Aries Ingress 2024

​Tomorrow the Sun crosses the celestial equator and enters the sign of Aries, marking the vernal equinox and the start of spring in the northern hemisphere.
The Aries ingress chart can be really useful in mundane astrology for describing the qualities of the year ahead, and setting the chart for the capital of a specific country makes those planetary configurations relevant for that particular part of the world.

When set for Washington, DC, Scorpio is on the Ascendant—here representing the U.S.—ruled by Mars closely conjunct the IC in Aquarius. This may describe domestic conflict, unrest, or even violence, perhaps related to lands and territories, our roots and histories, or perhaps the founding ideologies of the nation. This makes me think of the Land Back movement and the reclamation of Indigenous lands, for example, but also the ongoing contestation of American history and the ways politicians are already denying the colonial and oppressive roots of the United States in both Indigenous genocide and hundreds of years of slavery. For what it’s worth, the last time Mars ruled the Ascendant of the Aries ingress in the U.S. was in 2020—another presidential election year—as well as the assault on the capital on 6 January 2021, which doesn’t mean we will see the exact same events repeat, but it does offer a sense of the quality of time we are moving into.
 
The Moon in Leo is in a tight opposition with Pluto in Aquarius, which looks to me like the people or the body politic rising up to challenge deeply entrenched consolidations of power, especially in terms of issues of bodily autonomy. The Moon rules the 9th House, so it’s possible that such challenges will also concern education and religion and be worked out in the courts. Education, religion, and judicial branches of governance are all associations of the 9th House. I wonder if we will be seeing the courts decide cases regarding the banning of books or curricula—like critical race theory, for example—which have been fomenting in the U.S. over the last few years.
 
The 10th House—which can represent the political party that currently holds executive power—is ruled by the Sun, exalted in Aries in the 6th House. The Sun’s exaltation here looks promising for the party in power, and its sympathetic aspects to the Moon and Pluto could indicate some kind of benefit from what may be civil unrest. I can only hope that the Sun’s placement in the 6th House indicates greater concern and action for those who are marginalized and subordinated within oppressive systems and institutions.

Jupiter—the ruler of the 2nd House—is closely conjunct the Descendant, perhaps indicating generous financial aid to foreign powers. The 7th House itself is ruled by Venus—exalted in Pisces and in its own bounds—which could suggest some strength or improvement in international relations. However, Venus is applying to a conjunction with Saturn—the ruler of the 4th House, which can describe political parties opposing the one in power. Venus—the ruler of the 7th House—bonifying the ruler of the 4th could indicate foreign aid to the opposing political parties. It would not be the first time that foreign powers contributed support to a political party during an election year.

No hard predictions here, just observations and themes to observe over the year ahead.