ARTICLES

Notes on Jupiter-Saturn Conjunctions
by Gary Lorentzen

These notes were written in a memo to Madeline Gerwick-Brodeur in 2006 as part of an ongoing discussion about astro-economics and historical events.

OK, in looking at these conjunctions over the last 200 plus years, there's a pretty clear correlation between the planets in hard-aspect to the conjunction and the political/economic developments that occur in the following 20 year period. You asked specifically about the square to Uranus, which occurred in 1861 and again in 2000. However, significant economic changes, if not outright economic revolutions occurred with other planets in aspect to the JUP/SAT conjunction.

For example, the conjunction in Earth in opposition to Pluto created the Napoleonic Era 1800-1820 and, in the US, an intense demand for slave labor as the Plantation System developed as a result of the cotton gin and the growing textile industry in Britain. This is part of the emergence of industrial capitalism that ultimately replaced the old imperial mercantile system in the previous Fire Cycle. Pluto seems a very apt symbol for both Napoleon, as the first of the modern totalitarian dictators, and slavery. There was, though, a significant shift/change in the nature of the world economy from mercantilism to capitalism.

The next conjunction in 1821 was squared to Mercury, and just as you'd expect, there was a revolution in transportation technologies with the advent of the railroad and trains. There was also a new construction technology that allowed canals to be built all over Europe and the great Erie Canal in New York. These canal systems ultimately allowed greater transportation of raw materials to industrial centers and fueled the industrial revolution.

In 1842 there were no aspects to the conjunction other than a quintile to Uranus. There were no significant economic changes/shifts, but there was an intensification of industrial capitalism and growth in European imperialism as well as the pioneer movements westward in the US.

In 1861, you have the square to Uranus, which marks the violence in the US Civil War and a significant shift in economic practices that led to the collapse of the Plantation System that fueled so much of the textile industry in Europe. And, of course, the Southern States then went into economic freefall. But there was no large-scale economic dislocation in the world economy.

In 1881, the conjunction had no aspects to modify its effects in any particular way. Since the conjunction occurred in Taurus, I wonder if that suggests that the impulse was very 'pure' Taurus, which allowed for the 'laissez faire' economic practices known for the period. Wealth became the primary value of the period and led to the new American 'nobility' with their mansions in Newport, R.I. and their monopolies and trusts that dominated the economy. By the end of the 20 year period, a very few men had control of the vast majority of the wealth generated in the US. (see the commentary below for 1881). That laissez faire attitude also extended to the European empires as they took over even more areas of Asia and Africa with relative ease.

In 1901, the conjunction is opposed to the Moon, and there's a new impulse to check the excesses of laissez faire economics and to begin to take care of the lower classes. Progressivism was the term used to express this idea that the government should be monitoring and regulating industry in order to protect the workers and the consumer. This movement actually begins as a result of the novel, "The Jungle," which lays out the problems in the meat-packing industry. New regulations then became a foregone conclusion and the government began investigating all areas of industry to protect the consumer. In addition, labor unions and strikes were finally supported by the federal government in order to protect the worker. Interesting symbolism with the Moon as the modifier of the conjunction. In 1921, the Moon squares the conjunction, and you get the formation of the Soviet Union (1922), based on a Marxist political and economic system. Additionally, the world economy is in trouble, beginning first in Europe as an after effect of WWI. Hyperinflation and depression spread throughout the world within the next decade. John M. Keynes is writing important economic theory at this time, which he formulates into a new economy philosophy by the early 30s. This becomes adopted by most of the industrialized countries in the world and becomes known as the Keynesian Revolution. In the U.S. it takes the form of FDR's "New Deal" to combat the great depression. So, here you have a major shift in economic practice without the influence of Uranus or other 'heavier' indicators of change and revolution. Very interesting!!

In 1940, the US and European economies are pushed into high gear for war production in WWII. This boom ultimately continues until 1960. Heavy industries, however, are slowly being replaced by a service-oriented and light-tech industries in the economy and much of the old industries begin relocating to the 3rd World.This trend continues and picks up momentum in the 1980s and 90s.

In 1961, the conjunction is once again squared to the Moon, and this time also the Sun. The traditional progressive ideas begun under the Moon in aspect to the conjunction (1901) are now applied to all areas of the economy in both the US and Europe. The Great Society under Johnson is developed to take care of America's poor and working classes and combat poverty. But by the end of this Jup/Sat cycle the Great Society had created more problems than it solved and the poor were, in fact, worse off than before--now just institutionalized in a welfare society. The economies of the Western World were in total shambles by the late 70s reeling from an oil embargo, a collapse of its heavy industries, extreme debt and a business climate strangled by regulation and controls.

