Eclipse January: Shutdown to Showdown or Breakdown to Breakthrough?

“You know the system has broken down when the clearest way out of a government shutdown may be for the president to declare a fake national emergency.” 

– Editorial board, NYTimes.com, Jan. 11, 2019.

On January 21^st—a mere ten days from now as I write this—North America, South America, Europe and parts of Africa and Asia will have front-row seats for a dramatic “Blood Moon” total lunar eclipse at 0°+Leo (Moon). Since lunar eclipses only happen at full moons, this particular one will span Leo-Aquarius—fixed signs that certainly speak to our current partial government shutdown.

We’ll discuss this chart, but first, we’ll consider the tone set by January’s earlier new moon/solar eclipse.

It was far less dramatic and hyped, but on January 5^th, the Sun and Moon converged at 15°+Capricorn, so a no-nonsense, harsh Saturn-ruled eclipse has ruled the first weeks of the showdown over Trump’s border wall.  

The charts for these two eclipses reflect so much about American public affairs these days, but we’ll focus primarily on the shutdown dilemma and its broader significance.

Click here for a comprehensive look at recent polls regarding the border wall.

Let’s begin

If polling can be trusted, most Americans blame Trump for the now record-breaking shutdown and the suffering it’s produced. Trump’s unwillingness to consider any solution for border security that doesn’t include a physical wall is clearly considered a problem. 

In fact, many alternatives exist to a physical wall, but Trump’s self-protective machismo has boxed him in on this so-called “vanity project.” The more pressure he’s under, the more paranoid,  shrill and verifiably untrue his border threat claims become. Yes, a humanitarian crisis exists there, but it’s the one created by the administration’s “Zero Tolerance” immigration and family separation policies, not some kind of invasion. Yes, drugs do come over the border, but the vast majority comes through legal ports of entry. 

Besides, if border security was really Trump’s concern, why would he shutdown Homeland Security, forcing them and other essential work forces (TSA agents, the Coast Guard, air traffic controllers, etc.) to work for nothing?!  Whatever logic exists here is seriously twisted and mean-spirited. For pay-less workers, it’s getting old, real fast.

 

Echoing doubts from many quarters, the Brookings Institute soundly disputes Trump’s reasoning in a current article entitled “Trump’s bogus justifications for the border wall.” The article points out why the wall wouldn’t serve its stated purposes and what grave collateral damage will be done to people, land owners, Native Americans and the environment in the process.

Despite the fact that the Senate unanimously (both parties!) passed a government funding bill just before the shutdown (December 22), Trump balked, supposedly scared off by Fox pundits and Rush Limbaugh, so here we are, facing the longest shutdown ever.  

For their part, Democratic leaders in both Senate and House (“Chuck & Nancy”) are also unwilling to budge until the government is re-opened. They’re refusing to put $5.7 billion towards an open-ended plan that experts know won’t solve the problems at the border: open the government first, and the Dems will be happy to negotiate a range of solutions for border security (not just a wall) and work towards badly needed comprehensive immigration reform. 

So House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump are dug in on opposite sides, and we know how Trump likes to hear “no” from strong women!  

This national “hostage crisis” is prompting some Dems to feel that some compromise is necessary, but can compromise happen when the options are “wall” or “no wall?” Compromise generally happens around the edges of an issue, giving a little here, taking a little there—considering alternative ways to solve the same problems, in other words.

Could this have something to do with the standoff, too?

There’s no give and take with Trump’s stance, however, and despite the House passing several bills that would immediately reopen the government, they won’t reach Trump because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to put them on the Senate floor. 

So, the White House is scrambling to find a way for Trump to save face and get what he wants by going around Congress and declaring a national emergency in regards to the border. If this happens, the crisis will only amplify as he siphons funds away from other necessary sources: disaster relief funds, fire-training in wild-fire prone states, infrastructure projects and so on. 

This declaration could also put us on the slippery slope towards unprecedented and dangerous Executive power (i.e., authoritarian rule), but it could also give the Courts (those not shutdown under the Justice Dept. furlough, that is) a chance to weigh in. Turning this issue over to the Courts is risky, however, as Trump has been staffing the Courts and Justice Department with loyalists, especially ones that have an expansive view of Executive power (cue Attorney-General nominee, William Barr). Bottom line, we can’t take anything for granted!

So we are caught in a seemingly unsolvable crisis—one that will force us to trust the non-Executive branches of our government to an extraordinary extent—and as we’ll see, the astrology strongly reflects both the tension and the precarious nature of the situation. 

In the meantime, our federal workers sell off possessions to pay their bills.

The Astrology

So, let’s examine the charts. First we’ll consider the Capricorn New Moon (a solar eclipse) we experienced on January 5^th—our main focus here will be to see how this lunation set the tone for this harsh month and to consider how it has impacted our national Sibly chart (Biwheel #1). 

Second, we’ll consider the January 21^st eclipse that promises to impress (Chart #1), bringing the difficulties to a head of some kind. We’ll dig a little more into eclipse factors on this one.

Along the way, we’ll consider placements from Trump’s nativity as needed. 

