Thursday, April 18, 2019

Collusion of a different sort? You decide: the charts




It goes without saying that Holy Week should not be about Trump, or the Mueller report, but tell that to those who choreographed today's absurdity in D.C. 

It almost played out like a Holy Week "Passion play"--Attorney General William Barr lifts Trump up as the patient, but tortured victim of an attempt to smear his good name and delegitimize his “amazing” presidency, and everyone else is left with their jaws hanging open by his absolute loss of all objectivity. 

If it wasn’t clear before today’s 9:30 am press conference that Barr has chosen to become Trump’s personal attorney and protector, rather than the nation’s Attorney General, it certainly is now. 

In that 9:30 a.m. press conference, Barr repeatedly stated that the Mueller investigation found “no collusion” between Trump, members of his campaign or any American and the Russian effort to interfere in our 2016 election. He neglected to say that the investigation never was able to get Trump to sit down with Mueller for an actual interview because his lawyers feared a “perjury trap”—that Trump agreed only to submit written answers to questions, which would have been carefully lawyer-fied. 

Barr made no attempt to hide the incontrovertible facts that the Mueller team unearthed about Russia's efforts to interfere in our election, but he downplayed the part in the report that discusses how Trump and members of his team were aware of and at times welcomed Russia's help, even if they didn't criminally conspire with the Russians. The stark difference between "illegal" and "dishonorable" comes to mind here. 

Click here for a transcript of Barr’s prepared remarks. 

Nothing about today’s performance by Barr was surprising: we’ve seen how carefully he’s worked to manage public perception about the Mueller report, and the Democratic-led committees in Congress that have been waiting nearly a month to receive the report have certainly noticed these efforts, as well. Click here for Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler’s statement protesting Barr’s attempts to manipulate public perception and not “let the report speak for itself.” 


House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Jerry Nadler.

Nadler protested when the DOJ told his committee that Congress would receive the report 90 minutes or more (between 11-12pm) after Barr’s 9:30 press conference characterizing its contents. Clearly, Barr’s plan to roll-out the report was calculated to give even Trump time to further characterize the contents before Congress would receive it. Will anything Congress might want to say about the report even matter with all this effort to spin and manage public perception?  


“An aggressive administration rollout plan for the release of a redacted version of Mueller's final report Thursday is sparking accusations of blatant political interference. The choreography is bolstering accusations that Trump's team is tipping the scales of justice over a report into the President's behavior before and after an election that a hostile foreign power, Russia, sought to help him win.”
So Barr has put his official stamp of approval on the “No collusion, no obstruction” meme, and Trump is the beneficiary, with a nice bonus, to boot: Barr’s comments this morning simultaneously painted (without naming them) those Democratic-led committees who have a constitutional role of oversight at stake here as the victimizers, who have simply been out to get Trump who cooperated so fully. 

Really??! So Trump is now the suffering and redeemed “Christ” figure—right in time for Holy Week?! 

Yes, Barr chose to characterize Trump as the long-suffering victim in this whole scenario, as follows:

“Yet, as he said from the beginning, there was in fact no collusion. And as the Special Counsel's report acknowledges, there is substantial evidence to show that the President was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents, and fueled by illegal leaks. Nonetheless, the White House fully cooperated with the Special Counsel's investigation, providing unfettered access to campaign and White House documents, directing senior aides to testify freely, and asserting no privilege claims. And at the same time, the President took no act that in fact deprived the Special Counsel of the documents and witnesses necessary to complete his investigation. Apart from whether the acts were obstructive, this evidence of non-corrupt motives weighs heavily against any allegation that the President had a corrupt intent to obstruct the investigation.”
So, in Barr’s version of events, all those Twitter tirades by Trump that sought to demean and destroy the careers of Mueller and DOJ members, all the firings that just happened to have something to do with the investigation, and on and on…were just a matter of Trump’s “sincere belief” that he was being victimized, and that he had “no corrupt intention” and was totally justified.  Are we supposed to take this as an objective conclusion? 

Clearly, the story has been framed for us, and as we’ll see, the astrological timing of Barr’s presser couldn’t have been more advantageous to Trump, so to my eye, it appears that an astute astrologer helped to choreograph this roll-out as well. All told, it’s no surprise that the sentiments expressed would reflect a heavy-handed attempt to protect Trump’s interests and to cast any skeptics in the role of “presidential harassers.” 

