Jupiter moves into Aquarius May 1 - July 30, 2009May began with the great benefic Jupiter leaving the sign of Capricorn, its debilitation, to the sign Aquarius. While Aquarius is still ruled by Saturn, it is not as heavy, restrictive or debilitating as Capricorn for the expansive gas giant, Jupiter.
As I mentioned in my previous post modern astrologers assigned the planet Uranus to rule Aquarius. Its association with sudden change, shock, disturbance, transformation, eccentricity, electricity, and invention will also have a temporal influence on Jupiter. In Vedic astrology Jupiter in Aquarius is organized, democratic, and sometimes revolutionary. During the next three months I would expect to see new opportunities and innovations that may inspire investment in the future. Look for more headlines about the campaign to revitalize America by investing in alternative energies like the 2009 Time 100 Most Influential People interview on CNN between Ted Turner and T. Boone Pickens which first aired on May 1, 2009.
But the biggest news story of May, and perhaps the summer, is H1Ni, the Swine Flu. The media hype has distracted our attention away from the depressed economy, and instead created a worldwide health panic on which to focus. While Jupiter was still debilitated in Capricorn, the World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert level to a 5 out of 6-levels. Fear has become so widespread that Australia has told its citizens to stock up food and supplies for 14 days; Egypt has ordered the slaughter of the country's 300,000 pigs, even though no cases have been reported there; conspiracy theorists suggest the swine flu virus was genetically engineered by bioterrorists and is being used to create fear and mandatory vaccination; and in the US there are reports of school closures, overwhelmed emergency rooms, and consumer runs on hand sanitizers and flu remedies.
Even so, the fear (
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real) being promoted by the media's initial coverage of the flu is starting to subside now that Jupiter is more fully established in Aquarius and we are beginning see that it is not as "deadly" as first reported. As of today the WHO has confirmed 898 cases worldwide, with 20 deaths, all of people born in Mexico.
Aquarius is the sign that rules the masses and Jupiter's expansive nature can effect it positively and negatively. One positive revelation coming out of all this hype is exposing how the meat industry is in part responsible for the swine and avian flu plagues. For years experts have been warning that the rise of large-scale factory farms in North America has created the perfect breeding grounds for the emergence and spread of new highly-virulent strains of influenza. Now people are listening.
However, they are also listening to the fear-mongering. In spite of the facts, the media seems to be setting us up to be prepared for future mandatory vaccinations, even though historically vaccines have caused more deaths than the actual flu. And more than half a dozen pharmaceutical companies with stakes in the vaccine business will likely see revenue boosts if the swine flu outbreak continues to spread.
Moreover, governments like the US are scheduled to dispose of billions of dollars of Tamiflu stock, which they bought to counter a predicted avian flu, or H5N1 back in 2005, that never happened. At that time the US government ordered 20 million doses, costing $2 billion, and around that time the UK government ordered 14.6 million doses. Tamiflu’s manufacturer, Roche, has confirmed that the shelf life of its anti-viral is three years, so how convenient that it now can be released as it expires? On April 27, 2009 Homeland Security declared a health emergency and released 25 percent of 50 million doses -- about 12 million doses -- of Tamiflu and Relenza treatment courses from the nation's stockpile. For more on the facts behind this hype I would suggest the comments of Ron Paul on
Youtube or reading the article
Critical Alert: The Swine Flu -- Fact or Fiction on Dr. Mercola's website:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/29/Swine-Flu.aspx
Between May 15-27, 2009 Jupiter will make an exact conjunction with Neptune, which turns retrograde on May 28, 2009. As I mentioned in my previous post, astrologically Neptune is associated with drugs, psychic sensitivity, imagination, oil, and the media and film. During this time Jupiter may effect all of these realms. Certainly the flu and vaccinations, and the role of government in health care will be in at the forefront of the news. Look for the release of summer movies with fantasy and extra-terrestrial themes. The oil industry will also make headlines, perhaps rise in oil costs to cover future exploration of greener energy. During this time it will be important not to let Jupiter's expansive nature inflate our fears and imagination. A little Saturnian discernment is most useful right now.
Namaste
Future Posts:Mercury retrograde May 6-30, 2009
Full Moon May 8, 2009 Vishaka
New Moon May 24, 2009 Krittika
Jupiter retrograde June 15, 2009
Jupiter returns to Capricorn July 30, 2009
This 'star of fire' is also known as 'the cutters' perhaps referring to the weapons wielded by its other deity, Karttikeya, one of Shiva's sons. According to Vedic traditions, Shiva promised to produce a son who would destroy the demons that had taken over the heavens. For his protection, the infant Karttikeya was hidden away by the 7 Wives of the 7 Seers, the 7 bright stars of the Pleiades. In this place of refuge, they instructed and prepared him for his destiny. Thus this asterism symbolizes the celestial training ground where one receives instruction on one's life purpose. 