Those are examples of what happens when the conjunction is aspected by various planets. It seems that Uranus doesn't have any more revolutionary influence on the economy than, say, the Moon or Mars or Pluto. Each cycle is impacted, though, according to the planet/s that are in closest aspect to the degree of conjunction. That's very interesting, I think!! Below you'll find an historical outline with brief commentary on the conjunctions.

Jul 17, 1802: 05:41pm LMT, Washington DC; This is the first conjunction in Earth as it mutates from the Fire signs. Its last conjunction in Fire occured in 1821, then moved into Earth for the new cycle in 1842. Conjunction: 05Virgo48
    aspects: opposition to Pluto (6Pisces48)

Historical commentary: The Industrial Revolution kicked off with this one. European colonialism began the process of globalizing the world economy. Mercantilism was gradually replaced by the new Capitalism as outlined by Adam Smith (in The Wealth of Nations published in 1776). The world was thrown into turmoil as Napoleon launched his Wars of Unification. British, Russian and Austrian Empires fought back. The new economics created a new Middle Class (Bourgeousie) and Working Class (Proletariat). In America the cotton gin (patented in 1794) became widespread and contributed to the development of the 'plantation economy' in the southern states.

Jun 19, 1821: 12:06pm LMT, Washington DC; the last conjunction in the Fire cycle. Conjunction: 24Aries49
    aspects: square to Mercury, (18Cancer41)

Historical commentary: The end of the Napoleonic Era; further integration of the world markets under the new Capitalism; Latin American revolutions created new nations in South America; new transportation technologies in their infancy, but they came to fruition with the railroad and steel bridge construction in the 1830s. The Erie Canal was dug from the Great Lakes to the Hudson River.

Jan 26, 1842: 01:04am LMT, Washington DC; This conjunction in Earth signs. Conjunction: 08Capricorn54
    aspects: no Ptolemaic aspects...quintile to Uranus (21Pisces45)

Historical commentary: European empires begin spreading into Asia and Africa. Globalization of the world economy really picks up its pace. Nationalist movements based in the new middle class social consciousness seek to end monarchy, empire and conservative authoritarian governments, culminating in the massive social revolutions of 1848, including the founding of the Women's Movement and Marxism. The conjunction brought Manifest Destiny, the Mexican War and the Emigrants to the West in the US.

Oct 21, 1861: 07:18am LMT, Washington DC; Conjunction: 18Virgo22
    aspects: square to Uranus (15Gemini59Rx)

Historical commentary: US Civil War; the collapse of the plantation economy; the first 'nation' created in Europe (Italy); the rapid spread of the railroads; further extension of the European empires in Africa and Asia; telegraphic communications; industrial capitalism and empire continue to push economic globalization--the new transportation and communication technologies increase the rate of globalization.

April 18, 1881: 08:30am LMT, Washington DC; Conjunction: 01Taurus36
    aspects: NONE! Completely unaspected (does this mean there's no 'resistance' to the 'taurean' impulses of the conjunction? Does the lack of aspects lead to a 'laissez faire' approach to economics and business practices?)

Historical Commentary: The beginning of the so-called Guilded Age of 'Robber Barons' and hyper-wealthy individuals in the U.S. and Europe. Laissez Faire economics; extreme racism and the 'White Man's Burden' of civilizing non-white peoples; within 20 yrs in the U.S. 90% of the country's wealth was in the hands of a few men--the socalled robber barons: Carnegie, Mellon, Frick, Stanford, Hopkins, Huntington, Crocker, Rockefellar, Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, and JP Morgen. European Empires took over the whole world from Africa to Asia.

Nov 28, 1901: 11:21am EST, Washington DC: Conjunction: 14Capricorn00
    aspects: opposition Moon (12Cancer29) wide sextile to Mercury in Scorpio

Historical Commentary: The U.S. began its 'imperial' period under Teddy Roosevelt. There was a new critical view of industrial capitalism (progressivism) and a growing sensitivity to the working and poor classes. The world economy was fully globalized by 1914. European Empires ran out of countries to colonize and began fighting each other for power...World War I. By the next conjunction, the entire imperial system and the globalization of the economy ended.

Sept 9, 1921: 11:14pm EST, Wash. DC: Conjunction: 26Virgo36
    aspects: square the Moon (28Pisces37)

Historical Commentary: End of WWI, the effects of the Versailles Treaty were felt in Europe with hyperinflation and economic depression. Latin American economies began to collapse as the world economy became de-globalized. The US markets began to dominate the world and the focus creates an extreme 'bubble' that burst by 1929. The Great Depression--the economic problems in Europe now spread throughout the whole world by 1933. Keynesian Revolution in Economic Theory. An ideological conflict developed in economics between von Hayek and Keynes. Most governments adopted Keynesian practices. The Soviet Union was founded in 1922, shortly after the conjunction, with a Marxist-Leninist political-economic system.

