Astrology: Winter Solstice December 21, 2023, Part 1 Review

The Prognostic for the Fall was:

There should be less volatile conflict than the Summer, although conflicts of a more deceptive, illusory, fantastical nature could occur. Conversely, there may be a tendency to take people for granted and for failing to give people proper consideration. There is, however, a good opportunity for transformation by learning discrimination and seeing through any illusions, smokescreens, halls of mirrors, moon mist and gaslight in your life. There may also be needs to better balance other people's expectations into your priorities. But for that, it will require patience, investigation, introspection and an open mind to solve the mystery... It could open the doors to distinguishing valid spiritual values from superficial psychic impressions.

The oncoming Russia-Ukraine conflict was easier to predict, because the buildup was highly mediatized. I think that this is the first time that I was surprised at what occurred in the semester, as I didn't really see a Sun opposite Neptune (a T-Square with a Moon square to it) as particularly volatile (although I do find that difficult Moon aspects can be powerful in event charts). Although the Hamas attack occurred a day before an exact Mars square Pluto on October 8, a volatile aspect where pretty much anything can happen.

Perhaps the meaning of 'conflicts of a more deceptive, illusory, fantastical nature could occur' could be related to the surprise, unforeseen nature of the attack (regardless of whether it was really that unforeseeable). Moreover, a very surreptitious, mobile and swift attack on a rave music festival could be considered to fit with the Sun opposite Neptune aspect.  It was a strange twist of fate that a German-Israeli woman with esoteric interests, Shani Louk, would become an iconic figure in the Hamas-Israel war, her final IG post had Hermetic axiom 'As above, so below'. A "convinced pacifist", she refused to undergo compulsory military service. Moreover, ' seeing through any illusions, smokescreens, halls of mirrors, moon mist and gaslight' could correspond to the complicated history of the Israel-Palestine conflict in general and the massive Anti-Semitic and Islamophobia sentiments that the outbreak provoked. There's also the underground tunnel network apparently being used in Palestine.

Another possible effect of the Mars square Pluto aspect was a major Earthquake in Afghanistan.  Two more events in Canada, related to problems in discerning identity, with longstanding links to past events occurred around the same time. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were "credible allegations" of Indian involvement in the murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, B.C.. and a former Nazi was somehow applauded in Canadian parliament in the presence of Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky. Also in this amazing two-week period, elections in Poland, Switzerland and New Zealand brought in right-wing governments, with a left-wing candidate coming in in Argentina. These occurred around the time of a New Moon Solar Eclipse in Libra, Sat Oct 14 (Mars in Scorpio, water domicile,fully resourced to strive after desires; Venus in Virgo, scrutinize interactions, pinpoint problems, researching solutions).

In the area of artistic fantastical mysteries, on October 14, the long, mysterious saga of the theft of the red slippers from The Wizard of Oz film came to a conclusion as the accused pleaded guilty, but with many unanswered questions remaining. Moreover, the litigation that delayed Dorothy's dress has been cleared up (sort of) and now the dress can go to auction (maybe). One of my astrological questions this year was, after years of announcements of imminent release, will a new Peter Gabriel album finally happen? It did. And it hit no. 1. Coincidentally, a very astrological release scheme, which was punctually maintained up to December 1. Morevoer, the Vancouver Art Gallery has declared that 10 oil sketches supposedly done by the Group of Seven’s J.E.H. MacDonald and donated to the gallery in 2015 are fake.  A bombshell CBC documentary revealed serious doubts about Canadian cultural icon Buffy Sainte-Marie's claims of indigenous descent.

The COP 28 meeting was marked by controversy and confusion as, ' many countries walked away from the talks frustrated at the lack of a clear call for a fossil-fuel “phase-out” this decade – and at a “litany of loopholes” in the text that might enable the production and consumption of coal, oil and gas to continue., although a last-minute breakthrough agreement was achieved, with "nearly every country in the world has agreed to “transition away from fossil fuels” – the main driver of climate change.'One has to wonder about the timing of finalizing an agreement on the beginning of a Mercury retrograde period, December 13. Coincidentally, at the same time, US Congress voted to launch an impeachment inquiry against the president.

The main astrological  factor that I look to in the outbreaks of the Russian-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine wars is the culmination of Pluto's transit through Capricorn.  Pluto has been hovering on the cusp of Capricorn and Aquarius all year and will continue to do so for all of next year (although its entrance into Aquarius in January for most of the year, should help improve things), and this position is considered to be one of high energy. Moreover, when a planet leaves a sign, it can be considered a period of squaring of accounts, a kind of final act in the cause and effects that marked its run through Capricorn since 2008, which saw the emergence of reform movements such as occupy Wall street, #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, and #FridaysForFuture, and on a more extreme side, an increase in right-wing authoritarian government repression. Indeed, it was around the time of Pluto's arrival in Capricorn that Hamas came to power in Palestine, and the attack occurred almost exactly 50 years after the 1973 Israel-Palestine war. The Mars square Pluto aspect on October 8 and the ongoing US Pluto return could be further indications of the Pluto nature of these events.

Wake up the dawn and ask her why
A dreamer dreams she never dies
Wipe that tear away now from your eye 

Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova in the sky

Part 2