One of the core aspects of the American Dream was the feasibility of land and home ownership. Today, the dream of accessible homeownership, especially in and around major US cities, is becoming far less within reach among many US citizens. More than half of the US population struggles to pay rent and cover necessities. Homeownership in the US also never fully recovered from the 2007-2009 Global Financial Crisis that proceeded two AP solar eclipses on the US Sibly MC/IC axis in 2006 and 2007. As also mentioned, this was the period of Pluto crossing the AP axis into Capricorn and its opposition to the US Sibly Venus-Jupiter (and square to the MC/IC axis). Similarly, a solar eclipse will occur on the AP and align with the US Sibly MC in 2025 alongside the building Saturn-Neptune conjunction on the IC.
The fourth house, from a psychological and evolutionary astrological perspective, relates to the “soul” of the chart, the deeper and intimate dimensions of life. It points to issues around the home front, kinship, and what astrologer Steven Forrest referred to as “attunement to the inner self.” According to Forrest, fourth house transits are often obscure periods of life that relate to cycles of “self-administered psychoanalysis” and a “process of recreating a myth of ourselves….”[22]According to Howard Sasportas, with Neptune crossing the IC into the fourth house, it reflects a time “to pause and take stock of our lives.”[23] From this perspective, the Saturn-Neptune cycle on the US Sibly IC represents a critical period for the seeding of a new myth, perhaps a reconceptualization of the American Dream itself. This is a time to awaken and deeply assess the values the country has come to operate under. Perhaps this more inward turning reflected by the Saturn-Neptune alignment in the US Sibly fourth house reflects also a constructive potential as Tarnas had described it:
“In perhaps its most admirable form, the Saturn-Neptune complex appears to be associated with the courage to face a hard and often tragic reality without illusion and still remain true to the ideals and dreams of a better world. Instead of provoking despair or passivity, the painful gap between the ideal and the real inspires one to undertake whatever sustained labor is necessary to transform the resistant structures of the world (political, economic, religious, philosophical) in service of one’s highest spiritual intuitions.”[24]
In contrast, though not specifically referring to the US situation and focusing more broadly on global civilization, Barbault was optimistic about the 2026 conjunction. Here is his prediction:
"It is the most benefic configuration of the century and its interplanetary partnership will work for the best in a splendid relaunch of civilization. It contains a harmonious relationship between primordial polar opposites; the coming together of the external and the internal, rational and spiritual, mind and soul... human beings surpassing themselves while experiencing life on a higher level."[25]
Barbault predicted a "splendid relaunch of civilization." He also alluded to some acquired transcendent state through a melding of polarities. Barbault noted the harmonious aspects of Pluto and Uranus making sextiles to the Saturn-Neptune alignment. It is interesting to note that the AP has major symbolic significance related to pushing the boundaries of civilization and technological progress. Critical events leading to the dramatic shift in world power tend to occur alongside such alignments historically. As occurring within the upward trend in the Cyclic Index, and considering these more harmonious aspects, Barbault foresaw a positive uprising occurring on a global level.
In contrast, the more constructive potential of Tarnas’ Saturn-Neptune interpretation framed it as a dark night of the soul that prompts constructive action and has the potential to change various cultural structures that have become maladaptive or misaligned with spiritual or moral aspirations. Reflecting on the evidence and discussions in this essay, I find it hard to have an optimistic view of this alignment, at least in the short term and on the broader collective level. Yet, astrology points to a symbolic reality that underwrites reality itself. From that perspective, astrology suggests that reality is ultimately symbolic rather than literal. We can look at everything happening in the world as a symbol pointing to a shift in consciousness that is reflected in all these events and crises we face.
A perplexing aspect of this alignment is the censorship issue discussed and the ability to distort or manufacture perception on a massive level. The situation speaks deeply to the archetype of Neptune and its obfuscating and sometimes deceiving attributes. This touches on a critical crisis we face: a crisis of reality and perception, a collective confusion about what is true or false, or who to trust or believe. The boundaries of perception and reality will be pushed, but in what direction ultimately? Is Han's dystopian warning about the death of free will to emerge in a way we have yet to see or imagine? Will emerging threats be misunderstood or hyperbolically depicted as in the correlations with Saturn-Neptune and periods of collective paranoia and mass delusion? When consumed in reflective digital echo chambers, each with its curated version of reality, is the possibility of an organized collective pushback or awakening even possible? The battle over a specific vision or ideology is also possible here, or a significant failure of such, and a defining moment in that process will likely emerge over the next few years. Yet, ultimately, what vision or reality will win out?
In my previous essay on this topic, I predicted a thematic global disillusionment and awakening that would manifest in a variety of ways. I argued that it was ultimately time for a radical alteration in our collective worldview. I think the collective disillusionment and hopelessness, and the failure of the status quo system to deliver new possibilities or inspire excitement and hope among the people has more to do with political and metaphysical worldviews that have reached their expiration. The vacuousness and narcissism of the major US presidential candidates (and their associated political parties) heading into this Saturn-Neptune cycle is a revealing symbol about the corruption of the political duopoly and the capture of the system by unrestrained profit accumulation and material exploitation. It also points to a lack of a compelling creative vision not just nationally but within the broader, hegemonic worldview of modernity.