On that note, let’s take a quick peek at the 9:30 a.m. chart for Barr’s appearance on its own (Chart #1, below).



Chart #1: Barr Press Conference, April 18, 2019, 9:30 a.m. DST, Washington, DC. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node.
Mutable T-Square: ASC (Gemini) opposes Jupiter-DSC (Sagittarius); this axis squares Neptune/Venus (midpoint, Pisces).  As we’ll see in Biwheel #1 below, this t-square ties into Trump’s chart very snugly—hence the advantage I mentioned above, but we’ll get to that in a bit. It’s also relevant to the significance of this t-square that Mars (Gemini) squares Neptune. First, let’s consider how midpoints expert Michael Munkasey reads the Jupiter square to the Neptune/Venus midpoint:

“Openness to good advice on how to use makeup or adornments; excessive use of deceptive practices in financial or artistic endeavors; indulging in religious deceptions as a form of holiness.”[1]
Munkasey also characterizes the Venus/Neptune midpoint apart from such aspects in a way that makes sense here:

“Scandals concerning the misuse of, or deceptive practices within, the treasury or internal resources; subversives who desire to gain access to finances, spies in the financial branches, monetary fraud, art deception.”[2]
With Trump’s Gemini Sun conjunct the press conference ASC and his Moon conjunct conference Jupiter here (see Biwheel #1 below), we can deduce that Trump’s perspective on events is key here, and he does indeed think that anyone (i.e., Congress) who wants his financial information (tax returns) is “subversive.” We can only imagine that he’s suspicious of IRS workers who might cooperate with Congressional oversight, as well (spies?). 

Even so, numerous side investigations (not linked to the Mueller one) are looking into some aspect of Trump’s finances as we speak—that “excessive use of deceptive practices in financial endeavors” Munkasey notes could still be an anxiety-producing pitfall (Trump Moon). These investigations won’t necessarily be put off by Barr’s conclusions, but they could be weakened.

These investigations are looking at the Trump Inauguration Committee’s possible misuse of funds, into the possible illegal funneling of foreign dollars into the 2016 election, into possible money laundering activities with Deutsche Bank, and so on. Could all this be simply swept under the rug because Barr wants to give Trump a clean slate?

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin has been trying to make the argument that Congress doesn’t have legal standing to demand Trump’s tax returns. To my knowledge this congressional inquiry is not related to the Mueller investigation, but even so, if the Mueller report “totally exonerates” Trump, and Barr has painted him as a victim, will Mnuchin’s argument gain strength?  The Southern District of New York is pursuing a bank fraud line of inquiry in regards to Trump’s taxes which is distinct from the Mueller investigation: will the aura of innocence Barr has spun around Trump hamper that in any way? 





The midpoints have it: Trump’s presence looms behind Barr’s conclusions 

It's like another miracle--Abraham parting the sea and leading his people through comes to mind. In an almost uncanny way, a number of significant midpoints in and between the two charts in Biwheel 1 below tell the story we’ve been witnessing over the past two years, culminating today. Rather than explain, let’s just proceed to the biwheel to illustrate. Setting these two charts next to each other creates a stunning visual representation of what just went down in DC between the DOJ and the White House.

So this will be a very quick rundown, based solely on the midpoints in question. No doubt, Trump has a lot at stake in trying to frame the Mueller report narrative in his favor, but a lot less concern is being given for what the nation has at stake in getting to the truth of the matter. As we saw with the heavy Mutable influence on the press conference angles, there’s ample reason to believe that Barr was spinning, rather than reporting on the facts in Mueller’s report. Let’s begin.





Biwheel #1: (inner wheel) Donald J. Trump, June 14, 1946, 10:54 a.m. DST, Jamaica, NY; (outer wheel) Barr Press Conference, April 18, 2019, 9:30 a.m. DST, Washington, DC. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node.

Barr Press Conference (BPC) Mercury/Pluto (midpoint, Aquarius) opposes Trump Mars-ASC (Leo). Trump’s tendency to burst into a rage over criticism, or worse—that  he might be stopped from doing something he wants to do—is well reported, so what would he have done if Barr didn’t give him what he wanted today? Of this midpoint, Munkasey says the following:

“Aggressiveness and persistency in quests for sexual power and control; an untiring energy in your search for information, demands that information be used in the ways you plan; mental preparation before difficult exercise.”[3]
Trump is ever the “alpha male,” so even the sexual connotations seem to fit here. Even without those connotations, however, this interpretation seems quite apt: we know that Trump was given more than one preview of Barr’s plans, so yes, he had time to mentally prepare, and apparently any “demands” he made that “information be used in ways he planned” were pretty carefully honored. We can’t know for sure what Trump expected or demanded of Barr, but what more could he ask for than what he got?

