Saturday, July 21, 2018

Eclipse connections: A window on perplexing times



 
The July 27th total lunar eclipse will be a "Blood Moon"


Remember August, 2017, when the U.S. was magnificently eclipsed—from sea-to-shining sea? 


Remember how that late Leo eclipse point just happened to conjoin Donald Trump’s natal Mars-ASC? 

The events of the past two weeks suggest that those two happenstances are rapidly coming home to roost, and our focus here will be on how the upcoming July 27th total lunar eclipse is likely to fit into this cosmic scenario. 

But first, here’s why, to my astrologer’s eye, there’s a connection between summer 2017 and today: 

1.      At 28°+Leo, the August ‘17 eclipse point not only conjoined Trump’s natal Mars-ASC, but it also opposed our Sibly Moon—the People—and sure enough, American life, specifically our democracy, has become more tense and vulnerable since then.  

2.      Key events or developments in our national discourse and international relations that transpired close to that August 21st eclipse have not receded in importance; if anything, they’ve gained traction and grown into bigger issues. For example:

a.       Montenegro (in the news again this week, this time for feeling threatened by Trump's stance on NATO) was given NATO membership in July 2017

b.      the “Unite the Right” white supremacist rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 12th, 2017 played off Trump’s own leanings and policy intentions, and enabled a new tolerance for racism in our public discourse; it’s not difficult to see how this connects with family separations at the southern border. “Zero tolerance” is the perfect white supremacist mantra. 

c.       In a global foreshadowing of how bad such hateful human rights violations can be, on Aug. 25, 2017, the Myanmar government ramped up its “ethnic cleansing campaign” against the Rohingya Muslims.

d.  The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was voted for by 122 states in July 2017, with Russia, the United States and NATO states notably absent.  If we can believe the Helsinki press conference at all, Trump and Putin did discuss nuclear issues (there’s a 2010 “START” Treaty that’s up for renewal), but nothing has been said about how their actions could impact the security of NATO states. We know a weaker, more insecure NATO would please Putin; if so, Trump’s on board. 

e.       Speaking of nuclear weapons, less than 2 weeks after the August 2017 eclipse (on September 3, as Mars transited that late Leo eclipse point), North Korea conducted its 6th nuclear weapons test. This was back before Kim-Jong Un and Trump became such good buddies—the theme of meeting with and making concessions to dictators has followed Trump ever since. 

f.       Trump has moved from launching missiles to protest chemical weapons used against Syrian citizens by the Russian-backed Assad regime (April 2017) to now (if we can believe any of what they’ve said) working together with Putin in that region. As I speculated in the last post here, it’s quite possible that the “nation-rebuilding” phase of that genocidal civil war is looming and there are lucrative contracts to go around!

And so it goes. Gun violence, political corruption (officials amassing personal profits from their official government capacities, using taxpayer dollars for personal aggrandizement, etc.) and high-profile cases of abuse of power (think “MeToo” and the Stormy Daniels’ case) have been the other persistent public themes in this past year. 

An even more troubling example has been the way Trump and his DOJ have worked to consolidate power over the judiciary and law enforcement (i.e., through a flood of appointments and edicts that force local police forces to do the work of ICE)—“Zero tolerance!” 

Interestingly, some high profile corruption cases (i.e., Paul Manafort’s complicated case) and even our gun violence issue have some Russian component to them! Russian national Maria Butina was indicted this past week by the FBI for her attempt to infiltrate American politics by posing as a Russian “gun rights activist” (there’s no such thing) and building connections with the NRA! Here’s the scoop from Wikipedia:

“On July 15, 2018, Butina, while a Russian citizen residing in Washington D.C., was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and charged with conspiring to act as an unregistered Russian agent who had attempted to create a backchannel of communications between American Republicans/conservatives and Russian officials by infiltrating the National Rifle Association, the National Prayer Breakfast and conservative religious organizations.[9][10] In an affidavit in support of the arrest warrant,[6] the FBI wrote that Butina sought to “exploit personal connections with U.S. persons having influence in American politics in an effort to advance the interests of the Russian Federation.”[11

If you’re feeling like we’re only seeing the tip of the corruption/infiltration “iceberg” here, you’re not alone. 




