the storm dissipates
the february 2002 forecast
all dates and times are based on pacific time.
after an eventful january, february holds equal promise. there are new planetary beginnings and plenty of harmonious events to permit us to make progress in our most cherished endeavors.
saturn and mercury
change directions
saturn and mercury return to direct motion, after their standard retrograde periods. mercury’s
retrograde period began on january 18th in aquarius, affecting all fixed signs (taurus, leo,
scorpio, and aquarius) in a challenging way. the big issue was the use of idealism and
imagination because mercury conjoins neptune three times during its retrograde cycle (which
includes the shadow period before and after the retrograde). the first contact was on january 9th,
when you may have begun to focus on a creative or spiritual task that you had before you. the
second contact was on january 26th, and the third contact will be on february 24th. since the new
mercury cycle began virtually simultaneous to the second contact, this will be the theme of the
next four months as well. the challenge is to discern dreams from delusions; this theme is already
emerging in the enrol scandal and the role of the white house, as well as in the information the
media give us about things like the economic downturn or bush administration policies and
actions beyond the "war on terrorism."
a look at saturn's
year-long cycle
saturn went retrograde on september 26th last year, as the war in afghanistan was commencing
and the anthrax scare was beginning. the beginning of the saturn cycle was on may 25th, the
culmination at mid-cycle on december 30th, of 2001. so this cycle is coming to a close, and it's
been rougher than we had ever dreamed possible, even though we knew that saturn would
opposed pluto three times during this period.
saturn and pluto oppositions cause stand-offs between great powers, both individual and collective. the spirit of cooperation seems to melt into the background when these two planets square off, and it seems as if the world of humanity is intent on self-destruction.
saturn and pluto in
recent history
we have seen that pluto in sagittarius has brought out the cruellest aspects of human nature:
zealotry and hatred, an extremely volatile mix. religious polarization existed before 1995, when
pluto entered sagittarius, but the extremism seems to have become the basis for powerfully
destructive behavior since then. once again, the survival of civilization seems threatened, just as it
does every time these planets interact.
the last time they interacted, in 1982-3, we experienced the rise of terrorism as a tool of
radical islam. although radical islam existed before, it became front page news at that time and
began its rise in popularity among muslim cultures then.
in 1966-7, they opposed each other, just as they are doing now, except that uranus was a
part of the planetary picture as well. this was the time of the most intense internal unrest to rock
the u.s. since perhaps the civil war. at the time before that, in 1947-8, saturn and pluto
conjoined and gave shape to the cold war.
the lesson of
saturn-pluto
if we as a species (or a portion thereof) want to save our planet and our species, what needs to be
done? the best answers are the hardest ones to carry out, but they are the inevitable direction we
must take, in my opinion. the first is to realize that the problems in the middle east exist largely
because of the corrupt relationships the western powers have with the oil-producing nations. if
we eliminate our dependency on middle eastern oil, we defuse this bomb waiting to go off. this
does not mean, of course, that we drill in alaska or build more nuclear power plants. it means
that we develop another fuel and transportation technology, and we do so aggressively and
immediately—or we all start riding bikes.
at a deeper level, the u.s. has to stop using its power to create corrupt relationships and stick to
its ethical foundation. finally, it has to join the world community as a fully participating member
in terms of ecological, social, and political matters.
saturn and pluto both teach us what we need to know through the school of hard knocks, and since most people are still caught up in meeting their own individual needs, they often don’t take the time or see the need to be aware of global issues and look at them critically and objectively. these planets are giving us the best shot we have to “get it”, at least for awhile. they come as close any influence can to prying open our eyes.
saturn's cycle continues
saturn's cycle continues through june 9th, when the next year-long cycle begins. before it ends,
we'll see the final pass of saturn opposite pluto, on may 25th, hours before a lunar eclipse. by
then, while the threat of terrorism will be with us for many years to come, we will be able to see
even more signs of global cooperation than we see now. there will be many more mechanisms in
place to affirm life and the commitment to it of all but the most maverick states and twisted
people.
other february events
the other noteworthy event in february occurs on the 13th, when the sun conjoins uranus. this
starts its yearly cycle of innovation and awakening. associated dates to highlight in your calendar
are may 19th, june 2nd, august 19th, and november 3rd and 17th. the last week of february
promises to be surprising, perhaps stressful, as well. during that week, the sun and moon oppose
each other in virgo and pisces, translating light between saturn and pluto and creating a grand
cross such as existed in early september last year. saturn and pluto are not as closely aspecting
each other this month as they did in september, but the implications are for a less dramatic, but
still potentially violent, series of events.
to learn to use these great forces of the universe for the highest good, we have to humbly admit our mistakes and take corrective measures. when the blaming game stops, we will all see that we have common motivations, if not goals, and we must set aside imagined hurts and slights to find common ground in truth. we have to let go of selfish interests, like paying back those who made campaign contributions or rubbing the opponents’ nose in the dung heap. we all have to rise to a statesmanlike perspective and respond by choosing what is good for all, not just for our political party or faction. only then will we see the best of what saturn and pluto can offer us: global peace and harmony.
may you have a safe and happy month!
