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Analysis by Eric A. Meece (aka E. Alan Meece) http://philosopherswheel.com/gettingbackintohighgear.html

This article caught my attention - it is a worthy read although I am not in total agreement but then, I am rarely in total agreement witn astrological analysis. Make of it what you will.

Getting Back into High Gear: 2020-2040

As we gaze ever deeper into our crystal ball, our prophetic vision will have to be 20/20 to see beyond 2020. Yet it's clear that a crucial turning point in American history lies just past that imposing marker of time. As a new score of years opens, Americans may be counting their blessings that they don't live in Asia, where rumblings of war will be disrupting the New World Order. Yet these troubles abroad will trigger troubles at home, and Americans with investments overseas may be counting their losses.

The fact that the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction on December 21, 2020, will be closely preceded by a total solar eclipse is all the indication we need that the 2020s will be a decade to remember. The chart for the eclipse shows Mars in Aries trining the eclipse itself, revealing a people confident and active again. This aggressive optimism will only increase once Neptune, the planetary Ark of Humanity, also enters Aries at mid-decade. The conjunction of 2020 is especially meaningful because it is the first one of its kind in Aquarius in over 700 years. What's more, Pluto is also aligned with it, just as this "cosmic plumber" returns to its natal position in the U.S. horoscope for the first time. The U.S. will remain in the spotlight in these times, and the America which emerges from this chapter will be greatly transformed and almost unrecognizable from the America which preceded it.

Not only will Pluto be making its karmic return in America's chart in the 2020s, so will Uranus-and Neptune will be opposing its natal position. This indicates that a great American crisis, another "hinge of history" comparable to the Revolution, the Civil War, and World War II, is due in the middle 2020s. The United States will pursue another "struggle for its very existence." With Neptune returning to the nadir of America's chart (the "house of home"), where it last stood in 1860, the Civil War seems the best analogy for what we can expect. But history never quite repeats itself: this time, the bone of contention and the contenders themselves will be different. The result could be the same, however-the breakup of the United States.

This time, it could be permanent. People will look at the history of the thirty years since the New World Order arrived and wonder why the "last remaining superpower" should stay standing. If the vast Soviet Union could split up, why not the United States? Has the nation become too big and cumbersome to meet peoples' needs? Americans may also have remembered and pondered Rodney King's 1992 question "Can we all get along?" and answered "no." The flood of refugees and immigrants over the last three decades (and especially since the great crisis of 2010-11) will have exacerbated ethnic and religious conflicts within the U.S. Asians may be dominant in the west, Mexicans in the southwest (their former territory), Blacks in the southeast, and Whites elsewhere. A "multi-cultural" nation so divided may not be able to hold together. Having ditched the old "melting pot," we may be boiling mad at each other from separate pots. The battle between feminists and family traditionalists may be one of the issues that tears the country apart, as might the movement to preserve nature from the clutches of "progress." Militant, separatist cults will have formed and grown during the previous thirty years that could now seriously threaten the peace. Terrorists and militias talked of "civil war" in the U.S. in the 1990s-by the 2020s they may have their way. Decades-old conservative arguments about the "intrusive power of the federal government" will feed into the impulse to destroy it. Hawaiian moves for independence could trigger similar moves by other states and an attempt to preserve the union by force.

Unlike during the Civil War, when America was an island unto itself, the United States in the 2020s will find itself still the leader of the New World Order, but Americans in the 2020s will be increasingly ready to resign the position and "declare independence." National self-reliance and self-identity will be among the buzz words of the time, and all nations will prefer to look after their own affairs without having to answer to Uncle Sam. One possibility is that America will be kicked out of its superpower position, even as early as 2020; another is that the U.S. will secede from a proposed New World Government. The global environmental and refugee crisis will force Americans to confront the following issues: How much sovereignty should the U.S. give away to the world order, and how much should it keep? Can we become citizens of one planet Earth? Whatever we decide, the constitution and shape of America will change. The only real question is, can Americans make their choice without violence? The history of America says no, but by 2025 we will have entered a New Age of planetary and spiritual awareness. It won't be easy, but we can resolve our differences with a minimum of blood and destruction if enough of us are determined to do so.

In spite of the looming crisis, the first half of the decade will be relatively comfortable, peaceful, and stable. The economy will recover and surge forward, as the "green post-industrial revolution" continues. All over the world, the most difficult adjustments to the new environmental conditions will have been made. The brilliant creative ideals of the 2000s and the utopian spiritual passions of the 2010s will yield to a desire to reconstruct and rebuild the world in the 2020s. Artists and architects will seek to make their visions into imposing concrete realities. As Mars turns stationary-direct in Aquarius in the chart of Humanity in 2022, our "post-modern" aversion to progress will end. Since the 1960s, our greatest desire has been to slow down, since we instinctively knew we were on the wrong track. Now, knowing the direction of true progress, we'll be off and running full blast. The pace of inventions will skyrocket, and aggressive demands for social change will be loud, unceasing, and effective. As we expand into space, we will truly be ready to "go where no one has gone before." In the 1860s railroads spanned the continent-in this heady decade we may construct pathways to the planets, not to mention lightning-fast, giant electronic networks along which people and ideas will travel on Earth. The world will join America in seeking to attack every issue and resolve every question in the 2020s.

Because of the positive mood of the times, I think we will emerge from this "hinge of history" in the mid-to-late 2020s in better shape than before, despite many bumps and bruises along the way. The three outer planets will be forming a close, harmonious double sextile like the one during World War II-a pattern absent from the skies over the Civil War. Since the planets will be in higher signs than those occupied in the 1940s, there will be no great holocaust. All of this suggests a fortunate outcome. The aggressive pioneers of the 2020s, unlike those of the 1860s, won't be building empires of blood and iron, but arteries and capillaries through which the world's people can circulate in a global "empire" of commerce and understanding. The 2020s will also present our best chance to begin building a post-industrial economy that supports instead of destroys the Earth and offers equal opportunity to all its people.

