(23 June 2024)  There are several potentially significant planetary transits this week.  At the top of the list is the retrograde station of Saturn, on Saturday (of course!), June 29.  With Saturn beginning its four-month long retrograde cycle, we could become more aware of the importance of rules and traditions, either through their excessive manifestation or their increased vulnerability. Saturn is associated with social structure and its foundations and thus its inner workings may be brought into relief this week.   Large institutions connected with government, law and religion may therefore be in the news in some way as these social pillars may undergo some revision or renewal during this retrograde cycle.  The openness to reform can sometimes leave these institutions vulnerable to criticism as pent-up frustrations are more likely to manifest in the public sphere. Religious doctrines, judicial principles and interpretations of human rights could therefore come under increased scrutiny in the coming days with the reversal of Saturn’s motion.

Saturn’s symbolic connection with pessimism and loss may increase prospects for a recession as economic indicators such as employment and GDP could be seen in a more negative light.  While Saturn’s presence in its own sign of Aquarius may somewhat reduce the harm of this retrograde motion, recession talk may grow louder this week both in the US and around the world.  It is possible that some of this growing fear of a recession could spill over into financial markets during the course of Saturn’s retrograde cycle in the coming months.

Saturn is doubly important this week since its full-strength, 3rd house aspect to Mars is tightening.  While the Saturn-Mars aspect will not be exact until July 5, it is likely that we will see some fallout from this affliction to Mars.  Mars-related matters are more likely to suffer in some way, even though Mars is strengthened by its tenancy in its own sign of Aries.  Actions of the military are more likely to be subject to criticism, as excesses and misdeeds are more likely to occur under this transit.  More criticism of Israel’s IDF and Hamas is therefore more likely to occur while Mars is under the influence of Saturn.  The  nature of military organization may also be in the news as formal chains of command could be seen to be found wanting in some way.  Corruption in the military is a possible manifestation of this Saturn-Mars energy.

The alignment of Ketu with Jupiter is another interesting consideration this week.  With the 120-degree aspect becoming closer, Jupiter-related matters may become destabilized by Ketu’s corrosive effects.  Notions of wisdom, knowledge, and “the good” may be subject to change in the coming weeks as Ketu tends to undermine the status quo.  Jupiter’s association with politics and philosophy means that political ideologies may also be subject to revision under this transit.   This Jupiter-Ketu influence may lie behind the rise of the UK Reform party under Nigel Farage and the failure of the UK Conservatives under Rishi Sunak.  Similarly, the rise of the “far right” National Rally in France is more evidence that the dominant political ideologies are undergoing some important changes.   With Ketu’s dispositor Mercury in Gemini for most of the week, we could still see a mostly constructive and incremental approach to ideological change as the excesses of Ketu are likely to be reined in.

However, Mercury is due to leave Gemini and enter sidereal Cancer on Saturday.  This shift in the sign placement of Ketu’s dispositor could intensify the effects of any political changes as Ketu’s affliction to Jupiter becomes stronger.  While there is nothing inherently negative about Mercury’s transit of Cancer, its shift from Gemini to Cancer definitely represents a step down. Mercury’s association with rationality and calculation therefore undergoes a slight shift away from pure logic and towards a more emotionally-based or holistic calculation.  Mercury’s three-week transit through Cancer may therefore highlight attempts to resolve problems with a more balanced approach that integrates both rules and values.  Matters of social policy may therefore reflect this holistic approach and set aside the ‘tyranny of the rational’ where impersonal algorithms come under the guidance of higher human values.  Perhaps we will see developments in the AI space that better integrate the moral sphere and take a broader account of the human condition.

This more broad-minded Mercury could itself eventually come under pressure in July as it comes under the influence of the aspect of Rahu.  Like Ketu, Rahu exerts a disruptive effect on the planets it aspects.  Sometimes, the Rahu influence on Mercury is beneficial as it can signify technological breakthroughs and innovations in research.  In that sense, the interruption of the status quo of knowledge and science is the very basis of progress.  However, the negative side of Rahu is more chaotic and its tendency to disrupt can interfere with the smooth-running of complex systems that rely on the dry rationality of Mercury.  Thus, the Rahu-Mercury alignment in early July carries with it some risk of interrupting communication and transportation.  Financial markets may also come under pressure.  Mercury will also come under the negative influence of the square aspect from Mars during the month of July.

Upcoming Transits

Mars-60-Saturn           July 5
Venus into Cancer        July 7
Rahu-120-Mercury      July 9
Ketu-120-Jupiter         July 12
Mars into Taurus         July 12
Mars-0-Uranus            July 15
Sun into Cancer           July 16
Venus-120-Rahu         July 19
Mercury into Leo         July 19
Sun-180-Pluto            July 22
Venus into Leo            July 31