Saturn, Uranus, Street Fighting Man..

“Street Fighting Man” is the title of a Rolling Stones hit, which was released in August 1968, on the album “Beggars Banquet”. The song (which I love) spontaneously sprang to mind while I was thinking about the riots in Paris yesterday, and the similar protests (though on a much smaller scale) in the UK.  I didn’t know this, until I looked it up, but Mick Jagger wrote the song as a direct result of similar riots in Paris in 1968. Isn’t that unbelievable? I’m impressed. Wikipedia writes:

On the writing, Jagger said in a 1995 interview with Jann Wenner  in “Rolling Stone“

“Yeah, it was a direct inspiration, because by contrast, London was very quiet…It was a very strange time in France. But not only in France but also in America, because of the “Vietnam War” and these endless disruptions. …I thought it was a very good thing at the time. There was all this violence going on. I mean, they almost toppled the government in France; DeGaulle went into this complete funk, as he had in the past, and he went and sort of locked himself in his house in the country. And so the government was almost inactive. And the French riot police were amazing..”

Of course what is triggering the current unrest particularly amongst the proletariat, is fear. Fear of loss, fear of unemployment, fear of poverty. Uncertainty rules right now, and after all is said and done, who wants to take a seat at a beggar’s banquet?

So, dear reader, are we in for yet another summer of discontent ?? I believe we are. Saturn and Uranus go head to head at least four more times, crossing the sign boundary in the process, and crashing into Pluto at the end of the ride. Jupiter in the group conscious Aquarius, will breathe life into the trade unions, and inspire a new generation of workers with ideals that have largely been forgotten about during these many years of plenty.

So, hang onto your hats, scream if you must, and allow yourselves to be thrilled. This is going to be a long and bumpy ride.

The question many workers throughout Europe will be asking is simple: “why are governments prepared to spend tax payer’s money to save the necks of fat cat bankers, who created the mess, while leaving the working man pretty much, to fend for himself?”.

This is Uranus opposite Saturn, and Jupiter in Aquarius at work. So…I’ll leave you with a verse from Street Fighting Man. Great stuff.

“Ev’rywhere I hear the sound of marching, charging feet, boy

‘Cause summer’s here and the time is right for fighting in the street, boy

But what can a poor boy do

Except to sing for a rock ‘n’ roll band

‘Cause in sleepy London town

There’s just no place for a street fighting man..”