Aries – Renewed life, renewed hope, or renewed foolishness.
When a child is born, it leaves the safety of the womb and enters the world helpless, hungry, energetic, and ready for the fight to survive. The child grows rapidly, filled with the desire to explore, is hard to contain, crawls, walks, runs and does everything he/she can do to manipulate the loving but tired parents who wish they had 1/10th of their offspring’s energy and enthusiasm.
Aries is ruled by Mars, the ancient God of War, the Hunt, and the Martial Arts. Fiery Aries is the “start” of the human race, when early humans needed to be selfish predators in order to survive in an unkind wilderness, hunting and gathering and protecting their “stash” from other humans and animals who were all engaged in Nature’s predator/prey, tribe against tribe environment. Most were young since most people did not survive into old age. This vision has been outlined by Charles Darwin’s “Theory of Evolution” – “Natural Selection and Survival of the Fittest” interpretation and observation of the history of the struggle of life on earth.
After many thousands of years, off and on, we have developed governments and technologies that have evolved out of the notion of “civilization” – cooperation and organization of governing bodies put together in groups to keep us from killing each other and, instead, design economies that have produced prosperity previously neither known or nor understood. However, today the majority of the human population still lives in destitution and poverty, struggling and fighting to survive, while an unchecked minority, who owns most of the world’s wealth threatens to destroy the climate, pollute the waters and poison the earth to the point of extinction of most forms of life on our planet. This same group has developed weapons of mass destruction way beyond the bows and arrows of the ancient warriors whose wars were more localized. We are still experiencing a global pandemic that is taking many lives and relentlessly exposing the flaws and failures in modern human civilization. It is also highlighting human ingenuity self sacrifice and heroism in meeting this crisis.
Fast Forward:
In the 20th Century here in America, we have arguably moved from the “we” generation that survived the Great Depression, won WW II together, and created the most prosperous shared economy in the world, to the to “me” generation whose primary philosophy is to get rich at all cost, and who “deserve” what ever product is currently for sale. Thus, we have become a consumer focused “spectator civilization” as opposed to a work ethic based “creator society.” Most of the money has gravitated to the top echelons of giant corporations and banks. The consequence is that the top 1% of our population owns about 88% of its wealth, while most of the rest are struggling with low wages, a lack of a relevant education and a work ethic, chronic unemployment, and a growing sense of hopelessness among young people resulting in increasing addiction to alcohol and drugs. Worst of all, the worship of narcissism has led us to worship narcissists.
The great COVID Pandemic has shed a great deal of light on all this, giving us a chance to contemplate our recent history and where it has led us. A historic “recognition” of the consequences of our selfish policies and decisions is beginning to dawn. The Aries “me, myself, and I” may work for the very young, but completely fails to survive within the context of a more mature framework of understanding. The contrasting vision is forming a new civilization – one in which we all need to work together to save a planet we all inhabit together. It is said that when the “cause” becomes more important than coming together to solve a problem, we wind up with irreconcilable differences. The result is escalating failed states, mass poverty, increased disease, and a collapsing natural landscape will eventually take us all down.
Currently, Republican legislatures in several states are working to pass legislation to restrict voters rights. This legislation will be contested in the courts. These cases will likely land at the door of the Supreme Court. I have pointed out in earlier newsletters that Chief Justice John Roberts may be among the most important persons who will determine our future.
However, the most important fact is this. Washington, no matter which party is in charge, is primarily financed by the billionaire class. Without the donations of billionaire Michael Bloomberg, Joe Biden would probably have not gotten elected. Mitch McConnell gets most of his campaign money from big money outside of his own state of Kentucky one of the poorest states in the country. In 2010, the infamous “Citizens United” decision of the Supreme Court ruled that giant donations to campaigns were “freedom of speech.” Until we have a constitutional amendment removing all private money from all elections, we will not have a real democracy. Instead, we will continue to have a nation based on “the survival of the richest.”
