Astro-Notes: An American Tragedy of Mass Delusion

by Jude Cowell

Saturday December 18, 2021

With a chunk of the US population suffering from the negative effects of what Dr. Carl Jung termed, "delusional ideas," a look at certain astrological implications might reveal what lurks beneath and within the veil. For this I'm using a US Horoscope, a July 4, 1776 version, which I may never have published here before but there's a reason: the Moon falls @23AQ12 which moves the mundane Moon (We The People) closer than in most other July 4th charts to an inconjunct with nebulous Neptune (@22Vir24). Plus, Neptune is rising at 10:36 am LMT, (as you see, below) which places US Mars @21Gem11 conjunct Midheaven ('MC' = The Goal, our warrior selves), making our national Mars-Neptune square Angular, thus prominent and active.

Now as you remember, America's natal Mars-Neptune square is well known for causing problems domestically and abroad, not the least of which involve the Neptunian realms of The Unconscious which tend toward inspiration on a good day - the Divine Source - but may often bring delusion, deception, confusion, corruption, misunderstanding, weakness, erosion, loss, and/or disappointment. Plus, misguided actions, misdirected energy, self-destructive motivation, and 'the fog of war' can so easily result from the mishandling of a Mars-Neptune square. And has. After all, refusing to deal with reality makes eventual self-destruction almost a certainty - unless we pull out of it. So let's look at --

A Moon-Neptune Veil Within and Surrounding America

"Greater than all physical dangers are the tremendous effects of delusional ideas which are yet denied all reality by our world-blinded consciousness. Our much vaunted reason and boundlessly overestimated will are sometimes utterly powerless in the face of 'unreal' thoughts." - Dr. Carl Jung, speaking about America which he identified as prone to societal breakdown "due to mass delusion" and this is where we find ourselves today - with enemies who take advantage of our weakened condition, purposefully made worse by saboteurs.

But We The People do not have to accept this even though the erosion began years ago, much of it with the 1981 Inauguration of Reagan. But it's only now that a greater number of citizens recognize the significance of our psychological/emotional problems and the practical issues that illusion and delusion impact in 'the real world' - delusions such as 'Neoliberalism', financial scam that it is. For as you know, facing our monsters realistically in the light of day is the only way to vanquish them, otherwise they grow and multiply. Which means that we have approximately 2/3 of the US population able and willing (?!) to engage!

Now you've probably read articles about this topic such as Salon's December 14, 2021 piece by Nicole Karlis tentatively entitled, Is America experiencing mass psychosis? to which I must answer, Yes - too many of us are, about one third. And transit Neptune - floating through its own sign of shady Pisces since 2012 - and within orb of opposing US Neptune in Virgo since 2019 - has not helped psychological conditions or the health of the Neptunian Collective Unconscious at all. And of course, contagious Neptune in Pisces is a cosmic signature attributed to the Republican Party of 1854.

In addition, astrological Neptune is known as the planet of the masses and of mass media whose members so often promote the deceptive propaganda and the gaslighting that corrupt politicians and their enablers depend upon for waging political campaigns, staying in office, and lining their pockets, perhaps by fraudulent schemes. You know how they do.

So for this particular study of mass delusion, aka, mass psychosis or "delusional ideas" of folks living in fantasyland, let's consider the duo of Moon (the people, the public, public mood, public trends) and Neptune (the masses, delusion, deception, creativity, inspiration, spirituality, the urge to merge). Of course, the Moon-Pluto pair ('public; psychology/ manipulation') is also involved but for brevity's sake, let's focus this post on Moon-Neptune which also relates to the current state in the US of Evangelicals and other religious types longing for Theocracy in America, but that's a Neptunian topic quite beyond the scope of this post.

Horoscope: America (via Zip Dobyns) set for July 4, 1776 10:36 am LMT Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

Highlighted in green is a YOD pattern ('Finger of God': a special task, turning point, crisis, karmic opportunity, and/or health issues); the YOD/s are penned, upper right, and notated with a few midpoint picture potentials within the YOD/s which involve 'deception of the people, misguided imaginations, and/or erroneous judgments based on feelings'. Naturally, taking action based on 'gut feelings' is implied while logic and reason are bypassed. Such tendencies in the American character have been taken advantage of for decades (or centuries!) but the current crop of politicians and political operatives in the US have taken such exploitation to a higher (lower) level, a 'professional' level for those who take Moon-Neptune conditions as having anything to reveal about mass delusion, fantasy worlds, and erroneous judgments based on incorrect perceptions and assumptions.

Plus, when the Moon is apex planet in a YOD pattern, faulty assimilation of impressions is a major issue and out-of-tune reactions are typical. But with the Moon's traditional role as a timing device (as is a YOD), we can hope that Luna's fluctuating nature helps lead to a destined change at just the right moment so that freedom from the negative images of the past can occur and the basic needs of the populace allows nurturing so that the interests of the weaker among us are uplifted. I believe the Moon's positive course is what our Democratic president represents because with 'the old guy', we'd still be stuck at the crossroads of the YOD, unsure which path to take while fearing that destructive 'solutions' and events were America's only possibilities. We can leave the orange menace behind - unless a well-deserved mugshot turns up!

