Saturn in Sagittarius: When Challenges Reframe the American Agenda

This article will ultimately address how America will likely be affected by Saturn in Sagittarius over the next three years. However, there are several other noteworthy astrological events happening at this juncture as well, so I want to begin by briefly covering those (with the following 3 shorter sections).

Mega Retrograde Again

On the lighter side, Mercury just went retrograde a few hours ago (which is why I was determined to get this article out today, April 9th), bringing the total number of presently retrograde planets to 4 (well, 6, if you include the nodes, which are almost always retrograde). In fact, the only planet that is not retrograde that could be retrograde is Mars. The four planets will be retrograde together for five days (until April 15), when Venus goes direct (Mercury goes direct on May 3, Jupiter on June 9, and Saturn on August 25).

Incidentally, the moment when Mercury goes retrograde (which this time was later in the day on April 9^th) is often a moment of epiphanies and “Aha!” realizations. You may even have experienced this kind of mental clarity yourself at that time.

Around a year ago I wrote about a similar occurrence, so I can direct any interested readers to that article, titled, “Heavy Retrograde…” (clickable in the right margin of this webpage, under the archives labeled, “May”). I have so much to cover in this article that I can do little more than point to that earlier related article and remind readers that periods with heavy retrograde motion tend to be times when we internalize, reflect and reconsider more (and thus, these are also periods when external activities are delayed, hampered, and reversed—especially communications, until May 3^rd).

 

Trump’s Move Against Syria: From My Earlier Article

Those who read my recent article titled, “Trump’s Tough 2017 Astrology,” (clickable in the right margin of this webpage) might recall that I wrote:

“At the end of next March and beginning of April, some type of boost to Trump’s self-confidence…will embolden him to enact some new projects, initiatives, treaties, and/or communications that will be widely viewed as even more surprising and extravagant than what he has already done in office so far.”

Trump’s bombing of Syria two days ago was an emboldened initiative of the very sort mentioned (a Rahu-type action).

In addition, where I wrote that Trump would assume a “license to conduct his office (and himself) in ways that seem ‘wild,’ or at least insufficiently restrained (relative to the accepted scope and standards of the Presidency),” this aligns with the fact that Congress was irate with Trump for not consulting them before the Syrian military initiative (as is customary and expected of US presidents).

Needless to say, Trump’s strike against Syria signals that his highly emboldened attitude has emerged.

Unfortunately, the astrology responsible for Trump’s emboldened attitude and unrestrained impulses will continue through June (I mistakenly wrote “May,” rather than “June,” in my last article on Trump). We will likely be witnessing this until at least the first half of June, because that marks the final peak of his emboldened and unrestrained actions (this round, at least). So, we can expect more from Trump in the next couple months, and especially over the next couple weeks.

 

Turbulent Weeks Ahead

On that note, another big piece of the current astrological puzzle is the global astrology of the very near future, especially the combination of malefic planets occurring this coming week (approx. April 12-17).

Once again, we are looking at the interplay of several malefic planets at once: Saturn is sextiling Ketu (Saturn’s forward sextile has Saturn’s full strength in Vedic astrology), just as Mars is aspecting Saturn (with Mars’ eighth house aspect). This will escalate existing tensions, and can even trigger other ugly events this coming week.

If I’d had time in the last article (which covered Saturn and Ketu conjunctions over the last 200 years), I would have addressed Saturn’s current sextile to Ketu, because, just as Saturn’s conjunctions with Ketu have historically been difficult, Saturn’s sextiles to Ketu have been also. In fact, Saturn’s forward sextile to Ketu always precedes Saturn’s conjunctions with Ketu, roughly two years beforehand (in Vedic astrology, Saturn doesn’t backward sextile with full strength, so that other aspect is usually ignored).

If I had been willing to make my last article that much longer, I could have laid out an additional timeline tracing the historical events around Saturn’s forward sextiles to Ketu over the last 200 years also. That timeline would have revealed the many troublesome events that seeded the difficulties that were to follow two years later in the Saturn Ketu conjunctions  (like, the first shutdowns and bailouts of the US savings and loan crisis, the Watergate crimes and arrests, the very beginnings as well as the bitter ending of the Vietnam War, the Bay of Pigs and Castro’s seizure of all US assets in Cuba. Hitler’s first aggressive moves and Stalin’s murderous Great Purge, the beginning of World War I, etc.).

There also were numerous positive breakthroughs in those cycles as well, just as in the Saturn-Ketu conjunction cycles (I don’t have time now to list them, but suffice it to say that they represented very important technological developments in many areas). So, there will be/are fantastic breakthroughs happening this spring (see the list of predictions at the end of this article), so keep your eyes and ears open for these…!

As I mentioned above, Saturn is sextiling Ketu again now. This technically began in late January, but the sextile has become progressively tighter since then—to the point that Saturn and Ketu are now within roughly 3° of an exact aspect (and will remain this tight until Fall). This is largely what has been fueling the disturbance in the world of late (and the breakthroughs), and what will continue to do so for several months to come.

