25May2013 Lunar Eclipse and the March Against Monsanto

There will be a penumbral Lunar Eclipse on that day at 04'08"Sagittarius. According to CafeAstrology, the Sabian symbol for that degree is:

"An old owl sits alone on the branch of a large tree."

I don't use the Sabians often, but I find they frequently have chilling accuracy with regards to eclipses, and the effects of an eclipse will reverberate for six months after a lunar or a year after a solar (until the Sun returns to the eclipsed degree and begins a new cycle).

On that day, a worldwide protest is scheduled to protest the use and development of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), which are at this point a large portion of our food supply and are showing devastating links to major health issues, the evolution of "superweeds" and the overuse of pesticides, which is contributing to the sharp crash in the global domesticated bee population (or, as some call it, the Bee-pocalypse) that threatens the global food supply.

Given the conjunction of these two events, and also in respect to the multiplicity of events and times on that day, I will explore the astrology of the march, without tying my interpretation down to any particular location.  (The chart is drawn for Greenwich, ENG for convenience and uses the time as given by NASA.  Though the Sun and Moon are about a degree off exact in the chart as shown, the difference is negligible and will not affect chart interpretation.)
I will join this March Against Monsanto and support it locally, but I hold out little hope of it actually creating the change that needs to be made. Astrologically, it's just not there.  The symbol does not support it - wisdom (owl) goes unheard (alone) by the world (tree), nor does the chart carry the powerful indicators of a sea change.  See below the jump:

Even NASA acknowledges that this eclipse will be barely detectable (and therefore of passing academic interest but little more).  This is not the most promising of signs to start with: there is not much power behind this one.

Gemini/Sagittarius is the great axis for the personal-social changes, but being mutable (transitional) Air and Fire it needs a lot of support which just isn't there.  I see Venus and Mercury in exact conjunction in Gemini at the moment of eclipse (the heart and the mind speaking as one) with Jupiter nearby (amplifying), but Neptune (dreams/illusions) squares both Sun and Moon from his home in Pisces: there will be fierce resistance to the concept, much of it underhanded (because that is Neptune's way, and Pisces' as well), and by many it will simply not be understood, or the importance won't register.  Chiron also squares from his Neptune conjunction: this may tear open a few wounds while attempting to heal something that is very wrong.

Saturn is retrograde (moving backwards) so he will not interfere or lend his support to the institutions in place that support GMO crops, but neither will he stiffen the backbone of the movement. Pluto is also retrograde, but he is pretty much staying out of this one, and the deep changes that would need to happen would go much easier with his support to break up the hard earth and stone and "rock-solid" institutions that are the framework of society (Capricorn, his current sign of transit and Saturn's home sign as well).

The part that's bugging me is Mars/Pallas on Algol, conjunct the Sun also (and therefore in opposition to the Moon).  This speaks of premeditated violence, somewhere, or of evil being knowingly and openly committed, the ends seen to justify the means even though many would be hurt.  Perhaps this is a commentary simply on the nature of the protest?  Many people do see GMOs and those who create or push them as pure evil.  But, as Constellation of Words documents, there are ties between Mars-on-Algol and outright open violence.  (The tie with Pallas Athena here is interesting as well, and Darkstar Astrology references this in their essay on this fixed star.  They also reference Algol's developing link with genetics and genetic manipulation.)

I do see some support here in the form of a Grand Trine between Mercury/Venus, Juno and the mysterious Vertex: the right people will be in the right place at the right time.  This speaks particularly of powerful/authoritarian women, but I think the Chiron/Neptune square to Mercury and Venus stands a good chance of drowning out the voice of the Juno, the inner feminine genius.  I also see Vesta (energy reserved for a deep cause) highlighted by proximity to Sirius (the brightest star in the sky), but she has no support herself from the other Goddesses or stronger planets.

I will not say that change cannot happen under this configuration: the stars incline but do not compel.  I can only say that the March Against Monsanto will be fighting upstream against the currents of the day as highlighted in the moment of the eclipse which serves as its backdrop.