More than 100 leaders are meeting right now to haggle over the details of a response to global warming that will not stem what is already happening: rising ocean temperatures are melting polar ice caps, increasing sea levels and changing global weather patterns.
This temperature rise is the cause of drought, famine, deadly storms, the drowning of small island nations and, in the case of Syria, may be the root cause of a deadly civil war initiated by internal struggles over water usage due to a savage drought. This war has ultimately led to a mass migration of 4.3 million Syrian refugees to countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas, creating immense economic and social pressure on all nations involved.
Yet, because of global warming, there will be more migrations to come. This is not an “if” or a “maybe” but a “when.”
We know current global economic interests cling to an energy infrastructure that world economic powers are loathe to dismantle. There is the elephant in the room: the achingly slow-moving train of the largest polluters — the US and China — to do something, anything, significant to change significantly or at least modify our energy consumption and production.
Any meaningful change is too far away on the horizon to stop what is happening to us right now on the ground. Not with a Congress in the pockets of oil and coal money, and a Supreme Court that made political money from corporations a form of free speech protected by the Constitution.
If this all seems to indicate the planet is in trouble, it is. And yet, people on the ground are rising up. Sunday, the day the Saturn-Neptune square was exact, more than half a million people worldwide participated in demonstrations in advance of the COP 21 Paris Climate Summit. The BBC reports that over 200 climate change protesters were arrested in Paris yesterday. Simultaneous protests occurred yesterday as well in Brazil, Colombia, Australia, the US, the UK, Chile, Kenya, the Marshall Islands and Australia. It was a global alarm clock waking us from our political slumber.
Given the results of the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009, I am far from hopeful that the COP 21 will be successful in stemming the political and actual tide in 2015. But perhaps the urgency of the matter is even more in the face of these global leaders, who are attending the talks in Paris just two weeks after an alleged IS attack on the city itself — and with the ongoing global humanitarian crisis facing millions of Syrian refugees still humming loudly in world news.
A global commitment to making change, even a half-hearted one, may be better than none at all. It’s just that the price seems to be going up with each passing day as we delay and compromise. Will we see real commitment for tangible results? There are many challenges and opportunities that face these leaders, specifically from the US, UK, China and Japan — the world’s biggest consumers and polluters. Will they see the big picture at all?
Don’t let the word “change” scare you; Planet Waves just helps you find your flow. Dive in with a Reader Level membership (tell your friends about it!), or a Core Community membership.
In the title of her book When the Elephants Dance, Tess Uriza Holthe describes the struggle of Filipinos to survive while the US and Japan fought World War II in the Philippines. The big powers — the elephants — fight while the rest of us — the chickens underfoot — run so as to not be crushed.
It’s the same today. The big polluters are the elephants who are dancing while we chickens on the ground tremble in their wake, hoping, praying, protesting and fighting against the wheel that could crush us all.
But it will take that to prevent what seems to be the inevitable from happening; a mighty push from the ground below, as well as a change in the consciousness of those in the grand meeting rooms of the Paris summit. It already has happened and we must all act to prevent it from getting worse.
All our eyes are watching Paris this week and our arms are raised, ready. Even us chickens on the ground can get enough wing speed to rise up and fly. The time to do it was yesterday, but right now will do too.
Thank you for addressing this disaster Fe. It is hard to compete in the disaster category with the likes of Boko Haram and ISIS sucking up all the oxygen in the News, but then Oxygen is a major part of the climate problem isn’t it? We must all, indeed, act to prevent it from getting worse.
Listen, I rarely do this, but I will tell you I just had a dream in which I was encouraging a friend – with a bow and arrow – to aim at (and hit) a flag; white background with a fist holding a hammer in the center of the flag . The flag was high, more like a kite really. When I woke, I thought of Thor’s Hammer, and, knowing it is the name of an astrological pattern, as well as a myth that I know little about, I looked it up.
Seems the U.S. Sibly birth chart has a Thor’s Hammer Pattern; a square (U.S. Sun to U.S. Saturn) and a 3rd planet (U.S. Moon) that forms a sesqui-quadrate (135 degrees) to both the squared planets. Seems like I might have read about it from another commenter here at PW.
