An Experiment: Thema Mundi Return 2023

Copyright © John Michael Greer 2023. All rights reserved.

One of the things that constantly surfaces in the study of mundane astrology is just how little we know about the subject compared to the ancients. Scraps of lore surviving in ancient books hint at entire branches of mundane astrology that no modern astrologer can claim to understand. Only through careful study and experimentation can some of these scraps be turned back into the raw material for effective astrological prediction. 

This post focuses on one such experiment. The writings of Julius Firmicius Maternus, an important astrologer of the Roman period, include a reference to the Thema Mundi:  literally the natal horoscope of the world.  According to his sources—a pair of otherwise forgotten astrologers named Aesculapius and Anubius—the world began with the Sun at 15° Leo, the Moon and ascendant at 15° Cancer, Mercury at 15° Virgo, Venus at 15° Libra, Mars at 15° Scorpio, Jupiter at 15° Sagittarius, and Saturn at 15° Capricorn. (Since the outer planets were apparently not known at that time, their positions are not included; for theoretical reasons, it is plausible that Uranus should be at 15° Aquarius and Neptune at 15° Pisces, but I haven’t included these positions in the predictions below.)

Anubius’s name is Egyptian and Firmicius Maternus says that Mercury (i.e., Thoth) committed the secrets of astrology especially to him.  It is at least possible that here we have an Egyptian tradition of the horoscope of Zep Tepi, the First Time in ancient Egyptian myth, when existence emerged from the waters of Nun and the most ancient gods and goddesses came forth.  

The Thema Mundi no doubt has a dizzying range of applications. As a mundane astrologer, however, my first thought was to see if it could be used as a basis for political astrology. I have been experimenting for some time to see whether solar returns—a basic technique for predictions based on natal astrology—can also be used in mundane astrology, taking the foundation chart of the nation as the basis for the solar return. The results have been mixed but generally favorable; clearly more work needs to be done to refine the method, but it seems to be worth pursuing in conjunction with the ingress charts that have been the bread and butter of mundane astrology for millennia. 

If a solar return chart can be done for a nation, is it possible that—given the Thema Mundi—the same thing can be done for the world?  I figure it’s worth a try.  I have therefore cast a chart for the Sun’s return to its position at the birth of the cosmos.  I’ve taken Washington DC as the place, partly because right now the US government is still maintaining a fingernail grip on its status as world hegemon, and partly because as an American I’m understandably interested in what the chart has to say about my country. Readers who want to work out the chart for some other nation can easily do so by choosing the capital of that nation as the place and recalculating the house positions from that place for the moment the Sun reached 15° Leo. The change of house cusps will of course reshape completely which planets affect which parts of national life. 

Please keep in mind that this chart is wholly experimental in nature and I have no idea how accurate it will turn out to be as a predictor of future events. I have used traditional mundane methods of interpretation throughout, but if anyone else has ever tried to delineate a chart like this I haven’t seen any record of it. As far as I know, this is a venture into completely unknown astrological territory.  If you’d like to join the expedition, shoulder your pack, grab your hiking stick, and away we go into a realm of uncharted stars. 

Period of Effect: At least in theory, from 7 August 2023 to 6 August 2024, when the Sun again enters 15° Leo. 

Ruling Planet:   Scorpio rises in this chart, and Mars is therefore its ruler. Mars is very mildly dignified in Virgo, the sign of his mixed triplicity, but he receives a great deal of strength from placement in the angular 10th house and from favorable aspects—a conjunction with Mercury and trines with Jupiter and Uranus.  With a strong and well-dignified Mars ruling the chart, expect sudden changes affecting governments (Mars in 10th), bringing benefits to the laboring classes, public health, and the military (Mars trine Jupiter in the 6th) and a radical change in foreign policy (Mars trine Uranus in the 7th). 

Mars has another distinction in this chart. He is one of four planets in aspect with the planetary positions in the Thema Mundi, and one of two—the other is Jupiter—that has a position other than the one he occupies in the world’s natal chart. (The Sun and Mercury, the other two, are conjunct their positions in the Thema Mundi.)  This suggests that the sudden changes predicted by Mars will affect everything in the world during the year ruled by this chart. Those effects will be varied, since his aspects to the planets differ one from another: he is sextile the Moon’s original place, conjunct Mercury’s, sextile his own, square Jupiter’s, and trine Saturn’s. (He is also semisextile the Sun, but I have never found this aspect to have any significant effect in mundane charts.) I will explain the implications of these aspects as we proceed. 

Sun and Moon: The Sun represents the head of government—at this point, in the United States, this is still at least notionally President Joe Biden. Since this chart is defined by a particular placement of the Sun, his essential dignity is not considered, but his accidental dignity is nearly as bad as it can be. He is weakened by placement in the cadent 9th house; he is intercepted in Leo; his distant conjunction with a retrograde, peregrine, intercepted, and combust Venus gives him little help, and his only other aspect is a hard square with a peregrine and cadent Jupiter. If this chart is to be trusted, Biden has essentially no power to act domestically during the period of this chart, and Sun square Jupiter warns of juicy scandals, legal troubles, and a risk of death. The conjunction with Venus at least suggests that relations with allies will be good. 

