Ronald Reagan Howls in the Night

Jolted awake by a screeching noise, I looked around for the cat. Noises in the night are often cats prowling and attacking squeaky toys.

The cat was up, ears aloft as antennas, scanning the surroundings.

“Was that you?”

“No,” he replied, “it was Ronald Reagan.”

Often when woken in the middle of the night, the environment can seem, well, spooky. What just happened? Was I dreaming? Am I still dreaming?

“Ronald Reagan is dead,” I said.

“Does that matter?” the cat asked with sleepy arrogance.

I suppose not.

Ronald Reagan Lives

In the clear light and freshness of a new morning, I explored the happenings of the nighttime. I probed the cat carefully.

“It sounded like a cat in heat, or maybe a dog being attacked.”

“It was Ronald Reagan,” said the cat, adamantly. After a few licks of turkey and giblets pate (because that’s how we like our wet food), he lifted his head to ask, “Why is that so difficult to understand?”

“It’s difficult to understand,” I said with all the patience I could muster for a four-legged without logical capabilities, “because he died in 2004.”

Chewing slowly, he said as though talking to a child, “Well, some people died thousands of years ago and people still pray to them, don’t they?”

The Spirit of Reagan

A lengthy discussion ensued of the living energy of leaders secular and non-secular. The cat pointed out that the horoscope represents that living, ongoing energy.

“You should know that,” he said, clearly grouchy from his lost sleep. “Some astrologer!”

Ronald Reagan’s horoscope

Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, branded his presidency the Reagan Revolution which promoted increased free trade by removing obstacles to business for strong economic growth which would “trickle down” to the masses. And growth occurred.

The economists of that time (1980) warned of great disparities of wealth (extremely rich or very poor) which creates social instability, excessive risk, and ecological damage. And that occurred too.

Born with sun and Venus in Aquarius, Reagan was both “revolutionary” and physically appealing. Venus is the pleasure principle, is associated with beauty, and Aquarius is an air sign so there was always a genteel manner. His voice is echoing as I write and it is quite pleasing, one that calms the nerves. An actor prior to politics, Reagan’s wife Nancy once commented that there was an inner core of her husband she could never reach.

This is a common reaction to those with strong air in the chart: in extreme, “the lights are on, but no one is at home,” and the lesser “Where are you in there?” Are you just saying that or do you really, truly feel that?

On the outside we often never know.

And, as the cat pointed out, that’s maybe why an airport was named after him, cause he was an air sign with his head in the clouds.

The calculating Reagan

In addition to Aquarius “for the people” energy, Reagan also had Mars, Mercury, and Uranus in the ambitious and calculating Capricorn. Capricorn is the very sign of authority and Reagan was a very polished politician. In contrast to today’s politicians, Reagan was a type of “Gentleman Politician,” you know, the men’s lounge, the smoking jacket, I’m simply trying to please everyone, everyone is happy, right?

Capricorn is hierarchical so Reagan believing that racism was over was simply the voice of a white man who was oblivious and content in his own rung of the social system.

Saturn and moon in Taurus created the stable, unflappable personality we associate with Reagan. Aquarius and Taurus – both fixed (stubborn, determined) signs – creates a personality quite comfortable in its set ways. Both are also very detached signs, not emotionally connected which is part of why they can stay calm in troubled times.

Capricorn and Taurus are earth so have tendencies to see things in literal ways. Hence, racism is over because looking out my window I don’t see it. To understand systemic racism, one must understand the system, how it truly works, how statistics reveal truths we don’t see outside the window. That’s conceptual thinking. So is trickle-down economics — there’s a lot to think about, to follow, about what trickles where.

Until very recently, Reagan was the supreme leader of the Republican Party, his name evoking religious sentiment and a standard against which others of his party are measured.

But, my cat said, we really haven’t heard Reagan’s name mentioned much since the night of January 6, 2021 when the current administration threatened the peaceful transfer of power, something Reagan mentioned in his time as the mark of greatness of our nation.

Now we are tainted.

Reagan’s energetic legacy

In both an economic sense and an energetic sense, we can look at how Reagan influenced the future, which is now.

