The Two Steepest Cliffs in Astrology

Once each month with the Moon, and late each year for the other planets in all charts (horary or otherwise), there are two jarring ingresses to be aware of:

1) The Libra to Scorpio Ingress. Moving from the Lesser Benefic of Venus to the harsh, uncompromising intensity of the KBO Pluto = OUCH!  Especially since the door from Libra to Scorpio is right at the Via Combust midpoint. (The Via Combust Way is from 15 degrees Libra to 15 degrees Scorpio.)

2) The Sagittarius to Capricorn Ingress. This ingress is about moving from the Great Benefic of Jupiter to the Great Malefic of Saturn. Talk about a sobering cup of coffee as good-time Sadge smacks right into the brick wall of reality of Capricorn.

The drop-off/whipsaw shift in dynamics is the same regardless of the planet making the ingress. For example, Mercury moving out of its Sagittarius detriment of unrealistic expectations and overly-optimistic thinking meets cold, hard reality in Capricorn, which requires a return to the drawing board to start over with diminished expectations or a complete change in plan. This is further compounded because 0 degrees Capricorn is a critical degree.

A querent I know had a few employment interview event charts with Venus in the later degrees of Libra as the significator of the potential employer (chart forthcoming). The employer wooed and wined and dined the querent, telling him how wonderful the company and location were, and how great the work environment was. The querent accepted the position, and by the time he began his first day of work, Venus had slipped into Scorpio. The employer promptly revealed what a financial mess the company was in, and told him flat-out, “I hired you to fix it.” Talk about the crumbling mess behind the pretty façade!

So give your querents a strong heads-up that dangerous curves are ahead (within the context of the chart) when these ingresses appear. Aspects and dispositors will determine whether the changes are for the best or not.

The Saturn in Scorpio-Pluto in Capricorn Mutual Reception During the Uranus-Pluto Square This Fall

Not to get ahead of things, but here's a sneak preview of what to expect this Fall when Saturn and Pluto mutually recept each other in October during the Uranus-Pluto square:

"Freedom is not license. Freedom is responsibility. And if you cannot take your responsibility yourself, then somebody is going to take the responsibility on your behalf. And then you are enslaved."

 --Osho, from Autobiography of a Spiritually Incorrect Mystic (See at: http://bit.ly/FQ7YAh)

So to be clear: Your politicians won't save you, your priests won't save you, your employer won't save you and your television won't save you. They are the problem. You are the solution. 

---------------------------
7/18/12 UPDATE:  Note that in the latter part of August (15th through 31st) 2012, the Nodes conjoin the Saturn-Pluto midpoint at 1 degree Sadge before preceding Saturn by a month into Scorpio. This is an enormous turning point and harbinger of what will come, both personally and in the world. Saturn-Pluto is about as dead-serious, no-joking-around, actions-with-crushing-consequences as planetary symbolism can get.

However, keep in mind that the Saturn-Pluto mutual reception beginning at the end of the first week of October will be an applying sextile. Mutual receptions always provide a way out of a particular jam; in this case, likely an economic one. But, with the North Node in Scorpio with Saturn, it will be a case of 2 1/2 years of personal survival at all costs — but at a price. More to come later in a future post...

7/27/12 UPDATE: The Via Combust Saturn-Pluto mutual reception and sextile beginning in October 2012 will intensify the attention on the U.S. election. (Most people don't pay attention to the hype until the last minute, anyway.) The fallout from the Citizens United decision will be front and center, further cementing and entrenching money and power with politics at an unprecedented level. When Mars ingresses into Scorpio (8/24/12) and Capricorn (11/18/12), the so-called 99% will have brief chances to steal the spotlight in protest, as Uranus in Aries will be strengthened, generating action, discontent and pockets of rebellion. Don't kid yourself, though — things will get worse before they get better as the Saturn-Pluto mutual reception/sextile gives the plutocrats the distinct advantage for the better part of 2 1/2 years.

Remember though—the tide ALWAYS swings the other way eventually, and as Uranus approaches Eris (and as Pluto applies to square Eris) much later on (circa 2016) the tide will swing (violently) in favor of revolt for change.

In other words, things aren't bad enough yet to wake the masses up to take action and demand/force change.  This takes time, especially because such slow-moving planets (and dwarf planets) are involved. For awhile the plutocrats are going to have an airtight lock on power, and at times it will seem as if the Occupy movement never happened. Things will look bleak and hopeless and downright oppressive. This will cause the violent backlash for change, as Uranus conjoins Eris. And if you doubt the power of extreme reaction and upheaval of that combo, consider that Eris on her own got Pluto demoted. (Astrologically, dwarf planets are far more powerful than the inner solar system planets, because they symbolically represent very condensed power beyond personal control.)See also: Neptune in Pisces Points to the Solution of the Uranus-Pluto Square: http://www.modernhoraryastrology.com/2012/07/neptune-in-pisces-points-to-solution-of.html

In my upcoming series later this year on these transits to the U.S. Sibly chart, I will post more time and specific predictions.

