Important Points of Reference (for astrologers)
June 3 New Moon at 12 degrees Gemini and Venus in Taurus is trine Pluto, June 7 Mercury in Cancer is sextile Uranus, June 14 Mars is trine Neptune and opposition Saturn and Jupiter is inconjunct Saturn, June 16 Mercury is trine Neptune opposition Saturn and inconjunct Jupiter, June 17 Full Moon at 25 degrees Sagittarius, June 19 Mercury is conjunct Mars and is opposition Pluto that is also conjunct the Moon, June 24 Venus is square Neptune.
Cancer vs. Capricorn
The Common People vs. the Ruling Elite.
Since the early 1980s, there has been a societal movement away from the notion of equality of opportunity, a balance of power between government and business, a strong middle class, and a veritable “worship” of those who accumulate massive amounts of wealth at any cost. In recent years, corporations have “bought out” governments and been allowed to pollute the planet without restraint. Oil companies continue to get government support and are allowed to put in environmentally threatening pipelines. Big pharma has gradually been deregulated and permitted to disperse opioids and charge mega prices for widely used prescriptions at the expense of public health. Billionaires have become “Gods”. Respect for people who are considerate of one another, devoted to sharing and caring for the less fortunate, making sacrifices of immediate gratification for the long term good, have been “scrapped”. Mother Theresa as an icon has been replaced by Jeff Bezos. Yesterday’s heroes such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandala seem to have been forgotten by a public whose focus is to “get rich”, buy products, consume whatever they find online like candy, and have the “freedom” to do whatever they please at the moment. This is starting to change.
The Cancerian Dilemma:
The sign of Cancer’s concern is survival and all that that implies – reproduction, nourishment, the products of nature, fighting for the “homestead” and protection of one’s tribe or family. It has been said that this sign, ruled by the Moon and female deities, symbolizes the origin of humanity itself, the history of the human species and its creativity, growth, and expansion as well as its near extinctions. Its element is water which is necessary for all biological life as we know it. It ranges from expressing itself as violent emotion to tenderness to an instinctive knowledge that is amazingly accurate. It does not want to fight, would rather stay home and cook up a storm and rest comfortably with its family in front of the fire. Interestingly, the Dalai Lama is born under this sign, as was former Pres. George W. Bush and So Africa’s former president, Nelson Mandala.
However, if its family, tribe, or country are threatened or attacked, our Cancer person will fight fiercely and “to the death” to protect them.
In reality, this sign’s qualities reside fundamentally within all of us. Without it, we would have “died out” eons ago. The astrological chart of the U.S. A. contains the Sun, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury in this sign. We fought courageously for our own independence from the British monarchy (Capricorn) to forge a new nation “with liberty and justice for all.”
The conflict within this sign is: “Who is the all?” Does it consist only of the descendants of the White Christian Protestant European men who wrote the constitution and framed our nation? Does it include the African Americans, the Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, women in general, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh people and immigrants from abroad who not only populated and contributed to this nation for the past two centuries, but continue to come here?
There is a worldwide tendency to separate each nation into a unit only unto itself as if “national interest” means disliking everyone else. Each nation has a sovereign governance within its own territory and it is in its interest to protect itself, but it has been the transnational corporate giants who have shipped labor and manufacturing abroad to places with no environmental protections and poverty wages and the giant banks have financed all this. The need to “survive” involves reaching beyond our “own back yard” and forge relationships with people, governments, and businesses around the world or, with the dominance of our massive technologies that, without restraint, damage the climate and life on earth, we will most certainly all go “extinct” together. The ongoing Fukushima nuclear disaster is moving radioactive material to our shores and India’s and China’s continued use of coal and fossil fuels is affecting the global climate. A newly fueled Cold War by the U.S. with Russia, China and No. Korea will put the safety of all humankind at risk.
The Capricorn Crisis:
Since 2008 (until 2024), Pluto, the planet of crisis, death and rebirth has been transiting the sign of Capricorn and we are witnessing the rise of a “ruling elite” whose policies in both government and industry have moved capital and power into the realm of giant corporations, transnational banks, and a billionaire class of individuals not seen since the “Age of the Robber Barons” in the early 20th Century. This process has been going on for a long time, but we are finally facing the consequences of a massive inequality of wealth and opportunity on a global basis and most certainly here in the U.S. I have been discussing these trends for years in my books and newsletters. It was recently announced that the generation of Americans born between 1981 – 1996, commonly referred to as the Millennials are the worst positioned generation economically since those of the Great Depression of the 1930s.
According to author Patrick Wood: “Today, four companies produce 84% of our beef, four companies control the world’s grain market, 6 corporations control 90% of the media, 10 companies control everything we buy, 14 companies control the entire global auto industry.”
