Thomas Canfield
The Vernal Equinox looks to be a time of major economic change with a stellium in the Second House. Saturn, the North Node, Neptune, the Equinox Sun, Venus Retrograde, Mercury Retrograde, Chiron, and Eris are all crammed into the House of Possessions. It looks like it could be a time of panic buying comparable to the toilet paper shortage at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. However, this time people may be buying more than toilet paper. Canned goods, bags of rice and beans, and other survivalist food may be snapped up in preparation for rough times ahead. Although the price of eggs was the main concern over inflation, issues of Avian Bird flu might make people focus on other products. Bacon and Eggs or Ham and Eggs might give way to Bacon and Pancakes or Ham and Cheese. This may be a time of looking for the best bargains, and the chicken may come before the egg.
A hint of the rough times may be seen with Pluto in Aquarius rising in the Equinox chart. The public may be awakening to the transformative nature of Pluto, and find their lives are suddenly shifting. Those bureaucratic agencies that were once there to help people may no longer be found. The changes may be more awkward than malicious. Pluto is sextile the Equinox Sun, Venus Retrograde, and Mercury Retrograde. The worst actions may be done through incompetence rather than through malice. Yet, there may be a hint of malicious intent with Mars squaring Chiron. Those who say they want to “fix” health care may not be aware of how many people they are harming in the process.
Just below the horizon is Pallas, the asteroid of wisdom. The Ascendant and Pallas are in a sextile to the Moon in Sagittarius. Those who are supporting the rule of law may have the most success with the public. Pluto is also part of a sextile to the Moon, as well as to Juno, the asteroid of politics. Laws are not meant to be broken, nor are they to be made by signing statements. The Moon and Juno are also trine the Equinox Sun, Venus Retrograde, and Mercury Retrograde. It will not be a season for “killing all the lawyers.” It may be a time for lawyers to stand up.
Jupiter, the ruler of laws and lawyers, is in a weakened position in Gemini. It is in a wide opposition to the Moon, and a wide sextile to Mercury Retrograde and Chiron. Legal opposition may be there, but it may be strained. Jupiter is trine the Part of Fortune and that may be helpful in determining legal cases involving taxes and government spending. Jupiter and the Part of Fortune are trine Pallas in the First House. We may need a reminder about the legal minds who helped build the nation, and make people aware that they gave it a stronger foundation than technocrats thought.
Uranus at the bottom of the chart is opposing Vesta in the Ninth House and the Midheaven. The technocrats taking over government agencies may claim they are doing it for the good of the public and for families, but the public and families may not believe it. One limiting factor could be the Moon squaring Ceres in the First House. Ceres can be the nurturing mother, but can also be the demanding mother. A square with the Moon might limit the considerate nature of Ceres. Jupiter is also square Ceres, and there could be emotional issues about taking away certain rights.
Family values could become more resolute with Mars in Cancer trine Vesta in Scorpio. There may be important motivations of family care and family power issues. Mars trine the Midheaven may see an increase of production as working people may be providing for their families. Mars square the Part of Fortune might cause people to miss the big issues. They may be working so hard for themselves, they are not seeing the conflict over other people’s money. Mars in the Sixth House may bring more tension and possible health problems because of overwork to provide for the family. The square to Chiron in the Second House might cause more medical expenses. Mars will shortly be moving to a square with Eris, but Eris squares are usually a time of lesser discord. It might be a time of more grumbling and less action.
Getting back to the stellium in the Second House, the issue of ownership may be a major theme in the spring. People may be asking, “Do we own Social Security, or does the government own it?” Healthcare issues may have people asking if we can afford our own healthcare, or do we need to rely on the government for help? Is it a government of the people or of the oligarchs? Neptune may be a major player as it changes signs into Aries, and then at the beginning of April will encounter Venus and Mercury Retrograde as they move back into Pisces. The retrogrades will end as Venus and Mercury reach a conjunction with Saturn. By the time Saturn enters Aries, it may be time for a rude awakening, or a shattering of illusions given to us by Neptune in Pisces. Neptune, Venus, and Mercury Retrograde will be trine the Equinox Midheaven, and people will think it is a good time for business, and time to buy everything from cars to toilet paper. In the end, the buying spree may not improve conditions at all. People may have loads of new possessions, but unless they think beyond Neptune they need to see they should only have what they need the most, like food and medicine (and toilet paper would not hurt.)
By the Summer Solstice, Jupiter will be moving into Cancer, and squaring Saturn and Neptune in Aries. There may be a legal reckoning for the events of the spring. Saturn may shatter the illusions promoted by Neptune, and Jupiter may stand for the legal ramifications (or Karma) that will happen. To add to the payback, Uranus will be moving into Gemini. It went into Gemini in April, 1775, just before the shot heard round the world. It went into Gemini again in 1858, just before the Lincoln-Douglas debates, which put slavery issues on the national scene. In 1942, Uranus went into Gemini just before the battle of Midway. As before, it will be a time of questioning as well as decisive action. People may finally start acting against a domineering form of leadership. As the great Bert Lahr might have asked.
What makes all of those fat-heads so fat?
Who put the Pluto into Plutocrat?
What makes Elon guard his musk,
In the dawning dawn or the dusky dusk?