Take the 2008 global economic collapse. Pluto had just entered Capricorn, destroying the economic infrastructure which, in pure state, would have destroyed government. Government repaired itself through economic magic, “quantitative easing” or as opponent George H. W. Bush called it in the 1980 primaries, “Voodoo Economics.”

And that it is. It’s a numbers game until it’s the reality of folks losing their homes and not quite understanding why.

Deregulation allowed over leveraging (also called risk or in regular-person terms, gambling). An exalted few are able to bet on entire industry. Later the debt “trickled” away which “privatized the gains” and “socialized the losses.”

Pluto in Capricorn from 2008 to 2024 transited Reagan’s Mars, Mercury, and Uranus. Capricorn in extreme is concerned only with self and position of self – this is a direct legacy of Reaganomics which changed not just economics but the public opinion of economics which took the shame out of greed.

Who cares that when the housing market collapses, some people make lots of money?

In 1980 healthcare costs weren’t a concern for daily living. You could go to the doctor. He or she could write a prescription. American healthcare today is a Capricorn system of hierarchy and control by large organizations as middlemen in the doctor-patient relationship. Healthcare increasingly unaffordable — may bankrupt us in times of great need. That’s trickle down and up, but mostly up. More people have jobs (trickle down) in a system that will bankrupt them (trickle up).

Reagan was “The Great Communicator,” an air sign who could sell the complex in a simple manner. And it sounds so nice and easy! Forty years later, it’s both the same and different than it sounded.

Uranus transiting Taurus transited Reagan’s Saturn and moon. Taurus is the body and material possessions – this transit is the beginning of the “pandemic” which affects the body and the response was a new type of “vaccination” for the body. Lots of chaos ensued from this, including economic (Taurus supply chain “stuff”) as folks across the globe were put on lockdown destroying small business and benefiting the largest businesses (Capricorn).

Saturn in Taurus folks often feel they don’t have enough: it’s a poverty mentality even if having grown up in wealth. In Reagan’s heart-of-hearts or Saturn-in-Taurus he may have truly believed lifting the rules would benefit everyone.

Uranus transiting moon would have created emotional upset for this equanimous personality. The 1-800-TAURUS-MOON hotline was recently disconnected as Uranus moved into Gemini in 2025.

Did Reagan call the hotline from the grave?

Uranus in Gemini toward the end of its seven-year transit will hit Reagan’s Pluto in Gemini at the same time transiting Pluto will hit Reagan’s sun. Gemini is communication and Aquarius is idealization, so we’ll see if the Great Communicator’s image is risen from the energetic grave or buried forever.

Maybe they will name a space station after him, my cat thought.

Why does Reagan howl in the night?

Why does Reagan howl from the grave? The cat and I came up with some ideas.

I thought maybe seeing our president buddy up to our enemies, ones that Reagan spent his life fighting, might be part of it.

The cat wasn’t sure if Reagan’s dream of “Star Wars” would make him happy or howl – the movie franchise is certainly doing well but the skies are full of stuff.

Would Reagan think the president offering money for votes a “trickle down” effect or would it make him howl?

And while much foreign policy today is leftover, undone, work of prior administrations, Reagan might be howling over the ugliness of it. Diplomacy real or staged is much more pleasing to the eyes.

We finally agreed that Reagan might simply be howling because as 40th president, 40 years later his image is dissolving. But his policies are alive and well, some pretty, some ugly.

Spooky postscript: While working on this blog, Reagan’s name came up twice in media (a movie set in the 1980s and a documentary of present warfare). The cat and I expect to, again, be woken in the night.

Where are the spinsters, bachelors and eccentrics?

Seeing a woman walk by the café with a T-shirt with the word “spinster” reminded me of the words we don’t hear anymore and social roles that don’t exist anymore, at least in the US.

Spinster is a negative image of a woman unmarried sitting at a loom, shriveled and devoid of any sort of passion. She missed her opportunity or was not lovely enough to attract attention. The T-shirt was announcing, with irony, that unmarried female life is a choice, a proud choice.

Bachelor, in contrast, is the male version, without such a negative image. In youth a bachelor is ripe fruit for the picking by women. Later he’s simply an unmarried man, never been married.

