Mars is a planet that we need to watch out for this year. It’s is on a trajectory of open war and destruction as he fights for what’s right. Mars’ movement through the eclipse points as well as its movement over the heavy-weight planets in Capricorn (Jupiter, Pluto, Ketu, Saturn) has triggered off escalations of covid-19.  

Now that Mars has just entered into Aquarius, it will make a conjunction with Saturn on the 1st April 2020, and square Uranus a week later on the 8th April. These two dates will be volatile and frustrating to say the least. In fact, Mars will be co-present in the same sign with Saturn (and thus also squaring Uranus by sign) until the 13th May, so brace yourselves for a challenging few weeks.

The honeymoon period of enforced isolation will be over by the time Mars conjuncts Saturn \on the 1st April 2020.  This is sure to bring about experiences of annoyance, impediments and obstructions which can lead us all to feel extremely annoyed, frustrated and possibly defeated. We may question whether what we’re doing is worth continuing or forced to look at possibilities that are more practical. In this conjunction, Saturn has the upper hand and will enforce its nature over our actions. Saturn rules time, patience, isolation, labour, austerity, rigidity and fear.

We may need to exercise compassion on ourselves so that we don’t lose our heads. The world is much different to two months ago, so we can’t expect to meet our regular outcomes. Slowing down and taming the wildness of our inner drives and expectations will be the key to get through this. This week will be a grind and separation or mindfulness may help us contain any aggressive outbreaks. At the same time, the energetic qualities of Mars/Saturn conjunction can be put to good use – I once ran a half marathon during a Mars/Saturn conjunction. Manual labour is always a good cure for cabin fever.

This is the first out of three Jupiter / Pluto conjunctions that will occur this year, signalling the opening of a key issue that will be a major theme for 2020. The subsequent conjunctions of Jupiter and Pluto will occur on 30th June 2020 and 13th November 2020.

Historically, Jupiter / Pluto conjunctions have shown us the vulnerabilities of world economies and the plutocratic nature that holds societies together, leading to booms and busts of a magnified scale. The last few times this aspect happened in…..

• December 2007, we witnessed the first signs of house prices falling which led to the global financial crisis
• December 1994, we experienced rising GDP and employment rates after recovering from ‘a recession we had to have’ (Paul Keating) between 1990 – 1991
• November 1981, the US experienced the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression with high inflation rates devastating manufacturing and construction industries
• October 1968 saw the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War bringing “a new era of economic crisis and unrelenting assault on the working people of the world” (1)
• November 1955 to June 1956, the Jupiter / Pluto conjunctions of this period observed signs of economic distress, including the falling of house prices, pre-empting the 1958 recession.

Jupiter and Pluto together can reveal both the good and bad sides of power,  the hidden shadows of human nature and the battle over leadership. Like any good battle, there’s a winner and a loser. Jupiter / Pluto will not only signify the losses, but also the gains that can be expected. Being in the sign of Capricorn, this conjunction is operating in the field of authorities, governments and organisations  – what losses or gains will be experienced in this area? Watch this area for power battles to unfold, and notice where you fit into all of this because it will filter down to all levels of society.

On a personal level, we may come to confront our desire for power in some way. Our personal projections may reveal how much power we have or don’t have and how we use it over ourselves and others. It may also reveal how disempowered we are and what it could take to regain our personal power. Is your power based on material assets / finances / possessions? Perhaps it’s based on your status / reputation / job title? Or do you draw your power from a spiritual or mental belief? A deepening understanding of your personal power and inner resources will be a key theme as Jupiter and Pluto meet three times this year.

No one really knows what will come of this yet, but as the second and third conjunction occurs in June and November, we will all get a sense of what this could mean for us and the world. “Either you can create something great in your life with it, or you can distort your life. It all depends on what you are as a human being now.” (Robert Hand)

As Mars leaves its conjunction with Saturn, it will head straight into a square with the revolutionary and rebellious Uranus. Figuratively speaking, Mars / Uranus is like living on an earthquake prone land. There’s an unpredictable nature that could result in just an earth tremor or a sudden explosion off the Richter scales. Both are possibilities. Meanwhile, you’re sitting with a lot of nervous tension in anticipation for something that’s unknown.

Last week, Mars hit brick walls with Saturn and we were forced to tame our wild inner drives. Today when Mars squares Uranus, the tension could be so high that you may feel impelled to break free from these enforced barriers. No longer can this wild ram be caged. Freedom and independence looks more attractive and worth fighting for now.

However, I’ve never experienced this transit within the context of a worldwide lock down. Perhaps with the world slowing down and with some ‘normal’ everyday pressures eliminated, the volatility of Mars / Uranus could be scaled down. But, it could also lead to anxieties on a new scale with mounting financial pressures never experienced by society in our modern times. Simply by being at home and eliminating external stimulus is surely going to reduce any opportunities for blowups or accidents. We just need to be mindful of our home environment and the people we live with – they could well be the cause as well as the victims of our Mars / Uranus impulses.

The Mars / Uranus energy is a great aspect for leading a revolution, whether that’s a personal one or an external uprising. However, revolutions are disruptive and chaotic, while the trauma caused during this time may not be felt until the adrenaline settles. If you feel the rebellion rise within you, perhaps it may be worth considering what you’re fighting for. Is it a self-centred exercise? Or will it benefit the collective? In other words, is the anarchy worth the cause that’s being fought for?

When Mars and Uranus square off today, it does so within a backdrop of highly tensioned astrological interrelationships. Around this time, we are also in the Libran Full Moon phase that’s tying in the Jupiter / Pluto conjunction, the Saturn / Mars conjunction and the squaring off of the eclipse points from January earlier this year. This could likely be one of a handful of the most intense moments of the year.  Be kind to yourself and to others. Find space to release this excess of energy. Tap into the greater cycles to give yourself some perspective on your life. Active contemplation can ease the mind and physical urges. Only within these spaces, you can find creative flashes of insights that are common with the Mars / Uranus combination.