Sagittarius (ruled by Jupiter) the Optimist
versus
Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) the Pessimist:
Are we soaring into the Stratospheric Space Age or hitting the Wall?
Through the ages there have been a multitude of debates, arguments, dissents, and contests between the optimists and the pessimists about what the future holds. We in the astrological community are famous for our predictions of economic booms and busts; wars being waged and peace agreements being signed; pandemics and cures; and the rise and fall of nations.
My position is that the stars describe a “climate” which present us with an atmosphere that is either stormy or sunny. Within these stormy skies, we can either step up to the plate and rescue ourselves from the ascendancy of the dark forces or we can give in, give up, die out. When the sun comes out and things seem bright and cheery, we can makes the most of the time to create festivals promoting a fairer and better world or we can simply party all day and all night, exhausting our precious time and energy until we pass out and the floor comes up to meet us.
The times we inhabit at this point according to Saturn require us to “grow up”, gain a historic perspective gleaned from past mistakes, and summon a willingness to face political and scientific realities in this moment.
On the other hand, we must have enough Jupiter (optimism) to believe in our core capabilities and talents. Jupiter encourages us to believe in our genius to invent our way out of a multitude of crises. He also believes that from time to time, luck comes our way, and we “break the code” of the forces against us.
The Solar Eclipse on December 4th in Sagittarius is conjunct the Ascendant of the “Declaration” chart of the USA (July 4, 1776). This particular “Sabian” degree as described in “The Zodiac by Degrees” by Martin Goldsmith is presented as: “Seen against the orb of the Sun, the winged horse Pegasus flies over a battlefield.” This suggests a degree of transcendent optimism, a belief in doing great things, and/or deciding on a bold course of action. Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the optimist who resides in the 8th House (economic power) conjunct the Sun in Cancer in the American chart and inconjunct (destabilizing) the Ascendant.
This month also presents the last Saturn/Uranus square which we have endured this past year that has “pushed” people to a level of frustration that is so profound we feel like we are having a collective nervous breakdown! Threats to our democracy, suppression of voter rights, authoritarianism, the spreading of lies, and hate mongering hang over our nation like a gathering storm. It was reported recently, that for the first time, drug overdoses in the US topped 100,000. Will our optimism that we can conquer anything, meet any challenge, soar ahead at breakneck speed and accomplish the impossible save us? Or will we “crash” into a wall of ignorance, fear, and lack of real preparation for the challenges that lie ahead?
The year that lies ahead is loaded with both opportunities and landmines. The coming Lunar Eclipse on May 16, 2022 is closely similar (in the same signs) as the recent Nov. 19 Eclipse. Election Day, Nov. 8th, 2022 presents another Lunar Eclipse in Taurus, showing serious conflicts with Mercury, Saturn and Uranus. This would suggest we will have another set of disputed election processes within the warring factions of both parties and delays in computing the results. I will further discuss next year’s planetary pictures in my January Newsletter.
The Economy:
With rising inflation, obstructed supply chains, and labor shortages within the lower wage jobs category, Americans are impatient for things to get back to pre-pandemic “normal”. People are upset about gas prices at the pump since only a small percentage of the public own electric vehicles. We are all aware of the human engineered climate catastrophes, past, present, and probable future, but still are consuming fossil fuels more than ever. In short, we are caught in the swamps of the past and struggling to move into a future that is, somehow, better.
No president, including Pres. Biden is actually responsible for all this since COVID is still with us. A new and highly contagious variant named Omicron, is at large, originating in So. Africa, and already appearing in Europe and parts of the US. Americans are disillusioned with the president and both political parties. The harsh truth is that nobody can “wave a magic wand” and fix all this. The good news is that we have a vaccination and treatment infrastructure in place we did not have in 2020.
We are being forced to see, more than ever, the “two economies” – even with the recent sell off in stocks (following the news about the new COVD variant), the billionaire class is getting richer. The infamous “One Percent” see a flourishing economy with “great fundamentals”. Yet, the other 90% are struggling to pay their rent, fill up their gas tanks, and pay the heat bill. To add even more complexity, many people are quitting their jobs, taking early retirements and causing significant labor shortages. Currently, millions of citizens are homeless, living in shelters and on the city streets.
Some people are starting new businesses from their homes now that they are set up to compute remotely. All this is changing the “nature of work” that I have been discussing in all my books and many newsletters. The news that is not really discussed on the media is that young people who are recent college graduates too frequently can’t get a decent job. With the exception of health care professions, and jobs paying a minimum wage on the farms, in restaurants or hotels, they cannot be assured employment. These same young people are saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars of college loan debt, can’t afford the skyrocketing costs of housing, and many are still living at home with their parents. Most need to ask themselves: What will somebody pay me to do? Our whole education system needs to address this since our old obsolete system of education was devised in the 19th Century!
I do think that gas prices will come down next year and that some of the inflation will come down, but real estate will still be expensive. Interest rates will likely rise next year, but not by very much. If we look for a serious downturn on Wall Street, it will likely be in February, with its grouping of planets in Capricorn.
Science and Technology:
Colleges all over the nation are adding “crypto” technology to their courses. I have long felt that Bitcoin launched a currency with no backing that ostensibly is an investment but is more like a casino. However, its block chain technology would pave the way to a worldwide digital currency that will change the world’s economic and banking systems. We have already been ushered into a global digital payment system that will soon eliminate checks and even cash.