Years ago, I recall reading of a British journalist who commented on an American male colleague of middle age who was unmarried. The journalist said that in England there would be a role for him. In the US, we don’t have the lifelong bachelor role, one chosen and enjoyed, not one of default through lack of opportunity.

According to Pew research, the percent of adults never married after the age of 40 used to be 20 percent and is now climbing to 25 percent.

The bachelors and spinsters are increasing.

Eccentrics

Another role not traveling across the Atlantic is the British Eccentric, an odd individual with unusual interests or pursuits. This character can be found in many a novel such as those of the late Muriel Spark who happened to write a novel called The Bachelors.

I was pondering this lack of spinsters, bachelors, and eccentrics with my cat. I asked if he knew anyone that was eccentric.

He gave me an odd look and mentioned a friend. And then another friend. And then another.

Seems like I might be hanging out with a lot of eccentrics.

How did I not see this?

Aquarius and Virgo

When I first began studying astrology, I noticed that Virgo and Aquarius friends were often quite alike. Later I realized that my generation of Virgos had Uranus (which rules Aquarius) conjunct sun with the great Pluto/Uranus in Virgo conjunction that was in the late 1950’s through 1960’s or thereabouts.

Virgo and Aquarius I’ve also lumped together as perfectionists – Virgo due to anxiety and fear of disapproval and Aquarius due to fixed idealistic thinking.

Likewise, these two signs have a sense of purity. Virgo is not a “virgin” in the sense of sexuality but in the sense of idealistic purity. We all say we want to eat healthy while munching on chili cheese Fritos (just an example) but Virgos truly do eat the nettles and aren’t hiding caramel cream candy (just an example) in the bottom cupboard behind the pile of plastic bags.

Aquarius purity is the “perfect universe” and the idea that a logical plan will appeal to everyone regardless of their emotional, physical, or spiritual desires. Aquarius might build the geodesic dome and live inside truly enjoying the geometric purity. Others may spend a few nights in the dome during and then head back to the soft bed with down comforter at the first sniffle or discomfort.

Eccentricity is borne of purity, of idealistic routines, of courage to act counter to social mandate by a true belief in a better way. A colon cleanse may sound like a good idea, but it takes the eccentric purity of spirit to, you know, buy the kit and consume laxative herbs.

Talk about your colon cleanse at dinner and experience the reaction to eccentricity! Or talk about astrology, that works too.

Uranus

Ruling Aquarius, Uranus is associated with uniqueness, genius, and going against the grain. Aquarius is fixed so it takes a bit of stubbornness to be eccentric amid social pressure. To be eccentric, one must be completely confident that the best choices are being made.

Traditionally those ruled by Aquarius are seen as odd within their times but later their ideas are understood. They are the Teslas that are not treated well as they insist that energy can be free. There are many reasons, obviously, that Aquarian ideals are rejected. Greed and envy are the top two ideal snuffers.

Childless Cat Ladies

In a 2021 interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, then-Senate-candidate Vance complained that the U.S. was being run by Democrats, corporate oligarchs and “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”

When I told the cat that the Vice President didn’t like us, he was quite offended. Male cats have big egos. I assured him, as I often do, that he is the most special being that ever lived. That calmed him down.

“Spinsters”, I said, “especially spinsters with cats don’t have a place in US society, although the Vice President seems to think we’re running the country.”

“Of course,” sniggered the cat. “Married men with kids and dogs are often eccentric with strange, fantastical, ideas.”

Remote: Outer Planets in Air and Fire

In 2020 during the global Pandemic lockdown, the outer planets were in earth and water which are compatible elements. Earth: Pluto (transformation) in Capricorn, Uranus (awareness) in Taurus. Water: Neptune (spirituality) in Pisces. In addition, Jupiter (social connection) and Saturn (social status) were in Capricorn and at the very beginning of the lockdown Mars (active principle) was also in Capricorn.

Earth is sensation, practical, daily-life activities. Capricorn is the last earth sign focused on social structure, authority, success, rules, and government. Taurus is the first earth sign focused on body, values, self-worth, and material accumulation.

