The Future With COVID

The Future With COVID

The particular congress of planetary actions that arrived with the first wave of the COVID pandemic in January 2020 had no equal in recent history in its power to effect change. In fact, careful review by many of the most ethical and experienced astrologers pointed to the 14th century outbreak of bubonic plague in Europe as the nearest approximation of what began in late January 2020.

I’ll put up a separate post on the circumstances of that cosmological moment. Today’s post is on the choices we face now and an advised course of action. This line in the Wall Street Journal caught my attention:

“It’s a tug of war between society and the virus,” said Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco.”

This dualistic approach, of dividing the objects of experience in to good and evil, for and against, win and lose is pervasive in modern society. Born out of misguided notions about the importance of the individual and their rights, pitting forces against one another rather than seeking more universally positive outcomes for all has most people engaged in a constant state of war against both internal needs and wants and external objects and means. It’s a system that essentially supports the deeply flawed thinking that there are different worlds or realities occupying the same space and by getting rid of one we free the other. Aside from being impossible by definition (if what are perceived as competing forces occupy the same space, eliminating one also destroys the other) it also blinds us to the obvious that has been taught by sages and the best scientists throughout all of human history. It’s all one, and we are all part of it. Only by aligning with that fundamental premise do we have any hope for a solution that doesn’t involve ripping the whole to bits.

Whether caused by humans in a lab or some aberrant natural phenomenon, COVID is governed by the same laws of matter and energy as all matter in space-time. It is a part of reality just as you and me and the earth, moon, planets, and stars. We can describe it in language and therefore think consciously about it. It has mysterious properties and processes that given time and effort we can understand. And it comes at a time when understanding, compassion, trust, and unity have never been more necessary.

Yet we have world leaders rejecting proven methods of slowing the spread, rejecting demonstrably effective vaccines or exploiting their use for personal power. We have drug companies taking in billions of dollars in profit who are throwing out expired doses because they were either unwilling or forbidden to send the vaccine to underserved populations. We have social media outlets, outlier news organizations, and mainstream commentators putting out volumes of contradictory, false, and unhelpful information except for the pursuit of likes, followers, and advertising dollars. We have commodified truth and in so doing moved away from it.

Above you see the chart of the moment I am writing this. Briefly, I created this chart to answer the question, “What are our options for living with COVID reality?”

As I asked the question, Pisces is on the Ascendant in my home city of Tucson. Pisces is the sign that can see truth all the way back to the beginning of time and see options all the way to the end. With such a broad view it can also get locked into indecision because if the sheer number of choices and the danger of getting lost in illusions based on wishes and dreams rather than conscious reasoning and high aspirations for all.

Pisces is ruled by Jupiter, a planet that gives expansion and abundsnce and can teach us the way to ultimate freedom and reunion with the Source of all being. Jupiter sits in Aquarius, a sign that wants to save the world, and both are located in the 12th house of confinement and loss as well as the gateway beyond loss to enlightenment (complete freedom from all needs, wants, and desires).

Jupiter receives a full aspect from an aggressive, powerful Mars in the 9th house of dharma (natural law). Mars is conjunction Ketu, the shadow planet responsible for hiding material reality and leaving us groping in the dark without the use of our senses. This combined energy demand that we turn to others, to powers greater than ourselves to realign with the highest and best purposes of life or suffer catastrophic losses.

The Moon is in Cancer and in the Nakshatra Ashlesha for a few more hours. Here it provides sustenance to the cardinal water sign that is its home, where it can dissolve and spread the poison of the serpent Naga throughout the world to destroy all enemies of the earth.

The shadowy planet Rahu in Taurus tries to seize power by tying our passions to money and material gains, but the full aspect of Ketu from the 9th gives us the opportunity to choose a higher path.

Sun and Mercury in Sagittarius in the 10th desire to enthusiastically work to build reputations, center all of us on the work of cleansing the soul, lighting a fire of almost evangelical power toward healing the earth and and serving others toward better health through aspect on the 4th house of home, rulership of the 6th house of health and service by the Sun, and Mercury’s rule of Virgo, sign of healing, in the 7th house.

Saturn sits in the judgment seat in Capricorn in the 11th house where it evaluates all the fruits of our efforts, conjunct to Venus, the enforcer of rules and ruler of two Maraka (death giving)houses (3rd and 8th).

Any choices other than equitable, just, and compassionate solutions that harm no one intentionally will likely bring catastrophic results. Working together, across boundaries of culture, class, race, sex, gender, and ideology to unite with natural forces for living with and easing COVID suffering (not a tug of war, rather a pulling together which is what Saturn transits of Capricorn have called for throughout time) will reduce not just COVID pain, but also that of the earth. The pandemic highlighted the need to work together and do so swiftly to save lives. Hesitation for that caused millions of deaths.

Seeing the placement of the gardener couple, Gemini, in the 4th house of this question’s chart, tells us that COVID is only a harbinger of bigger troubles to follow if we don’t learn to work together. The Sabre-rattling in Ukraine, wars in Syria, human rights violations in dozens of nations, etc. also are opportunities to learn to do the little things better. These prepare us to join in the greatest cooperative effort of all, living with our changing climate and slowing the rise in global temperatures to preserve our home world.

We are not going to win a tug of war AGAINST nature. We need to pull together to turn the juggernaut of individual illusions masked as material need. To realign ourselves with all of life and serve it justice before we receive our reward.