Engaged Astrology

December is an interesting month embedded in an interesting time. And my thoughts about our current astrology led me - via Saturn turning direct - to a (long) discussion of the American Revolution!

This year, Ashwini Nakshatra - which is the first one - falls on December 1st. The nakshatras are an ancient collection of sub-constellations (and fixed stars) that thread across the Zodiac - 27 in total. There is a new one for every day of the lunar calendar, and they are activated when the moon passes over them. (If you’ve ever done a reading with me, I’ve told you a lot about the one you were born on, because it says a lot about how your mind works!) So this month, the nakshatras will roll out, in order, from December 1st to December 27th starting with Ashwini at the beginning of Aries and ending with Revati at the end of Pisces. This overlapping of the lunar and solar calendars happens every 2-3 years.

The Nakshatras (like the signs of the zodiac) have a logic to their order. Whether we have been conditioned by the ancient patterns written in the stars, or whether we have created these patterns to explain ancient human rhythms - or both - the flow of the signs taps into a deep narrative that we know without knowing. This month may unfold in a “karmic” way - with a feeling of familiarity or inevitability.

The bad news is that we may feel we don’t have enough control over how things might go this December. The good news is that as we pass through the cycle of Nakshatras we should ramp up through higher (and more mature) levels of consciousness, like they do. I am imagining the energetic shape of the month to look something like a Nike Swoosh …

A bit more detail on the order of the Nakshatras and how they change. They are organized into three groups:

• The first nine Nakshatras, from Ashwini to Ashlesha, relate to the “Bhu Loka” - the material realm of the here and now, our physical experience of being alive here on planet earth.

• The second group of nine, from Magha to Jyeshta Nakshatra, correspond to the “Bhuva Loka” - the liminal realm of mind, feelings, and ideas - and relates to the earth’s atmosphere and the sky as we can see it from earth.

• The last group, from Mula to Revati Nakshatra, is ruled by the “Swarga Loka”, which contains higher spiritual energies and entities; our souls; and bliss. They represent THE HEAVENS - anything beyond what we can directly see or touch.

So every lunar cycle we move through these stages, from the gross and physical to the most exalted and wise. It can also be seen as a movement through life - from birth (Ashwini) to our transition from the physical world (Revati). So there is a maturation. For this reason, December might feel like a lifetime! But at the end of the month (and year) the cycle will blast us off right into the heavens … like the fireworks on 12/31!

OK actually, the final Nakshatra fireworks are on the 27th. After that the Nakshatra cycle starts again and January 1st actually falls on fifth Nakshatra, Mrigashirsha, “The Searching Star”.

In Vedic astrology, the junctions between water and fire signs are thought to be hazardous. In India, if you are born with your moon in one of these areas (there are three in the zodiac) then, at least in some traditions, special remedies are performed for both you and your parents. These areas are called “Gandantas” and are thought of as “holes” (like a mouth, or an anus) in which the planets cannot properly function, or be happy. Another image I like for Gandanta is that of an area where two rivers meet - it’s all turbulence, the flow is violent and inhospitable. The zone starts half a degree on either side of the junction of the signs in question. The three are shown by the three lines that radiate from the center of this diagram:

This month the signs in question are Scorpio (water sign) and Sagittarius (fire sign). I have marked the line between these signs red, in the diagram above. Over the course of the month five planets will pass across this Gandanta. The dates are as follows, but the days on either side of them could also be affected.

• December 7: Mars will lead the way, crossing over from its own sign of Scorpio, to Sagittarius. As it passes over the core of the Gandanta, known as the “Abhukta Mula”, it may lose control, so look out for aggression or even violence on this day.

• December 16: Sun will cross. On this day leaders might flounder or be ignored, and please be very careful with money on the days surrounding this date. Not a good time to make a major purchase!

• December 19th: Both Venus and Moon cross the Gandanta into Sagittarius. This is the most dangerous one because Moon and Venus represent our pranas - our very life force - and this transit could put those in jeopardy somehow. Be very careful of travel on this day which, to make things more intense, also resolves into a new moon in Mula Nakshatra that night (the 19th). Mula nakshatra, symbolized by a bundle of roots, is thought to be a place “on the edge of heaven”. It has the power of dissolution - causing things to “scatter”. Mula new moons are usually intense in their lead-up and can bring a sense of “re-birth”. This one could be more so and is definitely the most problematic day of the month.