Water is feeling and emotional connection. Pisces is the last water sign, the most sensitive and psychic, desiring intense, spiritual connection to the point it loses a sense of self. Pisces extremes are savior and scapegoat.

Lockdown was earth – stay at home — and water – amuse yourself in any way that keeps you at home. Alcohol sales increased substantially and media was available for binging. Homebody was the old term for those whose pleasures were mostly in and around the home.

The newer technologies (developed during Uranus and Neptune transits of Aquarius in the 1990s and early 2000s) were leveraged to connect to others. Digital became a replacement for social interaction.

For the more extroverted personalities, lockdown was challenging and created a buildup of unexpressed energy. For extreme introverted personalities, there was now a justifiable way to avoid social involvement – it’s okay to skip that uncomfortable happy hour! (And for all zodiac signs it may have been justification to skip that funeral).

Extroverts may not be aware that there are a lot of people who rarely leave home. You only notice if you know them or live near them. History lesson: These people used to be called “shut ins” and were often older or infirm.

Shift into air and fire

In 2024, Pluto moved into air sign Aquarius. In 2025, Neptune moved into fire sign Aries and Uranus into air sign Gemini. Saturn is also in fire sign Aries and Jupiter is currently in fire sign Leo. Air and fire are compatible elements. After lockdown, much suppressed energy rose to the surface like a volcano.

And there are a lot of fires.

And there is a lot of air – AI launched itself large post-pandemic. We have a new way to communicate (Gemini).

During the quiet early pandemic lockdown, I would hear a lone motorcycle enjoying the empty roads. It was quite romantic.

Today in summer months there is the constant nighttime sound of street racing. The earthly lone wolf motorcycle rider on the probably peaceful and joyful ride has given way to recklessness and competition – risk-taking fire energy.

The shift from earth/water to fire/air is extreme. These are four elements and the concentration of two at a time is imbalanced – too introverted then too extroverted. In about seven years, we’ll have more balance of elements as Uranus moves into water Cancer (family and personal emotions). It will take about seven more years before Neptune moves into earth Taurus (body, home, safety).

Lockdown created need to bust out, to escape. After we let off steam, we’ll return to asking what’s it’s all about, how it makes us feel (Cancer). Taurus stability may become highly attractive.

Pluto in Aquarius: Remote

Fire and air are in constant motion. Fire is bold and expressive, manifesting desires. Air is social and curious, aware of fads and intellectual trends.

Water when not in motion is pestilent – emotions like water need to flow to be healthy. Earth – believe it or not – does move. But very, very slowly. This is the only element with clear boundaries.

Pluto transforming the last air sign Aquarius is involved in our shift from personal to digital. Many profess that virtual or remote is just as satisfying for certain relationships as in person. Digital provides the air-sign need for constant stimulation and the ability to connect with individuals across the globe without any physical contact.

Your digital contacts, dating sites alone will prove, are often very different in person.

Air by nature is detached, rational, and is prone to “think” its feelings. Social media and digital have scores of emojis to express emotion but how much is real? How many LOLs and hearts do we send simply to acknowledge friends but are not true feelings?

In English we love both objects and people, so what do our heart emojis represent? If we love as much as our heart emojis suggest, why do people fight so much?

Disassociation from feeling

The challenge of too much air without water is that it can disassociate from feeling. On a personal level it can be troublesome — or not. But inside a war machine, it’s quite disturbing.

Watching a recent documentary about a current war conducted remotely with AI, soldiers explain how it’s like a video game, sometimes even fun. We hear about the digital and remote mechanisms of war and then at the last scene see one, just one, result of those efforts. It’s tear-jerking to see physical destruction and emotional devastation.

The remote attackers use fire (weapons) and air (AI) while the victims experiencing earth (physical destruction) and water (emotional devastation).

Pluto in Aquarius is transforming our life in the air, detached, and remote. It’s a 20-year transit so when it moves into Pisces, my guess is we will be seeking deeper, spiritual connection.

We will “feel” what is happening.

