New Year’s Day may have been good once, but it is not so any more. In the current decade it is the political and economic hangovers that weigh heavy as the year begins… and will continue to do so for several years into the future. There may be a temptation to start something new on New Year’s Day, but it would be inadvisable to do it from 2012 to 2015, because the Uranus/Pluto cycle will consistently be square the sun which is always at 10 degrees Capricorn on January 1st. Pluto will reach this degree in February 2013 and Uranus squares this position in May in the same year… and a long time will elapse before these transits have passed. Furthermore a horoscope for New Year’s Eve will almost always have about 1 – 10 degrees Libra in the Ascendant and 1 – 10 degrees Capricorn on the IC for western countries in the northern hemisphere, which means that Uranus conjoins the Descendant and Pluto the IC for all these countries.
It is not so good to be the United Kingdom in this period, because the horoscope for the political union between Great Britain and Ireland took place on New Year’s Day in 1801 (Note 1). This is a horoscope which has always functioned well and reflected political events in England, and therefore a great deal of social and political disorder can be expected over the coming years. The Conservative government, with its tenuous coalition with the Liberal Democrat is unlikely to survive beyond 2013.
It is not good to be Europe either, because the great founders of Europe have often chosen New Year’s Day to start their major projects… like the Euro.
One reason that the prognosis for the coming years is rather grim is that the situation is already problematic and has been, at least economically, since Pluto entered Capricorn. Furthermore, when Uranus entered Aries on March 12th 2011, the world immediately got a taste of the kind of events that might be precipitated by the Uranus/Pluto square. As Uranus moved from 29.59 Pisces to 00.00 Aries the tsunami in Japan, which in itself killed about 20,000 people, swept over the Fukushima atomic power station in a catastrophe that has displaced over 100,000 people who will not be able to return to their homes for decades. What started in the ocean (Pisces) had ramifications on energy supply (Aries), and Uranus immediately connected with Pluto in the form of an atomic meltdown – a perfect if terrifying metaphor for this planetary combination. (Note 2)
If people have enough money, there are seldom great social troubles. But now indebted banks and governments – who are vulnerable to a combination of astrological influences which are extraordinarily similar to the 1930’s – are in crisis. Their reaction is to tighten up the economy Capricorn-style. Naturally bankers and politicians are not the ones to have their salaries cut, but it is always possible to reduce the money given to the unemployed, the poor, the single parents, schools, hospitals and pensions, is it not? The European Union is now demanding that banks retain greater liquid reserves, which means that small businesses in need have great difficulty borrowing money. In the USA and England the reaction has been to print more money (quantitative easing), but that is not what is done in Germany, a country which has strong memories of the hyperinflation from the 1920’s. And Germany is the country that decides the economic direction of Europe at this time.
Pluto in Capricorn evokes a draconian economic policy, whatever the cost, but this means that there is less spending and less money in the system, and this is turn creates a recession. Everybody knows this, but EU governments believe they can handle the social disruption, which will inevitably result. At least that has been past experience. But there is no experience of Uranus in Aries within living memory… and Uranus has not yet even made even one of its imminent seven squares to Pluto. 50% of young people in Spain are unemployed. 46% of young people in Greece are unemployed. In England the figure is 22%. In Germany, of course, 8%. (Note 3) Unsurprisingly there are already spontaneous demonstrations in many countries in Europe. In the coming years governments will fall one by one because of the coming social upheaval, like they have already done in Greece, Italy and Spain. And will do in 2012 in France, and in 2013 in Germany and England.
The big question today is whether the Euro will survive this process. And if it does not, what the global consequences will be.
The foundation for the EU was the Treaty of Rome which took place on January 1st 1958. (Note 4). The European Central Bank (ECB) was formed on January 1st 1999, which was also the date that the euro was introduced as Europe’s shared currency. The euro came on the street in the form of notes and coins on January 1st 2002. All these horoscopes therefore have the sun at 10 degrees Capricorn. The effect of Pluto is to transform something and to completely eliminate its weaknesses. It has a tendency to double or halve, and in the case of the euro it is likely only a few key lands in Northern Europe will be using the euro after 2015.
When a country embraces the euro currency it loses the option of devaluation, which many countries, like for example Great Britain in 1967 – have used as a last resort in an economic crisis. With devaluation it becomes much easier to export and much more expensive to import, and in this way the balance of payments is rapidly, if brutally, restored. Greece, for example, has lost the opportunity to do this, which means all of Europe must shoulder the problem of Greece’s debt. This is the great weakness of the euro. Pluto will solve it, but the process will not be pretty.
For Europe as a basic idea, the long period from 2008, when the first economic collapses began (for example with British bank Northern Rock, Lehman Brothers, and the discovery of the vast indebtedness of Greece) – as Pluto entered Capricorn – to 2015 is a nightmare, but when it is over, Europe will be stronger and equipped to handle the political developments of the 21st century. The horoscope that best reflects the spirit of Europe is the creation and renaming of The European Union on November 1st 1993.
The European Union: 1.november 1993 kl. 00.00 Brussels.
In an article in April 2001, referring to the fixed T-square in this horoscope, (Note 5) I wrote:
The shadow side of the EU is its dictatorial and secretive nature, which predisposes it to corruption. There will be a shattering example of this when Neptune conjoins the T-square in 2008 and 2009, which will precipitate another economic crisis. It is at this time that the progressed Sun conjoins the Mars/Pluto conjunction, and this will foreshadow major world political change on many other fronts too. This is a time of European upheaval.
