Part I is HERE.
At the end of the post I will recap the invasion chart and bring it up to date, but first I wanted to talk about the role of the asteroids/Goddesses in the Ukraine/Russia story.
It's obvious to everyone who isn't living under a rock (and I do sometimes feel I am living under a rock or want to find a nice big, smooth one, but still with some wifi access, of course, to hide under for a few hours) it is obvious we are living through extraordinary and challenging times. I know our ancestors did, too, and their ancestors, also, but our current journey into the New Age, the Age of Aquarius is, I think, rather special.
One way we have to explore what is happening in the world and in our own lives is through astrology - the study of the way the planets connect to the people and events here on Earth. The way our blueprints/birthcharts, that were created into physical form through us when we drew our first breath, actually work. This isn't fortune-telling and I am no fortune-teller. Astrology is a language - it's about using patterns and archetypes to tell the story, to see what makes things tick, explore what might happen, make our lives better.
I always think if a story can't be told through the main chart - sans all the centaurs and dwarf planets it is probably the wrong story. That is still true, I think, and THAT story was told in Part I and Part II is at the bottom of this post. But, the key to unlocking the REAL meaning behind so much of what is going on in these complicated times might be found in the dwarf/minor planets. Discovered with perfect timing and synchronistically named for Goddesses, they carry the ancestral stories of our grandmothers; the dominant female DNA codes - maybe that junk DNA, the scientists are not wanting to think about. This is why so much of the world is making no sense. We are having to learn to trust something we have been taught doesn't even exist.
Since part of the fall of the patriarchy/emerging of the equality of the Age of Aquarius is about the re-discovery and appreciation of the Goddess energies - let's take this pivotal moment and tell the story through the Goddesses and see if we can learn anything new.
We are going to tell this story/see this chart through Ceres (conjunct Russia's Sun), Juno (conjunct Ukraine's ascendant), Vesta (conjunct Putin's ascendant), Black Moon Lilith (conjunct Putin's Pluto/South Node), Pallas, and, of course, the one Goddess the patriarchy allowed us to keep, our own benevolent Venus (conjunct invasion chart's ascendant).
Mother bear archetype Ceres, conjunct Russia's Sun and very prominent in Russian historical event charts, is Mother Russia here. Ceres nearly destroyed the entire world to get her daughter Persephone back from Pluto, but in the end a complicated compromise was brokered. Ceres speaks of situations outside our control, season of life issues (what has run its course/whose time has come) and can also activate complicated concessions/successful settlements. Ceres is conjunct the North Node in the invasion chart and opposing the South Node - an important part of the story/way forward.
The Moon in the invasion chart (remember the Moon was Ukraine) has a sextile to asteroid Juno. Putin was having his Juno return, with Juno returning back to his birth position at the time of the invasion and Juno is conjunct Russia's Moon (her past) - Ukraine and Russia have deep roots.
With Juno EXACT on Ukraine's ascendant we can say Ukraine is Juno. Juno was a protector of the state, especially women and ruled marriage and contracts/cooperative arrangements, but also the things we don't want to look at too closely in order to preserve a contract or maintain our power through powerful allies or situations (because remember Juno was always needing to overlook hubby Jupiter's indiscretions to maintain her own position, she was Queen of the Gods, because of her marriage to Jupiter, the King of the Gods). Probably something in this about Ukraine's relationship to the Jupiter ruled United States. In the invasion chart we have Juno sextiling (opportunity) the Moon, but the Moon squaring Jupiter, Juno's hubby, who is ruling the Moon in this chart. Still, here is another powerful Goddess who isn't afraid to fight and has been known to cut a deal.
Vesta was at 22 degrees Capricorn WITH God-of-War Mars when the invasion started. There is a sacred focus here/THIS is where our attention needs to be, and this week she moves into Aquarius crossing the 'new world' degree. If Ceres is Russia and Juno is Ukraine, then Vesta conjunct Putin's ascendant is Putin in the Goddess War. Her move into Aquarius on the 10th can change his focus, move his attention from the past to the future. Maybe make things more cyber, but also maybe clear his head/thinking, allowing him to take things less personally.
