This is a follow on post to the Mars Saturn Conjunction that was discussed here. You may wish to read that post first for some important background on Aries Ingress charts.
There are several distinct traditions of Mundane astrology, that branch of astrology that deals with events which take part in the world. In this instance, we’ll be using the 17th century English astrologer William Ramesey’s method as he describes it in his Astrologia Munda. I find the text exceedingly clear and rational, but I hope to consider some other earlier methods in future, particularly alternative methods of identifying the Lord of the Year and the significator of the ruler, as well as timing methods.
Although it is not part of Ramesey’s repertoire or altogether traditional, we will consider the influence of the outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, but these will be treated more like fixed stars rather than planets, which is to say, we will only consider that they take on importance if they make tight conjunctions to other planets or significant places such as house cusps. However, unlike the treatment of fixed stars in traditional astrology, we will consider aspects as well as conjunctions if they are sufficiently tight enough.
On the issue of timing, Ramesey considers that we will see the issue signified in the chart take place when the aspect signifying it perfects. This is one method of timing, but there is also timing by mundane profections and directions which we may compare and evaluate at a later stage.
Initial Observations and Impressions
A cardinal sign is rising so we will need to consider three further charts for the Sun’s ingress into the other movable signs. As such, this chart holds for a quarter.
There is a focus on government and events in Congress and the Senate (which I suppose is inevitable), though the wealth of the nation and the open enemies of the people are also highlighted by the Mars Saturn conjunction in the 7th house (usually open enemies would signify other hostile countries and nations whereas the 12th house would signify the hidden enemies of the people, and the 9th house the hidden enemies of the ruler and ruling party).
The Lord of the Year, and the condition of the people
The Lord of the Year has signification of the people of the land. There are numerous methods given in traditional sources but, in Ramesey’s method, this is given by the Lord of the Ascendant. The Ascendant and planets in the first house are also considered.
The Ascendant is Cancer, there are no planets in the Ascendant, and, as ruler of the Ascendant, the Moon is Lady of the Year and signifies the American people. The Moon is exalted in Taurus, it is in the benefic 11th house. It is in very good condition, although the people may just have come out of a rough patch, since the moon is just separating from a trine to Saturn and its previous application was to Mars, i.e. it applied to one malefic then to the next. Mars and Saturn are in the detriment of the Moon so, although the aspect is benign, Mars and Saturn are strong and they do not like the Moon.
10th and 11th house; the ruling party, government
Neptune is on the cusp of the 10th house, the conjunction is within a few degrees, so it is likely to have some significant influence. Neptune retrogrades very close to the midheaven of the Aries Ingress chart (13’50” Pisces) this year. Neptune is generally a significator of secrecy and secret affairs, dissolution and poisonings, deceit, treachery and confusion. Neptune enters the retrograde zone at 13’42” Pisces on 26 February, it goes retrograde at 16’30” Pisces on June 18, then stations direct at 13’42” Pisces on 24 November. In other words, it crosses the midheaven of the Aries Ingress chart three times.
The Sun, who is a general significator of the ruler, is in the 10th house which is a general sign of a ruler in a powerful position, however the Sun is receiving a square from both malefics who are in signs of their dignities which is a significant impediment.
The Lord of the 10th house is Jupiter who recently went retrograde, this is an affliction to the ruler and the ruling party, since when a planet is retrograde it is more difficult for it to express its nature:
“If your significator be retrograde in any annual revolution, judge much trouble, impediment and anxiety to persons or thing signified thereby. As if it be significator of the king or chief rulers, it denotes much trouble and detriment unto their persons, and great fear of unthroning them; likewise if it be significator of the people (and so of any other) or if the lord of the year be thus afflicted, say the condition of the people shall be very sad and grievous, with much trouble to towns and cities.” – William Ramesey, Astrologia Munda
Jupiter is peregrine in the 5th house, which is the 8th house from the 10th house, which is not a strong position to be in. By itself, the retrograde position likely does not signify a “great fear of unthroning”, and Jupiter is still receiving a trine from the sect light who is exalted in the 10th house, but it is a debility nonetheless and likely signifies some obstacles in the path of the government to perform its function. It may be too concerned with rooting out traitorous actors in its own midst to do its proper job.
The 11th house is significator of government (traditionally those who govern at the behest of the king or ruler). Its ruler is Mars who is exalted in Capricorn and angular in the 7th house. It applies to make a conjunction to Saturn (covered in a previous post), but may suggest a confrontation between it, open enemies and the judiciary. Venus and Mercury also afflict the 11th house cusp of government by conjunction as Venus is in detriment and Mercury is the significator of the secret enemies of the people. Given that Venus is ruler of Taurus intercepted in the 11th house, and Mercury is ruler of the opposition party as well as secret enemies, this is likely another indication of secret plots and deceit within government.
The Second house, the wealth and substance of the nation
The Moon is Lady of the 2nd house. The Moon, as we noted earlier, is exalted, that is, the wealth of the population is in rather grand condition. The north node in the 2nd house puts the focus on money matters and adds to this by magnifying wealth (although the nodes can have a destabilising effect. The north node is also conjunct the Part of Fortune in the succedent 2nd house. The dispositor of the Part of Fortune is the Sun who is exalted in the 10th house, which is another good indication of significant wealth.
