Trump tweeted that the U.S. trade deficit with Germany is "bad for the U.S.," despite the fact that our trade relations are mutually beneficial. Is it that he simply doesn’t like win-win situations, and is he driven to be the sole “winner?”
If so, that’s a lonely place to be...
CNN made a point of highlighting that German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Barack Obama (about an unrelated issue) before she met with Trump this past Thursday at the NATO G7 summit—clearly Merkel gets along better with the former U.S. president than she does with the current one. Her post-G7 statement seemed to capture the situation perfectly:
“The days that Europe could completely rely on others are "over to a
certain extent," Merkel warned at a rally in a packed Bavarian beer tent, Reuters
reports. "I've experienced this in the last few days."
Her impassioned comments indicate her disappointment with the past week's
contentious meetings of NATO in Brussels and the Group of 7 in Italy. Merkel had
described the climate change talks at the G-7 meeting as "very
difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying."
Obviously, we need to distinguish
between personality differences and geopolitical priorities and goals here;
Merkel’s misgivings with Trump seem to be centered on two key issues: Trump’s
reluctance to recommit to Obama’s agenda with the Paris (climate change) Accord,
and his belligerent refusal to unconditionally support the NATO alliance. This
latter failing played out in a particularly awkward, insensitive way—vintage Trump.
We heard all during last year’s
campaign that Trump’s gripe with NATO members is that they don’t pay enough toward their own defense—i.e.,
they don’t meet the 2% of GDP standard that was established some years ago. I’ve
never seen an accounting of why this should worry our bean-counters’ little
heads (i.e., does that really mean that we’re
taking up the slack?), but this 2% principle is generally acknowledged as a
goal to be met over time by the various countries, and Germany reportedly comes
pretty close to that mark.
Never one to let a grievance go,
however, Trump lectured the convened NATO powers about all this in the midst of
a solemn memorial for the victims of 9/11—perhaps the most insensitive moment
he could have found. This was actually Trump’s opportunity to thank our European NATO allies for
coming to our aid during the aftermath of 9/11, fighting next to our soldiers
in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
The salient point here is that NATO’s
mutual defense Resolution #5—basically, that an attack on one NATO member will
be deemed an attack on all—was the basis
for that mutual support that we benefited from post-9/11. In fact, that was the only time Resolution #5 has been
invoked. This is the resolution that Trump should have recommitted to at that memorial, but chose not to.
So, Merkel’s reservations about
Trump are probably well-founded, and many are wondering why Trump seems to be
signaling a break away from our roughly 80-year commitment to Europe. Who
stands to benefit from this new protectionist, isolationist stance? We’re left
to wonder.
In the meantime, the Trump-Merkel
encounter was not-so-close, and this is sending shock waves across Europe and rattling
our own foreign policy visionaries. A rather grisly coincidence: we lost one
giant among those visionaries over the weekend—Zbigniew Brzezinski (National
Security Advisor under Jimmy Carter, among many other things). Brzezinski was
famously vehement about the possibility of America becoming “irrelevant” in the
world if we lack leadership in Europe and Asia. Writing in 2012 in his very
prescient Strategic
Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power, he says:
“America’s global standing in the decades ahead will depend
on its successful implementation of purposeful efforts to overcome its drift
toward a socioeconomic obsolescence and to shape a new and stable geopolitical
equilibrium on the world’s most important continent by far, Eurasia.”[1]
Brzezinski talks at length about the
volatility of Eurasia (we’re certainly seeing that play out) and he highlights
the importance of consensus in America’s direction forward, because to regularly
act without that consensus—in response to crises, for instance—will damage our
democracy. Perhaps the crisis mentality we’re seeing with Trump explains his impatience
with democratic processes?
Given Trump’s apparent preferences
for supporting dictators over democratically-elected leaders (on display in the
Middle East leg of his tour, if not from day one of his presidency), it’s easy
to see here why Merkel is feeling somewhat grim about the U.S.-NATO
relationship going forward. We may not feel it yet, but there’s a radical
transformation happening in front of our noses. It’s not easy in these foggy,
Neptunian times, but we need to pay
attention.
