Saturn in Capricorn 2017 -2020

Picture from https://pixabay.com/en/users/GregoireWallaert-786063/

As we all know, Saturn is about to  “going home”. It will ingress into Capricorn on 20 December 2017, and stay there until March 2020 before its next ingress into Aquarius. It will then retrograde and move back into Capricorn in July 2020, and move out from Capricorn again in December that year. During this period of time, issues symbolised by Capricorn, like order, moral values, systems, governments, authorities, organisations and institutions may confront Saturn’s challenges. Although some astrologers suggest that Saturn’s ingress into Capricorn could be a good thing since it is its ruler, I observe that the ruthless challenges of Saturn would still remind these companies, organisations and structures of traits which are out of date and which need improvements.

Saturn symbolises order, regulations, structures, worries, obstacles, slowness, time and experience. Traditionally, Saturn is cold and dry. Its paleness and slowness made it be seen as a maleficent symbol of old men, patients and damages. It rules Capricorn and Aquarius, and is opposite to Cancer and Leo, which are ruled by the Moon and Sun respectively. Symbolically, it resonates with the loneliness, isolation and distance of Saturn.

Capricorn is a cardinal sign of earth element. The earth element symbolises the material realms of our daily living, and all the objects that we can sense also fall into this element. It specifically emphasises how one approaches the world with practicality and pragmatism. What makes Capricorn different from the other earth signs is that Capricorn is a cardinal sign, which implies that astrologically it is a sign with immense initiative energy. When merging the symbols of earth element and cardinality together, we can derive that Capricorn symbolises a progressive yet pragmatic approach, and it lays a strong emphasis on planning, strategy and execution.

https://www.ancient.eu/image/6225/ The Adda Seal which depicts the Sumerian god Enki with two rivers pouring from his shoulders. by The British Museum

Mythologically, Capricorn is related to Ea, the goat-god in Babylonian mythology. Ea built up civilisation and society, and it corresponds to Enki, the Sumerian god of wisdom and creation. Enki is also the god of water, and the keeper of the divine powers “Me”, the power of civilisation and creation. This reminds us that Capricorn is closely related to societies, civilisations and structures, and this can even be extended to institutions including countries, companies, organisations and communities.

When Saturn returns to Capricorn, its domicile sign, the society will easily focus on how it is influenced by countries, governments, companies and institutions. What are the functions of these organisations? Are they practical or pragmatic? Are they reliable? Do they fulfil our needs? If not, should they be ruled out?

Other Planetary Influences at same time

From what happened in recent years, it seems like we are in an era of transition. First, Jupiter and Saturn will form a semi-sextile, which implies that something originated from the past will end before winter of 2020 to give room to the blossoming of a new era. Second, Jupiter, which symbolises social changes, has just moved into Scorpio, a sign which is related to truth, withering, death, crisis, rebirth, grasping and letting go. Third, Uranus will move into Taurus in 2018.  Taurus governs monetary systems, financial markets, land tenures and agriculture systems, this ingress will inevitably signify tremendous change on them, while simultaneously our relationship to the land and our perspective to our own body will also begin to change. Lastly, Chiron will also leave Pisces and enter Aries in 2018. People’s revolts against deprivation of personal rights will be greatly intensified. Under these ingresses, it would be difficult for us to hope for safety and stability. Our natal Saturn and transit Saturn will both tell us how to make ourselves safe and protected. Saturn in Capricorn illustrates that we would rely on our own personal experience more, or we would follow the suggestions of those authorities and national leaders. Of course, we should be very careful of these advisors but not follow suit. Both our own experience and authoritative figures could be the object that Saturn inspects.

In my previous article on Jupiter in Scorpio, I mentioned the obvious influence of Uranus-Neptune semisextile in the upcoming months. Uranus and Neptune formed a conjunction in 1993, which was when the Maastricht Treaty started to be effective among European Communities members, a historic moment of European integration. This aspect is also closely related to the development and changes of European Communities, which is worth our notice. Also, Saturn-Chiron square will exert its influence till December 2017, which possibly would inflict economic liberalisation policies, and conflicts among conservatism, nationalism, liberalism and socialism.

In this Saturn in Capricorn era, Saturn will form a series of significant aspects. We all know that it will form a waning semi-sextile with Jupiter and a waning square with Chiron, both of which symbolise the ending of a cycle. Also, before its ingress into Capricorn, Saturn will form a trine with Uranus. This aspect not only implies political conflicts between conservatives and liberals, but also the expansion of political power of the middle class who eagerly fight for social development. In addition, it could also mean how governments support and protect those investors in financial markets. However, in December 2017 when Saturn is moving into Capricorn, these interactions will become less obvious and observable. The governments’ attitude might change, or they may have something “more urgent” to deal with. This Saturn-Uranus trine will become intense again in June to November 2018, and the above influences might become visible again by then.

