The New Moon in Virgo squares the lunar nodes and opposes (66652) Borasisi-Pabu in Pisces. The north node of the Moon is in conjunction with centaur 8405 Asbolus.

(66652) Borasisi-Pabu is a trans-Neptunian binary, which was discovered in 1999 and named in 2007 from the fictional cosmogony described in Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle: “Borasisi, the sun, held Pabu, the moon, in his arms and hoped that Pabu would bear him a fiery child. But poor Pabu gave birth to children that were cold, that did not burn; and Borasisi threw them away in disgust. These were the planets, who circled their terrible father at a safe distance. Then poor Pabu herself was cast away, and she went to live with her favorite child, which was Earth.”

Astrologically 66652 Borasisi may tell about family patterns. Also Vonnegut’s themes of free will, truth and lies, or misuse of technology, are relevant. In Vonnegut’s novel, the foundation of the fictional religion of Bokononism is based on living by the untruths that make one feel better. Sometimes we all tell white lies. It would be a lot easier for most of us just accept what is offered. However, in the present world our ongoing challenge is to figure out whether the day’s news holds true, whether the person who wants to be your facebook friend is authentic, or if the notification from the post is just an attempt to capture your bank account.

The Sabian symbols of this chart seem influential. The Sabian symbol for the New Moon is Virgo 26 “A boy with a censer,” and the symbol for Borasisi is Pisces 26 “A new moon that divides its influences.” The latter is echoing the position of the Sun, Moon and Borasisi square to the nodes of the Moon on the Gemini/Sagittarius axis. Mercury, the ruler of the north node is in exact square to Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius, where the south node is. The lunar nodes are not the easiest points of the astrological chart to be interpreted. The nodes in the natal chart can be showing the soul’s karmic mission, or one’s life purpose. Anyway, the north node is associated with the future and the south node with the past. Now the planets halfway seem as if they were readily slipping in either direction.

The New Moon in the analytical sign of Virgo with the assistance of centaur Asbolus (associated with protection and survival) conjunct the north node, will help to choose the direction.

The Full Moon was at 10+ degrees of Pisces in conjunction with centaur Nessus. The Sun in Virgo was conjunct plutino Orcus.

We regard highly those who keep their word. The Etruscan god of the underworld, Orcus, was the punisher of those who lied or broke their promises in ancient Italy before the Roman expansion. Orcus was the counterpart of the Greek Pluto.

90482 Orcus was discovered in 2004. It reached its aphelion (farthest distance from the Sun) in 2019. The orbital period is 245 years, almost the same as Pluto’s orbital period. Both Pluto and Orcus are locked in 3:2 resonance with Neptune (making two revolutions around the Sun, while Neptune makes three), but their orbits point in nearly opposite directions. Because of Neptune’s influence, Pluto and Orcus will always stay in opposite phases of their orbits. Orcus forms a binary system with its moon Vanth. They have their same faces locked towards each other constantly, just like Pluto and its largest moon Charon.

7066 Nessus is named after a centaur who, for his part is associated with deception. The name was proposed by astrologers and accepted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). In Greek mythology centaur Nessus tried to rape Heracles’s wife Deianeira, but Heracles killed him with a poisoned arrow. The dying Nessus tricked Deianeira to take some of his blood and make a love potion that would keep Heracles faithful to her. Deianeira believed Nessus, but the potion in turn killed Heracles. In astrology Nessus is associated with themes that can stretch over several generations, and the healing process.

This Full Moon advises us to be honest and keep our promises, pay attention to the motives of others, and be aware of any possible attempts to abuse our trust.

The New Moon at 26+ Leo is in conjunction with Mercury and opposite 5335 Damocles at 26+ Aquarius. The New Moon is in a flowing trine to the exact Mars-Eris conjunction in Aries. The New Moon forms a tight, irritating quincunx to Saturn in Capricorn. The people of Belarus are living this play of planets right now.

5335 Damocles is the namesake of the damocloids, the odd group of small bodies, like aggressive centaurs. Its orbit reaches from inside the aphelion of Mars to outside Uranus. When it was discovered in 1991, it was found to be on an orbit completely different from all others known.

