The New (Threatened) Pandemic of Swine Flu

I had a little bird,
Its name was Enza,
I opened the window,
And
in-flew-enza.
-American Skipping Rhyme circa 1918

We have been warned over the last couple of days that we could be on the verge of a new influenza pandemic, one for which none of our vaccines are currently effective. This new flu is a strain of H1N1, and is a combination of swine, bird and human flu. The world has seen four major outbreaks of deadly flu since the end of the 19th century, the worst being the Spanish flu outbreak between 1918 and 1920, which caused the death of about 40 million people worldwide. Neptune is associated with the flu, and Pluto with death, and as I looked over the timeframes associated with the major pandemics over the past 100 years, Neptune always appears to be about to change signs and in aspect to Pluto whenever these outbreaks occur.

Looking back at the Asiatic Flu of 1889-1890, which caused about a million deaths, Neptune was in the midst of changing signs from Taurus to Gemini and conjoined Pluto in early Gemini. During that same 1889-1890 time period, Saturn went into Virgo and squared the Neptune/Pluto conjunction. Saturn can cause health problems in the sign of Virgo, but because it squared the Neptune/Pluto conjunction in Gemini, it probably limited the number of deaths by limiting the transmission of the virus through the air.

The largest pandemic in the last century was the Spanish Flu of 1918 to 1920, which was of the same type as that just found in Mexico, Texas and California – H1N1. Forty million deaths in two years are almost beyond comprehension, but the Spanish Flu was so horrific that Stephen King appears to have used its symptoms as the foundation for his deadly pandemic in "The Stand." The Spanish Flu killed between 2% and 20% of the people it infected, and it is estimated that between 2.5% and 5% of the world’s population perished, most of them under the age of 65. Looking at the planets during that timeframe, Neptune and Pluto had moved to a semi-sextile aspect in early degrees of Cancer and Leo – Pluto in Cancer and Neptune in Leo. Also during this time, Jupiter transited through Cancer and Leo, forming a conjunction to both planets as it moved. While conjuncting Pluto, the planet of death, it was making a semi-sextile to Neptune, the planet of flu itself. Whatever Jupiter touches, it expands, and while there was a Saturn square to the Neptune/Pluto conjunction during the 1889-1890 pandemic which probably limited the number of deaths, the world experienced the truly expansive nature of Jupiter during the Spanish Flu outbreak, and the number of deaths was astounding. Also, Saturn and Uranus formed an opposition from Leo to Aquarius in the middle of this timeframe. This aspect, especially in fixed signs, causes enormous stress because events out of our control break up the structure of reality and cause insecurity. The loss of 40 million people from the flu right after the end of World War I was more than enough to cause the breakdown of societal structures and create collective instability.

In 1956-1958, the Asian Flu killed between 1 and 1.5 million. Originating in China from a mutation in wild ducks which combined with a human strain, it took about a year to move from China to the U.S. During this period, Neptune and Pluto were both changing signs -- Pluto from Leo into Virgo and Neptune from Libra into Scorpio (Pluto’s sign) -- and the two planets were in a sextile aspect for the two years from the start to the finish of the outbreak. In 1957, in the middle of the pandemic, Saturn and Uranus formed a trine, and early in 1959, Saturn moved to a sextile to Neptune and a trine to Pluto, which probably finally put an end to the last cases of the flu.

In 1968 to 1969, the Hong Kong flu struck, killing between 750,000 to 1 million people worldwide. This flu is thought to have been a mutation of the Asiatic Flu of the late 1800’s. Again, Neptune and Pluto were about to change signs, still in sextile aspect, with Pluto at the end of Virgo moving toward Libra and Neptune moving out of Pluto’s sign of Scorpio into Sagittarius. During this timeframe, Jupiter and Uranus in Libra also formed a conjunction with Pluto at the end of Virgo and then traveled together through the early part of Libra, increasing the unexpectedness of and number of deaths associated with this outbreak.

