by Marilyn Muir, LPMAFA
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
I was planning to watch the Congressional acceptance of each state’s electoral votes when it changed into something unexpected right before my eyes… the Capitol protest also known as the DC Riot. We went from a Congressional hearing to insurrection in a heartbeat. I was as mesmerized as everyone else at what was unfolding, horrified but riveted to the television screen. Belatedly, I realized I had not written down the timing and would have to rely on news and congressional sources. I am still trying to figure that out; there are conflicts in reporting, so the timeline will have to wait on that clarification. In an attempt to explain to others what was happening astrologically to my country and the halls of Congress, I turned first to my trustworthy Declaration of Independence Virgo-rising chart and my favorite transit technique: diurnals. WOW!
- The clustering of planets has been present in the sky for months now as our country crashes its way through the activations. Currently there are five planets within 18 degrees of space: Sun, Pluto, and Mercury in Capricorn (a stellium), with Saturn and Jupiter in early Aquarius. The Ascendant of this diurnal is also Aquarius but very late by degree, and stelliums only count planets (traditional rules).
- Diurnal Mercury 26:54 Capricorn currently in an applying square to diurnal Mars 29:51 Aries, then moves into Aquarius to conjunct both Saturn and Jupiter and to complete the squares to Mars and Uranus. Volatility in communication personified!
- The diurnal (transit) Moon is squaring those Capricorn planets, ticking them off by its range of motion of 1˚ every two hours on the clock. It had already squared the Sun. After about four hours the Moon would go void of course; life would progress but in a much calmer phase. About 22 hours later that Moon would start squaring the Aquarius placements. Perhaps this sign change would indicate a change but not a cessation of activity.
- As if that weren’t enough, Mars at the end of Aries had been squaring any Capricorn placements for the latter months of 2020 and was now moving into Taurus to intensify its square to the Jupiter and Saturn grand conjunction. Mars was moving 28 minutes in travel for 24 hours on the clock. It only needed nine minutes of motion, or about nine hours that same day to perfect. Want more?
- Mars moved into Taurus on January 6th, approaching Uranus. Uranus is marked retrograde but is actually at stock-still station as it changes direction from retrograde to direct. Think of a planet staying in one spot (station) for several days, radiating its energy into that space, stronger with every pulse, intensifying whatever it signifies. That is how a station works. Then it starts moving again, forward (increasing in degrees) if its new direction is direct, or backward (decreasing in degrees) if the new direction is retrograde. This current change of direction is forward. Uranus will move very slowly (one minute per day) as it resumes its normal range of motion of two to three minutes per day.
- That will make it very easy for Mars to catch up to its applying (future) square to Uranus very quickly, l/2˚ per day. Guess what very important day Mars catches Uranus: January 20th. Sounds important to me… the inauguration of our new President and Vice President of the U.S., Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris. WOW!
It is important to remember that the U.S. Declaration of Independence chart has Mercury 24:20R Cancer in opposition to Pluto 27:33R Capricorn. This is a difficult aspect that was not visible (conscious) to our Founding Fathers in 1776 since Pluto had yet to be discovered. This powerful and manipulative communication/misinformation aspect is giving our nation a fit (note current transit activations) and will continue to do so until it teaches us what we need to learn from its natal position. This has been and still is in progress (applying orb) and will continue until complete in a couple of years, including the ending orb of effect. What was unconscious is becoming conscious and visible, and it is uncomfortable. It has been at the core of our difficulties – particularly in 2020 while transiting Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto were conjunct in late Capricorn.
There is more to report, but first chart data and an explanation of a diurnal chart is in order. A diurnal (of the day) chart shows personal transits including a Midheaven and Ascendant (very handy). Technique: start with the natal chart being examined. In this instance the U.S. Declaration of Independence chart of July 4, 1776, 9:36 AM LMT, Philadelphia, PA (my choice of chart). Changing only the date in this instance to January 6, 2021, reset the chart. Only means do not change time, time standard or correction, or location. This produces a transit chart that is intimately tied to the natal. All transits are time-corrected to the natal including a working Ascendant and Midheaven, the diurnal for that natal. You can do this for any timed natal chart for any single day you wish to examine. I’ve used it successfully for many years!
First look at the DI (Declaration of Independence) diurnal for January 6, 2021 layout. Look at the cluster of planets in the eleventh/twelfth houses aspecting planets in the second house. The eleventh house represents Congress in mundane charting and the twelfth house represents that which is hidden, secret or self-undoing in any chart. The second house represents values of any kind, not just money values.
I do not like Neptune intercepted in the first house because we may never truly know what happened here. However, the natal DI chart for our country has Neptune in the first house and Neptune can also represent spiritual revelatory issues, that which we espouse as our public face (first house).
How can you tell “when” and “what” can happen? “When” is quite easy for an astrologer. Simply look at the degree spread, know the typical or actual motion of the bodies or points involved and apply.
- In the protest chart, the Midheaven is 11:54 Sagittarius (12). The Ascendant is 27:43 Aquarius. The Midheaven moves one degree forward every four minutes on the clock. Each degree of motion represents one day forward on the calendar.
- The Ascendant can move from 45 minutes to 2 degrees on that same clock depending on the latitude (location) of event. At the Philadelphia latitude, this Ascendant is moving 1.5 degrees in that same 4 minutes. The chart shows 27:43 Aquarius rising, 2 1/4 degrees from change to 00 Pisces or less than 2 days. Jan 6 plus 2 + or – days equals Jan 7 to 8.