SECRET AND SACRED POWERS

Other parts of the eclipse/conjunction chart of December 14, 2020, give us more clues about the twenty-year period that follows. Jupiter and Saturn in the troubled Twelfth House (with Pluto nearby) is a clear signal that established institutions of America may come to an end-including the presidency. Some of the secret plutocratic potentates of the New World Order may also be knocked off their silver thrones. Environmentalism will continue to expand, challenging the new developers in this era of "progress" reborn. Saturn in the Twelfth House (and its return to Pisces in 2023) further signals that we can't successfully move back out into the world and into high gear without remembering stillness of spirit. The spiritual quest will become less the province of utopian fanatics than a major task in everyone's daily lives. New cults will now become respectable institutions, especially in the early 2020s. Just as physical health care became a dominant issue in the 1980s and '90s (Jupiter and Saturn in the Sixth House in the 1981 chart), mental and spiritual health care will be a chief concern in the 2020s and '30s (Jupiter-Saturn in the Twelfth House in the 2020 chart). By the spring of 2022, some mental hospitals may be transformed into spiritual renewal centers, as "cuckoo nests" become places to "fly high."

The government will foster programs in the early 2020s to improve mental hospitals and study the healing powers of the mind and spirit. Will we finally come to grips with the effect of our cities and urban lifestyle on our mental well-being and quality of life? Will we create a new architecture that aspires to harmonize humanity and nature, rather than to dwarf and dominate both? These basic issues of our time, first broached in the Twentieth Century (and especially in the 1960s), must be taken to heart as we jump-start "progress" in the 2020s. Otherwise, we will have learned nothing from the crisis of 2010, and our civilization will be doomed.

The return of Jupiter and Saturn to their positions of sixty years before explains why the concerns of the 1960s will return too. Disillusion following the crisis of 2010 may empower the Republicans for a time, but they will be ousted again in 2020. An age of aggressive pioneers is no time for stick-in-the-mud conservatives-they'll be pushed aside in nothing flat. Indeed, both of today's major parties could bite the dust. Just as the Republicans emerged as a powerful new political party after the Civil War, so another new party (or several new parties in different regions) may rise to prominence during the 2020s as America threatens to split apart again. Uranus squaring the conjunction (as in 2000, with signs reversed) shows the period's progressive thrust, as does Jupiter-Saturn's position in Aquarius. But this time not only will the person of the president be threatened by the conjunction and the twenty-year cycle-so will the power of the presidency itself. Whoever is elected in 2020 will probably survive a violent attack "by inches," as Reagan did, but soon the presidency in America could go the way of English colonial rule-one Pluto cycle before. Internal dissension will already be high in January 2021, as revolts by environmentalists and the poor rev up and the conservative resistance grows.

THE PEOPLE PUSH FOR REFORM

In the spring of 2021, the progressive spirit among the people will be high. Broken promises will be met by marches in the streets. Mental hospitals and the secret power of corporations will be central issues by 2021. There are also warnings in the charts of a nuclear accident that contaminates the land. Uranus will be squaring Saturn closely that spring, causing confrontations between secret authorities and people who demand the truth. Since Uranus will be in Taurus, a tax revolt may come to a head. Look for June and July of 2021 to be crucial months, since the front lines in America's looming battle with itself will become very clear by then. Floods may be a serious danger that summer or in the spring of 2022.

The government will respond to the public's desire for reform with timely and effective action in 2021. Concerns over taxes and finances will become acute in the fall, when the public will be aroused to a fevered pitch by the media. The year 2022 looks even more spirited and crucial than 2021. Indications are that a new generation of radical youth will be speaking out, along with not a few older ones. Universities will be hotbeds of creative dissension and revolt in the spring of 2022, while discoveries in foreign lands or in outer space may inspire new technologies. Petroleum was discovered exactly one Neptune cycle before; could we now find another liquid energy source that won't pollute the environment?

Key economic reforms will be made in the spring of 2022, spurred on by financial concerns as well as by the ongoing activism of the people. There could be major efforts to reform our social security system. Corporations may balk at doing their fair share (that's always an easy prediction!). Even so, reforms could be so drastic in the spring of 2022 that it will not be a good time to make risky investments. Remarkable peace efforts may be made too that spring. A benevolent spirit will encircle the world in May that diffuses many conflicts and heals religious quarrels. Much aid will be given to other nations in trouble. Overall, 2022 will be a very constructive year.

AMERICA'S KARMA

Financial speculation or accidents may make headlines in early August 2022. Then in October, Mars turns stationary-retrograde in Gemini and squares Neptune. It will be a decisive moment in American history. Neptune will oppose its location in the U.S. horoscope, while Saturn will square Uranus from the place it occupied in 1963 when Kennedy was assassinated. The current president should be careful in late 2022, and especially in early 2023 when Mars turns direct at 8¡ Gemini. This is not only a critical degree, but JFK's solar degree! Could the planets be trying to tell us something?

One thing they are saying is that America must now strive to complete the tasks it began under Kennedy in 1962-63. If it does not, then it may not survive the crisis which follows. Full equality and justice must be guaranteed for all, and our cities and environment must be made livable for all beings. Then and only then will our confidence in "progress" return, so that we can move forward beyond the doubts and disillusions of the previous sixty years. Pluto's return to its own place in America's horoscope is also a clear challenge to the U.S. corporate and financial structure. It won't emerge from these years without basic changes and reforms. The size and scale of companies will be reduced, and more of them will be owned by their employees. They must "share the wealth" and become more responsive to the public interest. If these changes are made, corporations can grow and thrive; otherwise, these "dinosaurs" will just decay and fall in the following years. The world's ecology issues could be addressed in a global U.N. conference in the fall of 2022, putting a spotlight on this pressing need to change our corporate system.