The sesqui-quadrate is allowed a 3 degree orb in case you are wondering. Astrologer Linda Goodman says:
“I believe Thor’s Hammer expresses a powerful thrust in the psyche, that without full understanding can drive one beyond rational control and emerge as a dangerous tendency to go “to the edge”. It can develop [into] a ‘mana’ personality that sees the individual pushing boundaries to the extent that they end up damaged in some way. Positively, it can develop into an exclusive talent that will not be repressed and often sets the individual on the path of a ‘role model’. or emerges as someone willing to give a great deal to humanity.”
Now if the hammer part of the Thor’s Hammer pattern is the 3rd planet (apex) then that would be the Moon (People, Public, Emotional feeling for country) in this U.S. version. If so, then we the Chickens, could – under the right circumstances – rise up against the Elephant polluters.
We’ve done it before.
If you recall, the Neptune-Chiron-Jupiter conjunction took place in Aquarius and all 3 were conjunct the U.S. Sibly Moon. Just recently, transiting Jupiter has reached the mid-way point in his cycle with (1) trans. Neptune , (2) trans. Chiron and (3) U.S. Sibly Moon and is about to conjunct the U.S. Sibly Neptune in Virgo (heal the Earth). In January, at the 2nd of 3 conjunctions with the U.S. Neptune, Jupiter will be joined by transiting North Node (path leading to growth/evolution). This starts a new cycle between the U.S. Neptune and trans. Jupiter that will last 12 years, or until 2027.
In the meantime, transiting Pluto will conjunct the U.S. Sibly Pluto – the U.S. Pluto Return as they say – its first ever. That’s a helluva long cycle, but the point is that the 1st cycle COMES TO AN END. If all this talk of death and transformation is for real then won’t that be the time the chickens really start to squawk in unison? Transiting Pluto reaches his exact conjunction to U.S. Sibly Pluto in February, 2022, and would you believe, transiting Neptune in Pisces will be opposing the U.S. Sibly Neptune in Virgo – – exactly? The transiting North Node will have just entered Taurus the Earth sign too.
So, what do you think? If we start beating the drums (even more) loudly now, by 2022 we could have every BODY on board, California leading the parade. It’s a matter of life and death don’t you know.
be
http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum24/HTML/228039.html
B:
I hope what you’re saying isn’t “the insane denial will increase until we have had more than enough. I mean, the denial movement is literally clinging to a mountain top while the waters rise below their feet. It’s this psychosis of denying reality that is losing us valuable time.
The developed world MUST do more, and it must come from a rock-solid accord that lasts beyond Obama, Merkel and Hollande. I can put up with the noise from the rabble on the campaign stump and in the Capitol, as long as we don’t sell the world out for Ll our children. Fortunately a majority of young adults understand the necessity of this. It’s their children’s world we’re all trying to save.
No I’m not. I’m saying the U.S. People (symbolized by the Aquarius Moon) are (as the half-million who demonstrated today) in an awakening cycle and if you and others like you who write (and dramatize) the significance of global warming, the planets have your back. The astrological U.S. natal Thor’s Hammer indicates (among other things) that the U.S. and its people could be a “role model” for the rest of the world in this endeavor, “willing to give a great deal to humanity”. We should see much progress in the next 12 years.
The rabble on the campaign stump and in the Capitol is a lost cause but there are more of us than them. Over and out.
be
In a word, B–PHEW!!
You’ll have to forgive this astrological neophyte when I don’t quite get the nuances of a certain planet in sign.
Perhaps I have watched the struggle go on so long and not taking enough time to peel back the onion, revealing evidence of growth all along.
Always must remind myself with my Cap NN that it’s beneficial to appreciate the growth of the crops you planted from seed. Some take longer to mature than others. We’re on our way.
It’s probably a Good thing you asked Fe; I’ve been thinking about it; separating the 3 conjunctions to the U.S. Moon and looking at it from the Moon’s perspective. We know that only the Jupiter conjunction would have had an immediate “conscious” impact, Neptune and Chiron symbolism being beyond (invisible to) our level of conscious comprehension. That would mean U.S. Moon (People, masses, public) would increase (Jupiter) in travel (Jupiter) perhaps, and higher education (Jupiter) and size (Jupiter) and religious fervor (Jupiter) . . . . .
