War, peace and food

Libra 2020

As I write, the results of the New Zealand elections are in. Although I have no right to be, as I have nothing to do with it any more, I am proud of my homeland for voting in a warm, compassionate, human being to lead NZ in her next challenge. Jacinda Ardern won the election with an overwhelming majority – the first time this has happened for any party for many years. One of her aims is to reduce child poverty and ensure there is enough food for children. Congratulations Jacinda! I have written about NZ before: Virgo 2017 on elections, and Pisces 2019 where I touched on Jacinda and leadership.

New Zealand is a Libra (the sign of peace and balance) country, so perhaps it was a fitting time for an election of which Ardern in her victory speech said: “Elections don’t have to be divisive” and “Elections aren’t always great at bringing people together but they also don’t need to tear one another apart.” Fitting for a Libra country, she promised to govern with cooperation.

War and peace

I have written before on how Libra and Aries always turn up together. In mythology, Venus (Libra) and Mars (Aries) couldn’t keep their hands off each other, even though Venus had a husband! War and peace, conflict and resolution, competition and compromise always show up together to create balance. Even after the competition of elections there are usually compromises to be reached.

Masculine and Feminine

There is always attraction between masculine and the feminine energy. As many people, including me, have said, we are now well out of balance in our dominant, patriarchal cultures. Martian values have led to wars for centuries – so much so that you often hear quotes suggesting that wars have always been fought from the time man (or other animals) existed. But is this true?

Lunar, Solar and Stellar ages

This month I watched a webinar from Anne Baring. She discussed the difference between the Lunar Era, which she sometimes refers to as the age of the Great Mother, and the Solar Era, in force for the last 4000 years, the age of the Great Father. I am summarising very badly, and Anne deserves much more blog space. Her book, The Dream of the Cosmos: A Quest for the Soul, which I read a while back after I heard her speak at a conference, is worthy of deep contemplation. However, the important message here, is that war and destruction occurred because of Solar Age values, which have a lot to do with religion and patriarchal beliefs. Below I post some of her latest videos and writings. The wisdom and scholarship of her 89 years shows through in every statement.

Humankind

At the same time, I have been reading Rutger Bregman’s wonderful book Humankind: A Hopeful History. This is a very different book of course, however both Rutger and Anne state that there was once a world without war, and there is an increasing amount of archaeological evidence to support this. The Lunar Era, to which Anne refers, relates to this time. The rise of the masculine and patriarchy has led to conflict, and in particular war, as an expression of masculine principles.

Anne’s plea is for a Stellar Era, where, through an ‘alchemical’ process, masculine and feminine are integrated. Rutger shows that most people don’t actually enjoy killing others and that basically humans are kind. So we need to get back to our true nature, which Anne might refer to as a re-embracing of the divine feminine, where we lived in harmony with the earth and all beings.

A role model

I think the reason Jacinda Ardern has a strong mandate to govern is in part due to the fact that she is an example of strong leadership, combined with compassion. This could be thought of as a combination of masculine and feminine principles. Intuitively many of us know that this is what is needed in the world today – the return of the wise feminine.

So to 2020 – again

I am again summarising ruthlessly. However, both these writers emphasise that we are in times that require us to drastically transition to a new era. The astrology of 2020 definitely supports that, and of course this is obvious to anyone who is awake! If you read my blog, you’ll know I am always talking about the wise feminine returning to the fold in the form of Ceres, a dwarf-planet since 2006. Ceres is also known as the Great Mother. In the major conjunction in January 2020, which I have touched on often, Pluto and Saturn came together in Capricorn.

Don’t forget Ceres

Many astrologers have written about this cycle, which, among other things, represents the breakdown of structures of all forms, including governments and businesses. However, most astrologers don’t mention that Ceres was next to Saturn and Pluto on that fateful conjunction day, firmly putting her stamp on the proceedings. Although Taurus 2020 covers vaccines, it discusses this conjunction. Scorpio 2019 – Sex, lies and deep fake – also covers this cycle. As the goddess of grain, one of the things that Ceres represents is food, the supply of which forms part of her remit of taking care of the needs of the populace.

Libra – a time for peace … 

… or at least the Nobel Peace Prize. It doesn’t take much to get me astrologically excited when I see something happening that confirms some astrological symbolism! So when the Peace Prize was announced I was delighted. Firstly, because it was not given to some undeserving human – although I might have made an exception for Jacinda, who was nominated. But the fact that it went to a perfect (astrologically speaking) organisation was even better! I love it when planetary symbolism represents some positive happening, which these days is a bit hard to find if you watch the news or follow social media.

“Food is the best vaccine against chaos”

The Nobel Peace prize was awarded to the World Food Programme, which is part of the United Nations. According to this group, starvation is a much bigger epidemic than COVID, which is of course making it worse. Hunger is one of the factors that causes upheaval and aggression in the world, hence their statement: “Until the day we have a medical vaccine, food is the best vaccine against chaos. Without it, we could see increased social unrest and protests, a rise in migration, deepening conflict and widespread under-nutrition among populations that were previously immune from hunger.”

