22 Degrees

A creative exploration of the recent Saturn-Pluto conjunction at 22 degrees Capricorn, referencing past Saturn-Pluto alignments that have coincided with other major world events and drawing directly on the archetypal imagery and ideas in Richard Tarnas’ transformative and thought provoking text “Cosmos and Psyche.” I have taken generous creative liberties with the planets and how they are depicted and not everyone will agree with my characterizations. All of the quotes below that reference Tarnas are from the “Cosmos and Psyche” text and are not my original work. Cover images: “Dark Goddess” by Laura “Pelick” Siadak and “The Messenger” by h.kopp-delaney.

They stand shoulder to shoulder in the house of Capricornus, their fine black capes fluttering in the wind. It has been decades since they have been this close, 38 years to be precise.  They gaze out over the Earth and observe much unrest. Humans are finding ways to divide themselves again. Tension and the potential for dark chaos is growing each day. Saturn, her cold blue lips and pale, wrinkled skin gleaming in the waxing light of the Moon feels a sense of satisfaction as the limitations grow and build among humankind, like great walls delineating boundaries, separating wrong from right, dividing people and determining endings. Many are confined against their will, some held for no particular cause or reason or action. She breathes deeply into the tightening, constricting, and ever-growing discipline being foisted upon the humans below. “This is my essence embodied. The endings are becoming clearer now. The limitations are falling into place.”

Pluto, his jet black tresses nearly invisibly blending with his onyx skin, takes her hand. “What dark chaos shall we bring them this time, my dear? I have missed you.” He can sense the creatures that inhabit the darkest crevices of the mind and imagination taking hold, further sowing unrest, doubt, confusion, and anger among the Earth’s human inhabitants. The rise of othering among humans has grown in recent years. Overt acts of racism, xenophobia, and hatred have been given more audience and more mainstream approval under recent leadership. The flames of the Underworld have been stoked and holy fire burns within so many people’s eyes. Some grasp for their holy books. Others look to weapons. Many feel lost, drifting in a sense of hopelessness that seems to know no bounds. It is a dark time among humankind, indeed. Pluto understands the darkness and knows that it is part of the cosmic ebb and flow.

The last time these two powerful forces aligned across the solar system from one another, nearly 2 decades ago, the world witnessed tragedy, death, loss of lives, and unfathomable terror in the form of buildings smoldering in the middle of a major metropolitan city. Holy fire inspired these terrorist actions by religious extremists, fueled by the alignment of Pluto and Saturn along the Sagittarius-Gemini axis. And yet somehow, even in the face of such trauma, a select few called forth “… intense focus and discipline, with minimal resources, and exceptional courage and acts of will in the face of extreme danger, hardship, death, and moral darkness.” (Tarnas, p. 257) Would the current alignment yield the same courageous stepping forward to stand against the dark, raging waters of chaos? Only time would tell.

Saturn spoke first, breaking the long silence that had elapsed between them. “A great many fingers have hovered near the triggers that could unleash another Great War here upon the Earth. This brings me a great sense of unease.” She paused and reflected, “…naming the inhuman cruelty and violence, the bestial evil, the holocaustal and nuclear horror, the ethnic cleansing, the predatory imperialism.” (Tarnas, p. 260) A sense of sadness came over her, for Her boundaries, delineations, and limitations do not exist in order to bring such suffering to the souls of the Universe.

Pluto raised His arms to the sky, conjuring a great storm. “Yet in order to expose the underlying cosmic truths, we must break down, destroy, and rip apart what exists in order to make way for something new. Whether it be by war, violence, civil uprising, plague, or storm. The sentient beings of the Earth must be disrupted, disturbed, and thrown into darkness in order to emerge anew.” He remembered fondly the millions of acres of land burning in the southern hemisphere as She drew nearer to him mere months ago. Pluto fears nothing.

“I don’t think I can stomach something so violent right now, Pluto. Did you say something about a plague? Remember when we danced together nearly a century ago? 1915, was it?” Saturn’s memories span eons and sometimes the details are difficult to recall.

“Yesssss,” he hissed. “The Earth is definitely ripe for a plague. It’s been far too long since humankind has had to face its fears of the microscopic realm and all the hidden, filthy, disgusting things it can do to their bodies.” Pluto chuckled and drew a pouch from the folds of his cloak. The globe spun below them and He sprinkled the first bit of virus on to one of the most populace realms of the Earth. He knew in his heart that the price this virus would exact would not be limited to lives. It would amplify “… the characteristic Saturn-Pluto motifs of judgment and guilt, cruel punishment, claustrophobic bureaucracy and totalitarian confinement…” (Tarnas, p. 243) 

Homes would come to feel like prisons to some under months of mandatory confinement. Many would feel the need to place blame, turning to race and national origin in order to incite race-based violence against their fellow humans. Some would call the government’s response an attempt to suppress the rights of the people, denying and defying scientific evidence. And there would be so much loss. There would of course be loss of life, but also livelihood, fortunes, and dreams for the future would drown in the waters of the novel coronavirus.

The celestial dance continued, and Saturn and Pluto slowly began to drift apart once again. Upon Earth, humankind sits captivated by fear, uncertainty, and disbelief of the new reality cast upon our lives like a sudden shadow we never saw coming. We hold our breaths. Some of us are called to action and heroes step out of the shadows to face the chaos. Most of them wear surgical scrubs and masks, the front line of this unimaginable war. Yet others openly question or defy the warnings, raging into the streets, government buildings, public places screaming about their rights. It is a divisive time. It is a deeply uncertain time. The only certainty is that we will emerge from this time changed.