The timeline of Saturn – Pluto conjunction of years 2019–2020–2021 and its karmic meaning
Every occurrence of Saturn – Pluto conjunction is a relatively rare event that happens approximately every 33–38 years and lasts slightly over two years. Saturn – Pluto conjunction can be seen as a “global Saturn return” or karmic nature that applies to the whole world.
Every occurrence of Saturn – Pluto conjunction is a relatively rare event that happens approximately every 33–38 years and lasts slightly over two years. Saturn – Pluto conjunction can be seen as a “global Saturn return” of karmic nature that applies to the whole world.
The two year period of the current Saturn – Pluto conjunction culminating in January 2020 marks the completion of a nearly four decades long planetary cycle between Saturn and Pluto and thus carries certain undertones of the time of judgement.
In the previous article “Will 2019 be the year of Saturn-Pluto conjunction?” we have touched the topic of the Saturn – Pluto archetype and the force that it carries. It this post we will be looking at the time aspect of this conjunction in the light of major historical developments of the 20th and early 21st centuries that coincided with the last three conjunctions.
Saturn — the god of time and structure
The god Saturn is the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Kronos (Κρόνος). Saturn represents limits and time. Being both the celestial “engineer” and chronographer, Saturn has the function of measurement of time.
The force of Saturn relates to earthy and structural elements, for example, the bones that constitute the skeleton around which an animal or human body is constructed. Saturn also has the element of air that surrounds the structure, think of the intricate structures that support vaulted roofs.
Saturn is in favour of a balance between rigidity and volume of air it upholds. From astronomy we know that Saturn is a giant gaseous planet that also upholds an extremely sophisticated and arguably the most beautiful system of rings and moons in the Solar system.
The astrological influence of Saturn expresses this duality. Saturn has both structuring and limiting functions that can make one’s Saturn manifest itself in a number of ways:
- a well structured personality that can “connect the dots” and knows how to achieve their goals
- an overly structured personality restricted by rigidity of beliefs, fears and self-imposed limits
Structure and time fit together well. It is worth reminding ourselves that the word chronometry — the science of accurate time measurement — comes directly from Saturn/Kronos. Time is the principle that allows to crystallise all kinds of structures including the structures responsible for the power of knowledge that grows with time as well as ignorance that gets increasingly rigidified with time.
Saturn is also closely linked to the notion of karma, the spiritual principle of cause and effect. In the context of karma Saturn acts as a celestial time keeper and a taxman that defines the timing of when the effects of past deeds come into power.
Pluto — the enactor of karma
The god Pluto (its Greek equivalent being Hades) rules over the Underworld, the mythological place deep inside the Earth where no light can penetrate, it’s so dense that no mortal human can reach its depths.
Artwork: Orpheus in the Underworld by Jan Brueghel (I)
The astrological force of Pluto presides over the underground world full of immense riches composed from both mineral and geological wealth and the wealth of human possessions that fall into Hades after individual souls depart the Earth.
The action of Pluto is the one of implosion and transformation. Pluto rules over death and resurrection and the principle of karma fits its image really well.
While Saturn can be seen as the celestial clockwork, Pluto is the force that comes to power when the time is due.
Time for implosion — Saturn meets Pluto
Both Saturn and Pluto are very slow planets, while Saturn takes 29 years to complete its orbit around the Sun, Pluto requires 248 years thus perfectly fitting the image of extremely dense, deep and slow “tectonic” movement.
The two planets meet together approximately every 33–38 years, and those conjunctions have a deep impact on the world in large. The active phase of Saturn – Pluto conjunction usually lasts about just under two years with a very slow developing curve that also includes two retrograde periods for each planet.
There is something rather grinding about how this aspect is unfolding. Its effects aren’t really visible at first and only certain intuitions may tell us that we are due for a “correction” of some kind. The Saturn – Pluto archetype is the one of constrained and slow explosion, or rather an implosion when structures built by Saturn need to undergo the test of time. During the period of testing the pressure will increase to match the deep volcanic nature of Pluto. The structures may pass the test if they are strong and truthful. But anything false and superficial is more than likely to collapse as it won’t hold the absolute fire that Pluto brings.
