May 2012 Solar Eclipse in Gemini – Prelude to a summer of tension & social change.

It’s time for another solar eclipse this month as the Sun & Moon collide in the skies over the 20th/21st May (depending where you are in the world) in Gemini. The last couple of solar eclipses precipitated some really differing events – the July 1st 11 one in Cancer which featured a hugely stressful cardinal cross brought violence in the UK and Norway and was especially involved in the unravelling of the phone hacking scandal associated with Rupert Murdoch which spread like wildfire around the world. The November 25th eclipse in Sagittarius hit in the middle of a European Union debt crisis with Greece on the edge of default. It also saw the passing of two vastly differing world leaders, Vaclav Havel and Kim Jong Il of North Korea. So what will this one bring? Let have a look and try and unravel some meaning from the day of this eclipse.

As I live in the UK, I always set the eclipse for London and this one hits just into the 21st May 2012, although if you are in the US, Caribbean, Central or South America the eclipse occurs on 20th May. The eclipse occurs on the cusp of Gemini just into the sign conjunct to Mercury and Jupiter in Taurus and square to Neptune. According to Bernadette Brady this is a Saros Series 14 South eclipse which does tend to bring and herald success where it hits. Acceptance of methodologies finally come after a lot of persuasion and hard work. For you personally, look for the house where this eclipse hits (on the cusp of Gemini) and more than likely it is here where you will gain some favourable rewards and news in the following 6 months, especially if you have been working on issues connected with that house in the past months and years – your graft and persistence will finally pay off helped by the proximity of lucky Jupiter.

In my last analysis of a solar eclipse back in November last year I suggested that more socially aware policies were going to be taken up by governments around the world and in general I have been spot on with this assumption. The wins of socialist Francois Hollande in France (which I predicted back in February), Vladimir Putin retaking the presidency in Russia, the wins in UK & Greece elections for the opposition parties preaching a more social agenda, the actions of Barack Obama by signing into law his universal healthcare policies and the brief rise of Occupy Wall Street style protests in cities around the world saw a rise in social action and rule and this eclipse keeps those themes going.

Growth seems to be the watchword right now as Jupiter conjuncts the eclipse, the message (Mercury) coming out will be of expansion (Jupiter) and looking after the collective and those who are suffering because of austerity (Neptune). This Neptune opposes Mars so I am guessing you may see action and violence pitted against those who want to see change. This feeling is enhanced as the Uranus/Pluto square will be only 2 degrees from exactitude on 21st May and closing in fast. The feeling of protest and empathy (Uranus) against public controls and restrictions (Pluto) are going to get louder, and we may get more flashpoints and brutal responses from embattled governments. Feelings I think are going to run deep with a quindecile between Pluto and social Venus. Here is emotion flowing over as I will show later with a sharp and dangerous edge to it.

Uranus in Aries is making a quindecile to Saturn on the day of the eclipse brings the need for freedom from government and authority control. This is the 2nd of 3 hits of this particular aspect and last time it hit back in September last year, the Palestinians applied to the United Nations for statehood. With Saturn now retrograde on this hit, will the question come around this time again only for it to be blocked once more? Decisions, applications or happenings to progress one’s position that were effective back in Autumn last year may hit the barricades, at least temporarily until the final hit of this connection at the end of July when Uranus will finally get it’s way. Just as a guide, when two planets collide like this, the slower moving one (in this case Uranus) will always prevail, but not before the other planet has put up a fight first. Where might we see some disruption or problems? By my reckoning in the Czech Republic where the Moon sits at 8 Aries, in the firing line of approaching Uranus. The people are going to be in a mood to protest and the government in Prague is hanging on by a thread. Saturn Uranus may also have an effect in Belgium, where natal Pluto is at 8 Aries. Might we some radical changes as Uranus the planet of shock hits big business and the power of  Pluto? Turkey has it’s Saturn Mercury conjunction at 24 Libra well within the hit zone and press controls and the awful treatment of the media and journalists who oppose the government’s views have been widely condemned. Might we see protests in Ankara and Istanbul in relation to these issues?

I am always wary of these heavy hits between outer planets as they can set off disasters or catastrophic happenings. With such a focused connection on this eclipse chart between Uranus and Saturn, I think there is a possibility of a big one that captures the attention of the world in the next six months, as these eclipse point degrees are hit by the other transiting planets. The other thing to look out for are water associated accidents. After the last eclipse where we had a eclipse square to Neptune, the Costa Concordia sinking hit the headlines, alone with a few other minor incidents at sea. With another square happening again this time, that pattern may continue. The arts, film, music, dance and other similar pursuits will continue to thrive under the influence of the Neptune square as will spirituality and all forms of religion and alternative beliefs. We live in very creative times, and it may be some while before humanity fully realises it.

