Millennium Changes

by Terence Guardino:

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