Capricorn is a sign that encompasses the “elites”; people who, through talent, ambition and persistence have risen to the top sector of their societies and are able to exercise control over them for good or for ill. Jeff Bezos is a Capricorn sun as was Pres. Richard Nixon and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bezos, CEO of Amazon, the richest man on earth, is now setting up a corporation that will “put us back on the Moon”, so that we can mine the mineral resources there. Has anyone wondered about disrupting the orbit of the Moon on which life on earth currently depends, by removing its substances? Are there any “limits” on this kind of power?
The current fixation is 5G; i.e. spreading computer access throughout the globe and erecting satellites around the planet that would likely surveil and control media access, military might, and an uncontrollable influx of information about everyone on the planet. There is fierce competition, especially between the U.S. and China to gain this control. Currently, there is a merger of T-Mobile and Sprint to get this foothold, a federal judge ruled that another big player for this presence, Qualcom, violated anti-trust laws. China’s Huawei is moving toward dominance in spite of Pres. Trump’s efforts to restrain them.
Capricorn’s element is earth, coinciding with a very stubborn temperament and a nature that sticks to the “existential reality” of most decisions it makes. Often, early limitations and responsibilities in the life of a Capricorn may lead to holding “grudges,” but can also motivate the individual to achieve a later success that goes far beyond the scope of its family of origin. The looming question is: what limits must be placed on this power and how would it work?
Previous historic transits of Pluto in Capricorn brought the Protestant Revolution in Europe, the invasion of Cortez in Central America wiping out the Aztec Empire, and the American Revolution. We have been witnessing the toppling of “establishment” powers in governments all over the world, a crisis in the Roman Catholic Church, a polarized political environment in the U.S., and dictators getting elected throughout the globe and entrenched to an alarming extent. Democracies only work when people are informed and engaged intelligently in what is going on in the economy and governments. They do not work when people want a “strong man” who promises a ‘quick fix”.
A ray of hope lies in the fact that even the powerful CEOs of corporations are questioning their own prior direction and acknowledging the inequalities in the world today. Billionaire Robert F. Smith, the richest African American in the U.S. paid off all the college loans of last month’s graduating class of Morehouse college. Many of the Democratic candidates running for president are presenting well thought out ideas concerning how there may be a balance between the prosperity of Capitalism and social safety nets to support the national infrastructures that make it all possible.
What Now?
This month’s oppositions between both Mars and Mercury in Cancer and Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn highlight the conflicts between the concerns of these two signs. Saturn is conjunct the South Node of the Moon and the South Node of Pluto this month. The last time this occurred in a similar way was the Cuban Missile Crisis in which we came close to a nuclear conflict with Russia. The conflict in Venezuela is similar in that Russia supports the Maduro regime and we do not. The Trump administration has threatened military “intervention” in this conflict.
We will likely see an increase in storms and floods (Cancer) around the world, but particularly here in the U.S. as global climate change is magnifying storms and monsoon style rains. The earth (Capricorn) will erode into mudslides and result in buildings going down and the farming industry suffering losses of crops. Food prices (Cancer) will likely rise and the government (Capricorn) will be increasing its fiscal debt by trying to fix a failing infrastructure.
Emergencies will highlight inadequacies of people in power to address these emergencies, resulting in more fighting between political parties and an accelerating of the “blame game”.
There are two significant eclipses that lie ahead in July. July 2nd, there is a Solar Eclipse at 10 degrees Cancer near the Sun of the U.S.A and on July 16th there is a Lunar Eclipse on Pluto in Capricorn, conjunct the Pluto (those in power) in the chart of the U.S.A. The failures of our government here in the U.S. to address these crises will be highlighted.
The economic fallout that no meaningful “deal” may be made with China at this time will have negative consequences for financial markets. Pres. Trump’s temper tantrums and waving flags of war at Iran will begin to register on the U.S. populace, who does not want another war in the Middle East. While Pres. Trump was visiting Japan, No. Korea tested more nuclear missiles that are dangerously close to Japanese shores. The president “complimented” ruthless dictator Kim Jong Un , sending a message that our protection of Japan as a primary ally is now not assured. Last month, Robert Mueller made a public statement that it was not the job of his investigation to indict or impeach the president, since that decision goes to Congress. He repeated that Russia illegally invaded and attempted to influence the 2016 election. However, he could neither exonerate the president nor assure the public that a crime had not been committed. As Mars is opposition Saturn between June 13th and 19th, all these crises will be amplified as Mars is opposition Saturn and Pluto, conjunct the north node of Pluto.