Meanwhile, we’ve had distractions-a-plenty from our “Tweeter-in-Chief,” who seems to rise early, early every morning, bent on dominating the narrative of that day. His Mars (26+Leo) never misses its daily opportunity to sway our emotions (opposing Sibly Moon) and to move our collective world view ever so slightly rightward. Others are a threat…the rest of the world is out to get us…we never get a fair shake in trade agreements… we’ve been laughed at and taken advantage of, it’s all so shameful and disgraceful…sad! But Trump’s narrative never insinuates that the one adversary who really has been out to get usRussiacan do any wrong. 

No, he has two official lines in regards to relations with Russia: one, that getting along better with Russia (a strong-man led kleptocracy with distinctly troubling human rights practices) is a good thing, and two (the fallback response when challenged to account for Russia’s election meddling), that “no administration has ever been tougher on Russia.” 

The strange thing is, both positions are proceeding along parallel tracks under his administration, as though there’s no conflict whatsoever between them. Maybe that’s the “stable genius” of this Gemini prevaricator who never explains and never backs down (his fixed, imperious Mars): two conflicting realities can somehow coexist in his mind and behavior, and if we don’t get it (and his spokespeople only confuse the matter further), that’s our problem! 

So it’s clear from his behavior that Trump intends to force this relationship with Putin and Russia down our collective throats—in fact, this past Thursday, Trump gave his critics the proverbial middle finger and invited Putin to D.C. in the fall, near our midterm elections! He discussed nothing about that with his national security advisor, apparently (who, blindsided, was being interviewed by NBC’s Andrea Mitchell when the tweet landed). 

That everyone was caught with their jaws hanging down shouldn’t surprise us too much, of course: that’s how Trump proceeded with North Korea, too—make an announcement that can’t be easily reversed first, and force everyone around to scramble and keep up. 

This approach guarantees that Trump can act unilaterally on just about everything; needless to say, we still have no idea what transpired between him and Putin behind closed doors in Helsinki. Will D.C. in the fall be a repeat performance? 



Moscow at night, as seen from space.


The July 27th eclipse in Moscow

IMHO, Trump’s pressure on our People’s Moon was reinforced in August 2017 by that whirlwind eclipse (a total solar eclipse) because it was a New Moon, after all—a great time for seeding future developments.  All of this background puts this month’s total lunar eclipse—a powerful full Blood Moon spanning 4°45’Aquarius-Leo (Moon-Sun)into perspective. This will be the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century, according to Earthsky.org, so we might expect some powerful trends and dynamics to reach fruition as a consequence.

Interestingly, though, the impact will be felt more directly in other countries this time; while the 2017 eclipse traced a visible path across the U.S., this month’s eclipse will be visible elsewhere, in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, including in Russia

To be precise, the July 27th eclipse will be totally visible in Moscow from 10:30p-12:13a, with the maximum totality at 11:21 (11:20:11pm, to be exact!). The first chart below is the eclipse itself, set for Moscow. Following quickly after is a biwheel of the eclipse against the Russian Federation chart. That’s where we’ll begin our exploration. 





Chart #1: Lunar Eclipse July 2018, July 27, 2018, 11:20:11 pm ST, Moscow, Russia. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node.






Biwheel #1: (inner wheel) Russian Federation, December 25, 1991, 7:45 p.m. ST, Moscow, Russia (Source: Book of World Horoscopes, Cht. #280, p. 273); (outer wheel) Lunar Eclipse, July 27, 2018, 11:20:11 p.m. ST (maximum), Moscow, Russia. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node. 

Interchart T-Square: Eclipse Moon (Aquarius) conjoins South Node and Mars (Aquarius) and RF (Russian Federation) Saturn (Aquarius), opposes Eclipse Sun, North Node and RF Chiron (Leo); this axis squares Eclipse Uranus (Taurus). This is a so-called dragon’s tail eclipse, so it will probably bring consequences for past actions in its wake (makes sense for a full Moon), or it may inspire the resolution of some situation. Spanning the 6th-12th, square the 9th—all cadent houses—this configuration is likely to manifest like a dull collective “tooth ache,” triggering some angst in the Russian people over the patriarchal authoritarianism (Saturn opposition Chiron) of their politics. 