Alternatives:
All the current efforts to assist the masses does not mean we “erase” individual excellence and achievement. The pioneering and courageous Aries has the youthful energy to invent new things, solve old problems, and win the battles against ignorance and fear. We could invest in “the trades’ in which young plumbers and electricians could create their own businesses and prosper by repairing and creating effective infrastructures all over the nation. We need a great public education system for our young people that is appropriate for success in the world today. Aries loves to be its own boss! Young athletes competing in the Olympics remind us of this as they set all time new records. Great young scientists and entrepreneurs have produced technologies never conceived in all of previous human history. All this ingenuity will be needed to face the crises that lie ahead.
The Age of Aquarius is in harmony with the sign of Aries. The collective sense of the greater good for humanity-at-large is not in conflict with support for individual achievements. With an economy that works well for the whole of humanity, a balance between the two could lead us into a future that may save us from mass extinction – and even create a prosperity and greatness yet to be imagined.
The Economy:
I am of the opinion that the rescue bill recently passed by the Democrats and Pres. Biden will bail us out of the greatest emergency since the Great Depression. However, the period between April 8 and April 17th containing a Mars square Neptune and Venus and Mercury square Pluto, financial markets make take a downward turn. Markets will likely surge again, however, in May.
In March, an enormous cargo container ship got stuck in the Suez Canal due to a giant sand storm. This is reminded us of the fragile nature of global supply chains upon which we are dangerously dependent. It also highlights the looming crisis in the regions of the Middle East whose water supplies are receding within the context of a merciless drought. The region’s economy is largely dependent upon oil that is losing value as we march into an economy that will end the age of fossil fuel.
Last month’s mass shootings have led to a surge in motivation to pass legislation placing limitations on fire arms. Instead, sadly, we will likely see a surge in the firearms industry as Mercury and Venus transit Aries.
The big fear is that the Biden bail out package will stimulate major out-of-control inflation. Economists disagree on this issue. Interest rates are being kept low by the Federal Reserve while interest rates are rising on loans and credit cards. With Pluto currently in Capricorn, I do not see the huge spiral upward in inflation that occurred in the 1970s when Pres. Nixon took us off the gold standard, we had giant debts from the Vietnam War, and were hit by spiking oil prices due to the Iranian revolution’s induced oil shortages. Many small businesses have closed down permanently due to the pandemic. Spending will increase but not to monumental proportions.
Science and Technology:
A very important book has just been published: “Gene Editing and the Future of the Human Race” by Walter Isaacson. This is the story of Nobel Prize Winner Jennifer Doudna, the creator and developer of the “crisper” gene editing technology that may help scientists rid us of genetic diseases, cure cancer, and alter the future of humanity. The new mRNA vaccines have risen out of this research. The author feels that Albert Einstein and those around him created the nuclear age, Steve Jobs and others around him created the digital age, and that Jennifer Doudna will be considered the co-creator of the age of genetic engineering. In conjunction with this subject, I also recommend reading the book that came out years ago by Frances Collins the co-discoverer of DNA, entitled “The Language of God”. Collins claims there is no contradiction between faith in a supreme creator and the advent of science.
There are two articles I would recommend published in the April 2021 Issue of Scientific American. “The Math of Making Connections” by Kelsey Houston-Edwards discusses a subject of highly significant importance called “percolation theory.” She writes: “Percolation theory illuminates the behavior of many kinds of networks, from cell-phone connections to disease transmission.” The article describes the complexity of integrating and making sense of information networks that inform us about economic systems, pandemics, train routes, etc. It reminds us that we live in a world of algorithms that govern our actions and the trajectories our civilization takes.
The second article is entitle “What to Do About Natural Gas” by Michael E. Webber. Until we cross over to nuclear fusion, solar, and windmill energies, natural gas will be highly important and this article informs us about its development and new approaches to its use.
Weather:
I would advise caution when it comes to travel this month with Mars in Gemini square Neptune between the 6th and the 10th. This along with Mercury square Pluto on the 17th points to high winds and extreme weather events. Last month, we experienced record breaking tornado activity in the South. We may also see significant earthquakes and volcanic eruptions accelerate. Last month, a volcano erupted in Iceland that has been dormant for 6,000 years.