Mars stationary in Gemini in October, 2022, squaring Neptune as it passes a key point in America's horoscope, could indicate American involvement in another ill-advised foreign caper. The U.S. government will still be generously rescuing other peoples in trouble, but by spring 2023 more questions about Uncle Sam's role in the New World Order will already be creating divisions in the U.S. itself. How much can America take on? In March 2023, Saturn enters watery Pisces. The governments of the world may find themselves in over their heads, and reform movements could turn into a flood of popular unrest. More literal floods could cause trouble too. These trends may become even more visible in mid-July and mid-August of 2023. When Pluto moves from Capricorn into Aquarius in 2024, the temperature will rise even further.

In the fall of 2023, however, it looks like peace and reform will still hold sway in America, as Jupiter joins Uranus in Taurus. New institutions will be created to help green businesses, and bureaucrats will try to cure environmental and social ills more efficiently. If they don't, then the tax "reform" fever may trim back the federal money tree. Sex, romance and glamour will be rising, too. In late 2023 and early 2024, the hedonism of the Twentieth Century will emerge triumphant over the austerity of the Twenty-First. Entertainment will thrive, and new "stars" will emerge, shining through a galaxy of space-age media gadgets. So futuristic will these new gizmos be that they will make the "virtual reality" of the 1990s seem like a trip to "Jurassic Park."

THE DELUGE ARRIVES

During the next solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus will be on the Midheaven in Washington. The reform trends mentioned above will still be very powerful, but now the danger of war will become acute for the U.S., and for Asia as well. Jupiter in Taurus is always a sign of possible oncoming U.S. intervention, and Uranus there is an even stronger indication. America must remind itself again about the dangers of war and violence. This time they will likely arise in a domestic quarrel, though it will be linked to international ones. America's actions toward other nations will anger their refugees here in the U.S., and revolutions in neighboring countries may trigger one at home. In October, the arrogant, expansive Jupiter will turn stationary in Gemini in the exact degree and minute of America's Mars, and will square Saturn in Pisces (just like it did during Vietnam in 1965). In December, Mars turns stationary. These are all clear signs of a possible U.S. war, and this time it may also trigger secession by several U.S. states or the expulsion of America from the UN.

Drastic internal changes will be triggered by reactions to this crisis. "Turf wars" among states and ethnic groups will sweep the nation. The people will blame the president for the crises at home and abroad and demand a change at the top. Saturn will be in the critical 1966 "pile-up" degree of 17¡ Pisces as the new president takes office in 2025, showing that he or she could be "adrift at sea" and beset by evaporating credibility.1 Nevertheless, a better government is likely to emerge from this crisis in the 2020s. It may be a parliamentary one in which a reformed Congress has greater power. Even if the presidency survives, it will be less monolithic and more in touch with reality.

In the spring of 2025, the evangelistic, liberating energy of the people will be roused as never before by compassion for the oppressed and by expectations of a brighter tomorrow. With Neptune entering the sign Aries, as in Civil War times, the people will be ready to sacrifice themselves for a higher cause. With such missionary zeal in the 2020s, the "great secular crisis" that returns to America with every cycle of Uranus may be accompanied for the first time by a spiritual awakening. We will need to make such a spiritual regeneration if we are to successfully meet the coming years and build a more human world instead of another "gilded age."

People will be so ready to take daring actions that there could actually be another Boston Tea Party in the spring of 2025. The symbol of that historic upheaval, Saturn conjunct Neptune, returns just as other outer planets return to their 1770s positions. Whatever the rebels throw into the sea this time, one could scarcely imagine a conjunction with greater significance for American destiny. Coming just as Neptune returns to the place it occupied during the Civil War (when the two planets were opposed), this Saturn-Neptune line-up clearly could dissolve (Neptune) the institutions (Saturn) of the United States as we now know them. The walls holding back the American people may crumble as quickly as the wall in Berlin did during the previous Saturn-Neptune conjunction. The revolutionary spirit may lead to repressive measures against the peoples' enemies, as Saturn enters Taurus in 2028. Until then, the enemies themselves, the greedy defenders of threatened institutions, will carry on a secret and treacherous campaign against the people. They will not be successful, because the people's moral concerns will win tha favor of many governments.

People's demands will swell even more in mid-June, and crest in July 2025, when Saturn and Neptune turn stationary at the cusp of Aries. As fate would have it, this is the exact moment of America's Jupiter return (to 6¡ Cancer) and of the first entry of Uranus into Gemini. A critical confrontation or momentous decision is indicated. It could be the parting of the ways for the old America and the new. Many states could declare independence. In early August, Mars opposes the conjunction of Saturn-Neptune. The people will assert themselves with force, and they will be met with resistance (Saturn). It could be America's Tienanmen Square, but this time the people won't retreat.

In foreign affairs, the U.S. executive will have to preside amidst uncertain, fluctuating , and dangerous conditions in 2025 that feed the unrest or civil strife at home. Crucial, pioneering events will occur in Japan, Russia, and Central Asia which command the attention of the world. In the fall of 2025, the U.S. could suffer an historic turnabout as a result of these events, as it may have to respond to foreign intervention in its affairs (perhaps by Japan). This is a continuing reality the American people must reckon with if they are stupid enough to wage another civil war in the 2020s. They will also have to deal with financial obligations caused by dangerous foreign investments.

