Saturn-Pluto and the Coronavirus - Robert Hand

For some time now astrologers have been anticipating a conjunction between Saturn and Pluto. This
occurred on January 12, 2020, in Capricorn at 22° 46' at 4:59:20 PM GMT. These conjunctions have been
important throughout history indicating periods of difficulty and struggle and, also, of hardening
attitudes and ideologies among the populations of the world. This has been apparent throughout the
entire time that Saturn has been in Capricorn applying to this conjunction. This ingress of Saturn into
Capricorn happened in December 2017, by which time Pluto had been in Capricorn for some time. The
effects of this pair of planets in Capricorn have been evident through that entire time since then until
now (March 2020).

However, while the typical effects of Saturn-Pluto conjunctions have been manifesting, something else
has occurred in recent months that adds a great deal to the picture. This is the advent of the novel
(meaning a new form of) Coronavirus also known as COVID-19. Epidemics and pandemics, while they are
not inconsistent with the combination of Saturn and Pluto, also do not necessarily follow from the
symbolism. The general symbolism of Saturn-Pluto has to do with difficulties. So, what is the connection
between the Saturn-Pluto conjunction, if any, and the advent of COVID-19?

First, let’s examine the nature of the Saturn-Pluto combination. Saturn’s basic virtue is low energy,
rigidity and hardness, known in traditional literature as cold and dry. Pluto can be described in several
ways, but the simplest description is to describe it as irresistible, or at least nearly so, transformation.
Obviously, these two have little in common and they are a good example of the irresistible force
meeting the immovable object. The combination can be characterized in other ways as well. Because
Saturn tends to refer to ‘less’ rather than ‘more’, it can be called a transformation that involves
shrinkage or an increasing lack of something. In sociological terms this would lead us to consider that
the Saturn-Pluto combination has to do with increasing lack, want, poverty or, on the other hand,
increasing rigidity such as we find in political movements throughout the world at present (March 2020).
Below, I have chosen to discuss briefly several conjunctions that are illustrative because of the
particularly obvious Saturn-Pluto symbolism in their times.

1. Three conjunctions in 1786: March 27, August 9 and December 8. This was a time when the situation
in France deteriorated rapidly in the face of increased famine, the anger of the peasants and lower
classes as a result of their poverty, and the increasing isolation of the King and aristocracy from the
people. It was a time, simply put, of depression. This depression led in turn to the French Revolution
beginning in 1789 which eventually put all of Europe and a good part of the rest of the world into a state
of upheaval until Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo in 1815.

2. Three conjunctions in 1819 and 1820: May 5 and October 5 in 1819 and January 11 in 1820. In the
years after Napoleon’s fall the kingdoms of Europe met at the Congress of Vienna, in an attempt to
reconstruct Europe according to the way it had been before the French revolution. This led to the
installation of reactionary governments and political repression over most of Europe. Revolutions
against this state of affairs began in 1830.

3. Three conjunctions in 1851 and 1852: June 6 and November 11 in 1851, and February 10 in 1852. The
effects of these conjunctions were most evident in the United States. In this time the states of the union
tried hard to make compromises that would prevent a civil war. They not only failed, but made the
situation worse, so that by the time these three conjunctions were finished the likelihood of Civil War in
the near future had become inevitable. The North and the South hardened their positions making
further compromise impossible. The so-called “Compromise of 1850” was the most important event in
this time, followed in 1857 by the Dred Scott decision in the Supreme Court which appears to have been
an effort to placate the South but merely inflamed the North.

4. Three conjunctions in 1914 and 1915: October 4 and November 1 in 1914, and May 19 in 1915. World
War I began shortly before these, which was up to that time the bloodiest war in history. Arguably also,
it was the direct cause of World War II because the settlements made at the end of World War I were
not intelligently made, according to most historians.

5. One conjunction on August 11, 1947. This conjunction, which coincided with the transit of Mars
passing over the conjunction several times, represented the final closing of the “Iron Curtain” until the
late 1980s and early 1990s. The term “Iron Curtain” is itself enough to indicate the presence of the
Saturn-Pluto energy. During this time, the last of the nations that had been independent in Eastern
Europe, including Czechoslovakia, fell under Soviet domination.

