Section 1

I am sure that most are familiar with the concept of fascism, but for those who are not I will keep it brief.

Fascism is a form of government where power is concentrated at the “state.” It is heavily authoritarian, emotionally nationalistic, anti-democratic, and essentially a dictatorship. There are few, if any, individual liberties, and all opposition is suppressed. “The Doctrine of Fascism” explicitly described this form of government as opposed to democracy, liberalism, and all forms of socialism while supportive of imperialistic expansion.

It was first implemented by Italy in the early twentieth century with Benito Mussolini as its fascist leader. Mussolini’s Leo Sun in sextile aspect to the Mars-Moon-Saturn-Pluto stellium conjunction is a literal reflection of the fascist leader (Leo) enjoying (sextile) the consolidation (conjunction) of power (Pluto) and authority (Saturn) in his role of caring (Moon) for the state (Saturn again).

With Mars as chart ruler, Mussolini was its “cult of personality” and figurehead. Saturn’s alignment with the midpoint of Pluto and Mars confirms that he was a ruthless dictator who would kill or remove anyone who opposed him.

Section 1a

But Mussolini did not invent fascism on his own. It was heavily inspired by the writings and ideas of the philosopher, Giovanni Gentile. Gentile became one of Mussolini’s chief advisors and the two coauthored “The Doctrine of Fascism.” Gentile’s chart shows parallels with Mussolini’s. First is the square aspect between Saturn and Pluto. While Mussolini’s conjunction displayed the consolidation of power through him, Gentile’s square reflects his belief in an aggressive (even torturous) use of power to maintain authority. The grand trine connection from Saturn to Jupiter and Mercury also show that this belief reflected his philosophies and thinking. His square from Mars and Moon reflects his emotionally aggressive nature which is also a part of this philosophy.

While Gentile was not the manifestation of his philosophies, Mussolini was. IN that regard, it is interesting that Mussolini’s Gemini stellium is aligned with Gentile’s Sun. This is a reflection of the harmonious partnership between the two of them and why Mussolini became the embodiment of Gentile’s ideas (Mussolini’s ascendant is also conjunct Gentile’s midheaven).

Section 1b

“The Doctrine of Fascism” was published in 1932 as Saturn was transiting over Gentile’s ascendant and through Mussolini’s 3rd house and opposite his Sun-Mercury. While this essay laid out the ideological foundations of fascism, the party was started over a decade earlier. In the chart for the National Fascist Party, we find the same Saturn – Pluto square from Gentile’s chart. As a matter of fact, Pluto is at the apex of a t-square with Saturn-Mars and Chiron! This reveals the overriding motivation of this organization and style of government. It is aggressive, hostile, controlling, and desiring power above all else.

Section 1c

Mussolini also declared that he admired and was influenced by the 17th century philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli. Through his work, “The Prince” Machiavelli became synonymous with scheming and brutal authoritarianism, qualities which Mussolini fully approved of. Also, both believed in the use of deceit, treachery, and secrecy whenever necessary. Many have noted the similarities between Machiavellianism and the characteristics of fascism.

It makes sense that Mussolini was inspired by Machiavelli. Machiavelli’s chart reveals another relationship between Saturn and Pluto. Here it is a trine, so it is possible that Machiavelli may not have approved of the dictatorship that fascism became, but the t-square configuration with Mercury at the apex on top of Mars and Pluto reflects Machiavelli’s famous statement, “the end justifies the means.” Like Mussolini, Machiavelli was also ruthless, but it came through his writing with his Mercury (like Gentile).

His second t-square with the Moon at the apex on top of Saturn and Neptune reflects his belief in strong authoritarian control. Machiavelli was a realist who would do whatever is necessary for the greater good. Believe it or not, this is the dark side of Aquarius, the placement of his Moon.

Section 2

So why are we revisiting this?

Because fascism appears to be making a comeback.

Over the past 25 years there has been a growing chorus of voices who have been calling for an end to democracy. Some have explicitly declared that democracy is a barrier to capitalism. They want to remove all checks and balances from the government and install a “President” who will be permanent and act more like a CEO governing the country like a corporation. These voices have arisen out of the more libertarian sectors of technology and business. The key figureheads in this movement are:

• Curtis Yarvin
• Peter Thiel
• Balaji Srinivasan
• Nick Land

While it may be easy to dismiss these ideas as extreme and fringe, the reality is that they have gained traction within many political circles of the government. Their ideas made it into the infamous Project 2025 and have been echoed by Trump in various sound bites and interviews over the past year or so. Let us look at each individual and their underlying energies.