Heads in the cloud

War in the digital age shows how the effects of elemental imbalance can be great. As an astrologer seeing imbalance in the horoscope, I usually recommend some balancing activity such as gardening or carpentry for someone without earth.

In one school of thought, if we were totally balanced, we would disappear in a puff of smoke as we’re here to experience and learn. Our horoscope reveals a theme; the experiences can vary widely on any theme. One can learn self-determination by simply maturing and leaving a loving home. Others may experience self-determination as a nation prying itself from under the yoke of a superior power.

Or one can learn self-determination out of balance by taking over the lives of others based on one’s own needs.

Today our heads are “in the cloud.” Interesting it was named the cloud, the place where we have dreams but also get divorced of reality if not careful.

As with the saying, we also need to keep our feet on the ground.

Uranus in Gemini: The Language of Chaos

When learning a foreign language as an adult you learn “scripts” like how to order food and how to explain all the activities occurring when walking through the park (for some reason, there is always a walk in the park in language training). You’re all set for your travel or other foreign-language encounter!

Then with your textbook learning you meet your first native and their normal speech cadence feels like rapid-fire words hitting you in the face.

But that’s not what’s happening. In our own language, we hear something and respond without planning our sentences. It’s the normal cadence.

Gemini rules language and communication, which, everyone says, is super important in relationships. Gemini, ruled by Mercury is fast, the messenger between the gods, always in motion, always delivering. Wings on his feet. Restless. Curious.

Over my life of astrological learning, I would say Mercury is not simply language and communication but the entire interpretation of reality. Science tells us the world is molecules in motion – you hit your toe on moving molecules, not a table. We don’t even know how our eyes create the visual world.

And in learning foreign languages, you may come across words that don’t exist in your language (the “ki” in reiki for example). Or many words for a single word in your language such as “love.” In English we love people and french fries but in other languages different words may be used for potato love versus people love.

Mercury may not create the world but tells us what’s “out there.” Mercury interprets molecules as a tree. And Mercury also interprets whether your tardy spouse was really working late or doing something else. It depends on your Mercury.

We humans teach ourselves – and believe (Neptune, not Mercury) – that we are rational creatures. My own Mercury interpretation is that we are rationalizing creatures. Mercury – the mind – can create an accommodating story from any set of data, any situation.

We all do it. We “fit in” when we can share the same reality regardless of how that reality is named or seen by those outside of the group (democracy, autocracy, cult, family, community).

Dissolved reality

Neptune in Pisces from 2011 – 2025 dissolved shared reality. Neptune in Pisces followed Uranus and Neptune in Capricorn then Aquarius which created our current, digital world in the 1990s and 2000s. The digitized world contains both idealized Aquarius technology and Capricorn control mechanisms.

To dissolve reality, Neptune needed Pluto in Capricorn 2008-2024 to destroy all the social structures that were in the way of Aquarian egalitarian dreams and idealized “perfect” societies.

Pluto is now in Aquarius. What will it destroy? In 20 years, it will move into dissolving Pisces. What will it then dissolve?

Our “perfect” societies?

Chaos or cycle?

For many (OHA included), these times appear chaotic. Chaos is another interpretation of reality. Yet the astrologer in me knows this is simply a cycle of never-ending cycles within even larger, never-ending cycles.

Let your Mercury spin with that!

Uranus in Gemini for the next seven years will illuminate and enlighten on language, communication, and the interpretation of reality. Gemini is curious, explores, and needs stimulation. There is plenty of that in digital; in fact, it’s endless.

We’ll have seven years of endless stimulation, new ideas, new information, new ways to look at reality.

Gemini represented by the twins is doubleness, duality, polarity, duplicitousness. Libra, the next air sign, is where we achieve balance in that doubleness. Gemini is the exploration stage, represented by youth.

Our sense organs all have a doubleness: eyes, ears, nostrils, hands, tongue. The sense organs are how we perceive reality. Spiritual disciplines of the East pointed out over a thousand years ago that what we perceive from our sense organs is illusion.

It’s starting to make sense.

Double vision: your lying eyes

According to an Internet search the ridiculous response, “Who ya gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?” comes from a 1933 movie Duck Soup said by Chico Marx. In 1933, it was understood that the eyes were correct and the words a lie.