• Finally on December 28th: Mercury crosses the Gandanta. Here Mercury’s role as a communicator could be compromised, but as a general rule Mercury is the best equipped planet to deal with the gandantas. It has the flexibility, speed, and resilience to handle them.

In fact, my teacher likes to say that Mercury holds clues for all of us about how to handle these transitions. The key is to keep it light! Look for the humor, and if things feel too heavy, spend time among trees or greenery (mercury), do some yoga (mercury) - or read a book (mercury)!

Revising the “Shape of December” illustration - I am adding dents (holes) in the energy on the Gandanta-crossing days (and making the dates red).

As a pack of planets, Moon, Sun, Mercury, Mars and Venus is almost like a little family. Sun is the father, Moon the mother; Mercury the baby; Mars the brother; Venus the sister (or lover). Look for family tensions to pop up out of nowhere this month as family members, one by one, deal with the ordeal of the gandanta crossing.

The good news is they will all end up in a better place when they get into Sag. Not to disparage Scorpio in any way, but it is a more complicated sign and often represents a point of confusion or dysfunction in a horoscope. Sagittarius has a more resourced energy currently because its ruler, Jupiter, is exalted (see last month’s newsletter!). So though these transition moments might be gnarly, the end result will be more stable for our little family of planets, and families in general! More fireworks!

As we get to the end of the month I think we will all feel a sense of safety, relief and gratitude, that we might not be feeling as the month begins. New Year’s should be sweet … and …

Saturn first went into Pisces in February, and has been retrograde for the last four and a half months, so much so that it’s almost backed up out of Pisces altogether. On November 28th Saturn began very slowly turning around and going direct. This time he will start his trek across Pisces in earnest - and will take almost two more years to complete the trip. So this turnaround is significant not just for this month, but for the next years as well. More detail on this later but the basic idea here is that although Saturn has been in Pisces for a while, now is when the effects of the transit will really start to bloom.

Whatever Saturn does, the reverberations are usually widespread - Saturn rules everyone, especially the “common man”, the proletariat — us. Saturn does not distinguish between kings or poor people - we are all the same in his eyes.

Pisces is also a sign that relates to large groups of people - it represents our species without countries or borders: foreigners, refugees, legal, illegal; the “other” in all forms. All are welcome in Pisces.

So, at its best, I think “Saturn-in-Pisces” expresses the beautiful sentiment in this lyric:

Imagine there’s no countries

It isn’t hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion, too

~ John Lennon, “Imagine”

In the “no religion” part, Lennon is talking about the kind of religion that splits people apart and causes suffering. Saturn-in-Pisces would agree. Pisces is a highly spiritual (and creative) sign - all about “moksha”, transcendence or enlightenment; the passage from the mundane world, or this lifetime, to another world, another lifetime. It loves wisdom: the ruling planet of Pisces is a priest figure - Jupiter. Saturn is OK with the fundamentals of Pisces - the evolution of mankind part - but not OK with the sometimes bombastic, preachy or controlling nature of Jupiter. So that means the mood of this transit becomes more about a kind of spiritual selflessness - an austerity. Saturn always represents austerity, and Saturn loves sacrifice. I think we may be in for a sturdy dose of both of those for the next years. Though there will likely be hardship, I’m sure there will also be wonderful examples of the human spirit as well. In a way this transit sets the stage for us to demonstrate that spirit - and my bet is that we will as we always have. Human heroes will emerge.

As we head towards Christmas, I can’t help but think of Jesus Christ in this context. Christianity is often connected to the sign Pisces - both are symbolized by fish, and are, again, related to transcendence. And at the core of Jesus’ myth, like Saturn’s, is sacrifice for the common man. I’ve often thought of the similarity between a halo (or a crown of thorns) and the rings of Saturn. What I’m saying is I think Christmas could hit an especially meaningful note this year.

