While at the big box store trying to buy a few bars of soap, my only option in the brand I wanted was a 12-pack. After a trip to a big box store, I always feel I need to update my will to something like this:

My remaining rolls of toilet paper can be distributed to all first cousins equally if they use my septic-system gentle brand. If no one chooses to use this lighter but more ecologically-sound brand, please donate to the local social services to distribute as needed.

Please distribute the remaining bars of soap in the same manner as noted above.

As I looked the soap options, my left-brain ignited to remind me that I would continue to use soap through the remaining years of my existence so I should just put it in the cart and stop complaining. Then my business brain got into the conversation and talked about economies of scale and why as pandemic hoarding increases, smaller portions have decreased.

And then my astrological and philosophical brain came in and asked if it could blog on this. Yeah sure, but first let’s be reasonable and look at household size.

In the market where I bought the soap, the average household size is 2.48 people. A quick Internet search indicates a bar of soap can last four to six weeks. Using four weeks, 12 bars of soap times four weeks equals 48 weeks of soap. Divide that by 2.48 people (assuming they use soap at the same rate and are not little boys who prefer to stay dirty as long as possible) and we have 19.4 weeks of soap.

It’s comforting, I’ll agree, not to have to think about soap for another 20-48 weeks.

More or Less

During the pandemic when a rush on goods created empty shelves for items such as toilet paper and paper towels, the return of items generally came in larger packaging with purchasing limits (called “rations” in the old days).

From a supply chain and production perspective, I completely understand. No time to make all the varieties of packaging and itty-bitty portions.

Yet in a hoarding panic, wouldn’t it be better to have smaller packaging with rations so more people can have a little? Instead there is large packaging so a few people have a lot. In a market with 2.48 people per household, do we really need to store 20 weeks of soap?

And this is how it is in the global supply chain — a few get a lot and a lot get very little.

Jupiter Expansion – Saturn Contraction

In astrology, Jupiter symbolizes expansion and Saturn symbolizes contraction. Expansion and contraction – that’s what your heart and lungs do to keep you alive. They don’t just expand or contract – if they did it would be dangerous.

Saturn entering Aquarius in winter 2020 symbolized the contraction of Aquarius – group activities. Jupiter in Capricorn at that time (with Mars and Pluto also in Capricorn) symbolized the expansion of Capricorn – authority, social conscience and control.

The challenge of the United States is that we live in a country of expansion and abundance – Jupiter. The July 4, 1776 chart has a Sagittarius rising (ruled by Jupiter) and natal Jupiter (and moon) in Cancer, the sign of mothering, family and comfort. Included is food in its sense of comfort and nurturing rather than physical requirements (Taurus) or dietary needs (Virgo).

With an economy based on consumption and a moon in Cancer seeking continually increasing comfort, the US must constantly encourage the Jupiter expansion and consumption of goods. Abundance is what we all seek but as with any energy in extreme, it contains its own challenges. The major challenge of abundance is keeping the body in health and controlling the urge to store and hoard which then consumes life energy.

Saturn comes along to contract – we are now throwing away all of those unneeded impulse buys, incompatible objects from gift exchanges and extinct consumer goods (think VHS tapes). According to the US Centers for Disease Control, almost half of Americans diet each year. Each year in January (in the sign of Capricorn ruled by Saturn), we say we are going to contract our bodies after the holiday season of eating, drinking and gift exchange (in the sign of Sagittarius ruled by Jupiter).

Those are energies. Energies contribute to laws.

Laws

While I’ve been exposed to metaphysical talk about “laws” since I began this journey, only recently did it really sink in. Laws are like the laws of physics – immutable interacting energies. You may not “believe” in gravity and pundits can appear in media explaining that gravity is a complete hoax, yet if you jump into the air unaided you will fall back down.

Spiritual “laws” are the same. We can’t send out the energy of abundance and then expect that only one aspect of existence – our physical weight – to stay contracted. Since the 1980s, everything in the US has gotten bigger – that’s the energy we send out.

When Pluto (destruction and transformation) entered Capricorn (remember, ruled by Saturn and contraction), the expansion and ridiculous over-leveraging was forced to halt. Pluto is still in Capricorn, in case you aren’t an avid reader of this blog and don’t know.

The forced contraction is not over. Cosmic parenting is forcing all of us to do our homework, go to bed on time, follow the rules and eat our vegetables.

Uranus in Taurus: Law of Hoarding

Uranus transiting Taurus for seven years (2018/2019 – 2025) has created awareness of body, physical earth and supply chain. Taurus is anything physical. Uranus is sudden and provides insights. It’s the flash of lightening on a dark night in unlit forest. You see for an instance that your path is cleared or blocked.

Uranus is the first of the “outer planets” that come after Saturn (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto). The outer planets are generational energies that last for seven to 20 years. While Uranus changes may look sudden, generally they represent an opening and clear view into existing patterns.

The hoarding of early 2020 is not new. It’s been going on for a long time as an economy based on consumption demands it. Taurus is a fixed earth sign associated with material life. Taurus is not greedy – it simply enjoys the earth and accumulates for security. Other signs might accumulate for status, appearance, etc. But that’s not really the Taurus mode.

Hoarding, collecting – both are habits of Taurus (which loves habits in general). Collecting is an appreciation of objects. Hoarding is anxiety and need for comfort and security. The hoarding of early 2020 was a reaction to the fear generated by the government and an intense need for security.

If there were a law of hoarding, it might be the play of Jupiter and Saturn. The more we accumulate (expansion), the less space we have (contraction). Hoarding is isolating – extreme hoarders have a narrow path through their living quarters. Hoarding is suffocating – space allows us fresh air and room for thought. Hoarding can also contract our money as we buy things we don’t need. The more we have the less we cherish each individual item.

Maybe the law is: More hoarding equals less freedom.

Is that what’s occurring?

Uranus will be transiting Taurus for a few more years. Supply chain volatility will increase and also the hoarding response.

My expectation is that Uranus in Taurus will bring to “the few” Western consumer societies an understanding and acceptance of supply chain volatility that is currently experienced by “the many” countries of the world. The countries that produce goods for the Western world are increasing both in both economic and political power regardless of Western financial views to the contrary.

Rather than hoarding, it may be a time to contract and focus on what’s essential.