions serve a purpose in that they curtail a previously inflationary cycle. And like the culling of an animal herd, it is in everyone’s best interests in the long term. But there is no doubting the fact that recessions mean hard times and everybody suffers.

And although this opposition is still a few weeks away from exactitude, its effects are already noticeable. The inability of Argentina to handle its massive debt, for instance, and the continuing concern over Japan’s economy, because of its bad debts in the banking system. And while Europe continues to bury its head in the sand refuting all rumours of a spreading recession, the United States is clearly registering concern.

However, before we start stockpiling tins of baked beans and making hair shirts for ourselves, there are some indications of hope. And they come from the chart of the United States.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
4^th July 1776, 5hrs10pm, Philadelphia, PA
(Click For Enlarged Image)

Now, there is more than one chart for the USA mainly because there is some difference of opinion as to when exactly the signing of the Declaration of Independence took place. But since Jefferson himself reported in his diary ‘ The debates having taken up the greater part of the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th days of July, were on the evening of the last, closed…’ the generally accepted chart for the States is the one set for 5 10 pm.

What should be noted immediately about this chart is the Ascendant-descendant axis of 12 degrees 21 of Sagittarius/Gemini. The first ‘hit’ of the Saturn-Pluto opposition is at 12 degrees 38 of Sagittarius/Gemini so America is clearly going to register the effects of the opposition. And while this same degree area no doubt appears in many countries’ charts, that it is in America’s, the most powerful nation in the world, has to be significant for us all. So we should all watch and wait.  

Pluto is currently conjuncting the Ascendant of this chart while Saturn is both opposing the rising degree and conjuncting the descendant point. Thus Pluto’s transformational influence is aimed at America’s persona. In other words, America is currently reinventing itself, experiencing the death of the old and the birth of a new. Part of this process is taking place through the new administration of George W. Bush and while many people doubt Bush’s diplomatic and presidential skills, there is no doubting his right to be President as viewed by his chart. (Bush’s natal sun is conjunct the sun in America’s chart, his moon-Jupiter conjunction is on Saturn in America’s chart and his Ascendant/descendant axis is conjunct the nodal axis in America’s chart.) Furthermore, at this moment in time Bush is grappling with the thorny issue of when life begins, due to the furore over human cloning et al.

Saturn’s conjunction to the descendant (the cusp of the seventh house of partners and open enemies) suggests that it is other nations and other leaders who are proving and will continue to prove to be America’s biggest challenge. America’s partners will at the very least become critical of US policies and actions and at worst there could be hostilities where once there was unity. As for America’s enemies, these leaders, nations and groups will come out against America in full force now. And if ever there was an astrological setting for war, it is this one.

However.

Jupiter has just entered the sign of Cancer and America’s chart not only has the sun in Cancer, but also Venus, Jupiter and Mercury. And at the time of the first Saturn-Pluto opposition, Jupiter will be at 5 degrees of Cancer, precisely conjunct natal Jupiter and applying to the sun.

At the very least Jupiter will offset some of the inherent difficulty of Saturn and Pluto so particularly in regard to the economy instead of this opposition leading to a full scale depression, the like of which we haven’t seen since the 1930’s, we may instead see the soft landing that Alan Greenspan (Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board and controller of America’s money supply) has been aiming for. In which case, the fear we are currently experiencing in regard to a full blown global recession may prove to be unfounded.

Also, Jupiter’s protective presence could well offset other potential Saturn-Pluto difficulties including my earlier comment that America’s enemies will come out in force during the season of the Saturn-Pluto influence. We may even see, after a struggle, some resolution to the Middle East crisis.

The opposition between Saturn and Pluto will occur three times in this cycle – the first on 5^th August, the second (retrograde) on 2^nd November and the third (probably the most significant) on the 26^th May. On each of these occasions Jupiter is close to the sun in America’s chart, thus continuing to radiate hope and diffuse the harshness and austerity of Saturn and Pluto.

Praise be!  

Copyright © 2001 Penny Thornton