The materialist-secular worldview and its accompanying atheism and existentialism have resulted in a society disenchanted in multiple ways. It has resulted in a technocratic system that perceives humans as mere machines that can be programmed and directed toward predetermined outcomes. Yet, that view is highly delusional. Humanity and its civilization are byproducts of the natural world, a complex non-linear system far from mechanical, static, and controllable. That vision will ultimately fail because it fails to see, understand, and appreciate the complexity and nuance of reality and the nature of consciousness. Chaos cannot be eliminated by advanced algorithms or the weaponization of social theories.
In contrast to this, we have a rising tide of conservative political and cultural ideology. This often reflects a desire to retreat to conservative traditions and a puritanical past. It is partly a revitalization movement that perceives the progressive cultural changes of the past century as dangerous and maladaptive. If only society could go back to some semblance of cultural and traditional purity, things can be restored to normalcy and stability. This is equally delusional when taken to an extreme and it ignores the diversity, equality, and freedom that many of the progressive cultural changes of the past century have manifested. On the far end of this are the delusional authoritarian aspirations of Christian theocratic fascism that seeks to align the US culturally and structurally with traditional Chrisitan values (or what a subset of evangelical and fundamentalist Christian leaders believes those values are).[26]
However, the tension between these extremes points to a middle ground arising that can also be seen as a reflection of the following two decades of Pluto through Aquarius. Are there ways in which radical liberalism has gone too far in the direction of excessive hyper-novelty? Are there ways in which radical conservatism has gone too far in restricting bodily autonomy and civil liberties? Current debates over adolescent gender transitions, abortion, and broader LGBT+ issues within the culture appear to reflect this tension and nuance. They require careful, open debate and consideration rather than overly simplistic and broad, biased conclusions.
In considering Lasche’s argument about the collapse of tradition, family structure, and shared morality as factors that have led to cultural narcissism, in some ways, the conservative view has a point as far as traditional lifeways are concerned. There are many cultural structures that have been instrumental to human evolution and civilizational expansion that have been radically altered over past centuries. Yet, considering more complex societal factors like hypercapitalism, we see this corrosion of structures as not only a byproduct of progressive cultural changes but also economic ones that make the sustainment of certain traditions less appealing or accessible. If buying a home and raising a family is no longer a viable economic option, then alternative structures and lifestyles will inevitably result as humans adapt to changing economic conditions. Metaphysical and cosmological models of traditional religions have become less convincing and appealing due to numerous scientific discoveries and evidence and thus they fail to make rational arguments.
The conversation over the collapse of shared morality is not exclusive to Lasche and has been observed as instrumental to the rise of modern cult-like movements and what psychologist Matias Desmet called “mass formation,” a trance-like hive mind that overtakes a population alongside a serious threat or crises (as well as a host of predeterminate factors).[27] Lack of a collective sense of meaning and purpose was instrumental to this. This was an argument of Hannah Arendt who saw the rise of Nazism as having a similar basis in the collapse of authority and a shared, collective purpose in the modern world. Sociologist Frank Freudi’s work focused on this very issue as having given rise to modernity’s collective hyper fixation on safety and risk aversion that he called the “culture of fear.” According to Furedi, the collapse of centralized authority and shared morality (and excessive focus on individualism) have given rise to a cultish devotion to scientistic morality that perceives and portrays science as “a moralistic and political project” aimed at establishing a consensus to be obeyed, the very opposite of science as a rigorous tool and methodology whose findings are openly questioned and debated.[28]
Since most of human evolution took place within the context of small groups of nomadic, hunter-gatherers, the ability to maintain a shared collective authority, moral code, and purpose was more feasible and instrumental to human survival. The rapid expansion of the global human population, globalization, technological advancements, and ever emerging scientific discoveries have made matters more complicated. Individualism and cultural plurality in modern American culture are also major factors for the difficulty of getting everyone on the same moralistic and ideological page. There are no easy, “one-size-fits-all” solutions to these problems and they reflect a reality humanity must learn to adapt to.
The shadow of these times ultimately reflects humanity’s inability to deal with chaos, unpredictability, and uncertainty and their desperate attempts to make sense of these conditions through the limitations of their worldviews. I would argue that neither technocratic materialists or religious conservatives offer viable solutions nor refreshing insights. The Neptunian archetype inherently belongs to the realm of the chaos gods such as Uranus, Pluto, and many trans-Plutonian objects. Its merging with Saturn incites a challenge to integrate and concretize the ideal and intangible, but it also represents a confrontation with the limitations of our understanding of reality and our ability to control outcomes. Disillusionment is always a consequence of any delusional pursuit of attempting to stamp out chaos and uncertainty from the world, or any hubristic confidence in one’s view of the world.
If there is a positive side to this moment in time it is the potential awakening that will pave the way to new visions and conceptions of reality better informed by those limitations. That will take time to germinate and blossom within the world, but their seeds are being planted now, and each of us, if we manage to escape the trappings of confining digital echo chambers, divisive political cults, or collective mass delusion, can glimpse pieces of it and assist in actively pushing the boundaries of ethically corrupt cultural and political structures (in addition to reality, perception, and even humanity's deeper spiritual potential).