But, what is compounding matters right now is that Mars will be entering Taurus on April 12, where it will begin to aspect Saturn (with its 8^th house aspect). This will intensify the already unsettling Saturn-Ketu astrology, leading to more friction, aggravation, discord, and violence, at least through April 17. I hope that there will not be more military conflict, but this is a common way for such astrology to play out.

As if to cement that last point, Trump’s astrology peaks again the following week. Mars squares his Mars and ascendant (already being aspected by the malefic, Rahu) from roughly April 16-23. This is likely to further inflame his aggressive side (and also can denote significant dishonesty, by the way). Let’s all pray for some much needed grace over these next 2 weeks.

 

America Reoriented: 2017-2019

Now it’s finally time to focus on America’s astrology, as promised. There are two key astrological factors involved:

(1) Saturn’s three-year transit through Sagittarius, which just started last January.

(2) Ketu’s 18-month transit through Sagittarius, which begins in March of 2019, while Saturn is still in that sign.

 

Let’s start with (1), Saturn’s transit through Sagittarius…

About every 29 years, Saturn transits through Sagittarius, and America reinvents itself. That is to say, every time Saturn reaches Sagittarius, it is time for America to reconsider its own identity and reconceive its role and national agenda. This has already occurred eight times in America’s history (see the list below). The ninth time just began last January.

In a moment, I will lay out some predictions for this ninth cycle, particularly in light of the difficult Saturn-Ketu astrology discussed in my last post (and some additional such astrology that I postponed mentioning until the current post, due to the length of the last one). But first, let’s see how past Saturn transits through Sagittarius have gone…

 Note: It is generally believed that America’s rising sign is Sagittarius in Western astrology. Although I am using Vedic astrology in this article, I will be operating on the assumption that Sagittarius is indeed America’s ascendant, even in its Vedic chart (at a certain time each day, Sagittarius is rising in both the Western and Vedic charts). I’m not going to specify the whole chart of America in this article; it is enough just to note that it is Sagittarius rising (I also gravitate to the assumption that America’s moon is Aquarius, but I don’t have time to address this).

 

Saturn in Sagittarius: A History of Challenges to America’s Identity

The following is a list of every time Saturn transited through Sagittarius since America first became a nation. I have taken the liberty of adding my armchair historian’s conception of how America’s identity and agenda were reframed in each period, but feel free to replace it with your own assessment—the point is simply that America’s identity and agenda were reconfigured with each cycle.

1783-85: When America first begins to have any identity at all. America wins the Revolutionary War (Treaty of Paris 1783, ratified 1784). Kingdom of Great Britain formally acknowledges US independence and agrees to cease all hostilities. George Washington resigns his control of the military (confirming non-military rule of the budding nation). Tense moments, while allegiance to the emerging nation is consolidated.

Note about US identity: Americans choose the dollar as the national currency.

 

1812-14: The War of 1812. The United States defeats Britain again, and thus defends and establishes its territorial identity (and also opens the door to faster US territorial expansion).

 

1841-43: First President to die in office (after just 1 month in office). US v. The Amistad (of the movie namesake, “Amistad,” a must-see!), the most important court case involving slavery besides Dredd Scott, is ruled in favor of the wrongly enslaved African mutineers of the Amistad. First time the law rises above racism, thus seeding America’s identity of ethical self-consciousness (which makes the Civil War inevitable).

 

1870-72: Post-abolition America redefines itself in the post Civil War Era, as the Union is finally reconstituted, and the Confederacy is dissolved. The 14^th and 15^th Amendments also take affect, finally giving black Americans citizenship and the right to vote (1870). The backlash from entrenched racial bigotry causes turmoil throughout the country, leading to much government intervention. America establishes its identity of ethical self-consciousness.

 

1899-1901: The US defeats the mighty Spanish Empire (triggering that empire’s decline) in the Spanish-American War (gaining Pacific island territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines), and establishes its identity as a world leader.

 

1929–1932: America establishes a defensive identity that will continue to characterize the subsequent cycles of 1958-61, 1988-90, and 2017-2019 (below). The 1929 Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression Era. Al Capone goes to prison, marking an era of accountability to the law (follow-up from the anti-trust sentiments of earlier Saturn-Ketu cycles). A period begins of “defending ethical decency” (eventually against Hitler, etc.).

Note about US identity: The “Star Spangled Banner” is adopted as the national anthem.

 

Nov 1958- Feb 1961: America defends its ethical identity against communism (and its own internal racism). US-communist relations take a very bad turn: Khrushchev gets belligerent at diplomatic meetings. Spying takes center stage. Castro seizes Cuba and US soon severs relations. Castro nationalizes American assets within Cuban borders. The American public is terrified by the specter of nuclear attacks coming without warning (“Project Alert 1960″ drills the entire nation on a simulated nuclear attack, taking over every radio and television station in the nation for a full 30 minutes). North Vietnam officially declares war on South Vietnam, and the US first sends troops to Vietnam. China takes over Tibet and the Dalai Lama flees. Eisenhower warns of “military-industrial complex.” Kennedy takes office and desegregation begins in America. The US takes on the space race (putting a live chimp into orbit, choosing its first human astronauts, and deploying its first satellites—for navigation, weather, communications, and espionage). The first trans-Atlantic passenger flights open America to the world.

