Today, March 11, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19/coronavirus a pandemic. The declaration was made in Geneva, Switzerland, and the time of the Tweet was 9:26:53 Pacific time, 16:26:53 UK time, 17:26:53 Geneva time. One can argue on the precise timing, and perhaps discuss the press conference when it was announced, but in the digital age Tweets can be of symbolic importance. So at least from a Twitter perspective, 17:26:53 was the moment that Covid-19 stepped in the limelight, elevated to the status of pandemic. This is the chart, set for Geneva, with Witte’s hypothetical planets included:
The chart isn’t earth-shatting, but there are useful observations to be made. Virgo is rising – it is a health conscious sign, which befits an announcement from WHO. We also have the Sun and Neptune in the Seventh House of open enemies. Neptune is the virus, is the enemy. Virgo wants to create order, but Neptune in Pisces undermines it at every turn. We also notice that Mercury, ruler of the Ascendant and Midheaven, is in the Sixth House of health. The disease it signified by the ruler of the Sixth, which is Saturn. Saturn is about to change signs, from Capricorn to Aquarius. This suggests that the coronavirus is about to change, at least in terms of public perception. In Capricorn, a cardinal sign, it is an acute problem. In Aquarius, a fixed sign, it is a chronic problem. So perhaps we shouldn’t see the coronavirus as something that will be instantly be cured and resolved. Instead, we’ll get used to it, and find ways of managing and mitigating the problem.
Turning to the hypothetical planets, Admetos is the most elevated planet in the chart – in other words the planet closes to the Midheaven. In Greek legend, Admetos is the king who wants to postpone his death, even if that means younger people dying in his place. One gets the image of old men hanging on to power, and refusing to take the proper steps to deal with the situation – because they are afraid of losing political power. Also, Saturn and Admetos are in trine aspect, with zero degrees Aries on the midpoint. This gives us the midpoint AR = SA/AD. Witte and Lefeldt wrote of this combination “General shrinkage, hindrance and lack”. This combinations tells us about what is going on in the world. We’re moving into recession.