In today’s edition of Planet Waves FM, I mentioned that Pluto (currently) in Capricorn is exactly conjunct Eris in Capricorn in the USA Sibly chart — the main July 4 chart for the United States.
You can see this easily in the graphic to the left. Eris is the red circle with the arrow pointing down. It’s got the number 8 next to it — which tells you precisely where it is in the sky, at the time of this event. Eris is an extremely slow-moving point — it takes 557 years to orbit the Sun.
Though it’s not well understood by most astrologers (it’s not really much of a discussion topic) this was a major discovery that altered our concept of the Solar System. In Capricorn, Eris describes the reformation of government, based on the prevailing chaos of the times. A new concept of government was born with the Declaration of Independence — a republic that included forms of representative Democracy and concern over individual rights.
As luck would have it, Pluto is now conjunct Eris in the USA Sibly chart. And because Pluto is in an aspect to Uranus, that means Uranus is square Eris in the USA chart. If you want an image of the prevailing chaos in government in our particular moment, there you go.
Eris in the USA chart is retrograde in the 2nd house. We have some serious self esteem issues. The 2nd is also about resources (we think we’re poor, when we’re actually rich — known as poverty consciousness), the purpose of money (not for fun, but with a spendtrhift streak), and our values (so conservative, the pope would blush). It’s really the perfect placement.
And now, Pluto is coming on at full strength, saying: hello, deal with it.
One other point — notice that the USA has Pluto in Capricorn. You can see it with the number 27 next to it; it looks like a red golf tee. While Pluto is not out that far yet, the United States is having its Pluto return. When the orbit of a planet is 250 years (such as Pluto), your Pluto return begins once the planet returns to its natal sign. The exact dates of the return (the first in history) are Feb. 20, 2022, July 11, 2022 and Dec. 28, 2022.
It happens three times because Pluto goes retrograde. So the year to watch for is 2022; however, the time to watch for signs of what this is about is right now. I will come back to this another time, though I will say that the psychology of these charts is how the United States has to get over its hangups about sex and money. They are killing our society and making its people miserable.
The Dec. 28, 2022 chart is explosive. That’s gonna be an interesting year — and just think, it’s just 10 short years away — less time than has passed since 9/11.
Yes, happy solar return Be, and happy rain – when it comes!
Yes, blessed Solar Return to you be. You give so much of yourself to us here at PW, may it come back to you a thousand-fold this year! And three cheers indeed for the beloved country! I adore this tribute from Norman Lear, I’ve played the song again and again. We need MORE music to drive the message forward — the 60s proved that point and changed history. Happy Birthday be and America too!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/norman-lear/born-again-as-an-american_b_1647643.html
Happy Solar Return, Be!! I’m glad you can chalk it up as a “fine” one, heat and all.
With love and appreciation,
Linda
that’s solidly second house — by Koch or whole sign houses; far from the 3rd cusp. it’s not going to be that different in placidus…
Hey, I confess; I would be hard-pressed to see natal U.S. Pluto anywhere but in the 2nd house. However, transiting Pluto still bears some 1st house attributes from my perspective, such as achieving “personhood” for corporations in recent times. Jessica Murray, in her article on Occupy Wall Street in the Mt. Astrologer April/May 2012 issue, said “. . . many Americans, brought up to think of their country as the world’s greatest democracy, cleave to a patriotic image quite at odds with the facts and figures.”
This is part of why I believe we Americans, as a whole, are not only having self-esteem issues, but are still going through an identity crisis that started on 9/11 when Pluto was still in Sagittarius crossing the Sibly ascendant. The change of our self-image has morphed from the bravado of the fire sign of Sagittarius to the seriously realistic nature of earth sign Capricorn. But for many citizens, who we are and what we look like is still a tough nut to crack. However, as Len puts it, house cusps are permeable, so what is “me” drifts into what “I own” with no trouble at all.
Aside from the obnoxious heat, this has been a fine solar return and I’m just thrilled that the Moon was still in Sagittarius for me, unlike the USA who will have a year of Cappy moods to deal with! That too is a fine line though as I’m also a citizen of this great country. Three cheers for the red-white-and-blue everyone.
be
If I may, I now recall my dream last night in which I’m with this congressman at some function and as I’m desperate for work I to get some “face” time … most of the dream is gone from my memory but I recall that his name was Sinister.
Eric reminds me that one of my favorite July 4th activities was heading to The National Archives to hear the reading of the Declaration of Independence. It felt so perfect.
PS: all this time, I have been awaiting ways to “perfect” this union via fair and honest elections HERE. I have a dream.
Sorry, forgot to mention in my last post: happy July 4th everyone!!!
“the current conjunction of transiting Pluto to the USA natal Eris would appear to suggest that the best solutions for the USA are long-term solutions.”
Thanks, Len. Maybe “that’s” the paradigm shift that will happen (among the many that might happen); a shift away from the instant gratification our society has been doing to one of long-term solutions.
Yep. There’s a terms I encountered recently in the political science and sociology literature that describes the process we are both talking about: a reservoir of legitimacy. Elections are a big part of that reservoir, but so are perceptions about things like court decisions, campaign finance practices, governing outcomes, and citizen efficacy. That reservoir, here in the United States, is being rapidly depleted.
