The major international event in 2017 was North Korea’s missile program and Donald Trump’s saber-rattling.
The provocation at times reached seismic levels, but with progressed Mercury opposition birth chart Mars in the Aquarian Age chart, the conflict was contained to a war (Mars) of words (Mercury).
This high-discord progression ends on January 21, 2018 and when it ends the Mars discord as aggressive rhetoric and reckless provocation will decrease significantly.
So in 2018 the threat of nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula is diminished although progressed Mars parallel birthchart Pluto signs for a dire international situation requiring a drastic solution.
How the international community deals with North Korea will be a top of the agenda issue in 2018, but there are other threats to humanity’s welfare that spiritual warriors, all around the world, are grappling with.
In the Pluto period of the Age of Aquarius humanity’s welfare is threatened by incompetent leaders, dictatorial control, corporate power, selfishness, greed, fear, materialism, atheism, terrorism, extremism, organized crime, climate change, financial inequality, economic and educational disadvantage, lies, misinformation, hate and the inability to cooperate.
And the key marker in the Aquarian Age chart that defines this wretched situation is the equinox pointer square progressed Pluto.
Humanity’s challenge is to solve and overcome each and every problem.
Sun
In the Sun section of the Aquarian Age progressed aspects involving the Sun in the Aquarian Age chart influence national and international political trends and in 2018 there are two progressed aspects involving the Sun.
Progressed Sun is parallel birth chart Mercury
The Sun is the planet of politics, leaders, political leadership, the political agenda, celebrity and celebrities. Mercury is the planet of talk, talks, conferences, science and controversy.
And their intense but imprecise parallel aspect forecasts major political controversies, non-stop talking by the politicians and commentators, non-stop writing by the reporters and news reporting controversies.
This slow moving long-time aspect started in January 2012 and reaches peak power in August 2020.
It has played a significant role in educating people about the role of politics, news reporting and science in their lives.
Progressed Sun is semsextile progressed Neptune
Neptune is the planet of schemes, socialism, booms, bubbles, scams, confusion, inflation, drugs, opioids, aviation, stock companies and investors.
This minor Sun progression reached peak power on December 22, 2017, so its influence is on the wane in 2018.
It forecasts visionary political schemes and a swing towards socialism.
Mars
Because Mars – the planet of strife, war, violence, rows, feuds, accidents and fires – is such a destructive player in human affairs its progressed aspects attain a higher level of relative importance.
And there’s one new Mars progression in the Aquarian Age chart in 2018 – progressed Mars parallel progressed Pluto.
It starts in April 2018 and gives a boost to progressed Mars parallel birth chart Pluto.
So there are three Mars progressions influencing 2018.
Progressed Mars is inconjunct birth chart Moon
The Moon rules ordinary people, civilians, care-givers, family matters, households, housing, shelter, food and water.
And during 2017 progressed Mars inconjunct birthchart Moon told a horrific story involving civilian casualties in the war zones, violent attacks on civilians, burning villages, fires and accidents.
It saw the strife, violence and brutality of Mars directly impact the lives of the common, ordinary folk (Moon).
Progressed Mars inconjunct birthchart Moon reaches peak power on June 26, 2018.
It forecasts wars, conflicts, rows, disputes, acts of violence, harsh brutality, shootings, attacks on civilians, high-levels of anger, widespread alcohol abuse, domestic violence, accidents and strife for the everyday people.
Mars is the planet of fires and wildfires – the science is solid – and in 2018 major fire events will destroy property, landscapes and people’s lives.
The aspect forecasts feuds between Donald Trump and the press and American people.
Progressed Mars is parallel birth chart Saturn
In 2017 progressed Mercury opposition birth chart Mars had the war drums beating loudly on the Korean Peninsula but progressed Mars parallel birth chart Saturn contained the reckless aggression.
Saturn’s sense of caution acted as a restraining force. It sobered up the hotheads and had their feet on the brake pedal.
But other wars were being fought around the globe.
The war in Yemen saw dreadful suffering (Saturn) and Islamic State suffered a huge loss of territory (Saturn).
On December 6 with progressed Moon sesquisquare progressed Saturn Vladimir Putin declared victory over Islamic State across both banks of the Euphrates.
And on December 10 security (Saturn) was restored in Iraq when President, Fuad Masum, announced that all the territory occupied by ISIS had been liberated and the war (Mars) against Islamic State was over.
Progressed Mars moved to form a parallel aspect with birth chart Saturn in February 2017.