So what is going on now that would indicate that another influenza pandemic is likely? Neptune and Pluto are still in sextile aspect, although out of sign, with Neptune moving toward Pisces in early 2011 and Pluto in early Capricorn. At the same time, Jupiter, that caused so much havoc during the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918-1920, is about to form a conjunction to Neptune, the planet of the flu, while Chiron, the planet called the Wounded Healer, is right between them, increasing the likelihood that this outbreak of flu could be a very serious one. Additionally, just like the period of the Spanish Flu outbreak, Saturn and Uranus are opposing each other and will stay in that stressful aspect until the middle of 2010 when these two planets will make their final exact opposition at 0º of Aries/Libra, squaring Pluto in early Capricorn. Additionally, Pluto is in opposition to the point where it was during the outbreak of the Spanish Flu, the early degrees of Cancer.

I think that it’s not inconceivable that the pandemic that the World Health Organization has been worried about is beginning to manifest. All we can do is take all the precautions we’ve been taught to prevent getting sick – don’t go to work if you’re sick, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, wash your hands all the time, and avoid large gatherings if you know illness is spreading. And pray that these signs will manifest in a less deadly manner.

(Source for influenza facts:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_pandemic)

Venus: Moving Forward, Finally!

By Fran Rosen. At last, Venus is stationing and going direct today at 29º Pisces. February 3rd was the last time she was at this degree, and it will take until about the 21st of May before she actually goes beyond where she’s already been this year. The time for reevaluation is over; now is the time to make plans for where you want to go from here. Some of you may have decided to end relationships; a lot more of you probably decided that you like the people in your life and have found ways to assert your independence while still maintaining a good rapport. On Tuesday, Mars will catch up with Venus and form a conjunction at 29º Pisces, and they will travel along close together until they again conjoin on June 21st at 15º Taurus.

Conjunctions of two planets merge their energies. Venus is about relating; Mars is about walking your own path. They conjoin exactly in Pisces, the sign of idealism and dreams of spiritual union. However, they soon move into Aries, where Venus has been for most of the last few months. Relationships based upon the dreaminess of Pisces will have a hard time standing up to the fiery energy of Aries. Aries doesn’t want to emotionally merge as true soulmates; Aries wants to have hot and heavy sex. Aries doesn’t yearn to save humanity; Aries yearns to help himself. Early in this journey together, these two conjoined planets will form a square aspect to Pluto. Pluto in Capricorn is the power of the establishment, and Venus and Mars in Aries is all about doing it your own way. Relationships formed impulsively will be tested through the adversity of reality in the form of authority figures, job responsibilities, and other powerful forces in life. Some will survive; others won’t. Pluto can also bring out violent tendencies, so be cautious about pushing other people too hard because you may miscalculate their breaking point.

This afternoon, the Moon is going into Aquarius, the sign of humanitarianism and friendship. Many people I know are either going away for the weekend or are spending time with friends. The combination of the Venus station and the Moon in Aquarius is auspicious for sociability. Put your work aside this weekend and have some fun. Spring has arrived and Venus is bringing beauty back into our lives. Live a little.

Mars/Uranus – Mardi Gras in April

By Fran Rosen. Next Tuesday, April 14, Mars and Uranus will be at the same degree of Pisces. If you have planets in mutable signs (Pisces, Gemini, Virgo or Sag) around 24º, I suspect no one will have to tell you that there are fireworks in the air early to mid-week. Mars, the planet of sexuality, war, and aggression, and Uranus, the planet of rebellion and surprises, are joining energies in the sign of compassion, escapism, illusions, vulnerability and gullibility. Since both of these planets tend to act early, this energy may be felt anytime from now through Tuesday, with an increasing degree of intensity. Restlessness is the result of this combination of energies, and if you are conscious of the need to get out of a rut, you will find something out of the ordinary to do. If you fight the feeling, something out of the ordinary will come to you.

I have always associated Mars/Uranus with The Tower card of the Tarot deck. Also known as the “Lightening Struck Tower,” this card represents an event that shakes up your consciousness. Associated with hubris and being knocked off your false sense of superiority, the Tower card tells you that an attitude of arrogance may cause your downfall. Good examples of hubris leading to being struck by lightening and thrown down to the ground in disgrace are Richard Nixon and Bernie Madoff. Both of these men thought that they were so intelligent that their dirty tricks would never be found out. Richard Nixon was only a little luckier than Bernie Madoff – he didn’t spend the rest of his life in jail, but he was certainly disgraced.