Trump’s control-seeking Leo Mars definitely is aggressive and persistent in everything related to self-defense (ASC--Trump makes no secret that he “punches back” when attacked)we’ve seen this behavior throughout the entire investigation, so why not now? This points to an important point that Barr ignored in his conference remarks—Trump was not a patient, complying cooperator with the Mueller investigation. If cooler heads hadn’t prevailed at some key moments, Mueller himself would have been fired! 

The White House cooperated out of one side of its mouth, and did its best (remember all those tortured interviews with Giuliani and others?) to destroy the investigation’s credibility with the other—that’s not cooperation. The pugilistic attack mode is far more characteristic of Trump than the picture Barr painted of his behavior this morning.  

Trump and Barr


BPC Sun/Jupiter Rx (midpoint, Aquarius) also opposes Trump Mars-ASC (Leo). Again, Trump’s perspective and expectations weigh heavily. Munkasey’s read:

“Leadership qualities, rebuilding self confidence when facing life’s problems and trials; pushing and striving for excellence in all efforts; confidence and haste in the need to progress in all areas of life.”[4]
The relevance here is pretty self-explanatory—Barr clearly sought to rehabilitate any damage that’s been done to Trump’s presidency, and that can’t help but boost Trump’s self-confidence (it’s difficult to see that as an issue, with his Mars-ASC). We’ve already seen the White House hint at coming “investigations into the investigators”—it’s likely he won’t be happy to simply take the victory Barr handed him without pursuing a vendetta of some kind. 

We can imagine that Trump has probably felt like a “caged lion” (Leo ASC) during the Mueller investigation—how can we expect him to behave now that Barr has thrown open the cage door? 
BPC Venus/Pluto (Aquarius) also opposes Trump Mars-ASC (Leo). This seems like an incredible “gift” of the Cosmos—all these midpoints converged around one purpose, making Trump feel better about himself. This particular midpoint is especially potent, however, because it operates on so many levels. 

On its own, without Trump’s Mars-ASC, Munkasey characterizes it as:

“Volcanic activity deep within the earth which causes great destruction of agricultural activities or financial centers; attracting elements of organized crime; a breakdown within the social fabric of a society.”[5]
At this point it’s good to remember that the Sibly Moon—We the People—falls at 27+Aquarius, so we’re already subject to that domineering opposition from Trump’s Mars-ASC, however today’s Venus/Pluto midpoint at that point suggests that we “ain’t seen nothing yet.” Will Trump be totally emboldened by today’s results and more determined to push tectonic changes to our society and democratic system of government?   

Venus/Pluto’s connection with potential “elements of organized crime” may also be right on—some of the financial investigations that remain open into the Trump organization may end up treading into that territory. 

One way or another, having a man in the White House who inspires such suspicions is already tearing at our social fabric—it’s not hard to imagine what the conversations over Easter dinner will be like this year!

Trump’s Mars-ASC connection with the Venus/Pluto midpoint speaks to ways in which Trump could weaponize his response to any perceived threats, especially in regards to “big money.” This segues very intensely with the transits of Saturn and Pluto (Capricorn) opposite his Saturn-Venus (Cancer). He’s clearly feeling pressured financially (Venus), with his authority (Saturn) challenged and restricted by the “powers that be” (Congress and other investigations), so it will be no surprise if he puts his compliant Attorney General in charge of helping out with those as well. 

BPC Mars/ASC conjoins Trump Uranus (Gemini) and these points square BPC Neptune (Pisces). This is more complicated because it involves multiple points in each chart, however Barr clearly stood in front of the audience and acted (Mars/ASC) to “spin” (Neptune) Mueller’s narrative to suit Trump’s purposes (10th house Uranus). 

It’s no secret that Trump relishes the role of change-maker and disrupter (Uranus), and the Cosmos (and Barr) seems willing to go along with him here. 