8/12/12 UPDATE: Keep in mind that there is a reason for the famous Janis Joplin lyric from "Me and Bobby McGee," where she sings, "Freedom is another word for nothing left to lose." Changes (squares) of colossal magnitude, like the ones ahead, do not happen without risk (Uranus) or cost (Pluto). As such, as long as the majority of people have a fear of being fired from their job (Saturn) for speaking up, or a fear of being arrested (Pluto), the status quo will continue unimpeded. Safety, security, and stability (Saturn/Capricorn) are the enemies of change (Uranus/Aries) in an unenlightened society.

Beginning August 24th, 2012, when Mars ingresses into Scorpio (see * below), this point will be emphatically driven home. Mars is the traditional ruler of Scorpio, and exalted in Capricorn, meaning for a few weeks it will be the agent provocateur of the Saturn-Pluto mutual reception sextile. On top of that, Mars rules Aries, the sign Uranus is currently transiting, so it is going to activate the Uranus-Pluto square simultaneously. So basically, the malefic strain of the outer solar system will be channeled lightning rod-like through Mars, since Mars will be in relationship with everything malefic from Saturn to Pluto, and particularly Eris. (It's no coincidence that the Curiosity rover on Mars is the center of attention in astronomy right now—just wait until the New Horizons mission gets to Pluto in a few years!) In natal as well as horary charts, Mars is where the hot seat of permanent, painful change (and some major endings) is going to be activated. Perhaps a kinder term for it is "enforced, long-term change at gunpoint." Look to Mars in your natal, solar and progressed charts to see where the action is going to be in your own life. And in your horary questions, watch its effect on outcomes that will be beyond querents' control.

At the mundane level, the above mentioned Mars catalyst will intensify the dissatisfaction of the populace with all politicians as the election cycle kicks into high gear. SuperPACs are clearly in control, and voters are becoming less and less relevant to the plutocracy. Pluto goes direct on a partile square with Uranus on 9/18/12 as Saturn prepares to ingress into Mars' traditional sign of Scorpio on 10/6, dispositing to both Mars and Pluto for a couple of days at the end of the first week in October. The presidential candidates are not going to find rainbows and roses on the campaign trail this season; a hostile, poorer and frustrated electorate are (thankfully) going to take out their frustrations on them instead.

(Read Part II on the Saturn-Pluto mutual reception here.) See also: Election 2012: World's easiest astrology prediction ever!

*Zero degrees of any sign is always a critical degree, especially since (as mentioned in a previous post) one of the steepest cliffs in astrology is the change from Libra to Scorpio. But as the midpoint of the Via Combust zone, zero degrees Scorpio for Mars in particular means "no more Mr. Nice Guy" as its struggles through its detriment in Libra end, and whipsaw around into rulership In Scorpio, where it's suddenly payback time.)

Horary Repeats Itself Via Transits

Just because a horary question is posed does not mean the issue inquired about resolves itself immediately upon being answered. Life has to play itself out, and so does the chart. This is where using transits in horary is invaluable, because you can see when the "nerve" will be struck next.

In the example below, the inner chart is the original horary question about whether a woman would keep her job, as she was having problems with her boss.

Jupiter, representing the querent, recently was squared by Mars to inflame the matter, and Mercury (the boss) is quindecile Jupiter/the querent, causing the querent to stress and obsess over what to do. The boss/Mercury is separating from Sun combustion, and is in skitzy Libra. The Moon, co-ruling the querent is separating from a sextile to Pluto, and sitting right on the Pluto-Jupiter midpoint, so the querent should hang tough and weather the intensity of the storm, as she'd come out okay.

So the querent hung tough--until a month later when the transiting Sun opposed her ruler in Chart 1 (original horary question), prompting another horary question about the same matter, Chart 2 (outer wheel).

In the 2nd chart (by itself, below), note the early degree rising again--the matter has a long way to go until resolution.

The Moon-Uranus conjunction is showing the antsyness and restlessnes on the querent's part to overthrow the boss' chains (Lilith opposing Saturn). The querent is exalted Saturn so overly-dignified in strength as to be laughable. It is semi-squaring Venus, her boss, again, showing the friction in addition to the Sun-Jupiter opposition by transit from Chart 1. But this time, clearly the querent has more power than she believes, and demonstrated such at an event a few days later where she received much acclaim for her participation. The boss/Venus in the 2nd chart is now in Sadge, and more favorable toward the querent after the successful event.

But what of extremely exalted and powerful Saturn at Spica ruling the early degree ASC? A new job opportunity presented itself to the querent, giving her the chance to change her circumstances in her job--on her terms. By weathering the Jupiter storm in the first chart, opportunity presented itself in the 2nd. (In chart 2, note the late degrees of the Moon, it's dispositor Neptune, and Mars, ruler of the 4th, showing the ending of this position and the likely new beginning--0 degrees Capricorn ASC--as the beginning of something better. As in the querent having more control over her fate, rather than being at the whims of a scattered boss.)