As much as those events could be painful, it is important to realise that they are the action of cosmic necessity that ensures the health and survival of the bigger system. They are akin to the principle of Darwinian selection — taken to the global and societal scale.
A timeline of Saturn–Pluto cycles
Superimposing Saturn–Pluto cycles over the graph of the USA net international investment position helps to see the big picture. Net international investment position reflects how much foreign assets the country holds as opposed to what it owes to foreign entities. One can think of that as a reflection of country‘s reserves and savings. The US is in negative zone since about 1990.
The pattern so far has been clear. The World Wars 1 and 2 brought a lot of money during 1914–1947 which resulted in a stable and prosperous post-war period of 1947–1982 (the last decade of that period was on decline). Aggressive economical reforms during 70s and 80s produced modern financial industry that was pretty much running the last cycle of 1982–2020 by the means of speculative investment and globalisation.
What will 2020–2053 cycle look like? Place your bets!
The years 1914–1915 — a triple conjunction
The history of the turbulent 20th century began with a triple conjunction due to Saturn and Pluto changing between direct and retrograde movement. The dates of exact conjunctions were:
- October 4, 1914
- November 1, 1914
- May 19, 1915
On June 28, 1914, in an event that is widely regarded as sparking the outbreak of World War I, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, was shot to death with his wife by Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
The world was never the same — the humanity witnessed the emergence of the global warfare turned into a meat grinder by the ever efficient industrial forces. The period from 1914 up to the next conjunction of 1947 experienced two world wars and a complete break up of the 19th century geopolitical order that ended the dominance of the British Empire and enthroned the United States as the world’s dominant empire.
The year 1947 — the new world order emerges
- Exact conjunction: August 11, 1947
The recent ending of the Second World War and the emergence of the modern world as we know it. The United States drop nuclear bombs on Japan and the nuclear race begins. The year of 1947 witnessed the establishment of International Monetary Fund (IMF) as well as India and Pakistan gaining their independence.
The year 1982 — the age of booms and recessions
- Exact conjunction: November 8, 1982
A short but severe recession hit the US between July 1981 and ended in November 1982. The recession has happened about one year into Ronald Reagan’s presidency and thus has been traditionally referred to as the “Reagan recession”. More details in “Will 2019 be the year of Saturn-Pluto conjunction?”.
On January 1, 1983 the agreement has been reached on the global network protocol being TCP/IP, and from there researchers began to assemble the “network of networks” that became the modern Internet.
The emergence of the Internet forced the world economies into a new phase of wealth generation based on everything remote: remote production, remote exploitation, remote purchases and remote souls of the social media.
The current conjunction of years 2019–2020–2021
- Exact conjunction: January 12, 2020
In the current time we witness some rather serious challenges to the current societal and political systems build upon post-WWII principles and mentality:
- the post-WWII productivity boom is over, the consumption boom is on its last leg
- globalisation redistributed the wealth towards the elites and a small number of newly minted super-rich while effectively wiping out economic opportunities for the middle class and the stability that has been achieved in the post-WWII years
- the economical model that was built on addiction to eternal economical growth and borrowing from the future faces an unsurmountable amount of debt
A follow up article “Value of Gold in the time of Saturn–Pluto conjunction” looks further into the topic of gold, its symbolism and its ability to preserve value during times of crisis.
As a separate topic, foundational tensions between India and Pakistan are currently running at peak levels, already resulting in loss of lives and limited military actions. The two nuclear-armed nations are extremely bitter towards each other and one can only imagine that any kind of “Archduke Franz Ferdinand” incident can tip the situation out of the balance.
Another India‘s major neighbour is China and their relationships aren‘t in good shape either. These two largest and fast developing popuplations are destined to rub against each other one way or another.
The precise dates of Saturn – Pluto conjunction period culminating year 2020:
Conjunction | Dates | Tropical | Declinations | Parallel |
---|---|---|---|---|
Start | Dec 22, 2018 | Capricorn | ||
Exact | Jan 12, 2020 | Capricorn 23° | Sat 21S 28’, Plu 22S 10’ | 0.70° orb |
End | Jan 31, 2021 | Aquarius & Capricorn |
The future triple conjunction of 2053-2054
Exact conjunction dates:
- June 15, 2053
- July 10, 2053
- February 2, 2054
The next triple conjunction due to Saturn and Pluto changing between direct and retrograde movement. The years 2053-54 may well be the period that will mark the beginning of significant changes of the world order. It may not necessarily be a war period akin to 1914–1945 but could be an equally groundbreaking technological revolution — the moment of singularity when significant advances in nanotech, biotech and artificial intelligence will change the world in ways that are beyond our current knowledge.
