_edited.png){kind=logo}
"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."-James Baldwin
While I’m not necessarily patriotic nor anti-American — though I am on the verge — I appreciate Baldwin’s sentiments. As someone born in the United States and has lived in other countries and experienced other ways of doing things, I feel both protective and dubious. I want to believe we as a country can evolve and create new systems and structures that work for everyone. And yet, the progress often feels slow and hopeless and I have started to doubt the country's capacity to keep up with the evolving world.
When I feel frustrated or annoyed with a person I often find myself looking at their natal chart in attempts to appreciate their complexity or understand our co-created dynamic. And right now, my biggest disappointment and fear sits with this country I call home. So in this time of mixed emotion...and transition....I turn to the tool I know best for insight and perhaps optimism of a country I both dislike and love--astrology.
Just like people have birth charts, locations have them too, created at the moment they become recognized as a city or country. Beyond horoscopes for individuals, astrology can also give us personality insight into locations--specifically offering a glimpse into collective personality, history, and culture as well as phases of struggle or intensity.
The natal chart gives us a cosmic blueprint or potential for a person or place, while the movement of the planets over time connects us to a larger story unfolding.
And right now the story of the United States seems to be revealed before our eyes--it's no secret this country is going through it. For good reason, centuries of inequity, genocide, disregard for the environment, idealizing of capitalist system and white supremacy, and the list goes on.
Hubris and disregard seem to go hand-in-hand with America, so too does innovation and an adventurous spirit. To hold the good and bad of the USA feels more difficult than ever...below are my astrological attempts to uncover how to relate to home.
Birth Chart of the United States
Different astrologers focus on different things, an element of archetypal astrology is the archetypal aspects and relationships. I think of the chart in layers with the Big Three revealing layers of personality. Also of note, there is debate around when the USA became a country...
In the United States, July 4th is the federally recognized Independence Day or birth day. However, there's some historical context that gives some credence to July 2nd being considered the "actual" Independence Day by some. On July 2nd, 1776, the Second Continental Congress formally voted to approve a resolution declaring independence from Great Britain. However, July 4th became the more widely celebrated date for practical reasons. News of the independence vote traveled slowly, and by the time many colonists learned of it, it was already July 4th. Celebrations spontaneously erupted on that day, solidifying it in the public consciousness.
While I'm unclear on the time of day the Declaration was voted on, focusing on the archetypal and planetary components, gives me a lot to work with, even without an exact time. (I realize some astrologers may not agree with this.)
Cancer Sun
The Sun sign represents what we shine into the world and with a country, can be how it is seen or an collective identity. And white the date may be of debate, I definitely see it holding many Cancerian qualities-- reflected in our bit our traditional thinking, and egotistical sensitivity.
The sign of Cancer also relates to the idea of mother and home and America does have a certain "motherland" and "homeland" expression. Here are more qualities I attribute to Cancer Sun:
Strong sense of community: Cancerians prioritize a strong sense of national unity and family values which could be a cornerstone of their identity. I hope this could evolve into family parental leave as welfare and taking better care of citizens.
Focus on security and tradition: Cancerian energy values stability and hold on to traditions and cultural heritage--even if the heritage isn't always an accurate depiction of self. This may also cross over into being wary of rapid change and believing in the good ol' days and being prone to nostalgia. I desire this to evolve into shared history that is more accurate and inclusive.
Patriotic and sentimental: Cancerian nations can foster a deep love for the homeland and a strong emotional connection to its history and symbols. Public displays of patriotism and national pride might be common.
Challenges and Potential Shadow Sides:
Over-protectiveness and isolationism: The nurturing nature can turn into over-protectiveness, leading to isolationist tendencies or a reluctance to engage with other cultures.
Dwelling on the past: The focus on tradition can make it difficult to adapt to change or embrace new ideas. Clinging to past glories or national traumas might hinder progress.
Sensitivity to criticism: A Cancerian nation might be hypersensitive to criticism or perceived attacks on its national identity.