According to the official naming citation, “Legend has it that Damocles, a courtier of the tyrant Dionysius the Elder of Syracuse, was invited to a feast, where he was seated below a sword suspended by a thread. Intended to demonstrate the impermanence of power, the ‘sword of Damocles’ has become a symbol of impending disaster. This minor planet, in an unusual orbit of very high eccentricity and inclination and crossing the orbits of Mars to Uranus, could itself be seen as such a sword during periods of its orbital evolution when it becomes an earth crosser.”

“The Sword of Damocles” is the metaphor for the imminent and ever-present peril faced by those in positions of power. It is often used also in a broader sense, and simply meaning an unexpected peril.

The orbital period of 5335 Damocles around the Sun is nearly 41 years. However, astrologically it spends most of it, around 30 years, in Aquarius, and hurries through the eleven other signs of the zodiac in about ten years. On the current round Damocles made its final ingress from Capricorn to Aquarius in 1994. In April 2021 it will visit Pisces for the first time, and by 2026 has ingressed Pisces entirely.

Belarus declared independence on Aug. 25, 1991. President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko (in office since 1994) is the last dictator of Europe. The election on Aug. 9, 2020, as with previous elections, was not free and fair. The opponents are repressed, the media is not free, and journalists and demonstrators have been brutally beaten. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the opposition candidate has claimed to won the election. The protest on Aug. 16 gathered 100,000 – 200,000 people on the streets of Minsk, demanding the departure of Lukashenko.

In the independence chart of Belarus, Mercury; Jupiter; and Venus are at 25+ — 27+ degrees of Leo, and the transiting Damocles in Aquarius has been hovering opposite them for a few years now (because of the retrogradation phenomenon). The natal Sun of Belarus is at 1+ degrees of Virgo. President Lukashenko’s natal Pluto is at 25+ Leo and his natal Sun at 6+ degrees of Virgo. Is Lukashenko’s dictatorship coming to an end soon now, or will the Sword of Damocles hit later when the transiting Damocles reaches Pisces and starts to oppose both the Sun of Belarus and the Sun of Lukashenko?

People with prominent Damocles:

John Profumo (Jan. 30, 1915 – March 9, 2006) was a British politician whose career ended in 1963 after a sexual relationship with the 19-year-old model Christine Keeler – Sun, Mars and Uranus conjunct Damocles in Aquarius.

James Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955) was an American actor, who died in a car crash. – Sun conjunct Damocles in Aquarius.

Sauli Niinistö (born Aug. 24, 1948) is President of Finland (in office since 2012). Niinistö and his two sons narrowly survived the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. They were in Khao Lak, Thailand, and survived by climbing up and down an electricity pylon and adjusting themselves with the water level. – Damocles at the Aries Point quincunx the Sun in Virgo and square Uranus in Gemini.

William Knox Schroeder (July 20, 1950 – May 4, 1970) was a student at Kent State University, Ohio, when he was killed by Ohio National Guardsmen in the Kent State shootings. – Sun conjunct Damocles in Cancer.

Scooter Libby (born Aug. 22, 1950) is the former adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney. In October 2005, Libby resigned after he was indicted by a federal grand jury concerning the investigation of the leak of the covert identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson. He was convicted. – Sun conjunct Damocles in Leo.

Ellen DeGeneres (born Jan. 26, 1958) is an American comedian and television host. In summer 2020, DeGeneres has faced allegations of abuse, racism and sexual harassment against her staff. – Sun and Venus conjunct Damocles in Aquarius, opposite Uranus in Leo.

Ayrton Senna (March 21, 1960 – May 1, 1994), a Brazilian racing driver, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. He died in an accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. – Sun at the Aries Point semisquare Damocles at the ascendant in Aquarius.

Julian Assange (born July 3, 1971), the founder of WikiLeaks – Mars conjunct Damocles in Aquarius.

Anders Behring Breivik (born Feb. 13, 1979) is a Norwegian terrorist. – Sun conjunct Damocles in Aquarius.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (born Sept. 15, 1984) In 2018 he married American actress Meghan Markle. In January 2020, the couple announced their intention to step back as members of the royal family. — Damocles in Pisces square the lunar nodes (Gemini/Sagittarius).