It was announced last month that Space X launched 53 Starlight satellites into orbit. So many satellites are going into space, we now have a “space garbage” problem. It seems where ever humans go, we create waste and pollution in our wake!
Nuclear Fusion: It was announced last month in the South China Morning Post, that Chinese scientists in Shanghai “strike gold” in a nuclear fusion breakthrough. They report: “The Scientists are firing powerful laser beam pulses at a tiny pair of gold cones with narrow ends which face each other and emit a plasma of hydrogen. The collision of these two hot gas streams achieved at precisely the right time and place, in the right manner, could result in nuclear fusion.” Apparently, three relatively successful tests have been conducted.
According to recent reports, South Korea’s Superconducting Tokamak advanced research chamber just “broke another record for fusion holding onto a churning whirlpool of 100 million degree plasma for a whole 30 seconds.”
It was also reported recently that the Laurence Livermore National Laboratory in California is about two thirds of the way to producing excess power with nuclear fusion.
The problem, in the last analysis, is the cost, which some estimate to be around $30 billion per site. There are those who propose that Elon Musk, with his professed commitment to saving the environment, could finance one of these sites, whose cost would be about 10% of his net worth. Musk recently sold about $7 billion in stock to pay off loans he took out to buy the stock plus pay taxes he owes. He says he will sell $10 billion more. The government could propose a tax break for him if he makes this investment. We shall see!
Other Nations:
Russia: The Belarus/Poland border conflict with migrants coming from Belarus into Poland that originated in the Middle East is a way Russia can engage in a conflict with the European Union which is, unfortunately caught in a quagmire because they need oil and gas from Russia. In addition, Russia blew up a satellite last month to test a potential weapon of war, creating a huge amount of space garbage. Topping all this off, the Ukraine’s Prime Minister has announced a plot to overthrow his government (a coup) instigated by Vladimir Putin. I have predicted in a number of newsletters that the period between now and 2023 will present serious conflicts between Russia and the US – as planetary pictures are similar to the time of the Cuban missile crisis in the 1960s and the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Putin is seeking more influence in the world and is getting his revenge on the US for its role in ending the Soviet Union in every way he can, including his influence behind online websites that helped get Trump elected in 2016. He and the oil oligarchs have bilked the Russian people for years. Like other dictators, he simply kills off all his opponents.
China: Last month, President Biden had a lengthy online meeting with President Xi. Biden walks a thin line between restoring some kind of normal relationship with China and showing military strength with regard to Taiwan and the South China Sea. They are deeply in debt and their largest real estate company just went bankrupt. Their currency, the Yuan, is not used internationally. What many people do not know, however, is that China holds large gold reserves. Most of us do know that they are the world’s biggest polluters which seriously effects their own air and water quality. In the paragraph above, I am reporting their progress in nuclear fusion. This demonstrates they are trying to end dependence on fossil fuel (they are still burning coal) but cannot currently stop using it. Pluto goes into Aquarius in 2025-26 that will evoke serious crises and changes in China’s government and economy.
Book Review:
The Water Tree Way
by Ruth Mendelson, with a forward by Dr. Jane Goodall
click amazon link: —> WaterTreeWay
In this era of upheaval and serious challenges concerning our very existence, Ruth Mendelson’s book: “The Water Tree Way” ushers us back in time to the innocent, yet wise child within all of us. This child takes the form of Jai – who has summoned the courage to take a spiritual journey into the magical secrets of the miracle of nature and all life on earth. Her saga may inspire us to push our skeptical adult aside. By listening to the core spiritual self, where all understanding resides, we may receive the strength and inspiration to restore life and love to our threatened planet.
This is a book for everyone – children and adults alike – and would make a wonderful gift to both in this holiday season.
Linda Schurman
Final Thoughts:
This is the season of multiple festivals – The Festival of Lights, Christmas, Solstice. We reach the shortest day of the year on the 21st after which the light slowly restores itself as we journey into the coming year.
The promise that the darkness will fade so we may live again – love again – and understand the prophecies that have been given to us—reminds us of a transcendent hope that reveals itself in the brilliant constellations above. We only have to have the eyes to see, the heart to feel, the soul to understand.
Have a wonderful holiday season!
Blessings,
Linda
Important Points of Reference for Astrologers:
New Moon Solar Eclipse at 21 degrees Sagittarius inconjunct Uranus on Dec. 4; Full Moon at 27 degrees Gemini trine Jupiter on Dec. 19; Mercury in Sagittarius is square Neptune in Pisces Dec. 7 and is sextile Jupiter in Aquarius on Dec. 11; Mars in Scorpio is sextile Pluto in Capricorn on Dec. 6 and is square Jupiter in Aquarius on Dec. 7; Mars goes in to Sagittarius Dec. 12 (through Jan. 24 2022) and is inconjunct Uranus and sextile Saturn Dec. 29; Mercury goes into Capricorn Dec. 14, is trine Saturn Dec. 20 and is conjunct Pluto Dec. 27; Venus in Capricorn goes retrograde (through Jan. 28 2022) is conjunct Pluto Dec. 25.