Aspects to the Sun
Sun square Saturn
I experience this as a combination of the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" vibe in tension with the desire to care and tend to its people. A Sun square Saturn person--thinking of my dear sister--may be extremely focused on a strong work ethic and achievement driven. Saturn is the authority figure, and America has a strange relationship to it...we both want the government to be responsible and resist restrictions--um except for the most recent Supreme Court ruling that moves strongly towards dictatorship. I would also say this could be my frustration with its slow to change as well as holding up patriarchal values. The elevated expression of this archetypal combination relates to discipline and that we are viewed as hardworking and valuing productivity.
Sun conjunct Jupiter
While Saturn square Sun has a more constrictive energy, Sun conjunct Jupiter has confidence and hubris. It may be righteous or consider itself a moral authority. In natal charts I see this combination with people who come from religious families. However, I feel the abundance and opulence with the wastefulness at the expense of our generosity as very misplaced. The American way of going big or going home mentality and that it was founded by "explorers" who also colonized/expanded ruthlessly. And my hopes in writing this may be to connect with the potential optimism and idealism this archetypal combination can cultivate.
Sun opposite Eris
I could write an entire post on just this alignment, the constantly creating divisiveness weather among citizens or other countries. I still can't get over the recent ruling about unhoused being possibly put in jail over sleeping outside.
Here's an excerpt from my article"Eris: the Alchemy of Belonging" in The Mountain Astrologer Spring 2024 issue:
"While the Eris archetype lives in every chart individually and otherwise, the collective cultural implication seems the most obvious in the United States of America. It’s no secret that the United States seems to constantly seek a scapegoat--whether it be a political party or fear-mongering of the “others.” Our country was birthed from outsiders who left where they came from to create something new. And throughout our history, we’ve made enemies out of the others in our midst or sought an outsider enemy or other perceived threats to perhaps justify our war budget. Be it immigrants, refugees, certain ethnicities and races, members of the LGBTQIA + community, unhoused populations, other countries, or a political party. It seems blaming someone for our mistakes is the American way. Astrologically, in the chart of the U.S.A. Eris in Capricorn sits across from the Sun in Cancer. It points to our roots in the myriad ways we create separateness and otherness as a guise for our sensitivity and insecurity (Cancer). When people speak about the current divisions in the U.S.A. I find it shocking, as U.S. history has shown we are a country of discord and chaos.
Examples of this xenophobia tendency appeared extremely prominently throughout the tight Eris-Pluto squares of 2020 and 2021. The start of the 2020 pandemic brought to the surface even more of the desire to scapegoat as Eris made three tight squares with Pluto, perhaps attempting to bring her up from the depths. While 2021 Eris had two exact tension-filled squares to Pluto triggering even more erratic energy, during a time when most of us were already stirred up. These years felt like phases of collective outcasting and othering, I felt it in myself flame-throwing Facebook fights and enraged at the blame placed on China and Asian American Pacific Islander communities for the COVID-19 virus. However, these years also brought about change. According to Angela Davis, prominent activist with Eris at her Sun-Moon midpoint, “ 2020 was the year we said no to racism.” In this case Eris was beginning to reveal herself through the rebellion against racism and the harsh truth about the exclusion of so many for so long."
Sun trine Sedna
This aspect may often be considered more harmonious, though with such a powerful archetype it doesn't mean it is gentle. Sedna a connects us to pain and power, the places we feel victimized and rise above into our own empowerment. It reminds us of the traumatic history we have a nation while tending to our own ancestral roots. With Sedna in tight aspect I feel our capacity for transformation and power that feels rooted in care and healing if we choose this path. Ideally a path with reparations and ancestral honoring.
Moon in Aquarius
The Moon's emotional landscape is the inner most layer of a natal chart, and in a chart for a location speaks to the unspoken undercurrent or public mood of a place. In a personal chart it shows us how we are nurtured and tended to, and for a country can be reflects the emotional needs and desires of the population, shaping social values and priorities. The United States has an Aquarius Moon revealing some collective desires for freedom and novelty. As well as innovation and unconventional. I feel our potentail for change with the moon
Emphasis on Social Change: A country with Aquarius Moon might be a champion for social justice, equality, and progressive reforms. They might be at the forefront of social movements and embrace new ideas to address societal issues.