NEW AGE PIONEERS: NEPTUNE ENTERS ARIES

On January 26, 2026, Neptune re-enters Aries for a thirteen-year stay. Since Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, this begins a new 164-year cycle for only the second time since the planet's discovery. The signs generally look very positive. The keynote of this new cycle (as opposed to the previous one that began in 1861) will be "visionary pioneering" rather than "aggression." No less than five planets will be in Aquarius, sign of the new age, on January 26, suggesting people will be idealistic and progressive during this new 164-year period. An optimistic and energetic attitude will be developing, underlined by the Sun's position in the very degree (7¡ Aquarius) where assertive Mars is turning stationary-direct in the progressed Chart of Modern Humanity. Uranus is exactly conjunct the Ascendant in earthy Taurus at the very moment that Neptune's new cycle begins, revealing "Nature's Revolution" on the rise, and showing progress in Earth-friendly technology. Since Saturn conjoins Neptune, the new cycle will seek to institutionalize (Saturn) the new "global awareness" (Neptune). In the 2020s, we will be in the "crescent moon" phases in all the mutual cycles of the outer planets, so this will be a very creative and optimistic time-a "flowering" of the New Age. Issues that arise in 2025-26, such as ethnic and environmental rights in an interdependent world, will be worked out over the entire 164-year cycle, just as the years 1861-62 were decisive for the 164 years that followed.

Previous "great crises" in American history every four score and four years produced breakthroughs in basic human rights. This time, its confluence with the 59-year "progressive cycle" (1789, 1848, 1906, 1965) may indicate that the crisis in 2025-26 will result in even more substantial advances in social justice, brought about by greater revolutionary energy among the people and from "muckraking" journalists. We can see this already in the charts for February and March of 2026. Humanity will march forward, as human rights become a reality everywhere for the first time in history. Resistance may continue in "the states" of America, however, since such an all-encompassing transformation as it will now be making is never easy.

HIGH SPIRITS AND SQUABBLES

The year 2026 should be an outgoing, adventurous time. People will continue to be in a rebellious mood, instigating more demonstrations and confrontations early in the year. Despite the explosive climate of unrest, "victory" may already seem in sight for the rebels. In August, negotiations will go well between authorities in the U.S. and those in other countries involved in our quarrels. Optimism may not be entirely justified, however, since Uranus will only be in its first year in Gemini, and the planets show more trouble ahead.

Violent outbreaks may resume in early 2027 in the U.S. or the Middle East, as Mars in Virgo turns stationary and squares Uranus. On February 6, an eclipse will happen in the critical degree of 17¡ Aquarius. Fierce debates in Congress will be stirred by illegal foreign investments by authorities, and by social and health problems. Less fortunate people will be in a rebellious mood, and the U.S. executive will feel pressured to act. Key battles over reforms in the Senate could challenge the president in April, as could an act of terror.

Despite these irritations and the ongoing U.S. crisis, early 2027 looks to be fairly constructive and creative. Major, well organized campaigns will lead the nations into action. New stars will burst across the American entertainment landscape, and the arts may show greater imagination. Youthful high spirits will assert themselves in March and April 2027 as riots at sports events grab headlines (although this may just signify a more spirited than usual spring break!) Uranus in Gemini rebellion may also take the form of computer or media sabotage by young "hackers."

The second half of 2027 may be a somewhat different story. Action explodes again in a big way after an August 2 eclipse in Leo that is very powerful in Washington. The eclipse is conjunct sensual Venus (in an echo of the progressed Venus in Leo in the chart of Modern Humanity), and opposing passionate Pluto in humanistic Aquarius. We may see huge campus demonstrations and groups of idealistic, youthful adventurers traveling the globe to organize great charitable and creative projects. When Saturn enters Aries, however, it always raises the temperature of the struggle; so the tide of youthful violence is likely to increase from the fall of 2027 through the spring of 2028. At the Midheaven during the August 2027 eclipse, Saturn in Aries shows adults impatient with the headstrong young rebels, and calling for "order" in the months that follow.

A crucial battle may occur around September 1, 2027. By then, Jupiter will be in Virgo, a sign of more sobering times. As Uranus crosses the "nuclear" degree of 8¡ Gemini, people may need to face the following sobering thought-unless the world has put an end to nuclear weapons by now (which I doubt), who will control them if the United States splits apart? Will Uncle Sam surrender them to the U.N.? Or could Americans use them or other high-tech weapons to attack each other? As Uranus returns exactly to its original position in the U.S. horoscope, this stark dilemma and others like it will rear their heads. Unless the people get answers on October 28, 2027, the military may provide one on December 23. At the same time America will also face the fundamental question: shall it have union with itself, but not the world, or shall it have union with the world, but not itself? Key confrontations and decisions will happen as Uranus reaches its home degree in America's horoscope late in 2027.

An explosion follows in early 2028, but probably not a nuclear one. Instead, a time bomb will go off in the U.S. Congress (figuratively, we hope), since a very explosive eclipse (conjunct Pluto) happens in Aquarius (legislative sign) on January 26, 2028. Perhaps the lawmakers will be dealing with the nuclear issue, or maybe with anger and crisis in the cities. Remember the riots in 1968 and 1992 when Jupiter was also in Virgo? In early 2028 (especially in May) Jupiter will be super-powerful there, so the lower classes will be demanding help, and probably getting it. An economic downturn, perhaps caused by careless speculation during the previous spring of 2027, may add to the urgency. These problems will inspire brilliant, landmark legislation in Congress in mid-February 2028. We may also see great advances in literature and science then, along with a danger of disasters at sea.

CONSOLIDATING CHAOS

May 8, 2028, marks a decisive moment: an important settlement could be reached in the American crisis after a major battle, perhaps spurred on by nuclear concerns. The overall turmoil will not stop, though. It will continue to swell as we reach the era's climax in 2030 (Jupiter's opposition to Saturn). Many people will be demanding individual freedom from bureaucratic repression-a very prominent theme in the Aquarius/Aries-ruled 2020s. The danger of economic confrontations in the U.S. and abroad will be acute in May and July of 2028, perhaps leading to violence. New reforms, ideas, or problems in the health field will be prominent in the news in the spring of 2028.