The Full Moon at 11+ degrees of Aquarius is squaring Uranus at 10+ degrees of Taurus and three distant minor planets as well, tightly in conjunction with Uranus. Uranus is the ruler of Aquarius and famous for its unpredictability. The three minor planets mentioned above are 15760 Albion, 385695 Clete and 385571 Otrera.

15760 Albion was discovered in 1992, and many besides me know it better by its provisional designation 1992 QB1, since it took 25 years before it got named. In January 2018 out of the blue, the name was announced. This cubewano was named from the creation mythology of English poet and painter William Blake (1757–1827) after Albion, the primordial man who was originally fourfold but was self-divided into the four Zoas, each representing important aspects of human character. The name Albion derives from the ancient and mythological name of Britain.

Albion is not just any minor planet, but the door opener. It was the first body found beyond Neptune after the discovery of Pluto in 1930. The discovery proved the existence of the Kuiper belt and led to the finding of all the interesting populations of the icy bodies that we know today, and to a new understanding of our solar system.

Astrologically Albion is representing the edge, the bridge leading to the unknown, or the archetype of the thresholder. It was discovered at the Aries Point, in the first degree of the first sign of the zodiac, just starting a new phase. The Aries Point connects the individual with the larger world.

What William Blake once said has been manifesting both astronomically and astrologically: “In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors.”

385571 Otrera and 385695 Clete are Neptune trojans. They have approximately the same orbital period as Neptune (164.8 years) and follow roughly the same orbital path. Otrera was discovered in 2004 and Clete in 2005. The Neptune trojans are to be named after Amazons, which were female warriors that fought in the Trojan War on the side of the Trojans against the Greeks. Classicist Peter Walcot has written, “Wherever the Amazons are located by the Greeks, whether it is somewhere along the Black Sea in the distant north-east, or in Libya in the furthest south, it is always beyond the confines of the civilized world. The Amazons exist outside the range of normal human experience.”

In Greek mythology, Otrera was the first queen of the Amazons. She was originally a housewife, who was treated horribly by her husband. She decided to learn how to defend herself with a sword and a bow and arrow. She also taught the other housewives in her town to fight. Eventually they took over the entire town and marched also into neighboring towns, liberating the women. The name Otrera possibly means “nimble”.

Clete was the attendant to the Amazons queen Penthesilea (the daughter of Otrera), who led the Amazons in the Trojan War. Penthesilea was killed by Achilles. Clete, with a company of Amazons, went looking for her when she did not return from the war. Their ship was swept of course and after a shipwreck they ended up to Calabria, Italy, where Clete founded a city, nowadays known as the village of Cleto. She settled there and became the queen of the Amazons. Her name means “called for” or “invoked”.

Opening the door and entering a new territory requires a lot of determined work, but the outcome may still be unpredictable.

The New Moon occurred at 28+ degrees of Cancer, in the home sign of the Moon. This was the second New Moon in Cancer this summer. The first was the solar eclipse on June 21, 2020. The current New Moon was exactly opposite Saturn in Capricorn. Also Saturn is in its own sign now. A planet is said to be at home in the sign that it rules, which doesn’t necessarily mean that it would work better there, but it is strong and comfortable at home.

In Capricorn in conjunction with Saturn is one of the most intriguing bodies in the group of centaurs, 10199 Chariklo. Chariklo was discovered in 1997 and named after the water nymph Chariclo, the wife of centaur Chiron. In Greek mythology nymphs were regarded as personifications of nature, and usually depicted as beautiful maidens. The name proposal came from astrologers.

Chariklo is the largest known centaur with its diameter of approximately 252 km. Its shape is probably elongated. The orbital period is almost 63 years. The orbits of the centaurs are typically eccentric, and they usually cross the orbits of one or more of the giant planets. The orbit of Chariklo is quite moderate. Chariklo orbits the Sun between Saturn and Uranus, grazing the orbit of Uranus.

In 2014 came the surprise; astronomers announced the discovery of two rings around Chariklo. It is the first minor planet known to have rings and the smallest known celestial body to have rings.

