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Is this the end of the world as we know it?
By Aria Gmitter — Written on Jan 09, 2020
This weekend, Saturn and Pluto conjunct in the zodiac sign of Capricorn on Sunday, January 12, 2020 at precisely 11:59 a.m, EST at 23 degrees in the South node, an astrological event that occurs only once every 33 to 38 years, and therefore only once, twice or possibly three times in most people's lifetimes.
In astrology, many view the Saturn-Pluto conjunction as a "global Saturn return of karmic nature" with significant effects for the entire world.
And as Saturn — the Roman god of generation, dissolution, plenty, wealth, agriculture, periodic renewal, liberation and time — meets with with his son Pluto — god of the underworld and enactor of karma — many wonder if this cosmic alignment and the combined influence of these powerful planets will stir up tensions to such an extent that it may bring about the onset of World War 3.
Here's a look at why the astrology, symbolism, mythology and history of Saturn conjunct Pluto have some making World War 3 predictions.
Saturn and Pluto in mythology
In Roman mythology, Saturn's role as the god of wealth, agriculture and liberation was representative of the natural powers maintaining "the cyclic course of times and seasons." His Greek equivalent is Cronos, the god of time.
Saturn's wife and sister Ops was the goddess of wealth, abundance and resources, and together they conceived six children — Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Juno, Ceres and Vesta.
Pluto is the Roman equivalent of Hades, the god of the underworld in Greek mythology.
While Pluto is sometimes viewed as a "symbol of materialism or a destructive and disintegrative power at work ... such an interpretation fails to reveal the essential character of the complex, universal process [which] releases what is required in order to reduce to essentials whatever has reached the end of a cycle."
What Saturn conjunct Pluto means in astrology
As an outer planet, Saturn conjunct Pluto can ignite powerful change both personally and globally.
Since Saturn's primary concern is related to what you have and what you don't need and Pluto is the ruler of Scorpio, the zodiac sign of sharing resources, attaining money from others, and inheritance, some astrologers view this conjunction as a time to evaluate personal assets and resources.
Saturn's trek around the Sun and its completion of a Capricorn transit involves a slow progression of awareness to restructure society and the way individuals live their lives as a whole.
While many have concerns regarding the potential for World War III at this time, Saturn is more about the resources we share with one another. Because of this, some astrologers believe the Saturn Pluto conjunction will bring an end to materialism, while others say it will encourage more people to take on minimalist lifestyles.
Essentially, Saturn forces you to grow up and to take responsibility for your actions.
Although Saturn is the planet of structure, it's much more than that. In Vedic (i.e., Hindu) astrology, Saturn is known as the karaka ("one who causes") of longevity and of, meaning "Saturn’s job is to keep the body clean so that it does not get sick."
Saturn is also considered a malefic planet — one "thought to bring bad luck and misfortune to those born within its radius" — and where it is placed in your astrological birth chart can spell bad news for you until you've experienced several decades of Saturn's return.
Saturn stays in each zodiac sign for two and a half years, which means it completes a full cycle around the Sun in 29.5. Saturn has been in the zodiac sign of Capricorn since 2017, and due to its retrograde will not be done with its dignitary sign until the end of 2020.
Saturn conjunct Pluto's influence on World War III predictions
As we all know, rumors and theories spread like wild fire on social media, and as Twitter erupted over the news that President Donald Trump ordered the January 3, 2020 airstrike near Baghdad International Airport that resulted in the death of Iran's General General Qassem Soleimani, users were quick to point out the Saturn Pluto conjunction's connection to wars and other devastating historical events.
Astrology transits are frequently used to predict future happenings, and over the course of history, Saturn has been conjunct, square or in opposition to Pluto during many critical world events.
Saturn conjunct Pluto is often a time during which we close old themes and embark upon new ones, and when these planets are significantly represented in the natal charts of world leaders, the effects may be even more intense.
And as some are discussing on Reddit, this seems to be the case at this time.
Will the Saturn Pluto conjunction in Capricorn lead the U.S. into war with Iran or prompt World War III, according to astrology?
Some are concerned that Uranus turning direct while in the sign of Taurus combined with Saturn Pluto conjunct and a stellium of planets in Capricorn may soon lead to war.
In short, the answer is no.
According to astrologer Robert Grover's analysis of Pluto, Saturn, and Uranus conjunctions, grand crosses, and squares, we should not anticipate an economic depression during 2020, and the likelihood of war is minimal.
Glover does, however, predict tensions similar to those experienced during the Great Depression of the 1930s and the turmoil of the 1960s.
During World War 1, Saturn and Pluto were conjunct in the signs of Gemini and Cancer, which is the 12th solar house of the United State's Sun sign of Cancer.
Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio and the planet of transformation and change, was at 0, a critical degree entering Cancer, on the cusp of America's natal Sun sign of birth.
And both Saturn and Pluto were also strong in aspect to Adolf Hitler's Sun sign in Taurus. Hitler was born with Saturn conjunct his Midheaven in the sign of Leo, and his Ascendant in Libra.
As celebrity astrologer and YouTuber David Lawrence Palmer (aka "the Leo King") states, this is a time of reckoning during which all zodiac signs need to get honest.
He explains how the upcoming Pluto-Saturn conjunction starts a new thousand-year cycle, kicking up antiquated ways of doing things that is similar to what took place during the reign of Herod and the time of Christ's birth.
Again, these were times when the landscape changed from an earthy to a more spiritually centered society.
How Jeff Bezos and a rumored New World Order figure into the upcoming Saturn conjunct Pluto astrological predictions
Jeff Bezos is a Capricorn whose birthday arrives on January 12 as the Full Moon in Cancer hits his 10th solar house and the Saturn Pluto conjunction hits his South Node, activating his life's purpose.
Some astrologers predict Bezos will lead an upcoming New World Order they say will share resources equally around the globe, prompted by this once-in-a-lifetime event.
As anger is released during this restructuring of world order as predicted in Biblical end-time literature in the Book of Revelations, Pluto acts as a general igniting strife and fighting while also intensifying society's desire to overcome what divides us.
Aria Gmitter, M.S, M.F.A., is YourTango's Senior editor who covers astrology, celestial events and the Bible. Find her on Facebook for more.