“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.”
― William Faulkner

Back in January, I noted in my post about 2020:

"Overall, this year’s focus is on the structures of civilization — everything from infrastructure to communication networks to the structures of laws and ideas that keep our societies running smoothly (or not, as the case may be). These structures will be challenged, and many of them will be destroyed or re-structured from the inside out. Others will be built in their place, but perhaps not right away.

The year starts off with a bang. Head into 2020 as prepared as you can be for unexpected upheavals and events that feature the destruction of power structures, restraints put on power, power moves made from fear, scandals, and/or events that shake foundations and have far-reaching consequences.

Fears (some well-founded, some not) for personal and community safety are going to be driving a lot of aggressive and self-sabotaging behaviors. Some of these fears will be obvious, many will be driven by unconscious forces.

Understanding this fearfulness, having empathy (for yourself, too), but being clear about your personal boundaries can help you navigate the often-troubled waters of this year, which will be emotionally fraught and — in the latter half of the year particularly — highly confrontational."

So, keep that in mind as you read the rest of this post, because it’s background for the whole year. Now I want to look at the upcoming quarter (astrologers use charts for the equinoxes and solstices for quarterly prediction) and also the upcoming month — the chart of the New Moon. This post will be focused on the USA, though some of what I write will be applicable globally.

I know a lot of you are feeling understandably anxious and wondering WTF is going to happen with this pandemic, not to mention the economy, so here’s what I’m thinking.
(Astrologers — I’m using Aries ingress and Aries New Moon charts, also transits and solar arcs to the Sibly chart of the USA.)

I expect peak chaos around the coronavirus from pretty much now through the end of April/early May, and a great deal of money will be thrown at the problem in an effort to stabilize the economy and public opinion. (Unfortunately, much of it will be thrown to the wrong people.) But the public health issues — not only with infectious diseases but with toxins and miasmas as well — are not going away. They will be in play for years to come, and while they will surge and recede in waves, our entire way of life is being strongly challenged.

All of these crises will serve to illuminate the weaknesses and inequalities in our civilization. How we respond as a society is going to dictate how our lives play out for decades to come. If we don’t find the courage to lose sight of the shore, to find new ways of living, both on the planet and with each other, we will be becalmed — stuck where we are. Which is not where we want to be.

One thing we are going to be seeing more of is concern for the tribe. Not tribalism in its negative sense, but a recognition that we are all connected, all of us, both to each other and to the planet, and we humans do best in groups. We do best when we look out for each other, when we work together.

The sign Aquarius is coming into play this year, which brings groups and social constructs/networks into sharp focus, as well as science and technology. Aquarius insists on social justice, but also on individual rights — the right of everyone to express themselves as an individual. So people like #CoronaKatie, with her tweets about doing whatever she wants, will be much in evidence, but there will also be a lot of pushback against her and her ilk with demands to consider the needs of others. Who knows, we might even infect each other with some empathy.

Also, I’ve been haranguing y’all about food security for years now, and I’m going to do it again, because the astrology demands it. Our agricultural systems are going to undergo profound change, and food supplies *will* become an issue. Maybe not this year (right now, here in the US, we’re just seeing hoarding and ongoing issues of food contamination, like E. coli), but shortages will affect us as climate change and problems with the oil supply kick in. Flooding is likely to be an issue for crops this year.

Food security does not equate to hoarding. What it equates to is local agriculture, respect for the Earth and its natural cycles, and support for the people who grow our food.
If you can plant even a small garden, do so. Learn ways to preserve the food you grow. City-dwellers especially can get to know local farmers, and buy from them at farmers’ markets and through CSAs. Yes, there are things you can store that keep well, and that’s a good thing to do if you can afford it and have the space. But what’s important is fostering community food security, and also voting, so we have people in government who take the time to understand the issues and legislate in the interests of their constituents, not their co-conspirators in crime and corruption.

(Astrologers: Uranus in Taurus — the planet of sudden change in the sign of the garden. And don’t forget that Saturn is moving into Aquarius for a few months this summer, where it will be in orb of a square to Uranus, then, after its retrograde, both Saturn and Jupiter will be in Aquarius next year and making exact squares to Uranus. The current stellium in Capricorn will last almost all year, doing its civilization-busting dance, and the USA’s Pluto return is already in orb.
Additionally, keep in mind that sextiles and trines primarily indicate an easy flow of energy between two planets, not a shower of rainbows and unicorns.

Particularly with outer planets, and especially in mundane charts, you need to look at how that energy is flowing, and who benefits — because often the benefit of one works to the detriment of another. With that in mind, go check out transiting Neptune, planet of deception, epidemics, disinformation, and oil, and note how it’s been playing the music for the Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto dance. Also remember Neptune as a spiritual archetype.)

