We rarely stop to consider the
Jupiter-Neptune cycle in any depth—it sounds so friendly, so expansive
and bubbly. And, in fact, it can be
all those things. Remember the tsunami-style state of euphoria that swelled
over Washington D.C. on Inauguration Day 2009? Even those who didn’t vote for
Barack Obama, or didn’t really welcome the idea of our first black president,
had to feel a bit energized and uplifted that day.
However, as with every outer
planetary cycle, there’s a dark side to Jupiter-Neptune energies, and we’re
seeing the results in today’s news. Jupiter and Neptune “collude,” if you
will, to erase limitations for the sake of growth, and that’s exactly what
brought our mainstream economy down during the 2007-8 period. That’s also the exact
situation Trump seems interested in replicating, only the limitations he wants
to erase are those which challenge his executive power—over Congress, the
Justice Department, over voters, and so on.
Jupiter and Neptune aren’t really
interested in the “separation of powers”—they’re more about eroding such
boundaries and allowing the “Big Fish” to swallow everyone whole.
So, how did we get here? The last two Jupiter-Neptune cycles are clearly relevant: the January 1997 cycle that launched at 27°+Capricorn, and the still-current 2009 cycle that took off at 26°+Aquarius, conjunct Chiron, I should add. Significantly, both cycles tied into the U.S. Sibly chart in ways that impacted the economy. Let’s briefly consider the context surrounding each.
Globalization
and the post-Soviet Union “Gold Rush” days
The 1997 Capricorn cycle set the
tone for those globalization-happy, “Gold Rush” times, with great enthusiasm
for rolling back financial regulations—most notably, the Glass-Steagall Act
that separated commercial and investment banking was repealed by President
Clinton in late 1999. It launched conjunct
Sibly Pluto—the nation’s planetary corporate “Overlord.” Corporate
downsizing, outsourcing, etc. were the order of the day, and by the time George
W. Bush handed the White House keys over to Obama 2009—months before the new
cycle would take off—the overblown,
unregulated finance industry had put our economy in deep trouble.
Not coincidentally, this 1997 cycle also
explains a lot of the revelations in “The
Russian Laundromat,” published by The
New Republic this past week. If the article is verifiably true, Russian
oligarchs were pouring money into New York real estate and the Trump
Organization all through the 1990s and 2000s—not to occupy the properties they
purchased, but to launder their ill-gotten millions and billions.
You might recall that the Soviet
Union imploded and became the Russian Federation on December 25, 1995, fresh on
the heels of the new 1993 Uranus-Neptune cycle in Capricorn, with Virgo Jupiter
trine that conjunction. Even though Eastern Orthodox Christians don’t celebrate
Christmas until January, this Russian reorganization turned out to be Christmas
for Russian oligarchs. Russian leadership set off a “wild West”-type scramble
to distribute previously nationalized industries to these newly-minted
billionaires.
Over time, this oligarch-based
economy evolved to become today’s Russian kleptocracy—a strong-man leader calls
the shots, and the State, enabled by his financially-dependent minions, do his bidding. This was not
exactly the democratic transition the idealists were hoping for from the new
order there.
Former Trump campaign head Paul Manafort’s heyday as a foreign agent on behalf of Russia and other authoritarian regimes (especially Turkey) also peaked during this 1997 cycle period—obviously, the details of these investigations are way beyond me here, but the New Republic article is definitely recommended reading!
Former Trump campaign head Paul Manafort’s heyday as a foreign agent on behalf of Russia and other authoritarian regimes (especially Turkey) also peaked during this 1997 cycle period—obviously, the details of these investigations are way beyond me here, but the New Republic article is definitely recommended reading!
Short-lived
euphoria
As noted, the 1997 Jupiter-Neptune
helped set the stage for the Big Money juggernaut that did so much
irresponsible damage to our economy in the 2007-8 recession. Jupiter’s time in
Capricorn had a lot to do with that damage, so when Jupiter came up for air by
entering Aquarius just before Inauguration 2009, the country was ready for a
party.
