Thomas Canfield
It is not often that a New Moon falls on a national holiday, but it can offer a special significance to the events of the day. The Gemini New Moon will be falling at 7:30 am on Memorial Day, a time when sunrise ceremonies may be underway at Veterans’ cemeteries. Juno, the asteroid of marriage and political connections, will be on the Midheaven and squaring the New Moon. There could be some resentment towards political intrusion at a time when reverence to the dead should be respected. Politicians have always used holidays to get across their agenda, but for this holiday the political displays could be ham-handed.
With Pluto in the Eighth House trine Mercury Retrograde in the Eleventh House, there could be more public awareness of sacrifice and death for this Memorial Day. Although the holiday has been associated with the dead, it has usually presented a sanitized version of death with rows of gravestones adorned with flags. This year, with Mars and Jupiter sextile the New Moon, there may be a stronger awareness of mortality. Each day, hundreds of pictures come in showing the horrors in the Ukraine. They make people stop and think about how daily life could be upended by a sudden attack. There is a new respect for ordinary citizens who leave their jobs, take up a weapon, and fight against an enemy. The rows of burned-out buildings inspire a hope that the cities can be rebuilt. They provide a lesson that those who passed on in their service may have spared our country from a similar ruin. Mars sextile the New Moon may inspire the warrior spirit. Jupiter sextile the New Moon may want to bring about a restoration.
Vesta, asteroid of hearth and home, is sextile Venus, and trine the Ascendant and Part of Fortune. Love of family and personal security may be powerful messages at this time. Vesta is also trine Ceres, just below the Ascendant, and Venus is sextile Ceres. There may be people planning behind the scenes for the rebuilding of Ukraine, but you may not know about their efforts until the time is right. Ceres is semi-sextile the New Moon, and having the New Moon in the Twelfth House may add to the secrecy. The New Moon in such a position may bring attention to the unsung heroes of the fight. They might not be people who died on a battlefield or in a bombed out theater. They might be the informants and spooks who provided much needed intelligence. People may start to recognize how those unknown fighters fulfilled their duties with no expectation of getting a medal or a pension. Like the CIA’s Hall of Fame, the forgotten fighters may finally get some public appreciation.
Pallas, asteroid of wisdom, is conjunct Uranus , and both are sextile Juno and the Midheaven. Although awkward political figures might make embarrassing statements, this is also a time when some wisdom is needed. Politicians need to get their speechwriters working on a 21st Century version of the Gettysburg Address. Now is the time for a catch phrase, or a defiant gesture worthy of V for Victory. At the moment, the most definite gesture used against the Russians has been extending the middle finger. Chiron is semi-sextile Pallas-Uranus and Juno-Midheaven. Images of healing the wounded and saving the victims of bombing may provide their own inspirations for people to follow.
Eris, dwarf planet of discord, may provide some upheavals. Eris will be sextile Saturn and semi-sextile Mercury retrograde. There could be misrepresentations of what is said and what praises can be given for the holiday. Saturn sextile Eris might represent an old-fashioned interpretation of the holiday. The nationalistic notion may be put forward that only American dead should be honored on the holiday, and there should not be any mentioning of the Ukraine invasion. Mercury Retrograde semi-sextile Eris, as well as squaring Saturn, might uphold this limited view of memorials, but with Mercury Retrograde conjunct the North Node and trine Pluto the course of events could overshadow any localized celebration of Memorial Day. Fighting and death might be too evident to ignore, and the idea of a purely traditional Memorial Day may be forgotten. Watch for some cemeteries to place Ukrainian flags beside American flags.
Neptune semi-sextile Saturn and sextile Mercury Retrograde may contribute some literary references that inspire people to take action. The most vicious Russian troops have been nicknamed the “Orcs” after the monsters in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. People may start to see those who oppose the “Orcs” as being the “Fellowship.” (Do you want to be a Hobbit or a Human fighter? If Putin is Sauron, does that make Trump into Saruman?) Eris semi-sextile Neptune might try to mock and distort the influence of such images. Beware of gross propaganda images that could demean the fight for freedom.
Once again the celestial bodies will be arranged in a Bowl shape, from Pluto in the Eighth House to Ceres just below the Ascendant. Once again it will be a time of pouring out and giving, as well as a time of removal and discarding. Memorial Day reminds us of those we have lost, and there is an appreciation of what has been gained. This year, with the New Moon rising, there should be a great appreciation that there has not been as much suffering in our country and a greater appreciation for those fighting for their own country.
