There is much ado about the so-called "Barbault Basket" in astrological conversation today. It refers to a rare and symbolically rich configuration of planets from Jupiter out to Pluto that occurs over the next few days. I think it's worth noting that the astrologer it is named after, André Barbault, never said anything about a basket nor did he say anything about the configuration named after him. But the misnomer is understandable, given the basket's symbolic resonance with Barbault's grand predictions about this year.

André Barbault was a French astrologer well known for his work linking astrology to world history. Back in 1993, he wrote that the year 2026 features astrological indicators of a "relaunch" of civilization and a "significant increase in the standard of living of the underprivileged, of a victory...earned in unprecedented solidarity."Footnote 1¹ He based his optimistic outlook on two important factors: The Saturn-Neptune conjunction flanked by Uranus and Pluto that occurred last February, and a sudden rise of what he called the "cyclical indicator" of outer planets, a value that correlates with the overall stability of human civilization.

Whether or not he took the basket formation into account, Barbault could see from multiple astrological angles that a significant and surprising rise in the standard of living on planet Earth would start this year and into 2030. Granted, it's hard to see how this could possibly be true given the state of the world right now. We can be tempted to dismiss any kind of optimistic reading as naive, especially from someone who made their predictions decades ago. Why should we trust Barbault or the data he based his work on?

Barbault is a legend in the astrological community because his rigorous application of statistical science to the art of astrology led him to make astonishingly accurate predictions throughout the 20th century. He correctly predicted the fall of the Berlin Wall, the economic crisis of 2008, the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi, and even the Covid pandemic. Most of his predictions came years, even decades, before the events occurred. His predictions were based on careful analysis of planetary cycles overlaid with the cyclical indicator value, which is basically a summation of angular distances between the five outermost planets.

But how do we square his grand predictions of 2026 with the mess we find the world in today? Did he just get this one wrong? Was he sporting rose colored glasses this one time?

Maybe. But it's important to understand, as Barbault did, that outer planetary alignments rarely refer to events at the exact moment of alignment. They refer to slow, gradual shifts that can take many months or even years to unfold. While the Saturn-Neptune conjunction has been over since March, its influence has only just begun to be felt. Since the outer planets refer to large and deeply entrenched power structures—psychic as well as physical—it's going to take time to dislodge and renew them.

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As a (perhaps therapeutic) thought experiment, imagine if progressive candidates sweep the U.S. midterm elections in November. From the vacuum created by two years of political chaos, a truly reformed people-centric government begins to take shape, which wouldn't have been possible before 2025. The thirst of the American psyche for popular solidarity and a government that increases the nation's overall standard of living is very strong. What would the country, and the world, look like if that thirst was actually quenched?

That's not a prediction, to be clear, I'm just proposing a possibility that could have us looking back in a year's time and seeing the accuracy of Barbault's analysis. The truth is anything can happen, and whether or not we experience a "victory earned in unprecedented solidarity," there is no doubting the deep longing for this outcome in the collective human psyche. The longer that desire goes unmet the stronger the efforts will be to come together and bring about the desired change.

As for the basket formation itself, it is truly a remarkable alignment that brings four planets together in a rare combination. From July 18th until the 22nd we will have Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto at exactly 4º of their respective signs, linked together at significant angles of 60º, 120º, and 180º. July 19th is especially potent because the Moon joins the party at 4º Libra.

If we boil down the planets involved to their essential keywords we might ask: How can we balance truth (Jupiter), freedom (Uranus), dreams (Neptune), and power (Pluto) to firm up the resources—material, emotional, relational—needed to take the next big step in our evolution? What truth from our soul wants free expression? How has our world changed in ways that allow us to break from past conditions to try something new? What old illusions have been shattered by the grinding chaos, giving us a newly empowered start at something we've thus far only dared to dream about?

It's up to us to engage the energy with positive determination. The symbolism here is richly supportive of our efforts to manifest a dreamed reality, whether beautiful or nightmarish.

If we consider the impact of these alignments on the United States as a whole, it's quite interesting that the opposition of Jupiter and Pluto that form the handle of the basket align closely with the U.S. Lunar Nodes. The nodes refer to the unfolding destiny of the country, and the opposition of Jupiter and Pluto implies either expansive destruction or empowered moral truth guiding us towards unity. Likely we will see both expressions on grand display; one could argue we already are. But the support of the basket's base holding up the handle at the nodes suggests there is more stability guiding the country forward than is immediately apparent.

If there is anything we have learned from the past six years it's that surprises happen that can upend everything we believed about the world. Maybe Barbault will be proven right and we are on the cusp of a major turnaround. Or maybe the astrological energy is activating us internally, to be manifested as a more enlightened civilization in years or decades to come. However events play out, we will always have opportunities to contribute goodness to the world, which is precisely how we create Barbault's victory in solidarity. We are only defeated when our spirits fall, and the cure for a fallen spirit is human connection—love, friendship, family, community. The stronger our ties, the more powerful our efforts at creating a better world.

Please share your thoughts...