Triple Stelliums 2022 – Cascading Energy

By Marilyn Muir, LPMAFA

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While watching the final passage of transiting Neptune opposition the US Declaration of Independence (D of I) Virgo Rising natal Neptune at 22:25 Virgo and my own personal natal Neptune at 22:31, I realized I should be paying attention to something more. A triple stellium was occurring at that time period! A triple stellium!

A stellium is a grouping of three or more planets in one sign which emphasizes a specific sign quality and activity. But this 2022 activity was way beyond that – it was THREE stelliums forming simultaneously, containing nine of the ten planets, with only Uranus outside that grouping. And the nine bodies are within 79˚ of arc, a literal clustering of planets. Clustering is quite powerful in its own right but is not as well-known or -read as stelliums. In my experience, the stellium and / or cluster powers a grouping producing significant occurrences. This time, it is both a cluster AND a stellium, two simultaneous opportunities for powerful expression. As I further examined it, I saw more. The singleton planet outside the cluster / stellium was Uranus. We will do more with that later in the article.

You can always set a chart for anytime you choose for any day, usually because you have a reason for that choice. This clustering will occur in any chart cast for these several days in a row, so it does have world-wide and long-range possibilities. Because I was looking at the conclusion of a major activation to the US D of I natal Mars square Neptune, I chose to set several speculative charts as diurnals for those dates. Each chart in a series follows day by day relative to activations to the chosen natal.

Because it is so easy to see the formation of the huge pattern over several days, you can watch the energies form, change and move within the charts. I see this as a cascading effect… one thing leads to another, then another, then… you get the picture. When I was a child, we used to draw a simple pattern on small pieces of paper, each with a slightly altered feature. When you stack the images one on top of another, pinch one corner and then fan the grouping with the other hand, the image appears to take on motion as your eyes view each change sequentially. I can remember the excited “it moves” as we had constructed a cartoonish form of what could become a moving picture, like movie cartoons. This is how I can see the energy move within a chart. The building and releasing of energy is visible if you set aside the “you can’ts” and you will find that you can! You can simulate this cascading effect with these charts as you watch the images form and reform new patterns each day, building and eventually releasing their purposes.

It just so happens that the Moon is the trigger that connects and triggers each grouping in these charts. Traveling a sign in about 2.5 days, the Moon moved within the clustering planets from sign to sign, altering each day’s pattern over several days. Initially, I was watching the end of February, beginning of March, 2022 as my target period, but ended up experimenting with several days prior as well. Why? Remember Uranus which was not involved in this stellium / clustering? Shortly we will look at what happens when you do include that Uranus in your mapping. This is fun. As your eyes move from pattern to pattern on each chart, you can see the energy developing, changing and releasing if you simply open your mind and your prior “can’t” conditioning. If I can see it, so can you.

Let’s begin with the February 25^th D of I diurnal, always set for the USA natal coordinates: 9:36 AM LMT, Philadelphia, PA. Look at the top left quadrant of the chart to see the clustering and stelliums. Note that Uranus is not particularly involved. The Moon is at the end of Sagittarius but has not yet entered the first stellium. The Moon will enter Capricorn within four hours on the day’s clock. Works for me! The Moon will move into 00 Capricorn and join its energies to the three planets already positioned in Capricorn: Venus, Mars and Pluto (only planets are counted for a stellium, but let’s throw in the Midheaven as well). So there are four planets and an angle in this stellium.

Those three later degree planets are triggering the US D of I Mercury/Pluto opposition at 24-27 Cancer / Capricorn. The natal opposition is being tightly triggered as the USA enjoys(?) its ongoing Pluto return (not finished this year). Adjacent are two (not three) planets in Aquarius: Mercury and Saturn. These are followed by three planets in Pisces: Sun, Jupiter and Neptune. Aha… there is the position I am watching. US D of I natal Neptune is 22:25 Virgo and this transiting (diurnal) Neptune is approaching its final opposition passage within a couple days.

Keep one eye on the day’s Moon, which has just completed its square to Neptune and is entering stellium territory within four hours, about 1:30 PM on the 25^th. The Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces cluster on the chart measures the whole grouping as a nearly exact sextile. If we also include the approaching Moon, the cluster measures 83.5˚ wide (a separating square) and contains nine of the ten planets. Have you ever had the tire on your car balanced? Small clips of weight are distributed around the circumference of the tire rim to balance the load and pressure on the tires to give an even, more balanced ride. What would the ride be like if you put nine of ten weights into a cluster on one side of the tire? Bumpity, bump, bump would likely be the sensation. We are talking about the energies surrounding our world and affecting, perhaps infecting, our world and all of us on it, and our individual lives. Bumpity, bump, bump for all of us??? The Moon with its superior orbital speed is tightening that cluster.

By the 26^th, that cluster is 69˚ wide and the fast-moving Moon is tightening those weights approximately 1˚ every two hours on the clock. Four-planet stellium in Capricorn, two planets in Aquarius, and three-planet stellium in Pisces.

