I often write about the current astrological transits because the day to day placements of the planets will generally have an effect on the daily energy and activities of everyone.  On an individual level these transits can affect one’s natal chart according to circumstances and karmas.

Transits are one level of astrology and along with the natal chart and the movement of the planets in individual natal charts represent planetary weather and patterns.  Western astrology refers to the planetary movements of the natal planets as “progressions” and looking at the positions of the progressions will have an impact on events.  Vedic astrology does not use the same system as western astrology, which is a solar-based system,  but instead uses a calculation of planetary activity based on the birth position of the Moon.  The system is known as the Vimshottari Dasa system which calculates a planet’s influence according to a specific number of years during which a planet will be highlighted.  The dasa of a planet is used in conjunction with the natal placement as well as the transits.

We are all familiar with birth charts for ourselves, our children and other people in our lives.  What is also of significance is that countries, organizations, corporations and other entities have birth charts as well.  History will often provide the dates and times of a country’s constitution or signing of treaties, etc. which will indicate the day in which a country comes into the legal status of an independent entity. 

There can be questions surrounding the exact time a country became a legal entity and astrologers will often disagree with the various dates used as well as differences of opinion for the actual “birth time” of a country.  The most commonly accepted birth date of America is July 4, 1776, though there are many disagreements on the actual time of day during which the papers were signed.  Based on our history, I and many other astrologers,  believe the time to be approximately 6:26 p.m.,  which gives this country a Sagittarius rising sign along with an Aquarius Moon and four planets, including the war-like Mars, in the 7th house of opposition to the Sagittarius.  Mars in the 7th house of relationships, others, legal matters and foreign countries certainly fits with the on-going war-like nature of this country.

In addition to the influence Mars has on war Mars also rules independence, aggression, anger, expansion, law enforcement/military and is one of the indicators of real estate and construction.  According to the Vedic Vimshottari Dasa System an approximate birth time of 6:25 p.m., shows the Mars dasa began in October of 2008.  October of 2008 is the exact month in which the American real estate market came crashing down and affected the economy of America and large swaths of the world.

Fortunately, the Mars dasa is comparatively short in duration as compared to the other planets. For example, Saturn’s dasa is nineteen years long.   The Mars dasa is seven years long and will be complete sometime between January and February of 2015.  We can take solace in the fact that most of the Mars’ dasa is behind us as we have approximately seventeen months left.  Mars will continue to be the backdrop of the mood and energy of the country as we move through the rest of his influence.

This is only the second time that the Mars dasa has played out in America and as we all experience the moods of anger, impatience and frustration of this time period I thought it might be helpful to do a bit of research as to what was going on in this country the last time Mars was the influence.  The last Mars dasa took place from approximately 1888 until 1895 and it is not surprising that there was much unrest, loss and conflict during those years.

Many of the issues were similar to today’s issues including labor disputes, horrific natural disasters, the flexing of the muscles of law enforcement, immigration anger and injustices to both Native Americans and African Americans.  There was even an article written by Andrew Carnegie http://eweb.furman.edu/~benson/docs/carnegie.htm which could be considered one of the first salvos fired towards socialism as well as perhaps a 19th century version of Ayn Rand.

During the time period two of the first African American Banks opened but it was also during this time period that southern lynchings were done without any impediment and Jim Crow laws were legally upheld.  An act of Congress prevented Chinese laborers from re-entering the United States if the workers had left to visit China.  A great blizzard paralyzed the East Coast and four hundred people died. While in PA the Johnston flood took the lives of five thousand people.  The government, under great pressure to make “real estate” available to white settlers, betrayed Native Americans by opening up their land in Oklahoma to settlers and there was a great land rush of give-away acres.  During this time period Sitting Bull was arrested and killed while two hundred Sioux were killed at “Wounded Knee.”

There was a great amount of trouble between labor and owners during this time period.  The Steel Workers staged a strike and the Pinkerton Guards were sent in to break the strike – the steel workers were winning the battle until the government sent in the militia which ended the strike in favor of the mill owners.  There was a conflict between the Silver Miners union and non-union workers in Colorado which was won by the union workers and represented the first time the government had ever protected union workers.  Jacob Coxey of Ohio led “Coxey’s Army” of unemployed people on a march to Washington, D.C.  Eugene Debs called for a general strike in support of the Pullman strikers – in this case the government intervened and broke the strike – Eugene Debs was jailed for six months.  It was also during this time that congress enacted the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Taking into consideration the nature of Mars it is easy to see his influence on those seven years through the anger and aggression of people as they fought for their individual rights against both the government and big business.  We see the war-like nature of some “nationals” against anyone who is not considered to be part of what they believe is a reflection of those just like themselves.  We see the government attempting once again to rein in the greed and irresponsibility of those with the same values which  caused the 2008 economic crash.  We observe angry Americans expressing their desires and discontent.

What we haven’t seen is five thousand people losing their lives due to floods, hurricanes or tornadoes.  We have not seen the protests turning into blood baths and rather than people losing their rights we see attempts to correct the wrongs despite all of the vitriol expressed.  Yes, this is an unpleasant time but if history shows us anything at all – we, as a country, have made progress even if it doesn’t feel that way.

The Mars dasa is not done and there is a rougher time ahead due to some planetary movements but we are nearing the end of this current Mars dasa and it will be one hundred and twenty years before this country goes through another one. 

One final historical tidbit I found reflects interestingly on the strength of American innovation. The IPhone which allows for “individual” viewing of films and the internet has been one of the most important electronics during this current Mars dasa.  In 1894 Edison introduced the world to an invention that he named the “kinescope” which was a device that allowed for an “individual” to view films and it’s technology continued to represent a core part of filming archives until video taping was introduced in 1956.  

Every planet is good for something and that goes for the tough Mars as well.