The Sun however is squared both the malefics who are angular in the 7th and strong in Capricorn, a sign where they both have dignity, so there may be trouble ahead for the people’s finances, although this may be mitigated somewhat by the fact that the Sun is still receiving a trine from Jupiter.
This challenge to the prosperity of the country may come from those who serve under the president in the government, particularly through military expenditure, at approximately the time the Sun completes the square to Mars (around 23 March), but also through the enemies of the people, especially when the Sun perfects aspect to Saturn (on 29 March). It’s worth noting that an “affliction” to a country’s resources may mean nothing more serious than significant allocation of the national budget to particular projects, but it’s something that seems indicative of considerable expenditure. In nativities, the north node can put an obsessive focus on wealth which can signify both the receipt of wealth as well as extravagant spending to obtain it. It will be interesting to see if something similar holds true in mundane astrology.
In an earlier post on the Mars Saturn conjunction, we mentioned that these planets may be associated with an escalation of the US trade war with China and other countries, and it’s possible that their square to the Sun may be an indication of some sort of retaliatory measure.
The Third house; media, the country’s infrastructure
In a nativity, the third house is a general significator of siblings, neighbours, short journeys and messengers. By an extension of this principle, in Mundane astrology the third house might be considered to signify the domestic media, a country’s infrastructure – such as roads, railways, bridges – and those things which connect us on a local level – the internet, public transport, etc.
With the proximity of the Part of Fortune to the cusp of the third house we may see some significant infrastructure spending.
The Lord of the third house is the Sun who is exalted in the 10th house so we may see significant investment in roads, means of travel, and so on, although the square to Mars then Saturn may see some roadblocks to these improvements from enemies (as Saturn rules the 7th house) and government (as Mars is ruler of the 11th house). The squares to the malefics does make me wonder whether we might not see more of the rail accidents we have been seeing recently.
Fourth house, land, buildings, the opposition party
The fourth house is ruled by Mercury who is dignified by term and on the cusp of the 11th house but has only just separated from – and is still in partile conjunction to – Venus who is in her detriment. Venus rules the 5th house of pleasures, entertainment, celebrities, Hollywood, etc., but also the sign of Taurus, which is intercepted in the 11th house of government. Venus is conjunct the cusp of the 11th house.
The opposition party is not in terrible condition but may just be recovering from some affliction which may come from celebrities, particularly female ones, but also from other members of government since Venus rules Taurus intercepted in the 11th house and conjoins the 11th house cusp. Lilly says that when Venus is debilitated “then She is Riotous, Expensive, wholly given to Loosenesse and Lewd company of Women, nothing regarding his Reputation, coveting unlawful Beds, Incestuous, an Adulterer; Fanatical, a mere Skip-jack, of no Faith, no Repute, no Credit; spending his Means in Ale-houses, Taverns, and amongst Scandalous, Loose people; a meen Lazy companion, nothing careful of the the things of this Life, or any thing Religious; a meer Atheist and natural man.” Which I suppose is a good description of practically every politician and everyone working in the entertainment industry, but it may portend more sexual harassment allegations affecting government.
The fifth house; media personalities, entertainment industry, ambassadors
The Lady of the 5th house is Venus, who is in her detriment in Aries. Venus is still being afflicted by the square from a strong and angular Saturn, and has just separated from a conjunction to Mercury who rules the 4th house but also the radical malefic 12th house signifying the secret or hidden enemies of the people, but also the hidden and secret enemies of the media and entertainment industry since it is also rules the turned 12th house from the 5th.
The media and entertainment industry will continue to be in a pretty bad state. It’s likely that since Venus is the significator, women will continue to dominate issues in the news, though the news will likely be negative since Venus is in detriment. The emphasis may be on the seedy and ugly side of this industry and its continued exposure as Venus in partile conjunction with Mercury expresses a close connection between the media (and the opposition party!) and the entertainment industry.
6th house; health of the people and, by extension, the health system
Sagittarius is on the cusp of the 6th house, and it is ruled by Jupiter who is peregrine and retrograde in the 5th house. It is still in trine to the sect luminary although it makes no other aspects, so there is not particular emphasis on this.
Interestingly, Jupiter has only just gone retrograde on March 8, so there are not likely to be any immediate changes after the Sun’s Ingress into Aries until it goes direct again in July 10, though by this time there will likely be a change of significator. Jupiter is due to enter its own domicile in Sagittarius on November 9 this year. The retrograde motion of a planet is considered a detriment, but, in this instance, I do wonder if it might not symbolically signify a return of the health system to a former state, e.g., the beginning of the repeal of some aspects of Obamacare.
Illnesses signified by Jupiter may be an issue, such as liver issues, and inflammation of the lungs. With Jupiter in Scorpio, diseases which affect the urinary and reproductive system may be of especial concern during the quarter.
Seventh, Eighth and Ninth houses; the open enemies of the people; mortality; the judiciary and the law; foreign affairs
These houses are all ruled by Saturn who is essentially strong in his own domicile and angular in the 7th. This was addressed in the earlier post on the Mars Saturn conjunction here.