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September 2009 
 
Understanding the Changes Upon Us
 
 
Transits to natal chart of the United States:
 
About the natal chart:It is necessary to have the time, date and place of birth in order to erect an astrological natal chart.  While the chart of the U.S. is created from the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the founders, there is no record of the actual time that the Declaration was signed, hence there is speculation about the 'true' astrological chart of the United States.  Without the 'exact' time of the U.S. chart, we do not know the Ascendant and the degree of the Moon.  All of the other planets vary little over the course of a day. 

I am choosing the chart created by the 18th century British astrologer, "Sibly", who was the first known astrologer to create a chart for the U.S. Note: (Source Notes: Date of the signature of the Declaration of Independence, from the Library of Congress, The Philadelphia Historic Society. Thomas Jefferson, when an old man, said it was "late afternoon" when the document was signed.  John Adams and John Quincy Adams said
they signed "late in the day.").
 
 
Tarot 9 of penticles
 
 
To bring about an economic melt down, such as we've been witness to in this last 12 month period, we would have to see a combination of transits involving at least two of these four planets:  Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in the U.S. chart.  These planets have tremendous transformative power and whether their energies are transiting the natal chart of an individual or a country, they do not go unnoticed...they bring us a message about change!  

I would like to explore four major transits taking place in the chart of the U.S. 
 
T-square configuration with transition Pluto in Capricorn (1st house) opposing U.S. Venus in Cancer (7th house) and squaring transiting Saturn conjunct U.S. Midheaven.   Pluto began opposing Venus Feb 2008 and goes through Dec 2012 and is joined by Saturn/MC conjunction in Libra which creates a square to Natal Venus from Oct 2009 -  mid Oct 2010. 
 

Venus in the chart of a country relates to its currency, economic power, lifestyle options, values, ease and the relationships between the country and its citizens, the quality of individual relationships and relationships between the U.S. and other countries.   

When transiting Pluto opposes the U.S. Venus, it goes to work by exposing abusive and covert behaviors with regard to financial power by those who are in positions of power and authority in financial institutions and such. On the psychological level, major trust is broken between individuals and those in authority whom they believed were protecting their interests and investments. This transit brings us face to face with the value and power we have given to money. 

For over 30 years, credit card companies have encouraged and supported Americans in adopting a buy-now-pay-later policy.  It becomes a rude awakening for many to adjust to the current pay-as-you-go policy and to find that in reality, they had no 'real' relationship with their credit card company and that grace periods may be a thing of the past.   

Pluto is responsible for stripping away the veils of illusion, especially with regard to that which we have projected (as individuals or a society) our power onto.  Pluto works like a roto-rooter, at the deepest level of the psyche, at the very core of what we believe holds us together.  We are not meant to put back together in the same way, that which Pluto has destroyed.  However, as we rise out of the ashes, we emerge stronger, more sure of ourselves and with new found strength and purpose.  Pluto is associated with initiation and the alchemic process of turning lead into gold.   

When Saturn begins its transit to Venus, we will experience more of the far reaching consequences of a challenged economy, such as more funding being withdrawn from  public services and within the private sector.  We will feel the effects of businesses operating with much fewer staff as we notice longer wait times and more hoops to jump through than ever before as we attempt to conduct our day-to-day business via telephone or in person.  

For individuals and for the nation, this transit brings up face to face with the need to accept responsibility for our past and present actions with regard to our financial choices and helps us clarify our relationship with money.  For many people, who were in no way to blame for the financial losses they incurred, it is harder to face, make sense of, and accept. While people cannot go back to change past choices, they can explore creative ways in which to work with current and future choices. While for some, these financial changes may result in adopting a very different lifestyle, which may ultimately offer more freedom and simplicity, there's still a transition period which often requires a major emotional adjustment.   
 
Transiting Saturn conjuncts U.S. Midheaven (Oct 2009 - mid Oct 2010) and prepares for the Saturn Return (10th house) and Square to U.S. Sun (7th house)
Mid Oct 2010 - Oct 2011
 
As Saturn crosses over the Midheaven of a nation, it goes without saying that there will be important, time-sensitive decisions to be made by its leader, which will absolutely effect how the U.S. experiences its Saturn Return.  However, because of the current economic meltdown and its significant consequences, it becomes much more challenging for the President to obtain the approval and support of the people to move forward with what are crucial and time-sensitive concerns.  
 
No-one ever stands with open arms to welcome the Saturn Return.  It is much more common to slam on the brakes and resist making important decisions until we have more solid ground under us.  This never happens with the Saturn Return for by its very nature, it is set up to stretch us, to take us out of comfort zone, to rob us of taking comfort in the power of our ego which does everything in its power to maintain control, stay in charge and hold onto our sense of security and stability.    