The Moon represents the general public, and more particularly that sector of the public that has the capacity to make its voice heard in political and cultural affairs. She is placed in the cadent 6th house, but exalted in Taurus and benefited by three favorable aspects: a trine with Mercury, a distant conjunction with Jupiter, and a sextile with a well-placed Saturn. An exalted Moon with favorable aspects suggests that the political class may rise above its usual condition of kleptocratic self-interest and actually do something useful for a change. 

The Moon’s position in the 6th suggests that some 6th house subject—the condition of the laboring classes, public health, or the state of the military—will become the focus of this action, and Jupiter’s position in the same house predicts considerable financial resources going in that direction. Is it possible that the political classes in the US may finally notice that pocketing all the benefits of economic activity and pushing all the costs onto the laboring classes is a recipe for severe social turmoil, and potentially for domestic insurgency or revolution?  This chart does not say, but recent events, from the ongoing boycott of Budweiser products to the sudden rise of Oliver Anthony’s protest ballad “Rich Men North of Richmond” to runaway hit status, are signs that even the clueless should be able to read. 

1st House: the house of the ordinary people of the nation, and in particular those whose voices aren’t normally heard in the collective discourse of the time, has Scorpio on its cusp and Mars for its ruler. A well-dignified Mars ruling the 1st house is a favorable indication for the country as a whole, marking some national success or achievement. It focuses attention on military affairs and leads to significant changes and improvements in the nation’s military. 

As noted above, Mars in this chart has a cascade of aspects with the planetary positions of the Thema Mundi. His sextile with the Moon and with the Thema Mundi’s ascendant predicts new energy and activity in national affairs, so that problems long left unaddressed may finally be dealt with. His conjunction with Mercury—both in the Thema Mundi and in the present chart—predicts important speeches, essays, and public meetings, and suggests improved access to information and communications. His sextile with his own Thema Mundi position gives him additional strength and momentum. His square with Jupiter’s position stirs up religious disputes, directs criticism toward hospitals and national institutions, predicts an increase in epidemic diseases, and indicates public anger over secret crimes. His trine with Saturn, finally, benefits the military and the police, and brings increased order and efficiency to the work of government. 

2nd House: the house of the national economy, trade, and banking has Sagittarius on its cusp and Jupiter for its ruler. Jupiter is in very mixed dignity in this chart, being peregrine, cadent, and afflicted with a square with the Sun and a conjunction with Uranus, but strengthened by conjunction with the Moon and trines with Mercury and Mars. Jupiter in almost any dignity ruling the 2nd is favorable for economic affairs, though there will be trouble due to government extravagance and sudden disruptions abroad. 

Jupiter is the other planet making new aspects with the planetary positions of the Thema Mundi, and so dramatic changes in the global economy are likely. His sextile with the Moon’s position, and his conjunction with the Moon in the current chart, predict an increase in commerce, trade, and general prosperity, improved conditions for agriculture, and some degree of peace and contentment among the populace. His square with the Sun’s place, and with the Sun himself, counteracts the previous influence somewhat by disturbing trade and commerce, and it also marks problems with public health, major public scandals, and death in high places. 

Jupiter’s trine with Mercury’s place, and also with Mercury, benefits trade and commerce, and encourages peace and contentment. His inconjunct with Venus warns of government extravagance, unsustainable rates of public expenditure, gives another warning of scandals, and disturbs the country generally. His opposition with the place of Mars, like the red planet’s square to his Thema Mundi position, stirs up religious disputes, aims criticism toward hospitals and institutions, and warns of public anger over secret crimes.  His inconjunct with his own place in the Thema Mundi causes expenditures to go astray and adds to public anger over extravagance, corruption, and scandals. Finally, his trine with Saturn is good for trade and commerce, and marks changes in laws and regulations that benefit the economy. 

3rd House: the house of transport, communication, and the media has Capricorn on its cusp and Saturn for its ruler. Saturn in this chart is moderately strong, being retrograde but dignified by face in the first third of Pisces, placed in the angular 4th house, and strengthened by a sextile with the Moon. Stability and a return to older practices will dominate 3rd house interests during this time, in an effort to minimize disruptions caused by sudden change abroad (Aquarius, ruled by Uranus, is intercepted in this house). 

4th House: the house of agriculture, mining, and other resource extraction industries, as well as the rural regions of the nation, has Pisces on its cusp and Neptune, who is also in this house, rules it. Neptune in this chart is in tolerably good dignity, being retrograde but in the sign of his rulership and in the angular 4th house. When strongly placed, he is the planet of popular causes and mass movements; retrograde, in the 4th, and accompanied by a strong and retrograde Saturn, he suggests that the populist conservatism that has been a rising trend in the US for most of a decade now will be an inescapable force during the year this chart governs. Since the 4th is also the house of the political party out of power, it seems likely that the populist takeover of the Republican Party will be completed during this period. 