The Economy:
The problems with farming industries as a result of the Trump tariffs on China and massive floods wiping out their lands will increase this month. We will begin to see food prices rise. We will become increasingly disillusioned with respect to the gap between corporate wealth and the public at large. The Communication Workers of America (CWA) reported last month that AT & T has slashed 23,328 jobs since Congress passed the tax break bill in 2017 ($21 billion in tax cuts for AT & T) including 6000 workers in the first quarter of 2019. They boosted executive pay and then cut capital investment by $1.4 billion. This is just one example that blows up the “myth” that these tax breaks benefit most of the U.S. population. There will be more that lie ahead.
Last month, Uber, who is not profitable, went public (May 10, 2019, 11:51 AM, New York, NY) with Venus square Pluto. I would avoid this stock. Luckin Coffee made its IPO on May 17, 2019, 9:30 AM, New York, NY with Mercury trine Pluto and Venus sextile Uranus which bodes very well for this stock. It will compete with Starbucks in China. David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs bought United Capital. I think he will have cause to regret this decision. Richard Branson moved his Virgin Galactic Spaceport to New Mexico, a real boost to the economy and optimism for the region.
What is rarely discussed with respect to our economy is the fact that China overwhelmingly controls the world market in “rare earths” or minerals necessary for most of our technology to function. With this in mind, the continuance of our trade war with them could have serious consequences.
Both stock and bond markets will be negative and uncertain after the first week of this month. However, all this is only a preview of what is to come in the Fall of this year.
Weather and the Environment:
It was recently announced that one million species on earth are on the verge of extinction and that ¾ of all the lands of the earth (excluding mountains and undersea areas) have been paved or mined. Interestingly, a jury recently ordered Monsanto to pay a record $2 billion in a Roundup cancer trial. Let us hope that Roundup will be banned here as it has been in multiple other nations.
There is a severe and ongoing drought in No. Korea threatening starvation to millions. No. Korea has now started up their nuclear missile program again, as all deals went dead between them and the Trump administration. This reminds us that global climate emergencies are behind so many political and military upheavals in the world, including the nations of the Middle East, where temperatures are rising and whose rivers are drying up. As I previously forecasted would likely happen, there was an 8.0 earthquake in Peru whose effects caused landslides in neighboring Ecuador, 9 tornadoes struck Oklahoma, severe flooding hit Arkansas, and Ohio suffered extreme hurricane damages.
This month’s storms and floods here in the U.S. will remind us of the critical need to eliminate our dependency of fossil fuels and focus on solutions that many scientists are examining. Earthquakes will likely increase in the areas located in the “ring of fire”. Last month there were over 500 tornado warnings within the span of 30 days. Trump’s refusal to work with Congress to pass legislation for infrastructure and aid to those struck by natural disasters will only make things worse.
Other Nations:
The U.K: Last month, Teresa May announced her resignation as Prime Minister due to the lack of a BREXIT deal. Things will go from bad to worse this month as the divisions in this nation will worsen.
Japan: This month’s Mars and Mercury oppositions to Saturn and Pluto activate the chart of Japan that have not been seen since their stock market crashed in 1990. The important G-20 meeting is being held there in June. Their emperor recently abdicated. The Trump administration has insulted them by praising No. Korea’s violation of the U.N. agreement by firing off missiles close to their shores. There may be some serious weather or natural event taking place this month. A mass stabbing just took place in this nation, who has historically the lowest crime record in the world. Times are rough for Japan.
Venezuela: Things are getting more dire in this nation, but not enough is in their chart to overthrow Pres. Maduro. Unfortunately, this nation will not likely make the changes it needs until later in 2020.
Syria: Assad will likely win the civil war and consolidate his power with more bombing of his civilian population. Russia is behind his administration and most of the groups that organized against him have been obliterated.
Saudi Arabia: This month’s oppositions between Cancer and Capricorn (the dominate cluster of planets in their astrological chart) symbolizes conflict from within the royal family and challenges to their power as, surprisingly, Iraq may be moving toward siding with Iran, their old sworn enemy.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo: The recent outbreak there of the Ebola virus may get worse this month as the diminishing infrastructure for global public health is not working to help them.
Final Thoughts:
Many people ask me how I hold onto my sanity as I survey the big crises and issues that haunt us throughout the world. I answer this concern with the fact that my passion is to track down truths, no matter what the cost and no matter how difficult they are to discern.
The planetary positions point the way to the looming issues, but do not determine the outcomes. By continuing this effort, there is a continuum of hope in my heart that humanity will make the decisions it needs to not only save itself, but to ally itself with a higher and more meaningful reality.
Every person does not have to be “on board” to accomplish this. History is rarely changed by the majority of the people, but has continually been changed by a passionate committed minority, for good or for ill. There are many who have grand ideas, great energies, and a willingness to commit themselves to this effort. I know because I have been fortunate enough to hear them. The younger generations at this point are more about making these changes for all than their self-absorbed predecessors.
When I am quiet and at peace within myself, the most wonderful feeling about the future inhabits my mind and fills my heart. We can do this and we can do it together!