This is reinforced by the Eclipse Moon inconjoining the RF Moon (Virgo). Could some Russians take umbrage with Putin for the bad press they’re getting in the U.S. these days? 

Eclipse Mars in the 6th conjunct Eclipse Moon and RF Saturn could suggest a military build-up or crackdown; the square to 9th house Uranus could reflect some disruptive foreign affairs. The “People” could be agitated and angry, motivated for change, but their energies are likely to be diverted elsewhere. Putin claims that his military is prepared to act on agreements he and Trump made behind closed doors—this eclipse should reveal what that means. 

Aquarius rulers Uranus and Saturn are the “lords” of this eclipse, so we should consider their placement in this chart, as well. Uranus (already involved in this configuration from Taurus) trines Capricorn Saturn and RF Sun—surprising legislation, lucrative influence campaigns and changes to technology infrastructures should find support

This eclipse Saturn falls in the Moscow 8th house, quincunx/semi-sextile the eclipse axis, which falls across the Moscow 3rd-9th (see Chart 1 above), however, so finances may not flow their direction unobstructed, or without “strings attached.” And, the world press probably will be out to scrutinize their every action, especially as more ties to Trump and the GOP materialize (signs are there that they will). 

If Russia chooses to take military action (Eclipse Moon-Mars in 9th), these actions could be financially depleting in the short term.  As Russian Executive, Putin may experience added challenges during this transit of Saturn to the RF Sun, and those could be exasperated in the wake of this eclipse. 

As we heard in Helsinki, Putin has a laundry list of grievances against U.S. sanctions, the Magnitsky Act, and so on, and the pressure shows up against his nativity as well, with Saturn quincunx his natal Moon (Gemini, chart not shown). With continued meddling in U.S. and NATO country elections and public discourse, he risks becoming an international pariah: it’ll be interesting to see if he changes course on any of that after this eclipse.  

As DNI head Dan Coats keeps saying, the “warning lights are blinking red!” 



Eclipse Uranus (Taurus) widely conjoins RF MC (Taurus) and opposes Eclipse Jupiter (Scorpio). The orb for this Uranus-Jupiter opposition is way too wide, of course, but the RF MC anchors them around the project of promoting Russian goals and image in the world. Both are, as noted above, challenged these days, but if Taurus is any indication, Trump seems eager to facilitate because there’s a tangible benefit in doing so. Mueller’s working hard to figure all this out, as we speak. 

As Jupiter transits into conjunction with RF Pluto-Venus (Scorpio), the “treasure” Russia’s been seeking may materialize. Along the way, this Jupiter will also sextile RF Uranus-Neptune (Capricorn) and RF Jupiter (Virgo), further supporting economic goals. With Uranus ruling the RF 7th and Neptune ruling the 8th, money/resources from friends/allies and foes will be possible. There appears to be a lot at stake here, and at this point we can only wonder what piece of the puzzle Trump’s cozy relationship with Putin represents.  

Putin referenced joint “business deals” with American firms in the Helsinki press conference: is that what we’re seeing here?  Has Trump been purposely jettisoning our other economic ties (upping the ante on trade wars, grumbling about NAFTA, NATO defense budgets, etc.) to shift our ties to Russia? These movements of Jupiter do resonate with the Sibly Sun (Cancer)— the point in the U.S. chart that reflects his position—so this isn’t as far-fetched as it may sound. 

If we look at the eclipse chart on its own, set for Moscow, we see the earthy focus in its mid-Taurus ASC, with an eager Part-of-Fortune conjoined the Scorpio DSC opposite. Poised for future developments, Uranus is gestating plans for beneficial technology-related developments from its position in the 12th

Always mindful of what this means for the U.S. and how it might explain Trump’s mystifying behavior, this is a good place to pause and look for corroborating evidence from the eclipse chart, set for Washington, D.C.