Although people will be high-spirited and optimistic in the late 2020s, their urge for retribution against "enemies of freedom and progress" could get carried away. Governments may respond to public unrest with repression. Congress or corporations may carry out illegal crackdowns. Japan will probably be the scene of even more cruel repressions and state economic controls, after years of trouble. If Japan tries to take advantage of the chaotic situation in America, which nation will end up stronger? In mid-November 2028, rebels will mount another challenge to federal authority (Mars in Virgo, square Uranus),while repressive economic controls may fail to tame the wild financial markets.

The partial eclipse of January 14, 2029, is in the powerful, dangerous degree of 25¡ Capricorn (Mars in the Horoscope of Modern Humanity) at the Midheaven in Washington. The executive branch reasserts its power forcefully, perhaps to bring order to America in the midst of its domestic crisis or civil war. A new "executive council" could take over, consistent with Pluto in Aquarius (symbolizing the power of groups). The new administration(s) will be more powerful than the old (including more power behind the scenes).

Public crusaders and their masses of rebellious followers will continue to attack poverty, pollution, disease, and corruption all around the world in the spring of 2029, as activist Mars and generous Jupiter in Libra soar into high cosmic focus. This also indicates that some quick, surprising diplomatic breakthroughs could occur in the midst of war. So could some careless, secret financial deals that may be highly embarrassing to several governments. It will be a risky time for international investing. On the brighter side, the spring of 2029 under Mars and Jupiter in Libra could be an amazingly inventive period in technology, literature and music. Mars in this Venus-ruled sign of balance and harmony recurs frequently in the charts of the later 2020s, showing many breakthroughs in diplomacy as well as intellectual and artistic achievements. Mars in Libra could also stand for air wars or intricate political maneuvering. Look for it to be significant in August 2025, August 2027, early 2029, and late 2030.

The years 2028 and 2029 could see some conflicts end and other related conflicts begin. There are dangerous signs in the spring of 2029 of more wars (Saturn square Pluto). With stationary Mars in Libra trining Uranus and Pluto in air signs, we could see some spectacular aerial battles that make Desert Storm seem like a real video game. America (or some part thereof) could find itself on the wrong path again, as Mars turns stationary in late Virgo in May. Suddenly, this high-tech warfare might get more difficult. Dissension will grow if American involvement in war continues, and peace would seem the better part of valor. The best path for America in the summer of 2029 would be to wage its battles on a strictly economic and diplomatic level, or better yet, to work together for peace with other nations. Such efforts would probably be very successful at this time.

AGGRESSIVE IDEALISM

In the fall of 2029, revolts over military service or health and labor matters may erupt, along with more demands to reform taxes and finances. A climactic change of direction is indicated at the decade's end, as Jupiter opposes Saturn in fixed signs. This may involve decisive actions to reorganize the world economy and make needed reforms. These financial concerns may cause some of the leaders who engaged in battles at the year's start to stop fighting by the summer, or at least turn their armed conflicts into economic ones. In 2029-2031, major efforts will be made to settle the military and economic disputes of the past ten years, the results of which may make it seem as if we have entered a greatly revised world order. In spite of these settlements, the rebellious, "ram"-bunctious mood of people everywhere will be at a peak in 2030, and will continue until Neptune leaves Aries " the Ram" a decade later in 2039.

Around 2030, the era's headlong spirit of change will lead many people to engage in some strange experiments. Startling new developments in art may occur that will be pursued in future years, almost as if Manet were about to record another picnic in the grass. A controversial breakthrough in mind-expanding substances or mental health techniques should also occur in this period, as well as innovative new communities and social networks.

A Mars-Mercury-Neptune conjunction in the spring of 2030 shows some kind of scandal regarding military secrets or a technological accident. Probably this will force technology into safer directions. Scandals could burst wide open in June 2030, when Saturn enters Gemini, and the press forces big institutions to change their secret policies. Such revelations could prove to be a big defeat for the forces resisting change at this climactic moment. People should travel with care this month, as severe accidents are forecast.

As Uranus returns to its Battle of Gettysburg degree (also the U.S. Mars degree), Americans may be reminded again that a nation and a world divided against itself cannot stand. Early November of 2030 could be the occasion for a sudden attack, a decisive battle, or for a decision to "stand up to aggressors" (Mars in Virgo), which may now include those who seek to undermine the world's emerging unity of mind and spirit. Success is likely in these efforts.

A REVISED WORLD ORDER: SATURN AND URANUS IN GEMINI

The new decade will be somewhat calmer than the last (meaning at least some notches below total frenzy), largely because the world will be more peaceful. After the total eclipse of November 25, 2030, we may see some dramatic diplomatic breakthroughs like those of the early 1970s and 1990s, lifting hopes again that the world is coming together. Wars, mass crusades, or uprisings beginning in June-July 2029 will somehow prepare the way for these moves toward reconciliation. If not satisfied with the results, these movements could erupt again at the end of 2030. Indeed, it may sometimes seem as if the world of these years is populated almost entirely by moralizing activists. But that's not true-plenty of self-righteous intellectuals will be around too. Both figure prominently in the November 2030 eclipse, which shows Jupiter in moralizing Sagittarius opposing Saturn in intellectual Gemini. The years 2030-32 should see the climax of a six-year debate between the forces of "progress" and the forces of "obstruction," and between science and religion-one which may be characterized as a contest for the human soul. Let's hope the two sides in the debate have "evolved" a bit since Darwin's time, so that we don't make monkeys of ourselves for the next eighty years, as we did from the 1860s to the 1940s. One deadly, destructive "age of aggression" is enough!

