The Astrology of the Covid Cultural Reset with Eris-Pluto

When astrologers from a few years back were looking ahead, they were wondering about what this 2020 year would bring, because they knew that there were powerful and unprecedented conjunctions of outer planets taking place from January on. What they saw looking forward was capped by a triple combination of Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto, peaking in mid-November. Right after that, as well, there was to be considered the famous Jupiter-Saturn exact conjunction of December 21st, at precisely 0 degrees of tropical Aquarius, beginning a new series of these important conjunctions in the Air element. One of my colleagues, Daniel Giamario, held a “2020 Summit” conference about what things would be like, and I was able to contribute, from my research into Eris, that the conjunction of Saturn-Pluto with Jupiter, in Capricorn, was accompanied by a close square from Eris in a similar degree of Aries, over the entire year.

Eris can be characterized as a Feminine Warrior for soul intention, and I have found in my research that she lends an incredible amount of zing to any planet that she touches, either natally or by transit. To actualize the Eris archetype of the Feminine Warrior is to understand at a profound level that you must rise to the occasion, find deep within yourself your bottom line principles and act upon these, to the exclusion of all else. For more information on Eris, see my book, The Tenth Planet. The Eris presence in these 2020 outer planet configurations has proven to be an extremely potent factor in the astrology of the year, especially in what has become the era of Covid.

As we have gone through the actual events of this transformational year, the societal reset that astrologers saw from a distance has manifested in no uncertain terms. Here in the U.S. we have the very strong social justice movement, based on Black Lives Matter, in response to police killings of unarmed black men and women, and we have in addition the ravages of an out-of-control Covid-19 pandemic that has also caused economic devastation. As climate change has gone on, unchecked, the extreme weather patterns have created further problems with firestorms and hurricanes. Progressive forces that have been galvanized by the American government’s swing to the right are proposing that we “build back better,” as we stimulate a reviving economy, stressing alternative energy development, and coordinated reduction of fossil fuel emissions that exacerbate global warming.

This Covid pause at the societal level is giving us all a chance to search inside ourselves and to take a good look, also, at the current condition of our civilization. Whenever this thing begins to relent it is indeed possible that we will emerge more conscious of the impact of our choices, and stronger in our conviction to strive for a better world.

It is also important to note how the meaning of another of these new planetary archetypes, namely Haumea, representing Nature, and natural law, plays into this. Haumea symbolically represents profound connection to Nature, loving and taking care of the earth and all her creatures. When going to depth, in order to come up with our bottom line principles and values, as Eris demands of us, we must also adhere to some form of natural law, discovering what actions we might take that will be in the interest of all people everywhere, and all the creatures of the earth, down to, as certain tribes of Native Americans have always maintained, the seventh generation.

Right at the very beginning of the year, the Saturn-Pluto conjunction of January 10th, highlighted by a solar eclipse two degrees away, and with Eris in precise square to Pluto, was coincident with the origin of the term “Covid-19” for the novel coronavirus disease that was just being recognized, officially named on January 7th. Since that time, the disasters of April and subsequently of the summer, especially here in the U.S., have followed the activation of the Saturn-Pluto combination by Eris in square, along with the opposition of Eris to Haumea, making a potent T-square to Saturn-Pluto. When U.S. states began to re-open over the late spring, the New Moon of mid-July indicated a dire outlook, which only got more intense as the summer wore on. Retrograde Saturn, having re-entered Capricorn in backward motion, re-stimulated the Saturn-Pluto combination, a few degrees apart and with a midpoint of 26 Capricorn. This also was being triggered by the T-square of Haumea at 25 degrees of Libra, matched by Eris at 24 Aries. Earlier in the year I foresaw a summer increase in the Covid scenario that has proven all too realistic, with the outlook becoming increasingly severe right through to the end of the year.