There are several other conjunctions in between these which I have avoided mentioning not so much
because they did not exemplify the energy of Saturn-Pluto as that the energy was not as obvious as in
the examples that I have cited. However, the qualities of the time leading up to this most recent
conjunction have clearly demonstrated its presence. Given the precision of modern astronomical
calculations employed in astrological software I think we can safely assume that the hour and the
minute given above are correct but I’m not entirely certain of the exact second of time. It may very well
be accurate to the second. Below is the chart erected for Greenwich UK with the planets placed in the
signs of the zodiac rather than houses. This chart and all other charts in this article are erected using the
signs as houses, also known as the Whole-Sign House System.

It is immediately obvious that one of the defining characteristics of this chart is not only the Saturn-Pluto
conjunction but also the fact that within 1° to either side of the conjunction are to be found the Sun,
Saturn and Mercury. This is a very close conjunction of four planets and it certainly adds importance to
the Saturn-Pluto conjunction. It is not only the exact conjunction of Saturn-Pluto but also the annual
conjunction of the Sun, with Pluto and Saturn, a superior conjunction with Mercury (Mercury is direct)
and not too long before the Sun made its annual conjunction with Jupiter. Also, we should note that
Saturn disposes of the entire conjunction reinforcing the Saturnian quality of this particular Saturn-Pluto
conjunction.

So, we can easily see that the potential for this conjunction as an indication of hard times is real.
However, by itself it does not necessarily indicate a time of something like the current coronavirus
pandemic. This is especially so since we do not immediately see something that would affect the entire
planet, or do we not? However, there is an indication with which most modern astrologers are not
familiar, but it is an indication to which all astrologers until the early modern period routinely paid
attention. If we examine the position of Mars, we find is that it is 23° 42’ from 0° Capricorn. The Saturn-
Pluto conjunction, on the other hand, is 22° 46’ from 0° Capricorn in the other direction. Also, Mercury is
23° 18’ from 0° Capricorn in the same direction the Saturn-Pluto. Longitudes that are equidistant from
either 0° Capricorn or 0° Cancer are said to be in each other’s antiscion (pl. antiscia) from the Greek
meaning ‘counter-shadows’). In my experience this relationship, when it is this close, is as powerful as a
conjunction. It is also true that planetary relationships that involve 0° of the Cardinal signs have been
regarded both in ancient and modern astrology as connecting a planetary configuration to the entire
world. No locality need be specified to see this. Considering the relationship between Mercury and
breathing, and Mars with inflammation, and the Saturn-Pluto with obstruction, I believe the coronavirus
(along with other similar types of illness) becomes an obvious potential manifestation of this
conjunction.

This is to some extent 20-20 hindsight. I am not sure that I would have made this connection before the
fact. But this conjunction occurred quite close to another significant astrological event, the ingress of
the Sun into the sign of Capricorn, the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. Although the details
of the method of ingresses vary, it is commonplace in astrology at least since the middle ages and quite
possibly from earlier times, to cast the chart of the ingress of the Sun into the four cardinal signs, Aries,
Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. Some systems suggest that the Aries ingress should be used for the entire
year with the other three playing subordinate roles. Other methods of using ingresses do that only
under certain circumstances. In my own studies I have found it useful to erect all four charts. For these
to be meaningful, however, they need be erected for particular places on earth. I will start with the
Capricorn ingress for 2019 which occurred a few weeks before the Saturn Pluto conjunction.

The houses in a mundane chart have significations that are clearly derived from those of natal astrology
but adjusted according to the needs of forecasting for the collective social order rather than an
individual. This will be demonstrated below.