As Jupiter opposes Uranus in 2031, breakthroughs in education, travel, communication, and trade may occur. On the other hand, major financial quarrels could erupt between the U.S. and the Far East in June, when Mars turns stationary in 4¡ Scorpio (Uranus' degree in the chart of Modern Humanity). The outcome of this epic struggle could decide the shape of world trade for years to come. No one said building a truly interdependent world order would be easy, and it will only get harder during the late summer and fall of 2031. Americans will fight to maintain their position in this revised world order, but it looks like a difficult battle, complicated by many problems. The fall charts of 2031 show losses for American institutions, or an epidemic of deaths due to violence or disease. Plagues or floods could further erode the U.S. position, though they'll also inspire unusual outpourings of generous philanthropy. Continuing transportation problems in 2031-32 could lead to major innovations and reforms in this field. American travel workers may take advantage of this uncertain situation to wage strikes, but severe responses by the "renewed" power of government might create a climate of fear against "radicals."

The powerful total eclipse of November 14, 2031, shows that the executive branch will be acting to work out the revised world order, and this may bring some order back to America in the process. During the exact moment of the eclipse, Mars sits in the Midheaven at its Chart of Modern Humanity position of 25¡ Capricorn (the same degree where the eclipse of January, 2029 occurred, also on the Midheaven in Washington). The focus remains on diplomacy over the next few months, as America works out its relationship to the U.N. and other nations. Americans will resolve disputes or conclude new trade agreements within the western hemisphere now. In general, the political map may look quite different after 2032 than it did in 2028. So might the map of the (former?) United States, where a "Confederacy" may have won after all-the country may now be better described as the "Confederation of Independent States of America." ANXIOUS ADJUSTMENTS: SATURN AND URANUS IN CANCER The intellectual "battle" in the universities and the press will grab more headlines in the spring of 2032. Americans may still have trouble adjusting to their diminished unity and place in the world, much as they did in the 1970s. Health and welfare departments may face severe pressures. Transportation woes and air/space disasters will be in the news again in June 2032, along with technological or environmental accidents. Congress will effectively deal with these domestic adjustment problems, but in June, Americans will still be asked to render service to other peoples. The American military might no longer be top dog, but it will still be called upon to act as head nurse.

Saturn and Uranus enter emotional Cancer in the summer of 2032. A shortage of goods-and of good executive leadership-may cause much uncertainty. Anxious times will likely also be seen in Canada, the Balkans, Vietnam, the Philippines, and/or East Africa (nations ruled by Cancer). Not everyone will be pleased with the new arrangements of the revised world order. With Uranus in Cancer, some peoples may try to flex their new powers. Retribution by ethnic groups against their enemies during the recent crisis could happen. America in particular must be careful to avert another "age of hate" during this new "reconstruction" period. Trouble may be brewing in Korea too, one Uranus cycle after the Korean War. The Germans may take the opportunity to test the extent of their power in Europe, and the Scots may be ready for independence. Many nations will have to reorganize themselves in 2033-35 in the wake of all the human energy and freedom unleashed in the 2020s.

The American executive may be out to lunch, but the legislative branch will continue to make hay. In February 2033, it will tackle energy shortages and resource conservation, as these issues come back into focus under Saturn-Uranus in Cancer. Conscious of past mistakes, lawmakers will seek to improve the security and health of the people and the land in 2033. Progress will be made toward programs for social justice and equality too-a never-ending challenge. These Congressional actions in February and March 2033 may remind some people of the Roosevelt's "Hundred Days," exactly a hundred years before. As Pluto reaches its "point of power" in mid-Aquarius in the mid-2030s, reform fever will hit legislatures in other nations, too.

1949 REVISITED-OR IS IT 1867?

In 2033, many nations will reinvent themselves, especially those mentioned above. If Korea is still not unified, one side may open a military "campaign of unification" by June or August. Such shocking events in the Far East could stimulate American ethnic paranoia and conspiracy theories in the summer and fall. Some congressional hotheads could carry on smear campaigns reminiscent of McCarthyism in the 1950s or the reconstruction radicals of the 1860s. They may impose their will on defeated ethnic groups, passing some kind of forcible "reconstruction" law. The ACLU will have its hands full in 2033-2034 protecting the old Bill of Rights and the new social justice guarantees against all this retribution, as well as the secret repressive moves by Americans against other nations that may occur in this period. A total eclipse happens on the first day of spring in 2034, so some shocking events can be expected during that season, especially in the Far East. Shortages and recession will probably get worse in the U.S., leading to paranoid uncertainty as well as major humanitarian efforts. These tensions will probably reach their peak in late June and July 2034.

In the fall of 2033, America could also find itself waging a trade war with its recent foes, fueling the xenophobic or ethnic hysteria. The executive branch might impose trade embargoes and fuel rationing, causing trouble for the banks. Foreign trade conflicts and resulting shortages of goods may stimulate many Americans to become more aware of the need to further wean themselves and their society from their dependence on material things. As our material "prosperity" is challenged in 2033 and 2034, so also will our idea of "progress," as Pluto passes over the critical "end of progress" degree of 17¡ Aquarius. Religious groups may try to take advantage of this retreat from materialism to reassert themselves politically in the fall of 2033. More cult-inspired violence could result.

China could be ripe for change in 2033-2034, since one full Uranus cycle and one half of Pluto's cycle will have passed since the People's Republic was founded in 1949. The Chinese will decide if a united Republic can continue, and whether its political ideals really promote the pride, health, and prosperity of its people. It is likely that 2034 will be a revolutionary year, since Pluto will return to its position of 1789. France, Iraq and Iran may be targets, in addition to China. The heat of upheaval only increases in the summer and fall, as Jupiter enters Aries. People will be ready to act. In June 2034, the UN may be called upon to resolve these conflicts. If people respond positively to the cosmic challenges of this year, the rebellions will resolve themselves very constructively by year's end, leading to more campaigns for human rights in early 2035.

