Spring Equinox 2015 Brings a Pisces Solar Eclipse Conjunct Starry Scheat
by Jude Cowell
It's a rare Spring Equinox (Aries Ingress) that includes a Solar Eclipse as we have on March 20, 2015 with the Sun reaching Aries Point at 6:45:29 pm EDT. Yet the horoscope image here is actually the Pisces Solar Eclipse set for the White House, Washington DC and perfecting at 5:36:09 am EDT:
As you see, the solar-lunar perfection occurs during a Mars Hour with planet Mars in its own sign @21Ari35 in the 2nd house of the National Treasury, Earnings, and Values. Mars rules the 2nd house via Aries and also the 9th house (viaScorpio) of Philosophy, Religion, Higher Learning, Foreign Lands and Long Distance Travel. Here transit Mars is seen leaving Uranus after their conjunction of March 11, 2015 @15Ari00 conjunct Fixed Star Alpheratz (Alpha Andromeda) which Reinhold Ebertin calls 'Sirrah' and Arabian astrologers, Al Surrat al Faras. This star links to a love of freedom and movement, an independent spirit, and the 'sheer joy of wind in your hair' (Brady). Rigor links Alpheratz to 'princess imagery' and adds potentials for 'wealth, honor, cheer, and a love of life'.
A square by manipulator and Hidden Hand Pluto to both Mars and Uranus in conjunction heavily imprints the beginning of their combined energies' new cycle with potentials continuing for societal unrest and riots, violence, explosions, attacks, and military actions. In Politics and Business, the Mars-Uranus pair's influences may include reforms within a nation's military, modernization of energy or steel industries, exploitation of energy resources, radical movements involving military or police forces, rebellions against modernization efforts, and sudden outbreaks of hostility (Munkasey). Unpopularity, toppled leadership, and/or revolution may also occur when Alpheratz is contacted by a malefic planet--and mythological Mars is the 'god of war' while Uranus is America's planet of revolution and war.
Now I won't bore you further by adding links to current headlines since you already know of the tinderbox politicians and their enablers have plunked our world into in this, the much-lauded 'New Millennium.'
And what of Fixed Star Scheat (Beta Pegasus) which the March 20th Solar Eclipse @29Pis27 stimulates into expression? Scheat is known as a difficult or turbulent star with potentials for 'misfortune, drowning, suicide, and possibly murder' (DeVore). Yet it also links to the concept of a 'love of intellect' and being 'a thinker' (Brady) which sounds much better, doesn't it?
However, Scheat was prominent in many ancient cultures during humanity's matriarchal goddess-worhipping era and the star was seen by the Greeks as being born from Medusa's neck as she was slain by Perseus. Constellation Pegasus is near another ancient constellation, Equuleus ('The Little Horse') and both point toward the gradual change from matriarchal beliefs into the patriarchal system we're in today though I won't say that idolatry of the feminine form (goddess) isn't a major component in today's societies (exs: Hollywood films, church statues, our Venusian Lady Liberty) with some of the weirder practices of old still hidden but now venturing to peep out from behind her alabaster hem.
Perhaps some of the 'hidden messages' to be uncovered by the Solar Eclipse in Pisces (sign of mysteries, secrets, crimes, and military generals) will relate to unusual worship practices and anti-social oaths taken by those of the ruling class who have not been suspected before (time for white power 'hoods off'?) Or, with an eclipse's usual 'wild card' tendency for suddenly revealing or leaking what some wish would stay hidden, the revelations will simply involve the typical foibles of the human race from the sexual to political to financial and back again. As a former resident of the District of Columbia (a Venusian goddess!), I have often mentioned here that DC runs on blackmail and bribery but that's gray-whiskered news for most of us.
Now with Venus unaspected, we may expect skewed perspectives to be prominent for aspects to other planets (actors) would provide Venusian folk with input from the outer environment. Here, the evaluating function of Venus is impaired and since she's posited in one of her own signs of Taurus, economists, and bulls of Wall Street are potentially represented. Fedhead Janet Yellen is an obvious choice to play this Venusian role though mega-financiers and well-funded politicians of the female persuasion may be noted as well for having a 'lack of perspective'. (Note that Venus is at '4 Taurus' = "The Rainbow's Pot of Gold" degree where Chiron was first discovered in 1977; this gives a materialism vs spirituality hue to the picture especially since a Pisces eclipse spotlights a need for karmic progress where materialism is second to the needs of humanity. Someone please explain this to the Republican Party).