This cycle clearly was a huge period for reconceiving the American agenda!

Note about US identity: America gets a new 50-star flag, following Alaska’s and Hawaii’s admission.

 

1988-1990: America ends the Cold War (and the Berlin Wall comes down) and turns to defending the world against brutal dictatorships and global warming. The first Gulf War occurs, but Sadam Hussein is left in power. The US invades Panama and deposes Noriega. America’s own ethical identity backslides, as the Savings and Loan Crisis explodes (over 1000, or 1/3 of all US Savings and Loans, eventually fail), the convictions of the Iran-Contra Affair are overturned (while other charges result in extremely minimal punishments), American baseball icon Pete Rose goes to prison for tax evasion (and is banned from baseball for life for illegal gambling), Imelda Marcos is acquitted, and the Exxon Valdez spill results in only a misdemeanor fine and public service. I believe that this cycle weakened America’s faith in its own internal ethics as a nation, which has ultimately made it easier for the public to embrace highly unethical candidates in elections.

Note about US identity: US flag-burning is ruled a protected form of free speech.

 

2017-2019: America will redefine its defensive identity once again, I believe. This time, America seems to be redirecting its focus towards the Middle East, Russia, North Korea, and probably eventually China (despite Trump’s seemingly amicable recent meeting with China’s President). This may lead to measures that are truly defensive (as opposed to actions that look aggressive, but are labeled, “defensive”), when the US faces the tough 2019 conjunction of Saturn and Ketu in its first house. As events unfold, I will refine the above prediction, but regardless, the US will undoubtedly be reconfiguring its defense against global warming (as Trump withdraws from global efforts to cap temperatures and the public responds).

It is also worth noting the US government will be entirely under Republican control throughout this cycle, which marks an identity reconfiguration as well.

Now let’s look briefly at (2), Ketu’s 18-month transit through Sagittarius…

 

Ketu with Saturn in Sagittarius: Intensifying Challenges to America’s Identity

There has only been one other time in America’s history when Ketu and Saturn transited through America’s ascendant, Sagittarius, simultaneously: April 1870 – November 1871. That double-transit through Sagittarius occurred as the US reconstituted itself after the Civil War. The last of the 11 seceding southern states (Texas, Virginia, Mississippi and Georgia) were readmitted into the Union in early 1870, and the Confederate States of America was finally dissolved. The “Gilded Era” began, as industrialization swept the nation, bringing a new set of challenges before the nation. There was much positive transformation nationwide, even amidst the turmoil.

Within the context of the events I outlined in my last post (clickable in the right margin, and also immediately following this article, directly below), I believe we will see a similar “transformation amidst turmoil” in the US in 2019, on a scale similar to that of Reconstruction Era America.

Interestingly, “disruption” has become a business buzzword lately, as every new enterprise hollowly promises to “disrupt” the industry with its game-changing presence. Well, Saturn and Ketu actually do effect change by disruption (both the “good” kind and “bad” kind of disruption). Thus, there will be leaps forward in technology, medicine, communication, transportation, and physics/space science, even as the nation (and world) reels under the uprooting pressures of change and negative behavior.

America will square off against its newest appointed adversaries (some, potentially inanimate, such as the environmental or economic variety), and embark accordingly on its revised agenda. I believe the events of this spring will foreshadow who those new foes are to be (probably Russia, North Korea, the Muslim Middle East, and China, as I said above). It’s the same old game, just a new round (and with elevated stakes this time, because of Ketu’s presence with Saturn in 2019). It’s worth noting also that this game has often involved economic restructuring before, just as it’s likely to in this round as well (especially considering the potential economic issues I mentioned in the last article).

On another note, America will be drawn into Trump’s astrology this summer and fall, which may get so bad for him as to bring him to the threshold of impeachment (I mentioned in the article on Trump that this summer/fall would be the worst PR that any president has faced since Nixon). By this fall, Trump will no longer be getting the same protection he’s been receiving from Jupiter, so the nation may be poised to reject him by then. This would pose another damaging blow to America’s own ethical identity.

Due to time and space constraints, I will have to elaborate upon these predictions in a future post (perhaps the next one).

 

Again, Positivity Is Most Important!

As I said last time, I do believe that, from the highest perspective, astrology is never negative. Rather, it is how we improve, purify, and ascend. So please consider both the “negative” and “positive” predictions of this article in that light.

And again, please try to remember that the constant gauge for how you are doing at any given moment is the simple measure of how you feel in that moment. So, if this article makes you feel bad, take a break from the subject until you feel better, and then try to return to incorporate this content in a more positive light. Please, trust your feelings, and stay with your joy, even if it means ignoring this blog.

Overall, we are all getting exactly what we need, even as a nation. Let’s take this time to strengthen ourselves internally, so that the tides of life merely wash over the sturdy lighthouse of our gratitude, peace, and joy. Try to be the world outcome you hope for!

Stay tuned for Part 3 of this blog series, addressing the potent global astrology of 2020…!

 

Click the “follow” button in the right sidebar of this webpage to follow this blog.