Mars/Uranus may trigger a fun event such as going out with your friends unexpectedly and getting lucky. It may also trigger an event as frightening as your house exploding from a gas leak. During a period like this, it’s good to take stock of how stressed out and how trapped you’re feeling in your life. Do you feel like you want to escape from your life and run away to start all over again? Have you been walking around with ten years’ worth of accumulated gripes building up inside of you? Or are you someone that allows the urge for the new and unusual to take over your psyche occasionally so you can let off some steam and then go back to your daily life renewed and refreshed? Mars/Uranus is telling you that it’s a normal part of life to break the daily routine. When the opportunity arises for an unusual twist in your day, be spontaneous – but don’t think that you can take chances and be protected. This kind of energy will more likely than not cause you harm if you’re too reckless.

Saturn is in wide opposition to this wild and carefree energy, so for the most part, there should be some sense of caution during this timeframe. However, if you are already the rebellious type, don’t overreact and take dangerous chances just to be contrary. As I said above, this can be dangerous energy and caution is advised, especially around machinery, guns, explosives, and knives. Saturn also represents the structure in our life that we take for granted. Mars/Uranus may shatter that structure if it already has cracks in it.

As this conjunction is in a water sign, sudden emotional situations may arise forcing you to examine how you really feel. Some of us never know what we’re feeling until a loved one forces us to face our feelings in a crisis situation, or circumstances endanger someone we love. Anger and hurt may spark easily at this time.

Be spontaneous. Be aware. Allow new energy and new realizations to enter your life. This combination of energies can wake you up, take you out of your every day reality, and set you on a new path. Then again, it can just throw off your schedule. The choice is yours.

LET'S TALK PLUTO

When was the last time you were so mad at someone that you either wanted to physically inflict some pain on them or walk out of their life completely? Not all people encounter situations like this often, but some people live a good part of their life dissatisfied with the people that are close to them. For several weeks already and continuing into the middle of May, Venus is squaring Pluto in the sky. Conflicts in relationships and conflicts over values feel like two immovable forces playing tug of war. No matter who wins, both parties will end up flat on their back on the ground from the force of the encounter, unless entered into with some degree of consciousness. Since Pluto is an unconscious force, much of its influence will not be understood until time allows perspective, but we are able to comprehend that we are in the presence of a force over which we have no control.

The major lesson of Pluto is LET GO. Let go of your idea of how things should be. Let go of the idea that someone will change and act like you think they should because you are pushing them hard enough. Let go of being angry at the world because it’s not living up to your expectations. Let go of your obsession with someone who doesn’t care about you anymore. Turn your focus inward. If you want to change something, change yourself. If someone doesn’t make you happy, make yourself happy. If you’re bored and looking for excitement, avoid dangerous people and dangerous places. You will find what you’re looking for and it may kill you. Remember, YOU CREATE YOUR OWN REALITY. If you are honest with yourself, you can see the path that led you to the place you find yourself in now. Start focusing on what you want to change in your life, and watch changes begin to happen.

When you think of Pluto, think of the eons it takes for the pressure to build up inside of a volcano before it erupts and the massive damage it causes. The problem with a volcano is there’s no release valve for the pent up energy. That’s what happens when the stress of Pluto builds up inside a person. The ensuing eruption can wipe out relationships, jobs, or even life itself. Some of us find Pluto less of a challenge than others, but it is always a challenge. You will know that Pluto is telling you that it is time to change and time to release a situation when the pain becomes too intense – when the fact that you don’t want to stay in the situation any longer is in your consciousness and you can’t deny the reality of it. I’m not talking about walking off in a huff when things don’t go your way; I’m talking about experiencing so much pressure that the pain becomes unbearable. If you stay in that situation because you are afraid to leave it, it will leave you, or it will radically change so much you will not recognize it after the dust clears.

