The Volcano that "Crashed" Earth Day:
Astrological light on a stunning worldwide event

By Lynn Paulus

Most of us who were watching television back in the 1970s can remember a commercial that featured the line, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature!” This particular commercial was of course cashing in on the burgeoning earth awareness movement of that era. Mother Nature was portrayed as a 50ish be-robed woman wearing a sort of tiara made of daisies, and she could call up the sound of thunder to indicate her displeasure with some mortal upstart simply by snapping her fingers.

On April 14, 2010, some people might have wondered if that temperamental lady with the daisy crown had become peeved at us when an Icelandic volcano that had recently become active began spewing ash. On the following day, the ash become so thick and so widespread that it threatened to clog the air intakes of jet engines, and soon airports across Europe began to close. For the next 10 days, Mother Nature was the main topic of conversation. The pop star Sting went to a charity event in New York City in place of his wife Trudie Styler, who was stranded in Europe by the airport closures. Sting joked, “I am here in place of Trudie, who is being held up by Mother Nature.”

The actor John Cleese, of Monty Python fame, was stranded in Oslo, Norway after an appearance on a talk show there. Mother Nature’s little temper tantrum made sure that everyone in a similar situation was looking for alternate travel arrangements, so Cleese, unable to buy a ticket on a boat or train at any price, took a cab to Brussels (price, 30,000 kroner or £3300) and eventually made his way back to London from there.

So what was going on with Mother Nature, and is there anything that astrology can tell us about the situation? Initially, the eruption began on March 20, 2010, reportedly between 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., so let’s use a chart for an 11:00 p.m. time and compare that with a chart sure to be close to Mother Nature’s heart, that of the first Earth Day celebration, held on April 22, 1970.

First to Iceland. The Eyjafjallajökull volcano had erupted previously, in 1821. That eruption lasted for a full two years, and though there were no airplanes at the time to be left sitting on the ground, the weather of the world was altered for a time. After the eruption that started on March 20, very little changed until the morning of April 14, 2010.

Between 11:00 p.m. on April 13 and 1:00 a.m. on April 14, seismic activity began to increase. In the early morning hours of April 14, around 7:00 a.m., the volcano began to spew ash. Once the volcanic ash blanketed Europe, it became difficult to fly. Both the governments and the airlines in areas affected by the ash cloud were afraid that it could get inside airplane engines, causing planes to crash, so they were not able to get back in the air until April 23, 2010. This volcanic ash cost the airlines millions of dollars, and caused untold misery to millions of people.

Let’s look at the chart for the first time the Icelandic volcano began to exhibit activity. At the start of the eruption of March 20, the Ascendant was 29 Libra at 11:00 p.m. and changed to 3 Scorpio by 11:30 p.m. Since there is not a definite time for that first eruption, we cannot use the Ascendant as part of an astrological analysis. However, the signs and degrees of the Sun, Moon, and planets can be very helpful in looking at this.

The Sun in the 11:00 p.m. chart is at 0 Aries, the sign of power! Aries is of the Fire element and is connected with energy, fervor, and impulsivity. When you think of Aries, think of a pot of water just about to boil over. In essence, this was the volcano, since as it heated up it melted the ice cap on top, setting the scene for the ash which started to spew later, on April 14.

The Moon is near the end of Taurus throughout the hour of 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on March 20, and conjunct to the fixed star group called the Pleiades. The Pleiades are traditionally seen as connected with grief when linked with other elements in a chart. Surely there was a lot of grief felt in the weeks that followed the eruption, as millions of homeward-bound travelers were stranded at the airport. As anyone who has ever waited for a delayed flight knows, it can be very tiresome to have to sit at an airport for hours or days on end.

Mercury and Venus are also in Aries. Moreover, Mercury is conjunct the Sun and these two are also opposite Saturn, the taskmaster planet, at the beginning of Libra. Saturn is of course the planet most often connected with delays and limitations of any kind. The Sun opposite Saturn promises a challenging situation, and Mercury opposite Saturn can be an astrological signature of mental depression, especially in a transit. Certainly the volcanic ash caused tremendous difficulties to many people around the globe, and the uncertainty regarding the airline situation had to have a very negative affect on the mindset of travelers.

Uranus, the planet connected to unpredictable and surprising events, is at 26 Pisces, where it is conjunct the Sun and Mercury, opposite Saturn, and square Pluto! Whenever Uranus has a strong influence in a chart, unexpected events can happen very quickly, but opposite Saturn it’s a situation similar to having one foot on the brake and another on the gas. As you can imagine, frustration is likely to build with that type of aspect.