1989 Revolution Picture from BBC

Throughout 2019, we will be under the influence of Saturn-Neptune sextile. Lots of astrologers believe this aspect is closely related to religious fanaticism, Middle-East situation and economic bubbles. We should observe what was going on in 1989 when Saturn was in Capricorn and conjunct Neptune – it was when those eastern European nations freed themselves from control by the USSR, and the time when Al-Qaeda established. These topics may come into the limelight again in 2019. Similar situations could possibly take place in other regions, or these nations and organisations might undergo subsequent yet critical development by then. Besides, Saturn will tightly conjunct the south node in 2019, which implies that our society will obviously experience the Saturnian attributes – economic depression, suppression, authority, conservation and fear.

Saturn-Pluto Conjunction

The upcoming Saturn-Pluto Conjunction has caught many astrologers’ attention. These two planets will form an applying aspect from February to July 2019, approaching each other again starting from November 2019, and form an exact aspect on 13 January 2020. The influence of this exact aspect will sustain till mid-March. They will be in contact again from July to November 2020, but there will be no exact aspects formed. Since both planets are the symbol of fear and ending, lots of astrologers perceive this aspect as the timing of crisis, especially when knowing that World War I actually began in July 1914 when Saturn started to form a conjunction with Pluto in Cancer. If we try to study the reasons and background of this war, like extreme nationalism, fighting for colonies and armament races, it is not easy to stop ourselves from associating these topics to what is going on around us nowadays.

Astrologically, Saturn is depression, conservation, safety, security, suppression, authority and control, whereas Pluto is crisis, fear, death, rebirth, manipulation, slavery and hidden entities – all of these words bring forth intense feelings and fear. When these two planets meet, we are exposed to those truths that were hidden in the past. We see that those scary and threatening objects actually have long been there – it is just that we have overlooked them. However, in times of Saturn-Pluto conjunction, those filthy issues hidden beneath the carpet will all be exposed. Fear will trigger xenophobic behaviours and self-protections, regardless of whether it is in social, religious, political or economic sense. People fear that once the doors are opened and changes are invited in, those rights or privileges that they have long held tight will no longer be guaranteed. Indeed, we can observe intense religious, racial, sexual or hierarchal conflicts in previous Saturn-Pluto conjunctions.

One of the pivotal lessons of Saturn-Pluto aspects is to master our fear. Be it the fear of social conflicts, economic recessions, or of casualties as a result of natural disasters, catastrophes or war, people approach such fear in their own way. Some will learn and understand, some will accept and embrace it, while some will shut the door tight and refuse to acknowledge it. However, when Saturn and Pluto are both in Capricorn, they both require us to confront these issues head-on in a practical way. Putting your head in the sand like an ostrich is not an appropriate way to confront Saturn-Pluto conjunctions in Capricorn.

Saturn in Capricorn, Saturn-Pluto Conjunction, and Changes on Political and Economic Aspects

The previous Saturn in Capricorn era took place from February 1988 to February 1991. Actually, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune were all in Capricorn at that time – Saturn and Uranus formed a conjunction in February 1988, whereas Saturn-Neptune conjunction took place in November 1989. These three aspects actually formed a conjunction for a very long time at that time. In my previous Jupiter in Scorpio article, I mentioned 1993 being the start of Uranus-Neptune cycle, which is closely related to globalisation, communism, socialism and religious reform. If we also take Jupiter into account, it was in Cancer in 1989 forming an opposition to Saturn in Capricorn. Thus, a lot of incidents happened in 1989 that could be associated with the Jupiter-Saturn semisquare in 1998. We will also face three Jupiter-Saturn semisquares in 2018. Hence, when we consider the upcoming influences of Saturn, we should also take into account the roles of Uranus-Neptune semisquare, Jupiter-Saturn semisquare and Saturn-Pluto conjunction, for these placements and aspects imply the trend and development of the incidents happened in aforementioned timings.

When researching, I discovered that a lot of major events actually link up the previous three Saturn in Capricorn eras, which took place in 1929 to 1931, 1959 to 1961, and 1988 to 1991, together with the Saturn-Pluto cycles. Also, there is a surprising thread running through Saturn-Uranus-Neptune cycle and the Jupiter in Scorpio era. In the upcoming two to three years, we will once again confront these aspects. In order to list out the associations among incidents, the historical events will play the main role in this article for the sake of demonstrating astrological attributes.

Please note this article is not focus on prediction but trying to understand what happened when last time Saturn in Capricorn and what historical events are related to Saturn Pluto cycle, from here we will understand what kind social environment we are going to face for next couple years, and please don’t be afraid about learning those unpleasant events, by study it we earn experience and we can build a better world upon it, this is another positive meaning of Saturn in Capricorn.       

Eastern Europe, USSR and Cold War

The Velvet Revolution of Eastern Europe is likely to be the most well-known incident between 1988 to 1991. The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 when Saturn was in Capricorn; in 1989 when Saturn visited Capricorn once again, Berlin Wall was torn down and eventually demolished. Lots of Eastern European nations also left USSR at that time and pursued liberty. The upcoming Saturn in Capricorn period starting from December 2017 could possibly imply that the liberty status of these nations and their relationships with Russia would be our concern. During the Uranus-Neptune semisquare before this Saturnian ingress took place, lots of Eastern and Northern European nations became anxious about Russia’s movements.