In the discovery chart of Chariklo, it amazingly forms a rare aspect pattern, the six pointed star, together with the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto. Chariklo’s name means “Graceful Spinner”. Astrologically Chariklo represents compassion and devotion, and it is a supportive and nurturing energy.

The New Moon was in conjunction with 52975 Cyllarus, another centaur planet. Cyllarus was discovered in 1998 by American amateur astronomer Nichole Danzl and named from Greek mythology after the handsome and young centaur, who was loved by many. This name was also proposed by astrologers. Cyllarus was fatally wounded by a spear in the battle called the Centauromachy at the wedding party of Pirithous, the king of the Lapiths. Nobody knows who the striker was. One action led to another. Hylonome, the loving wife of Cyllarus then threw herself onto the same spear that had killed her partner.

The orbital period of 52975 Cyllarus is almost 133.5 years and its orbit crosses those of Uranus and Neptune. Cyllarus is faint and only about 70 kilometers in diameter. Cyllarus came to perihelion (the point in its orbit that is nearest to the Sun) in September 1989.

Devotion, love, despair, sacrifice and unexpected consequences are among the themes of Cyllarus. It reminds us that the decisions we make directly affect not just us but also other people around us.

The mythological centaurs were a group of troublemakers, who drank and brawled, and many of them died in a battle. A death of a centaur is a symbolic one. The centaurs represent shadow material in our consciousness. Change and growth can be reached through awareness. Centaur Chiron represents that awareness and healing. Chiron’s lineage was different from other centaurs. He was a great teacher and healer, the wisest of all the centaurs.

A week ago, on July 14, Mars conjoined Chiron at 9+ degrees of Aries. Mars is the ruler of Aries, so Mars is comfortably in its home sign, too. Mars is giving the courage and will that is needed in a crisis.

Last month I mentioned the recent naming of 541132 Leleākūhonua, an extreme trans-Neptunian object with the tremendous orbital period of over 30,000 years. At the moment Leleākūhonua is about two-and-a-half times farther out than Pluto’s current location, but approaching the Sun (coming to perihelion), and that is why the discovery was possible at all. The Hawaiian name compares its orbit to the flight of migratory birds and evokes a yearning to be near Earth. The ephemeris has now become available. The position of Leleākūhonua at the moment is at 10+ degrees of Aries. The conjunction of Mars and Chiron a week ago took place in conjunction with Leleākūhonua, and since the meeting happened so close with the naming, there seems to be some relation between the two incidents. The triple conjunction of Mars, Chiron and Leleākūhonua is still valid.

The Full Moon in Capricorn is a penumbral lunar eclipse, the third eclipse of the summer. The Moon at 13+ degrees of Capricorn is opposite the Sun at 13+ degrees of Cancer. The Sun and the Moon are square to Chiron in Aries and in exact square to Elatus in Libra.

31824 Elatus is a centaur discovered in 1999. The orbital period is around 40 years. In Greek mythology Elatus was a centaur who used to pull up whole fir trees and use them as weapons. During the battle with Heracles, Elatus was killed by a poisoned arrow that passed through his arm and continued to wound Chiron in the knee, eventually leading to his death as well.

Examples of people with prominent Elatus:

Nostradamus (Dec. 14, 1503 – July 2, 1566), a French astronomer-astrologer, physician and seer, sometimes referred to as the “prophet of doom.” Nostradamus’s data is conflicting. He was born either on Dec. 14 or Dec. 21, 1503. The source for Dec. 14, 1503 is Oracles of Nostradamus by Charles A. Ward. – The Sun conjunct Elatus in the beginning of Capricorn.

Franz Mesmer (May 23, 1734 – March 5, 1815) was a German doctor with an interest in astronomy. He was a pioneer in the practice of hypnotism. He theorized the existence of “animal magnetism”, sometimes later referred to as mesmerism. Hypnosis is a technique derived from animal magnetism. – The Sun conjunct Elatus in Gemini.

Jeane Dixon (Jan. 5, 1904 – Jan. 25, 1997) was one of the best-known American self-proclaimed psychics and astrologers of the twentieth century. Dixon reportedly predicted the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. She was one of several astrologers who gave advice to Nancy Reagan. — The Sun conjunct Elatus in Capricorn.