Section 2a

Yarvin is the pioneer and face of this movement. He started blogging about these ideas in the late 2000s. It makes sense that he would be the figurehead for this because of his t-square with Sun-Saturn at the apex on top of Mars and Pluto. These are the exact same planetary energies involved in relationships in the charts of Mussolini, Gentile, the National Fascist Party, and Machiavelli. It is a harsh t-square based upon authoritarianism through conflict and war. With the Sun at the apex, Yarvin’s core energy and personality is the leader. This is why he was invited to Trump’s inauguration. He is the modern-day incarnation of the archetype of the fascist dictator.

Section 2b

Thiel is the only billionaire on this list. He is a cofounder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies and an investor of Facebook.

For over a decade Thiel has argued against democracy. In a 2009 essay he boldly stated “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.” As a successful libertarian tech investor, Thiel sees democracy as a barrier to capitalism and believes that by shrinking or removing democracy he can increase the power and wealth via capitalism. In a 2024 interview he stated, “Liberalism is exhausted, one suspects that democracy, whatever that means, is exhausted, and that we have to ask some questions very far outside the Overton window.”

Like Yarvin, Thiel also has an aggressive t-square, but his Mars is at the apex on top of Pluto-Uranus and Chiron. Mars’ placement in Sagittarius makes him a very vocal and aggressively opinionated opponent of democracy and Chiron’s placement in Pisces symbolizes a blind spot in his sense of empathy towards others. The revolutionary impulse of Uranus – Pluto at the other end is being leveraged in his many technological venture opportunities, but in the name of attacking the political system.

Why is he doing this? Because his Sun is also in opposition to Saturn. His Libra Sun thinks he is finding a fair solution to the problem of democracy, but his debilitated Saturn at the other end hints at the type of leadership he prefers: tyrannical.

Section 2c

Srinivasan is another noteworthy tech investor and entrepreneur. He has proposed ideas of a digital “network state” and urged the tech industry to take over local governments.

Srinivasan’s chart contains many of the same signatures that we have seen thus far. His Sun’s square aspect to Mars reveals the competitiveness and aggressiveness embedded into who he is and his Moon’s (potential) alignment with the midpoint of Saturn and Pluto symbolizes his comfort with authoritative power.

Section 2d

Nick Land. Whew, is this dude exhausting. Here. If you are interested, go ahead and read his 64-page essay. It is the ultimate TLDR in the history of TLDRs.

https://keithanyan.github.io/TheDarkEnlightenment.epub/TheDarkEnlightenment.pdf

Want some Cliff Notes? Sure. I got you.

“People are too stupid to be allowed to vote! Hobbes is awesome! Wouldn’t it be great if we had a king telling us what to do? Are you aware that democracy is never mentioned in the constitution? See? Even the founding fathers didn’t want it! All hail Mencius Moldbug!”

There. (Btw, Mencius Moldbug was Yarvin’s handle while he was blogging.)

Land is a “philosopher” (i.e. ginormous edgelord) who decided to add some rationale to Yarvin’s online libertarian rant contest. He is the individual who specifically named this movement. He calls it “The Dark Enlightenment.” Seriously. That’s the name. They all like it.

Surprise, surprise. Land’s Sun is aligned with the midpoint of Mars and Saturn. Aggressive, angry, likes him some authority. I cannot even imagine what it is like to not do everything EXACTLY as this guy says. You better salute too.

His chart is untimed so we do not know if that Moon is in square aspect to Pluto, but please. We might be able to rectify this based on his rambling bullshit. The Moon is in Gemini so I’m betting that birth time is earlier, moving it closer in orb to square with Pluto. That would explain his manipulation and gaslighting and why he sounds like Loki monologuing his Dark Enlightenment master plan.

Anyway, it is safe to say that Land’s chart contains all of the signatures that we have seen so far.

Section 2e

Since Land gave us a date for his “Dark Enlightenment” piece, we would be remiss for not delineating that chart as well.

