Friday 25 September 2020

Are we having fun yet? Dear oh dear, the news doesn’t get any cheerier, does it, although I did manage to find two good-news stories this past week. First, we discovered China has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2060, and that it has already embarked on a series of “vigorous policies” to that end. And second, an African giant pouched rat has won a prestigious award for his work detecting land mines. (The rats are trained to identify a compound within the explosives; once they smell the compound, they scratch the top of the device to alert their human co-worker.) Top rat, Magama’s PDSA Gold Medal is inscribed with the words: “For animal gallantry or devotion to duty.” 

Not all rats are equal however, some are really nasty and when not called to duty, they spread disease. 

Which brings me onto one of the other big news stories of the week, the spread of covid-19. Europe is seeing a rapid resurgence of the virus – Spain has the highest infection rate, France follows and more than half the Union is re-imposing some form of lockdown. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Boris informed the British people of new restrictions, which he stated would be in place for six months. Hours later, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu announced a “hermetic” lockdown. 

The renewed spread of the coronavirus shouldn’t come as a surprise. The virus never went away. It was hanging around, invisible to the eye, waiting for normal service to resume and millions of hosts for it to enter. And as soon as schools and universities went back, bars and restaurants opened, and the sun shone, it was only a matter of time – a handful of weeks – before covid-19 re-asserted itself.

The second half of 2020, as Mars engages the Saturn-Pluto-Jupiter conjunction, and Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto change direction, always promised to be an extremely challenging and confrontational period for the planet, and thus far, it has not disappointed. Today, before going to press, a policeman was shot dead in south London, and in Paris, near the former offices of the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo – the focus for a deadly terrorist attack in January 2015 – two employees of a documentary production company were attacked with “a kind of cleaver”.

During recent Friday Bites I have covered the street protests in several countries. These demonstrations in large part are in countries whose leaders and governments are the antithesis of democracies. Somehow, that America – the land of the free – should find itself in the grip of such violent protests is shocking. And America’s troubles got a little bit worse this past week.

On Wednesday, in Louisville, Kentucky, the keenly awaited verdict on the killing of Breonna Taylor was announced. None of the three officers involved was given a murder sentence; only one was indicted on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment.  Outrage over the verdict translated into protests in cities across the United States. From Louisville to Los Angeles, New York to Seattle, Atlanta to Portland people expressed their disbelief and distress. Louisville declared a state of emergency as armoured cars rolled into the city and military personal lined the streets. And alongside the military, in the shadows of carparks and boarded up businesses, stood armed civilians – a far-right group called The Oath-Keepers – there to protect the city.

Later that day, in Washington DC, at a press conference, after providing promising evidence of growth in the economy, housing and business, and pointing out coronavirus figures were on the decline, and a vaccine close to being ready, the president was asked whether he would confirm a “peaceful transfer of power” after the election.  Mr Trump did not respond directly to the question, saying: “Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very peaceful… there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation.”

On Wednesday, 23rd, Mercury squared Saturn, having just squared Pluto on Monday. These aspects are not alone, however, they are part of a T-square involving a Mars-Mercury opposition. Translated, the confrontational aura of the Mars-Saturn-Pluto-Jupiter configuration is providing a backdrop to current events, and since Mars, Saturn and Pluto have yet to turn direct – and Mercury to head into retrograde and then direct – actions and statements made now will have extensive repercussions in late October and November. 

In thirty-nine days, America will head to the polls. Just prior to the election, Mercury (in retrograde) will again square Saturn, taking us back to the events of the present time. And Saturn in particular is synonymous with karma. Mr Trump’s remarks uttered precisely as Mercury squared Saturn on the 23rd of September may prove prophetic. On the other hand, they might come back to haunt him.

This week, a friend of mine – a great Trump supporter – asked me who I thought would win the election. I told him that the astrology was not definitive because although the president has a far more difficult set of transits at this election – transits that would in most other instances indicate a loss – his opponent, Joe Biden has little to show for a victory of such magnitude. This might logically give rise to a “draw”, and grounds to turn to the Supreme Court to decide the victor.

The astrological difficulties Mr Trump faces this time around are oppositions by Saturn and Pluto to his natal Venus-Saturn conjunction. It is going to be extremely difficult for him to win the popular vote under these influences, given that he lost it in 2016. He has a lot of wood to chop. His supporters may in large part remain solidly behind him, but there are many detractors. And even though presidential races are usually won on the strength of the economy, on this occasion the management of the coronavirus is almost certainly going to tip the balance. (A factor I have previously discussed regarding the new-moon-full-moon cycle of 23rd April – 31st October – see my YouTube channel.) And there are millions of Americans who believe the pandemic has not been handled well by the president.

However, this is not the whole story.

Events on and around the 30th/31st October may well prove pivotal to the course of the election. The full moon at 8 degrees 41 minutes of Taurus is but seven minutes away from a conjunction with Uranus, and Uranus is coincident with revolution and change. On a Uranus transit events happen suddenly and unexpectedly. While this may point to a last-moment swing in the poll-ratings due to people suddenly changing their minds, it could also indicate a life-changing development.

Since Mars and Mercury are both squaring the Saturn-Pluto-Jupiter trio at the turn of the month, as indeed they are at the moment, the climate will be similarly angry, divisive and volatile; all it might take is a gross act of violence, and a postponement of the election might follow. On the other hand, given that both Mr Trump and Mr Biden are in their mid-seventies, should they be pushing themselves too hard at this time, a hospital admission might prove necessary. 

The 2020 US election is already proving to be the most controversial for decades, and whoever ends up in the White House is going to face two to three years of turmoil. Which is why, I also believe, it will be a pyrrhic victory for the next president. 

I don’t think you need to be an astrologer to figure out that in regard to the election, there is trouble ahead. 

Thirty-nine days and counting…