Following the Moon: Apr. 16, 2022
I felt that the New Moon chart for Apr. 1 (click here to see the article and the chart) described a “mellow” two weeks for the United States and, to a large extent, that’s what we’ve had. This has mostly been because of the receding threat of COVID 19. Infections rates are down in most areas of the country and a return to a pre-pandemic normal actually seems possible. Of course, that could be an illusion, but that’s where the Jupiter to Neptune conjunction comes in.
We can certainly see the influence of the conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune in this optimism. We can also see it in the compassionate way that people in the U.S. have reacted to the plight of people in Ukraine. Unfortunately, we’ve also see the negative side of this conjunction in the rising number of states effectively banning abortion. This reminds me of Prohibition. There, responding to the will of religious zealots, we passed laws that made something that was legal suddenly illegal and turned a lot of otherwise honest citizens into criminals. I fear that, in the long run, these anti-abortion laws are going to have the same effect.
In the Apr. 1 chart, the one trouble spot that jumped out was the conjunction Mars, Saturn and Venus in the Second House. This was a pretty obvious indicator of economic troubles and we got that in the form of rising inflation. But even here we can see the expansive influence of the conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune. Even with prices rising, Americans are continuing to spend.
The Full Moon chart for Apr. 16 is dominated by a T-square, with the Sun and the Moon both at 90 degrees from Pluto. This is a sure sign that our mellowness is about to end. Pluto represents the important stuff and powers beyond our control. Pluto is there to remind us of our limitation and of our foolishness. It also forces us to see our petty complaints and grievances from a broader perspective.
There are several immovable realities that could embody this Plutonic influence, such as the economy, political partisanship or a possible resurgence of the COVID virus. However, other factors in the chart seem to point in a different direction. The placement of Mars on the Descendant of this Full Moon chart is an indicator of conflict with a foreign country. Obviously, we’re already on the outs with Russia, but China, Iran and North Korea could also become trouble spots. The next two weeks could become a very dangerous period for the United States.
The fact that the Sun and Moon are in Ninth and Third Houses highlight communication issues. This stretches from communication on a personal level (such as social media) to the communication of larger philosophical and social principles. Both could be impacted by the harsh realities represented by Pluto or by powers beyond our immediate control. An cyber-attack on the technology that supports this communication is one possibility.
We have Mercury and Uranus conjunct in the Ninth House in this Full Moon chart. This also emphasizes communication but I see it as indicating a surprising legal or legislative decision. Cases before the courts could take a shocking turn or something completely unexpected could come out of a congressional investigation.
Meanwhile, the conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune is on the wane. The fact that it is pushed toward the end of the Seventh House is significant. Basically, this chart is saying that the time of Jupiter and Neptune is ending. Now it’s Pluto’s turn. Time to say goodbye to “the mellow” and buckle up for a rough return to reality.
