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- Shadows on the Snow: An Astrological and Psychological Reflection on the Death of Renee Nicole Good
Shadows on the Snow: An Astrological and Psychological Reflection on the Death of Renee Nicole Good
In the quiet, bitter chill of a Minneapolis winter, a tragedy has unfolded that has sent ripples of grief and indignation across the collective consciousness. The death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old poet and mother, at the hands of immigration enforcement on January 7, 2026, is not merely a news headline; it is a profound psychic wound. At the Wilfred Hazelwood Clinic, we often speak of the synchronization between the movements of the heavens and the events of our lives. Today, we must turn that gaze toward a difficult subject, examining the astrological weather that accompanied this heartbreaking event and the Jungian archetypes activated within it.
The Poet and the Mother: A Life Interrupted
Before we look to the stars, we must ground ourselves in the reality of the human life lost. Renee Nicole Good was not a statistic; she was a creator and a nurturer. Born in Colorado Springs, she was a woman of deep feeling, described by those who knew her as "pure sunshine" and "one of the kindest people." A graduate of Old Dominion University, where she studied creative writing, Renee possessed the soul of a poet, a person tuned to the subtleties of emotion and the human experience. Her poem, "On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs," which won the Academy of American Poets Prize in 2020, speaks to a sensitivity to life, death, and the visceral nature of existence.
Her life journey had already been marked by the heavy hand of Saturnian loss. She was a widow, having lost her second husband, Timmy Ray Macklin Jr., in 2023. Yet, she persevered, moving to Minneapolis to build a new life with her partner and her children. That this journey was cut short on a snowy street, amidst the banality of a school run, forces us to confront the fragility of our perceived safety.
The Astrology of the Event: January 7, 2026
As a Hellenistic astrologer, I look to the "Event Chart", the precise planetary alignment at the moment of the incident, to understand the quality of time. The morning of January 7, 2026, in Minneapolis, presents a somber celestial narrative that mirrors the confusion and tragedy reported on the ground.
The most striking feature of this period is the heavy influence of the Pisces-Aries cusp, involving Saturn and Neptune. In early 2026, these two planetary heavyweights are dancing in close proximity. Saturn represents the law, authority, boundaries, and the state. Neptune, conversely, represents confusion, fog, martyrdom, and the dissolution of boundaries. When these two energies collide, we often see "the fog of war" applied to civil life, tragic misunderstandings involving authority figures, where strict enforcement (Saturn) meets chaos and lack of clarity (Neptune). The reports of conflicting orders given by agents and the chaotic scene on the snowy road are textbook manifestations of this Saturn-Neptune tension.
Furthermore, the Sun in Capricorn highlights themes of government power and executive force. Capricorn is the sign of the establishment, and its shadow side can manifest as cold, unyielding control. With Pluto newly established in Aquarius, we are in an era of intense societal transformation regarding the relationship between the individual and the collective. Pluto in Aquarius demands power for the people, but in its early degrees, it often triggers a ruthless reaction from established power structures fearful of that very liberty. Renee, an individual citizen (Aquarius) simply trying to navigate her day, collided with the rigid, transformative power of the state (Pluto).
A Jungian Perspective: The Scapegoat and the Shadow
From a psychological perspective, this event activates deep, painful archetypes. In Jungian analysis, we speak of the Shadow, the unconscious, repressed aspects of a personality or a society. When a society fails to integrate its shadow, its fear of the "other," its aggression, its need for control, it projects that shadow onto individuals.
Renee has, tragically, become a recipient of this collective projection. The immediate labeling of a mother and poet as a "domestic terrorist" by high-ranking officials is a classic example of Shadow Projection. It is an attempt to dehumanise the vessel of our grief so that the collective psyche does not have to bear the guilt of the tragedy. By painting the victim as a villain, the Shadow attempts to justify its outburst of violence.
There is also the archetype of the Martyr active here. While there is no evidence Renee sought such a role, her death has catalyzed a movement. Much like the astrological influence of Neptune, her passing has dissolved the boundaries between strangers, uniting thousands in grief and protest. In her absence, she has become a symbol, a mirror reflecting the current state of our societal soul.
Navigating the Collective Grief
For those of us observing this from afar, or for those in the community of Minneapolis, the emotional toll is significant. The sense of injustice can trigger our own latent traumas and fears.
- Acknowledge the Grief: Do not suppress the anger or sadness this event evokes. These feelings are valid responses to a wound in the collective psyche.
- Seek Clarity: Just as we analyze the chart to find truth amidst the Neptune fog, seek verified facts. Ground yourself in the reality of who Renee was, a mother, a writer, a human, rather than the caricatures created by political rhetoric.
- Honor the Creative Spirit: Renee was a poet. In the face of destruction, creation is a defiant act. engaging with art, poetry, or community building is a way to honor the life impulse that was extinguished.
At the Wilfred Hazelwood Clinic, we believe that understanding the stars and our own minds is the first step toward healing. As we move through the heavy transits of 2026, let us strive to hold the tension of the opposites, finding compassion in a world that often feels devoid of it.
