Thomas Canfield
It may seem strange to be humming “Auld Lang Syne” in the middle of February, but the period starting with the Pisces New Moon may feel like a month-long New Year’s Eve. The chart for the Pisces New Moon (Feb. 20, 2023, Washington, D.C. 2:05 am) has three planets about the change signs. The Sun and the Moon have just moved into Pisces. Venus is almost ready to enter Aries. Saturn will enter Pisces within a month, and Pluto will make its first entry into Aquarius just after the Aries New Moon.
It is a time for looking back on the upheavals caused by the dark outer planets changing signs, but we should not ignore the inner planet. Venus in Aries happens every year, bringing a period of increased passion. This February and March, Venus will be conjunct Vesta (asteroid of hearth and home), Jupiter, Chiron, Juno, and Eris, as well as opposing Ceres, sextile Mars and Mercury, and squaring Pallas. Venus will not be entering Taurus until just before the Equinox. Venus will truly be a “Mighty Aphrodite”, running from one date to another and causing a lot of comment along the way. Venus conjunct Vesta and Jupiter may bring up a lot of discussion on love of family and increasing economic opportunities at home. Ceres in opposition may spark stubborn resistance, wanting to keep the home separate from the workplace. Ceres and Venus both squaring Pallas may cause complaints against common wisdom, and there may be argument s over financial needs versus the sanctity of the home.
Venus conjunct Chiron and Juno may bring health issues and political discussions into the matter. Venus sextile Mars in Gemini and Mercury in Aquarius may inspire ardent, but non-violent, discussions on the public needs. Organizing all of the facts and figures may help win the debate. Sympathies may be with the doctors and with the politicians who side with the doctors. Venus will be moving into the Sixth House for a conjunction with Eris. Not always a good time, though Venus does come out on top, as in the case of the Golden Apple. There may be an attempt to stir up discord over health issues, but Venus will emerge with the best cure.
The Pisces New Moon may be setting up the red carpet for Saturn’s entry into Pisces. It was in March, 2020, when Saturn made its first entry into Aquarius, just as public lockdowns were announced because of the Covid pandemic. Saturn went back into Capricorn in July, as political posturing tried to ease the Covid restrictions to get the economy going again. Saturn returned to Aquarius again, just as plots were underway to overturn the election results, culminating in the Jan. 6 insurrection. As Saturn leaves Aquarius, the Congressmen who supported the insurrection have taken control of Congress, but with the slimmest of majorities.
The presence of Saturn in Pisces has marked milestones of growth in fantasy and technology. Saturn was last in Pisces in 1994, a time when the internet was expanding, and offering a new world of escapism and business growth. The computer boom began, with millions of homes being hooked up to the worldwide web, and offering more knowledge to each person than a library could offer. Saturn was in Pisces in 1966, a time when Color TV supplanted black-and-white shows, and opening up the world to chromatic sci-fi programs such as :”Batman”, “Lost in Space”, and the original “Star Trek.” There are modern wonders, such as cell phones, ultrasound, and medical scanners, which own their inspiration to the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. The growth of science fiction in popular entertainment was seen in the previous Saturn in Pisces cycle in 1936. Movie fans watched Flash Gordon fly to another planet in a rocket ship. Readers of the daily comics could read about Buck Rogers and other hi-tech heroes, who would blossom with the coming comic book publishing companies. Radio heroes were competing with movie heroes for public attention. With the return of Saturn in Pisces, there may be another entertainment boom coming out of the internet or television.
The biggest upheavals may be seen with the entry of Pluto into Aquarius, which has not been seen since the American Revolution. The business world felt the jolts of Pluto in Capricorn, starting in 2008 with the banking crisis caused by too many toxic investments. Pluto in Capricorn saw the largest concentration of wealth in private hands since the 1920’s, with little going to the people who need it the most. The folly and waste of Elon Musk taking over Twitter may be the swan song of Pluto in Capricorn. As one Twitter account noted, “There are more than 400 billionaires in this world, and not one of them is Batman.” The business upheaval of Pluto in Capricorn may now give away to the public sector upheaval.
After more than 240 years, the United States is still debating over issues argued by the original Congress, such as what is the balance between Federal rights and states’ rights, who has the right to vote, and who has the right to own property. The chaotic arguments of the 1770’s may be played out again with high temper, threats of violence, and the work of the Congress not getting done. The result of the American Revolution was a confederation of states with only a shadow of a national government. If current trends continue, we may see a continuing weakness of Congress, and increased blockage for the voters. To accuse elections of fraud without evidence insults the poll workers, demeans the institutions of freedom, and discourages people from taking part in elections. Pluto in Aquarius may see an odd kind of revolution, with the people in charge hoarding power so that they keep anyone from using power and then explain to the people that power issues are none of their business. The result may be a return to the smoke-filled rooms where no one can see how power is being wielded, and accountability may be as dark as the heart of Pluto.