So, let’s explore what’s going on
astrologically with Trump and Merkel: it does appear that they could accomplish some important things
together, but there are clear obstacles, as well. If the meeting on May 25th
was rough, there are good reasons why. The triwheel between their two
nativities and the noon chart for their meeting (no exact time available) gives
us quite a bit of insight.
Triwheel
#1: (inner wheel) Donald J.
Trump, June 14, 1946, 10:54 a.m. DST, Jamaica, NY; (middle wheel) Angela
Merkel (neé Kasner) July 17, 1954, 6:00 p.m., Hamburg, Germany (rated “B” for
biography); (outer wheel) Merkel-Trump Meeting,
May 25, 2017, 12:00 pm. (noon, no time available); Brussels, Belgium. Tropical Equal Houses, True Nodes.
Interchart
Cardinal Grand Cross: Merkel
Sun-Uranus-Trump Venus-Saturn(Cancer) oppose Meeting Pluto (Capricorn)-Merkel
Chiron (Capricorn); this axis squares Merkel Neptune-MC (Libra)opposite Meeting
Venus-Uranus (midpoint, Aries). Trump’s security concerns (Venus-Saturn
in Cancer) are likely agitated by Merkel’s “no-nonsense,” but somehow charismatic
personality (Sun-Uranus). She radiates a willingness to think “outside-the-box”
for the sake of security—her Cancer stellium
(Part-of-Fortune-Mercury-Jupiter-So. Node-Uranus-Sun) is disposed by a staunch
Aquarius Moon, so she is keenly focused on pushing social and technological
boundaries for the sake of prosperity and security.
This is a combination that has kept
her in power in German politics since 1990, and she is now regarded by
many as the “de facto leader of the European
Union, the most powerful woman in the world, and the leader of the free world.” It’s easy to
see how Trump may feel threatened by that. He certainly did his best to destroy
the last powerful woman he was up against!
Importantly,
this doesn’t mean Trump and Merkel can’t see ”eye to eye” on a lot of things: their
Cancer Mercuries are conjunct, with Merkel’s Jupiter also conjunct
Trump’s Mercury.
Returning to the Grand Cross, we can
see the intense pressure for a geopolitical “rebalancing” at work these days—Merkel
was born to the task of shepherding Germany through significant times with her
natal Uranus-Neptune square, and those points have been powerfully
stressed by the transiting Uranus-Pluto square
(Aries-Capricorn) for some time now. In fact, Merkel has led the European Union
through very difficult times with the near depression of 2008-10 and the migration
crisis of the past few years.
Clearly, her government’s compassionate
liberal stance on admitting migrants and refugees (on display this past summer)
is at serious odds with Trump’s views on such things (and it has given her some
domestic problems, as well), but compassion characterizes her public image
(Neptune conjoins her MC) and seems to come from a sincere place.
Merkel has also spearheaded Germany’s
aggressive drive for a clean energy economy, and has undoubtedly encouraged similar
progress in other European countries as well. Her commitment to the Paris
Accord is palpable, which fits her protective Cancer Sun. Trump’s Cancer
impulses seem to be more concerned with financial security; if saving the Earth
costs his business constituency anything, the trade-off may be too dear for
him.
Besides, cooperative agreements like
the Accord are not really in Trump’s wheelhouse: he much prefers a “top-down” model
for wielding power (his full Moon-Node-Uranus 10-4 stellium).
That being said, Trump could conceivably cooperate with Merkel
on some things—his Venus-Saturn conjoins her Sun-Uranus, after all. He
probably needs to feel in charge of whatever
that would be, however, and it will remain to be seen whether anyone has
patience for such games. With Merkel’s Capricorn Chiron opposed her
Sun-Uranus, it’s my guess she’s been in similar situations before.
As for the role that Meeting
Venus/Uranus (midpoint) is playing here, Michael Munkasey characterizes
that combination as “unpredictable vanity shown by leaders or executives.”
Factoring in Merkel’s natal Neptune opposite this midpoint, he
says, “deception within new and different forms of art, finance, or music;
confusing impersonal responses when demonstrating affection.”[2]
Trump’s ambiguity regarding NATO and its climate accord priorities seems
to fit well here. Deception is a real possibility, too—Meeting Neptune falls in
Trump’s 7th house, so dealings with allies could be anything but
transparent and above board.