As for the dove symbol that meshes with goddess symbols such as Columbia, Venus-Aphrodite, Isis, and the rest of the gang, you may have noticed the degree of the eclipse's Ascendant and its Sabian Symbol...'20AQ' = "A Big White Dove, a Message Bearer." This image may refer to persons such as an orators, writers, or reporters, or to the Solar Eclipse itself. And I'm certain you can think of other possibilities--like the fact that the eclipse Ascendant is within one degree of the natal Ascendant of President Obama (August 4, 1961 7:24 pm AHST Honolulu, Hawaii). Well, he is the one in charge of the 'bully pulpit' for two more years.
A Bully Pulpit with Hidden Messages Intercepted?
Perhaps you'll agree that the chart is weighted on the secretive (and possibly the spiritual) side with all but two planets in the hidden half of the chart below the horizon. And of course, a Solar Eclipse is a New Moon indicating that the light has yet to brighten and it's been the 'dark of the Moon' for about three days prior.
And so my chart title 'hidden messages' refers to several chart factors such as the eight planets in the private portion of chart, the abundance of secretive Pisces (rising), and the fact that this is a South Node eclipse when energies tend to rush out of the environment; plus, SN denotes past actions 'catching up' with us in the present--they are refusing to remain hidden or neglected. The critical-crisis 29th degree of the eclipse hints that though many people want to rush into Cardinal Aries along with the Spring season, they cannot do so successfully until the past is dealt with in the here-and-now.
A 1st house Chiron (18Pis01), the be-here-now centaur and priestly mentor, concurs for much karmic progress may be achieved once baggage is handled responsibly and reparations are made for past mistakes so that forward movement may reliably occur. Adding to the chart's Neptunian complexity, the Solar Eclipse set for DC is in an intercepted sign which provides even more of a karmic must-be-dealt-with nature to events inspired by the eclipse energies. Falling in the 2nd house, we naturally think of the Fed and the 2015 Congress and any attempts to deal with past errors in judgment in the realms of finance, budget and tax cuts, and other resources such as the energy resources mentioned above regarding the Mars-Uranus meeting on March 11th.
Solar Eclipse at '30 Pisces' = "The Great Stone Face": Archetypalization
Illustration:'Temple of The Great Stone Face' by Jude Cowell
A Pisces eclipse also emphasizes that esoteric and mystical secrets, codes, or carvings may be discovered and/or clarified perhaps at archaeological digs such as New Grange. Adding more inspirational influence, magical Neptune in its own sign is first planet to rise in the chart which may also denote confusing, deceptive, watery, stormy, tearful, or dissolving conditions in effect around the time of the Spring Equinox--or for two weeks prior and months afterwards. Plus, the Veiled One's nearness to message-deliverer Mercury @11Pis--planet of writers, speakers, journalists, bloggers, internet users, traders, travelers, students, teachers, and young people--may show high inspiration but also woolly thinking with a large potential for fantasy, falsehoods, and scandals to emerge.
Meanwhile, surveillance agencies continue their shady dealings against the innocent, spies infiltrate, and hackers sabotage. It seems reasonable that Edward Snowden will speak out again or that more NSA files will come to light.
Can natural or man made disasters affecting large numbers of people be ruled out in the eclipse chart? Sadly no, and there's that karmic planet Saturn on full display at the top of the chart--is an elderly Justice or congress member stepping down or retiring this year? On an another level, hardened Saturn rules austerity measures (sequestration) but also earth, soil, tectonic plates, calcification, walls, boundaries, and loss that's been a long time coming. Is Saturn in Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius a shout-out to immigration issues? How about America's social safety net about to go further under the GOP ideological knife? Maybe so. Maybe all of the above. Funding wars and lining pockets remain no problem, however.
We do know that Jupiter @13Leo10 Rx in the 6th house relates to the planet's many roles such as The General, the Politician, the Corporatist, the Priest, the Lawyer, the Broadcaster, the Professor, the Banker--and 6th house is the house of work, health, and military and police service. Jupiter Rx is within orb of Mr. Obama's natal Sun once again and rules the 10th house of Public Status so any of the president's expansive projects and programs will continue to affect his public standing and political career as 2015 unfolds and Republicans balk. Hopefully, we can all patiently hold on until generous Jupiter turns Direct on April 8th and moves forward beyond Rx shadow degree in July 2015.
Mercury: '11Pisces' = "Men Seeking Illumination"
Communicator Mercury is apex planet in a YOD pattern ('Finger of God') if we don't mind including the North Node in sextile with Jupiter Rx. Typical YODs have a health connotation along with a crossroads-crisis-turning-point-special-task reputation that hints at a timing issue (time to speak up or blow whistles?) so we'll know as Spring 2015 proceeds if this particular YOD pattern should be counted as one at all.
Even if not, there are clues within a midpoint picture created by the Jupiter-NN-Mercury trio which identifies Mercury as researchers in fields such as Politics, Jurisprudence, or Religion; Jupiter-NN adds conventional religion to the possibilities along with obvious hypocrisy, antisocial conduct, and potential revelations about secret alliances, advantageous relationships, and/or trade pacts. (The shady TPP deal comes to mind for it is on Washington's agenda, secret giveaway though it is. Protecting a sovereign America? Puh! Not with these globalist jokers).
