Coming up Monday December 21, 2020 is the long anticipated Grand Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius. Also on that day, warrior Mars and the more recently discovered dwarf planet Eris are conjunct at 23 degrees Aries and square Pluto exactly at 23 degrees Capricorn.
What could this mean?
The obvious may be an increase in aggression and violent behavior, something we have all witnessed this year and many attribute to the long journey of Mars in Aries which began in July 2020 and completes in January 2021. After all, Aries is the ruler of war and aggression as well as courage and the ability to lead and begin anew.
Who or what is Eris?
Eris is named for the Roman goddess of strife and discord. Discovered in 2005, Eris is considered a dwarf or minor planet and is the most massive and second-largest of this group. She is considered the feminine expression of warrior Mars.
Eris is about the same size as Pluto although she is thought to have more mass. She is found beyond Pluto and is slower moving, taking about 558 years to orbit the Sun, where Pluto takes 247 years. By the way, the United States is about to experience its Pluto Return beginning soon, but more about that later.
It is interesting that once a planet is discovered, it seems to enter human consciousness. For example, the discovery of Uranus in 1781 coincided with the discovery of electricity by Benjamin Franklin in 1752 and the industrial revolution. Illusive Neptune was predicted mathematically before it was confirmed in 1846. This discovery came with the advent of modern photography around 1850. This heralded the birth of spirituality and psychoanalysis. The dwarf planet Pluto in the Kuiper Belt was discovered in 1930 and is associated with the birth of the atomic age in 1933, the rise of dictatorships and rebirth of underground crime. There are some that believe the discovery of Eris will bring a deeper development of feminine strength. Here is an excellent article on how Eris has worked through the ages.
But what about that pesky square on December 21st? Mars will move past this point in about a week or so, but it is EXACT on that day.
Expect Tensions
The difficult square brings tension between powerful transformational Pluto in Capricorn and warriors Mars and Eris in Aries, all powerful forces for change. Pluto wants to continue its journey of turning everything in society upside down so that something new can be born. Aries wants to start something as does Eris. Both planets in Aries can indicate a call for courage and taking a stand for what you believe in. Although sometimes associated with rash behavior, Aries is also about protecting others and finding the strength to stand your ground.
How might this play out in the world and in your personal life?
Depending on where Aries is and connections made to your birth chart, this might be something that passes you by relatively unnoticed. However, you most likely will be aware of the increased tension and volatility in society as a whole as the impact is global.