The Obama inauguration felt like a
refreshing new start, after 8 long years of George W. Bush (who looks much better in retrospect!). Bush’s
presidency was bracketed on both ends by the life-changing horrors of 9/11/2001
and the destructive ravaging of our financial and housing markets in 2007 and
2008, which wreaked long-term financial havoc for millions. High unemployment,
foreclosed housing and loss of credit standing were still major issues, so
whether we voted for Obama or not, we all needed a bit of euphoria.
On the flip side, I would argue that
astrologically, the murky, corrupt situation (aka the “Swamp”) we see in D.C.
today has a lot to do with the powerful Jupiter-Neptune cycle that launched
on May 27th of 2009—at 26°29’
Aquarius conjunct the Sibly Moon (We the People). The former Capricorn
cycle unleashed Sibly Pluto’s greed, and the 2009 cycle—launching
conjunct the Sibly Moon—highlighted the impact that greed has had on the American
people. In retrospect, it’s clear that the Trump “uprising” of 2016 was an
Aquarian reaction to the excesses of the 1987 Capricorn cycle.
It’s just too bad that the cards
were stacked in that uprising—most likely with substantial outside
interference—in favor of a man with little basic integrity, and a long shady
history of financial dealings. And, a man whose actions demonstrate how he
would welcome a Russian-style
kleptocracy in this country: he clearly sees himself as the strong man who
answers to no other branch of government, of course, and his dependent
billionaire minions would kowtow to him around the White House conference table
and do his bidding.
Not to be overlooked—Trump would
also love to pass along the scepter
of power to his son, Donald Jr. when the time comes, perpetuating a Trump
dynasty that could go on for decades. As we’ll see in the chart below, Jr. is
an astrological “Mini-Me” if there ever was one. Among other parallels, Jr.
seems to share his father’s deep affinity for Russia. To explore these
connections, we’ll examine a triwheel between the father, the son and the
Russian Federation. There’s an undeniable resonance that proves nothing in a
court of law, of course, but may help add context to the daily news.
Triwheel
#1: (inner wheel) Donald J. Trump, June 14, 1946, 10:54 a.m. DST, Jamaica, NY; (middle wheel) Donald Trump, Jr., December 31, 1977, 12:00 p.m. (noon chart, no time available), Manhattan, NY; (outer
wheel) Russian Federation, December 25, 1991, 7:45 p.m. ST, Moscow, Russia. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node.
Please note that we have no birth time
for Trump, Jr., so we can’t say anything definitive about the chart angles and the
Moon placement shown in the noon chart we’re using here. Even so, there’s a lot
to consider here, so to simplify the very complex connections, we’ll map out
the major points of convergence between all three charts:
At Trump Sr.’s (hereafter just
“Trump”) ascendant: the Russian Federation’s Moon and Jr.’s Saturn
conjoin in early Virgo and conjoin Trump’s late Leo ASC-Mars. The Russian
people (Moon) and Jr. clearly know how to tap into Trump’s ego needs
and “play him” if you will for their purposes. Jr.’s Saturn here suggests that
his role is to administer for Dad—hence his role (with brother Eric) overseeing
the Trump Organization’s business (or at least appearing to) while Trump is in
office. In that capacity, Jr. is supposed to not be involved in the day-to-day business of the White House, but
that’s a big question mark.
Russia’s Moon (with these strong
connections to the Trump charts) exactly trines its national Capricorn Sun,
representing their leadership, so the friendly, tangibly-beneficial (earth
signs) relationship between the Trumps and Russia seems clear. Jr. has been on
record talking about the volume of money that has poured into their
organization from Russia over the years, despite Trump’s later attempts to deny
financial ties with Russia.
Russia’s Virgo Jupiter-Sagittarius
Mercury/Mars (midpoint) square creates an interchart T-Square with Trump’s
Gemini-Sagittarius Full Moon and with Jr.’s Sagittarius Mercury-Neptune. The
promise of Russian wealth (Jupiter) appears to motivate Trump’s
(and Jr.’s) ambitious agenda, but Jr.’s Mercury-Neptune is triggered here by
Russia’s aggressive, propaganda/money machine, Jupiter-disposed Mercury/Mars,
and this perhaps explains his lack of ethical boundaries when it comes
to dealing with Russia. “Most people would have taken that meeting,” Dad
said in Jr.’s defense during last week’s troubling revelations (see here
for a chart for that event).