Berlin Wall Picture from BBC

The invasion of USSR into eastern Europe and the Cold War are closely related to Saturn-Pluto cycle. The Cold War after WWII and the development of communism in eastern Europe and Asia between 1946 to 1948 corresponded with a Saturn-Pluto conjunction. Soon after the Velvet Revolution (when Saturn, Uranus and Neptune were all in Capricorn), Cold War, in which US and USSR were in hiatus, ended in 1991. George Owell first used the term “Cold War” in an essay “You and the Atomic Bomb” to describe the threats of nuclear war. In 1947, when Saturn and Pluto were conjunct, American economist Bernard Baruch used this term to describe the hiatus between US and UUSR. We should also pay attention to 1982 and 1983, another Saturn-Pluto conjunction, when there were actually major nuclear crises –  on November 2 1983, Soviet officials misinterpret the NATO exercise as a nuclear first strike, causing the last nuclear scare of the Cold War. Now, in 21^st century, we are concerned about the relationship between US and Russia, and the European nations also worry about Russia’s active military enforcement.

Another incident in this 1989 Saturn in Capricorn era was that the Socialist Republic of Serbia passed constitutional changes revoking the autonomy of the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo on 23 to 28 March.  This triggered six days of rioting by the Albanian majority, during which at least 29 people are killed. This series of conflicts eventually led to the outburst of Kosovo War in 1998, when Jupiter and Saturn were forming a waning semisquare. The unstable situation of this region was also the major reason of WWI.

Middle East, Al Qaeda and ISIS

Iraq invaded Kuwait twice, in 1961 and 1990 respectively, and both invasions happened when Saturn was in Capricorn. Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath Party had even garnered support of the States when he escaped to Egypt in the sixties when Saturn was in Capricorn. The Gulf War outburst in 1990, another Saturn in Capricorn era, and this war did not really end in 1991. In 2003, the States started another war in the region, as the government at that time based its rationale for the war principally on the assertion that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and select U.S. officials accused Saddam of harbouring and supporting al-Qaeda, while others cited the desire to end a repressive dictatorship and bring democracy to the people of Iraq.

Gulf War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War_air_campaign

Osama bin Laden formed Al Qaeda on 11 August 1988 – it was when Saturn turned retrograde and moved from Capricorn back into 25 Sagittarius, and it formed a conjunction with Uranus at 27 Sagittarius (Galactic Centre). Besides, Saturn formed a semisquare with Pluto. Al Qaeda originally was a troop against USSR in Afghanistan, but it later became a major Islamic force which went against the West. In August 1998, embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed, and Al Qaeda, the culprit of the bombings, walked into the global spotlight since then. That was when Saturn formed a waxing semisquare with Uranus and Neptune, and a quincunx with Pluto. It further manifested its horrifying threats to the world in the 911 event in 2001, when Saturn was in Gemini and formed an opposition to Pluto in Sagittarius.

In October 2006 when Saturn was in Leo and formed a square with Jupiter in Scorpio, a trine with Pluto and an opposition with Neptune, Al-Qaeda in Iraq rebranded themselves as “Islamic State of Iraq”. This organisation not only was closely related to Al-Qaeda, but a lot of troops of Saddam Hussein joined them right after the second Persian Gulf War.

Saturn-Pluto conjunction is also closely related to the first Persian Gulf War and the political attitude of those nations who were once colonies and whose independence were supported by their sovereignty states. Although the influential power of ISIS is weakening in Middle East now, the conflicts between Sunni Islam and Shia Islam, the independent movement of Kurds, and the rivalries in Middle East would possibly become more visible in the upcoming future.

When confronting those enormous institutions and the restructuring of power of Saturn in Capricorn and the extreme religious actions and religious defence indicated by Jupiter in Scorpio, we may once again observe or encounter the challenges brought by some fanatic religious organisations to other regions or the actions of someone trying to protect their own faith. We will discuss later in this article the relationship between the Saturn-Pluto cycle and the division of Christianity. Therefore, the aforementioned religious implications obviously are not limited to any particular religion.

Israel and Palestine

Palestine proclaimed itself as an independent state in 1988 when Saturn moved backward from Capricorn to Sagittarius, and then back to Capricorn again. Although Saturn was at 29 Sagittarius in Palestine’s national chart, we can still regard this as Saturn’s work since it was already in Capricorn in February 1988.

The first wave of modern Jewish migration to Ottoman-ruled Palestine began in the 19^th century. This large-scale migration took place in 1881 when Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Neptune and Pluto were all in Taurus with Saturn and Neptune forming a tight conjunction (Saturn and Pluto had not been conjunct yet). Many astrologers have noticed that the Saturn-Neptune cycle is closely related to conflicts in Middle-East and between Israel and Palestine.

In 1928 to 1929 when Saturn was in Capricorn, there were two major conflicts between the Jewish and Palestinians. When WWII ended in 1947, during which Saturn was conjunct Pluto, another flock of Jewish flooded into Palestine again. United Nations thus partition Palestine between Arabian and Jewish regions, which results in the creation of the State of Israel. The establishment of Israel and the subsequent rivals between Israel and other Arabian states began in 1948 under this Saturn-Pluto conjunction.