Another important dwarf planet connected to Putin is Black Moon Lilith. She was at 24 degrees Gemini squaring Neptune. Putin has Black Moon Lilith on his Pluto/South Node, so her energy is strong in his past
(Putin has the same nodal axis, North Node 20 degrees Aquarius, South Node 20 degrees Leo - as Catherine the Great, leader of Russia during the American Revolution days, Pluto is back there now for the first time, AND Catherine had a BML/Sun conjunction. Catherine's real name was Sophie. We have two asteroids with this name, one tightly conjunct Putin's natal Venus, ruler of his natal Sun/Saturn and the other tightly conjunct his natal Pluto. Catherine was also rumored to be promiscuous in life and disrespected for it after her death - very 'Lilith-like').
Black Moon Lilith speaks of the first "Eve" ejected from paradise for
demanding equal status with Adam and then demonized. "Liliths" are often
vilified as 'evil'/wrathful women who need to be exiled when what is
really happening here is that the patriarchy has no intention of sharing
power. This treatment feels like part of Putin's story to me/ he feels exiled. Seeing
Putin as a monster in this story isn't going to help anyone.
Pallas was in Aries in the 2nd house of the invasion chart sextiling the Moon. Pallas in Aries is a strong war Goddess. Strategic. Smart. Her waning sextile to the Moon (Ukraine in the invasion chart) shows some readiness/preparation on their part. And, of course Eris is still at 23 degrees Aries. Shaking up the world. Sedna, the transformational Goddess, is sandwiched between Ceres and the North Node. She speaks of not only what we can't depend on, but counting on things being better than they turn out to be. Conjunct Ceres, I am connecting her energy to Russia here.
And, of course, our beloved Venus, having tried to save the world with her back and forth through Capricorn is on the ascendant of the chart. IS the event in a way. Venus, at 21 degrees Capricorn, having been outplayed, for the moment, by war-God Mars at master number 22 Cappy. The number 21 is a power number, too, though. In the iChing it is the hexagram of 'biting through' - what needs to happen to get to the truth/get to the 'beauty'.
When we come to the time of 'biting through' - resting content with appearances may be easier, but it is no longer enough.
We will have to see where this 'biting through' event leaves the world.
Some of the other important hexagrams we can think about - Saturn at 18 Cappy is 'corruption' - this is the chart ruler/Russia. In ancient China, ancestors angered by neglect would send sickness and misfortune. This is corruption in the iChing which is something like a curse. This is echoed by last week's journey of Venus and Mars through the underworld of Pluto. As they move into Aquarius on March 6th - we could be said to be PAST the curse/the curse has lifted (the story continues to be played out, but the underpinnings of the story are dead). The Moon at 7 degrees is 'the army' - this is Ukraine. This hexagram follows arguing and speaks of crowds of people, energies and resources gathering around a focal point of grievance - the emotions that begin as indignation become an inner reserve of strength.
Venus is also Zelenskyy (unsure of spelling) with his natal EXACT Venus/Sun. Transiting Venus will conjunct Zelenskyy's natal Sun/Venus on March 12th with Saturn EXACT on his mid-heaven and a stellium in his 9th house of foreigners - HUGE time/spotlight for him.
Now, let's go back and recap the invasion chart and then bring the chart up to date and see what we learn. To recap:
At the time of the invasion Capricorn was rising over Ukraine. The ruler of Capricorn (the aggressor here) is Saturn, so we read this chart as Saturn is Russia. Saturn is about authority, the father, boundaries, rules. Saturn was in Aquarius in the 1st house. As the ancient ruler of Aquarius, he is strong here, and there was, at the time of the invasion, a bundle of planets in Capricorn and Aquarius answering to him. He is squared by Uranus - rebellion, individuals - and squared by the mid-heaven - the world, reputation. So, Russia is troubled by revolutionaries and the world at large, but he is strong in the chart. Not without his problems though with those squares.
The 7th house (opposite the ruler/ascendant) is Cancer, so the ruler of Ukraine is the Moon.
The
Moon is about emotions, the mother, home, family, in mundane charts
like these the Moon rules 'the people'. Both Saturn and the Moon are
about the past, so we know already whatever is happening has very old
roots. The Moon was in Sagittarius in the 10th house. The 10th house, Saturn's
natural house is not a good place for the Moon. But Sagittarius pulls in
fiery emotions, optimism, hope, faith, an ability to bond with
foreigners, adjust to changing circumstances, the Moon's need for space
if the Moon feels smothered. In Sagittarius the Moon is answering to
Jupiter, strong in Pisces, his own ancient rulership. Jupiter pulls in
Piscean help - ancestral help, prayers, compassion and Jupertarian help -
foreign aid, hope, faith, etc.
