Astrology of COVID-19: Disease Disaster

I don’t often use the word “disaster,” but when I do, I mean it. The word disaster comes from Greek and Roman meaning “ill-starred.” And that feels pretty accurate to me — currently many things feel unwell of sky and body.

Astrology can provide insight into patterns and larger cycles of experience…though I hesitate when using it for predictions. And as it relates to COVID-19, it almost feels too soon or insensitive to pretend to know what’s going to happen or the entire picture of this pandemic. Sometimes astrology gets used as a placeholder or scapegoat instead of feeling the discomfort of the unknown. I don’t want to create a blanket of cozy devoid from acknowledging the sadness and devastation that many, including myself, are experiencing.

Because astrology operates on both the personal and collective levels, to understand large-scale events and moments in history astrologers focus more on the outer planets or “transpersonal planets” that connect us to the whole. They move the slowest and point to collective and generational shifts we experience together, instead of personal planets or asteroids which move more quickly. Planetary bodies such as Venus or Mercury orbit closer to Earth and have a deeper connection to our immediate lives, therefore, are referred to as “personal planets.”