In around 500 BC the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, claimed that the First Cause of existence was fire and that life itself was characterized by strife and change. He didn’t see this as a bad thing: it was just the nature, or fundamental essence, of what makes life what it is.
According the Classical Wisdom website Heraclitus was rather critical of his predecessors as well as much of humanity in general. He reckoned that we are like children, fumbling around in the dark, clueless to the true nature of reality and that we remain oblivious to truth, even when we experience it every day. He compared our inability to realize the true nature of the universe to a person waking from sleep who is unable to recall their dreams.
It appears that way back in the ancient past that Mars – the planet of strife – and Uranus – the planet of change – were having a dominant, easily observed, influence on the way things were. And now in 2024 it’s easy to agree with Heraclitus on his observation that life was characterized by strife and change and maybe some of his other viewpoints.
Hermetic astrology teaches that Mars is the planet of strife: that is, heated often violent conflict or disagreement. Mars marches to the beat of war drums. It’s also the planet of brutality and hate, things that make for a less civilized, less compassionate society, and has a liking for blowing things up.
Life in 2024 showcases Mars. It’s all about competition and winning which require an enormous amount of aggressive energy. Disagreement with friends, colleagues and strangers cause anger levels to rise. If you expect people to behave in a rude, obnoxious way you won’t be disappointed.
In 2024 you’re fighting to survive but the stress of staying alive is taking its toll. Aggression might be a big winner but it also raises your blood pressure, contracts your veins and squirts adrenalin and cortisol into your blood stream. Out-of-control anger outbursts are future illness indicators.
The ancient philosopher, Heraclitus, was a very observant guy. His strife and change observations were spot on so it’s surprising that he didn’t notice that life was also characterized by an urge to obtain safety and flee enemies.
Hermetic astrology teaches that Saturn is the planet of safety and in 2024, as the dangers and uncertainties on Earth escalate, its fear is driving the security agenda. You can measure how frightened a country is by the size of its defence budget.
Saturn is selfish and short-sighted. It’s the planet of struggle, hardship and poverty. In the school of life it provides lessons in loss, grief and despair. Its fear is a terrible thing: it makes people stupid and bigoted.
Saturn is old school: it’s a die-hard conservative/traditionalist. Its established teachings, customs and traditions are progress blockers and it doesn’t like to have them proved ignorant or wrong by new Aquarian age knowledge. It resists change and yet the world moves on.
Mars and Saturn come to Earth
On September 19, 2022 Mars and Saturn came to Earth. That’s when progressed Mars in the Aquarian Age chart moved to form a conjunction aspect with birth chart Saturn. It’s a high-discord astrological event that reaches peak power on January 27, 2024 and influences events and developments here on Earth till June 6, 2025.
When we first assessed the aspect in an article published on August 25, 2022 we wrote: ‘Mars conjunction Saturn in the Aquarian Age chart is fraught with danger. It forecasts war, conflict, bitter rivalry, dangerous miscalculations, energy insecurity crises, economic warfare, recession, disastrous mistakes, a plague of stone-age thinking, rising levels of hate, brutality, fear, insecurity, grief and loss, a tsunami of displaced people fleeing violence and seeking resettlement, surging poverty and suffering, food insecurity, hunger, starvation, disease, climate disasters, destructive weather events, floods, droughts, crop failures and destructive deforestation.’
We forecast: ‘It puts the focus on the real-life consequences of climate change – perilous summers, deadly heatwaves perilous winters, freezing cold, red weather warnings, monster storms and destructive floods – and the need for urgent climate action.’
And that: ‘In 2023-24 Mars conjunction Saturn is going to test humanity’s metal. More than anything people just want to feel safe (Saturn). Resilience (Mars) keeps the show on the road. When your life crumbles you have to rebuild – one brick at a time.’ And ‘your potential to experience violence, struggle and despair is relative. It all depends on where you live and your personal circumstances.’
In 2023 the war in Ukraine, extreme weather events and the cost of living crisis led the news queue and then on October 7 Hamas, in a surprise attack, escalated its ongoing war with Israel; and with the Mars-Saturn conjunction in the Aquarian Age chart reaching peak power on January 27, 2024 the danger index is red hot and the world has become a very scary place.
Mars and Saturn in 2024
In 2024 Mars and Saturn are making sure that nothing good is going on. Planet Earth is a bleak and unsafe place. It’s plagued by strife and suffering. The crises are piling up. Saturn’s fear is paralysing world leaders. Is the current batch able to deal with your security concerns? Protection is your top priority. 2023 was the hottest in 125,000 years.
In 2024 the fighting in Ukraine, Myanmar and Sudan rages on; Israel is intent on destroying Hamas; conflict in the Middle East could escalate; conflict could erupt over Taiwan and/or the ownership of the Spratly islands in the South China Sea; and destructive weather events are leaving a trail of loss and devastation. For many life on Earth has become a living hell.
According to the UN climate change is causing human rights emergencies around the world. It’s pushing millions of people into famine: destroying hopes, opportunities, homes and lives. Searing heat, drought and fast-depleting supplies of fresh water are creating baron landscapes of rubble and dust.
In 2024 the climate change challenge is accelerating. Many scientists are claiming it’s an all-out emergency. Weather events are becoming more extreme and more destructive. Your favourite news service provides pictures of the suffering that goes on and on and on. The destruction caused by Pakistan’s great deluge is ongoing.
From June 14 to October 2022 floods in Pakistan killed 1,739 people and caused over $6 trillion of damage and economic loss. The immediate causes were heavier than usual monsoon rains and melting glaciers that followed a severe heatwave. More than 33 million people were affected, that’s one in seven Pakistanis, while eight million were displaced and 13,000 injured.
Then from March to July 2023 floods caused by monsoon rain exacerbated the previous loss and suffering. In November 2023 the country still relies on UN help and almost half the children are facing stunted growth or malnutrition. In Pakistan’s Aquarian Age chart Mars is conjunction Saturn in house 5 (children) and Mars is cusp ruler of house 1 (the people).
And there’s also a global debt bomb (house 8-Saturn) waiting to explode. Some major economies are struggling and there’s a queue of country’s seeking debt restructuring. There’s a growing recognition of the need for change.
The floods in Pakistan and the death and destruction in Gaza are two major events directly linked to the Mars-Saturn conjunction in the Aquarian Age chart, but there will be more.
They’re very inclined to occur from March 26 to April 25, 2024 when Mars is conjunction Saturn in the sky > peak power date is April 10; and from July 1 to August 28, 2024 when progressed Moon in the Aquarian Age chart forms a trine aspect with progressed Mars and birth chart Saturn and a sesquisquare aspect with progressed Saturn.
The ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, reckoned that life itself was characterized by strife and change and he sho’nuff got that right. When violent conflict erupted between Israel and Hamas the world changed and it wasn’t for the better.
In 2024 humanity has to process the brutality of the Hamas attack on innocent Israeli civilians; the death, destruction and distress inflicted on innocent civilians in Gaza by Israel; and the plight of the hostages (Pluto). And then there’s the death, despair and destruction caused by extreme weather events attributed to climate change.
Three cheers for the peace activists and the climate warriors fighting climate change and its real-life consequences.
If you’re living in a safe place and have food and water, be grateful.
Astrology for Aquarius – sharing our knowledge