Aug 7, 1940: 08:24pm EST, Wash DC: Conjunction: 14Taurus 27
    aspects: square the Sun (14 Leo); wide square to Mars (22 Leo)

Historical Commentary: World War II was raging in Europe, but the U.S. was not yet involved. FDR was developing a plan to lend and lease the Allies in Europe (with the Soviets only receiving minimal benefits) military hardware and material to conduct the war. This put the US war industry in gear and there was a significant surge in production. Throughout this Jup/Sat cycle the economies of the world became more and more centrally planned, i.e., Keynesian, with increasing regulatory pressures on business. The Cold War followed WWII and the defeat of Fascism/Nazism, but so did a phenomenal surge in the US economy as the developed world moved towards consumerism, service and the decline of the traditional heavy industry. Pollution was an extreme problem in the industrialized cities, with toxic fogs/smogs settling over London, for example, killing hundreds. The Great Lakes by the end of this Jup/Sat cycle were dead with no vegetation or animal life left in them. US rivers were filled with chemicals and sewage. Tobacco use became widespread even among youth and by 1960 64% of the US population smoked cigarettes. (The conjunction chart had Pisces rising and an angular 7th H. Neptune at 23 Virgo. Perhaps that's part of this pollution and tobacco equation?)

Feb 18, 1961: 07:02pm EST, Wash. DC: conjunction: 25Cap12
    aspects: squared to Moon/Venus (Venus, 15Aries; Moon 19Aries)

Historical Commentary: This period of time, of course, was the Kennedy era, his assassination, the beginning of the great social revolution of the 1960s, the Great Society under Johnson, the Vietnam War, etc. This was a very 'socially conscious' period that led to highly socialized welfare systems in Europe, Canada and America. It was similar to the old Progressive Era, but much broader and deeper in scope. It took the Keynesian economic ideas and extended them to an extreme, ultimately stressing the economies of the first world. By the early 70s, the industrial economies began suffering from 'stagflation', which shouldn't have existed according to Keynesian theory, but did, nonetheless, and things get so bad that by the late 70s and early 80s, interest rates were at 22%, with a gas/oil crisis. The European and American economies were struggling under the weight of their social spending and highly regulated industries and there was worry of economic collapse.

Dec 31, 1980: 04:24pm EST, Wash.DC: Conjunction: 09Libra30
    aspects: tight square to Sun/Mercury conj. (10Cap), but also hard minor aspects to Venus and Moon. This is the first of the conjunctions in Air signs--the conjunction in Earth occurs for the last time in 2000, thereafter the Air cycle is in effect.

Historical commentary: This began the end of Keynesian economic practices world-wide. Britain was the first to abandon its State regulated/controlled economy, instituting deregulation and the State's divestment of industry. Thatcher had begun this process already in the mid to late 70s. She was a student of von Hayek's economic theories and particularly taken with his book The Road to Serfdom, which criticized central planning and state control of the economy. Ronald Reagan was influenced by Thatcher's approach and began his 'Reaganomics' trickle down program in the US. Ultimately, the commanding heights of the world economies were placed back in the hands of private people and businesses. These initial changes helped create the US economic boom during the 90s, but not without the restrained economic policies of President Clinton, his balanced-budget, elimination of the trade deficit and overhaul of the welfare system. The result was a robust economy and a very quick globalization of the newly liberated 'markets' and a new economic era began. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 and the reduction of socialist policies in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe were also part of the overall scenario. Germany was reunified and China liberalized its economy to participate in the global boom. Computer and communication technologies revolutionized the world. Trade barriers were dropped, creating a massive wave of economic globalization.

May 28, 2000: 10:56am EST: Washington DC: Conjunction: 22Taurus43
    aspects: square Uranus (20Aquarius49) This is the last of the conjunctions in the old Earth cycle.

Historical Commentary: hyper inflated high-tech markets created a bubble that burst in 2001-02. It began to become clear that the US had not invested in its oil refining and processing industries, which led to shortages as Asia and Eastern Europe began demanding more gas/oil. Bush rejected the Reagan Doctrine and adopted the Clinton Doctrine (regime-change and promoting democratic reforms) in foreign policy, but then took it a step further in a policy that sought to force democratic nation-building leading to the Iraq War to end the so-called Islamo-fascist dictatorship of Saddam Hussein and diminish terrorism. The hope was to politically agitate the Middle Eastern democratic impulses engendering democratic reforms that would lead to the collapse of the authoritarian regimes. The intent was ultimately to see the end of the Syrian dictatorship and its occupation of Lebanon, the Iranian Islamo-fascist theocracy, and push for a separate state for Palestine. Whether the policy and actions succeed or not will determine the impact on the world economy. However, at this point in time, the policy and the strategies have not been executed well and Bush's original war staff (Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and Bremer) have all left the scene.

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