5th House: the house of speculative ventures, the rich and famous, and the entertainment industry, this has Aries on its cusp and Mars is therefore its ruler. A well-dignified Mars ruling this house predicts significant changes affecting this house, new enterprises in the entertainment industry, and a generally prosperous time for speculative markets. All the points made concerning Mars earlier in this delineation can be applied to this house as well. 

6th house: the house of public health, the work force, and the military, this has Taurus on its cusp and Venus is its ruler. Venus in this chart is nearly as badly dignified as a planet can be: peregrine, cadent, retrograde, intercepted, combust, and afflicted by a square with a strongly placed Uranus! 6th house issues during this period will be an utter dumpster fire. Expect public health to be very bad, the condition of the laboring classes to be no better, and the US military to face further humiliations, quite probably abroad (as the 7th house shows). 

The Moon and Jupiter are both in this house, and both in mixed dignity. The Moon in the 6th predicts major industrial or public works projects which will improve conditions for the laboring classes by providing jobs at decent pay, but it also warns of strikes, discontent, and hardship. Jupiter in this house is traditionally weak, but he improves conditions to a limited extent and reduces unemployment. 

7th house: the house of foreign affairs and the activities of other countries, this also has Taurus on its cusp and Venus for its ruler, and the foreign affairs of the United States will therefore be nearly as much of a hot mess as its 6th house policies. (Venus is naturally strong and favorable in this house, which is the one saving grace this placement offers.) Expect serious trouble in foreign affairs; very little will go right for the United States beyond its borders during the year that this chart covers. 

That trouble will begin with sudden, explosive changes. This is shown by Uranus’s placement in this house. He is in his fall in Taurus, angular, conjunct the descendant, in a close applying square with the house ruler Venus and in a more distant trine with Mars; if Mars were in a hostile aspect with one of the luminaries, this would threaten war, but as it is (and given the dismal state of the US military, as shown by the 6th house), that is not a serious risk during this year. Instead, drastic events overseas will take the US government by surprise and leave it with few options. The square between Venus and Uranus also warns of sex scandals affecting people in power. 

8th house: the house of foreign trade and other nations’ money and resources, this has Gemini on its cusp and Mercury for its ruler. Mercury in this chart is in fairly good dignity, exalted in Virgo, angular, and supported by trines with the Moon and Jupiter, though he also suffers from a conjunction with malefic Mars. This suggests that the global trade regime that benefits the United States, while it is faltering as a result of the failed sanctions against Russia and the rise of the competing BRICS economic bloc, will not collapse during the year ahead. 

9th house: the house of the judiciary and of organized religion, this has Cancer on its cusp and the Moon for its ruler. The Moon, as already noted, is in mixed but favorable dignity in this chart; significant legal decisions improving conditions for the people can be expected, and popular religious movements will show new vigor. 

The Sun and Venus are both intercepted in this house.  This suggests that Biden (Sun), the foreign and domestic policy establishments (Venus ruling the 6th and 7th houses), and Congress (Venus ruling the 11th house) are hopelessly disconnected from the realities of life outside the DC Beltway, and face serious challenges:  the executive by way of wealthy interests turning against the current regime, Congress and the policy establishments due to the total failure of their preferred policies. 

10th house: the house of government and the executive branch has Virgo on its cusp and Mercury, who is also placed in this house, for its ruler. Expect the public to get involved in the political process to an extent not often seen in recent years, with public meetings, speeches, publications, and internet debates playing an outsized role in public affairs. With Mars also in this house, dramatic changes can be expected in the executive branch during this year; it is by no means certain that Biden will still be in office when the year ends, and it is just possible—given the dismal condition of Venus, which might refer to Vice President Harris—that both Biden and Harris will be gone by the time next August comes around. 

11th house: the house of the legislative branch, and more specifically of the lower house of the legislature, has Libra on its cusp and Venus is therefore its ruler. As noted earlier, Venus is very nearly in the worst shape possible for a planet, and affairs in Congress will follow suit. Expect crimes and scandals on the part of Congresspeople to become front page news over the year ahead, and complete legislative gridlock to set in. With Venus in the 9th, it is not completely impossible that legal charges and prosecutions will fly back and forth between the warring parties, making the work of the legislative branch impossible to pursue. 

12th house: the house of institutions has Scorpio on its cusp and Mars for its ruler. A strongly placed and well-dignified Mars ruling this house predicts important changes in the institutions of American public life. The increased crime rate will become an important political issue during this year, and the US will be at risk from secret enemies abroad. 

That’s what the chart predicts. Once again, this is an experiment; I have followed standard mundane technique, but we’ll just have to wait and see how this all plays out over the next twelve months. By then it should be fairly clear whether solar returns based on the Thema Mundi have predictive force.