An Astrology Post

Sabian Symbol Notes for March 15, 2020 – March 21, 2020

March 20

I’m late for this one. All week I have been watching and waiting and wondering when both of my clinics would close, and now they have. And a few days later, the whole state is now in lockdown.

In February, when I researched the symbols for the whole month of March, I saw some interesting and some somewhat foreboding and downright alarming symbols, and I wondered what on earth was going to happen this month. Take a look through the list and see (halfway down the page).

Here we have an automobile wrecked by a train, Indians dancing a war dance, and a young widow contemplating an open grave.

What perfect degrees to describe the current times we are experiencing now: the Train Wreck (quarantine, economy grinding to a halt, borders being closed, cities and states on lockdown), the war dance or rowing (same old unsustainable nonsense or helping everyone), and the young widow contemplating the progression of the virus, and even, on a weirdly optimistic note, finally a still quiet space.

And if truly there were an Ides of March, this would be it. And ironically, the office where we apply for unemployment in Illinois is IDES for short (and for long is Illinois Department of Employment Security. IDES! Oh, the irony! We are all lining up for benefits that may take weeks to arrive, like the virus!

Also, three-quarters of the way through February, Pluto changed to a new degree: an Oriental Rug Dealer In a Store Filled With Precious Ornamental Rugs.

When I was researching this degree, I wondered what or who was going to come through from Asia. I assumed that at this time, someone might ascend in political power, like MBS from Saudi Arabia, or Erdogan in Turkey, but now I understand that this must be the Coronavirus (something imported from the Orient, as if it flew in on a magic carpet).

Pluto will be on this degree until April 24 and will return to this degree in July and August and then will make its final pass through at the end of November through December. If all goes as expected with Covid-19, these may match the waves that the pandemic moves in.

We knew about Covid-19’s impending arrival to the US at the end of December but February 20 was when it began to feel extremely urgent and something that we needed to take immediate action on. And now as Mars (martial law, the National Guard), Jupiter (amplifying the problem) and Pluto (death and resurrection) all are conjunct in this degree we are finally in lockdown.

I also am curious about the role Tucker Carlson has played in alerting the President on the enormity of the virus and the need to take action immediately. I see him as the ‘brave soldier’ Jupiter figure right now. Who would have thought?

We are still having Chiron conjunct Black Moon Lilith squaring the North Node (Train Wreck) and South Node (Do you want to fight or do you want to help?). And Chiron (the wounded healer) conjunct Black Moon Lilith (the dark yin aspect of us all) while it’s square the Nodes (our current life mission and path), our focus is on our most vulnerable and wounded and what best direct to move in to take care of them.

And then there is the Grieving Young Widow symbolizing the collective mind. We are all contemplating our mortality right now (an Open Grave). Even so, we are ‘Freshly Soul Cleansed’ even during this Train Wreck time.

We have breathing space and in a sense, if we don’t put ourselves in a ‘casket’ by choice, by self-isolating and staying indoors, it is imposed on us from the outside anyway by the Mars, Jupiter, Pluto conjunction I described above.

Somehow there is also a deep breath and a sigh of relief as most of us get a break from the merry go round and get to experience stillness. And also water is becoming crystal clear again and big clouds of smog are clearing up.

And from a Chinese medicine perspective, COVID-19 often affect the lungs, the organ where grief is housed. And of course we are now all talking about ways to build and maintain our immunity, and to keep our lungs (and rest of our body) healthy.

And, finally, Saturn is at the last degree of Capricorn. The last degree is called the Anarectic or Crisis degree. Right now it feels like everything is contracting because Saturn is in it’s tiny and cozy, too-small home. Are they really going to be miserly with our relief? At the 29th and final degree in each sign, it is often very stressful and hard to see what is on the other side.

But it is about to go into a new sign, Aquarius, on March 23. By that time, I think we will begin to feel like we are making some progress and move towards policies that are beneficial for the greater good and the working class.

Chiron 5 Aries (3.2.20 – 3.19.20)

A White Triangle Is Seen; It Has Golden Wings

Chiron 6 Aries (3.20.20 – 4.5.20)

A Square, Brightly Lighted On One Side

Black Moon Lilith 6 Aries (3.13.20 – 3.20.20)

A Square Brightly Lighted On One Side

Black Moon Lilith 7 Aries (3.21.20 – 3.29.20)

A Man Successfully Expressing Himself In Two Worlds At Once

North Node 5 Cancer (3.12.20 – 3.23.20)

At a Railroad Crossing, An Automobile Is Wrecked By a Train

South Node 5 Capricorn (3.12.20 – 3.23.20)

Indians, Some Rowing a Canoe While Others Are Dancing a War Dance

Pluto 24 Capricorn (2.20.20 – 4.24.20)

An Oriental Rug Dealer In a Store Filled With Precious Ornamental Rugs

Neptune 18 Pisces (2.27.20 – 3.24.20)

A Master Instructing His Disciple

Uranus 5 Taurus (3.9.20 – 3.28.20)

A Youthful Widow, Fresh and Soul-Cleansed From Grief, Kneels At an Open Grave To Receive the Secret of Eternal Life

Saturn 30 Capricorn (3.10.20 – 3.22.20)

Directors of a Large Firm Meet In a Secret Conference

Jupiter 22 Capricorn (3.10.20 – 3.16.20)

A General Accepting Defeat Gracefully

Jupiter 23 Capricorn (3.17.20 – 3.21.20)

A Soldier Receiving Two Awards For Bravery In Combat

Photo credit: Old San Juan Cemetery by me