The most immediately noticeable characteristic is that it was released during that epic Uranus-Pluto square. Many astrologers have stated that this particular square contained an inherent conservative reaction to the more liberal expression of the prior conjunction in the 1960s. If so, then this piece is evidence that they may have been right about that.

All the major players involved in “The Dark Enlightenment” see their work as revolutionary. And this is not only from the perspective of the changes impacting the United States, but more significantly as a sea change to the Enlightenment itself. That’s how big this is and why we should not ignore what is going on here.

It should also be noted that the Moon is again within proximity of hard aspect with Pluto. If the time of this release is later then it will create a t-square with Pluto and Mercury-Uranus. That seems very possible because that would offer a stronger correlation for the revolution theme this writing proposes. And with the Moon in Cancer, they are doing this because they care about home, family, and country (nationalism theme).

The rest of the standard dynamics are here. Mars opposite the Sun is the confrontation with empathetic liberal democracies that are possibly too “woke” to be allowed to continue (Chiron’s involvement). The square with the nodal axis represents how their views are at odds with much of general society. Saturn opposite Venus symbolizes the control of relationships as well as the disillusion with how they have been structured through democracy. The debilitated nature of Venus is the view that others are too selfish and greedy to be allowed to vote which is why dispositor Mars is going after the Pisces Sun.

Section 2f

Since these guys idolize Hobbes so much then we should probably look at him as well. I spent a couple days boning up on his philosophy and now I need therapy. It is that harsh.

Essentially, Hobbes thinks humans are just terrible. We are greedy, crave power, competitive, war-like, and wholly narcissistic and greedy. Left to our own devices we will just kill each other. He is not exactly wrong, but he also is not exactly right either. I tend to think humans are a bit more complicated and layered, but Hobbes’ view is so monolithic and pessimistic that it naturally leads to a government that is just as tyrannical. I mean, it must be because of the belief that monsters are roaming the earth and killing constantly.

As a result, it should not surprise anyone that Hobbes was not a fan of democracy. Instead, he believed in an absolute authority which he termed, “a sovereign.” In his view, people must subordinate themselves to an authority and give up their liberty in exchange for order and security.

Hobbes’ chart reveals why he believed this and there a couple midpoints that tell the story. The first involves his Aries Sun aligned with the midpoint of Pluto and Mercury-Saturn. This midpoint picture shows a desperate fight for survival, the aggressive competitiveness that leads to violence, and the harsh authority and tyrannical power that would be required to keep it in line. The second involves Mars aligned with the midpoint of Venus and Pluto. Given that Mars is the dispositor of his Sun and placed in Taurus, this picture infers that greed is the underlying problem that defines our insatiable desires that can never be satisfied. It is our craving for power. Mars’ debilitation defines Hobbes’ view of humanity. They are all pretty terrible.

But did you notice that this is Hobbes’ chart? This is not a chart of humanity. So it is fair to ask whether his entire philosophical structure (house of cards) is based upon a massive projection. In other words, just because Hobbes is this way does not mean everyone else is as well. If that is the case then can the same be said for the rest of these thinkers here? Given the repeating astrological characteristics, fascism appears to be nothing more than just an expression of the malefic planets. Based upon this brief evaluation, there appear to be two repeating dynamics.

• Square or conjunction aspects from Mars, Saturn, and Pluto.
• The involvement of the Sun or Moon in those aspects.

Yes, Mars can be effort and will and courage. Saturn can be discipline, pragmatism, and responsibility. Pluto can be transformation, purging, and empowerment. There are always positive expressions of the planetary energies, but the hard aspects can make this more challenging. So, what if all three are under pressure? Is it possible that it instead manifests into something else, possibly a philosophical structure that views life as “nasty, brutish and short” (Hobbes’ words)?

If this is the case, then are each of these individuals missing something, some critical component that might alter how they view humanity? To explore this, we might as well delve into some of the most prominent thinkers of the Enlightenment.

Section 3

John Locke seems like an appropriate starting point given that he is viewed as the “father of liberalism” by many.

Locke’s chart contains an aspect that appears to echo some of our fascist thinkers, his Saturn-Pluto opposition. But if we think this through it starts to make sense. The opposition is different than the square. The square is inherent conflict, but the opposition generates an awareness of the need for balance. For Locke it symbolized his awareness of the need for some type of governing structure to manage power. The reason he was successful in this effort is because his dignified and brilliant Mercury-Uranus conjunction is mitigating both ends of this oppositional polarity with trine and sextile aspects. So, despite the concerning nature of this opposition, it should be noted that it is not connected to his Sun or Moon and it is being balanced with Mercury-Uranus.