Focus on Technology and Innovation: The Aquarian love for innovation can manifest in a strong emphasis on scientific advancement, technological development, and space exploration.
Humanitarian Spirit: Aquarius is a humanitarian sign, and this can translate to a national character that prioritizes global cooperation and addressing problems facing all of humanity.
Utopian Ideals and Unrealistic Expectations: The Aquarian idealism can sometimes lead to unrealistic expectations about social change or a tendency to chase utopian ideals that are difficult to achieve in practice.
Moon conjunct Pallas Athene
This aspect I often see in client charts related to the intellect, but also learning, education and curiosity. The shadow sides could be and/or thinking as well as extreme highs and lows. As well as over thinking or intuitive problem solving. Pallas is the jack of all trades and master of none. A polymath who stays in school but doesn't really join the world stage. May get caught in ideas rather than action or perhaps emotional decision making.
Moon trine Mars
This combination speaks of action, perhaps aggression and momentum at all costs. It's ambitious and initiatory with an entrepreneurial flare. While I think of Eris as our enemy-making part, I see this as provoking that energy and adding fire.
Moon opposite Hygiea
While Hygiea isn't often discussed in astrology, I find it to be a very powerful archetype to work with natally--and therefore with the USA chart as well. One of the most difficult parts of living here is the lack of affordable healthcare, I believe this asteroid may explain some of the tension. But also, we are one of the most unhealthy countries in the world and don't seem to have healthy coping skills for the stress of work and our systems.
Astrological Transits for the United States
This also deserves its own post, but I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention them. Many astrologers mentioned the particularly the Pluto Return the past few years, as the United States experienced its first Pluto return in February 2022, which some astrologers believe will lead to major societal shifts. Because Pluto retrogrades back and forth the transit continues/influence through the retrograde in 2024 through early November when it reaches 29 degrees Capricorn near the 27 degrees Capricorn.
Pluto helps us navigate power and whether we become passive, dominant, or assertive. It could b a time of significant transformation and upheaval, forcing individuals or societies to confront deep-seated issues and potentially leading to rebirth or renewal. All of this feels yet to be seen for me, I feel the Shadow side of Pluto with control over women's bodies and domination.
Another transit to keep an eye on is Chiron Return, when deep-seated wounds can resurface, urging us to address them for deeper healing. So much of what has been pushed below with our current system seems up for exploration. And I don't want to undermine Uranus squaring the Aquarius Moon, hopefully forcing us into change and sudden shifts.
If complexity is the name of the game, the USA's chart has a tell all, the tension of the traditional Cancer Sun with the unconventional Aquarius Moon. A combination ripe for confusion for all of us. The Aquarius Moon has the potential for innovation and humanitarian lens that could help us get on track to use our Cancerian tendencies to cultivate community care.
Just like a personal natal chart, the United States isn't "stuck" in this pattern. More so patterns or ways of interacting that desire more consciousness. This post was me in a fit and a bit of a frenzy after the debates, so it isn't super edited and also I probably missed a lot. I just needed to write it for my process, for understanding and trying to find hope for a country that I both love and hate. To make amends in some way for the confusion I feel about celebrating a holiday with a country whose history is baked like an apple pie with genocide, war, and inequity.
The Stars and stripes of this country may temporarily waver in the breeze, but I want us to evolve out of this history and chart, to do better and be critical of our leaders and ourselves. To create new systems and structures that benefit and care for citizens, to become more conscious of our authoritarian and righteous tendencies and move towards becoming a nation who values differences and uplifts those who have been left behind. A country with a system for reparations and a generosity towards people who need support.
Is this a bit too lofty, perhaps...but why live in a country with the Sun conjunct Jupiter if you can't lean on some hope?
Comentarios