Clyde Barrow (March 24, 1909 – May 23, 1934) was an American outlaw who travelled the central United States with his partner, Bonnie Parker, and their gang during the Great Depression, robbing and killing people. — The Sun conjunct Elatus in Aries.

Desmond Tutu (born Oct. 7, 1931) is a South African Anglican bishop and social rights activist. – The Sun conjunct Elatus in Libra.

Richie Havens (Jan. 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013) was an American folk rock musician. He opened the 1969 Woodstock rock festival, which was a major turning point in his career. He also devoted his energies to educating young people about ecological issues. — The Moon conjunct Elatus in Scorpio.

Billy Connolly (born Nov. 24, 1942) is a Scottish stand-up comedian, musician, actor and artist. He is known for his quirky sense of humor. In recent years he has established himself as an artist. He has said: “My art is about revealing myself.” – The Sun-Borasisi-Elatus-Venus conjunction in Sagittarius opposite Uranus in Gemini.

Stevie Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer and songwriter, a member of Fleetwood Mac. – The Moon conjunct Elatus in Capricorn.

Lari Pittman (born Feb. 19, 1952) is a Colombian-American contemporary artist and painter whom critics have labelled one of the most influential artists of his generation. In 1985, Pittman was shot by a burglar at his studio, and this experience had an impact on his work and his determination to paint large-scale. – Triple conjunction of the Sun, Elatus and the North Node in Pisces.

Ron Jeremy (born March 12, 1953) is an American pornographic actor, filmmaker, actor, and stand-up comedian. – Triple conjunction of the Sun, Altjira and Elatus in Pisces.

Jackie Chan (born Apr. 7, 1954), is a Hong Kong martial artist, actor, stuntman, film director, action choreographer, screenwriter, producer, and singer. – The Sun conjunct Elatus in Aries.

Eddie Jobson (born Apr. 28, 1955) is an English keyboardist and violinist noted for his use of synthesizers. He has been a member of several progressive rock bands, including Roxy Music, Jethro Tull and Yes. He was also part of Frank Zappa’s band in 1976–77. – The Sun conjunct Elatus in Taurus.

Woody Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor and playwright. He has received three Academy Award nominations. He received accolades for his role on the HBO series True Detective. Harrelson is an environmental activist and politically has identified himself as an anarchist. – The Sun-Elatus conjunction in Leo opposite Jupiter in Aquarius.

David Heyman (born July 26, 1961) is an English film producer and the founder of Heyday Films. He has produced the Harry Potter film adaptations. – The Sun-Elatus conjunction in Leo opposite Jupiter in Aquarius.

Whitney Houston (Aug. 9, 1963 – Feb. 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. She was cited as the most awarded female artist of all time by Guinness World Records and is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. – The Moon-Jupiter conjunction in Aries is trine to Sun-Elatus conjunction in Leo.

Valerie Plame (born Aug. 13, 1963), is an American writer, spy novelist, and former CIA officer. As the subject of the 2003 Plame affair, also known as the CIA leak scandal, Plame’s identity as a CIA officer was leaked to and subsequently published by Robert Novak of the Washington Post. — The Sun-Elatus conjunction in Leo opposite Saturn in Aquarius and trine to Jupiter in Aries.

Bong Joon-ho (born Sept. 14, 1969) is a South Korean Academy Award winning filmmaker. His films feature social themes and black humor. Parasite (2019) became the first South Korean film to receive Academy Award nominations, with Bong winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, making Parasite the first film not in English to win Best Picture. – The conjunction of the Sun, Pluto, Elatus, Pelion and the South Node in Virgo.

Adam Lambert (born Jan. 29, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He rose to fame in 2009 after finishing as runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol. Alongside his solo career, Lambert has collaborated with rock band Queen since 2011. – The Sun in Aquarius square Jupiter-Elatus conjunction in Scorpio.