It is often wiser to take action toward long term goals ahead of the Saturn Return rather than wait until the Saturn Return is in effect, however, there is no quick fix for the economy when the U.S. has yet to go through its Saturn Return.  The economy will take some time to recover. 

Saturn transiting the relationship oriented sign of Libra encourages us to create and adopt beneficially open communication styles, to learn about and accept those who are different or have different points of view and to foster cooperation and harmony when we come together with others for any and all purposes.  This transit helps us be in integrity with our action in the world, specifically in connection with others by helping us honor agreements, including financial agreements.  

With regard to the President's push for health care for everyone, it is a natural by-product of Saturn in the health related sign of Virgo, (Sept 2007 - Oct 2009 and Apr - July 2010) that this would be the first item on his agenda since Saturn rivets our attention on that which requires immediate attention and may also need to be drastically overhauled and reformed because it is not functioning anywhere near the way it could be.  
 
Transiting Neptune conjuncts U.S. Moon in Aquarius in 3rd house. Feb 2009 - Feb 2012  
 
The Moon in Aquarius in the 3rd house speaks volumes about why individual rights and freedom of speech are upheld so strongly in the U.S., along with the importance placed on acquiring a good education.  This moon placement cultivates open mindedness, and great potential for innovative, progressive ideas related to a variety of fields.  

When Neptune makes a conjunction to the Moon, there are many ways in which we can experience this long term transit.  Neptune carries an otherworldly, illusive energy which can mean that many people slip in and out of being present and on top of things.  Sometimes, it may feel like we're in a dream and moving through life without a rudder. This can result in many more people taking depression and anxiety medication because they feel emotionally overwhelmed and/or lost, which can lead to becoming too passive and not recognizing the need to become actively engaged in life. Neptune's shadow side can lead us towards escapism, addiction and excessiveness in our behaviors. 

This transit can take the wind out of our sails and slow us down by bringing our attention to 'being' as opposed to 'doing' or at the very least, creating more of a balance between these two opposites.  It can also fuel our imagination, assist us in re-writing our script, re-inventing ourselves, becoming involved in new work/career possibilities and in opening up to a new way of life which promotes inner growth and spiritual awakening.     

Exercising discrimination is important when this transit is afoot so that we don't end up giving our power away to others, especially leaders of movements or causes, who may promise to make our life easier and take all the guess work out of it, offering a quick fix for all our problems.  This is tied to the 'utopian, projections often associated with this transit.  

Finding community, offering service, participating in social gatherings and the like is well aligned with this transit and can lessen the feeling of being alone and/or becoming emotionally isolated.  We may feel more confident in seeking others to join us in our ventures, as this combination does well with creative collaboration.   

Neptune is the planet most associated with spiritual awakening, spiritual growth, mystical experiences, love, devotion and compassion. It helps us recognize that our connection with the physical plane is not enough to fulfill our deeper longings, reveal our Divine purpose and make us happy.  For this, we must seek a relationship with the Divine to help our spirit become alive and grow.  
 
Transiting Uranus in Pisces trines U.S. Mercury in Cancer
Jan 2009 - May 2010 and Sept 2010 - Feb 2011 
 
This creative and innovative transit is designed to open the mind to new possibilities, to help us stay current with the nature of the changing times and to move ahead with progressive, workable ideas.  When happening in the chart of a country, it will signify  having to look at things in an entirely new way and take a course of action that is not necessarily tried and true.   

Uranus has a savvy connection with technology, particularly social networking and all aspects of the internet so it will become the accepted form of communication for the President to send his message, particularly when directed toward the younger population, over the internet.  We can expect an explosion of growth in the world wide web and instruments which allow us to communicate more efficiently and at the speed of light.  

Uranus and Mercury also assist us in obtaining clarity, recognizing the Truth, and being emotionally detached.  This is of great benefit to us in that it reminds us that what is happening with the economy does not necessarily lead to disaster.  As individuals, we can tap into our creative and intuitive energies and come up with refreshingly brilliant ideas which can be a great resource and support for us during these challenging economic times.  

While Saturn transits bring our attention to the physical realm and taking care of the business at hand, so that our society can function and operate with a semblance of order and continuity, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto operate on an entirely different level.   

These planets carry the power to bring about major transformation in individuals from the inside out.  It is no accident that all three 'outer' planets are operating at the same time for that's what it may take to bring about the transformation necessary so that we choose to have absolute faith in Divine Order, to go with the flow and to live our lives from the heart, honoring love and life above everything else.