But as we go through this transit, who will step up, on our behalf, in the here and now? Is it Mamdani? He has a very strong Saturn in Capricorn, aspecting his ascendant - so the mark of Saturn is definitely with him. It’s interesting that Pope Leo is on the scene - he seems to be a Saturn in Pisces ambassador and, indeed, has Saturn exalted in his chart.

It is natural that we should be looking for help, because the situation might feel grim. Pisces is very much about the end of a journey: a conclusion and the promise of a new beginning. Saturn, when there, puts the brakes on that. “Not so fast!” he seems to say. Just as we’re about to finally get somewhere - another obstacle. It’s disheartening. And after Saturn leaves Pisces he goes into Aries, sign of his debility. He might not have the power to rise. So, if Saturn represents the people, we could be in for a hard run for the next five years or so!

Ultimately - and this is the lesson Saturn really wishes to teach - we will need to go deep within ourselves to get through it. There will likely be no savior, “no religion, too”. One thing we can take heart in though: because this is Saturn-in-Pisces, we are definitely NOT the only ones experiencing it - many humans will be going through a similar thing, almost all of them in fact. Our situation is global … we’re all in it together!

Where Saturn is in your personal chart, and what it’s doing, will very much determine how you experience this transit. Whatever’s going on for us we can take heart in the fact that Saturn will rise again, and the people with him. Next … a great example of that!

I recently watched Ken Burns’ amazing new film called THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Twelve hours long, but I was captivated. The film both puts our current moment in an almost mythological American context, as well as highlights its important (and concerning) differences. Next year we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of this country - and, given what’s happening currently, there couldn’t be a better moment to both celebrate how far we’ve come; and explore how, in some ways, we might be regressing, or even betraying the original, populist, intentions of our country’s founding. There are many specific date/place/times named out in the film, so I knew I was being called on to cast some charts! It quickly emerged that the story of the Revolution is very much a Saturn story.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

~ Declaration of Independence, Preamble

As the film masterfully articulates, in an 18th century context, these words were truly revolutionary (they also couldn’t be more Saturnal). Europe was ruled by monarchs - there were no Republics in the Western world, or the world in general. The film fascinatingly explores how native American cultures were closer to what we think of as “Democratic”, or participatory societies, than anything in the West. In addition to the First Peoples’ story, the film also speaks well to the African American experience of the Revolution. I don’t have time to discuss this or much else here - this is a topic that deserves a much deeper survey - but I did want to briefly present how, from an astrological perspective, the Revolution proceeded, and what it accomplished.

The background is that tensions had been rising between the American colonists and their British overlords for some time. The British had recently instituted some very harsh taxes and tariffs on the American people - known as the “Intolerable Acts”. These had resulted in the Boston Tea Party where the Americans - aka Patriots - destroyed a boat load of British Tea rather than pay taxes to the monopoly it represented. Patriots (colonists) were beginning to form militias and stash weapons. The British government sent a garrison of regulars to destroy military supplies supposedly being held in Lexington, Massachusetts. The Rebels somehow got word that this was happening and intercepted the British. At about 5am on April 19, 1775, a standoff occurred between the British and the Rebels. An unknown Patriot fired the first shot of the war - “The shot heard around the world”. This is the chart of that shot:

An exalted Sun dominates the chart from ascendant Aries. Sun is the King (King George III) in this Mars-ruled sign and the color is bright red - the same color as the “red coats” of the famed British army. Mars is in the fifth house of protection, Leo, and exchanges signs with Sun: monarchy and violence are one and the same. But there are signs of weakness as well, chinks in the armor. Rahu, an insurgent, has recently breached that colonial 5th house. Rahu is an eclipse point and will always expose weaknesses - certainly Rahu in “spy mode” was responsible for tipping the Patriots off to the British plans in Lexington. And Rahu-Mars is Angarāka yoga - “the burning one” - it portends war, which will engulf this young land for the next almost 8 years. But war against whom?

For this, we look in the 6th House, the house of enemies - and there is Saturn - the people. This is Virgo where Saturn is strong, and getting stronger every day. The next year, 1776, it will become exalted in Libra - with a direct aspect on that regal Sun. As it is, from the 6th house, it aspects the Moon in this chart - the mind of the King, and his subjects. For them this would be the beginning of a long nightmare. Saturn aspecting Moon also decreases longevity.