But guess what is connected to the Sun and Moon? Neptune. It is in trine aspect to the Moon and sextile to the Sun. Neptune is powerful. It lends empathy to any planet is harmoniously touches. It refines. It gives us the ability to visualize possibilities, hold strong to an ideal, have faith in something greater than the everyday realities of this physical existence. It gives the feel of unity and connection. Neptune is transcendent. As a result, when we are connected to this power, we have the power to transcend above or beyond our baser instincts. Locke felt this. It was a natural goodness flowing through him and when combined with the strong intellect of Mercury-Uranus he was able to address the intractable problem of societal governance represented by Saturn-Pluto.

Section 3a

The spicy, feisty Voltaire is another good example. Like Locke, we have another opposition. With Voltaire, the Moon is within orb of opposition with Pluto. If his birth time is later then that Moon in Aquarius would explain Voltaire’s progressive views in confronting power.

But Voltaire also has a Neptune connection like Locke as well. Neptune is in trine aspect to his Sun and Venus and at the apex of a t-square on top of Mercury-Mars and Uranus. This active Neptune gave Voltaire the same sense of grace and empathy that Locke expressed…although he was much blunter about it (I have suspicions that Sun is in Sagittarius).

Section 3b

Just about every idea from Rousseau is in direct contradiction to the foundational concepts of fascism. He also disagreed with Hobbes as well. Whereas Hobbes had a horrible perspective of humanity, Rousseau saw humans as generally good.

From his chart, we have another mystery based upon the missing birth time and the Moon’s position. With this noon-based chart, the Moon is in square aspect with Saturn. This aspect would echo what we saw from fascist thinkers. Given Rousseau’s disagreement with an absolute power, it is possible that his birth time is earlier thereby pushing his Moon further out of orb and closer to conjunction with Neptune and trine with Pluto-Uranus. With the Moon dispositing his Sun and exalted in Taurus, this conjunction with Neptune would accurately reflect his belief in the goodness of humanity.

Section 3c

Paine is often referred to as the “father of the American revolution.” This makes sense given the square aspect between Sun and Mars in his chart. This harsh aspect mirrors what we see from the fascists, but again we have Neptune aspects to the Sun and Moon that are altering the overall expression. Neptune is in trine aspect to his Sun-Jupiter. His Moon is conjunct Saturn, but also aligned with the midpoint of Neptune and Mars. Obviously, these aspects benefitted his writings that inspired the American population and readied them for revolution. He was a rebel poet. So, while the malefics gave him a bit of an edge, Neptune’s involvement helped to give him a vision of ideals that would unite and connect others.

Section 3d

Montesquieu is the last Enlightenment philosopher to review. The Sun appears to be in bad shape with the opposition to Pluto and square to Saturn. Fortunately, Saturn and Pluto are far enough apart that they are not aspecting each other. Also, the Sun is conjunct the midpoint of the Moon and Neptune. This may have softened the personality, but still offered darker contour than many others on this list. His philosophy was an odd and complex reflection of that as well. While he believed in democracy, he also did not have the most positive perspective of humanity.

Additionally, a dignified Venus-Neptune is in trine aspect to Saturn, further refining its expression. Once again, we see key connections from Neptune helping to offset the harshness from the malefics.

There are clear differences between the fascists and the Enlightenment philosophers. There is a harshness and ruthlessness evoked by the influence of the malefics that does not exist with the Enlightenment philosophers. In addition, they enjoyed the benefit of strong Neptune connections to their Sun or Moon. It provided a sense of grace and transcendence that impacts those who adhere to a more fascist perspective. And if you go back to revisit the charts of the fascists, you will notice that this influence from Neptune is markedly absent.

