Rise of Authoritarians: An Astrological Perspective
In these days when Vladimir Putin is demolishing the existing Russian government and constitution so he can become president for life, and when the Republican Party is unresponsive to Donald Trump's crimes, is there a larger lens through which to view these events? Is it just coincidence that strongmen are grabbing power in more countries worldwide?
Trump and Putin clearly formed an alliance. Without Putin Trump would not be in power. And Trump knows Putin can take him down any time Putin wants. For Trump, with his moral failings, being indebted to Putin is not a problem. Trump wants power at any cost. To him it is "winning", even if he cheats. I suppose, a real narcissist would do almost anything for what he wants. Other people's rights don't enter the picture. Now the Trump base adopted the same attitude, which seriously threatens democracy and the rule of law. The US Constitution has not been this threatened since the Civil War. And again the fault lines were drawn along race and ethnicity.
What if we take the perspective from above? What do the skies tell us about this time? The current astrological chart is shown below.
The slow moving planets have the deepest and longest lasting effects on the unconscious psyche. While humanity is being largely driven by the unconscious mind, we as a collective will fall prey to these influences. It is nearly impossible to divert mass movements once they get momentum. Then we just have to live through them.
The powerful planets of Saturn and Pluto just passed an exact conjunction in the sign of Capricorn. The meaning of the hard aspects between Saturn and Pluto has been described by Richard Tarnas:"...alignments of the Saturn-Pluto cycle coincided with especially challenging historical periods marked by pervasive quality of intense contraction: eras of international crisis and conflict, empowerment of reactionary forces and totalitarian impulses, organized violence and oppression, all sometimes marked by lasting traumatic effects... here the transformation was through contraction, conservative reaction, crisis and termination" (of previous order). If we look at the effect Trump has had on the US, this pattern is recognizable. The previous Saturn-Pluto quadrature came during the G.W. Bush administration. However reactionary those times were, the Trump era is worse.
Saturn is known as the planet of limits. It was the known limit of our Solar System until the telescope was invented. On the positive side: it keeps us grounded. On the negative side: it is afraid of change and it keeps the existing power structures in place. When combined with Pluto the conservative impulses of Saturn are forcefully applied.
The fact that this conjunction is in Capricorn gives it additional severity. Capricorn is said to be ruled by Saturn, which means it manifests most fully in this sign. Capricorn, like the other Earth signs, is concerned with material reality and survival. Capricorn begins just as Winter sets in when resources are scarce and need to be rationed. Capricorn is about organizing the survival of the group. The Republican Party and conservatives in general are heavily populated with people who have Capricorn and Saturn prominent in their charts. They fear some impending lack and make sure that they provide prosperity for their kind. Hence, the tax breaks for the rich and cutbacks for the poor. The crackdown on freedoms and a dominant patriarchy ensure that they are not challenged. Capricorn is symbolic of the father and he will rule as an authoritarian. The Trump base is happy to follow their "father" who mostly gives them empty promises.
At this time Mars is in an exact semisquare to Saturn-Pluto. The aggressive energy of Mars is added to this mix so that any challenges to the authoritarians will likely be answered with violence. Trump and Putin are getting away with crushing dissent.
Another addition to their power comes from the disruptive power of dwarf planet Eris. Known since 2005, Eris is associated with chaos and disruption, especially through social media and misinformation. Both Trump and Putin have Eris very strong in their natal charts. They are major disruptors of the democratic world order. Eris is at this time in exact square to Saturn-Pluto, which likely means that Trump's and Putin's power will be maximally felt. This likely means that Trump will cause maximal damage to the country by getting away with crimes. Only the Senate can stop him, and they likely won't.
But, as the Sun and Mercury move out of Capricorn and into the broad-minded sign of Aquarius in the next few days, there may be some shift in thinking. Perhaps by holding on to the Articles of Impeachment Nancy Pelosi bought some time to allow the more humanitarian influences to exert themselves. I can't say if this shift will be enough to break the strength of the Saturn-Pluto in Capricorn.
Trump and Putin clearly formed an alliance. Without Putin Trump would not be in power. And Trump knows Putin can take him down any time Putin wants. For Trump, with his moral failings, being indebted to Putin is not a problem. Trump wants power at any cost. To him it is "winning", even if he cheats. I suppose, a real narcissist would do almost anything for what he wants. Other people's rights don't enter the picture. Now the Trump base adopted the same attitude, which seriously threatens democracy and the rule of law. The US Constitution has not been this threatened since the Civil War. And again the fault lines were drawn along race and ethnicity.
What if we take the perspective from above? What do the skies tell us about this time? The current astrological chart is shown below.
The slow moving planets have the deepest and longest lasting effects on the unconscious psyche. While humanity is being largely driven by the unconscious mind, we as a collective will fall prey to these influences. It is nearly impossible to divert mass movements once they get momentum. Then we just have to live through them.
The powerful planets of Saturn and Pluto just passed an exact conjunction in the sign of Capricorn. The meaning of the hard aspects between Saturn and Pluto has been described by Richard Tarnas:"...alignments of the Saturn-Pluto cycle coincided with especially challenging historical periods marked by pervasive quality of intense contraction: eras of international crisis and conflict, empowerment of reactionary forces and totalitarian impulses, organized violence and oppression, all sometimes marked by lasting traumatic effects... here the transformation was through contraction, conservative reaction, crisis and termination" (of previous order). If we look at the effect Trump has had on the US, this pattern is recognizable. The previous Saturn-Pluto quadrature came during the G.W. Bush administration. However reactionary those times were, the Trump era is worse.
Saturn is known as the planet of limits. It was the known limit of our Solar System until the telescope was invented. On the positive side: it keeps us grounded. On the negative side: it is afraid of change and it keeps the existing power structures in place. When combined with Pluto the conservative impulses of Saturn are forcefully applied.
The fact that this conjunction is in Capricorn gives it additional severity. Capricorn is said to be ruled by Saturn, which means it manifests most fully in this sign. Capricorn, like the other Earth signs, is concerned with material reality and survival. Capricorn begins just as Winter sets in when resources are scarce and need to be rationed. Capricorn is about organizing the survival of the group. The Republican Party and conservatives in general are heavily populated with people who have Capricorn and Saturn prominent in their charts. They fear some impending lack and make sure that they provide prosperity for their kind. Hence, the tax breaks for the rich and cutbacks for the poor. The crackdown on freedoms and a dominant patriarchy ensure that they are not challenged. Capricorn is symbolic of the father and he will rule as an authoritarian. The Trump base is happy to follow their "father" who mostly gives them empty promises.
At this time Mars is in an exact semisquare to Saturn-Pluto. The aggressive energy of Mars is added to this mix so that any challenges to the authoritarians will likely be answered with violence. Trump and Putin are getting away with crushing dissent.
Another addition to their power comes from the disruptive power of dwarf planet Eris. Known since 2005, Eris is associated with chaos and disruption, especially through social media and misinformation. Both Trump and Putin have Eris very strong in their natal charts. They are major disruptors of the democratic world order. Eris is at this time in exact square to Saturn-Pluto, which likely means that Trump's and Putin's power will be maximally felt. This likely means that Trump will cause maximal damage to the country by getting away with crimes. Only the Senate can stop him, and they likely won't.
But, as the Sun and Mercury move out of Capricorn and into the broad-minded sign of Aquarius in the next few days, there may be some shift in thinking. Perhaps by holding on to the Articles of Impeachment Nancy Pelosi bought some time to allow the more humanitarian influences to exert themselves. I can't say if this shift will be enough to break the strength of the Saturn-Pluto in Capricorn.