BPC Jupiter Rx/Pluto (midpoint, Capricorn) opposes Trump Mercury (Cancer). Munkasey has a fairly precise explanation for this, given what we saw this morning:

“Articulating and expounding upon your needs, goals, or opinions; an obsessive need for studying how to isolate yourself physically from others; you often feel you are above the law; thoughts on eliminating offensive ideas.”[6]
The “you” that is articulating and feeling itself above the law here could be either Barr or Trump—Barr has arguably stepped way over the bounds of proper conduct for an Attorney General by spinning the Mueller report’s conclusions as he has—but considering Trump’s Mercury is involved, we can see that his viewpoint is woven into it as well. 

So, collusion, anyone? Not the kind the Mueller report was after, but certainly of a defensive/protective kind:

Barr’s natal Eris-North Node (Aries) square Trump Mercury (Cancer) and Barr’s natal Uranus conjoins Trump’s Mercury—Trump seems to have found his warrior/protector in Barr. Barr’s No. Node lends a fated feel to this whole relationship—we have to give Trump credit for knowing how to pick his defenders, but in accepting the protector role, Barr is redefining what it means to be Attorney General! Click here for a closer look at Trump’s chart set next to Barr’s. 




Final thoughts

Timing is everything, right? Trump and company have a clear knack for staging and launching a message when and how it suits them—he wasn’t a Reality TV star for nothing, after all, and we’re definitely being played for ratings on this Holy Thursday/Passover.

Both celebrations focus on victimization at the hands of corrupt regimes, and on redemption—of being held unjustly captive and finding favor from God—of death being overcome by Light and Life.

If Barr orchestrated this event to consciously play to this symbolic overlay—while conveniently “dumping” the report at a time when the least number of people would want to pay attention—then he and his "team" (Trump?) deserve an Emmy for “Best Cynical Performance in a Reality TV show.” The evidence for conscious timing is weighty. You draw your own conclusions!

Meanwhile, all the best to everyone for this Spring holiday weekend!  






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 2019. All rights reserved. 





[1]Michael Munkasey, Midpoints: Unleashing the Power of the Planets, ACS Publications, San Diego, CA, 1991, pp. 208-9.
[2]Ibid.
[3]Ibid, pp. 176-77.
[4]Ibid, pp. 76-77.
[5]Ibid, pp. 212-13.
[6]Ibid, pp. 272-73.

Sunday, April 7, 2019

Brittania’s rule is riding the waves: the Astrology of “Brexit Day”


I don’t pretend to understand all the nuances of British parliamentary procedure, but anyone watching the news lately knows that UK officials have been in a tizzy, trying to agree on a deal that would facilitate their “Brexit” from the European Union. Deep disruptions to the flow of goods across UK borders, to the British pound and economy, and perhaps to Parliament itself are expected to break loose on April 12th

These expectations have colored “Brexit day” with impending doom, but just in the past week, the embattled Conservative Party leader, Prime Minister Theresa May and Labour Party opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn launched 2-party talks to hammer out the most difficult obstacles to a deal. Many of their respective colleagues were not amused. 

Even so, Theresa May has expressed “guarded optimism” that these discussions will be productive. The fact that both sides are sitting down and talking, instead of blaming the other side for the “shambling effort” at departing the EU has to be seen as an improvement, at least. Anything that mitigates the worst impacts of a so-called “no deal Brexit” is worth the effort, apparently. 

Meanwhile, Parliament voted to require May to request another extension—this one to June 30th—from EU officials when they meet on April 10th, just in case. Trouble is, the EU isn’t required to say yes, so what happens on April 12th is anyone’s guess at this point. 

In fact, early signs are that the EU doesn’t favor the June 30th date, however EU Council President Donald Tusk may actually be trying to help by suggesting an alternative, according to the Washington Post:

“Tusk has proposed a year-long reprieve that could be ended early if British leaders settle on a divorce approach in the meantime, according to diplomats familiar with the discussions. The approach, deemed a ‘flextension’ among policymakers with a penchant for acronyms and jargon, would significantly reduce the risk of a Brexit without a safety net. Economists say that a no-deal Brexit could unleash turmoil across Europe, particularly in Britain.
Some E.U. diplomats, sick of their bandwidth being consumed by Brexit, say they are unlikely to agree to a short extension of the type requested by May. More likely is a tough fare-thee-well and a departure on April 12, or Tusk’s longer-term proposal.
Tusk’s approach was endorsed Friday by one influential voice in Germany.
‘E.U. has already ruled out 30 June,’ Norbert Röttgen, chairman of the German parliament’s foreign affairs committee, wrote on Twitter. ‘Tusk’s offer of flextension would be a wise decision of [E.U. leaders], both insuring integrity of E.U. elections & leaving all options on table.’”