Summer Solstice – June 20, 2020, 21:44 UT

The eclipse season of this summer began two weeks ago on June 5, 2020, with a lunar eclipse in Sagittarius. There are three eclipses in this eclipse season. On June 21, 2020, there was the New Moon in Cancer, which was also an annular solar eclipse. Two weeks later, on July 5, 2020, there will be another lunar eclipse in Capricorn.

On June 20, 2020, at 21:44 UT, the Sun entered Cancer. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Only about nine hours after the ingress of the Sun, on June 21, 2020, at 06:41 UT, the solar eclipse occurred in the first degree of the sign, in a close conjunction with the lunar North Node. The Nodes indicate the relationship between the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. They are points where the Moon’s orbit around the Earth intersects the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The North Node is oriented in the future. In both charts it is in the last degree of Gemini. Mercury, the ruler of Gemini is retrograding, which suggests challenges on the way.

The solar eclipse in Cancer occurred in a perfect square to the Aries point, which represents one’s relationship to the larger world around one.

The Cancer solar eclipse was in conjunction with the main belt asteroid 10 Hygiea, which in spite of its small size meets the requirements of a dwarf planet because of its round shape. Asteroid Hygiea is associated with preserving good health. It was named after the Greek personification of health, cleanliness and hygiene. She is reminding us, that although the pandemic restrictions are being loosened in many countries, the virus has not disappeared, and we still need to follow good hygiene practices.

The Minor Planet Center has announced two new namings of the trans-Neptunian objects in June 2020. Provisionally designated 2015 TG387 is now 541132 Leleākūhonua. It was discovered by American astronomers David Tholen, Chad Trujillo and Scott Sheppard in October 2015. Based on the letters TG in its provisional designation and the discovery around Halloween it was first nicknamed as The Goblin.

541132 Leleākūhonua is an extreme trans-Neptunian object (ETNO) and a sednoid. Its elliptical orbit fits exactly into the models of how distant objects should behave if Planet Nine exists. According to the official naming citation, “Leleākūhonua is a life form mentioned in the Hawaiian creation chant, the Kumulipo. The name compares the orbit to the flight of migratory birds and evokes a yearning to be near Earth.” Its orbital period around the Sun is about 35,760 years.

What was the world like 35,000 – 36,000 years ago, when Leleākūhonua last time was in this same position in its orbit? It was before the Last Glacial Maximum. Most parts of North America and northern Europe were covered with ice. The Neanderthals had disappeared only recently, around 40,000 years ago. The oldest cave art discovered in the world is from around 40,000 BP. Some of the early Europeans managed to survive the Ice Age.

The ephemeris of Leleākūhonua is not available at the moment, so unfortunately I am not able to place it in the charts yet.

The other recently named trans-Neptunian is 184314 Mbabamwanawaresa, a cubewano discovered in March 2005 by an American astronomer Marc W. Buie. The orbital period around the Sun is 302 years. In the astrological chart Mbabamwanawaresa is now at 8+ degrees of Scorpio opposite Uranus in Taurus.

184314 Mbabamwanawaresa was named after a Zulu goddess of rain, agriculture, and the harvest. “She is the goddess of rainbows, a symbol of the link between heaven and Earth. She is particularly revered for teaching the people of southern Africa the art of making beer.” Beer is one of the oldest and most popular drinks in the world, and certainly one of the most social ones. Currently we have had to reduce our social contacts to minimum. Perhaps Mbabamwanawaresa’s symbolism is in connection to this situation.

A few days ago Alaska officials airlifted a wrecked bus from a remote trail outside Denali National Park into another location. Perhaps you have seen the film Into the Wild (2007), which tells the story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who hiked into the Alaskan wilderness in the early 1990s. He spent the last months of his life in that bus and died in it in starvation. He distanced himself socially of his own will. Christopher McCandless had Jupiter in conjunction with Mbabamwanawaresa in early Virgo, opposite retrograde Mercury – the ruler of Virgo – in late Aquarius. Jupiter is one of the so called social planets. Its principle is expansion. It can represent exploration, love of freedom and independence, for instance. The negative side of Jupiter is excess, and in this case perhaps the extreme withdrawal from society.