The chart looked better for Saturn (Russia). The 'end of the matter' landed in Taurus which rules land/resources/money and answers to Venus, who was in Capricorn answering to Saturn. More 'Saturn wins' kind of energy. But what does winning mean in this nightmare? And Venus has already left Capricorn, so Saturn/Russia has already lost some advantage here. By April 5th, Venus will be in Pisces and answering to Jupiter (Ukraine). But that feels like a long time away for the people of Ukraine ...
As they move into Aquarius, they cross over 0 degrees Aquarius TOGETHER, now this is the OTHER HOT degree from our world-changing 2020, this time from the end of 2020/winter solstice when Jupiter met Saturn and "the world started up again" (whatever our personal thoughts about the vaccines are, collectively we can think "vaccine" here). So, that 0 degrees Aquarius is now infused with this kind of imperfect and controversial "new world" energy, and Mars has NOT been here since that degree was activated. This week, Venus will be ahead of Mars (only by seconds, but that's all it took for Mars to do his job, maybe that's all it will take for Venus - when Venus pulls ahead of Mars is our first real chance for peaceful negotiations, prayers for an early end to this nightmare).
Keep in mind this degree was activated by JUPITER and SATURN and those are the planets ruling Ukraine and Russia in the invasion chart.
Maybe
this week, as Venus pulls ahead and both Mars and Venus move into the
sign of the future we will have some real energy focused on SOMETHING NEW. Cooler
heads can prevail. Smarter. Future-focused. Yes, Mars in Aqua will likely
pull in cyber warfare tactics, but Venus will get to everything before
he does, which should make him less damaging/make whatever is happening
somehow more helpful (keeping in mind energies seek balance and karma and are not so concerned with right and wrong). Venus wants to bring peace, cooperation, balance. And she rules the 4th house/end of the matter in the invasion chart, so we know this is how this ends, we just don't know when or what has to happen before we get there.
Before Mars and Venus join hands and jump into Aquarius, Mercury (in Aquarius)
is going to square the Nodes of Fate. Mercury in the invasion chart was
squaring Uranus and sextiling Chiron, so bringing challenging,
(#unexpected,#not totally unexpected) news, that was both traumatic and at the same
time also healing some very old wounds. Mercury in
Aquarius is exactly squaring the North Node in Taurus and the South Node
in Scorpio. Mercury rules the 5th house (which can be kind of reckless) and the 8th house (death, transformation) of the invasion chart, so words/information are going to be crucial/tense/frustrating.
Some kind of corner must be turned before Mars and Venus move from earth into air (Cappy to Aqua).
Let's pray this leans into Taurus, the North Node and chart's 4th house
of family, home and country prioritizing that and not stay stuck in
that Scorpio 10th house of reputation, competition, the
cold-headed/cold-hearted terms of winner-take-all capitalistic 'success'.
On March 9th, Mercury moves into Pisces, the 2nd house (money, resources, self-esteem)
of the invasion chart, so those dwindling resources as the result of
the invasion will be more strongly felt. Talked about. Taken into
consideration. Conversations/negotiations can drift off course. But
maybe words can become more compassionate. Boundaries loosen.
On March 10th, Vesta is going to move into Aquarius - the future will be more strongly valued than the past now. What lies ahead of us/the new world (she crosses 0 degrees Aqua here, too) is keeping us up at night, becomes our sacred focus instead of worry about the old world/old goals. Remember Putin IS Vesta in the Goddess chart, so his focus can change now.
On March 12th, Zelenskyy's chart is getting lots of attention - transiting Venus on his Sun/Venus, followed by transiting Mars with Saturn on his mid-heaven (recognition, effectiveness) AND Saturn on Putin's North Node (destiny). Big week here as this stuff builds, hits and unwinds.
We will have to see what the week ahead brings. The weekly for all of us is HERE.
Back with Part II of the U.S. Pluto return chart this week.
xo all
artwork by the amazing vurdeM