Coronavirus, China and the World Health Organisation

Tuesday February 18th 2020

The Coronavirus coloured yellow. This photograph was taken at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Rocky Mountain Laboratories

Sometime in late 2019, people began to fall ill in a city in eastern China. The disease was a type of virus, a mutation it seemed of the coronavirus, so a relative of the common cold. While it started to spread, Hygeia, the goddess of hygiene, was having a zizz.

In early October, Hygeia the asteroid of public health, disease control and nursing, turned retrograde at 10° Gemini. She stationed direct again at 27° Taurus on January 18. She does take regular retrogrades during her five and a half year tour of the Zodiac: maybe we should be paying more attention.

Hygeia is likely to be relevant in any public health situation — good or bad — but not much work has been done on this asteroid. However, I am certain she plays a role because of her importance in specific natal charts, which I looked at here. She may also be important in tackling climate change.

The last time I wrote about a deadly virus, Ebola in 2014, it was clear that the interaction between Chiron, the asteroid of medicine and wounds, and Lilith, the dark point of the unknown, was important. That’s also the case this time, These two elements have been within orb the whole time. Indeed, because both move slowly, they have yet to meet.

Here is a shortened timeline with some astrological commentary. There’s no date for when the virus began, although one could argue that it was born on January 7 when it was first named. But with the Chinese government’s secrecy it’s hard to know if that’s really right either. However, the broader astrology is fascinating.

Timeline

Dec 31 — China announces the new virus — Mars opposes Hygeia Rx from Scorpio. Lilith makes an easy aspect to Hygeia Rx at 27°. Lilith is in Pisces, the sign of no boundaries. Hygeia is on China’s IC, the roots of the country. Mars is on the MC — so China is forced to take public action about a health crisis at home in the fourth house.

Jan 7 — Virus identified as COVID-19 — similar aspects are in play except Mars has moved into Sagittarius — and the illness starts to spread quickly — is opposed by the Moon late on that day. And Jupiter, the planet of expansion, makes a conjunction with the South Node , which disseminates. If you choose to take this as the official name-day of the virus, then you can see we’re dealing with something super-powerful here with that giant stellium in Capricorn. And look the Moon made a conjunction to Hygeia that day.

Hygeia is the fanciest glyph with little snakes.
My astrology software does not recognise Wuhan so this chart is simply set for 0° Aries, like having the car in neutral.
Even so look at Lilith and Chiron.

Jan 11 — First death — Saturn and Pluto make their historic conjunction, although they have been within the same degree for much longer. I don’t need to go over the meaning of this again, take a look at some previous articles and videos, but it does suggest that COVID-19 is a very significant virus. Furthermore, this conjunction takes place directly on China’s well-placed Jupiter in Capricorn in the 12th house, suggesting that the impact could be far-reaching, maybe becoming legendary, reaching into the collective mind. Furthermore, the economic effect on China could also be powerful.

Jan 20 — First cases abroad

Jan 23 — Wuhan is put into quarantine — Saturn-Pluto is a conjunction of imprisonment — and this fittingly for Capricorn is on a huge scale.

Jan 27 — Lilith at 0° Aries

Jan 30 — World Health Organisation announces a global health emergency. — Hygeia stations direct at 27‡ Taurus on China’s IC

Feb 2 — First reported death outside China

Feb 5 — Quarantine of the Diamond Princess.

Feb 7 — Death of Dr Lee Wenliang, the whistleblower who brought the Coronavirus to public attention.

Feb 17 — Death of Dr Liu Zhiming, director of Wuhan hospital— Death toll is pushing 2000 — Mars into Capricorn ready to trigger Jupiter and Pluto in March, Mercury now Rx in Pisces, ready to sow confusion, Sun in Aquarius makes a hard aspect to Hygeia.

Charts for China and the WHO

China was born with an opposition between Lilith and Hygeia, which makes a T-square with the natal Jupiter — currently being crushed by the Saturn-Pluto conjunction. That opposition is pretty close to the Nodes too, so health and sacrifice are recurring themes. One that come to mind is the one-child policy, rather Lilith-Hygeia. China will be having a Jupiter Return soon — which can sometimes be a moment of excess, spilling over, broken boundaries…

But the chart I found the most extraordinary and powerful was the one for the World Health Organisation, founded in Geneva on April 7, 1948.

First of all, the WHO is a Saturn-Pluto baby, with the conjunction in Leo joined by Mars. Cometh the hour, cometh the organisation. If you ever doubted the need for such a thing as the WHO, put your doubts aside now. The question must be can the WHO put theory into practice? — Scorpio SN into Taurus NN, which aspect that Saturn. This virus is a big challenge for the WHO.

It’s hard to see from this chart, but the Saturn-Pluto conjunction of January 11 is actually on the midpoint of this chart’s Chiron and Moon (medicine and people of the world or public awareness).

Secondly, look at that fantastic T-square — Jupiter in Sagittarius (super-global, international effort to disseminate knowledge) opposite our new friend Hygeia (public health) and Uranus (new tech) with Moon-Mercury in compassionate Pisces on the apex.

But the omens in general are not that good for containing this virus quickly. The task is big, and Mars may stir up trouble in March, and then again later in the year.

Meanwhile, wash your hands and think of the doctors and nurses on the front line.

The contemporary face of the goddess Hygeia. Allegedly Chinese nurses are shaving their heads. Image credits: XHNews