Move to the 27^th, the cluster is 58˚ wide: bumpity, bump, bump. The Moon is conjunct the Pluto end of the D of I natal Pluto (return) joining that cluster triggering the natal opposition. The Moon is 2 ½ degrees from moving into Aquarius – that’s about five hours on the day’s clock. That will leave three planets in the Capricorn stellium and three still in the Pisces stellium, but now Aquarius hosts the Moon, and that stellium is solid for 2 to 2 ½ days. The cluster is so tight.

Move to the 28^th, and the Moon is solidly within Aquarius and tightly conjunct Mercury and Saturn. I don’t want to ignore it, so I will point out that the new ruler of Aquarius which is Uranus has just been squared by that Moon, meaning it had triggered the Moon / Mercury / Saturn square Uranus. Note that Saturn is the old ruler of Aquarius. Study the myths on the hostile interaction between Saturn and Uranus to give yourself a “feel” for what the energy should be like. More Uranus in a moment. I am staying with the cascading energy effect for now. 57˚ spread to the cluster, more bumpity, bump, bump.

Move to March 1 (only 28 days in February). The Moon is still in Aquarius for about eight more hours. All three stelliums are intact (three planets or more each). Do pay attention to the Venus / Mars / Pluto conjunction tightening. The Midheaven has moved into the Aquarius stellium, the goals and objectives (Midheaven) of the energy has shifted and reapplied itself from Capricorn (the past, tradition) to Aquarius (the future, innovation). 55.5˚ is the cluster spread. Do we want to think bumpity, bump, bump again, or is this noose tightening? Please note Neptune has reached 22:25. The opposition to US D of I natal Neptune is concluded (experience cheering), but don’t let down your guard – there is residual damage that must be dealt with. BUT, this particular Neptune triggering of the US D of I natal Mars / Neptune square has reached pinnacle and will now recede from the conflict. This has been our ongoing political circus. Do watch the upcoming transiting Mars position when it kicks this pattern one more time. I would rather keep a watchful eye out on possibility rather than get surprised by it if it decides to kick me in the teeth! I would rather be wrong about a projection rather than ignorant of an unexpected problem. How about you?

Remember I said my own natal position was six minutes later, so my personal activation is not finished… but soon! Onward and upward! By March 2^nd, the Moon has moved into Pisces. The Capricorn stellium is still solid but almost over; the Aquarius stellium is no longer a stellium; the Pisces stellium has four members, with a New Moon conjunct its ruler, Jupiter. Is it possible something nice can happen, such as a solution? Cluster still 55.5˚, the Moon will remain in Pisces about one more day and then this incredible pattern will start to dissolve.

On March 3^rd, the Moon at 24 Pisces has about twelve more hours in Pisces as it moves forward into Aries and beyond. We watch the stelliums and the clustering of this pattern dissolve. Neptune is at 22:30 Pisces and my natal Neptune is 22:31 Virgo. My personal ride is over as well, except for the consequences of such triggering, and the residuals. There is also the potential of Mars when it reaches that position in Pisces, or perhaps an eclipse triggering it. It isn’t over until it’s over, whenever that is! The degree spread will continue to increase as the Moon transits the signs. I don’t have to take the cascading concept any further. Now that you know what you are looking for, flip the chart pages one at a time sequentially to watch it happen. You have allowed yourself see it or you have not. It is visible.

I do have to back up. I did not want to disturb the visual sequencing, but I did say there was more to see and it is even earlier than our beginning on February 25^th. I noticed while doing the charts that lone-wolf Uranus had a trick up its sleeve. Look at the February 21^st chart. Uranus is directly conjunct the Ascendant, applying because the Ascendant moves faster than any planet. Can you say ACTIVE! NOW! Two of the stelliums are already in place: Capricorn and Pisces. The Pisces stellium had formed when the Sun moved in three days prior. Mercury is squaring Uranus, applying (happening now to future) by February 24^th. (Mercuryis moving about 1.25˚ per day.)

Look at the 21^st Moon 3:01 Scorpio, applying to a conjunction of the Descendant opposing the Ascendant/Uranus conjunction, just after will have squared the day’s Mercury. Repeating, the daily Moon travels one degree every two hours on the clock. The diurnal Midheaven (longitude and time of day factors) moves 1˚ per day. The diurnal Ascendant/Descendant travels forward approximately a degree per day, depending on the Midheaven at a specific degree of latitude. Any Uranus-involved aspect can be volatile, sudden and surprising… particularly because it is angular. All the lunar-activated aspects mentioned are occurring within hours on the 21^st day’s clock, again describing a cascading effect. Note also that fast-moving Moon will also square diurnal Saturn by the following day.