UNPACIFIC SEAS

Forced to reorganize itself and revise its position in the world order, the U.S. won't be in a position to intervene unilaterally in any other nation's affairs until 2035, when Uncle Sam (or one of his "children") may be ready to impose his will on others again. Let's hope he has learned how to do it peacefully. Jupiter's union with Neptune in Aries in March of 2035 shows high enthusiasm for human rights. The American people will be feeling more confident and optimistic that year, and generous social programs might alleviate the pain caused by recent shortages. Worldwide diplomatic breakthroughs may be achieved now, with American help.

As Jupiter moves into Taurus in May 2035, Americans may find themselves over-extending and making dangerous commitments abroad. By October, the crisis will become acute, involving China, Korea, and Japan. With Pluto still in critical 17¡ Aquarius, and Saturn opposing it, there is danger of a violent confrontation. Mars turns stationary-direct at 17¡ Pisces in mid-October 2035, so this will be the crucial moment. It could involve a dispute over a waterway (a strait or canal), or ocean rights and "freedom of the seas" (which by then could also mean freedom of space travel). It could also involve oil, atomic energy or perhaps a new liquid fuel discovered around 2022. There may be battles or terrorist attacks at sea. America (or some part thereof) would probably suffer a major defeat were it to get involved at this moment, so Americans who love peace (or victory) should be vigilant. With Mars stationary in the 1966 "pile-up" degree of 17¡ Pisces in October 2035, cries may be heard about "another Vietnam" or "another Korea." The confrontation may have been provoked by a gigantic oil spill, or it may cause one. This would arouse further environmental protests, which would grow as we approach the "Green Revolution" of the 2040s. The crisis could also provoke more social protest in America, leading to loud confrontations in Congress over possible reforms. Upheavals could affect India or Israel beginning in the fall of 2035.

I see no letup in these crises in 2036, especially after the partial eclipses on February 27 and July 23. America will probably see its economic future at stake in this conflict, as will other nations. This will be the first year of Uranus' next square to Neptune, so it may be the start of a new kind of imperialism or another "cold war" (probably an economic one), as nations and peoples contend for resources on our increasingly finite planet. With Saturn in Leo opposing Pluto in 2036, it's a good bet that some of these nations may make moves against their neighbors. For example, Mid-East nations may try to recapture power lost because of diminishing oil revenues. The late 2030s could be the time when this region decides whether to enter the modern world or relapse into their ageless enmities.

SPIRIT IN MOTION

Nine months after Mars turns stationary in the "stillness of spirit" degree of 17¡ Pisces in October 2035, a partial eclipse occurs on July 23, 2036. This chart looks a lot like the "stillness of spirit" figure itself: I call it "spirit in motion." I think this chart indicates that we may now discover how to make "progress" in a more spiritual way. We can do this chiefly by making our society more fuel efficient, and thus showing respect for the Earth. With Jupiter and Saturn in the same places as during Jimmy Carter's energy proposals fifty-nine years before, 2036 will be a year to reorganize our transportation system, promote energy conservation, and develop new fuels. Spurred on by the world's conflicts over resources, Congress will probably lead the way with a generous and inventive program, finally taking on the old "big oil interests."

The "Spirit in Motion" figure could also signify revolutions and coups that ignite new conflicts, especially in Africa. In late October 2036, as Uranus in Cancer turns stationary opposite the conjunction degree of 1993, there may be new ethnic and nationalist movements in East Africa, the Balkans, or the Middle East. Conflicts in these places after 2036 (Uranus square Neptune) could be the first serious challenge to the New World Order (as recently revised), leading to further revisions in the diplomatic arrangements among peoples. In April 2037, when Mars joins Pluto and opposes Saturn, nationalist power struggles may continue at full tilt.

People's identification with the land will increase in 2037, and a financial crisis may lead to visionary legislative action on environmental problems. Caution is advised, though, since over-ambitious plans by liberal governments in 2036 may also engender another tax revolt the following year, fifty-nine years (two Saturn cycles) after California's famous Proposition 13. Perhaps tax rebels and environmentalists will find common ground this time, as the 2040s and the "Green Revolution" approach. In the wake of the "Spirit in Motion" figure, which will signify aroused individualism and self-confidence among the people, demands will be heard again that both government and business be smaller, less oppressive, and more accountable. As Saturn returns to Virgo on July 7, 2037, this new trend will become a political movement.

The power of Neptune in all the charts of this time suggests that an occult or spiritual revival may be stimulated by American contacts with Asia or with ETs in this period. Some visionary leaders may try to apply this spiritual knowledge to our physical fuel shortage.

If Americans have not achieved "energy independence" by July 2037 through developing and applying new fuels, they could face more economic troubles and fights among ethnic groups. Jupiter joins Uranus in Cancer on September 8, 2037, showing further efforts to reform the corporate and financial system to make it more responsive to individuals and families. Since this conjunction is also similar to the one in 1955, it could see Congress or the courts act to uphold the civil and economic rights of ethnic groups.

BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME

The total eclipse of July 13, 2037 in Cancer happens in the Fifth House, conjunct Uranus and Jupiter. This ordains a greater interest in children, education, and family values. Despite Uncle Sam's active involvement in the uneasy diplomatic climate, Americans will be riding a wave of domesticity. It may be the peak year of a new "baby boom." On the other hand, in the wake of the "Spirit in Motion" figure in 2036 which spotlighted the outgoing and expressive sign Leo, there could be a new wave of bohemian self-expression on the rise. New movements in art begun at the decade's start will now come into bloom. As Neptune approaches Taurus, people will be feeling more comfortable, and will want to settle down and enjoy life. This could mean a new conservative climate like that of the 1950s, perhaps magnified by xenophobia. But since Pluto will stay in Aquarius until 2043 (and afterward opposes Uranus), pressure for reform will not end. It may instead take the form of demands for "self- empowerment."