African Independence Movements and Apartheid of South Africa in the Sixties

When Saturn was in Capricorn in 1959 to 1961, as we have mentioned before, Saddam Hussein, the late president of Iraq, accepted the support of the U.S. and became a strong Middle-East military power, but he triggered the Persian Gulf War in the nineties, and was executed in 2006 when Jupiter was in Scorpio. Although lots of astrologers insist that Saturn in Capricorn was not the sole influence behind the revolutionary wave of 1988 to 1991 and both Uranus and Neptune in Capricorn were also another major force.  We can observe that a lot of African nations actually started their independence movements in the previous Saturn in Capricorn era in 1959 to 1961, many of which declared independence in this time frame – Togo, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Senegal and South Africa all became republics in this era. A few African countries also underwent independence movement at this time, and Rwanda and Algeria declared independence in 1962 after Saturn left Capricorn. A political riot outburst in Algeria in the nineties, the independent revolution of Rwanda took place in 1959, and its civil war happened in 1990 – all were when Saturn was in Capricorn – and Rwanda genocide happened in 1994 when Jupiter moved into Scorpio.

Union of South Africa was fully sovereign in 1931 and became a republic in 1961, both of which were when Saturn was in Capricorn. Apartheid also started in 1948 when Saturn and Pluto were conjunct. Nelson Mandela was released in 1990 and the Apartheid was gradually dismissed soon after that. It was a politically important moment for South Africa – Saturn, as you already know, was in Capricorn. The African National Congress led by Mandela won the general election in 1994 when Jupiter was in Scorpio. All these placements and associations support the view that we should pay attention to South Africa and Rwanda in the upcoming 2 to 3 years.

Nationalism, Fascism and Independence Movements in Europe

Mussolini  https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18389907

In an earlier Saturn in Capricorn era, the independence movements and international rivals as a result of nationalism were closely related to the start of WWI. The occurrence of this Saturn in Capricorn actually was in-between the two world wars. We know that the western nations in that time were mostly suffering economic crisis, and lots of economists claim this point as the beginning of the subsequent 10-year long Great Depression. It was also when a lot of Jewish people left Europe and went back to Israel to re-establish their own country, which later triggered conflicts with the Arabs. What deserves our attention more is that this was also the period which witnessed the rise of the far-right and fascism in Europe, including Spain, Portugual and Italy. Hitler gradually consolidated his regime in this era.

In my previous article, I mentioned that the upcoming outer planet placements and aspects would be closely related to the history of Catalonia region. In 1283, the General Court of Catalonia approved the first Catalan constitutions which banned the royal power to create legislation unilaterally, and it was when Jupiter in Scorpio and Saturn in Capricorn formed a waning semisquare. Later, in 1714, when the war for the Spanish throne between the Bourbon and the Habsburg Dynasties ended, King Philip V of Spain succeeded the throne eventually. In order to take revenge on the Catalonia region for their support of the Habsburgs, the King banned the Catalan Constitutions. It was when Saturn, Uranus and Pluto were all in Virgo, with Saturn and Uranus being in conjunction and had a 9 degree orb to Pluto, which could still be considered as conjunction from the perspective of mundane astrology. Interestingly, in 1931 when Saturn was in Capricorn, Catalonia actually had once become Catalan Republic. However, after the negotiations between the republican ministers of Spain and Catalonia, the Catalan Republic became the Generalitat of Catalonia, a Catalan autonomous government inside the Spanish Republic.

Barcelona_bombing_(1938) https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25495577

The invasion of the dictatorial regime of Franco into Catalonia in 1939 once again terminated its autonomy. Around this time we have Saturn-Chiron square and Jupiter and Saturn were in the last 45 degrees of their waning phrase. After Franco’s death in 1975 when Jupiter and Saturn were in semisquare, the Spanish Constitution officially restored the country’s democratic government.

Then, in 2006 when Jupiter was in Scorpio, a Catalan autonomy referendum was held for the first time , which resulted in 78.1% of voters supporting the bill on a turnout of 48.9%. For 2017, we know that we will encounter Saturn-Chiron square, Jupiter-Saturn semisquare, Jupiter in Scorpio and Saturn in Capricorn in our upcoming one to two years; together with Saturn-Pluto conjunction which would start to exert its influence in 2019, there is a strong implication on whether Catalonia can achieve its independence with revision of constitutions. Its development probably will keep attracting our attention.

United Kingdom and its ex-colonies

After the previous discussions, we should have noticed that the relationship between kingdoms and colonies always confronted changes when Saturn moved into Capricorn or formed an aspect with Pluto. During 1786’s Saturn-Pluto conjunction, Britain acquired the island of Penang from Malaysia, the first colony of the British Empire in Southeast Asia. In 1948’s Saturn-Pluto conjunction, Malaysia restored its autonomy, and other British colonies like Singapore and Borneo also took part in the independence movements in the Saturn in Capricorn era in 1959 to 1961. The present Malaysia was not formed until 1963.