It’s not so simple these days.

Where to begin? The image of a small crowd professed to be large? The video of a man being beaten where some say it’s wanton violence and others say it’s justified? And since January 2025 I could compile a very long list of these examples.

Sight appears to be the most influential sense for those with all five senses. We have to “see it to believe it” but today we see a lot of images created in the digital space. We’ve already learned that we can’t tell the difference between real and AI generated.

How can we “see” reality?

Double hearing: your lying ears

The 1957 file A Face in the Crowd has Gemini Andy Griffith playing a charismatic, articulate, demagogue who discovers the power of influence through radio and television. Exploiting this gift, he – spoiler alert – becomes corrupt.

In true spoiler alert his true nature is revealed one day to the unsuspecting audience who learns he says cruel things about the public when no one is listening. And hearing it for the first time, the public is outraged.

It’s not so simple these days.

The current president – Gemini sun – is very similar to this character. Yet, he doesn’t hide his words which wins him accolades, even by those insulted. As with his first presidency, this Mercury hears what sounds like an abusive relationship.

My ears and supporter ears hear different things.

Double taste: your lying tongue

Today The Guardian reported that the US Food and Drug Administration is proposing to allow some toxic chemicals to be added to food without safety review.

Welcome to the land of freedom!

If you eat real food or live in a country that primarily eats real food, it may be surprising to come to the US and see how much processed food is eaten. The more processed food is eaten, the more the taste buds adjust. I have a horror story of my own involving the soft drink “Tab.”

Sweet is extremely pronounced with artificial or enhanced sweeteners. It’s essentially an addictive rush that promotes continued consumption.

Real food with original taste – which today are called “organic” – are difficult to find. Only in travel abroad did I learn the true meaning of fresh food.

I didn’t know! My tongue was lied to, and believed it.

Double smell: your lying nostrils

One symptom of the infamous Covid-19 virus was loss of smell. One of the five senses – 20% of our reality interpretation – gone!

Do you smell a rat?

Let’s keep our sense of smell pure – it may be the last, best interpreter of reality.

My only thought on lying smell is the fact that grocery stores in the US have no smell. Where is the food smell? Are certain smells being masked?

True story – there was brown meat in the case at the local grocery, the first time I’ve seen such a thing at this large retailer. Maybe I now have “freedom” to eat spoiled meat.

But it didn’t smell. The eyes were the truth finders here.

Small, gourmet groceries do still have smell.

Double touch: your lying fingers

Touch seems pure still, like smell.

During the Uranus and Neptune transits of Capricorn and Aquarius in the 1990s – 2000s, a generation of children were born that have more neurodiversity as it’s called. I like that.

The medical profession refers to some of this as autism or ADHD and traits of both appear to be precursors to our own societal development including lack of focus and extreme but isolated focus.

Touch was more common in my youth, hugging, kissing on lips or cheek for non-romantic encounters. Holding hands.

Yeah, fear of germs – led by the anxious Pluto/Uranus in Virgo generation – keeps us apart.

Less physical, in-person contact, more virtual contact. More chance to misunderstand one another.

Double meaning: your lying mind

In Eastern spiritual practice, the “mind” (as a sense, different than the brain) is called “the monkey mind” in that it jumps from topic to topic. The digital world encourages the monkey mind (and the medical establishment diagnoses it as illness).

Like Hollywood movies, the mind tends toward common themes which are often polarity: good vs evil, individual vs collective, and now humanity vs technology. Even a love story must go through adversity before being true.

Take humanity vs technology – where is the humanity with technology? Or a generally good society that manages the bit of evil that arises?

Duality is polarity out of balance. Balance is the antidote.

Movies aren’t interesting without imbalance. If we were at peace, would we want to see movies?

Are we really at odds with each other or is this a story for the lying mind?

Double speak: the language of chaos

The current US president, Gemini sun with Sagittarius moon/Uranus opposite, is an excellent example of Monkey Mind and Lying Mind. He’s all over the place every day – strange at his advanced age. It’s fascinating that every accusation lobbed at others is something he does.