Back to the current year of 2019
Before reaching the moment of exact conjunction, both Saturn and Pluto will change their direction between retrograde and direct, twice. This will create the infamous Saturn – Pluto squeeze and grind effect when the conjunction will be loosening up between April, 24 and October, 3 only to get an extra force for the final squeeze of the months October, November, December and January.
Planet | Changes to | Date | Orb |
---|---|---|---|
Pluto | Retrograde | Apr 24, 2019 | 2.66º |
Saturn | Retrograde | Apr 30, 2019 | 2.63º |
Saturn | Direct | Sep 18, 2019 | 6.78º |
Pluto | Direct | Oct 3, 2019 | 6.54º |
The exact conjunction will take place on Jan 12, 2020. Note the similar second squeeze will take place between the months of May and October of 2020 during the process of separation between the two planets.
Planet | Changes to | Date | Orb |
---|---|---|---|
Pluto | Retrograde | Apr 24, 2020 | 6.77º |
Saturn | Retrograde | Apr 30, 2020 | 7.02º |
Saturn | Direct | Sep 18, 2020 | 2.84º |
Pluto | Direct | Oct 3, 2020 | 2.87º |
The current Saturn – Pluto conjunction will finally complete on Jan 31, 2021 with the 10º orb between the two planets. How will the world will look then, it makes us wonder?
How to discover long-term aspects using Time Nomad
Learn how to discover the timing of Saturn – Pluto conjunction using the Chart Event Explorer tool that is an integral part of Time Nomad astrological app.
Chart Event Explorer allows to instantly reveal and explore nearly any astrological event:
- Planetary aspects and transits
- Retrogrades
- Personal Lunar or Solar returns
- Personal transits
- Equinoxes and solstices
- Moon phases and Void of Course
- Aspects to fixed stars
43 Comments
Kate
I enjoy your expertise! Good teachings!
Cherie
Thank you for such an informative article
Ilirjana
I really enjoy your wonderful work ! Thank you very much !
mayerfisch
Thanks for this informative report and also the historical connection.
Mark R Babcock
Thanks for the data and the interpretations. One of the significant things about 1982/3 is that because of the events leading up to the Able Archer exercises we almost, according to former Defence Secretary Robert Gates, got into a nuclear war with Russia. This seems thematic with regards to Saturn/Pluto conjunctions, escalation of nuclear destabilization and restablization. A lot is going to depend, it seems, on who wins the 2020 United States election, a hot headed megalomaniac or someone with a more level head.
cj
interesting addition no one else has mentioned that I ve seen
Mark R Babcock
Please read this on Able Archer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_Archer_83
Mark Babcock
Let’s not forget that Jupiter joins this conjunction in the summer of 2020. This is both a demarcation between cycles of control having to do with nuclear weapons and also the start of a new generation. The Nuclear Generation? It would be important to study the history of 1947 transit more closely so as to understand the non-disasterous event as well as the disastrous one (1914/15). I suspect that since the old USSR gained hydrogen bomb parity with the US in 1949 the dye was cast in ‘47 somehow with regards to the so called Cold War. Fate is fatal, but destiny is destination.
I like your pointing out India Pakistan. If a nuke were to be fired between one or the other because of diplomatic neglect centered around our current “president” then we would be awakened indeed to our current situation. Hopefully it is a political illusion that the lines of communication are frayed now.
We need to get the charts of Putin and Trump in here, as well as the mundane charts of Russia and the US nations. Complex stuff, but if we do not analysis it, who will?
Time Nomad
All good points Mark. We don’t know what we don’t know just yet. There is a good amount of markers literally everywhere that raise many questions. Plus we’re in the process of a gradual replacement of the state with corporate governing. That’s something that one day will take us “by surprise” as if no one saw it coming.