The corruption was perhaps more far reaching that I imagined at the time, because it was endemic in the banking and financial system, which operated, and still operates, on a system of bonuses which has made short-term personal profit more important than the survival of even the financial systems of which traders are a part. Of course the corruption was also in certain governments too, where in Greece for example a huge deficit was concealed, and where in Ireland and Portugal there was extremely irresponsible governance, as there also was in the City of London. The trigger mechanism for the crash in Europe was the conjunction of EU’s progressive sun with the powerful and secretive Mars/Pluto in Scorpio, in opposition to the Moon in Taurus and square Saturn in Aquarius, which was simultaneously activated by transit Neptune. In addition, natal Mercury has progressed retrograde to dwell on the Sun in Scorpio, highlighting the weaknesses of a centrally controlled economical system.
However this EU horoscope is incredibly strong, and it shows that the EU has survival power. The European construction took place when Uranus and Neptune were in exact conjunction – something that only takes place every 171 years – and this suggests that the EU has longevity.
If however the horoscopes for the euro are studied – especially the one for 2002 when the euro began to be used as hard currency in shops – another story is told.
Euro launched – 1st January 2002 kl. 00.00 Frankfurt am Main AS 2.56 LI
This horoscope represents the moment when the euro in 17 of 27 EU countries became available for ordinary use. The ascendant ruler Venus is at 7 Capricorn, close to the sun at 10 degrees, and in 2012 the Uranus/Pluto square will be exact on June 24th at 8.24 and September 19th at 6.57 degrees Aries/Capricorn. The indications are that the crisis which Sarkozy and Merkel have been working so hard to avoid will arrive despite their best efforts. The euro horoscope has Mars in Pisces square Pluto, both sesquisquare the Moon, and if Mars as 7th house ruler represent enemies, then they must be venomous indeed. Speculators, scenting like well-trained hounds the weakness of the euro, will undermine it completely. The sun in Capricorn opposition Jupiter in Cancer is a strong combination, which shows how crucial expansion and growth are for Europe, but when faith in the project is lost it can come crashing to earth.
The key to the political, economic and social transformation process which will take place over the next three years lies with Germany, which along with France is driving force behind the Euro. If the horoscope for the German Empire is studied (Note 6), it can be seen that it was formed on January 1st in 1871. The sun is at 10 Capricorn and Venus at 15, which indicates an economic crisis well into 2016. Another interesting horoscope for Germany is for the economic union of East and West Germany, which took place on 1st July 1990… which places the sun at 8.51 Cancer where it will certainly get the attention of the first Uranus/Pluto square in June 2012 at 8.24 degrees. However the decisive horoscope for Germany is probably the chart for the political union of East and West (Note 7):
Union of East with West Germany 3.10.1990 kl. 00 Berlin (AS 4.26 LE)
This horoscope shows the Uranus/Neptune conjunction from this period, which heralded the dissolution of communism on the one hand and start of the so-called New World Order on the other. It is a strong horoscope with a Leo Ascendant with Ascendant ruler the sun sextile Jupiter in the first house. The sun in Libra shows a far more diplomatic attitude than earlier horoscopes for Germany. But transiting Pluto will soon conjoin Germany’s Neptune (and square the sun), and this will probably reflect the elimination of some basic political illusions. Moreover Uranus will be transiting Germany’s Midheaven in 2013, which will evoke a radical reassessment of the current goals of the country, and perhaps even a fragmentation of the euro zone. If this goes to the extreme, then industrious Germany – tired of supporting those lazy countries in the south – will go its own way and drop the euro. Extreme groups will play a decisive role in removing Merkel from power at this time.
If one is bold enough to predict what lies in store for Europe, then the following possibilities arise:
– We will come close to the most negative scenarios presently imagined. Things are already bad, and this is before the seven Uranus/Pluto squares activating all those January 1st horoscopes.
– Greece, Spain, Portugal will return to their original currency and devalue. Holidays will be cheaper again. (For north Europeans.)
– Of the original 17 Euro countries: Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Slovenia, Malta, Cyprus, The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Estonia… only a small core will retain the euro… and it is not sure that Italy will be among them.
– There will be economic chaos, which will have a roll-on effect in the USA from 2014-2015.
– Banks will continue to tighten up credit, money will be harder to borrow, and house sales will continue to stagnate.
– Draconian government control and austerity measures will lead to social disorder. Dictatorial methods and omnipresent surveillance will widen the chasm between people and rulers and ultimately lead to new government forms by the end of the decade.
– Socialist policies will flower, and socialist governments will be elected in England, Germany and France.
Seen in a wider perspective, we are witnesses to a political transition, which will lead to the end of a whole political system. It is not sufficient to compare this transition to earlier historical periods, because things have changed exponentially in the world. The internet has made information available to all. Smart phones knit us all together in an enormous network which has little to do with normal political power structures. Things have changed. Bosses must listen to employees. Companies must listen to customers… if they ignore the wishes of customers for just a few days, they will hear their death knoll on Twitter and Facebook. The same will be true of banks who make unreasonable charges and politicians who do not listen. It’s all on film and you can view it on YouTube. This is the dictatorship of the proletariat. For good and ill the people will take power and old political and economic dinosaurs will be found in the graveyard of history.
Adrian Ross Duncan 20.12.2011
1. United Kingdom 1.1.1801 00.00 London (Book of World Horoscopes – Nick Campion 1995)
2. Tsunami Fukishama: 11.03.2011 14.46.23 Sendai, Japan (AS 17.58 Leo)
3. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/12/why-is-unemployment-in-spain-so-unbelievably-high/249300/
4. The Treaty of Rome: 1.01.1958 kl. 00.00 Rom (AS 6.11 Vægt). (BOWH) For more information on EU and the euro read: http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/bulletin/1999/1099lead.pdf
5. Read: http://www.world-of-wisdom.com/04_articles/2001/04_eu.htm
6. The German Empire: 1.01.1871 kl. 00.00 Berlin (BOWH)