In 1929 to 1931, Gandhi employed nonviolent civil disobedience which eventually triggered the independence movement of India. During 1947’s Saturn-Pluto conjunction, India and Pakistan became independent of Britain. We saw the influence of Saturn in Capricorn in 1959 to 1961 on Cyprus and those African colonies. When Saturn and Pluto started to form conjunction in 1982, Canada totally became independent of Britain. When Saturn moved into Capricorn in the nineties, the rivalry between Britain and Northern Ireland was intense, with the Irish Republican Army carrying out a number of terror attacks. We probably know very well that the Good Friday Agreement was signed in the previous Jupiter in Scorpio era. On the other hand, the Falklands War began in 1982 when Saturn was conjunct Pluto in Libra. Argentina was undergoing the 1982 Latin economic crisis. Argentina’s occupation of the Falkland Islands gave rise to a brief patriotic movement in Britain, which helped the Conservatives win the general election in 1983; Argentina’s defeat, on the other hand, led to the removal of the military dictator Leopoldo Galtieri and a democratic government structure. Saturn in Capricorn often implies that nationalism gets heated. We can observe if Northern Ireland and Scotland would fight for their independence once again, or if Britain’s overseas territory will grab global attention.

Beside the independence movements of colonies, there is another issue of Britain which is closely associated to Saturn-Pluto cycle. British coal mines were nationalised in 1947 and the Railways of Britain were nationalised to form British Railways. However, in 1993 when Saturn and Pluto were in square, the Railway Act 1993 was introduced. After several amendments, the Labour Party recently suggested relative policies on nationalising the railways system. Probably we would observe development on this Act.

American Civil-Rights Movement

The American Civil-Rights Movement was in full swing in 1959 to 1961, The Greensboro sit-ins Begin a  a series of nonviolent protests between February – July 1960 , and this was when Saturn moved into Capricorn. We know that racial segregation and conflicts, colonisation, and slavery have long been associated to Saturn in Capricorn, Jupiter in Scorpio and Saturn-Pluto aspects. In America in 1784 when Saturn was in Capricorn, Thomas Jefferson proposed in 1784 to end slavery in all the territories, but his bill lost in the Congress by one vote. Saturn and Pluto were conjunct in Aquarius in 1786, and the United States Constitution was created in 1787, and interestingly the thirteenth amendment was passed in 1865. This amendment suggested to fully abolish slavery and involuntary servitude, and Saturn and Pluto were conjunct at that moment. We probably have noticed that racial conflicts are getting more overt after the inauguration of Donald Trump, and we should devote more attention on the rights of different races, LGBT groups and women, all of which correspond with the issues of Saturn in Capricorn, Jupiter in Scorpio and Saturn-Pluto aspects.

After paying attention to the rise of far-right parties and fascism after 1929, we inevitably have to put our eye on the rise of McCarthyism too, a practice which rose around 1947 that, in the name of fighting against communism, arrested those who criticised the government and put them to trial. The most famous case must be that of the Hollywood Ten, after the screenwriters and directors refuse to co-operate with the House Un-American Activities Committee concerning allegations of communist influences in the movie business. The ten men are blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studios on the following day. These men were accused of being members of communist parties, and they lost their jobs and were put into jail. It was when Saturn and Pluto were conjunct in Leo. At that time, the idea of anti-communism prevailed in America, and many people were arrested for treason or subversion. When talking about patriotic emotions, some of us may be aware of Trump’s criticism against the protest of soccer players, blaming them being non-patriotic and insulting the national flag. From the above example, we probably realise that Saturn-Pluto aspects may easily bring forth nationalistic actions because of fear and self-protection. What is more interesting is that the Texas v. Johnson incident also happened in 1989 when Saturn was in Capricorn. In this incident, Gregory Lee “Joey” Johnson, then a member of the Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade, participated in a political demonstration during the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas. Johnson poured kerosene on the flag and set it on fire. They eventually won the case, and his action of burning national flag was regarded as an act protected by freedom of speech as stated in the constitution. We should also notice that it was 1984 when Johnson burned the flag, which was right after Saturn and Pluto got conjunct in 1983.

Eastern Asian Region

In 1988 to 1991 when Saturn was in Capricorn, Burma and South Korea underwent large-scale protests led by democracy movements. North Korea, on the other hand, was found having nuclear weapons and its first nuclear test took place in 2006 when Jupiter was in Scorpio. South Korea and North Korea had their first official contact in 1990; at the same time, the Saffron Revolution happened and Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested in Burma. In 1988, the university students of Taiwan organised a protest for democracy movements, which eventually led Taiwan on it path to democracy. Across the strait, the infamous June Fourth Incident happened in China in 1989. Earlier in 1959 to 1961, South Korea had some intense protests for democracy; at the same time, the Cultural Revolution happened in China. It was also when the Chinese government ruled Tibet with a heavy hand and the Dalai Lama fled.

China’s territorial claim around the South China Sea is the main reason behind tensions among South-east Asian countries. Besides, China also plays a vital role on the North Korea nuclear issue. At the moment, President Xi Jingpin almost dominates the sovereignty. He implements control over Internet and media with a heavy hand. However, with the arising political conflicts of Hong Kong, the isolating relationship with Taiwan after Tsai Ing-wen, a pro-Taiwan Independence candidate, was elected as President in 2016, and what China went through in the previous Saturn in Capricorn periods in the 20^th century which all shocked China, we had better cautiously keep an eye on China’s development. Also, let’s not forget to pay attention to the political stability of Korea and the SE Asian countries in the upcoming two years.