Now let’s look at Ceres, which is what astronomers refer to as a dwarf planet. Ceres is named for the grain goddess in Roman mythology, and thus is closely connected to Mother Earth, food, fertility, and nurturing. Ceres in the eruption chart is at 0 Capricorn. The first degree of a sign is considered to be a power point degree in astrology, and since Ceres is square the Sun at 0 Aries, this configuration and the chart it belongs to are packed with potent energy.

Ceres is also square the Saturn-Uranus conjunction. Surely the Icelandic eruption brought attention to the fact that we are truly at the mercy of the earth we live on. A volcanic eruption can cause great disruption to the lives of the inhabitants of this globe, as can any weather-related event. Who can forget the tsunami of December of 2004 or Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005?

The chart for the early morning hours of April 14, when the second stage of the volcano eruption began, gives another view of the situation. This does not cancel out the initial chart for the event, the March 20th one, but merely adds to it. In this chart, for 7:00 a.m. local time in Iceland, the time at which the volcanic ash began to become a problem, the Ascendant is 16 Gemini. Mercury, the ruler of this sign and thus the ruler of the chart itself, is at 11 Taurus conjunct Venus at 16 Taurus and square Mars at 6 Leo. Jupiter is conjunct Uranus, and both are opposite Saturn retrograde in late Virgo.

The Sun at 24 Aries is conjunct the Moon at 21 degrees of that sign. This of course means that it is just a few hours away from the New Moon. Ceres at 3 Capricorn is conjunct Pluto, the planet of atomic energy, at 5 Capricorn. Truly this chart is simply bursting with a powerful energy!

The Story of Earth Day

The most striking thing about the buildup to the eruption of this volcano is that it occurred during the buildup to a celebration called Earth Day that had become a worldwide event back in 1970. During the 1960s, through work such as biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson’s The Silent Spring, the public became aware of the effect that industrialization was having on the environment. Pollution was sullying the rivers, lakes, and oceans, and smog from the exhaust of millions of autos was becoming an increasing problem in the cities of the world. The environment became a very hot topic, and United States Senator Gaylord Nelson decided he wanted to bring special attention to its problems by designating a special day, called Earth Day, for discussing the environment and ways to clean it up and keep it clean.

The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. Originally planned as a series of teach-ins on campuses in the U.S., the event quickly spilled outside the confines of the academic world. Earth Day first became a national event, and then a global one. In New York City, celebrities such as Paul Newman and Ali McGraw gathered in New York City to lend their support. Then Mayor John Lindsay closed down several streets in New York City for a few hours so people could enjoy them free from automobile exhaust fumes. In Washington, D.C., noted folk singer and environmentalist Pete Seeger sang and spoke at a large rally.

On that first Earth Day in 1970, celebrations were a day-long affair in many communities. Though the event took place across the United States, we'll use Washington, D.C., the capital of the U.S., as the reference point for our chart, with the time set for noon Eastern Time. The Sun in this chart is in the Earth sign Taurus, a perfect placement for an event celebrating the earth. Taurus is connected with natural resources, agriculture, and gardens, among other things. It governs the bounty of the earth.

Many Taurus natives cultivate beautiful gardens, not just with flowers and plants, but also with herbs and vegetables. Without a fertile agriculture, the earth’s people starve. Even during a time when we benefit from improved agricultural methods, many people around the globe go hungry and suffer from malnutrition, particularly in third-world countries. Having a bountiful harvest has always been a major concern for the inhabitants of earth.

Not only is the Sun in Taurus in this chart, but also Mercury, the planet of the mind, Venus, the planet dealing with the heart, and Saturn, the taskmaster planet. As it turns out, the astrological placements of Earth Day are inundated by connections to this sign of the Earth element!

The Sun at 2 Taurus is conjunct Saturn at 10 Taurus, the planet of discipline and responsibility. Saturn is also the planet of duty and conscientiousness, as it stands for industry and productivity. At the same time, though, Saturn is concerned with the land and farming, just as the sign of Taurus is, since it rules the Earth sign Capricorn. Saturn is in a sign for two and a half years, and spends roughly 29 years circling the zodiac. It’s interesting from an astrological point of view that Earth Day was established during Saturn’s stay in Taurus. What a perfect placement for this karmic planet!

The Sun is opposite Jupiter, the planet of extravagance, at 0 Scorpio, so perhaps the enthusiasm of the participants in some places on that first Earth Day would have been a bit excessive, at least to some. But whether that is so or not, obviously since environmentalism is necessarily aimed squarely at industries that can both produce jobs and damage the environment, there is a natural friction there. One of the most noticeable environmental efforts around that time was to ban the production and sale of a pesticide called DDT, as its overuse had created many problems. On the other hand, defenders of this or similar substances point out that going too far can leave us defenseless against infestations such as the recent surge of bedbugs around the world.