So, April 12th could be a very consequential day, astrologically, and today’s post will explore that by examining a chart for the UK’s official “leave” time of 23:00 UK time (11 pm) that day, set against a UK radix chart and a noon chart for the UK “Accession Treaty” signed on January 22, 1972 (the treaty marking its intention to join what was then known as the European Communities, or EC). Perhaps we can snatch a sneak preview in the process, but at the very least, we will better understand what UK citizens are going through right now.

One last point of context will help the discussion ahead: it seems that historically, the UK has never been terribly enthused about joining the EC—or the EU (as the EC became known in 1992). Robert Skidelsky of the Financial Times pointed out in 2018 that “Britain’s motive was mainly economic—to escape the EEC’s external tariff against British goods, by joining a more dynamic free-trade area.” And Britain was emphatically never keen on a political alliance with Europe, according to Skidelsky: “In their 42 years in the EU, the British have always been an awkward, Eurosceptical partner.”

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland (Republic of Ireland) and Scotland beg to differ: they value what the EU has had to offer them and want to stay. Scotland even considered a second referendum for independence from the UK, but has apparently put that off until a final Brexit deal is clear. Could these internal UK divisions have something to do with why the whole Brexit process has been so harrowing?


Once a global empire, the UK is now focusing more inward.


The astrology

First, a word about the UK charts I’ve chosen to consider. In the June 25, 2016 post here I used the 1801 “Union of Great Britain and Ireland” chart that Nicholas Campion expresses a preference for in his Book of World Horoscopes,[1] and it did prove to be an interesting and revealing reading. However, given the potential for the Irish “troubles” to resurface if the UK doesn’t get its “Brexit” right, it seems to me that the 1922 UK Reorganization in which the UK became the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” might be a more relevant choice of radix charts (inner wheel, Triwheel #1 below)[2]

This point is debatable, of course, but it should give us a fresh perspective on what’s at stake in avoiding a “no-deal Brexit,” one that acknowledges the primacy of Ireland’s concerns. 


“It was an Irishman, James Joyce, who wrote the phrase ‘History … is a nightmare from which I’m trying to awake.’ Those words could have come as easily to a Pole or a Catalan. From 1968 to 1998, 3,500 British and Irish people died violently, and perhaps 50,000 were wounded. As in Alsace-Lorraine and West Prussia, as in Iberia and Italy, in Ireland, the Anglo-Irish Good Friday Agreement  (and the successor agreements built upon it) seemed to show that ‘Europe’ could bring peace by building new identities to encompass and reconcile murderous, ancient quarrels.

After the Brexit vote, British politicians insisted that nothing need change on the island of Ireland. That promise will be extremely difficult to honor.”
Finally, the middle wheel in Triwheel #1 below is for the date the UK officially “signed on the dotted line” to join the EC (Accession treaty, January 22, 1972). This membership took effect the following January 1st, but the 1972 chart signaled the UK’s commitment and seems to have a lot to say about today’s situation. 

Note: to avoid as much confusion as possible in this super-complex chart, I’ll refer to the inner wheel as UK, the middle wheel as Treaty, and the outer wheel as Brexit. 

 


Triwheel #1: (inner wheel) UK Reorganisation, December 7, 1922, 3:28 pm ST, Westminster, England (see Note #2 for source); (middle wheel) UK Accession Treaty-EC, January 22, 1972, 12:00 pm ST (noon chart, no exact time), Brussels, Belgium; (outer wheel) April 12 Brexit, April 12, 2019, 11:00 pm DST, Westminster, England. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node. 

Interchart Cardinal Grand Square: Brexit Sun-Eris-Treaty Mars (all Aries) oppose Brexit Pallas-Treaty Uranus-Juno-UK Saturn (all Libra); this axis squares Brexit Moon-No. Node-UK Moon/Pluto midpoint (all Cancer) opposite Brexit Saturn-So. Node-Pluto-Treaty Mercury-UK Part of Fortune (all Capricorn). 