The sign of the Midheaven, Gemini in this case, and the sign of the Ascendant, Virgo, are both signs that
are ruled by Mercury. With Virgo rising, using whole-sign houses, Virgo is the first house of the chart.
Likewise, Gemini with the Midheaven in it is the tenth house of the chart. This is not always the case
with this house system. In many signs depending on latitude both in terms of distance from the equator
and whether the latitude is north or south, the Midheaven may fall in the ninth or eleventh houses and
in extreme latitudes even in the eighth and twelfth. There is a procedure for dealing that will be
illustrated in some of the charts below.
In mundane astrology, which is the oldest form of astrology even though it has changed significantly
from its earliest forms, the tenth house indicates the ruler or governor, or in general the executive head
of government as opposed to the legislative branch. The latter is typically assigned to the eleventh
house. The first house is assigned to the people, their general condition, health and prosperity.
Therefore, Mercury in this chart has rulership over both the executive branch of government and the
people in general. Note that Mercury is in Sagittarius only 3’ from the Imum Coeli in the fourth house.
This house signifies land in a physical sense, real estate, natural resources and everything else derived
from the earth. Also, Mercury is in a close square (90°) with Neptune on the Descendant in Pisces. In
modern astrology Pisces is said to be the sign “ruled” by Neptune, but as a user of traditional sign rulers
I do not accept that. Pisces is, however, the sign in which Mercury is most debilitated. As you can see,
both the Ascendant and Midheaven ruler is debilitated.

When I first saw the Mercury square to Neptune in this chart, I immediately assumed that it symbolized
confusion and miscommunication between the people and the executive branch of government. One
could easily connect this with what are widely regarded as Donald Trump’s “misrepresentations,” and
there is some basis for this astrologically speaking, but it is more characteristic of Mercury-Neptune
combinations in their most extreme and difficult form to indicate delusional thinking which may in turn
lead to such misrepresentations. So, I saw this as indicating the continuation of, shall I say, “Trumpery?”

However, in retrospect it does seem apparent that Mercury’s natural rulership over the lungs and
Neptune’s generally debilitating qualities regarding physical health is another indication of lung
disorders. This would not have been easy to see in advance but in retrospect it does make sense,
especially given the direct connection between Mars, Mercury and the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in that
chart.
Previously, I mentioned that it is customary to regard the Aries ingress chart, which occurred in this case
in the spring of 2019, as dominating the entire year until the next Aries ingress in the spring of 2020. I
also mentioned that I like to look at all ingress charts, not just the Aries ingress regardless of its
characteristics, but let us take a quick look at the 2019 Aries ingress for Washington DC.

The result is interesting. The rising sign is again Virgo and the Midheaven sign is again Gemini. Also,
Mercury, again ruling both the Midheaven and Ascendant, is now in Pisces conjunct Neptune on the
Descendant. Both charts have indications about the relationship between the people and the U.S.
presidency, and the possibility of lung infections among the people. The two charts give the same
message. The Capricorn ingress of 2019 reinforces the Aries ingress. However, Mercury is more
debilitated in Pisces than it is in Sagittarius and in addition in the Aries ingress Mercury is retrograde. It
is interesting to note that the planetary positions are the same for every location of any given ingress
chart but the positions regarding the Ascendant and Midheaven are not. This astrological condition
requires a capital or city somewhere in the general vicinity of Washington DC. It may not be clear to
some readers, but this does include all locations in New Jersey and southern New York. These areas are
close enough to Washington so that the house relationships will be identical.
Now, we should look at the Aries ingress that has just occurred for Washington DC at the beginning of
the spring of 2020. The chart is below.

In this chart we have Scorpio rising, which in traditional astrology is ruled by Mars and Mars is in
Capricorn, its exaltation, conjunct Jupiter and Pluto, and, a bit more distantly, Saturn. These are all in the
third house, again using whole-sign houses. Mercury, which rules the Midheaven is again in Pisces a sign
in which it is debilitated. It is not conjunct Neptune, but Neptune is still in Pisces. Of the two main
problems we have seen in the previous charts, communication problems from the executive branch of
government, and lung diseases. We see the first of these two problems quite clearly with Mercury in
Pisces on the Imum Coeli and ruling the Midheaven. This is a case in which the Midheaven does not fall
into the tenth sign but the eleventh (a situation I referred to previously). According to Vettius Valens, an
astrologer of the second century CE, this means that the sign containing the Midheaven, namely Virgo,
does double duty indicating both the executive (tenth house) and Congress (eleventh house). The actual
tenth sign is Leo which refers solely to the executive, which is indicative because Leo is the U.S.
president’s ascending sign. One problem with the technique of rulerships here is that in an ingress chart
the Sun is always at 0° of one of the Cardinal signs. The problem is that if the Sun is one of the major
significators in the chart, it is always in one of four positions, 0° of a Cardinal sign. None of the older
books, with which I am familiar, seem to deal with this.

