As I stated in my last column I intended to speak of further ramifications of the transiting Pluto moving into square and opposition with the U.S. Mars/Neptune square. The observation I had intended to focus upon was in relation to the fact that the US Mars is in Gemini and hence has to do with communications. However, I would like to save that discussion for my next posting and discuss instead a quite potent Astrological portent arriving for planet earth and for the U.S.A. over the next several months.

According to Ashland, Oregon Astrologer Mary Plumb, the planet Mars has been making a ‘perihelion’, its closest distance to the earth, in its orbit. The peak of this perihelion will be around August 30. However, this perihelion will be the closest it has ever been in 72,000 years. In my mind this bears much concern for us due to something which I read in the material channeled from the Ascended Master Hilarion.

Some of this may be a stretch for some of you, but if nothing else it may serve as entertaining reading. Hilarion says that the asteroid belt is the remains of a planet he calls Jmojer. Hilarion says that the consciousness on that planet became so negative and efforts to regenerate the consciousness of that planet had been so unsuccessful that they decided to destroy the planet. However, they were greatly concerned about the negative effects of the remaining etheric and astral energies of Jmojer, especially upon the newly developing consciousness emerging on the Earth. They therefore decided to bind these negative, aggressive energies of Jmojer to the planet Mars.

Hilarion has said that this is why Mars has, historically, been seen to influence aggressive, antagonistic energies and is indeed referred to in the Roman pantheon as the god of war. Hilarion also says that when Mars is closest to the earth there is a greater instance of war and conflict upon the earth. So, as I said, being the closest to the earth in 72,000 years bears some concern.

Mars is also spending an unusually long time in the sign Pisces, around six months. Uranus has also just moved into Pisces. I will speak more of this Pisces influence in a future posting. Returning to the US chart, however, the US has transiting Pluto in Sagittarius moving into an opposition with its natal Mars in Gemini, and into a square with its natal Neptune in Virgo. Well, Pisces is the sign which completes a ‘grand cross’ of tension with these other three signs.

On November 26, Mars in Pisces, will make an exact square with Pluto in Sagittarius. This is something which the whole planet will be experiencing collectively. However, on December 1, Mars, again in Pisces, will make an exact square with the natal Mars in Gemini in the US chart. And, on December 3, Mars will make an exact opposition to the natal Neptune in Virgo in the US natal chart. The US will be experiencing this ‘grand cross’ of tension from the Pluto/Mars square in the sky upon our own natal Mars/Neptune square during this time period.

What will this manifest? God only knows. The transiting Mars will be traveling through our third house, the Gemini related house of mental communication. It seems that at the least there would be a great deal of mental, communicative acrimony. With our natal Mars in the house of relationships with others, this tension should definitely involve our relationships with others. At the other end of the spectrum one could easily imagine various ‘Armageddon’ type scenarios. For those who have read the last chapter in my book: “The Arab/Israeli Conflict and the Tribulation,” you know that Hilarion has spoken at great length about the likelihood and reasons for a great conflict among nations at some point in the not too distant future.

Of course each of us, individually, will be experiencing this Pluto/Mars square within our own charts and will have the opportunity to embrace and transform this conflictual energy. This may even inspire a mass collective voiced expression of resistance to the omenous conflict bound energies in the world.

As I said, what will happen, maybe even God doesn’t already know. I believe in destiny and free will. I feel that I can look at a chart and see certain lessons, certain experiences, which are destined to happen. However, the way in which you react to those lessons, experiences is totally subject to your free will. And the way in which you do react immediately effects or alters the fabric and pattern of your destiny. So, to me, there is a constant interplay between free will and destiny.

Regardless, I, for one, will be curious to see what happens this summer, fall and winter.

In the meantime, I wish you all peace and clear guidance. Steffan Vanel