Interchart
Kite Formation: Meeting No. Node-Merkel
Pluto-Trump Mars-ASC (Leo) trines Meeting Saturn-GC-Merkel Mars (Sagittarius),
trines Meeting Venus/Uranus (Aries); Meeting Mars-Trump Sun-No. Node (Gemini)
sextiles these Leo and Aries points and opposes the Sagittarius points. This
is a rare configuration (although not as rare between charts as within a
single chart), which suggests a significant, mutually beneficial relationship. As
we’ve seen clearly over the months with Trump, “winning” (Mars) is everything to him. He’s even grousing
about the U.S. trade
deficit with Germany, despite the fact that our trade relations are mutually
beneficial. Is it that he simply doesn’t like “win-win” situations and is
driven to be the sole “winner?” If so, that’s a lonely place to be, but his
nose for profit may overrule his narcissism, after all.
Merkel’s also determined to win, clearly,
and her Mars-Pluto trine (Sagittarius-Leo) may get the better of Trump’s
Mars-ASC
(Leo). Even so, they are both subject to the pressures and opportunities
presented by Aries Venus/Uranus, and it appears here that Trump would be “cutting
his nose off to spite his face” if he distances America from Merkel and (by extension)
Europe.
Europe is well ahead of the U.S. in terms of clean energy technologies,
and it stands to benefit from the fact that the world is going to keep moving
in that direction whether the U.S. is on board or not. If America pulls out of
this scene, the void left in trade agreements will be quickly filled by China
and others.
Could it be that the U.S. and Russia
will be left alone to champion the diminishing returns of a fossil fuel economy?
Something to ponder—things are moving quickly and Trump’s decisions will
determine if we’re relegated to providing arms for dictators, or if we’ll
continue playing a larger, more positive role in the world.
Final thoughts
Parents know that their children are
absolutely influenced by the company
they keep: this same concern applies—highlighted in flashing neon lights—to nations
and their leaders. Trump’s obvious affinity for strong-man dictators is no
longer “quaint,” or “curious”—to my mind, it’s progressed, through sheer repetition
and brazeness, into a major warning signal.
As his administration continues unraveling civil rights protections wherever they are found in government (another disturbing story this week), we shouldn’t look the other way and rely on vague hope that somehow he’ll be impeached or “see the light” and change his ways.
As his administration continues unraveling civil rights protections wherever they are found in government (another disturbing story this week), we shouldn’t look the other way and rely on vague hope that somehow he’ll be impeached or “see the light” and change his ways.
No, Trump’s on a mission to “streamline”
government more to his liking—to make it more “like a business”—and all those
pesky civil rights regulations are simply in the way. This is cutting him some
slack, by the way—others are claiming that he’s simply a racist and that he’s
surrounded himself with a racist administration.
Which brings me back to why we so desperately need a new generation of cool-headed and brilliant thinkers like Brzezinski
(may he rest in peace). Born under a totalitarian regime in Poland, he knew the true value of democracy and appreciated how fragile it can be:
“Democracy is simultaneously one of America’s greatest
strengths and one of the central sources of its current predicament. America’s
founders designed its constitutional system so that most decisions could only
be made incrementally. Therefore, truly comprehensive national decisions
require a unique degree of consensus…propelled by the persuasive impact of
determined national leadership. And since in America only the President has a
voice that resonates nationally, the President must drive America’s renewal
forward.”[3]
IMHO, we need to remember that the Cosmos doesn't particularly care what form of government we live under--it's truly up to us to steer the energies of our times in the direction we choose!
Maybe for starters we should question whether
our much-needed “renewal” has been hijacked
out from under us. If it has, as it certainly seems, who stands to benefit?
Raye
Robertson is a practicing astrologer, writer and former educator. A graduate of
the Faculty of Astrological Studies (U.K.), Raye focuses on mundane,
collective-oriented astrology, with a particular interest in current affairs,
culture and media, the astrology of generations, and public concerns such as
education and health. Several of her articles on these topics have been
featured in The Mountain Astrologer and other publications over the years.
She is
also available to read individual charts—contact her at: robertsonraye@gmail.com.
© Raye Robertson 2017. All
rights reserved.
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