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)

Jupiter is Thinking Outside the Box This Year

Think big. Think optimistic. Think the sky’s the limit. That’s Jupiter, and all that expansive energy is being focused through the sign of Aquarius, the Water Bearer, for all of 2009. Thinking outside the box is a good way to describe the way Aquarius thinks, and with Jupiter in this sign, new solutions to our country’s problems will be pondered and many will be acted upon. The people, rather than corporations, are important now, as Jupiter has finished transiting Capricorn. The large corporate bailouts of the banks took place with Jupiter in Capricorn; now it’s time for the regular people to benefit from Jupiter in Aquarius’ non-discriminatory generosity.

Groups of people with similar interests are governed by Aquarius, and I believe this will be a year when forward thinking people band together for the specific purpose of making changes to the established order. This year, Uranus, the planet that rules Aquarius, is facing off with Saturn, the planet of the status quo (and will continue to do so on and off until 2011), and with the added emphasis of Jupiter passing through Aquarius, this is the year for new ideas to germinate and grow into new movements focused on humanitarian goals.

Jupiter is also the planet of organized religion. Look for established churches to try to become more in synch with modern attitudes, and for churches that are creative and appeal to the mind rather than the emotions to grow larger. Pagan groups, whose members tend to walk their own path with little regard for what they “should” believe, may also see an increate in interest this year, with people actually taking the step to join rather than just lurking in the shadows.

Higher education will be affected too, and I believe colleges and universities, which are very much in competition for students now that it is harder for parents to afford a college education, will create new progressive programs intended to interest the younger generation and draw more students to their campuses. It is now possible to get a degree in Astrology from a university, and interest in that subject should also be very strong this year.

Travel in general has slowed down because of the economy, but with Jupiter in Aquarius, those people who are traveling will want to do something off the beaten path. Educational adventures may see a lot of interest this year, particularly if the destination is somewhere new and fascinating.

Interest in UFOs will probably increase this year, particularly later in the year when Jupiter conjoins Neptune in December. This occurs right before Christmas, making me think that escapism will be a big part of the holiday season this year. Look for an increase in consumption of alcohol and perhaps false optimism leading to spending too much money on electronic gifts. The positive side to a Jupiter/Neptune conjunction is the ability to expand spiritually and for those seeking a peak experience through contact with a higher power, the weeks leading up to Christmas will be conducive to achieving that goal.

I am concerned that revolutionary radical fundamental groups could become dangerous in December with Mars stationing in Leo opposing the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction. My hope is that the conjunction causes them to be overoptimistic and that they miss their mark because of the confusion Neptune creates.

While Jupiter is in Aquarius this year, forward thinking is the key to expansion in the area of life where Jupiter is transiting your horoscope. The downside is being overly optimistic and taking on too much, so being positive mixed with a dose of practicality will allow growth and abundance to enter your life through friends, groups, and your hopes, wishes and dreams.