Weapons of war

Food has always been used as a weapon of war. Since – and probably before – the days when forts were surrounded and food supplies were cut off, the act of starving people until they surrendered or died has been, and horrifyingly still is, a strategy in conflict. Those who control food quality and supply have the upper hand. This is true not only in war and conflict of course. Needing to obtain food to survive makes people desperate, especially where children are involved. Any population faced with hunger will take brave steps to defy authorities, even if that means death.

Ceres vs. Venus

Venus has always been known as the goddess of peace, however Ceres was referred to by Virgil as Ceres Legifera – Ceres the Law-Bearing, or a bringer of peace. She also sometimes assumed the role of Pax – peace. Unlike Venus, Ceres doesn’t want peace for the sake of harmony, but for the stability of populations. If there is no peace, there is no possibility of waiting for a harvest to ripen so that grain can be harvested and stored. She cannot fulfil her mission to save humanity from famine, if there is conflict.

The Ceres stamp on the January conjunction

The provision of food has been highlighted during the Corona period. Food banks are barely coping, restaurants have been closed, more people are cooking, and especially baking! Ceres products like flour were hard to get for a while, as people took to making bread! Many have had time to grow their own food during the lock-down and have discovered the joys of fresh produce. In many places, food was being delivered by strangers to those in need or those working in hospitals.

Some of these are positive effects of Corona. However, it is a known fact that food supplies are at risk in all manner of ways in coming years. The UN has warned that we face the worst food crisis for at least 50 years, due to, among other causes, climate change and Corona restrictions. So I was glad to see the World Food Programme get some news coverage – even though that seems to have been short-lived.

What would Ceres do?

There is a lot of wisdom and advice in mythology, but do we listen? In 2020, Ceres is at the same table as the big boys, Saturn and Pluto. In the myth of Persephone’s abduction, she didn’t budge when trying to get her daughter back from Pluto and the underworld. There was no food grown until her daughter was returned – at least some of the time. She will negotiate. But she won’t shy away from addressing bullying, controlling behaviour of a patriarchal nature.

Her advice would be to be practical and to stand up to leaders who are being ‘Plutocrats’. Ruling for the rich and holding on to corrupt power. I think Ceres, through climate change and highlighting our devastation of the earth, is again saying “No food until I get what I want!” Ceres is a goddess who is an advocate for the protection of pure food supplies, in line with nature, and protection of all the earth’s creatures, especially the disadvantaged. We need to act now to return to our natural habitat.

So what about Saturn?

Saturn was Ceres’ father. He ate his children – including Ceres (Demeter), so as not to be overthrown by his children, although all the myths that go further with the story usually only mention the sons! All the devoured children were later released by Jupiter (long story) who then took over the reins. I think this highlights the fear shown by old (white?) male leaders when their authority and rules are being challenged. They are still trying to devour their metaphorical children. But Ceres, after being released, seems to get on with her own life. She has her own authority and wisdom and I think that’s what humanity is trying to embrace. Or should be!

Her advice would be to stand up against rules and laws that allow the earth to be harmed.  To make new laws relating to the provision of safe, natural food and to honour nature. And to make laws that protect animals.

The WFP

The World Food Programme is very much a Ceres organisation. It was formed in 1961 as an experiment for providing emergency food aid, but now has a much wider mission of ‘Zero Hunger’. The website states that “690 million people still go to bed on an empty stomach each night.”  A truly shocking statistic.

Using my techniques, Ceres has a link to most of the other planets in the chart. The closest aspect, as these links are known, is to Neptune, which is opposite her in the sky. One way to read this is as a dream of feeding everyone. She is also next to the Moon – children are paramount and the Moon also suggests that true nourishment is important, when it comes to food.

A worthy winner

The Sagittarius Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars suggest a global enterprise with daring, fair and pioneering strategies. A deserving Nobel Prize win, and I hope the publicity brings the WFP more support. Their website reads as if it is straight out of the Ceres handbook: “… to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture …” Good luck to them and congratulations on the win!

Faye Blake

Interesting websites of the month

One example of Anne Baring’s writing, War and the Solar Era. There are many articles and videos on her site.

The World Food Programme site.

An article from National Geographic – a five-step plan to feed the world. Feeding 9 billion

Hunger as a weapon.

A slightly different video from Christopher Bache. A very interesting talk about the times we are in.

Quotes of the month

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.” Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was instrumental in setting up the WFP.

“We know that a peaceful world cannot long exist, one-third rich and two-thirds hungry.” Jimmy Carter

“Hunger is not a problem. It is an obscenity.” Anne Frank

“If we can conquer space, we can conquer childhood hunger.” Buzz Aldrin