Now as you see, the horoscope's ruler is the 10th house Mercury Rx (Rx because Mercury, planet of signing, documents, negotiations, oration, and planning) signifies that the Founders actually completed signing the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776 with Mercury direct, a better cosmic condition than a retrograde Mercury. Therefore, the August 2nd signing was in a sense a "do-over" (Rx).

So it's the sextile between Mercury and Neptune that forms the base of the YOD pattern/s (Mercury also sextiles the Virgo Ascendant which is not technically a YOD but the midpoint picture of 'Mercury-ASC = Moon' still applies). See lower left, for brief notes on the Mercury-Neptune sextile involving tendencies toward obfuscation, fantasy-infused thinking vs practicality or pragmatism, and denotes those with a 'talent for hypnosis'. You'll remember the troubles We The People have - are having - with fantasy-prone, truth-challenged Herr Tr*mp's natal Mercury-Neptune square making things even worse than they have to be. Of course, he's known for his controversial rhetoric filled with lies, misperceptions, and the ability to instigate angry people into taking action. That's people who have soaked up his negative emotions - with little if any thought for the consequences.

Then if we progress this chart to Election Day 2024, we find a Moon-Neptune opposition which suggests veils of illusion, clouds of delusion, misguided perception, foggy thinking, falsehoods, and gullible folk who accept whatever tall tales they're told.

Because basically, Moon-Neptune denotes potentials for subconscious phenomena, refined, feelings, over-sensitivity, faulty assimilation, strange notions, fanciful imaginings, exploitation, disturbed awareness or consciousness, vivid dream experiences, but also sympathy (R. Ebertin). Yet separating real from unreal is a difficulty for those heavily influenced by this planetary pair, and self-confidence tends to be either lacking or may express in an off-and-on manner.

Then a glance at the planets on Election Day 2024 (Nov 5th, 8:00 am est; notated lower right) and - what are the chances? - a transiting Moon-Neptune square turns up (28Sag/27Pisces) as voting begins (at 8:00 am in most locations) which suggests potentials for: 'hallucinations, misinformation-disinformation' (campaign propaganda and promises), 'misplaced blame, misunderstandings, falsehoods, mistakes, peculiar dreams, cloudy perception, deception toward society, and confused emotions'. Yes, media disinformation is suggested as well with the square, broadcasts that we all may hear but don't have to act upon, and there's a potential for large numbers of voters not turning up - or, for a large (Neptune) blue wave (Moon) to block (square) Republicans' 'success-at-any-cost' tactics and dirty tricks (the party's Neptune in Pisces).

As for the 1776 inconjunct (or, quincunx) it's possible that activist Mars @21Gemini conjunct MC aids the Moon-Neptune inconjunct by trining the Moon. This can indicate that not every American is prone or gullible to such mass delusion (ex: crazy conspiracy theories), a very good thing you'll agree. Or at least, reason and logic still can have a chance with them! Meanwhile, 'imaginary patriotism' may shelter underneath the Moon-Neptune umbrella as well and we've certainly seen evidence of it expressed plentifully by our fantasy-led crowd of insurgents and the pretenders of the political class who gaslight them - and gaslight all of us if we allow it.

So in closing, it would be remiss not to add for you the Moon-Neptune duo in Politics and Business as listed by master astrologer Michael Munkasey in Hegelian Dialectic form in his book, Midpoints: Unleashing the Power of the Planets (#ad). You'll note that Luna's traditional connection with food, nutrition, and sustenance plays a part:

"Thesis: Production of chemicals, oil, food, or manufactured goods; dreams about agricultural produce, production, or policy; a leadership which heeds the opinions and emotional climate of its constituents" (in order to manipulate them or better serve them? - jc).

"Antithesis: Delusion about the popular support for current policies; an inability to utilize information about the moods of the people when setting the courses of actions; scandals involving production or other quotas."

So do check out the Moon-Neptune combo of energies in any version of the US chart you prefer. For one, the 'Powell Horoscope" of July 1, 1776 7:09 pm LMT Philadelphia, PA shows no YOD but does show a Moon-Neptune trine (7A05) from Moon @15Cap16 in 1st house to 8th house Neptune Rx @20Vir22 (ASC 6Cap07) suggesting the possibility of feminine influences upon the proceedings, and positive benefits from the spiritual realms for those receptive to such higher vibrations, and these are cosmically supported by America's Neptune-Pluto trine of 1776.

When US Neptune Turned Rx by Progression

by Jude Cowell

On January 20, 1953, East Portico, Capitol Building, Washington DC Dwight David Eisenhower was first inaugurated as President of the United States (page links to audio of his 1953 inaugural address). His was America's 42nd Presidential Inauguration.

A review of significant events during the year 1953 provides the curious with a snapshot of the era but one symbolic astrological event of interest to me is that America's natal Neptune (22Vir25) from July 4, 1776 turned retrograde ('Rx') by Secondary Progression ('SP') on June 10, 1953 @27Vir06:27.