Rush
Mark, I made a Reddit post recently that talks about Saturn/Pluto and the effects on different world leaders. Maybe it will interest you: https://www.reddit.com/r/astrology/comments/di671l/saturnpluto_starting_world_wars_and_what_it_means/
Myra Kay
Looking at the addition of Pluto to the conjunction from a Transformational Astrology point of view, instead of nuclear it could be a Soul Transformation of the masses, a World Awakening…
Mark Babcock
Also of note: 1947 is the year of the Roswell Incident with regards to alien (plutonian?) contact with the United States Government. See:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/category/history/roswells-flying-saucer/
Toetsie Lugtigheid
Great article, such a clear explanation!
Kasia
I live in Poland and I have to say that a lot is going on in Poland and Europe right now. There is general chaos and more dictatorship. Europe has been flooded with “guests” who have more rights than us. They do what they want, they steal, they rape, they murder and they get compensation for it. For us it is already a coup and war. In addition, the dominant dictatorship of corporations can be seen. Independent media are persecuted and closed so the 2019 rating is accurate.
Melody
Thank you for these detailed explanations, they are so helpful! I have a question: on January 12, 2020, my Mercury exactly trines the Saturn–Pluto conjunction; I am Sag with Cap rising. I’m curious and trying not to be worried…
Time Nomad
Saturn–Pluto is a gradual event, it’s not a punctual happening. Both planets are slow and their actions span many months. I don’t think it’s a personal event but rather a world-wide trendsetter. As to Mercury trine… Mercury by definition isn’t a heavyweight and trine is a harmonious aspect. Doesn’t look significant at a personal level. Aspects to Mercury are of fleeting nature.
John
Great article. I have this celestial ‘car crash’ in my 6th house Cap squaring my Sun 23/Venus 19 in Aries. To add to my woes, I also have a fast approaching Saturn second return at 29 Cap. Help! (he whimpers :) Any advice on how to navigate this one? Apart from building a bunker.
Time Nomad
The cycle of Saturn is long, approx. 29.5 years give or take. The planet travels through the houses of your chart pretty much like a symbolic hour arm on a watch face. Its transit through each house acts as a mini chapter of life: “Saturn and who I am”, “Saturn in relationship to how I earn living and take things from the world”, “Saturn in my closest surroundings and family”, etc.
When transiting Saturn returns to its initial natal position, that moment marks a completion of that nearly 30 years cycle. It’s not exactly a momentous “judgement day” but rather a transitionary period to the next cycle of Saturn. It’s either entering the next phase of life, or “rinse and repeat” because the lessons haven’t been learned. Most people live their lives in ever repeating cycles of patterns, and that’s considered normal.
One can’t “fix” their Saturn, but if one lives to maximise the good sides of Saturn (precision, perseverance, accountability, …) then the next cycle will be more interesting. Like moving to next octave up.
And by the way, fears is one of typical Saturnian challenges, especially when Saturn aspected with Mars. The best advice I had is to ignore fears and keep moving regardless.
Liliam
Persistência. O grau 29 é um grau anorético que da muita persistência para a pessoa.Não desista.
Apache girl
You write some really great stuff and some of it I can actually relate to. Now you must be in USA and I am in UK. So, squeeze and grind. I’m born square 1956 as were many, but my lovely Saturn on asc and the the fabulous Pluto on mc. Stopped in every way throughout my life, always being squeezed to look after someone in family, I’m getting too old now however I am still doing it. Pluto forwards equalled Turkey getting a green light from Nellie the elephant Trump, in Uk the High court threw out the 1950s claim for getting their pensions back stolen by government. Next year Oct 3rd again Pluto forwards 2020. The only real difference will be that the nodes have changed. To them that has it shall be given and to them that has not (POWER in particular) it will be taken away. Governments not seeing people as humans. Women and children last. Lots of sympathetic talk from Neptune. Life going backwards. Did anyone reading Astrology in the year 2000 plus ever expect food banks and dire poverty everywhere. Well yes, it was written. Sometimes I wonder what life if for, its so destructive.
