Written by Isaiah Hussain
As we undergo one of the most uncertain times in history due to the Coronavirus pandemic, what does this mean for us as a collective and individually?
COVID-19 is a world crisis that seems to have been brewing for a long time, originating in Wuhan, China the virus swept its way across the globe. This has sparked mass anxiety in humanity that although familiar, has never before affected so many in the modern world. Already we have witnessed global lockdowns, the implementation of social distancing and an obstruction in economical workings. Every day the death toll rises as does the uncertainty of what we are dealing with. We are not just facing a virus; we are at war.
So how do we navigate a war like this in 2020? While social media is ablaze with memes as we try to turn our anxieties into humour, in the real world we hail our essential workers as ‘heroes’ as if they have chosen to selflessly be on the frontline, when the reality is our supermarket assistants are crippling under the burdens of minimum wage pay to keep themselves afloat and healthcare workers are faltering because of underfunding in the system. It could be argued that the Earth has undergone a cleansing period to allow way for new ways of living, but in a time where every minute is uncertain, how do we bring peace and clarity forward?
This is where the new wave of spirituality debuts itself. Where there are no set rules, where intuition is the new intelligence and old esoteric methods of navigation come into play. Let’s start with the rise of Astrology – we’ve all been witness to its arrival in recent years. Most of us have either been faced with or infamously asked “what’s your star sign?” in introductory conversations, and pretty much every smartphone has Co-Star installed. But beyond the superficiality, what has Astrology taught us about this time?
On January 12th, the planets Saturn and Pluto conjoined in the same constellation, something that hasn’t happened since 1982 when the world faced the HIV/AIDs crisis. Saturn is the planet of structure, limits and time; while Pluto regards destruction, rebirth and transformation. While their conjunction will be a cycle that is most prominent for the first 2 years, it is clear societies current cyclical patterns will need to crumble so that they can be rebuilt with the benefit of humanity in mind. The current pandemic has already revealed to us the way technology has advanced enough to allow people to work comfortably from home and that order must be for the good of the people: extensive measures of cleaning in public spaces, rent/mortgage payments being capped or eradicated and universal healthcare being a priority and norm. It is being revealed that by implementing measures that benefit the greater good, there is less pressure on those on the lower end of the socioeconomic structure to constantly struggle for survival when ease can be granted.
On an individual level, many things are being emphasised - we are understanding how lack of intuition leads to hysteria and panic-buying items that will have little to no effect in the face of the virus (i.e toilet paper). Over-stocking and not utilising our generosity to give to those in need first accentuates the selfishness that is generationally inherent due to the way we have been ruled for so long. Quarantine has led to many of us being confined into spaces with people we have never spent so much time with before, now with little to no methods of escapism. Many people will be worrying about this regarding their families or partners - this collectively shows just how much we may lack in our social relationships; that we use distance and space to ignore the differences and individuality within others, and that sometimes we choose to only actively partake in the positive aspects of the people we live with. Although space is definitely important, it makes us realise that we can lack respect and understanding for each other. This period may also highlight how many of us are with the wrong people and how we can turn a blind eye too often for a sense of security.
On the flip side, we are starting to see the importance of personal space and boundaries that respect each other’s energy. Being too close to so many people in office and workspaces is undoubtedly draining, so the freedom of working from home creates ease in these relationships. Quarantining also brings awareness back to the self - we tend to indulge in forms of escape to ignore the sides of ourselves we don’t like to face. Being indoors for prolonged periods will allow many people to reconnect with themselves, to be more meditative and present. This in itself can lead to the collective starting to recognise just how many burdens we place onto our own shoulders, and that nurturing and loving the self is of utmost importance. Many of us will be able to face traumas that will be healed in ways that we haven’t been able to do before, especially as we have more time to do so.
We can expect a lot more people starting to tap into their artistic and creative sides as our consciousness cleanses itself of the ‘9-5’ mindset and time is widely available. The concept of time we hold and the way we use it on a personal and collective level will start to shift as we will be enlightened to befriend time rather than fear it. More art, music and dance/movement will be recognised as clear mediums for people to tap into creative passions of the heart. There may also be an increase in plant medicine with people moving to more holistic ways of keeping themselves healthy.
Lastly, this period will see a rise in many new readers, astrologers and spiritualists who search for ascension in confinement and recognise the concept of God within themselves, instead of a single deity pulling the strings. There is a huge possibility religious practices we’ve come to know may slowly fade, as we acknowledge a lot of them cannot be applied to the modern world. Things like no access for congregation or pilgrimage will be restricted and need to adapt to survive. Although religion may never completely go, it will need to evolve in some way for it to continue.
To conclude, there will be an appreciation of humanitarian duty to solve the problems that all of us face collectively, rather than just those that directly affect us. While this is a shift no one was prepared for, we undeniably know that change in our societal structures are necessary. While it is unclear how long this pandemic will last, it is a certainty that we will not be able to go back to the way things were before.