On the other hand, if you take the power that is offered to you from the universe and you use it for the highest good of which you can conceive, you will experience the positive transformative power of Pluto. The place of “knowing” in your body is your Solar Plexus Chakra, right above your naval. When someone tells you to follow your gut, that’s where the sensations are. You will know absolutely that you are doing the right thing by how this Chakra feels to you when wielding the power of Pluto. Pure, unadulterated power mongering comes out of your Root Chakra. If you move that Plutonian force up through your Chakras so that it activates your Crown Chakra, you will know if your motives are pure by how you feel at your Solar Plexus Chakra. We are always aware of whether motives are pure by our gut reaction, whether we admit that to others or not.

This striving for perfection is not a reason to beat ourselves up when we are unable to achieve it, but it is a goal to move toward, and Pluto is an instrument that burns out our impurities and impels us toward that goal. Sometimes that Plutonian energy will come to you through another person who forces you to face yourself, and sometimes that energy is something that you will find inherent within your own being, that will affect others in ways that are unexpected. The only thing that can be said for certain about Pluto is that you can’t ignore it, and you don’t walk away from it unchanged. You will know it when you meet it by the intensity of its power over you. It is one of the Gods and will not be ignored.

Mercury, Planet of Communication, Trade, and Thieves, Moves from Aries to Taurus in April

(Augustin Pajou's Mercure ou le Commerce from 1780)

"Hermes…son of Zeus and Maia, which is, of mind and sense. For the word is engendered from mind and sense. On account of this they also make him winged, as if to be swift. For nothing is swifter than a word. And [that is why] Homer [says] ‘winged words’." --Suidas [syū'ĭdəs], Greek lexicographer.

Mercury, the fast moving planet that is never 28º away from the Sun, was named after Mercury, the Roman wing-sandaled God of communication, by ancient astrologers after studying its astrological effects for hundreds of years. Mercury was called Hermes by the Greeks, and the Egyptian name for him is Thoth, the inventor of hieroglyphics, the originator of the use of calendars, and the judge of the souls of the dead. As a combination of the Greek God Hermes and the Egyptian God Thoth, he is known as Hermes Trismegistus (“Thrice-great Hermes”), a writer of astrological texts, who is also responsible for the occult arts, including alchemy. It is said he authored the Hermetic Books, 36,525 volumes of magic, wisdom and Egyptian history. A messenger God, and a God of trade, he also guides the dead to Hades, and is the patron God of travelers and thieves. In the myths about Mercury, he is almost always doing another God’s bidding, keeping with his role as messenger. Although Mercury was not one of the original Roman Gods, he was still honored by them, and when the Romans conquered the Celts, the Romans associated the Celtic God Lugus, or Lugh, with Mercury. Lugh, a multi-talented God, is not only nimble and quick-minded, but also musical and a ferocious warrior. The Germanic tribes knew Mercury as Wotan and the Norse knew him as Odin, the God who hung himself from a tree for nine days and gave the knowledge of the Runic alphabet to the world, a system both of writing and of magic. The Celtic God Oghma, a God of communication and writing who invented the Ogham alphabet and gave it to the Druids, is also a Mercury-type God.

On April 10, the planet Mercury’s energy slows down from the frantic pace of Aries to the unhurried and easy pace of Taurus. Tempers that have been set off with a few ill chosen words will cool down, and stubbornness will take over as the way to deal with irritation. Thoughts will turn to commerce, as Taurus is interested in the buying and selling of goods and the making and saving of money. Taurus is not a comfortable sign for Mercury, as Taurus is slow and ponderous, while Mercury is quick and agile. The planet will be much more comfortable after May 1, when Mercury goes into Gemini.

Pluto will be in good aspect to Mercury from the 10th to about the 14th, allowing analytical thinking to be at its best. This will be a good period to get to the bottom of any matter, and powers of persuasion will be strong. From about the 16th to the 19th, Saturn will give thinking a practical aspect and this will be a good time for hard mental work and for serious, practical consideration of important decisions. From about the 24th to the end of the month, don’t take anything at face value. Wait until Mercury goes into Gemini before making any decisions as there could be some hidden problem that won’t surface until after Mercury changes signs.