Millennium Changes
Two celestial events of
unprecedented magnitude herald the passageway to the 21st
century: The Great August 11, 1999 Total Solar Eclipse and
the Grand Planetary Alignment of early May of 2000. But
before I write of the astrological interpretations of the
approaching planetary cycles keep in mind a very real
geophysical phenomena.
The year
2000 arrives near a "solar maximum," that time in the
11-year sunspot cycle when there is a preponderance of
solar activity. The peaks in the sunspot cycle have indeed
proven to be times of accelerated Earth change, and
intensified weather. The previous solar maximum around 1990
was memorialized by the vicious Loma Prieta Earthquake in
San Francisco, devastating hurricanes Iniki on Kauai and
Andrew in Florida, unprecedented flooding of the
Mississippi River delta, the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo,
among much other heightened activity.
The
Great 1999 Total Solar Eclipse. From ancient times,
eclipses have been considered significators of powerful
changes ahead. Wednesday, August 11, 1999, the new
millennium will be signified by a Total Solar Eclipse of
truly millennial proportions. The configuration involves
the participation of all the major planets except Pluto and
two minor asteroids in one of the four fixed signs of the
zodiac. This forms a "Grand Cross," where all of the
planets are either 90 degrees or 180 degrees from each
other and at cross purposes. These aspects form great
conflict and blockages of energies.
The
potent powers of warlike Mars, restrictive Saturn, and
revolutionary Uranus is one of the most confrontational,
violent combinations possible. What is most ominous about
this event is that the path of the eclipse, which describes
where its impact will be felt, takes a broad swath across
Europe, the Middle East, and Southern Asia. This includes
Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Bosnia and Kosovo. Ancient
astrologers believed that wherever the shadow could be seen
is where the trouble will be and fortunately the eclipse
cannot be seen from North America. This ominous signpost is
reminiscent of the Solar Eclipse in August 1990 which
triggered the Persian Gulf War. Mars was in opposition to
Saturn April 19th to 21st , 1999, the week of the Littleton
school massacre, and this opposition will happen again
August 11th during the Solar Eclipse which only intensifies
the energy! Will this be war or natural disasters or cult
followers freaking out?
The
Grand Cross is also part of a "crossing over" to a new era
or age. There was a weaker version of this configuration on
January 11, 1910. It is to be noted that the first air
transportation service, utilizing dirigibles in Germany,
was established on this date. It is easy to see how the
advances in technology transformed the world from a
horse-and-buggy condition to the high-tech world we live in
now. 1912 also began an amazing 8 year period beginning
with the greatest technologically built ship in the world
that couldn't sink - but did in April that year. Uranus
entered the fixed sign Aquarius Feb. 1912 through Jan. 1920
and because of it's 84 year cycle it didn't enter Aquarius
again until 1995 through 2003. Inventive Uranus was
transiting brilliant Aquarius when Jet propulsion ideas
were formulated, the Theory of Atomic Structure was
developed by Neils Bohr, Einstein's Theory of Relativity
was born, and the first heart surgery was performed on a
dog. Medical research discovered Vitamins A&B and the
list goes on.
Saturn
entered the fixed sign Taurus Feb. 28, 1999 for the first
time since 1969 and Saturn also was transiting Taurus 1910
through March 1913. Restrictive Saturn was in major
conflict with revolutionary Uranus when the Titanic sank
and W.W.I was building it's explosive pressure and this
same combination is happening this year but with a much
more powerful planetary aspect of the solar eclipse. This
Saturn in Taurus describes the wealthy upper class, secure
and unchanging in its world view. Uranus in Aquarius
demands social equality, and calls for dramatic reforms
through radical legislation, or more violent, even
revolutionary tactics that triggered W.W.I and perhaps WW2.
But with the chaos of Saturn and Uranus comes a new
consciousness that stimulated some of the greatest ideas
and inventions of the 20th Century from 1912 to 1920 just
as the same energy is happening again 1995 to 2003; with
the mass appeal of the internet and all the recent medical
advancements.
The
Grand Planetary Alignment of May 2000. The morning of May
3, 2000, all 7 visible planets (8 counting the ascendant)
-- the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn
will align within a tight geocentric sector of 27 degrees
in the fixed sign of Taurus. The May 2000 alignment takes
place days before the momentous Jupiter-Saturn conjunction,
and activates a difficult square to Uranus in Aquarius.
Whenever the outer planets form stressful configurations
like this, events in our global village will likewise
reflect unusually stressful situations. Earthquakes,
volcanoes, and other natural disasters are likely. The
Jupiter-Saturn conjunction takes place every 20 years, and
corresponds to major turns in the social and business
cycle. Because this conjunction is happening in Taurus, the
sign of material resources, the financial symbolism is
doubled for extra impact. The harsh square from Uranus will
undoubtedly bring severe disruptions in the normal business
cycle, which for the past decade has seen phenomenal growth
due to the harmonious array of outer planet positions.
Jupiter
will enter Taurus from July through October 1999 closing in
on Saturn which will give a preview of what the exact
conjunction will manifest in May 2000, both positively and
negatively, from individual lives to countries and earth
changes. The last time this cycle was in Taurus was 1940
through 1941 when W.W.II was devastating Europe. It's a
cycle teaching us how to integrate our selfish, ego needs
(Saturn) with others in the community (Jupiter) of life.
Obviously in 1941 the United States had to come out of it's
isolationist policy and integrate with the world or be
destroyed. Every 20 years begins another aspect of learning
this integration.
Research
for this article has been based on some of the writings of
astrologer Ken Kalb. For further information go to his web
site www.lightshift.com