More unconscious would be the effects of Neptune (spirituality, drugs, madness/fear, film & video, art and escape) and Chiron (suffering – including disease, healing, wisdom), both operating from a level less accessible than Jupiter’s.
Then there is the Moon’s sign to consider; Aquarius, less personal and more collective and future oriented. Ruled by Uranus on one level (think smart phones) and Saturn (think boundary lines) on another. I’ve looked at the charts for the exact conjunctions between trans. Jupiter and Neptune, Jupiter and Chiron, Neptune and Chiron but not the U.S. Moon’s exact conjunction with any of the 3 transiting planets. Will be doing that soon.
The truth is that it was a massive jolt of “energy” that hit the U.S. people in that period in 2009 and 10, and it started a huge cycle, essentially 3 cycles combined, that will be spread out over decades; lots of decades considering how slow Neptune and Chiron are!
But Jupiter is already at the half-way point in his cycle with the U.S. Moon (opposition was in July-August this year as trans. Jupiter and Saturn were squaring and Pluto was opposite the U.S. Sun) and also with trans. Neptune (opposition was in September) and trans. Chiron (opposition was in November).
Now that I’m aware of the Thor thing, the “driving one beyond rational control” could be the result of trans. Neptune-conjunct-U.S. Moon and combined with Jupiter it could be fear (Neptune) of gay marriage (religion) and foreigners (Jupiter) etc. I’m hoping that trans. Jupiter’s “understanding” conjunction of (and trans. Chiron’s “teaching” opposition to) the U.S. Sibly Neptune will move “we-the-people” onto a new level that reflects the Virgo Earth Mother in all of us.
be
Some take longer than others indeed. I know that this is not what you were referencing Fe but the Office of Climate Change, statutory existance and all began in the 1990s and then BAM! no funding once the Pubs took control of the Administration and then when the 9/11 attacks occurred, not only did environmental policy concerns get ignored but nearly all public policies that did not feed the war (er, national defense) or homeland security machine were ignored.
I pray that whatever the 12 years signify that this time the wake-up call sticks, as it must!
In the State of Florida, Governor Scott will not allow the government to prepare for climate change. In response, President Obama spoke about the looming threat in the Everglades and National Geographic magazine published an article demonstrating how much Fla has to loose once as sea level’s rise. But you will not find any of FLA’s planning documents preparing for rising sea levels. This is wantonly gross negligence borderline criminal activity on the part of the Governor and his party who claim that climate change is not occurring. Contrast his position with Massachusetts where they are planning for climate change in their planning documents and have public campaigns making their citizens aware. You can’t walk down to the Boston Harbor without seeing large cutout ostrichs used as measuring sticks to explain where the water will be rising with the increasing sea levels. As I write this, it dawned on my why they chose the ostrich. I always found it peculiar since it isn’t a native bird of the region but it is a bird known for denial by placing its head in the sand!
P.S. Transiting Jupiter will again conjunct the U.S. Sibly Moon in December 2021, 1 1/2 months before Pluto conjuncts U.S. Pluto, and Neptune opposes U.S. Neptune. Timing is everything. (Saturn reaches the U.S Moon in February 2023)
Thank you for this brilliant, informative, and humbling piece, Fe. Look forward to checking out your and be’s comments later!
Be, You reference some prominent numerology: 12/2021 and 2/2022 and of course, 12 years. I can’t help but wonder…peace and harmony, partnerships, adaptability, a higher level of agreement between the nation states that not only results in partnering but is verifiable? Hopefully, by then it is more at a results of the partnering of today, we’ll see. Is it possible, Be, that the Jupiter aspect that you describe can expand in spiritual fervor vice religious in its cycle with trans Neptune? Meaning an expansion of awareness that humankind cannot exist without a healthy earth? Or if they can blend, as it has with the Pope’s Environmental Encyclical?