At the end of 2037, Saturn turns stationary in a familiar degree: 17¡ Virgo, while Mars turns stationary in Taurus, in trine to Saturn. It looks like decisive action may be applied to the conflicts over fuel and other resources that began in 2035 (probably involving Asia). On January 5, 2038, an annular eclipse forms a grand trine with Saturn and Mars. Business and government could cooperate to preserve resources and empower the people, though some wealthy businessmen may fight these measures. It will be another chance to help humanity achieve true "energy self-reliance" and make green ideals more workable. The powerful Spring Equinox chart for 2038 only confirms these indications, as Jupiter joins Uranus in Cancer exactly at the Nadir in Washington. It will bring a new thrust of environmentalism. We can now accelerate the agricultural reforms so essential to the health of people and planet alike.

Some North Americans, especially outspoken youth, will ask whether their own material progress and the foreign meddlings by their government don't impair the security and quality of their own personal and family lives. Others will reply that they must stay active and alert to international affairs, or their rights and resources will be taken away. Americans can't preserve America without preserving the Earth-and asking other peoples to do so, too. As Jupiter returns to Leo and Neptune approaches its rendezvous with the trigger point of 0¡ Taurus, more crises in the Middle East will probably force the issue. The fall charts of 2038 show unusually intense diplomatic activity by Uncle Sam to resolve these crises.

ECONOMY MELTS INTO ECOLOGY: NEPTUNE IN TAURUS

Three days after the Spring Equinox of 2039, Neptune enters Taurus. This will bring a calmer, more cautious and pragmatic attitude. Revolutions will happen in the following years, but they will be focused in particular places and toward well-defined goals instead of being wild and diffuse as they were under Aries. Though radical movements will continue (Pluto in Aquarius, opposing Uranus in 2047), they will be more firmly grounded. People will want change to be slower, and in some places this might mean political conservatism. In other places (like France or California), the slower pace could mean another "Belle Epoque" in which delicate, refined arts and decadent pleasures flourish. This trend could last up to two decades, as people escape from the fast pace of city life that prevailed during the Aries age of progress, seeking instead a more pastoral lifestyle. In other words, at the end of this "high gear" era, we will change back into a lower gear.

This may not all be by choice, though. We will also be forced to slow down by deepening recession, at least in the first years of Neptune in Taurus. The international troubles and trade wars that began in 2035, plus ecological disasters, will hurt the economy. A moderate financial panic will bring about economic (Taurus) dissolution (Neptune) by 2041, as old corporate combinations melt into new ones. It will be up to us to make sure these new structures are more beneficial to the public and the planetary interest than the old ones were. The spring of 2039 will bring a chance to do this. The important reforms and international agreements begun in the new "Hundred Days" of January 2033 to improve the health of the land and its people should resume in the spring of 2039, in response to deep economic restructuring.

During the thirteen years under Neptune in Taurus, conservation and conservatism may come together at last, as economy and ecology are combined (Uranus in Cancer sextile Saturn in Virgo, 2039). International ecological problems will strongly affect world trade. A magnificent yod figure announces Neptune's entry into Taurus in March 2039. It indicates that we will have to transform the way we deal with each other, so that our personal interests and relationships are in harmony with a new global society preoccupied with protecting the planet. New Sacred Earth ideals will transmute our economic institutions over the next thirteen years as a global, ecological economy unfolds during the "Green Revolution." The shape of the yod figure itself is, incidentally, the same as the Germanic rune for "protection," and it also resembles the symbolic three-pronged staff of Neptune -now located in earth sign Taurus. We will adjust our ways of life so that we can all experience vividly our connection to the Earth Goddess, transforming our souls to better fit them for the dawning Age of Aquarius. Rich nations may now seek to protect poorer ones from the problems caused by scarce resources. Some groups will be suspicious of those in power, even believing conspiracy theories claiming that those who control access to the world's resources are plotting to destroy the planet!

The new Earth-reform diplomacy will receive its baptism in the Middle East in the summer and fall of 2039, where religious leaders may cause trouble. Another yod on July 18 will put stationary Venus in Leo at the "activating point," showing earnest attempts to solve disputes. The problems will probably arise, as suggested before, from diminishing oil revenues plus the dawning realization among Middle East peoples that they have been among the last to achieve human rights and democracy, although they were the first to achieve civilization. In mid-November, Mars in Cancer (squaring Saturn in Libra) turns stationary-retrograde, showing the new Earth diplomacy in action, and America's will to "protect" the Revised World Order. Mars in Cancer will probably also aggravate ethnic troubles, and perhaps environmental disputes. The Sagittarian total eclipse in December, 2039, may herald dramatic success in international negotiations.

In February, 2040, Mars in Cancer turns stationary-direct. Indications are that once again the Americans will feel impelled to take quick, aggressive action (probably by sea) in the Middle East. Let's hope it's not bungled like the Bay of Pigs invasion (also Mars direct in Cancer in 1961). These new Mid-East troubles may be severe enough to shift alliances within the revised world order (as in 1956, when Uranus was square Neptune, as it will be now). Saturn's position in Libra in 2040 (echoing its place in the progressed Chart of Modern Humanity) indicates that the end result of this crisis could be the arrival of genuine human justice in the lands which once invented it (Iraq, Iran, Arabia, Palestine, etc.). Six planets in Libra in September of 2040 may be the hopeful sign of this great breakthrough for human rights and justice, and in October, mass action by the Middle Eastern people (Mars opposite Neptune) may confirm it. Fall 2040 could go down in history as a time when humanity reaffirmed its commitment to the ideals of fairness and "justice for all."

The same six Libra planets also sound the keynote for the next chapter: growing economic interdependence among all peoples in a greener (meaning a more alive and prosperous) world. The period in which humanity plunged forth again into aggressive Aries will complete itself by gaining a new balance in cooperative Taurus and Libra.