Reading George Orwell’s 1984 in 1983, my teenage consciousness imagined a controlled society forced upon humanity, a species hard-wired for freedom. That, of course, is the underlying American belief system – that we all want freedom.

Since 1983, this astrologer has ready many a book on authoritarian societies large (you know, countries) and small (you know, cults and families). What this astrologer didn’t know is that it was preparation for times to come, a repeating earth pattern that I was studying and would one day understand from direct experience.

Avid OHA readers with astrological bent know that this focus on controlled societies and cults leads back to the personal horoscope. Yes, let’s talk Pluto and Scorpio control which, at its base, is emotional and uses death to coerce.

What has surprised me most is how easy it is to move from freedom to control and how participants walk into it, are not forced into it as my teenage mind imagined. Pluto can force but also lure with temptations – this is how a lot of spies come into being, lured by temptation, forced by threats of blackmail.

The Internet is a temptation.

Bot and sold

Recently I learned that digital bots – a computer program that performs automatic repetitive tasks – outnumber humans on the Internet. Rumor has it that soon 90 percent of activity on the Internet will be bots. In other words, it’s all controlled.

Health information, for example, has been “curated” for most of the life of the Internet. Search any illness and the same information in almost the same words will appear a million times. No matter how far or long one scrolls, organic real-person unique perspectives can’t be found.

The term “bot,” short for robot, is in English a close synonym to “bought.” The Internet, like American culture, is about money. It’s now “pay to play,” as they say.

With natal Pluto in the sign of Capricorn, the United States has evolutionary lessons on all things Capricorn: authority, social structure, ambition, control, reputation, hierarchy, and success. Positive manifestations allow us to contribute to our society in healthy and organized ways. Negative manifestations include ruthless ambition, status seeking, stinginess, and using people for one’s own gain.

The United States’ Pluto return occurred in 2024. The term “evolution” suggests forward, growth-oriented movement. Yet evolution – like any energy – is neutral and can move in any direction. At this junction, our first Pluto return, we’ve evolved forward in many ways – there is more freedom of movement and choice here than in many other places.

In backward evolution, freedom is available if you can afford it. Freedom as commodity is the Capricorn crystallization of a mental concept that is owned by no one.

American benefits come at the Capricorn cost to other nations whose natural resources are relinquished due to Capricorn power and whose people are often killed as pawns in political power struggles. Books can explain this; bots, I’m not so sure.

5,000 Ways to Democratize Corruption

That the Internet has been “bot and sold,” still leaves Americans with choice, the choice to go to the pizza place across the street rather than ordering from the company that paid the most to be at the top of the search result.

There’s still choice – but barely – to buy local although most local retailers can’t afford to stock the many items that now can be delivered in a day through our colossus national retailer.

This week in a “bot and sold” moment, the president of the United States offered every adult $5,000 if they vote Republican in November:

Trump said the rationale behind the proposal was the country’s “tremendous economic success,” saying the U.S. “is making so much money.”

The Orwellian irony here is that the President’s followers are probably avowed anti-socialists who are now accepting a socialized bribe. And for $5,000 folks may even be voting to lose their right to vote!

In my younger years while traveling abroad I made an offhand comment about the corruption of a cerain place. The response from an American man was that it was great because everyone was in on it, not just people at the top.

In the past, American corruption was the domain of politicians and lobbyists. Lobbyists have the official role as Corruption Managers.

Now, we’re all in on it!

Some supporters of the president hang flags and banners on their houses and cars. Others, I’ve noticed, have gone underground since the 2024 election with platitudes such as “they (politicians) are all corrupt.”

Who are “they” but us?

We can’t hide now. It’s us.

The Group Mind

Which brings us to the group mind, ruled by air-sign Aquarius. Pluto has now moved into that sign for the next two decades. The American moon sign is in Aquarius, so we are now evolving emotionally (moon), which is tough for Aquarius which wants to keep detached and in the mental space. And being a fixed sign, is fundamentally stubborn in its view of the ideal society.

In other words, it will take a lot to break through the American vision of a Disney culture to see the Las Vegas culture beneath it.

Pluto is knocking; let’s see how long the Aquarius moon public will ignore or rationalize (air sign habit) the knocks.

The American cultural myth of freedom disdains the idea of group mind – we are all unique individuals! Yet our strong sports culture and dualistic political system is just that, group mind.

Group mind is part of our horoscope – it’s where we relate to a community based on like interests or ideals (religion is more emotional and Piscean). Sports, rock concerts, clubs, guilds, organizations, political parties, etc. are all representations of group mind.

Will the group mind be “bot and sold?”

It’s the End of the World – Again

This week’s news included another “end of the world” message due to rogue AI. For youngsters here, the world was going to end in 2000 because of computers and 2007-2010 because of financial collapse, and in 2020 because of illness. About every 10 years now (instead of the usual 100 millennium fear), we’re all going to die.

And we are.

Death is the underlying root fear that can never be cured and will always be effective in influence. Traditionally, religion dominated in the death threats and promises; since 2000 it’s been in the realm of technology.

That humanity may destroy itself is a reality.

Americans, as the most powerful destroyers then, must decide: Is $5,000 enough to end the world?

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