The aspect reaches peak power and discord in August 2020.
China is involved in a dispute with India and territorial disputes with Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam in the South China Sea.
Mars is the planet of war, construction, destruction, manufacturing and the weapons industry.
Saturn is the planet of fear, security, hardship, suffering, loss, economy, cost-saving, long range planning and basic utilities.
And in 2018 progressed Mars parallel birth chart Saturn forecasts war fears, a cold war, massive building and infrastructure projects, cost saving measures in the manufacturing sector, a manufacturing slowdown, destructive weather events, natural disasters and harsh suffering. There won’t be a shortage of anger and grief.
A cold war is not a shooting war. It’s a state of political hostility between countries that is characterized by threats, propaganda and other measures short of open warfare.
Progressed Mars is parallel birth chart and progressed Pluto
Mars is planet of strife, conflict and war. It rules the soldiers in the war-zones, those who guard the streets of a nation and the police who maintain law and order.
And in the Age of Aquarius the armed services (Mars) are transforming how they fight by replacing soldiers and ammunition with drones and algorithms.
Pluto is the planet of groups, teamwork, cooperation, terror networks, crime, criminals, corruption, computers, internet, websites, misinformation, inversion, threats, intimidation and drastic events.
Mars is the planet of sex and Pluto is the planet of coercion so Mars plus Pluto equals sexual harassment and rape.
Any event involving a group bears the mark of Pluto.
ISIS is a terror group (Mars-Pluto) and its containment and defeat is a higher-Pluto enterprise involving national security forces (Saturn) and international cooperation (Pluto).
We expect the group’s influence to diminish in 2018, but the threat of terror attacks involving fanatical (Lower-Pluto) suicide bombers, cars and trucks will remain high.
They’ll occur whenever a large volume of discordant Mars-Uranus or Mars-Pluto energy impacts Earth.
Progressed Mars moved to form a parallel aspect with birth chart Pluto in June 2015.
It’s a dangerous Pluto aspect, at a time when the Lower-Pluto influence is particularly prevalent.
Many misguided human souls are actively engaged in terrorist activity, coercion, corruption, on-line propaganda and the spreading of false and misleading information.
It reaches peak power and discord on December 19, 2018 and forecasts…
International disunity, drastic international developments, dictatorial methods, war, terror attacks, cyber attacks, hideous crimes, vile brutality, fanaticism, hate crimes, sexual violence, claims of sexual misconduct and all kinds of corruption.
It sets the scene for division and drastic action.
Humanity’s enemies led by Lower-Pluto’s rogue countries, terror groups, crooks and criminal networks are under siege from the world’s security forces fighting for the higher good.
North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is a menace to international peace and human welfare
It’s shaping up as a yearlong emergency (Mars).
Conjunction aspects sign for big events
The high-discord square and opposition aspects indicate troubled times. They sign for political, economic and social problems that, in the interest of moving forward, have to be solved.
And moving forward in the Age of Aquarius is all about human rights, the welfare of others, altruistic endeavor and humanitarian issues.
The high-harmony trine and sextile aspects indicate periods of peace and prosperity. They sign for fortunate events that favor progress.
And the high powered conjunction aspects sign for political, economic and social events of historical importance.
In 2018 there’s one conjunction aspect in the Aquarian Age chart.
Progressed Venus is conjunction progressed Saturn
Venus is the planet of peace, women, women’s issues, social cohesion, joy, beauty, cosmetics, fashion and the textile-clothing industry.
Saturn is the planet of security, safety, economy, lower-prices, austerity, poverty, fear, disease, suffering and loss.
And progressed Venus moved to form a conjunction aspect with progressed Saturn in November 2013.
Since then security has become the world’s chief concern.
The aspect merges the Venus and Saturn agendas in a very conspicuous way and reaches peak power on February 19, 2018.
Its house position in a specified chart defines its environmental setting.
In some countries it’s the hardship suffered by women and the social suffering inflicted by poverty and disease.
In others it’s the #MeToo movement, which has seen many women (and some men) – known as the ‘silence breakers’ – come forward with allegations of harassment and abuse.
Saturn’s fear keeps people silent. And there are those who exploit the fear of loss and the fear of not being believed for personal advantage.
And when Saturn’s drive for economy turns to greed employers exploit workers. So there’s widespread income inequality and wage theft.
Saturn’s avarice keeps working people in poverty.
You have probably benefited from the cheap clothing produced by cheap labor.