We could be overwhelmed by the complexities of all this, but think of it as an historical “portrait” of the UK’s approach to geopolitics since 1922, brought forward into the present, fairly precarious crossroads. It’s particularly interesting that the two timed charts (inner and outer) share late Cancer Moons—especially with Saturn and Pluto transiting opposite in Capricorn, clearly UK citizens are going through a great deal of tension and anxiety. The timely quality of all this is carried by the Nodal axis cutting straight through this opposition, suggesting that the Brexit process reflects the contentious tone of our times. 

It also suggests that Britons are taking this process quite personally, perhaps even as essential for preserving Britain’s cultural identity (Moon/Pluto midpoint squares Saturn). This concerns tips over into nationalism pretty easily, so for some it seems that Brexit is the British spin on Trump’s “Wall,” intended to stop the flow of people coming into the country, in this case from Europe. This heavy Cancer-Capricorn opposition also suggests that those who consciously voted to leave the EU are willing to take on the structural transformation (Saturn-Pluto) that leaving will require. What makes a Brit a Brit? Did participating in the EU really change any of that? Of the Moon/Pluto midpoint, expert Michael Munkasey says:

“Encourages violence or crime; people become doubtful about how to exert the proper controls on criminal or terrorist elements; obsessions which bring a misuse of the resources available for country or business.”[3]
In other words, the UK isn’t simply looking to exit a trade agreement—a fairly ordinary challenge for a nation with its long, imperial history and proven wartime grit. No, it’s navigating dicey issues regarding national identity and the wisdom of succumbing to nationalist impulses, while simultaneously reconfiguring its global trade relations to satisfy all stakeholders—i.e., the nation members of the UK itself. Brexit Saturn, So. Node and Pluto have been making heavy demands on the UK’s 8th house—squared and ruled by UK Saturn (Libra) in the 5th, so it’s likely that the UK’s internal economic institutions are challenged here to craft a fair, equitable deal.


A fair, equitable Brexit deal is elusive, but essential.


This imperative is reinforced by Brexit Pallas and Treaty Uranus-Juno conjoining UK Saturn, opposing Brexit Sun-Eris and thus tying into the grand square. This entire process has been a pitched battle because clearly, there’s a lot at stake.  

Among other sticking points, it won’t wash for the Brexit plan to satisfy wealthy Conservatives while disregarding the needs and concerns of middle and working class Labour party members. These parties don’t like to talk to each other, much less compromise, but with these heavy energies dogging their steps, they will be obliged to do so. Brexit Pallas lends an ethical imperative to the challenge. 

The presence of Treaty Uranus-Juno opposite Treaty Eris-Mars-Moon (Libra to Aries) in this configuration suggests that joining the EU sounded like a great, bold move at the time (1972-3), but the citizenry probably expected much more out of the move than was delivered in the end (UK Moon/Pluto opposite Capricorn UK Part of Fortune-Treaty Mercury squares that Libra-Aries axis). 

Timing has been everything with this effort, of course—when the Brexit vote was first cast in June, 2016, Pluto was at 16°+Capricorn, but Saturn was still a distance away and somewhat undermined in Sagittarius. Voters were looking to recapture their national pride, sovereignty and identity in 2016—something a strong Capricorn Saturn could offer—but they probably weren’t thinking about the many difficulties that would also arise as Saturn and Pluto inched into the picture, putting pressure on their institutions (squaring their UK Saturn), their economy and more. The transformation many voters were looking for may not be the transformation they get in the end.  

Brexit Part of Fortune (Aquarius) conjoins UK Mars (Aquarius) and both square UK Venus (Rx Scorpio); Brexit Jupiter (Sagittarius) conjoins Treaty Jupiter (Sagittarius), semi-sextiles UK Venus Rx, trines Brexit Sun-Eris (Aries), quincunxes UK Moon-Brexit Moon (Cancer), sextiles UK Mars and squares UK North Node (Virgo). The UK as a body politic seems to have a love/hate relationship with change these days, especially change that might be construed as “radical.” There are economists, however, who believe breaking with the EU will be a step towards renewed prosperity down the road (perhaps after a bumpy transition period), and Brexit Jupiter appears to agree. It points to that opportunity in several ways here, through it’s near “return” to Treaty Jupiter and through its other “soft” aspects noted above.  

 Even so, the semi-sextile to UK Venus (Rx, Scorpio), quincunx to UK Moon-Brexit Moon and square to North Node (Virgo) are less convincing—economic uncertainty has Britons thinking twice, at least. 