Indeed, at Lexington, and later Concord, the British were outnumbered, harassed and driven back to Boston by thousands of colonial militia firing from behind trees, walls and buildings. They sustained heavy losses. By the end of the day the colonists proved that they could stand up the British Army and win. But the imperial Sun at the top of this chart - aided by brutal Mars - would be no joke. The British are the most skilled warriors of the time, and masters of the latest technology of war, including trench warfare and exploding canon shells (aka bombs). The ragtag and mostly unpaid rebels (Saturn again) have an almost impossible assignment ahead of them.

“We were born in violence … The United States came out of violence.”

~ Maya Jasanoff (one of the historians interviewed for the film, and a revelation)

The chart for the USA is usually made for the day the Declaration of Independence was “ratified” (signed) on July 4th 1776. But this chart has always been problematic because nobody knows exactly what time that happened - there are a range of ideas from 11am to 5pm, and three or four possible ascendents.

However, we know for a fact that the newly ratified document was read to the public at noon on July 8th, 1776, in the Philadelphia Sate House Yard (later Independence Square) by Colonel John Nixon. This reading is referred to several times in the film. One character, James Forten, the son of a freed slave, was 10 years old when he heard it read. It changed his life and he (after barely surviving the war) became a renowned abolitionist. I like this chart more for the USA, first because we know exactly when it happened, and second because it’s arguably a more important moment than the signing. This is a political, revolutionary document for, and about, “the people” - and this is the moment the people first heard it. [Most astrologers, using the signing chart mentioned above, put the current USA deep in its Rahu dasha (phase). Using this chart the US is actually in a Venus phase - very interesting! I will write more about this at a later date.]

As far as the chart itself, the outstanding feature is Saturn in the Virgo ascendant. The people are, literally, rising. Since the Lexington war, 15 months earlier, Saturn has advanced into its exaltation sign of Libra, then retrogaded back into Virgo, and is now stationing direct to finally charge into Libra once at for all (which it will do in a matter of weeks). So it - and the people it represents - still haven’t reached their full potential.

Until I watched this film I hadn’t exactly realized that the Declaration of Independence was signed during one of the darkest times of the war for the rebels with no end in sight. England had retaken many major cities, including Philadelphia, and the Patriot army was starving and in disarray. The Declaration of Independence was, in many ways, a political tool, a PR move, made to bolster the cause. I love this - it seems so American to declare something before it’s real: “Fake it ‘til you make it”/ “self fulfilling prophesy”/ “manifestation”/ etc. The Declaration of Independence is a kind of vision board. And in this vision board Saturn, and the people, have taken fragile control.

But what is also outstanding in the chart is the packed 10th house of action and career (karma). Mars, Sun, Venus and Jupiter are there - this is a chart that can do anything, and the money-making (Venus/Sun) and capacity for violence (Mars) are exponential (sounds like the USA to me!). But there is also a great capacity for wisdom (Jupiter), and all of these planets are aspected by the Saturn from the top. They are, at least for now, at the service of the people.

My ears always perk up when I hear about an eclipse in history, mostly because I can figure out exactly when it happened and make a solid chart for it. George Washington and the newly renamed Continental Army (assisted by the French) were poised to battle for control of Philadelphia. This would be a major victory for them as for years the British had held it and other major strategic towns and cities in the Northeast. But King George III was facing many other issues in his empire, including in the Caribbean (his most profitable outpost). In the scheme of things he decided to abandon Philadelphia. His army began to evacuate to New York. As Washington and his army followed him up the I-95 corridor, on June 24, 1778, peaking at 10:37am, a solar eclipse occurred. It was a total eclipse and has been extensively documented. Soldiers marched on through the weird eclipse twilight. Because of the new moon it was almost completely dark. Torches were lit.

Eclipses are of course major astrological events and often denote a sudden - even violent - shift in energies. In the context of a Kingdom, a Solar eclipse, where the Sun/King is forced to vanish, is obviously a concern; even more so when Mars, his army, is involved (Mars was conjunct Sun during the eclipse). Additionally it takes place in Ardra Nakshatra, ruled by Rudra, god of destruction. This is a calamitous eclipse for the Sun, and this time Saturn (representing the people) is truly exalted in the third house of War. The Sun has disappeared and the new king of this chart is clearly Saturn. Ironically even Jupiter, the priest, seems to bless the proceedings from the ascendant.