I know Be, that you follow the US Sibly’s chart, but it’d be interesting if anyone could look into China’s chart, where would one even begin to plot that one? But that too, have a huge leadership role as a consumer especially as it comes to coal burning power plants and automobiles. Regarding Japan, they have been leading the technological race on environmentally-friendly hybrid vehicles. Since power plants are our number one power emitting source contributing to climate change and transportation use is number two, where is the world on hybrid vehicles and alternate sources and what countries consume the most and produce the best alternatives and can set the leadership stage since it always comes down to money? I’d be interested in knowing of their charts.
Thank you for your addition to Fe’s piece, both writings are why I continue to visit PW, outstanding, thought provoking and beautifully written.
Pisces Sun, I know nothing about numerology, but those possibilities you list seem very promising outcomes, even if using astrology only. And yes the present Paris Summit follows the November 25th full moon which had Ceres (earth mother, Mother Earth) at 7+ Aquarius trine Mars at 7+ Libra and a North Node newly into Virgo, so accord was indeed found among the representatives. The Saturn square Neptune overshadowing it all is shedding light on our Needs (Moon) and this past full moon was conjunct Pres. Obama’s natal Moon. I have no doubt the well-being of the environment will be a big part of his after-presidency life for many years.
Future astrology provides much hope for the world, for the U.S. in particular, and I’m sure for China too, regarding cleanup and ingenuity progress on subjects regarding environment. The next Jupiter-Saturn conjunction (12/2020) at 0+ Aquarius will be conjunct Obamas natal Jupiter too. At that time Ceres (environment) at 8+ Pisces (where trans. Neptune was recently and will return) squares Venus (love and money) at 7+ Sagittarius (where trans. Saturn is now) and will oppose the U.S natal Uranus at 8+ Gemini – all forming a T-square (as do today’s charts). Transiting Sedna (protects water and all that live within it) in Taurus will be trine the U.S. Pluto and square the U.S. Moon, so all kinds of environmental issues will command attention.
At the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction (new cycle start) transiting Uranus at 6+ Taurus will conjunct the Black Moon Lilith (jolted into the light of day) also at 6+ Taurus and they will form a T-square with the U.S. Sibly chart’s nodes in Leo and Aquarius, indicating urgent decisions must be made. I mentioned the 12/2021 transiting Jupiter’s return to the U.S. natal Moon, but that will be the 3rd of 3 conjunctions.
The first one will be in April 2021, 4 months after the new cycle start between Jupiter-Saturn, just as transiting Neptune is opposing the U.S. Neptune and trans. Pluto is only 1 degree away from the U.S. natal Pluto . . . and stationing retrograde so very powerful. Ceres and Eris will be conjunct at 24+ Aries (square U.S. Mercury -media/autos?) and Sedna will still be square the U.S. Moon and transiting Jupiter. The transiting nodes will align with the U.S. Sibly chart’s ascendant-descendant axis, with the North Node conjunct the U.S. descendant, the cusp of the 7th house of Partners . Challenges abound but the directions are pretty clear. Partners should be plentiful.
There are 5 years in which to gather the data you want to know about and many of us are interested in too. It is a topic sure to capture the curiosity of astrologers world-wide and you will probably read/hear it first here at PW!
be
Be: My natal and Jupiter are conjunct at 25+ Capricorn, in the 6th House, where the U.S. Sibley Pluto return will be at 27+ Capricorn. My natal Mercury and South Node are at 7+ and 6+ Pisces, My Sun is 0+ Pisces and Chiron is 1+ Pisces, all four of those signs are in my 7th House. The ruler of Pisces is Neptune and Jupiter. Neptune is in Pisces now and will return at the time you describe at 8+ Pisces and where you describe Ceres. My natal Neptune is at 11+ Scorpio, in my 3rd House. My Part of Fortune is at 9+ Libra, in the 2nd House, where you describe Mars at 7+ Libra (unsure if PF makes a difference at all), and as stated my North Node is 6+Virgo, and my Pluto is 7+Virgo, both in the 1st House joined by Uranus in the House but at 23+ Leo, nearly conjunct my Ascendant at 21+Leo. You describe Uranus at 6+Taurus whatever “Ha” stands for in my chart is at 08+ Taurus, and my moon is at 18+ Aries, likely too far away from 24+ Aries described by you as a Ceres Eris conjunction. My Venus is also in Aries at 15+, in my 9th House. Leaving Mars in Cancer at O+ in the 11th House. My Ceres is at 20+ Pisces. I don’t know my Sedna, Lillith or Eris.