The Moon on Earth Day was in passionate Scorpio. No zodiac sign is as intense as Scorpio, and its natives put their whole heart and soul into their activities. With the Moon in Scorpio, it’s obvious that Earth Day carried a lot of emotional weight for many people. The desire to leave clean air and oceans for future generations was a main concern of many Earth Day adherents, and the idea of treating the earth with respect is a big part of the Earth Day program. It’s possible the original Earth Day celebrants felt they were aligned against a conglomeration of powerful and hostile forces. Big business, government officials, and people who didn’t want to change their habits, could have been among the groups Earth Day adherents felt they were fighting against.

Ceres, the dwarf planet named for the grain goddess, is at 4 Aries conjunct Chiron, the wounded healer, at 7 Aries. It was during the period of the early 1970s that the message of a wounded Mother Earth began to take hold, with the Earth presented as tired, and in need of love and attention, as pollution challenged Earth and its inhabitants.

Ceres is also opposite Uranus at 5 Libra, showing that some of the Earth Day adherents wanted to take a more radical approach to the problems the earth was facing. Some began to call very loudly for changes to be made in government policies, especially regarding the cleanup of the air and water. Many people jumped on that bandwagon, and the efforts of early environmentalists calling loudly for change paid off in many ways. Oceans are much cleaner than they used to be, companies that produce toxic waste as a byproduct of manufacturing can no longer simply dump it in the water, and recycling in one form or another is now the law in most communities.

The Mercury and Venus conjunction in Taurus in the second-stage Iceland volcano chart is conjunct Saturn at 10 Taurus in the Earth Day chart. The Mercury and Venus conjunction is also opposite the Scorpio Moon in the Earth Day chart—a strong tie-in to be sure! As Earth Day was celebrated in 2010, many airlines were still grounded in parts of Europe, so the day and its significance were certainly taken note of in 2010! Many commentators, political pundits, Internet bloggers, and comics pointed out that perhaps Mother Nature was reminding us in a not so subtle way that much remains to be done.

To close this story out, let’s take a brief look at the man primarily responsible for Earth Day in the first place, Senator Gaylord Nelson. Senator Nelson, a Democratic, was born on June 4, 1916, in Clear Lake, Wisconsin. As we might expect, Senator Nelson was an ardent environmentalist, who wanted to teach students and the general public about environmental issues. He felt that holding an Earth Day celebration was a good way to focus everyone’s attention not only on the problems we were facing in regard to the environment, but also on the possible solutions. The Senator was a clever Gemini, an Air sign ruled by Mercury, the planet of the mind and of personal communication. Nelson believed that schools were the perfect place to begin a movement to teach people the importance of taking care of the planet and its resources. His call for an Earth Day teach-in to be held on campuses across the country on April 22, 1970 was inspired by earlier work by others, but his concept turned out to be a catalyst to action on environmental issues. After Senator Nelson was voted out of the senate in 1980, he became a consultant for the Wilderness Society, and in 1995 President Bill Clinton gave him the presidential Medal of Freedom, to honor him for his work to help preserve the environment.

Nelson’s Ceres is in Cancer, the sign connected to home, security and family. It is at 0 Cancer, a very strong degree, and conjunct Pluto at 2 Cancer, and both are square Chiron at 26 Pisces. Nelson truly cared about the environment. He felt that government policies, as well as indifference by the general public, were contributing to a situation that would grow increasingly desperate as the years passed. Earth Day was a way of turning the trend in another direction.

Nelson’s Venus at 18 Cancer is conjunct Saturn at 15 Cancer, so he had the ability to put his heart and soul into his causes. Venus conjunct Saturn is the aspect of someone who can see a project through to completion. Nelson’s interest in the environment lasted for decades, so he continued his efforts to protect the environment and to raise people’s awareness of environmental issues until his death on July 3, 2005.

Nelson’s Mercury is in its own sign, conjunct the Sun and trine Uranus. Mercury trine Uranus is an astrological aspect denoting mental brilliance, so Nelson’s mind was extremely inventive, which is perhaps why his creation, Earth Day, has lasted for over 40 years and promises to last well into the future.

Nelson has a strong tie-in to the Earth Day chart. His natal Pluto at 2 Cancer is sextile the Sun, his natal Venus at 18 Cancer is sextile Mercury, Venus, and Saturn, and his natal Mars at 3 Virgo is trine the Sun in the Earth Day chart. In addition, Nelson’s Jupiter at 26 Aries is conjunct the Sun at 2 Taurus in the Earth Day chart. Surely he put his stamp on this momentous event, and all of us owe our thanks to him for his inspired creation!

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A brief epilog: The Icelandic volcano was reported to have stopped spouting ash as of May 21, 2010. Mother Nature is happy again, at least for the time being, and Earth Day in 2011 turned out to be a quiet affair.