This uncertainty is compounded, undoubtedly, by Britons themselves being divided over what Brexit is actually intended to accomplish: is it more about satisfying a nascent nationalist sentiment, about legitimate sovereignty issues, or about better positioning the family of nations for future economic opportunity? UK Jupiter falls in security-seeking Scorpio, which is now being quincunxed by Brexit Mars (Gemini)—action feels dangerous, and with Pisces Mercury disposing this Mars, the goals for this action feel nebulous and perhaps even distorted by misinformation.  


18th century Britain's chart featured a potent, fiery
Jupiter-Pluto trine to Neptune, reflected in the symbolism here.
.
Brexit Jupiter squares Brexit Mercury-Venus-Neptune (Pisces); these Pisces points form one leg of a water Grand Trine with UK Moon-Brexit Moon (Cancer) and UK Venus (Rx, Scorpio). The impetus for growth (Jupiter) could find it is blocked by the powerfully self-perpetuating force of UK media (Brexit Mercury), where the message is likely awash with fears and anxieties (water grand trine), which are perpetuated by prominent public figures (Brexit Venus-Neptune). 

This watery force could also spawn conspiracy theories or reflect the fact that the 2016 Brexit vote itself came under investigation for possible outside interference (by Russia and Cambridge Analytica, etc.), and some questions have probably never been resolved. 

One way or another, it’s easy to see why many Britons have never felt at ease with the whole process. This dis-ease has plagued the UK the entire time Neptune has been transiting square the UK Sun-Mercury-Ceres (Sagittarius), and this transit—also quincunxing UK Saturn (Libra)—is far from over. The quincunx could signify some ongoing erosion to UK institutions and rule of law—similar to what we’ve experienced here in the U.S. with our radix Libra Saturn. Brexit Neptune has also been trining the UK Venus/Jupiter midpoint (Scorpio), which Munkasey characterizes as follows:

“The inflation or expansion of any current process; weakening of limitations which are imposed; expanded illusions about your welfare or health in general; confusion as a factor to delaying your progress.”[4]
This characterization sounds on target for the UK’s situation: apparent confusion and misgivings abound, and progress is painfully slow. Can Britons feel good about the leadership, competence and motives of those guiding this process? The jury’s out, but even if objectively speaking they can, feeling that security is another story.  



Many in Northern Ireland would prefer to leave the UK, not the EU.


Irish concerns

In an article this past week, the New York Times offered a fairly bleak scenario for what may happen if the UK is forced into a “no-deal Brexit.” The article mapped out several key vulnerabilities, including:

-        --Jammed ports of entry for goods leaving and goods coming in
-        --Shortages in food and other necessities (medicine), not to mention the onset of higher  prices
-        --Disrupted manufacturing, closed plants, lost jobs
-        --Unclear status for British citizens living in the EU and for EU citizens living in the UK, with complications to health care and other citizenship-related benefits
-        --A return to tension concerning the Irish border

I mentioned earlier that the Irish are particularly concerned with any Brexit deal going awry; apparently they believe the above list of problems could trigger renewed tension between Northern Ireland and the Republic because it would create a "hard border" between the two (Northern Ireland--the Republic of Ireland--will remain in the EU). You may recall that a formal peace agreement was crafted in 1998 between these two Irish entities, known as the Belfast “Good Friday” Agreement; it's a fragile peace in many ways, and the Irish don't want to endanger it.

As the name suggests, the agreement was signed on Good Friday (April 10th) of that year. Because of its vulnerabilities, it’s worth a quick look to see how the April 12th Brexit chart meshes with the chart for this 1998 agreement. I’ve used a noon chart for the 1998 event—no exact time known. This will be a very cursory glance at highlights only.






Biwheel #1: (inner wheel) Belfast Good Friday Agreement, April 10, 1998, 12:00 pm DST (noon-no time known), Belfast, No. Ireland; (outer wheel) April 12 Brexit, April 12, 2019, 11:00 pm DST, Westminster, England. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node. 

Interchart Cardinal T-Square: again, we see tense cardinal energies arrayed against each other between the two charts. Brexit Sun-Eris tightly conjoin Belfast Ceres-Sun-Saturn in Aries, with all this under intense pressure from Brexit Saturn-So-Node-Pluto in Capricorn. The somewhat wide square orb between these Capricorn points and Belfast Mars (Aries) will tighten over the coming year, the time during which Ireland will be experiencing whatever fallout there may be from an April 12 Brexit. Discord and perhaps even violence are certainly not off the table, especially if we consider that Brexit Moon-No. Node opposes the Capricorn points and t-squares the Aries ones.