I know so little about astrology and couldn’t cast a chart if I tried.
My field is public policy, often in the realm of national and international policy, sometimes environmental, often in the form of negotiating instruments. I wouldn’t be so bold to say that I would even have a strong influence on the US or the world’s politics but I have had some influence, in very small measures, on policy, and international conventions. I can’t help but think what you have been describing here should also be a clarion for me?
I am at a cross-roads with some career choices, if you don’t mind, from what I have described above, does it appear that I should be focusing on environmental policy in the near future? I am not asking you to cast a chart and understand if its too much, even if just a glance is enough to say, yeah, looks like you have enough going on here with the planetary aspects coinciding with the US Sibly chart. If it is too much to ask, that response is totally understandable, as well.
I just felt that as I read your writing, I saw too much similarity with my own chart and the potential of a particular profession.
And yes, I will stay tune to PW over the years,
Namaste’
Quite a dramatic chart Pisces Sun and you have the appropriately dramatic Leo ascendant as well! I’ve never known anyone who had an exact Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, although Pres. Obama comes pretty close.
I’m assuming you have Taurus on the MC with ruler Venus-conjunct-Moon nearby in the 9th house making you comfortable in a career involving travel and foreign procedures. If it isn’t Taurus then it must be Aries with your natal Sedna at 27+ Aries in either case. With Aries on the MC the ruler is Mars in Cancer trine Sun in Pisces. Either way the 10th house of career will get the influence of Moon/Cancer as part of the package. That “nurturing” force could account for your influence in the negotiating of policies.
Also nurturing skills would come from natal Ceres in Pisces, possibly in the 8th house. Transiting Chiron will reach your Ceres again in late February, early March, about the same time as transiting Jupiter will oppose your Ceres which suggests some balancing and possibly making a choice will be necessary.
There is an interesting natal TNO (transneptunian object) conjunct your Pluto-North Node in Virgo called Deucalion. If you aren’t familiar with him his story is similar to Noah’s, about the flooding of the earth. This could be a clue as to your feelings regarding the environment as a career direction. Transiting Neptune is now opposing those Virgo points (while conjunct your natal Mercury) and trans. Saturn will continue to square them for a couple of weeks.
As trans. Neptune continues to move forward toward an eventual conjunction with your natal Ceres in April 2020, trans. Pluto will move to within a degree of your natal Jupiter-Saturn where he conjuncts transiting Jupiter (April, 2020), having already done so with trans. Saturn. Transiting Uranus will probably be on or nearing your MC (cusp of your 10th house of career) and I would assume by then you would be making innovative inroads in government policies regarding climate changes.
By the way, your natal Eris is at 9+ Aries and your natal Nessus is at 25+ Taurus, where transiting Sedna is located these days. This alone could drive you in the direction of environmental restoration work, AND it trines your Saturn-Jupiter! Good luck Pisces Sun, hope this helps you make your decisions.
be
Be, thank you! I am always grateful for the time you take to respond to myself and others, especially tonight taking the time to look at my chart. Presently, I am finishing a 2 year research project that addresses, in part, climate change. And my career choices are to be made by late February and early March as I wrap up one more critical milestone, all of this has been on my calendar well before you wrote this!
My MC is Taurus with Moon and Venus in the 9th House. Since you provided me with my natal Nessus at 25+ Taurus, then it is that which is in the 10th House. Yes, Ceres is in my 8th house as is my natal Eris (which you also provided me). I have many years of experience in the realm of environmental restoration, but it is from 15 years passed-how interesting that you mention it as a future possibility. Regarding TNO, I am not surprised by the substance of the answer, only the answer itself but then again, it is subtly affecting my current policy work.
The river is rising and so are the seas…
Thank you Barbara/be! Full of gratefulness and renewed inspiration, Pisces Sun