We have two trines which I have not yet touched upon. Mars trine Pluto shows great might and strength and seeing that we have the Olympics just around the corner, the chance for feats of sporting excellence & breaking records is in my opinion higher than normal. On the minus side, this trine also gives a potential for destructive military action or worse secret attacks that cause untold damage. Saturn trine to Venus shows potential for women to show authority and ambition. It may be that the rise of women like Aung Sun Suu Kyi & Marine Le Pen in France will continue unhindered. This trine also helps stability in relationships, so we may see the European Union starting to pull in the same direction for once, and maybe other world alliances will start to form.

 

This is a look at the stars and planets at the time of the solar eclipse. We have the Sun and Moon conjunct near to the Pleiades nebula and its main star Alcyone. Venus is close to conjunction with the star El Nath, the tip of the bull’s horn in Taurus and is also conjunct the degree occupied by the star Alnilam, which sits in the middle of the belt of Orion. Out of this picture, Mars is conjunct with the star Zosma (the back of the Lion in Leo), Jupiter conjuncts the degree on which the star Capulus (in the nebula in the sword of Perseus), Saturn conjuncts with brilliant Spica in Virgo and Arcturus in Bootes (the hunter and gatherer), Neptune conjuncts Sadalmelek and Formalhaut (both in Aquarius) and Pluto conjuncts very ominously with Facies (the eye of the archer) in Sagittarius.

Ok, how do we bring all these stars into the picture? The eclipse hitting the Pleiades and Alcyone is not a very pleasant hit. Here the emotions see the darker side of life and a harsh ruthless and almost blind form of judgement and justice tends to appear when the Sun connects with this part of the sky. This cluster of 7 stars which make up the Pleiades were known as the 7 sisters or gods associated with mourning for and shedding tears for the souls of the dead. With the eclipse square to Neptune, are collective tears somewhere in the world going to be shed?

Saturn in visual astrology shows the established leader and so those who take risks and follow progressive ideas (Arcturus) and policies will have success and will be highlighted (Spica). Those already in power will now be more favoured, and in the light of this and the fact that the next US election happens before the next November eclipse, I am very much veering towards Barack Obama and his more progressive social liberal policies winning out over Mitt Romney and his more conservative and austerity based approach to debt reduction, although saying this I still think it will be a very close election result. One more reason is Neptune’s proximity to both Sadalmalek and Formalhaut, both lucky stars showing favour for Neptunian ideals, and thus for more liberal, socialist and collective ideas.

So what of Mitt Romney and the stars. he will be represented by Jupiter (the pretender to the crown) and in conjunction with Capulus, he will tend to take any problems he faces including Obama head on. This connection also suggests that he may be willing to go against the advice of his peers. I suspect that this could just be a very dirty campaign between the two, with Obama tending to take the higher ground helped by Spica.

Venus conjunct El Nath as mentioned before shows society wanting to flaunt social customs and go against the grain, and I think women who have power may well gain impetus from this connection. As mentioned before, Marine Le Pen for now is the perfect carrier of this banner. She gained a lot of publicity from opposing the two main candidates in the French elections and is now positioning herself to attack a weak Sarkozy and try to claim the right wing vote in France for her party, the Front Nationale. The emotion I spoke of earlier connected with Venus conjunct Pluto takes greater meaning because of the El Nath connection. This emotion could be used as a weapon to great effect especially in a social sense. Venus gives her blessing to El Nath, but this blessing can allow one to do great good or great evil and those who hold the power need to be mindful on how they use it. Will someone with power do or authorise something wholly destructive, because the emotion in them is running high? 

Finally we have Mars connecting with Zosma and Pluto conjunct Facies. These two planets are in trine in the sky from the wheel above, and this connection does worry me. Mars/Zosma suggests that a person or group will be victimised and Pluto in Facies is in a nasty spot hinting at “the end of an era”. Facies can be a brutal star, showing no compassion and represents the eye of the archer, being in the line of fire of a lethal weapon. Somebody or a group, even a nation may be in the line of fire in the next six months, and the trine does suggest that any action taken may be successful. It may be that a powerful leader uses the full range of armoury at his disposal to deal with some aggressor. Who and where something may happen is almost impossible to predict, however from this snapshot of the eclipse I am coming to the conclusion that something significant and maybe violent will.