In light of this rather intense T-square, which remains a significant part of each of the New Moon configurations through the mid-November Scorpio New Moon that accompanies the tightest form of the Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto triple conjunction, it is quite interesting to see the role that Eris plays in responding to the pandemic. By working with your deepest principles, as Eris enjoins us to do, you encounter your life purpose, and discover what you cannot not do. Only then, having become the most authentic version of yourself that you can be, will you be able to feel like you have come into right relationship with yourself, with others, and with your social setting. And this is precisely what is being asked of each and every individual in these Covid times; confronting the extreme situation of a very contagious disease by wearing a mask and practicing social distancing. These are the answers for now, until such time as a proven vaccine is widely available. Each individual must contribute. We are our own heroes now. We are the ones that we have been waiting for.

To get a more specific look at the way that Eris works in an individual chart, let’s turn to a recent example: the US Open Tennis championship match, from early September 2020, won by Naomi Osaka, in a come-from-behind victory over Victoria Azarenka, who won the first set. As Osaka was battling hard in the final set of three, displaying a real fighter’s attitude, never giving up, I thought to myself, strong Eris. The energy of this planet is characteristic of a warrior fighting spirit for a cause that matters deeply to the individual involved. When I examined her chart, I was not surprised to see a very strong Eris placement, opposite her Sun, trine Mars, quintile Uranus, and closely sesquiquadrate Pluto. At the award presentation, the commentators remarked on the intensity of the match, even with the absence of the crowds. Usually the spectators give the players energy, they said; in this Covid situation though, they continued, the players had to find that energy in themselves.

By examining the New Moon charts, and the strength of the Saturn-Pluto conjunction, we might be able to estimate the remainder of this pivotal year of 2020, through to its end. The New Moon of September 17th is quite potent, with an exact aspect between Sun and Moon to Saturn, a mere three degrees distant from Pluto. Retrograde Mars in Aries, closing in on the Eris degree for the second time, is a few degrees away and contributing to the T-square. Eris-Mars, precisely opposed to Haumea, is in close square to both Saturn and to Saturn-Pluto. Uranus is closely aspected by the New Moon as well, indicating surprises. The month leading up to mid-October is likely to favor increased danger of the Covid virus spread, as most areas open further, as well as both conservative empowerment and revolutionary backlash.

The mid-October New Moon, of Friday, October 16th, has more of the same to offer, the New Moon precisely opposed to Eris, and precise in their T-square to the Saturn-Pluto midpoint. The next thirty days, including the dramatic U.S. election of November 3rd, are likely to be fraught with Covid virus dangers and political discord. There are likely to be further inroads of the pandemic, as some epidemiologists have predicted. Noting that Uranus is again stimulated, this time being opposed by a newly retrograde position of Mercury, an “October surprise” preceding the November 3rd election – on the part of one or both parties – is more than likely.

Leading off the final six weeks of the year, the November 15th New Moon is also quite dramatic. This takes place late evening of the day before on the west coast, early morning for the east coast and Europe. Even though Saturn has moved further ahead of Pluto, Jupiter has come to be positioned in between, quite close to Pluto, aspected by the New Moon degree, and with Eris in partile square. Covid-19 is likely to pose a continued increasing threat, perhaps even a worse situation than the earlier summer months, and great political turmoil in the U.S. is also indicated, following the hard-fought election.

There could be another twist to these dire prognostications during the holidays, as symbolized by the New Moon and Solar Eclipse of mid-December. Saturn and Pluto are moving toward being independently strong, with Pluto perfectly aspected by the eclipse Sun and Moon, and with Jupiter beginning to catch up to Saturn as they head for their storied Aquarius conjunction. A more spiritually practical mode could begin to be felt, as is appropriate for this time of year. Then, after the New Year, the Capricorn New Moon of January 12th precisely conjuncts Pluto, while Saturn moves on further into Aquarius and begins to more closely square Uranus in Taurus. This is transformational for each of us as individuals, and for our society, so that we are likely entering into yet another phase of this complex evolution of our entire global culture.