Chart ruler Venus is tightly conjunct Mars, co-ruler of the Descendant, applying (now to future). This pairing can possibly be another trigger that opens the door for what the multiple stelliums and such tightly-clustered planets have to teach us. The Moon seems to be the triggering element. In a political reading, the Moon can be the populace at large. The Moon is clannish – think enlarged family, countrymen, perhaps “my country right or wrong”. Demonstrations? Counter demonstrations? By the citizens? Or perhaps like a row of dominoes lined up just right, pressure on one domino distributes itself to the others in a cascade effect.

My friend and editor, Deb, asked what the individual stelliums might represent by sign. Briefly:

Venus, Mars, Pluto, Midheaven, Moon in Capricorn:

Venus represents the value system of our country, our relatedness. Can we feel and respect one another? Are we friendly? Capricorn insists that relationships have intrinsic value. I think that might also be called respect for one another.
Mars represents the assertiveness and courage of our country, our feistiness, our fearless reaching out into experience. Do we also resort to personal battles when we cannot have our own way?
As mentioned, the US D of I Virgo rising natal chart sports a major Mercury 24 Cancer opposition Pluto 27 Capricorn being triggered by our current Pluto return. Power and control through communication is possible, and also political brain-washing or mental rotor-rootering. Remember that the founders of our country did not know that Uranus, Neptune or Pluto even existed. They were not visible or conscious. But… they were out there and they were the unconscious (unknown) trying to become conscious (visible). This is an ongoing aspect from Pluto. This part of the lesson is not done!
The Midheaven represents our national mountain to climb, our achievements, our reputation, or lack thereof. In Capricorn, the lesson says, “We are our brother’s keeper”. We must be responsible and reliable, with integrity. There are rules. In a Democratic or Republican setting such as our country, there is one set of laws to govern all, equally applied.
Enter the Moon, the populace, the clan, the nation’s people as a collective; our feelings, our reactions. In Capricorn, these can be emotionally judgmental. Recognize the elements of the turmoil?

Mercury, Saturn, Moon in Aquarius:

Mercury of communication for a country indicates that progressive, forward-seeking, modern, freedom and right to speak out is at stake. This is our voice, expressed – our freedom of speech!
Saturn in its detached, scientific mode of operation, questions and examines everything, old rules, new rules, transitions between what has been and what faces us. Traditional.
Enter the Moon, the same people we met in Capricorn. Populace remains as clan, our collective, now expressing our feelings and reactions in an Aquarian way, progressive, forward seeing and seeking, espousing individual rights. We are one with humanity.

Sun, Jupiter, Neptune, Moon in Pisces:

The Sun, national identity, the heart of the people, what we want to be when we grow up as a country, in Pisces of gestalting, empathy – we are one with the universe.
Jupiter signifies our expansive, expressive, far-seeing, far-reaching for more, better, advancing, growing, pushing out of those horizons. Jupiter, co-ruler of Pisces, is imaginative and strong.
Neptune, the other co-ruler of Pisces, is again gestalting our experience. We can do more, be more, give more. It is opposition its natal position in Virgo of the simpler life of the farmer, the hard-worker, civility. We have been facing our own national demons recently and it has been most unpleasant. This lesson can be finished for this moment, but it can return. We experienced this opposed position in the lead up to our infamous Civil War of 1861-65. We did make it through, but only after we had battered and bruised ourselves, our countrymen and our country. Have we just repeated the lesson because we just didn’t learn it the first time? Have we learned anything this time? Or is repetition necessary? Lesson #1: Revolutionary War. Lesson #2: Civil War. Lesson #3: NOW! Hope we have learned!
Moon in Pisces: re-read the Neptune part again. We the people must now move past this lesson and put to work for us what the energy has taught us. Can we as a people integrate what we have learned? Or must we get ready for the potential repetition of this lesson?

More???

Uranus in Taurus on the Taurus Ascendant is still a wild card, ruling and square stellium Mercury/Saturn and re-triggered by the Moon crossing the Descendant.

The Ascendant is our face to the world, the world’s view of us, how we as a nation cope with the moment. Uranus is stubborn in Taurus, acting out because that’s what Uranus does with boundaries.
The Descendant, not I / me, but us / other… nationally, that can be other countries. As we argue with and batter one another, will other militant countries attempt to interfere? “United we stand, divided we fall” are the old song lyrics.
Uranus is the wild card, progress attempting to break through the rules and stagnation.
Mercury rules communication. Can we hear each other? Are we listening or merely interjecting our own thoughts and opinions at every opportunity?
Saturn represents rules and regulations, authority, stability. Progress demands change as repetition becomes a rut. What worked before might not work now. But… we don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Humans dislike change.

Note that these stelliums inhabit the very visible 9^th, 10^th, and 11^th houses, our external world, right out there for everyone to see, nothing really hidden from the worldview. We were called “the shining city upon the hill” in terms of our individual freedoms, but rule by vote of the public can get very messy. I compare it to herding cats. Benjamin Franklin helped form our nation but placed a caveat: “if we could hang on to it”. It is up to us, all of us and the time is now.

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