It’s a very simple formula, fully transparent, and with his supporters very effective.

It’s Double Speak.

If later times look back to account for the current chaos, the president can say he was 100 percent honest. It’s the followers that must explain themselves.

And the continued antagonism of the entire globe? These directives appear to be leftover projects of the past 45 years. A study of US foreign policy brings the chaotic together in a very clear pattern. Other patterns of racial organization are as old as the republic.

The language of chaos is the Mercury “trickster.”

But what is the trick?

Does the trick encourage us to actions not truly in our hearts? Or is the trick to allow us to act in ways we suppress but truly desire?

Pluto in Aquarius: A More Perfect Union

Nostalgia for what never existed: Aquarius looks at Capricorn

Seeing a Paul Kingsnorth book on the new non-fiction shelf, I grabbed and went, happy to have this week’s reading material.

Against the Machine, Kingsnorth’s new book, like his previous books, is full of feeling. That’s what I enjoy most about this “recovering environmentalist,” that he conveys a true love of the earth, something that he explains is lost because the earth in a consumer culture is something to “use” (Capricorn keyword) and nurture only for further use.

If I could simply summarize what I see as “the machine” from Kingsnorth’s perspective, it’s anything which discourages human-to-human or human-to-nature interaction and instead involves human-to-digital/convenience/identity interaction.

While I agree with Kingsnorth that something is lost – the Loneliness Epidemic is certainly evidence – his ideas on what society should be are a combination of Aquarian idealism mixed with Capricorn “the way it used to be” tradition with some newer social trends being disdained.

His Aquarian idealism imagines a Renaissance Festival version of past cultures while forgetting that the lady tatting in the corner with reading glasses wouldn’t have made it to her mid 50s and wouldn’t be doing detailed needlework with bad eyesight and arthritic fingers and no aspirin.

Serfs, peasants, and slaves ate organic, wholesome, nutritious food for sure. But they didn’t live longer. They were used – negative Capricorn – as worker objects, disposable, replaceable. Our view of nature and the environment as something to be used rather than cherished follows this pattern. It’s not new.

Kingsnorth prefers and idealizes the small or smaller communities centered upon a spiritual hub of connectedness. Sounds nice, but small is also limiting of possibilities and, for some, causes the restlessness of lack of stimulation. While we all eat, not everyone enjoys being a farmer.

And like Henry David Thoreau of Walden Pond, Kingsnorth isn’t just living a quiet, community life but sharing with the world that he’s living a quiet, community life. Publishing allows for wider intellectual connection.

What would life be like if that went away?

A more perfect union

Kingsnorth’s dream of a smaller, more connected society may be coming true in other ways. Take the United States, for example. For some the current administration is reclaiming 18th century “freedoms” we used to have and lost. For others, there is a madman on the loose.

There’s a pattern here, probably all listed out in Project 2025, which I haven’t read.

Pluto in Aquarius idealizes and desires the perfect society. Communes are idealized societies. So are authoritarian states attempting to create perfect economies or perfect people, or both.

The US constitution indicates we wanted to create “a more perfect union.” After 250 years, the US has had its first Pluto return (in Capricorn) and appears to be on to Perfect Union 2.0.

Patterns suggest that the dismantling of public health, education systems, and the expulsion of large swathes of the population are the desire for a smaller, more select society with common historical knowledge. It’s “survival of fittest” – you survived measles and can defend yourself – and pure racial profiling.

Reintroducing illness will first affect older and less healthy people. Younger people are needed to replace older people in the workplace and fund social security. Yet technology reduces the need for people in the workplace. In business we know that people are the most controllable expense. It all seems related, and directed to a goal.

In many ways this is what Kingsnorth is seeking, a smaller society of similar people believing in the same god (generally represented as male), having the same values.

Who decides the entry criteria? Who decides what’s perfect, a form of control passed off as high standard?

Aquarius rules brotherhoods, you know, like fraternities. And we know the bane of fraternities is that persistent rite of entry – hazing.

Are we forming a more perfect union or hazing to see who survives the alcohol poisoning, who makes it in?

Who decides who’s American or who can share the bonfire with Kingsnorth?