Washington’s Continental army finally attacked the British rear guard in the bloody Battle of Monmouth on June 28. They beat the British who still managed to get most of their men to safety in New York. There was a lot more war to fight, but the times, they are definitely a-changin’.

“Who would have thought a hundred years ago that out of this multitude of rabble would arise a people who could defy kings.”

~ Johan Ewald, a Hessian officer who served with British forces during the American Revolutionary War. (I did not know this either - the British paid Germans to fight on their side.)

It’s interesting to note that there are also accounts by Native People of this eclipse. Their interpretation was extremely dark - and, indeed, so was the outcome of this war for them.

The war had shifted to the South and, after failing in the Carolinas, the British had consolidated at Yorktown at the bottom of the Chesapeake bay. George Washington, again assisted by the French, surrounded them and held the city under a brutal siege. Finally, with no escape possible, on the new moon day of October 17th, 1781 at 10am, the British surrender. The description of this moment in the film is incredible. Under the booming of guns, the sound of a single drum becomes audible. A British drummer is joined by another soldier waving a white handkerchief tied to a sword. The guns die out and for a moment only the single drum is audible. Then cheers erupt among the Patriots … and all repressed peoples’ all over the world.

It is a crazy chart. Saturn has now progressed to Scorpio, now the ascendant This represents quite a shift: when the war started (at Lexington), Sun, the King was in the ascendant. Saturn has triumphed! He is flanked by both Jupiter and Venus, the two great benefics - the “gurus”. For them to both appear there, with Saturn, the war must be over. These gurus want peace and are huddled up to their new leader. They will help it write a constitution, and form a government. Mars, the lord of the Scorpio ascendant here, is exalted in the third house of war (Capricorn) - the most lethal placement we’ve seen in any of these charts. The potential for violence moving forward is high (and also borne out by history), but Mars will only fight if he is told to, and now Jupiter/ Venus/ Saturn want to RULE, not fight. King George III, the Sun, is no longer exalted, as he was at Lexington. Instead he is on the run in the 12th house. The 12th house is usually a foreign country, and now that foreign country is England - the homeland is here: America.

The American Revolution was a first on the global stage and the film stresses that it changed the course of history. Just 8 years later the French Revolution would begin, and history has seen countless more rebellions in every corner of the planet, with many ongoing. The reach of Saturn is long. The revolution continues.

As quoted towards the end of the film:

“The American war is over: but this is far from being the case with the American revolution. On the contrary, nothing but the first act of the great drama is closed.”

~ Benjamin Rush

In the context of the Revolution, it’s not completely unsurprising that, two and a half centuries later, we seem to have some kind of King again. The story of the Revolution was the story of Saturn exalting and raising the people to a position of power. In our current situation though, Saturn is meditating in Pisces and will soon become debilitated in Aries. This is a worry.

I am heartened by the chart of George Washington. I had kind of slept on Washington as a leader. I knew he owned a lot of slaves. But this film gave me new appreciation of him. He was an incredibly talented commander, yet truly seemed to operate from a position of humility and service. Even though he became the pivotal figure of the revolution - a couple people in the film comment that it might not have happened without him- he never pretended to be a King and when it was time for him to lay down his arms he did (he was later elected president).

Washington was a Saturnal figure - he towered over most men of his time at 6’4” - but Saturn does not actually rule his chart. Mars does because his ascendant is Aries - he was a warrior. But his Saturn is strong in the nakshatra Uttara Bhadrapada, “The Warrior Star”, with the shakti to “bring the cosmic rain”.

This means that — as ours is currently — his Saturn is in Pisces. (Discussion of Saturn-in-Pisces above!).

This could mean that OUR George Washington is just being born. Or it could mean that our George Washington moment is NOW. Saturn-in-Pisces is perhaps a calling on all of us to step up and honor the revolution in our DNA.

OK thanks for reading. This became so long, I’ll skip Practice Notes for this month. See you in January and have a safe holiday!

~JG