Trina Doerfler
Poor darlin! Squares are hard. I would send you to read Charles Eisenstein for a more positive spin on things….I’m holding out for an awakening encase that we are all connected and if we steal from another, we first steal from ourselves something more precious…if we strike out someone, we sustain the blow first to ourselves. (Right vs left anterior cingulate gyri etc). Short term selfishness will teach us to be kind and generous….eventually.
tracyb.gsf
what is meant by “remote souls of the social media”? Are you Under the Impression that nanotech and AI is going to be beneficial to humanity?
Time Nomad
A great question about nanotech and AI! Just as many other truly powerful things the new technologies will equally help and hurt humanity but won’t destroy it. Many similarities with nuclear power, one can go to war against others or one can produce energy and venture into unknown territories (take serious space flight, for example). Some painful learnings will emerge along the way but nothing new to humanity, just a different domain. It’s all very relative.
Social media works through its power of convenience at the cost of physical separation, human contact and interaction become more abstract. Hence the emerging phenomenon of “remote” attitude in human relationships.
Visionary
Saturn/Pluto 2020 and the thing nobody talks about is the conjunction IS conjunct the South Nodes of both planets in Cap. Come on Pluto entered Capricorn and the world would get much more conservative as the pendulum swings. USA as the bell ringer is showing the way. Trump vs every other structure that was spawned at the Uranus/Pluto conjunction in the 1960s. It’s not just him, it is the majority of the population. Their children are overdosing on synthetic heroin. Dying in the streets. The anything goes culture produced this. Suicide of young people is up in this country by 56%! This is Berlin 1933, debauchery and destruction. This is when the Frankfurt School left Germany and came to America. They set up shop at Columbia Univ. and UC Berkeley and decided that America was not ready for destruction so they went with “Cultural Marxism” to destroy American families via culture. It’s all coming down in 2020. America will fall to the victors, the flyover gun toting dis-employed and then mocked “trailer trash” that cling to guns and bibles. After all Neptune did come home to Pisces to facilitate a mass movement based in faith. l
Dustin Nguyen
My Birthday is 1/31 so I’ll be 41 in 2021 and I’m an ♒ 🌞 which is at 10° opposition ♌ 🌕 ,♈ rising with Grand Earth Trine in ♑ right now!
JakeM2020
This is very interesting, and not a little disturbing given what we are going through now in March 2020. The article can be forgiven for not seeing the Coronavirus coming, but it’s broad outline is correct. Jan 12 2020 was about a month into the initial outbreak in China. Spot on.
You don’t get much more Saturn than the shut down sweeping across the globe, with whole cities and countries having to force their populations to stay at home. And Pluto? Well apart from the massive brush with mortality we’re about to take a huge economic hit which will probably mean a massive global restructuring.
So I would say: well done this astrologer. He got it right.
ASwell
Perhaps it was more accurate than you think - the powerful stellium of planets occurred in Capricorn. The planets involved were Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter, Sun and Mercury with Jupiter conjunct the south node. All these planets were at their closest in aspect on 12th January and it was on that day that the World Health Organisation confirmed that a novel coronavirus had arisen in China marking the start of the illness in a cluster of individuals - so pretty Spot On !!
KM
How would Jupiter and Mars fit into this current conjunction cycle? Would it indicate a more severe situation that may include war and accelerated new world order?
Time Nomad
Mars is a very fast moving planet and its influence pales in comparison with the heavyweights like Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. Mars can bring temporary aggravation and bursts of volatility which clearly took place during its short passage through the conjunction during last 20 March – 5 April. By now it’s gone out of alignment.
World changes always come with conflicts of interests. Perhaps there could be certain military outbursts but we don’t know for sure. What is more prominent is the shaking of foundations initiated by the influence of Saturn–Jupiter–Pluto. Will America hold or will it begin to crumble? How will other countries reconfigure and adjust. A lot to observe and think about!
Her
Great timetable. Discipline of the heaviest kind is anticipated now that news of Fauci & Gates shipping the SARS project w/3.7 BILLION of our money to Wuhan is airing. The sheep need a Plutonian nudge to upend this disaster. Thanks Time Nomad!
Sarah
Timenomad, I’m very excited to have stumbled upon your app. I feel like found a treasure, but I can’t open the box. I’m still learning how to read the stars. I’m amazed so far with your prediction for this year with the Saturn/Pluto connection.