Section 4

The thing about democracy is that it requires one to believe that people will know what is best for them, their lives, and struggles. I have always thought that the best way to understand a person’s life and what they need is to just ask them. Essentially, democracy is that asking process. If we remove this then we are allowing someone or something else to dictate the needs of others. They no longer have a voice or a chance to participate in the process. Will their needs be met? There is a high possibility that governance will not be adequate because it did not have that conversation. And this is assuming that those making the decisions actually care about the governed. One could legitimately argue that the reason this conversation has been removed is because those who make the decisions no longer care what the people think because the basic qualities of empathy, a necessity of any good leader or ruler, have been replaced by control and arrogance, which is essentially part of the core characteristics of the dictator.

Section 5

If you believe that morality and empathy, justice and equality have no value in leadership, but instead consider capitalistic success as the only determining factor of effective leadership then the overarching philosophy of fascism may appeal to you. It is the ultimate destination of a world that increasingly defines everything according to the competition. It is an admission that democracy is incompatible with capitalism (echoing Thiel).

Section 6

Fascism and the Dark Enlightenment are manifestations of the malefics. In their view, there are no unalienable rights. Everything has a cost. Everything requires upfront payment. Human civilization is 100% transactional. To embrace this philosophy would equate to a sea change in human history and would inherently entail servitude because a human being is no longer guaranteed any right. The myriad of social goods and services at the foundation of a society would cease to exist. Every aspect of life would be privatized. And if the power and authority of any ruler is no longer held in check by any other authority then those rulers can set whatever terms they like to ensure that anyone not in the ruling class stays in servitude to pay for every breath they take. Competition would do little to impact this if there would be no law to prevent monopolies or consolidation and abuses of power. I realize that the ripple effects of this are difficult to conceive. Humanity has existed under the overarching philosophies of the Enlightenment for so long that it is almost impossible to visualize of a world without those principles and values. But once it is removed there is no going back. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This aphorism has been proven correct in just about every experiment or conception in which it has been tried.

Section 7

There are problems with democracy to be sure (electoral college, money in politics, gerrymandering, two party system limitations, lack of term limits, etc.), but we must realize that those problems exist as a counter measure to lessen the impact of democracy. The main problem with democracy is that it is not democratic enough (a major oversight of the founding fathers IMO). To create barriers that handicap the impact of democracy and then declare that democracy has not delivered the utopia that was promised is the height of gaslighting and disingenuousness. But if people like Thiel are going to question the progress democracy has delivered then it is only fair that same line of inquiry be redirected back at capitalism. Outside of the small minority who constitute the rich elite, exactly how has capitalism benefitted the rest? Can it be quantified? How is our education? How many bankruptcies? How does our health compare? How many are living paycheck to paycheck? How many are in debt? How many can afford a home? How many are imprisoned? How many of our products rely upon slave wages in other countries? Why did the CIA attack 70-80 countries during the Cold War? Was every one of those countries a fledging socialist democracy?

Section 8

All this brings us back to Trump. The mountain of comments and online postings gives all the indications that he is heading down a path that embraces dictatorship or some corporate variant of fascism. But is this all for show? Is he just blowing smoke? Given what has been reviewed thus far does his chart contain any of the indicators that could make us believe that this is serious, that he is the archetype of the ruthless dictator?

We can answer this question in several different ways, but one midpoint is telling. That is Trump’s Pluto aligned with the midpoint of Saturn and Mars. This midpoint pulls in all three of the malefic entities previously represented. It represents his desire for power, his ruthlessness, his violence, and his authoritarian nature. With Pluto placed in the 12th house of suffering his obsession for power will in turn unleash suffering on the rest of the world. And because the 12th house is an area that contains things out of plain view, it is highly probable that he has done some horrific things that have not yet been revealed. With the dispositors of this midpoint being his Sun and Moon and because he was born on an eclipse, his energies represent the potential for a shocking rupture that could permanently and formally split the nation.

This is not conjecture or hyperbole for in 2027 we will experience the first Chiron return since its discovery in 1977. This event has received very little attention, but it is significant because this chart essentially mirrors Trump’s. Also, you may notice that many of the same malefic indicators we saw with the fascists are prominent here as well.

Chiron’s placement in this chart is at the apex of a t-square aspect with his Pluto, the return Moon, and the return Pluto. This feels like everyone is healing because of what and who he is and what he has done. Given that Chiron takes 50 years to make one full revolution around the zodiac we may infer that the healing process will be underway a long time. Is it possible that it also hints at something even more unthinkable? We are a nation that is inches from falling into fascism and giving up all rights to a dictator, that slavery has returned.

