Saturn Pluto = 22 degrees of Capricorn Jan 12^th / 13^th 2020

Welcome to the 2020s, where things get a little freaky early on, with the alignment of Saturn and Pluto on 12/13 January.   The 2^ndweek of the New Year, is quite something to behold, feeling the catalyst, the tipping point for change, a changing of the guard or a new operating order or paradigm, its being formed. Richard Tarnas labels this conjunction, “Cycles of Crisis and Contraction”, in his Great book, “Cosmos and Psyche”, and after years of speculation, it’s finally upon us.

2019, held a strong pulse of this as we lead into the, January 12/13^th, Saturn & Pluto conjunction. Anointed by some as apocalyptic, others have described as the fascist conjunction, it’s certainly a pressure cooker, as established power structures and unseen power forces collide. History and events that have occurred during past intonations of this conjunction have not been kind. Seen as large marker point for social change and even dismantlement of Society as we knew it at that time. We are now at this point of history, once again.

Saturn and Pluto conjunctions occur every 33 to 38 years, and have an aggressive, de-stabling of power & quality to them. Power, abuse of power, over-use of power, control and dismantling are all strong themes aligned with the conjunction. The 2020 hook-up occurs in Capricorn, Saturn’s Ruling sign, the significations towards Government, Global Reputations, Control, Money and Conservatorship have never been so strongly at the forefront; for a seemingly larger dis-enchanted Global Population. Pluto introduced the theme of financial disruption, when it entered Capricorn January 2008. The immediate manifestation and impact was the World GFC. The 2020 Saturn Pluto conjunction will put great pressure on, this model, which was interrupted with the GFC, and look at how sustainable both fiscally, and perhaps environmentally, it really is. Saturn Pluto are the Ultimate Power Games or Star Wars.

The last Saturn Pluto conjunction occurred in 1982 in Libra. The peak of the Cold War, Ronald Reagan, an actor, was President of The United States, not that dis-similar to the current President. Margaret Thatcher was in Power in the UK. Cuts to Public Service, Free-market Economies was the new economic survival mode. Thatcherism& Reaganomics were sweeping the West and became a new Western Government standard. Free-market Economies, Privatization of Government Services was unheard of before this point. It was what we “needed” to survive the economic issues of the time.

Previous to the 1982 conjunction, there was the Saturn Pluto Conjunction of 1947/48 which saw, India and Pakistan separated by a new invisible land boarder by the British, separating families and religious boundaries, creating physicality to something that was always more loosely defined. The creation of Israel, from Palestine and the carving up of the new boarders in the Middle East also occurred at this time, the issues around this, are still not resolved. The Conjunction before that, saw events precipitate and create the beginning of World War 1.  Crisis and Contractions indeed, Saturn Pluto have demonstrated many times just this century alone, the power it has, to change the global landscape of the world we live in over and over again, for power and control.

The opposition of Saturn and Pluto, of which this conjunction is the closing cycle of, was when the September 11^thterrorist attacks occurred in the United States. Creating the marking point of the current global climate and politics in which we live. Interestingly enough, Saturn was in Gemini in the 9^thHouse of Devoted Religious beliefs and Philosophy and Pluto was in freedom loving Sagittarius in the 3^rdhouse of local neighbourhoods and day to day environments, when this attack happened, showing the great impact and  literal manifestation, this combo can create, in such tragic ways.  The fall out of such a deplorable act against humanity, reflects the depths that these 2 planets will go to push their respective agendas, it is with the current January 2020 cycle that we see these 2 mighty forces come together again to potentially reconfigure the world landscape, once again.

The recent rise of Brexit, Local and regional Nationalism, refusal of rights for refugees and the continued changing landscape of global politics, demonstrate clearly that we are currently living in Saturn Pluto times. The purpose of this article is not of prediction, but one must observe, the recent influence and obvious signs of climate change. The realizations that our planet is not able to sustain life as we know it, is a potential avenue for such Plutonic change, in this 2020 cycle, as it has been bubbling away for most of 2019.  This outcome of this observation remains to be seen, but the resistance of government to address or recognize the issue is a potential sticking point, and an area that is due for cataclysmic change. It will be interesting to see what sets the agenda pre and post Jan 12/13^th2020.

Two days before we have this exact conjunction, will see a lunar eclipse also on the Capricorn Cancer Axis, reinforcing the themes of Home, Resources, Nurture, Sustenance and Protection vs Governance, Society, Power Structures, Money and Rulership.  Eclipses are shadow points, darking of the luminaries, effects and results are never seen or witnessed at this exact time, this also blurs or darkens the scope of the Pluto Saturn conjunction which occurring at the time of the Eclipse. Basic terms, this time frame will be clouded from obvious direct indications of what direction the pressure points will transmute from. But the pressure points will still be felt and activated.

The 3^rdTransit this week, which will merge and melt into all of the above. which also occurs at the Eclipse, is the Mercury Cazimi, also in Capricorn. It the perfect antidote, for insight, in the weeks ahead. Mercury, conjoining the Sun, which is being eclipsed by the Nodal axis at the Cancer Full Moon, pulls in the Mercurial to an already intensive week of confrontation and challenge. Mercury, having its full pallet cleansed, burning away all the side issues holding it back from addressing the real issues at hand, will be very interesting to see unfold. Like all Mercury Cazimi, we will not find our way with this until late January, after the New Moon in Aquarius, and once Mercury moves past 6 degrees of Aquarius.  But what the Cazimi does offer, is a chance to reset our voices and opinions, amongst all this overwhelming aggressive, constraining and conflictive energy to give resource and clarity on how to move past or through the proverbial mire.

January, is an unusually heavy and volatile Moon, proceed with caution. But to end with a quote from Richard Tarnas, about the Saturn Pluto conjunction, “We can see here too that the other side of the Saturn Pluto gestalt: The noble fate binding of one’s strenuous efforts to the chain of human destiny, which creates an enduring good and forges a deep and permanent moral development in Human Evolution”.

Jean-Michel Basquiat
Untitled 1982
Private collection
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York

“In this 1982 painting, the figure wears a three-pointed crown – a prominent symbol in Basquiat’s visual lexicon. The figure stands defiantly with one arm raised. Basquiat’s crown has many potential meanings, but here may be read as a symbol of majesty, endurance and triumph.” NGV, describing a painting by Jean – Michel Basquiat, created at the last Saturn Pluto conjunction.