Challenging China’s Dominance:
The Feb. 4th Issue of the Financial Times in the renewable energy sector, an article was posted entitled “How the race for renewable energy is reshaping global politics.” by Lesli Hook. The author informs us of China’s “pet project” they have called the “Global Energy Interconnection” – a network of high-voltage transmission lines that would span the globe, resulting in an “internet of energy.” Currently, China is the leader in battery technology, contemporary Amperex Technology, is 1/3 of the global market, has contracts with Daimler, BMW, and Tesla, and dominates supply chains to the lithium-ion batteries. Our shaky relationship with China has motivated Pres. Biden to form an alliance of the US with Japan, Australia, and India. This, along with the restoration of NATO will bring us back into global discourse and cooperation with our allies that we lost in the Trump administration.
Biden’s next legislation will be targeted at American infrastructure investment, that puts technology, especially green energy and 5G at the top of the list. The progressed Moon at this time in the US chart is conjunct China’s ascendant in Aquarius. Saturn is trine China’s Sun, Mercury and Neptune and Uranus is trine their Saturn, while Saturn is opposition their Mars in their 7th House of partners and enemies. Their economy and technological development will grow and progress exponentially. I predicted China would be caught in a crisis with No. Korea in last month’s newsletter. It was reported that No. Korea launched two missiles last month. They will continue to be a thorn in China’s side and an ongoing threat to the West.
Outsourcing of American jobs, especially to China and India, under both political parties has decimated the US economy and this administration needs to fix this. We also need to be at the top of “the big data movement” (chaos , complexity and algorithms), non local “entanglement” and quantum cellular automata in physics. We have great scientists here in America and need to support them.
Immigration:
As we already know, huge numbers of immigrants primarily from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador are crossing our southern borders and creating yet another major crisis. These nations have corrupt failed states, severe droughts, and have been taken over by criminal drug cartels. We still have no coherent immigration reform and Republicans seem intent upon obstructing all legislation. Although Democrats will write and present a bill to this end, I do not see it happening this month. Mars in Gemini represents more conflict, and, with its square to Neptune, more chaos and confusion.
Final Thoughts:
The level of complexity rising before us in the world today challenges humanity as nothing ever has before. Most of us just worry about getting up in the morning, making a living and holding our families together. Mass technology inundates us with information most of which is designed to sell us something or deceive us and often offensive to us. Many of us are angry and afraid at the prospect of losing our historic cultural identities and are suspicious of every government, every institution, every authority that, frequently, we feel has betrayed our trust. In short, this is a world for which most of us are devastatingly ill prepared.
In my first book, published in 2007: What Next? A Survival Guide to the 21st Century, I called this period “the second American Revolution” and the “disestablishment of the establishment.” I also pointed out that revolutions historically have a very bad track record. They most frequently replace a bad government with a worst government as illustrated by the French Revolution, the Communist Revolution in Russia and China, and the Nazi Revolution in Germany.
What we need at this time is an extraordinary effort and unprecedented understanding of what is needed to bring humanity together to solve multiple unprecedented crises. In short, we need a miracle. I am reminded that miracles have happened before, often coming out of great failures and tragedies. With clear minds and open hearts, with the help of a higher consciousness, we can do this again!
Blessings,
Linda
Important Points of Reference (for Astrologers):
New Moon at 22 degrees Aries is sextile Mars and Jupiter on April 12; Full Moon at 7 degrees Scorpio is opposition Uranus on April 27; Mercury at 26 degrees Pisces is sextile Pluto April 1 and in Aries is trine and sextile the Nodes April 10 and in Taurus is conjunct Uranus April 24 and is square Saturn April 25 ; Venus in Aries is sextile Jupiter April 10 and is Square Pluto April 11; Mars in Gemini is square Neptune April 9 and is trine Jupiter April 15; the Sun in Aries is sextile Saturn in Aquarius April 1 and is sextile Jupiter in Aquarius April 17.