Jr.’s mindset is clearly attuned to
Dad’s emotional, Full Moon need (Gemini-Sagittarius
Sun-Moon)
to accomplish his goals and cut through obstacles by any means necessary. Contact
with Russia likely stimulates this need further (Mars) and makes Jr. a
valuable go-between (Mercury). This raises questions
about whether Trump is somehow beholden to Russia in ways that keep him “loyal”—a
possibility prosecutor Mueller is undoubtedly considering.
Russia’s Capricorn No.
Node-Uranus-Neptune oppose Trump’s Cancer Mercury-Saturn-Venus, particularly
stimulating Trump’s Mercury/Venus (midpoint); Jr.’s Capricorn Venus-Sun conjoin
Russia’s Sun-Node-Uranus-Neptune. Trump’s Cancer gathering seems to
explain his thin-skinned defensiveness when challenged, and probably represents
a great well of personal and financial anxiety/insecurity that he projects onto
others when he attacks them for things he’s
doing. His Mercury falls square his Libra Neptune (Jr.’s conjunction
shows that the astrological pear falls close to the pear tree), and Mercury
disposes his Gemini Sun-Node-Uranus, confirming that for
him, the best defense is a shocking offense. His mercurial nature makes Twitter
the perfect tool for this.
The ties between Jr. and Russia in
this triwheel are especially interesting for the way the Capricorn points of
both Jr. and Russia oppose Trump’s Cancer Mercury/Venus. Clearly, Trump takes
some comfort from this strong-feeling Capricorn energy on his team, and this is
probably doubly true because there are financial implications. If the news
reports (and the Trump boys’ comments in this regard) are true, the Trump
Organization has profited mightily from the reorganization of the Soviet Union
over the years—and Russian meddling
in our election may have won the family the election. The election was a family
(Cancer-Capricorn) affair and Trump’s presidency carries that forward.
But there is an astrological catch.
All of these significant Cancer-Capricorn oppositions form an interchart
T-square with Trump’s Libra points (Neptune-Chiron-Jupiter)
and Jr.’s Libra Node-Pluto. The Trumps are clearly aligned when it comes to
values (these points fall over Trump’s 2nd house), a sense of
wounded entitlement (Chiron’s contribution) and destiny
(Jr.’s Node), but this t-square questions whether the Russians will have
their backs forever.
Most likely, they will just as long
as the Trump White House proves useful to them: Russia’s Aquarius Saturn
inconjoins Trump’s Cancer Mercury and Trump Jr.’s Virgo Saturn. It
should be pointed out here that in the Sibly chart, the president is
represented by the 13°+Cancer Sun:
this point falls closely opposite Russia’s aggressive Capricorn Uranus-Neptune:
this surely supports our Intelligence services’ concern that Russia is determined to get something out of the U.S.
president, and that it’s working to undermine our democracy. Uranus
disposes Russia’s Aquarius Saturn, which trines Trump’s Libra Neptune;
we can’t draw legal conclusions from this, but the relationship is suggestive.
Trump’s already made one major
concession to the Russians in Syria (canceling the CIA program that was arming forces opposed to Assad), probably one reason why Congress is
working to prevent Trump from rolling-back the sanctions they are currently
proposing for Russia and others. It’s quite possible that Russia’s Uranus-Neptune
square to the Trumps’ Libra points will begin to pinch either their finances
(Trump Jupiter, ruling his 8th; Jr.’s Pluto) or their
reputations (Trump’s Jupiter also rules his 5th)—all
the more reason Special Prosecutor Mueller needs to access Trump finances to
understand what’s going on with Russia.
Things are going to get interesting. As we saw last week with
his ill-fated June 2016 meeting, Trump Jr.’s weak spot seems to be “foot in
mouth” disease (Mercury-Neptune), and through an excess of enthusiasm for
pleasing Dad he stumbles into situations that incriminate himself, the Trump
administration itself, and the Russians. It’s hard to not misspeak when the modus operandi is to “make things up as you
go:” with their respective Mercury-Neptune connections, the
facts are often quite malleable for both Trumps.