- Next part: On January 6 Neptune is intercepted, beneath the visible surface of Aquarius (look to Uranus and its hard aspects to delineate. The sign and the planet of ambush (Neptune in Pisces) is not yet visible. It will become visible between the 7th and 8th and it did. Do we understand it all? Not yet, but time will reveal the ambush, the perpetrators, and the truth. Visibility offers consciousness.
Diurnal (diu) to Natal Declaration of Independence (DI) active aspects in order from diu Midheaven:
- Diu Midheaven 11:54 Sagittarius conjunct DI IC (4th cusp)
- Diu Sun 16:30 Capricorn opposed DI Sun 13:01 Cancer
- Diu Pluto 24:22 Capricorn opposed DI Mercury 24:20R
- Diu Mercury 26:54 Capricorn conjunct DI Pluto 27:33R
- Diu Saturn 2:16 conjunct diu Jupiter 4:04 Aquarius conjunct DI S Node 6:35
- Diu Neptune 18:35 Pisces square diu Nodal axis 19:39 Gemini/Sagittarius,
Diu Neptune opposed DI Neptune 22:25 Virgo, square DI Mars 21:10 Gemini - Diu Mars 29:51 Aries conjunct diu Uranus 6:45R Taurus, square DI Nodes 6:35 Leo/Aquarius
- Diu N Node 19:39 Gemini conjunct DI Mars 21:10 Gemini, square DI Neptune 22:25 Virgo
- Diu Moon 19:13 Libra square diu Sun 16:30 Capricorn, within 24 hours (14˚ daily motion), Moon also squares diu Pluto 24:22 and diu Mercury 26:54 Capricorn,
Moon also opposes diu Mars once the Moon moves into Scorpio,
Moon also squares Saturn/Jupiter conjunction in early Aquarius.
There is more, but I am staying focused on immediate aspects.
Next, I wondered about when the U.S. Constitution took effect and what its January 6, 2021 diurnal looked like. The date was March 4, 1789, Noon LMT, New York City, NY. Another WOW! I want to note first that the Constitution chart and the Declaration of Independence are amazingly tied. But there are so many aspects to follow, I do not want to overwhelm readers of this article. Instead, I will refer you to an earlier article I wrote (“US Formation to Inauguration”) for the ties between the DI and Constitution charts.
There will be slight differences in planetary placements because the DI chart is 9:36 AM and the Constitution (Con) chart is noon mark (time chosen by the Framing Fathers). The angles and house layouts are completely different. The fastest-moving body, the Moon, is quite close. Many aspects will be similar, but not all. Changes:
- The cluster comprised of the Capricorn stellium and Aquarius planets have moved to occupy the entire tenth house, all angular. Those who attacked looked like common citizens bent on getting their own way. But the location in the tenth house implies that “leadership” was heavily involved. Half the main planets occupy the leadership house. Not one person, but many people. The thought is horrifying to me as I write this. Our leaders? Multiple. How many? With five of ten planets involved, half the leadership!
- Con diu Mars 29:54 Aries is conjunct Con diu Ascendant 27:50. This was a physical attack on Congress itself in the physical Halls of Congress, the Capitol Building. With Mars conjunct stationary Uranus in Taurus, it was a surprise attack on our Constitution and its domicile. In this diurnal, Mars (chart ruler) is applying to Uranus half a degree a day, exact on the January 20th inauguration day.
- Con diu Neptune has moved into the twelfth house along with its square to the diu nodal axis; Neptune is in dignity by sign and by house, very strong, but lots of hidden, confusing, deceptive energy challenges (square), and potentially self-defeating.
Where is all this going? I have illustrated the applying transiting aspects as I have described for potential ongoing action. These activations are general transits and can be applied to either natal chart. Can these be timed or illustrated in any other useful way?
The Saturn/Jupiter grand conjunction on December 21, 2020 was a world stage setter (see “Grand Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn”). It is still in play as an applying aspect because other transiting planets are activating that degree (00-01 Aquarius). That specific conjunction may be in our past, but it is still alive.
- I have described how out-of-sign Mars moving into Taurus will intensify its pending conjunction with Uranus.
- Mars will then square first Saturn, then Jupiter.
- In the meantime, Jupiter is moving forward (separating from Saturn) towards the square to the stationary Uranus ¼ ˚ per day.
- Saturn will slowly (seven minutes per day) also move to the square of Uranus.
- While I have mentioned that Uranus is stationary, it leaves stationary status on January 14th, only five days away as I write this. That is a key date for Uranus shifting its energy from covering old territory (retrograde) to changing its mind (station) to activating new territory (direct motion). Be prepared for headlines, unexpected action or mind-blowing revelations (Uranus).
- Not to be left out, the transiting Moon, after it has activated the cardinal aspects as given, will also activate by square and opposition Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and Uranus.
- Also follow the Moon as it bundles the whole of the chart into 110˚ of space until inauguration day itself, and then will start to open that bundle pattern. Do not underestimate the Moon – it can act as a second hand or trigger to an existing pattern similar to “the straw that broke the camel’s back”.
What are exact dates for current transiting aspects previously discussed?
- Moon square Sun, square Pluto, square Mercury; Mars 00 Taurus January 6
- Moon oppose Mars, square Saturn, square Jupiter, Moon oppose Uranus January 7
- Mars square Jupiter/Saturn grand conjunction January 7
- Moon square Neptune, Moon oppose N Node January 10
- Mars square Saturn January 13
- Uranus station direct January 14 (see above)
- Jupiter square Uranus January 18
- Mars conjunct Uranus January 20
- Mars square Jupiter January 23
- Saturn square Uranus February 17
This is the very beginning of my research into this event. When I can pin down the correct timing, I will put together an astrological timeline so we can see it unfold in real sequence. God Bless our country and keep it safe.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.