And natural disasters cause hardship, disease and suffering.
We expect the events and trends mapped by progressed Venus conjunction progressed Saturn to continually grab the headlines in 2018.
(The United Nations provides reports that will keep you up to date with what is going around the globe in regard to poverty, disease and suffering.)
Trine aspects mark for good luck and lucky breaks
Square aspects indicate obstacles and an obstacle is something that obstructs or hinders forward progress. So the problem that an obstacle square aspect signs for has to be solved and overcome. They rarely are.
A trine aspect indicates luck that favors progress. There are no obstacles or other discords hindering the forward progress of the matters ruled by the planets forming the aspect.
Luck – the key word for the trine aspect – defies scientific explanation. It indicates that what happens comes easily and spontaneously.
And there is one trine aspect in the Aquarian Age chart in 2018.
Progressed Jupiter is trine birth chart Uranus
Jupiter is the planet of finances, currencies, higher prices, trade, religion, treaties, arbitration, the courts, publishing and advertising.
Uranus is the planet of independence, reform, discovery, the new and untried, technology, invention, innovation, exposé, sudden shocks and startling change.
Change makes the world a different place.
And progressed Jupiter moved to form a luck trine aspect with birth chart Uranus in July 2015.
The aspect merges the Jupiter and Uranus agendas in a very fortunate way and reaches peak power on January 17, 2020.
It forecasts financial reforms, financial exposés, court reforms, treaties, new inventions, rapid technological growth, electronic banking and new currencies.
It benefits trade and the publishing and advertising sectors.
It favors fortunate financial trends – higher prices, profits and wages – and millions of people around the globe will move out of poverty into the working class and millions will move from the working class to the middle class.
(Class defines your social/financial ranking. You’re ranked by your perceived social or economic status. It does not define your moral or spiritual ranking.
Religion
The influence of religion is potent and entrenched.
As per data released in 2014, there are 4,200 religions in the world. The size of their congregations varies greatly.
Christianity has 2.1 billion followers and two main sections – Protestants and Catholics.
Buddhism has approximately 1.6 billion followers.
Islam has 1.5 billion followers called Muslims.
Hinduism has approximately 950 million followers.
These religions provide humanity with religious teachings and practices and they’re all ruled by Jupiter.
And some have had a very bad press recently due to the vile behavior of some of their disciples.
Religious teachings provide humanity with a moral compass but when good ‘religious’ people do devilish deeds in God’s name the thinking members of the congregation start to question the role of religion in their lives.
Whatever, Jupiter is the planet that sources the impulse to do good.
Progressed Jupiter trine birth chart Uranus marks for religious reforms, religious extremism, religious unrest and major changes in religious thinking.
Progressed Jupiter is parallel progressed Neptune
Neptune is the planet of visionary schemes, slavery, refugees, complexity, involved affairs, chaos, confusion, illusion, trickery, deception, dramatic art, fraud, scams, bubbles and inflation.
It rules the desire to get something for nothing and is vague, easily fooled and desperate for easy money.
And progressed Jupiter – the financial planet – moved to form an intensity parallel aspect with progressed Neptune in January 2001.
The aspect merges the Jupiter and Neptune agendas in an imprecise but intense way that reached peak power in October 2017.
It forecasts financial schemes, financial scheming, financial deception – scams, financial uncertainty, confused financial conditions, inflationary trends, widespread fraud and bubbles.
An asset/financial bubble refers to an apparently good or fortunate situation that is isolated from reality and unlikely to last.
It occurs when the price of an asset – a house or a currency – strongly exceeds the asset’s intrinsic value. And asset, financial and housing bubbles occur regularly.
In 2018 – as humanity unwittingly journeys into the Age of Aquarius – Mars will ignite rows, conflicts, violence and fires; the Sun and Mercury will stir up political controversy; the Moon will adapt to the day to day strife and domestic discord; Saturn will cause poverty, disease, suffering, misery and grief; Venus will give peace a chance and send messages of love; Venus and Saturn will provide jobs for the girls and encourage women to challenge custom and tradition; Neptune will use every means available to escape Saturn’s harsh realities and dream of a better world; Pluto will cause division and disunity and apply subtle pressures that endorse mutual cooperation; Jupiter will bring financial good-fortune, economic growth and prosperity (for some); and Uranus will make discoveries and introduce reforms and innovations that change the way we live.
Astrology for Aquarius – sharing our knowledge