Attributed to Bradford Veley, via CartoonStock.com
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The family biz
Obviously, the Trump saga is a soap opera that just won’t quit, but one last dimension to the story deserves attention in light of the 2009 Jupiter-Neptune cycle we’re still experiencing. Since Jupiter and Neptune tend to unleash forces into the collective that were pent up for some reason, they are closely associated with contagious fear-mongering, hysteria, and the mob mentality that often results. They could also be related to pent up anger about real oppression on the part of government officials—i.e., involving police abuse, the incredible excesses of our prison incarceration rates, attempts at race-based voter suppression, and so on. There is considerable unrest afloat that could ignite if things get worse instead of better.
Obviously, the Trump saga is a soap opera that just won’t quit, but one last dimension to the story deserves attention in light of the 2009 Jupiter-Neptune cycle we’re still experiencing. Since Jupiter and Neptune tend to unleash forces into the collective that were pent up for some reason, they are closely associated with contagious fear-mongering, hysteria, and the mob mentality that often results. They could also be related to pent up anger about real oppression on the part of government officials—i.e., involving police abuse, the incredible excesses of our prison incarceration rates, attempts at race-based voter suppression, and so on. There is considerable unrest afloat that could ignite if things get worse instead of better.
The almost “cult”-like impact that
Trump’s campaign wielded on his 38-40% base fits here, as well: rules, norms,
facts, and rational behavior lost out to over-the-top emotionalism and a
“follow-the-leader” (over the brink) kind of mentality that Trump often used
during campaign speeches to stoke violent emotion, if not violent acts. IMHO,
we need to take Trump’s hold on his followers’ emotions seriously: history is filled with examples of would-be
dictators getting their hooks into people using this same playbook.
In 2015-6, these emotion-laden dynamics
were energized to Trump’s benefit by the Uranus-Pluto square from cardinal
Aries to Capricorn (Uranus transited trine Trump’s aggressive Leo Mars-ASC
throughout the campaign). Among other results, the spike in race- and
ethnicity-based hate crimes since 2015 (especially targeting Muslims) reflects all this.
Importantly, Trump’s family seems
okay with all this—Donald,
Jr. is reportedly an avid consumer of Alt-right news and seems to share his
father’s (and grandfather Trump’s) white supremacist/anti-immigrant attitudes. Their
“Make America Great Again” mantra stops where business concerns begin, however:
this past “Made in America” week was marked by Mar-a-Lago seeking more foreign workers. That’s Jupiter-Neptune: make up the rules
as you go, stoke emotions whenever possible, and always maintain plausible
deniability!
What’s on the horizon?
The lies are already catching up
with the Trump administration, but then that’s been happening since day one of
his presidency. The question is, will Trump, Trump, Jr. and other
administration members involved (like Jared Kushner, etc.) be held accountable
when the full truth finally emerges? Time will tell, but if we know anything
about Trump, it’s that he loves a useful distraction. In this regard, one
upcoming cosmic event is worth watching.
As we’ve considered on this blog, a
total solar eclipse traverses the continental U.S. on August 21st (see here
for more) that will closely conjoin Trump’s Mars-ASC: this could have
far-reaching effects on the Trump administration, but it’s important to note
that eclipses aren’t always negative
for those whose charts connect—the transits
alone to Trump’s chart are fairly supportive looking, in fact.
So, does the eclipse give Trump’s
power (Mars) a boost, or does it portend the opposite?
Until Jupiter
exits Libra and enters Scorpio this coming October, separating from its square
to transiting Pluto, I’m inclined to think Trump will continue enjoying
support as he pushes for kleptocratic reforms. Perhaps Congressional
Republicans (Jupiter) will stop enabling him quite as much come October.
I am frankly concerned that the
eclipse portends an internal revolt or an external threat that could give Trump an
excuse to impose martial law on the nation. We can only imagine what damage he
might try to do with our democracy—and the Mueller investigation—at that point.
Another period to watch is early September, when Mars transits over the 28°+Leo eclipse point,
reactivating the eclipse. Russia benefits any time we are in a state of
turmoil, so stay tuned!
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.
© Raye Robertson 2017. All
rights reserved.
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