As for the US, many academic historians have argued that the country is a declining world power, and that path has accelerated in recent decades. As mentioned earlier, historian Alfred McCoy anticipated an accelerated decline of US global power occurring along a similar time frame as Barbault, within the 2020-2030 range. At the time of the publication of his last work in 2017, he suggested there was still time for Americans to organize and work through political channels to oppose the military industrial complex’s endless expansion and the US’s dangerous foreign policy maneuvers. As McCoy argued, “the possibility remains that, even at this late hour, the American people could come together—as they did during World War II or the Cold War—to build a more just society at home and a more equitable world abroad.”[29] Those efforts unfortunately do not seem to have made much headway. Yet, this alignment perhaps points to a last chance for a collective awakening to begin mobilizing such a movement.
As for the American Dream, within the context of unfettered capitalism, it was destined to be an unsustainable mode of being in the world, neglecting humanity’s place as one piece of a vast interconnected ecosystem. This does not suggest that aspiring for a political and economic system that equitably secures material stability for its citizens is a bad thing, but that a system that allows for the delusional boundless accumulation of capital and resources cannot go on forever, especially one predicated on the perpetuation war, genocide, and environmental destruction. The hypercapitalistic extreme of the American Dream derives from the delusional belief that humanity is separate from and more supreme than anything else evolving on earth. Many traditional religious ideologies perpetuate this delusion of humans as somehow transcendent of and supreme to the natural world. This delusion operates unconsciously within even the materialist and scientistic worldviews that deify human ingenuity and innovation as something salvific rather than paradoxical and flawed. Cultural narcissism emerged out of the vacuous core of the materialist worldview but also the religious foundations it grew out of, and it poses significant risks for the survival of humanity, civilization, and numerous ecosystems and living species. Reimagining not only the American Dream itself, but broader conceptions of reality and our place within it, will be crucial for improving global conditions and preserving numerous cultural and ecological systems in the future.
Citations
[1] Richard Tarnas. Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View (New York: PLUME, 2007), p. 469.
[2] Ibid., pp. 469-478.
[3] Michael Baigent, Nicholas Campion, and Charles Harvey. Mundane Astrology: An Introduction to the Astrology of Nations and Groups (London: The Aquarian Press, 1992), p. 169.
[4] Plato. “Timaeus”, in Plato Complete Works, eds. John M Cooper and D.S. Hutchinson (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 1997), p. 1243, 39d.
[5] See Robert Hand. Horoscope Symbols (Atglen: Schiffer, 1981), p. 92.
Noel Tyl. Synthesis and Counseling in Astrology (St. Paul: Llewellyn, 1994), p. 312.
[6] Anne Geneva. Astrology and the Seventeenth Century Mind: William Lilly and the Language of the Stars (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1995), p. 211.
[7] Nicholas Campion, Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions (New York and London: New York University Press, 2012), pp. 182-184.
[8] Tarnas, Cosmos and Psyche, p. 474.
[9] André Barbault. Planetary Cycles Mundane Astrology, trans. by Kate Johnston (London: The Astrological Association, 2016), p. 85.
[10] David Harvey. A Brief History of Neoliberalism (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), p. 7.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Byung-Chul Han, Psycho-politics: Neoliberalism and New Technologies of Power (London and New York: Verso, 2017), p. 5.
[13] Apple.“1984,” January 24, 1984. https://youtu.be/VtvjbmoDx-I?si=0Bx8Nu5jEI_cfJij
[14] Han, Pscyhopolitics, p. 40.
[15] Han, Psychopolitics, p. 36.
[16] Testimony by Michael Shellenberger FINAL (house.gov), p. 6.
[17] Han, Psychopolitics, p. 12.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Ramani S. Durvasula, PH.D. “Don’t You Know Who I Am?”: How to Stay Sane in an Era of Narcissism, Entitlement, and Incivility (New York & Nashville: Post Hill Press, 2019), p. 22.
[20] Ibid., p. 10.
[21] Barbault. Planetary Cycles, p. 87.
[22] Steven Forrest. The Inner Sky: How to Make Wiser Choices for a More Fulfilling Life (San Diego: ACS Publications, 1988), p. 79.
[23] Howard Sassportas. The Gods of Change: Pain, Crisis, and the Transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto (Bournemouth: The Wessex Astrologer, 2007), p. 156.
[24] Tarnas, Cosmos and Psyche, p. 477.
[25] Barbault, Planetary Cycles, p. 103.
[26] See: Chris Hedges. American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America (New York: Free Press, 2009).
[27] Matias Desmet. The Psychology of Totalitarianism (White River Junction: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2022).
[28] Frank Furedi. How Fear Works: Culture of Fear in the 21st Century (London: Bloomsbury, 2019), p. 144.
[29] Alfred W. McCoy. In the Shadows of the American Century: The Rise and Decline of US Global Power (Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2017), p. 256.