A hard Brexit border between the two Irelands is considered disastrous.

As noted earlier, a fair, equitable outcome to the Brexit process is essential to satisfy Irish concerns—that’s highlighted here by Brexit Pallas (Libra) turning this t-square into a cardinal grand square.
Brexit Uranus (Taurus) squares Belfast Neptune (Aquarius) and inconjoins Belfast Moon (Libra). These aspects reflect the difficult collective change Irish UK citizens are being asked to make with Brexit, and the inconjunct suggests that the demands are generally “rubbing them the wrong way.” 

Add in Brexit Neptune-Venus (Pisces) conjoining Belfast Jupiter (Pisces), and it’s likely that the Irish have been promised great growth and prosperity—and Venus is generally protective, so perhaps there’s some truth to that—but Neptune tends to muddy the waters, and that can lead to hard wake-up calls down the road. 

In other words, whoever protects Irish interests in the UK parliament needs to “measure twice and cut once” before agreeing to anything. This is especially true since Brexit Jupiter falls square the Pisces points in both charts. This Jupiter also trines Belfast Mars-Saturn-Sun, however, so with diligence—being careful to avoid delusionary pitfalls (Neptune)—a thoughtful Brexit deal could support some key Irish priorities. 



Final thoughts

The UK is far from the only entity struggling to strike a balance between a healthy focus inward and a constructive, prosperous outward focus on alliances and trade. The same challenge allowed an opening for MAGA, didn’t it? It doesn’t take much to see that the roots of all this trace back to the ham-handed way in which national economies were yanked open and deregulated for frictionless free trade in the “go-go” 90s: the new Uranus-Neptune cycle that launched in mid-Capricorn in 1993 had a lot to do with that, and with picking the “winners” and “losers” of the newly globalized economy. 

Fast forward a couple difficult decades for the “99%,” during which the years-long Uranus-Pluto square in cardinal Aries to Capricorn that started in 2010 easily triggered an intensely angry backlash. Naming winners and losers—so clearly reflected in today’s shocking wealth inequality statistics—rarely goes well in the long run. 

IMHO, the leaders of this world need to stop pulling the proverbial rug out from under the middle and working classes, and they need to make whatever structural adjustments are necessary to prioritize human dignity and well-being over all. How we get to that desirable state is another story—it will require the kind of courage and skill we haven’t seen in leaders for a very long time. 

We’re faced with three major planetary cycles completing and beginning anew over the next 20 months, and these cycles (in order of completion)—Saturn-Pluto, Jupiter-Pluto and Jupiter-Saturn—will challenge us in at least three very complex areas: first, to either seriously put up or shut up about our aspirations for (small “d”) democracy and human rights; second, to grapple with how we’re going to protect human economic interests and dignity in a working world driven by AI and robots; and third, to get serious about tackling the very real dangers of climate change with all the human ingenuity and grit that we can muster. 

These imperatives are global, of course, so some of the solutions will also have to be global in nature—humans are capable of cooperation for the sake of a greater good, after all. Even so, each nation will be faced with choices: to be part of the solution, or part of the problem, and that sorting will cause complications and distractions from the challenges at hand. 

I’m hopeful that as the new cycles launch, a number of the difficult hang-ups being experienced by the UK (and the US and many others, for that matter!) will be resolved. As an American onlooker, it’s very easy to empathize with the frustrations. Considering these cycles might help when it comes to “cosmic” timing, so EU Council President Donald Tusk may be onto something: extending the UK’s exit for another year may leave an opening for the fresh start that seems so elusive right now. 

Whatever happens, whether Brexit materializes on April 12th or in a year from now, let’s hope the main focus is on the well-being and dignity of all UK citizens. If their leadership gets this right, perhaps the Brexit experience will provide a much-needed model for rising above the partisan fray to serve the people, and that would be admirable.  






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 2019. All rights reserved. 






[1]Nicholas Campion, The Book of World Horoscopes, updated 2004 edition, The Wessex Astrologer, Bournemouth, UK, Chart #357, pp. 342-343.
[2]Campion, Chart #358, pp. 345-346.
[3]Michael Munkasey, Midpoints: Unleashing the Power of the Planets, ACS Publications, San Diego, CA, 1991, pp. 136-137.
[4]Munkasey, pp. 196-197.