The New Normal

We are in the midst of profound and lasting social and environmental change. Pandemics aside, our economic house of cards is collapsing. I don’t know how to emphasize this enough — an economy based on growth is not sustainable. An economy that allows the hoarding of immense wealth by a few people is not sustainable. An economy that ignores the environmental consequences of human actions is not sustainable.

We need to develop sustainable economies world wide. To be sustainable, those economies must be inclusive, and governments must be run by people who have the best interests of ALL citizens in mind.

Making “socialism” into a boogieman because “why should I have to share the fruits of my labor?” is both short-sighted and spiritually bereft. Not to mention inaccurate. (Socialism is the ownership of the means of production by the government. No one is suggesting that as a solution to our problems. Also, I’ve known lots of rich people, as well as poor and middle class people. I’ve never known a rich person who labored as hard as most of those who are poor and middle class)

Astrologically, I can say that war(s) of one kind or another are likely this year. But the biggest war we fight may be between authoritarianism and democracy — and I believe the scales are tipping (finally!) in the direction of democracy. However, this requires ethical leadership supported by an engaged citizenry. We just might find ourselves with a sustainable economy and a functional government if we can find the courage to make the changes that must be made.

This is a scary time to be living through. There is massive economic uncertainty, and a pandemic that can be deadly, or leave those who survive with permanent lung damage. You’ll need to look deeply into your heart and soul to awaken the courage you need.

We have lots of examples to follow when it comes to courage, from the medical professionals on the front lines of this event, to the volunteers who are helping the needy within their communities, to those who stand up and speak truth to power. Do not let your fear control you, or you will miss opportunities for growth and expansion on many levels — spiritual growth not the least of those.

Opportunities abound this year — opportunities to both screw up royally and/or to develop new ways of living and caring for each other and the planet that is home for us all. But we need to step up and take them when they present themselves, before they pass us by.

The Pandemic

While I think we will see some breakthroughs in containment and treatment options by late April/early May, the upcoming month is likely to be particularly difficult. This pandemic is not going away quickly. In fact, May and June feature an astrological signature for infectious disease. (Astrologers: Mars in Pisces, joining up with Neptune and squared by a retrograde Venus in Gemini).

The lessons we need to learn from this disaster are many, but three stand out:

1) We are just as connected biologically as we are technologically, and we must be as consistently cautious about biological viruses (and other infectious agents) as we are about viruses on our computers.

2) A democratic government needs to work for the people, not for a small portion of the populace who want to hoard wealth. Certain sectors of the economy (health, utilities, prisons) need to be managed for the good of all, and transparency in government is essential. FDR said in 1936, after the corruption of big business that led to the Crash began to be exposed “They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.” Yup.

3) Government is not the problem. The personal ethics and moral stances of our elected officials are the problem. We need to make ethics more of an issue for politicians, independent of religion. People like Senator Richard Burr, who withheld information on a pandemic from the public so he and his wealthy friends could sell their stock before the market tanked, should not only be prosecuted for insider trading and banned from ever holding public office again, but publicly shamed and shunned.

Other Stuff We Need To Pay Attention To

Technology is going to be in high demand as business moves online. This is one sector of the economy that should do well over the rest of the year. It will also put the technological infrastructure under tremendous pressure, so you might want to have backup. For instance, if you’re holding an online meeting of some kind, have a Plan B, in case the meeting software you use is glitching, or low on bandwidth. Get some kind of “hot spot” device as an alternate internet source (your phone is an option too, though I’ve found the separate device stronger and more reliable. YMMV depending on where you live).

The pandemic situation is going to expose all the cracks in the foundation of our economies globally. There will be more scandals around financial corruption, and there will be restructuring going on in our economy that will have long-term consequences. The economy will need to be rebuilt on a more realistic and fair foundation.

On the bright side (yes, there’s a bright side!), I’m hoping to see some changes happening in public healthcare, but it’s looking to me as though real change may take a while, though there will be lots of talk and fireworks.

We are going to start paying a lot more attention to the needs of the poor and disenfranchised. We will come to understand that a society really is only as strong as its weakest link.

I know this all seems terribly difficult, and it is. But we are also being presented with tremendous opportunities to make fundamental and needed changes in our personal lives and in the lives of our communities. We are sailing into the future, and we need all hands on deck to get where we want to go.

Speaking of which, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes that is so apropos for this time. It’s good advice. I hope you’ll keep it in mind.

“One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires …causes proper matters to catch fire…Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it.
If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do.
Do not lose heart. We were made for these times.”
~Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Bright blessings of the Spring season to you!