Jon Krakauer, a writer and mountaineer, the author of the book Into the Wild, which was later filmed, has his Moon conjunct Mbabamwanawaresa in Leo. Sean Penn, the director of the film has the Sun-Mbabamwanawaresa conjunction in Leo. Emile Hirsch who portrayed McCandless has his Pisces Sun opposite Mbabamwanawaresa in Virgo. Eddie Vedder, who performed the songs on the soundtrack of the film, has his Capricorn Sun in trine to Mbabamwanawaresa in Virgo.

The New Moon occurs at 3+ degrees of Gemini on May 22, 2020. Earlier in the day Mercury, the ruler of the sign, and Venus retrograde conjoined at 20+ degrees of Gemini. Two asteroids, 10 Hygiea (symbolizing health, cleanliness and hygiene) and 4 Vesta (named after the goddess of the hearth, home, and family) are in conjunction with Mercury and Venus.

The New Moon in Gemini is trine Saturn in Aquarius, sextile to Varuna (the great equalizer) in Leo and in quincunx to Zhulong (the indicator of the change in a blink of an eye) in Scorpio. The long term square between Varuna and Zhulong has been developing since 2018. We have now experienced the two first exact squares from the total of seven, the first one in January and the second in April.

Gemini, the butterfly of the zodiac, is a social sign. It is associated with communication, curiosity and traveling. Gemini rules lungs, hands and the nervous system.

Finland has cautiously started to loosen the pandemic restrictions. The primary schools were reopened in a controlled manner on May 14, and the guidelines for senior citizens have been eased. The cafes and restaurants will be permitted to open, with certain limitations, on June 1. Our spring has been cold, but now the weather is quickly warming, too. It feels as if everything in life is lightening.

Gemini, the Twins, is a sign of dualism. We are allowed to enjoy spring and focus on the positive, as long as we remember that Covid-19 is a serious disease, and we still need to take care of ourselves and our loved ones.

The New Moon at 3+ degrees of Taurus occurred at the discovery degree of Chiron. The Sabian symbol for this degree is Taurus 4 “The rainbow’s pot of gold.”

The New Moon was in conjunction with Uranus (rebellion) and a part of a grand cross formed by the Sun and Moon in Taurus, Saturn (limitations, tests) in Aquarius, Varuna (the great equalizer) in Leo and Zhulong (a change in a blink of an eye) in Scorpio. Taurus is ruled by Venus (what we appreciate). Venus is in conjunction with asteroid Hygiea (health, hygiene). The symbol of Hygiea in the chart is the caduceus staff.

The aforementioned aspects describe our current situation excellently.

COVID-19 may have started to spread in Wuhan already in October 2019, although officially the earliest traceable patient started experiencing symptoms on Dec. 1, 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) was informed about the outbreak of pneumonia of unknown origin on Dec. 31, 2019. In January 2020 the virus started to push into our awareness. WHO declared the pandemic on March 11, 2020.

As of autumn we were watching the sign of Capricorn, where Saturn was getting closer to Pluto (the lord of transformation). There was also a solar eclipse in Capricorn on Dec. 26, 2019. The Saturn-Pluto conjunction took place on Jan. 12, 2020, only two days after the lunar eclipse in Cancer. Astrologers were anticipating changes, but it is safe to say that nobody could foresee the thoroughness with which our whole world changed in a short time. There have been other significant aspects, like Chiron square Pholus, and the Eris’s squares; Saturn and Pluto squared Eris in January and Jupiter in March.

Still another long term aspect has been developing in the background, namely Varuna square Zhulong. This square has started to form already around 2018 and will fade away around 2024. The first exact square between those two seems to have been on Jan. 13, 2020. The second will be on April 27, 2020. There are altogether seven exact aspects, of which the last one will be in October 2022. At this point nobody knows the actual duration of the pandemic, but this sequence could fit quite well with it. The virus will hardly disappear anytime soon.

Varuna is a trans-Neptunian object discovered in 2000 and named the next year after one of the oldest of the Vedic deities, the maker and upholder of heaven and earth, who deals with matters of truth, lies and keeping agreements. Varuna was the first trans-Neptunian minor planet to receive a name (after Pluto). Eric Francis’s keywords for this vast energy behind everything are “the great equalizer.” According to Eric, Varuna is “calling us to take both personal and collective responsibility for our world.”