Do we have any indications here of continued lung diseases? Yes, but it is one, with which most modern
astrologers are not familiar, but which I have found to be very powerful. In modern astrology there is a
common tendency to equate the signs with the houses, making the first house, for example, just like the
sign Aries, the second like Taurus, the third house like Gemini, and so forth. There is only one important
way in which this was done in ancient and medieval astrology. This was to equate the houses and the
signs regarding organs and parts of the body over which they were supposed to rule. Therefore, Aries
and the first house signify the head, Taurus and the second house, the throat and neck, Gemini and the
third house, the shoulders the arms, the hands and fingers, and the lungs. Notice that in this chart we
have Mars, Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn in the third house in Capricorn. Of these planets Mars is in its
exaltation, Jupiter is in its fall, Saturn is in its domicile. Pluto, as an outer planet, has neither dignity nor
debility by sign following the traditional system of dignities. Jupiter is also said by some sources to rule
the lungs. Now, of course, this is not the chart of an individual. This is a chart that concerns the entire
USA. However, I don’t think it is unreasonable to regard it as applying to the people of the country,
because the first house is the house that signifies the people, and Capricorn in this chart is the third
house counted from the Ascendant.

It is not easy to say whether the spring quarter will be as bad as the winter quarter has been. The only
indication here is that Jupiter rules Sagittarius, the second house, which is the wealth of the people and
it is in fall and arguably besieged by malefics to use the ancient term. (The state known as “besieged by
malefics” was generally considered to be one of the worst conditions a planet could have in the chart.)
By this time astrologers looking at the previous charts should already be encouraged to look at these
charts to see if there are any further indications of the coronavirus or something similar. And in this
chart, we have found one. Let us move on to the summer quarter, the Cancer ingress.
Once again, we have Scorpio rising and Virgo on the Midheaven while Leo is the actual tenth sign from
the Ascendant. These are the same signs as in the Aries ingress. However, Mercury in this chart is in
Cancer but it is again retrograde. And, we do still have Jupiter in fall in Capricorn in the third house along
with Pluto, so I don’t think we can quite say that we are out of the woods in the summer quarter,
although there may be some improvements in the situation. This has been suggested by several people
in the news, especially from the administration, largely by analogy with influenza which does usually
become less dangerous in warm weather. It has also been pointed out that the analogy with influenza
may not be reliable, but I don’t think we really know one way or the other.

Now, let us look at the Libra ingress, designating the beginning of the autumn quarter to see what we
can find.
This chart is somewhat less encouraging from the point of view of the easing of illness among the
people. First, we find Mercury in the twelfth house (just barely because the Ascendant is in the first
degree of Scorpio). And Mercury is in close and applying opposition to Mars in Aries. Mercury is neither
strongly dignified nor debilitated. Mars is retrograde, which makes it behave strangely, but otherwise it
is in its domicile and, contrary to widespread belief dignity by domicile or other essential dignity does
not make a planet better, it makes it behave more authentically for good or bad. Mars is also the ruler of
the ascending sign as it is in the sixth house of the “illness of the people.” And as if that were not
enough, they are both squared by Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn in the third house. There are two
possible interpretations that come to mind immediately. The first, given what we have been discussing
here, is either a continuation or resurgence of the coronavirus or something similar. A second, equally
plausible, interpretation is that these issues are dominant in the minds of the people and may be a
factor in the U.S. election, or, of course, both.

March 29, 2020