In the day-for-a-year SP method the position of progressed Neptune corresponds to the real-time position of transiting Neptune on December 29, 1776. So as you can tell from the date, the American Revolution was in full swing and December 29th was the day that General George Washington and his troops re-crossed the Delaware River back into New Jersey after their victory at the Battle of Trenton. The dates and events fall within what is known as The Ten Crucial Days for America.

Now the house that our national Neptune resided in on July 4, 1776 depends upon the timing of the horoscope, and to make matters more complex, other dates are often used by various astrologers. One such is known as America's Powell Horoscope set for July 1, 1776 (7:09 pm LMT Philadelphia ASC 6Cap07; MC 29Lib56) with an 8th house Neptune @22Vir22. But no matter which 1776 chart is progressed, the sign and degrees remain the same (though perhaps with slightly different dates? I haven't progressed them all), and rounded-up, Neptune's Sabian Symbol for '23 Virgo' = "A Lion Tamer Rushes Fearlessly into the Circus Arena" which sounds appropriately embattled for the era and reminds me, if not you, of a belligerent America's continued focus through the centuries on opponents and foes, creating them where they previously didn't exist. Of course, betrayal is a common word where saboteur Neptune is concerned and the newer term "blowback" comes windily to mind thanks to the neo-con wars the American people were lied into.

And when we look at the phenomenon of retrogression of planets and their relationship to the Sun there are differences between natal and mundane planets, yes, but this post is meant only in a general sense. Not being an astronomer I shall leave it to you, dear reader, to investigate the cosmic mechanics of the matter if needed; therefore, what I type here is in relation to societal and political shifts in our country, its ideology and leadership due to our 1776 Direct Neptune's symbolic change into retrograde motion (1953) and how the planet's altered condition influences America's Neptunian functions in such realms as idealism, honesty vs dishonesty, media, and the longing for the unseen, among other things (amorphous, etheric Neptune, difficult to pin down!).

Meanwhile, quite a transformation can be observed via the Sabian Symbol for our SP Neptune in 1953 from 'taming lions' to: '28 Virgo' = "A Bald-headed Man Who Has Seized Power" (Is that you, Ike?). Dane Rudhyar gives this word picture a Keynote: "The sheer power of personality in times that call for decision." And adds that, "Everything bows to THE POWER OF THE WILL--divine, executively human, or Satanic" (An Astrological Mandala, DR; #ad).

And we should note that in our era, US natal Sun, once in Moon-ruled, patriotic Cancer, has progressed well into Pisces, often a shady, secretive sign with Jupiter-Neptune vibrations and this in part accounts for the prevalence of deception, veils, scandals, fraud, theft, and corruption now operative in US society and leadership much to the enjoyment of domestic and global criminal entities and networks of the anti-societal Neptune-Pluto persuasion. Thanks to these low-character jokers, knaves, and thieves, Neptune's undermining and sabotaging functions are starkly in evidence as we now are forced to see. However, since the 2020 Election and his Inauguration, President Joe Biden now expresses the compassionate side of Pisces, a vast improvement on behalf of the American people, imho!

So let's hone in on The Gaseous Giant with quoted text from expert astrologer Erin Sullivan's masterful book Retrograde Planets (#ad) concerning the topic of Neptune stationing by progression (slightly edited for clarity and noting that the Sun in a Political Astrology horoscope represents the leader, leadership, goal, ego:

When Neptune stations by progression in the chart, it means the Sun has progressed to such a point that its relationship with Neptune has undergone a subtle readjustment. It has been virtually stationary for years, anyway; the station is rarely marked by an event. {} Also, it might precipitate an unrealistic search {} for a teacher, whether that be a lover, guru, master or leader. {} relationships which fall short of the ideal can dissolve and disappear, leaving one in a state of suspension for some time while new evaluations of {} religious expression and spiritual resources are in progress.

The stationary-direct year will mark a time of 'surfacing', of changing one's perceptions of reality. The reality shift can be sudden, as the scales fall from one's eyes, or gradual, over a period of three or four years, while transits or other more sharply defined progressions bring the Neptune station into clearer focus. The progressed Sun's position in relation to natal planets will help define the situation, by indicating what issues the ego is grappling with."

(Imagine: the massive grappling egos of Washington DC! jc)

This may be a time when "an avenue for expressing 'newly discovered' psychological patterns" never before understood or expressed entered society through US leadership.

Erin adds that "reference points begin to blur at the edges, resulting in a soft-focus reality" and here yours truly suggests that, besides the obvious religious reference mentioned above, America's symbolic Neptunian shift to Rx motion has made it easy for success-at-any-cost politicians, religious figures, and the elite and corporate classes they serve to gaslight the American people by deceit, propaganda, and disinformation, as they work to confuse and diffuse every issue that calls for facing reality in order to find practical solutions - and this sorriness actually began way back in the 1950s!

A related post is the Discovery of Neptune Horoscope in September 1846. And curiously, our American Revolution planets will reach the Progressed New Moon phase conjunct a certain Cardinal World Point of Manifestation on July 8, 2022 which means that our nation is mired within the 'Dark of the Moon' phase now where shadowy Neptune can do its worst - and, with divine inspiration and intervention, its best.