“For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it”
Presidential Inauguration, Poet Amanda Gorman reads her poem, January 20th, 2021.
I’ve been thinking about the young poet laureate, Amanda Gorman, and how timely and emotionally moving her poetry is…I especially like the work she has done on the theme of our lives under Covid – the compassion we feel for others at such a lonely and isolating time.
Several people have mentioned her birthchart online, the natal planets, such as Sun and Mercury, that she has in Pisces, her emotional Cancer Moon and her creative, visionary voice (Noon chart, time of birth unknown, degree of Moon unknown). But I was struck by her solar arcs now at play in her evolving sense of self and the strong expression of her will through her words. In evolutionary astrology, we look at solar arcs to get a sense of how the person’s changing core identity is playing out in biographical events. They can be very noticeable in the life.
Amanda was born when Jupiter, at 7˚, formed a conjunction with the south node of the Moon, 10˚, in Pisces. She brings into this life (Jupiter ruler of south node conjunct south node) an innate wisdom about the Divine connections we all feel, the collective pain, along with joy, of being human, and the subtle and sometimes psychic ways we communicate with one another. Just read her poems…
At this critical stage in her life, in 2021, by solar arc, Amanda’s south node has moved to conjunct her natal Mars at 2˚ Aries, her Jupiter now sits at 0˚ Aries, between her natal Mars and Mercury at 29˚ Pisces. What a powerful expression of both signs! The warrior’s assertion of confidence and strength of the knowledge she is here now in this lifetime to give (south node). A poet’s insight that touches us all to see connection, to feel united, when pandemic and ideological barriers keep us apart.
And all this while Amanda also feels strong transits, in the current sky, with Neptune, planet of spiritual consciousness and creative vision, conjunct her natal Sun; her presence as she speaks stirs the collective heart. Saturn by transit forms a conjunction with her natal Venus and Neptune in Aquarius in early degrees of the sign, where she recently felt the union of Jupiter and Saturn, making real the struggles of separation and fear by rendering passionate poems about Aquarian justice and Neptunian love.
From Amanda Gorman’s poem, "The Miracle of Morning," about grief under the pandemic,
“While we might feel small, separate, and all alone,
Our people have never been more closely tethered.
The question isn’t if we can weather this unknown,
But how we will weather this unknown together.
Do not ignore the pain. Give it purpose. Use it.”