Apex Mercury is also seeking higher education so student loans and various university and college issues may be indicated. Perhaps Yale's secret society 'Skull and Bones' will be in the news even more now that Jeb Bush is running in 2016 and his grandfather Prescott had a role in the alleged theft of Geronimo's skull (and who knows what other schemes. How perplexing that many of our leaders since the 1800s became 'bonesmen' such as Dubya and John Kerry...ew! To me, S and B is a death cult.)
Now in Politics and Business, the Jupiter-NN duo suggests such things as closed legal societies, a justice system hampered or bound by erroneous decisions about the status of groups or parties (Corporations Are People, Citizens United, etc), and/or consequences that issue from treaties with allies (TPP?); religious leaders may interfere in legal matters or decisions and imports can disrupt business or trade (Munkasey). Perhaps researcher Mercury will reveal secrets concerning a few of these matters to the people's advantage.
Now let's consider a few more chart factors before closing (you must be tired!)
A primary factor, of course, is any applying aspects made by the chart-ruler/s--here with Aquarius rising, Saturn and Uranus are up. Establishment Saturn @4Sag54 Rx is Angular but past its conjunction with the eclipse MC (The Goal) indicating a condition or event that has already occurred (by March 20th).
On one level, Saturn-MC may tally somewhat with transit Saturn recently in late Scorpio crossing the natal MC of Barack Obama, a time of increased status as past efforts and hard work pay off. However, this betterment brings more responsibilities--as long as others are not blamed for one's failures and lapses. Saturn's 28-year transit to natal MC is partially the basis for the president's recent improvement in popularity along with improvements in the US economy, job creation, troops 'leaving' Afghanistan, releasing more prisoners from Gitmo, and lower gas prices in the US. Its influence will occur for the president again during Saturn's back up into Scorpio.
(I won't list the DOW closing over 18,000 points for the first time this year since presidents have very little if anything to do with it and it's merely a Wall Street bubble of speculation anyway. Besides, I never forget the primary planetary imprint upon the presidency of Barack Obama: the Great Conjunction/s of the speculator-wastrel pair, Jupiter and Neptune, which occurred three times during 2009--all conjunct US natal Moon (We the People) and spotlighting the 2008 Bush-Cheney Heist and Wall Street's mortgage and derivatives frauds which the 'Voo Doo' GOP now bring back to life to vulture upon the American people. In addition, eclipse Saturn and Neptune, the combo of ill, poor, and weak people, square one another denoting blockages and restrictions to our social programs and possibly to Obamacare as well--see Jupiter Rx in 6th house, above.)
Then What Do Eclipse Saturn and Uranus Say?
So how might things proceed from the March 20, 2015 Solar Eclipse as Spring begins to flower? In this chart, the ongoing Uranus-Pluto square is waning (exact for the last time on March 16, 2015--still inspiring unrest but thankfully not at critical degrees) and there is no applying aspect by disruptive Uranus to Neptune to consider in the chart. That leaves us with Saturn, ruler of Aquarius: though in dissociate signs (Sagittarius to Pisces--square--rather than a Sag-Aries trine), the Lesson Bringer trines the Sun and Moon (5A26) which lends support to the reparation imperative of the Pisces eclipse by providing mature reliability and an acceptance of responsibility which ties in with the karmic implications of reaping what's been sown.
The Pisces eclipse's Saros Series is the 17 South with themes of 'good news; success in group projects and creative endeavors; happiness in love matters' (paraphrasing Predictive Astrology, Brady). A varied list of people and events were born or begun under the vibrations of the 17S Series and the March 20th eclipse alerts us to a potential for secrets to be revealed concerning any of them or their interests.
My 17S list includes: Princess Diana, Ayn Rand, Adolf Hitler, Newt Gingrich, Heath Ledger, Rachel Carson, Christopher Walken (Natalie Wood's drowning death?), Barbara Bush (or son Jeb?), Tim Roth, the initial visit of "R. C. Christian" to an Elberton Georgia bank and granite quarry in order to set up the construction of the mysterious Georgia Guidestones. And there are two more in my files: Iran (1979), and President Barack Obama.
As for Sagittarius and Pisces, their natural 90-degree square relationship reminds me of Scheat in winged Pegasus for the constellation forms a great square in the heavens--and a square's quality of 4 relates to the paternalism already mentioned, above. Plus, Sagittarius is the sign of the horse--or, more specifically, the half-horse/half-man of the centaur.
A related post for a little context as we 'lean forward': Solar Eclipses of 2015--2017.