Astrology Hot Zones for April-May 2005 - The Solar Eclipse and Cardinal T-Squares affecting all signs

by Robert Wilkinson

Welcome to the next phase of what for most is becoming a very peculiar wild ride! As you know from my article on Solar Eclipses, they are very important lunations that affect us all in many ways, often for years to come. It is said that an eclipse falling on the Sun of a nation portends bad things for that country. I suppose the same could be said for a state. That should be good news for many states in the US, since none of them are Aries or Libra, the main signs of the eclipse.

Of course, Saturn in Cancer (it's been on the US Sun for a while now) driving the on-going Cardinal T-square is making it kind of rough for nations and people with a heavily occupied Cancer-Capricorn axis, while offering excellent opportunities to integrate, focus, and break through blockages of ineffective rules, limitations, and systems. If an eclipse shuts down one aspect of the life so that other lights may be seen and developed, then the coming Solar Eclipse should actually be very productive in helping us break free of obsolete ways of relating to others, negative expectations in our relationships, and any blockages to our vitality.

The Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2005 features the New Moon at 1:32 pm PDT at 20 Aries, a degree of "overcoming crises through compassion," and participation in a larger life beyond previous conceptions. It seems that if we are open to applying forms of compassion love through linking with others to assist those in crises, we can overcome forms of "coldness" and find self-assurance through our service. This degree is said to be a degree of "hospitality," and is receptive to experience and generosity of Spirit, demonstrating a balance between youthfulness and maturity.

The aspects this New Moon make are quite profound and numerous. Just before the lunation (indicating experiences in the near past) we have dealt with the Sun-Venus opposition part of the Cardinal T-square, along with the subtle but productive Sun-Venus sextile Neptune. The on-going Mars trine Jupiter is opening many relational, ideological, and perceptual doors which require us to be good jugglers between the various compartments of our lives (it's exact today), and just before the Eclipse Venus squares Saturn, finishing the Venusian T-square and showing how we have had good opportunities to learn to re-program our expectations of others, as well as re-organize our likes, values, possessions, and ways of relating to what is desireable or beautiful. Narcissistic people have had the hardest time lately, but the added responsibilities or disciplines have been good for everyone, freeing us from vain or superficial ways of relating to our world. One caveat: though the Venus T-square may be separating, it will continue to be a factor due to the Eclipse still forming squares to Saturn before the Moon conjuncts Venus. It's part of an obscure astrological concept called "translation of light," yet it has major implications in how aspects actually work in practice. However, to go any deeper into this factor is outside the scope of this article.

The Eclipse occurs in the heart of the Cardinal T-square, as the New Moon is between the opposition to Jupiter and the square to Saturn, with the Sun square Saturn culminating Sunday April 10. As I published a few weeks ago, this Cardinal T-square is particularly challenging and dynamizing to certain birth groups more than others. You can find an extensive list at this link. This eclipse also directly and urgently affects those with birthdays in the first two weeks of January, April, July, and October. Everyone born during those spans is being galvanized into motion and intense activity, the upside being major transformational opportunities resulting from the Eclipse trines to Pluto. Venus involved in this eclipse should make it more agreeable and pleasant in its effects, even as some things give way to a greater ideal of action due to the Mars conjunct Neptune. That Mercury is retrograde at the Eclipse will bring major communication issues into the spotlight, and those who have overcome insecurity and identified with a larger life will be given opportunities to inspire others.

Another important factor: If we were only dealing with Saturn driving the T-square, it would be heavy enough for anyone. The fact that Saturn is still the nozzle of the Grand Irrationality is continuing the pressure of the generic obsessive-compulsive factors in our world, and forcing many critical decisions due to the multiple forks in the road we are all confronting now. This link will take you to a more in-depth explanation of this time, and contains a link that will take you to the original article on the Grand Irrationality. It's a long range pressure, and very much like the '30's, the last time Neptune and Pluto anchored this configuration. It is triggered at various times in the year due to transits, most recently when the Sun and Venus occupied the Aries points of the configuration. Mercury transitted the Aries point of the Grand Irrationality twice already, once in the second week of March, again while retrograde the first few days of April. It will make its final pass around April 22-24.

As I've pointed out, Mars is now in the pattern due to its conjunction with Neptune, and will definitely be highly active in the consequences of the Solar Eclipse resulting from its position at 14 Aquarius. Things have been pretty weird already, and it's about to get racheted up a couple of notches. For some, a dream come true. For others, a collapse due to neglecting responsibilities or failing to acquire an adequate discipline enabling the personality to be effective in embracing new ways of life despite the irrationality. Here are some thoughts I wrote a while ago regarding how best to approach these very weird times.

Other trigger points of the Grand Irrationality will be experienced April 11, 15, 19, 23, and 27. It will also activate May 1, 5, 8, 13, 17, 21, 25, and 28. On these days, the Moon will fill in a fourth point in this 7-point configuration. Venus will be in the pattern May 7-10, Sun will be there May 18-22, and Mercury will be in the hot zone May 26-29. This obviously makes May a very weird zone, with acute points being May 8, 17, 21, 25, and 28, depending on your time zone. After that Saturn leaves the Grand Irrationality, moving back into its quincunx with Pluto, again forcing hard adjustments on many of us, as I've discussed in other articles about previous Saturn-Pluto quincunxes in late 2004 and January 2005. By consulting those articles you should get an advance look at what late May and June will bring from that quincunx. In any case, I'll discuss that a few weeks down the road.

© Copyright 2006 Robert Wilkinson. Last update: 8/27/2006; 10:52:56 AM.