Our vulnerability to the coronavirus can depend on several factors, for example age, occupation, social economic status, or where one lives. That being said, in our lifetime there hasn’t been any other phenomenon, which had put us in more equal position with each other. The virus has not spared royalty, politicians, celebrities, or isolated indigenous people living in the middle of a rainforest.

Zhulong is one of the most recent namings. Zhulong is a scattered disc object discovered in 2014 and named last year after the torch dragon, the Chinese deity who controlled the day and night by opening and closing its eyes. Zhulong seems to tell about the fragility of life, and how everything can change in a blink of an eye.

The Varuna-Zhulong square has been triggered time after time during the past six months. The New Moon in Scorpio on Oct. 28, 2019, was in conjunction with Zhulong and square to Varuna. The New Moon in Sagittarius on Nov. 26, 2019, was opposite Hygiea and trine Varuna. The New Moon in Capricorn on Dec. 26, 2019, was a solar eclipse, and sextile to Zhulong and in quincunx to Varuna. The New Moon in Aquarius on Jan. 24, 2020, was opposite Varuna and square to Zhulong. The New Moon in Pisces on Feb. 23, 2020 was trine to Zhulong and in quincunx to Varuna. The New Moon in Aries on March 24, 2020, was sextile to Hygeia, trine to Varuna and in quincunx to Zhulong. The current New Moon in Taurus on April 23, 2020, was opposite Zhulong and square to Varuna.

The following two examples are to some extent comparable with our current situation.

The Spanish flu in 1918 was one of the deadliest pandemics in history, which infected about a third of the world’s population at the time. On March 4, 1918, U.S. Army cook Albert Gitchell, from Haskell County, reported sick at Fort Riley. He is considered the first recorded victim of the flu. In the chart cast for that day, the Sun, Hygiea and Varuna are in triple conjunction in the same degree in Pisces. Pluto and Zhulong were in exact conjunction in Cancer.

HIV/AIDS has had a large impact on society. AIDS was first clinically reported on June 5, 1981, with five cases in the United States. In the chart the Sun is in conjunction with Varuna in Gemini and sextile Eris in Aries. Hygiea in Gemini is opposite Neptune in Sagittarius and sextile to Zhulong in Leo.

We have a long way to go when it comes to COVID-19 pandemic. Chiron’s pot of gold is not quite within our reach. We need a lot of self-discipline, which only Saturn can offer. Eventually we will get there.

More about Hygiea, Varuna and Zhulong available here:

New Moon in Sagittarius – Nov. 26, 2019, 15:05 UT (Hygiea)

Small World Stories by Eric Francis (Varuna)

New Moon in Scorpio – Oct. 28, 2019, 03:38 UT (Zhulong)

The Moon in Libra was in conjunction with asteroid Juno. In the opposite sign Aries, the Sun was in conjunction with Eris.

3 Juno is a large main belt asteroid, discovered in 1804. The main asteroid belt is located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Asteroid Juno is named after the queen of the gods, the wife of the Roman chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars. She was the protectress of the state and goddess of marriage.

Astrologically Juno represents the need to merge with another person, and she is usually seen as the significator of committed relationships. Her Greek equivalent is Hera. In Asteroid Goddesses Demetra George notes that “Greek mythology repeatedly emphasizes the need for Hera’s periodic retreat into solitude.” Themes of solitude and rejection are associated also with Eris, which is in conjunction with the Sun.

The Sabian symbol for the Moon is Libra 19, “A gang of robbers in hiding,” and the symbol for the Sun is Aries 19, “The magic carpet.” The chart draws a picture of us all, withdrawn in our homes and only dreaming of the flying carpet.

COVID-19 was first identified in December 2019. The New Moon in Capricorn on Dec. 26, 2019, was a solar eclipse. I find it interesting that on Dec. 28, 2019, comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) was discovered. It has been brightening and continues to do so. It may become visible to the naked eye later in the spring. At the moment it is retrograding in early Cancer. In astrology comets signify change. Our world has certainly changed within these months.