Astrology of the Shadow 2020: A Three-Part Series (Part One)

Fires, Pluto, and COVID-19

With so much going on in the world right now, more and more people are turning to astrology. And while it’s clear that interest in astrology has been on the rise for a while, it makes sense that we’re all searching for an explanation. After all, our future feels a little more uncertain and anxiety-inducing than usual.

So what is going on in the cosmos right now?

And what sort of planetary mayhem could possibly reflect a pandemic of international proportions, 30 million Americans (and counting) filing for unemployment, and a spring without proms and graduations? 

Even more importantly, now that this has occurred, how do we move forward? 

Well, good news and tougher news. 

Looking Back Over the Last Couple of Months

Truth be told, the astrology for March 2020 always looked intense, due to the rare conjunction between Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn being activated by Mars. 

Saturn, the great disciplinarian, traveled in Capricorn since December 2017. Here, he’s required us to take a hard look at what we’ve built. All of our institutions, hierarchies, and societal structures have been up for review.

Pluto, on the other hand, has traveled in Capricorn since January of 2008, and won’t leave Capricorn until 2023-2024. Pluto ruthlessly awakens whatever is needed to facilitate the reclamation of power. Pluto rules transformation at all costs.

Then we have Jupiter, who makes everything bigger. Jupiter, the great bestower of growth, entered into Capricorn on December 7, 2019 and, we can see this rare conjunction between Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn reflecting the explosion of a life-altering pandemic that will change the course of society forever. 

Think about it: Saturn (discipline and structure) plus Pluto (the cycle of death and rebirth) and Jupiter (the largest planet of the solar system who’s known to make whatever he touches bigger) are conjoined. And like a bomb with a fuse, Mars, the planet of activation moved through the exact same degrees of Capricorn, catalyzing the potency of this trifecta. Just like that, BOOM! a pandemic capable of shutting down the economy across the globe became something we could no longer deny. And consequently, grief we never faced before forcing itself upon us.  

Who knows, really, how or why astrology works. We just know it does. And what we saw mirrored in the sky at this time made a lot of sense given what we saw happen on earth. 

We’ve always known something major would happen; we just didn’t know WTF would happen.

Though here’s the positive: Jupiter and Pluto conjoining is a powerful time to plant the seeds of prosperity, too. Jupiter’s larger than life influence and Pluto’s penetrating intensity, allow for a powerful combination to cultivate abundance and growth.

Jupiter and Pluto conjoin two more times in Capricorn this year, in June and November, providing two more opportunities to call work with this rhythm to call in major waves of new beginnings.

What’s to Come: A Tough Pill To Swallow

We can expect more of this intense and abrupt energy to come in 2020. Truly this whole mess won’t fully untangle until we’ve crossed over into 2021. 

Here’s why.  Saturn, now retrograde in Aquarius, will move back Capricorn on July 1st, layering more pressure and intensity. Saturn at the last degrees of Capricorn is perhaps the most intense of his whole journey in Capricorn.

At that time, Mars will be in Aries. Mars again acts as a catalyst. Aries and Capricorn, both Cardinal signs that initiate seasons, square. So, we are looking at this whole Jupiter, Pluto, Saturn conjunction repeating, with Mars squaring it between now and the end of the year.

To add more grist to the mill, Mars also goes retrograde this fall, from mid-September to mid-November. Meaning, he’ll be in Aries for an exceptionally long period of time. From late June to early January 2021! 

If you’re craving a return to normalcy and wondering how quickly we’ll return, please know that we aren’t going back, love. There is no longer a “before.” Just a now, and what we plan on doing with it. 

Pluto + Jupiter Together: A Potent and Sacred Time

This isn’t the first time a Jupiter-Pluto conjunction has mirrored an outbreak in history, and truly, it may not be the last. That said, here’s the good news: this may be the most potent and sacred period of our entire lifetime. And we get to be the ones to shape what the new “after” will look like for hundreds of years to come. How cool is that? 

We’re not only witnessing the evolution of humankind—we’re active participants in it. Pluto requires total, complete transformation, and that also requires us to look at, honor, and move through our shadow (both personal and collective). When it comes down to it, the shadow is the lever of transformation. We’re in it, whether we like it or not. (No one ever said that radical revolution would be easy!)

But just because it’s intense, that doesn’t mean we’re powerless. In fact, the way we approach this period in history will lay the groundwork for what’s to come—for all of us. This is the perfect time to settle into the practice of finding freedom through constraint. Let’s be honest, when the world is literally at your fingertips, it’s all too easy to get distracted by the next shiny thing on the internet. 

Shifting Your Perspective Is The Key To Your Success

Think about this: what did you learn when all the shops, restaurants, bars, and gyms were closed? What really matters? When everything is taken away, what still makes you feel free? That’s the key to our evolution. Pay close attention. 

Destruction is a necessary part of creation. And, yes, in my opinion, the 2021 astrology looks much brighter than 2020, but please know, we are in the midst of long cycles that will unravel as they will, not at our demand.

The fact that we all desperately want a quick fix is part of the shadow. This is a long-game of endings and beginnings, death and rebirth. Of course, we would all like to enter the Age of Aquarius and revel in a utopia, but love, it’s not going to happen in our lifetime. It’s just not.

Instead, we live through the shadow, day by day. We do the work to dismantle false beliefs and honor every aspect of humanity. We find freedom within the intensity and we thrive in spite of it. The revolution is in the commitment. 

This is huge, and it’s meant to be. Pluto gives us more than we can handle so that we can grow into emotionally resilient people who can handle it. In the next post, I’ll talk more about what that means and how we can thrive, and then I’ll lay out what’s coming for the rest of this year into the next. 

Remember: You’re here because some part of you knew you could do this. Keep the faith. 

All my love,
Jenn 

P.S. I love this conversation between Chris Brennan + Becca Tarnas on the outer planets. They go deep into the history of Saturn + Pluto, and so so so much more, including the work of Jung as it relates to astrology. Check it out.