From the observation of Saturn-Pluto conjunctions, we realise that there are always major events happening, especially large-scale racial conflicts or civil wars. In February 1947, Taiwan had a very large-scale anti-government uprising, the February 28 Incident, triggered by a dispute between a cigarette vendor and an officer of the Office of Monopoly which eventually led to civil disorder and an open rebellion that lasted for days. The violence spread and led to indiscriminate lynching of Mainlanders, with an estimated 10,000 casualties. Also, in 1947, 400,000 people were slaughtered during a mass migration of Hindus and Muslims into the new states India and Pakistan. During the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in 1983, the Black July anti-Tamil riots, generally regarded as the beginning of the Sri Lankan Civil War, began in Sri Lanka, killing between 400 and 3,000.

Financial Crisis

When discussing the 1929 Saturn in Capricorn era, inevitably we would discuss the infamous Wall Street stock market crash. This incident happened in October, and Saturn was in retrograde moving back to 26 Sagittarius, the degree around the Galactic Centre. This not only affected the financial markets and banks of the States and European countries and in turn led to the Great Depression, but also invoked people’s dissatisfaction towards their governments changing their support to far-right political parties and fascism, which is one of the main reasons behind WWII. In 1931, Pluto was in Cancer and Saturn was in Capricorn, forming an opposition. In November 2017, Saturn once again approached 26 Sagittarius, a degree that invokes riots and disorders, and it will be conjunct Pluto two years later.  The financial markets have been skyrocketing this year, and a lot of astrologers have already warned about this over-optimistic attitude towards investment.

Another financial crisis happened in Latin America in 1982 under similar planetary placements. Saturn was conjunct Pluto in Libra at that time. To Latin America, it was not simply a financial crisis because it triggered conflicts across the continent. The dictator of Argentina at that time tried to redirect people’s dissatisfaction out of this crisis by invoking the Falkland war, eventually causing his own downfall.

Gender Issues and Human Rights Issue

Feminist movements and LGBTQ equal right movements seem to be related to this series of planetary placements too. In 1988 when Saturn, Uranus and Neptune were all in Capricorn, the Conservative government led by Margaret Thatcher enacted Section 28, stating that a local authority “shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality” or “promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”. However, the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of diseases.

Demonstration for section 28 http://www.independent.co.uk

The first female country leader elected in a general election also appeared in 1960 in Sri Lanka as their stateswoman when Saturn was in Capricorn, and female citizens in Sri Lanka that time were granted the voting right. Perhaps it would surprise you, but women in Geneva only started to have voting rights in that time, and it was limited to Geneva only, not the whole Switzerland. Swiss female citizens outside of Geneva had to wait till 1971 to vote. In 1914 when Saturn and Pluto were conjunct, the United States House of Representatives rejected the proposal of letting women vote. Does letting women vote mean shaking the patriarch society? Will this deprive men of their rights? Will recognising the existence of LGBTQ group mean invading the rights that heterosexuals have? Saturn and Pluto aspects fear that one’s own rights will be deprived, and we can see such implication manifest among these social conflicts. These gender issues also are related to Chiron in Aries. When Chiron moves into Aries in 2018, we can expect obvious development of gender issues to happen.

Cancer-Capricorn axis often triggers controversies over birth control. In December 1920, the Papal encyclical Casti connubii issued by Pope Pius XI stressed the sanctity of marriage, prohibited Roman Catholics from using any form of artificial birth control, and reaffirmed the Catholic prohibition on abortion, whereas FDA of U.S. authorised the first oral contraceptive pills in 1960. Interestingly, the famous Barbie doll of Mattel first appeared in 1959. Although it is a widely popular doll, it often invoked sexual and racial controversies, both of which are closely associated to Capricorn or Cancer-Capricorn axis.

What is more worth our notice is colonisation and slavery. Although most countries have already forbidden slavery, it actually still exists in our society in disguise – see how some employees enslave themselves or get enslaved by employers. From the news, we see how some people treat their housemaids as slaves, maltreating them by offering harsh dining, sleeping and living environment.

We can see the obvious influence of Saturn in Capricorn over regimes, kingdoms, systems, structures and racial conflicts, and it may even bring forth doubts. When Saturn returns to Capricorn, its own sign, it will not bring stability to politics as we expect; instead, whoever have privilege or advantage on gender, racial, or politic issues, the neglected or invaded ones will also take action responsively. We can expect some traits related to independence movements, racial conflicts, the rise of far-right political parties, gender issue, LGBTQ rights issue, human rights issue, and anti-slavery appearing when Saturn is about to leave Sagittarius, and situations would get clearer once Saturn moves into Capricorn.