I would love to learn more. Any resources that you recommend? Any teachings by you?
Thanks!
Time Nomad
Thank you Sarah, much appreciate your feedback! Based on my own experience, there’s never been a single book on astrology, astrology is best learned by reading lots of different sources and gradually figuring out what makes sense and what doesn’t. It’s an ongoing journey, where you constantly discover new things through the process of… discovery. A virtuous circle!
Your teachings question got me thinking… So far I haven’t considered making teachings out of my work. Perhaps I could if enough people were interested – yet another potential project for the future, we shall see :)
Lauren
Time Nomad, I would definitely be interested in your teachings if you decide to pursue that path! :)
Sweta Prasad
I really like this article. Great work! Do you think that such conjunctions also effect single person? I have a very tough life but strange thing is nobody predicted this through my astrological charts.
Time Nomad
Saturn–Pluto conjunction is a “slow” aspect, meaning it develops over 1-3 years and its effect would be of a broader, global nature. Such conjunction may have personal effect provided its orb is tight and it has other connections.
Tough life can be the result of two opposite principles.
The first – too much stuff like lots of aspects that challenge each other. The person needs to work on understanding and untangling unconscious behavioural patterns, learning new ways as opposed to following their well known ways.
The second – not enough aspects/forces – a kind of emptiness that make it harder for the person to match their life circumstances and succeed. This problem calls for working on increasing personal skill set through systematic studies and professional growth.
Teresita Chandler
So odd I stumbled into this! As if it was meant to happen. I was praying and noticed the sky. I’ve had this skymap app for years.. I decided to use it tonight. As I was in awe of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto I thought hmm.. Let me research this. I feel and have been feeling this all happening, if that makes sense. Everything going on in the world, what’s right is wrong, what’s wrong is right, totally upside down. Thank you for making sense out of it for me. I knew there had to be a connection.
Hagan
Dearest Time Nomad,
Fab stuff. Such clarity. I’m an astrologer and I doff my astro cap, non linear simplicity with regards explanation is a wondrous trait, you have it . Curious that you feel a separating orb needs to be 10 degrees to truly end a cycle, in a finite way. Do you not feel that once that separating orb motors past the 3 degree orb the impact is progessively lessened?
Time Nomad
Hey! Yes, I tend to agree that past the point of its exact moment the conjunction‘s effect and strength are going progressively downhill. From my observations the power of an aspect is increasing towards its exactitude.
In a personal process the separating period does give us time for maturation and digestion of what has happened. Meaning we shouldn‘t “drop” awareness of the aspect right after its exact moment but keep working on integrating its influence until the final separation of planets.
The world scene is a different story. There‘s much randomness overlaying cosmic influences.
Booger
What do you think of the drop in US Treasury prices since the start of Dec 2020? Saturn & Pluto together are predicted to make bond prices fall and therefore interest rates rise. It appear that is was true. Even thought this conjunction was supposed to end in January, bond prices keep falling. I know you’ve said it is not a sharp change with these 2 planets. This could also be a modern form of war, with foreign countries trying to make the US Government unstable through monetary attacks, and the COVID-19 stuff would aid in that attack. If interest rates keep rising, the us government needs to generate funds to pay those bond holder the higher interest rates, and at these insanely high debt levels, it seems that will be difficult. May you live in interesting times.
Time Nomad
Taking into account monetary policies of the last 20+ years the US government doesn’t really need an external enemy. The 2020 brought the challenge that isn’t over yet and is likely to fully unwrap itself within next 10 years. Everything is so over leveraged that we may only guess the consequences. What is obvious is that the “old guard” will be printing money as long as possible simply because no politician has the guts to pop the bubble during their term. So we’re all waiting for the perfect storm to come and wipe the slate clean.
Marcy
What does the world look like in 2022? A new normal and still totally strange to so many of us.
Suchaye
When will this pandemic end in-terms of conjuctions.
Time Nomad
I don’t think there’s a clear indication of that. Saturn-Pluto event has released toxic forces that now swirling around the world. It will take some time until things stabilise. Viruses are kind of organisms that have their own consciousness and they don’t necessarily work as an on/off switch. We’re in the new biological reality that will produce a new equilibrium of forces. We’re just getting used to it, albeit painfully.