Star Wars and the Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction
There are some surprising connections
between the 2000 Jupiter-Saturn
conjunction, the latest Star
Wars movie, the horoscope of its
creator George Lucas, and many of the
cultural and political themes in the
world around us.
The
Jupiter-Saturn conjunction’s influence
lasts for 20 years, a fact we sometimes
tend to forget once the conjunction
has passed into memory and other planetary
configurations assume importance. The
most recent conjunction of these two
planets, although it occurred five years
ago, is now creating widespread tremors
in world security. The 2000 Jupiter-Saturn
conjunction was notable for being in
the back-to-earth sign of Taurus. 1980
marked the first time in almost 200
years that the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction
was in an air sign (Libra). It will
re-enter an air sign, Aquarius, in 2020.
But, for now, the 20 year influence
of the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction is
very Taurean.
A
current popular book, #6 on the NY
Times bestseller list, is titled
On
BS (the actual title does not use
the abbreviation, but my own personal
Mars-in-Libra so dislikes four letter
words, even when they have the word
“bull” attached, that I
cannot bear to type them). The book
is about the huge amount of BS that
seems to be evident everywhere we look,
listen, or see. This is a negative—although
quite natural—outcome of Jupiter-Saturn
in the sign of the bull, part of the
Taurus/Scorpio axis. Some egregious
examples:
the Newsweek Koran in the toilet story; the
Wendy’s chili finger accusation;
and recent political discourse on Capital
Hill.
Taurus
is a fixed sign so, unlike the great
inventive leaps we saw in the 1980s
and 90s in the wake of the Jupiter-Saturn
conjunction in a cardinal sign, we now
see a lot of consolidation and attempts
to dig in for the long haul. Businesses
merge and divest themselves of pension
plans and healthcare responsibilities.
A recent
news article pointed
out that Microsoft, far from being the
soaring technology company it once was,
is now governed by lawyers who run every
new idea through an antitrust sieve. You can look around and probably
see many more examples of fixity and
resistance to change in our world.
Taurus
is also the master builder. Construction
of all types—housing, great urban
landscapes—is surging. Unfortunately,
this sometimes involves reconstruction
due to war or natural disaster.
Star
Wars
The latest Star
Wars installment has many of the
themes of Jupiter-Saturn in Taurus,
not least because its director—George
Lucas—has his
first house Taurus Sun less than a degree
from the position of the 2000 Jupiter-Saturn
conjunction. Because of this and his
public role as a movie director, his
new movie conveys many of the important
themes of the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction.
I must confess that I have never been a big
Star Wars fan. When I went to see the original
Star
Wars in 1977, I fell asleep partway
through the movie. Years later, however,
my interest was piqued when I found
out that famed mythologist Joseph Campbell
had been a big influence on the movie.
A force—effective marketing, perhaps,
or saturation news coverage—compelled
me to see the latest installment, The
Revenge of the Sith. Movies which
tap deeply into popular culture—as
this final installment in the Star
Wars epic does—are connected
to deeper, unconscious aspects of the
collective.
The
Revenge of the Sith opened while
the Sun was in Taurus. A chart for the
opening in
Anakin Skywalker’s patient Taurean stuffing
of anger and resentment later erupts
in raging bull anger and dark, Scorpionic
transformation. Security of person and
community are threatened and must be
responded to. A state of high alert
is essential because people are not
who they appear to be. Heroic, resolute
determination—a positive expression
of Taurus—is a dominant theme
of the movie. Other Taurean themes in
the movie include loyalty and love of
home.
The Scorpio side of the axis is shown by raging
fanaticism and secretive revenge, as
well as the sign’s more positive
expressions of transformation, self-control,
ingenious solutions, and willingness
to confront demons.
In addition, the movie brings to fruition a
cycle which began with the original
Star
Wars in 1977, a period of 28 years
or complete Saturn return. The completion
of this six movie cycle made me reflect
back on my own life when the original
Star Wars was released. I was then 28 years
old, so the movie’s Saturn return
roughly coincides with my own. The contemplation
of the cyclic seasons of life is Taurean,
and we are beginning to see more of
this contemplation as a result of the
Jupiter-Saturn conjunction (cases in
point: this year’s Oscar winning
movie, Million Dollar Baby and
the Oscar-nominated Sideways,
as well as the immense popularity of
gray-haired rock groups which connect
audiences back to their youth).
I am sure I am not alone in viewing
Revenge
of the Sith in the context of growth
and change in my own life. I don’t
want to give away the ending, but if
you see the movie you will know what
I mean. The ending of Revenge of the Sith truly
and deeply reflects both the positive
and negative poles of the Taurus/Scorpio
axis.
George
Lucas and Jupiter-Saturn
George
Lucas has directed all six Star
Wars movies, including the latest.
He is a double Taurus, with both the
Sun and Ascendant in the sign of the
bull. His Sun is less than a degree
from the 2000 Jupiter-Saturn conjunction.
He and his movie creation therefore
embody many of the themes of the most
recent Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, themes
which will continue to play out for
the next fifteen years. One can see
the latest installment, Revenge
of the Sith, as a slightly veiled
commentary on world and national affairs.
Indeed, many
are already finding polarizing messages
in the movie.
George Lucas is an empire builder, literally and figuratively. His on-screen galactic empires are reflected in his own creative film and special effects empire. Taurus is ruled by Venus—the Lucas empire is related to the creation of beauty, pleasure, and a cinematic search for lasting values. He creates digital beauty on the screen, constructing worlds of imagination. His 12th house behind-the-scenes Taurus Venus (it is said that Lucas most enjoys the editing and post-production processes of making movies) squares a public 10th house Aquarius Moon. His work, like The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy (directed by Peter Jackson, a Scorpio Sun), shows the amazing possibilities of digital technology on the movie screen.
See
also: King Kong
and the Decline of the Multiplex,
War of the Worlds,
Astrology Blog
