Thomas Canfield
Even before Pluto enters Aquarius, there are portents of what to expect. Word has come out that the Silicon Valley Bank is collapsing. It is almost déjà vu all over again since a banking collapse took place in 2008 as Pluto entered Capricorn. At that time, the banks in danger of failing were the established Wall Street banks, obviously ruled by Capricorn. The Silicon Valley Bank was the place where the high-tech start-up companies went for their money. Definitely ruled by Aquarius! Most of the investors have a Libertarian attitude that they do not want a government bail-out. However, if they cannot get another bank to buy up the assets, it could lead to a major collapse of start-up companies and a stultifying of technology.
The Solar Eclipse on April 20 may be a sign of further high-tech endings. The eclipse is at 29 Aries, and might as well be called a void-of-course eclipse since the Sun and Moon are not aspecting any other bodies before leaving the sign. By the end of the day, both with be in Taurus, and squared by Pluto in Aquarius. Eclipses usually represent crisis or emphasis , but at 29 degrees at the end of a sign, there may be nothing to emphasize. The crisis may seem distant, like a volcano erupting on the other side of the world, but eventually the effects will be felt on our side. Adding to the upset is that Pluto is squaring Vesta and the North Node in Taurus. This upheaval with the Pluto squares is taking place all in the Fourth House. The effects of a financial upheaval could be felt even in small town banks, affecting the savings of ordinary people.
Another sign of this Fourth House problem is that Ceres, the most elevated body in the chart, is squaring the Ascendant. Ceres is in its sign of Virgo, but is retrograde. As a ruler of family values, events may shake up the security of most families. Ceres is also in opposition to Neptune, and wild fantasies may lead to the fears that will upset most families. Positive signs are that Juno is trine Ceres, and Pallas is sextile Ceres. We may see wiser heads prevail and financial experts may come up with plans that will calm down everyone.
One disturbing issue is one which could not be fit into the chart. Jupiter will be conjunct Eris. (I had to use this chart style because there are so many bodies to fit into the Fourth House, and Eris is not programmed for this style chart.) Eris will be at 24 Aries 38 on the eclipse date. Dampening the discord will be a square from Pallas and a quincunx with Ceres, However, the Ascendant trine Jupiter and Eris may spark a major flare-up. The last time Jupiter was conjunct Eris was in 2011 during the time of the Arab Spring protests in Egypt and the labor upheaval with public sector unions in Wisconsin. About 100,000 state workers went to the legislature to protest budget cuts which would affect their pensions. (This was the incident where Fox News earlier showed their talents for lying by claiming the protests were violent, and they ran film clips of union members fighting in the streets. The only problem with those film clips was that they showed palm trees in the background. They were clips of a labor problem in California a year earlier!)
So, families might want to huddle together and seek comfort. Saturn in Pisces will be sextile Vesta and the North Node, and looking back with nostalgia on how families survived the Great Depression may bring inspiration. Juno sextile Neptune might bring some “fireside chat” speeches to reassure the public. Pallas trine Neptune could inspire the “Green New Deal” that people were talking about. One area to watch may be healthcare, with Mars squaring Chiron, since there may be a threat to cut off medical payments. Yet, Venus sextile Chiron may help the money to come through.
The two bodies that may be needed to provide the most help are in the money sign Taurus. Mercury is conjunct Uranus and both are sextile Mars. There may have to be radical changes in the way start-up companies are managed. Even a high tech genius can do stupid things. Mercury and Uranus are quincunx the Midheaven, and people may be seeing the need for a major adjustment. Like the auto industry in 2009, a bail-out may be necessary, but with insistence that there will be a payback.