I think the US is in a transitional phase between an (aspirationally) democratic republic and an openly plutocratic oligarchy. As I understand it, the anarchist literature calls this transitional form a “hollow state,” where the state is cannibalized from without and within by highly concentrated private power (usually capital). Maybe this is just a semantic difference, but I would have called it a “hollowing state” or a “one way republic” because it is a transitional form, and because the pretense of representation and the illusion of a replenishing reservoir of legitimacy are so central to its functioning.
The secessionist attitudes of many are not encouraging right now, nor is the obsession with an armed population for its own sake. Note that states who refuse to follow orders of the Supreme Court are in effect seceding from the union.
Elections are the thing that maintains the illusion of ‘democracy’ — and without those being convincing, the illusion will fail — the likely effect of repeated Mercury events on election dates.
Then come the outer planet transits.
I’ve been watching these transits for a while now. I don’t know if you saw it but I sent you an email on this subject a while back.
The Pluto return coincides with a Neptune opposition to the USA natal Neptune from the spring of 2021 through the end of 2022 (the last one coincided with the extreme polarization that immediately preceded the Civil War), followed by a Chiron return from 2023 – 2025 (the last one coincided with Watergate). My working theory is that the 2020s are going to be a decade of maximal political polarization and wounding through abuse of power — with a high probability of armed civil conflict — culminating with the USA Uranus return around 2028. Keep in mind that the 2020 presidential election immediately preceding all this activity has a Mercury station direct, just like the 2000 election.
Jann — but we know what they meant by “savages.” it’s really the only outdated thing, besides “men,” and that didn’t go out till the 20th century — as did the idea of savages in polite company.
Ota Benga (circa 1883[1] – March 20, 1916) was a Congolese Mbuti pygmy known for being featured with other Africans in an anthropology exhibit at the Bronx Zoo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ota_Benga
Len, thanks for your “blossoms of a tree opening” add-on. That’s a lovely way to perceive our opportunity for (explosive) new growth!
Thank you, Eric. This is so informative, so helpful. I’ve (excitedly) looked up my 2022 solar return (feb 21 – so the day after that first exact Pluto return of the USA) and wow is it something to explore — 6 transiting bodies lined up, passing through my 6th house, sandwiched between natal Mars and natal Pholus (and natal Venus playing monkey in the middle at 0AQ).
Studying my personal connection/s to the December 28th chart is no less interesting.
Wonderful to have your guidance through these times and for the times to come.
Thank you, Eric, for the analysis of the Sibly chart, but most of all, thank you for the reading of the Declaration of Independence. It would be my wish that everyone be required to read and listen to that document as part of the July 4 birthday celebrations. Yes, there are things in it that would be deemed “offensive” today (I”m thinking of the reference to “savages”) but, with the gift of hindsight and a grasp of history, there is much to be learned from those “offensive” things.
And yes, to answer your question at the end of the ‘cast, there is much that resonates with events today. Ah! Uranus and Pluto, what’s in store this square?
JannKinz
B
This is in Koch houses. However, don’t take houses so seriously; they are guidelines more than rules. For certain purposes they are more important than others. I suggest you always keep one eye on whole-sign houses as well.
Eris this close to the 2nd cusp is fully functional as 2nd house.
Eris and Pluto are now atop my natal Venus/Ceres/NN in Capricorn and I pinch myself as I read your description of the current astrology. I am on my knees these days, humbled by the onslaught of changes and searching out the meaning for me and the rest of us. I worked for so many for so long, revising my description of what it means to be an active voter in this country — from party politics to simply someone who vigilant in voter registration. Recently, I read that Bob Kerry was re-entering the field. I was thrilled that we might indeed have found someone who knows the system and the vile affect that special interests and their cash has made on the once more balanced system. His response to my letter was simply a request for cash … and perhaps he is not the answer I was praying for. I’ll keep looking and now expect with Eris and Pluto and Uranus energy behind me (atop me?) I (we) can do this.
I am the change I want in this world. Happy 4th to us all.
Mary
be: Thank you, got what you mean. i have the same chart. House cusps are permeable enough so that Eric’s interpretation today can still work with the older chart. Also, there is the time factor – we can never know the exact points for sure on something so long ago. All the more reason to try every object on for size in adjacent houses, if not the entire quarter.
Eric: Thank you for such a rich, resourceful, insightful, absolutely, positively brilliant piece.
The suggestion of how to interpret Eris’ relatively new representation of energy in the second house of a classic chart functions to re-open the entire chart for re-interpretation. That, in turn, demonstrates the capacity for tropical astrology to integrate newer discoveries to explore any chart in greater depth. Your point about how the return of a slower moving planet functions is equally well taken. In addition to the challenges you outline, the current conjunction of transiting Pluto to the USA natal Eris would appear to suggest that the best solutions for the USA are long-term solutions. If the USA as a nation could heed and implement your advice, and look toward the long term as well, 2022 may just possibly be a good type of explosion, like the blossoms of a tree opening with the appearance of explosion but to the effect of re-creation and beauty. Bless your heart, Eric
ooops! Looks like I need to update my hard copy of the Sibly chart I got from you in 2009. it has the 2nd house cusp at 16 Cap 04.