Fear of Death, Nuclear Weapons, Chemical Weapons and HIV

Both Saturn and Pluto symbolise the fear of death, and this explains why Saturn-Pluto aspects often brought forth mass casualty in history. Wars and Epidemics often are main causes behind such deaths. When Saturn and Pluto form aspects, we, on one hand, witness mass casualties because of conflicts and wars, but on the other hand we see how the contemporary try their very best to stop the recurrence of tragedies. When we have discussed conflict between USSR and NATO in previous sections, we mentioned that it was the climax of Cold War and nuclear crisis in 1983. In fact, in 1946 after WWII, when Saturn and Pluto were conjunct, prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru appealed to the United States and the Soviet Union to end nuclear testing and to start nuclear disarmament, stating that such an action would “save humanity from the ultimate disaster.”

https://pixabay.com/en/statue-of-liberty-mushroom-cloud-2629937/

Besides USA and USSR, France also decided to develop nuclear weapon in 1958 when Saturn was in Capricorn, and had started nuclear tests since 1960. At the same time, within the framework of the United Nations, the principle of nuclear non-proliferation was addressed in negotiations as early as 1957. The NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) process was launched by Frank Aiken, Irish Minister for External Affairs, in 1958. Also, due to similar nuclear threats from North Korea, leading UK and USSR also started nuclear bombing tests at that time. In 2017, The United Nations passed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which is the first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons, with the goal of leading towards their total elimination.  Also, the Nobel Peace Prize of 2017 went to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, ICAN. It means that it may be possible for us to promote nuclear elimination under Saturn-Pluto conjunction.

Besides nuclear weapons, chemical weapons are another concern. In 1990 when Saturn was still in Capricorn, U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed a treaty to end chemical weapon production and began destroying their respective stocks. Then, in 1992 to 1993, United Nations negotiated a ban on chemical weapons. In early 1993, the treaty was signed and soon the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was formed, and it was when Saturn in Aquarius and Pluto in Scorpio formed a square.

Nuclear crisis was not the only threat in 1982 and 1983 when Saturn-Pluto conjunction took place in Libra. It was also when two separate research groups led by Robert Gallo and Luc Montagnier independently declared that a novel retrovirus may have been infecting people with HIV/AIDS. We know how much fear it had caused in the eighties. People know little about the virus and thus acted discriminatingly to patients, like claiming this disease was the punishment of God on homosexuals. Patients were isolated. Such reaction corresponds with the meaning of Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Libra – fear in intimacy and partnership.

Religious Reformation

There was something spectacular happened in 1517 -1518 which worth our notice. At that time, Saturn and Pluto were conjunct in Capricorn, and Uranus was about to move into Taurus – these outer planet placements are what we are going to experience in 2019.

In 1517, Ottoman Empire occupied Egypt, and an ambassador from Portugal had his first official contact with China. Perhaps this could be related to the tense situation of Turkey and Middle East, and the world’s interest on China nowadays. What is more important is that Martin Luther published his 95 Theses and posted them on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church in 1517, on 31 October 1517 Saturn was still on 27 Sagittarius but conjunct with Pluto in 2 degrees Capricorn and Uranus was at 5 degrees Taurus.   

We cannot say that this single act boosted religious reformation at that time, especially when Jan Hus and John Wyclif had already criticised the Church publicly in the 14^th century, and their words have had influence ever since. If we try to explore the history of how the Church split, there actually lies the influence of Saturn-Pluto cycle. In the Council of Chalcedon held in AD 451, the See of Constantinople was elevated to a position “second in eminence and power to the Bishop of Rome” and Rome thus filed a protest against the reduction of honour given to Antioch and Alexandria. It was one of the major deviations between Constantinople and Rome. Pluto was in Cancer and Saturn was in Libra at that time, forming a tight square.

The Byzantine Iconoclasm in AD726 worsened the conflict between Pope of Roman Church and Constantinople where the emperor of Byzantine Empire resided. Saturn was in Aquarius whereas Pluto was in Leo (they would form an exact opposition after 2 years).

From the observation of these history, I believe we should not limit our focus on the reformation of church or conflicts among different denominations. Instead, we should realise that at that time the Church actually possessed great political rights. The conflicts between the king and the pope were often because of economic advantages and political rights. These are also attributes of Saturn and Pluto. When considering East-West Schism, we should not only think about religious difference.

Reasons Behind Independence Movement, Patriotisms and Racial Conflicts: Definition and Denial of Self

Under Saturn-Pluto aspects, we often observe incidents which involve mass casualties. This could be diseases and natural disasters, but it could also be political conflicts, be it racial, hierarchal or religious. There are always a number of complicated factors behind them; for example, the main factor behind East-West Schism was not only differences on religious perspectives but also huge economic and political feedback.

We may also observe a number of different reasons behind the arguments over Brexit or independence of Catalonia. Some claim that Brexit allows Britain to lower government expenditure, and some blame that Catalonia’s independence movement is mainly because of economic consideration. However, let us put it this way – when nationalism movements or independence movements, self-identification, gender identification, LGBT social movements and religious conflicts take place, we often wonder why people would be willing to take great risk to get injured in order to protect or fight for such recognition or rights. Why are these movements and conflicts which take place in times of Saturn in Capricorn or Saturn-Pluto aspects so intense? When we look back and review the meaning of Saturn, we realise that “definition” is one of those Saturnian attributes. So, how do we define ourselves?