Section 9

I know this will probably sound strange, but in comparing the charts of fascists to Enlightenment philosophers it is almost as if we are viewing the charts of Sith Lords and Jedi from the Star Wars mythology. When you think about it, that conflict is an apt metaphor for the nature of the battle we are confronting. It is against conquerors who desire conflict and authority and power against guardians who believe in grace and harmony and unity. So this conflict is not just to save a nation, but more importantly to renew the ideals of humanity that preceded its birth. Because at the heart of this conflict is a battle over ideals. Is humanity wholly evil and as such does not deserve individual rights and freedoms, but instead requires the most tyrannical form of government? Or is humanity’s nature essentially good and beautiful and deserving of its innate potential towards transcendence? If it is the former, then maybe Thiel is right. Maybe democracy and freedom are truly NOT compatible and we need to relinquish everything and define morality according to strength and power. Or maybe Thiel is right but in a different way? Maybe the two are not compatible because humanity IS good, but it is the system that is evil in that it amplifies (and weaponizes) the more malefic parts of ourselves to such a degree that they are now unconsciously declaring that they are our only true nature? And this is not as far-fetched as you may believe. Think about how altruistic expressions are routinely attacked and ridiculed. If you are an empathetic caring person then you are a “bleeding heart.” If you believe in equality and inclusivity and connection then you are “woke.” It is almost as if those expressions of an archetype are being proactively negated so we can be made to believe that it does not exist. And if we can believe that then maybe we can also believe that malefic qualities are the only reality. And if we can believe that then maybe it will be easy to accept a system that requires us to give up everything for safety and security.

Section 10

This conflict is not isolated to just a specific moment in time. It crosses generations, even centuries. While the fascist Sith are descendants of Hobbes and Machiavelli, those that stand against them are the true heirs to the Enlightenment Jedi who believed in the dignity and goodness of humanity. And that conflict has now arrived at our front door. These are not just concepts for debate or vague intellectual constructs that have little bearing on everyday life. They are existential forces of existence. This again invokes the mythology of Star Wars for the Jedi and Sith were aware and connected to a “force” that governed all manifestation of existence, but each had chosen sides of this force that they would embrace. The Sith had “gone to the dark side” while the Jedi embraced the light. So it is for us as well for the modern day fascists have admitted that their “enlightenment” is dark while the true Enlightenment that formed the foundation of modern humanity was based upon the light.

Section 11

If you have a prominent Neptune (especially if it is connected to your Sun or Moon by aspect or midpoint), then you may consider yourself critical to this timeframe. That empathy and connection and striving for an ideal is a last line of defense. I hear people say constantly, “I want to do something, but I just don’t know what to do!” THIS. Do this. Start here. Educate yourself. Study. Learn. And share. As much and as often as possible. This battle is as much intellectual (if not more) as anything else. For those of us who are aware of the history and the underlying astrological trends, we (astrologers) are some of the most powerful. There will come a time when fate presents us with moments to rise to the occasion. For now, we must continue to lend our voices and minds.

This is why I also believe it is impossible to remain silent in this time frame. There is too much at stake. I have heard some declare that astrologers should steer clear of these issues, but history is littered with examples of those who involved themselves personally. If by confronting this struggle costs me friends, acquaintances, or clients then so be it. History can judge me. Right now, courage is defined by rising to the responsibility we owe our ancestors and descendants.

Section 12

Any great conflict must begin with a recognition of what we are fighting for and critical to this is an awareness of what we are. Right now we are fighting for a future for our children that will not be defined by the “nasty and brutish” dysfunctions of malefic energies. Similar to Obi-Wan confronting Anakin on the volcanic planet of Mustafar, we are staring into the crazed eyes of our brothers and sisters who have gone to the Dark Enlightenment and asked them why they abandoned the values of the real one.

Of course we do not want this, but with each passing day it appears to be inevitable. And in the words of another rebel poet we may find this spirit as well: “I prefer peace. But if trouble must come, let it come in my time, so that my children can live in peace.”

Existence is more unbalanced than we have seen in centuries. It may require revolution so that we can once again renew the promise that the ideals of our higher natures offer.

End Notes

It should be noted that if an individual did not have a published time of birth, then the natal chart ascendant was anchored to 0 degrees Aries.