may 23 pre-featuring the 2010 grand cross

Jupiter Saturn cycles determine social trends and changes. They are very important at the mundane level, as Jupiter stands for legal systems, religion, philosophy, far distance travels and Saturn represents the lord of karma, the time keeper, the master, politics, structure .. to mention only a few aspects of their symbolism.
We have many centuries of observation to rely on, for the interpretation of this particular planetary cycle to be reliable enough. Deeper transformations are activated by the transpersonnal planets such as Uranus, Pluto (both involved in the grand cross occurring now) and Neptune, all discovered in more recent human history.

The last Jupiter Saturn cycle started ten years ago, with a conjunction at 23° Taurus (the powerful 14/05/10 lunation at 23°09 also occurred less than 16min away from this point).
Taurus is the sign of tangible reality, security, personal property, values, gifts, the earth and fruitfulness.
The symbol for 23° Taurus is "a jewelry shop filled with valuable gems". Operating at various levels of meaning, both jewelry and gems have value to our eyes. The former for the craftsmanship involved and the latter for its natural precious rarity. To whom possess them, it's associated to a certain prestige and social status.
The symbol is about our personal value being consecrated in society.

In this new cycle chart, the Venus.Sun/Pluto opposition was a key for understanding how the trend might operate during the next twenty years.
Interestingly enough, the past decade has seen an accelerated race for becoming rich and a common obsession amongst people everywhere on the planet has been to acquire personal property. Work and industry were overshadowed by the desire to become rich fast. In fact, the planet's natural resources and real estate (both taurus ruled) have been major targets for a compulsive speculation to the point where it eventually brought down the economy, if not the whole system.

On May 23 2010, Jupiter and Saturn are reaching the middle of their mutual cycle and oppose each other for the first time in a set of three occurences in the next 12 months. This first opposition happens along the Piscis-Virgo axis or the discrimination versus disintegration polarity containing both the spirit of service and the inner pathway to illumination ...
The mid cycle represents the turning point where we usually can gain a higher view of the road, see with more objectivity the way we've come and where we might have gone wrong .. before we set forth for the remaining half of the path.
With so many oppositions involving planets and Ceres (the goddess of grain and agriculture) in this chart, there is also greater room for gaining objectivity and clarity of vision while we attempt to answer a simple essential question: how will we sustain ourselves? Following a race for controlling the land and property, is food the next target for speculation and corrupt policies? Are the people around the world going to allow it to happen passively this time?

We now have the opportunity to reajust our aim and rectify our past errors.

The comparison between the two charts brings out an interesting mirror effect with many coincidences.

- the dates : May 28 2000 and May 23 2010 placing the Sun in the early degrees of Gemini again
- the Moon was in Aries and now it is in the opposite sign, Libra
- the Venus-Pluto opposition in Gemini/Sagittarius has moved to Cancer/Capricorn & is part of the Grand Cross
- and of course the Jupiter.Saturn conjunction which was square Uranus in 2000 has turned into a Jupiter.Uranus conjunction opposing Saturn.



The Grand Cross is one of the most important astrological formations.
There is much theory running about this pattern, but for having two in my own chart I can only say that's it is difficult to describe and verbalize as an actual life experience. One thing is for sure, it's the most dynamic planetary pattern.
The Grand Cross is about energy, about consciousness, about essence and spirit.

Its energy is so tremendous that if you are not prepared and perfectly centered, it may be most destructive and devastating. Learning to deal with the energy of a Grand Cross on a personal level represents a life-long challenge, because once you think you've mastered it, it shows up in a different form at a different level. You can only learn to embrace it and let go of assumptions.
This very never ending process is a consciousness 'ariser', pulling you forcefully from one level to the next with no option for a bail out: for a long time you may feel like you are at the mercy of cosmic forces beyond your grasp.
You just can't live 'unconsciously' with such a pattern: so according to the planets involved, you will develop a certain kind of acute awareness thru which you will impact the environment.
All along, your path will be punctuated by cathartic experiences (in form of crisis) in order to realign your energies with your higher self, spirit or essence - give it the name you prefer.

Now, you can apply all I just described in a grander scale to this Grand Cross, as it involves two out of three transpersonals Uranus and Pluto with both Jupiter and Saturn, all aligning with the two archetypes of the feminine Venus and Moon which are in mutual reception, to crown it all!

In short, what will happen is not up to us, but how we react is our responsibility and it will ultimately shape our common destiny.

Lets get centered, embrace all that comes our way and use the energy to rise beyond our personal and collective limitations...

Blessings to all