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Who am I?

Besides by names, gender and occupations, we define ourselves by our race and blood. When one identifies strongly with something outside, this object becomes the symbol of their self-identification. There could be numerous reasons behind people’s support of Brexit or Catalonia’s independence. To those Brexit supporters, it may signify Britain’s return to its past glory, whereas to those supporters of Catalonia independence, their recognition to Catalonia’s language and culture, together with its glory and its historical independence movement, overshadows their support to the Spanish King. Without the support of such intense self-identification and emotion, people will not come out to sacrifice their freedom and life.

When things that people use to self-identify or define themselves (Saturn) disappear (Pluto), this could mean the disappearance of an identity (nation, religion, faith, organisation or football team that one supports), and this actually is equivalent to a sense of self-denial which is symbolically similar to death itself. From this perspective, perhaps we could better understand those “negligible” voice for independence and those vigorous reaction as a result of suppression, changes and restrictions of nationality, homeland, faith and sexual orientation. Next time, when we are going to laugh at those pitiful voice for independence, those silly Brexit slogans to “take back control”, or those Trump supporters who believe that America will be great again, let us stop and think for a second – this may be stupid and laughable to you, but to these people who identify themselves strongly to their countries and homeland, it is a sense of self-worth which is absolutely undeniable.

Saturn Retrograde and Station

After Saturn’s ingress into Capricorn on 20 December 2017, it will start to station at 9 Capricorn from 12^th to 22^nd April; then, it will start to retrograde until 6^th September 2018 when it is at 2 Capricorn. This retrograde will be very important because it will start its retrograde at 9 Capricorn, a degree which Sun will pass through on 1^st January every year. To many newly-established countries and institutions, this is their Sun’s position. For example, in UK’s 1066 chart, its Sun is at 9 Capricorn, and in its 1801 chart, its Sun is at 10 Capricorn. When Saturn stations at this degree, it implies that we should pay more attention to the system of these countries and institutions, or it could be that their leaders will confront challenges.

Saturn will once again start to retrograde from 30^th April 2019 to 18^th September. During its retrograde, we should be more cautious on constructions, legislation, and organisation or work and projects. We may encounter some frustrations, but this may mean that we discover something which need to be re-evaluated or reconsidered. We may also tend to go inward to find a different way of construction.

Eventually, Saturn will move backward from Aquarius into Capricorn in July 2020, and will stay retrograde until 29^th September, move into Aquarius again on 17^th December. Symbolically, this is a valuable opportunity for us to review – when Saturn is in Aquarius, we may be keen to establish or construct new structures and systems; when Saturn goes back to Capricorn, it will remind us to assess our upcoming plans and projects with a sense of practicality and a materialistic approach.

When Saturn is in Capricorn and Jupiter is in Scorpio, extremism, patriotism and far-right fascism will arise once again. When political divisions appear and when different parties conflict, perhaps we should bear in mind what we learn from history (Both Saturn in Capricorn and Jupiter in Scorpio are associated to “lessons from history”), and understand the wound from social divisions, conflicts and extremism. Scorpio, which Jupiter is currently in, is a water sign which symbolises emotional persistence, memory and recollection. Besides getting agitated, we may also manifest our empathy and listen to different voices with an open mind. This may lessen our pain. Saturn in Capricorn and Chiron in Aries means that people no longer want to be puppets of the authorities, and they will act accordingly to respond. Saturn in Capricorn and Uranus in Taurus may ask us to use a practical yet innovative approach to confront the upcoming years.

Individual Level

Individually, Saturn symbolises how a person protects, secures, and becomes more mature and independent. It is how we see our responsibility to our society and family. What is more important is our attitude. If this is your critical Saturn timing, like if your Saturn is also in Capricorn, it means you are going to undergo your Saturn return. Then, the most important thing to do is to introspect about your natal Saturn – its sign, house and aspects will inform what you should cautiously handle. Saturn return which takes place around 28 years old is the most challenging placement. It symbolises the trial for people to become an adult, and that is why it is so important for people to focus on their Saturnian issue in their natal chart. The second Saturn return around 57 years old will require the individual to return his experience to the society. He/She will see what he/she has achieved after all these years. However, he/she will also consider the difference between their own thoughts and social ideology and their retirement plan. Some people might even start to experience the solitude and ageing process of Saturn, while others might choose to do sports, live a healthy lifestyle and adjust themselves so that they can proactively participate in the society.

If your natal Saturn is in Aries, Cancer or Libra, you might also confront challenges when Saturn is in Capricorn. What is going to happen might be related to the theme of your Saturn return. For those who are yet to experience Saturn Return, they may undergo these incidents to have a deeper understand of their own responsibilities and their lifelong challenges, which are their Saturn issues. Major events that happened three and a half years, seven years, fourteen years or twenty-one years ago may also be related. For those whose natal Saturn are in other signs, though they may not encounter challenges as intense as people aforementioned, they still have to observe if transit Saturn will form aspects with any of his natal planets. If so, pay attention to that planet’s placement, sign and house.

You maybe also like to Know more about Jupiter in Scorpio

Jupiter Ingress into Scorpio 2017