Chart #2: Lunar Eclipse, July 2018, July 27, 2018, 4:20:11 pm DST, Washington, D.C. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node. 

Eclipse Sun-Moon straddle this chart’s finance-oriented 8th-2nd houses, with the receptive end of the axis (No. Node) in the 8th of “other’s resources.” Disruption to influential relationships is signaled by Uranus’s 5th house placement (also t-square with the eclipse, as discussed above), but with Uranus in Taurus, there’s no missing the earthy focus on tangible exchanges here, especially with Saturn supporting that notion with its trine from Capricorn. 

Saturn semi-sextiles/quincunxes Eclipse Moon-Sun. These aspects also factor into the Moscow chart, of course, but here Saturn falls in the 1st house of identity and reputation, so the 30°-150° (approx.) degree aspects suggest frustrating times ahead for those issues. Goals will seem unclear or conflicted, legal issues will raise obstacles, although the trine from Uranus may facilitate in unconventional ways. Will material concerns (Taurus) outweigh all other concerns? 

Big Money is likely to weigh heavily in the midterm elections here (at 29+Scorpio, Jupiter falls in the 1st house of the sunrise election chart), but the populace will be extremely activated as well, with Aquarius Mars in the 4th, so it looks as though we’ll have a David & Goliath situation.

Yes, this eclipse is likely to have some impact on those elections—and as we know, Russia is very much a part of that story.  Much more to come on that! 




  
Final thoughts

With all this talk about shifting alliances towards Russia, it’s probably no accident that today’s CNN news features a major topic entitled “CIA Official: China wants to replace US as world power.”  This, as Trump prepares to escalate his trade war with China in the same week that he throws his support behind Putin and Russia. This geopolitical, US-Russia-China triad has been managed to play two sides against the middle ever since the original Cold War, so the only thing new here seems to be who’s on the ascendance. 

These geopolitical dances have always boiled down to each nation staking out separate spheres of influence, while maintaining just enough adversarial heat to control their respective national agendas. In 1989, as the Soviet Union was careening towards dissolution, then-prominent Soviet analyst Georgi Arbatov commented to American visitors that “We are going to do a terrible thing to you--we are going to deprive you of an enemy.” In retrospect, we can appreciate the true gravity of that statement.

With Trump it’s become difficult to even know what makes another nation an ally, a foe, or (in Trump’s new parlance) a “competitor.” Is it all about mutual financial interests? Or relationships in which we can be the 500-lb. gorilla in the room, dominating everything that goes on? Or should the connections run deeper towards a meeting of minds and hearts? 

What seems to be happening now, however, is that the EU and NATO countries are being treated (by Trump, at least, if not by Putin) like annoying distractions instead of valuable partners. That leaves a void for China to fill if it wants to, although its focus seems to be on the increasingly lucrative markets of Asia and Africa. Africa has a lot to offer China, in terms of military bases and resources, so it’s not surprising that the CNN article highlights how important that continent has become to Chinese goals. 

To hear Trump talk, Africa is simply a collection of “sh#thole countries”—as long as he’s good with Russia, Israel and Saudi Arabia, he’s happy. Does this sound like a recipe for 21st century global leadership?!

PBS ran a beautifully-moving documentary by Ken Burns about our Statue of Liberty last night, and IMHO, it answered a lot of the questions I’ve posed in this piece. The friendship we’ve experienced with liberty-minded France from day one of our republic is manifested so gloriously in Lady Liberty, our most enduring and magnificent national symbol. 

Lady Liberty is not just a statue in the harbor, signifying a line item in our national budget. She’s as aspirational as our Sibly ASC in fiery Sagittarius is, and she signals something essential that is missing in our national discourse at the moment. An appreciation of our history, and of her history might help. Above all, she was a precious gift from France that honored what we stood for as a nation, on the occasion of our first bicentennial. 

We're older now--more cynical and less idealistic, to be sure. I wonder if we can claim that we're any wiser?  Let’s hope that the July 27th eclipse moves us in that direction.






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 2018. All rights reserved.