Biwheel #1: (inner wheel) U.S. Sibly chart, July 4, 1776, 5:10 p.m. LMT, Philadelphia, PA; (outer wheel) Solar Eclipse (new moon), January 5, 2019, 8:28:05 p.m. ST, Washington, D.C. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node. 

Note that the Solar Eclipse chart (SE-outer wheel) here features 28°+Leo rising—within 1 degree of exactly conjunct Trump’s natal ASC and a mere 2° from his Leo Mars. So it shouldn’t surprise us that the entire month has felt like one long, angry tirade coming from the White House. Demanding and maintaining power and control for the sake of ego and identity—not to mention digging in his heels to achieve the same—are fair game, and to quote Machiavelli, the “ends justify the means.” 

Trump’s driven anti-immigration advisor Stephen Miller seems to be Trump’s “Machiavelli:” not surprisingly, Miller’s noon chart (for August 23, 1985, Santa Monica, CA) is dominated by an ambitious fiery grand trine between Leo Mars, Sagittarius Uranus and Aries Eris.  

Back to the Biwheel at hand:

Interchart Cardinal Grand Square: SE Saturn-Sun-Moon conjunction (Capricorn) opposes Sibly Sun (Cancer); this axis is squared by SE Mars/Eris (midpoint, Aries) opposite Sibly Saturn (Libra). Just about all of the challenges discussed above are reflected in this one extremely tense configuration—especially since the eclipse point is involved, and it’s disposed by and within 4 degrees of Saturn!

The stand-off between equally determined and equally potent opponents (Trump v. Democratic leadership, especially Pelosi) is especially visible here, with considerable stress on the character and constitutional integrity of the nation, as well. Saturn (Capricorn) has only recently begun opposing Sibly Sun (Cancer), but Pluto (Capricorn) has been bearing down for years (from at least 2012). Pluto has been slowly and relentlessly preparing the ground for the transformation and commitment that Saturn is now demanding. 

Both the oppositions and the squares at work in this configuration have us in a bind, however: the SE Saturn-square-Sibly Saturn and SE Mars/Eris (midpoint) square Sibly Sun aspects raise serious questions about what’s really motivating this conflict. SE Saturn-square-Saturn suggests that our national commitment to being a democratic (small “d”) republic with three co-equal branches of government is being brutally tested. 

As for the SE Mars/Eris midpoint square Sibly Sun, midpoints expert Michael Munkasey captures the challenge sans Eris (in Aries, her disruptive energies are heavily influenced by Mars). Munkasey’s first scenario below is more constructive than the second, but both ring eerily true in today’s dilemma:

“[first] The development of the military as an extension of internal policy; challenges to authority or hostile actions which are subdued by guards or armed forces; a leader associated with or from a military background…[second] the extension of aggression as a will of the people; developing military might to be used against others; the authority of a nation or business linked to the armed forces; violence against the chosen leaders.”[1]

Of course, the “wall,” and border security more broadly, are both heavily militarized issues: border agents and ICE officials impose military/police power on people, and we’ve seen enough horror stories to go around. Those who remember the Cold War know what an authoritarian police state looks like; perhaps we’ve forgotten since the Berlin Wall was torn down? We should take nothing for granted here.

Clearly, immigration and border security are only one point of leverage among many for Trump’s autocratic tendencies—remember Machiavelli? We’ve seen this threat coming, but because Neptune (Pisces) has also been transiting trine Sibly Sun for a good long time, we’ve been distracted and “in the fog.” Even so, this month’s solar eclipse with Leo (Sun) rising delivered a wake-up call. 

For its part, Saturn is a tough taskmaster, but it provides the grit we need to respond. We can start by being aware (Sun-Saturn-Moon) when false choices like steel (Mars)? or concrete (Saturn) are skimmed past us. With this, Trump again demonstrates that he plans to give nothing to get everything. SE Mars opposite Sibly MC (conjunct the IC, that is) reflects the militant/aggressive tactics (Aries) being used against our traditional brand of “deal-making” (Libra). 

This Mars also squares Sibly Jupiter-Venus (Cancer)—potential volatility in or damage to the economy (we’re seeing it), so who stands to benefit from the building and materials contracts needed to build a wall, and what we know about all that matters here. When asked to specify where the $5.7 billion wall fund that Trump is demanding would be built—something that anyone approving taxpayer expenditures like that should demand to know—Rep. Cole (R) of Oklahoma could not say, and Trump certainly isn’t saying.

So is there a building plan for an actual border wall, or is this about opening a free-flowing, perpetual money pipeline (something like the Defense budget) that Trump can tap at will? For that matter, how would the over-militarization of our border (Mars square Sibly 7^th house planets) impact the long-term American economy? CNBC Economy estimates that if the shutdown lasts another two weeks, the economy will lose more than $6 billion (Federal workers aren’t the only ones being hurt). 

For his part, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell just issued a warning about the nation’s “ballooning” debt levels: we can’t just keep piling it on to make Trump feel safe and in control with his wall. His natal chart features a sensitive, defensive Saturn-Venus conjunction in Cancer (chart not shown): he has lived in guarded skyscraper towers a good part of his life! 

North Node conjunct these Cancer points of his is perhaps a sign that Trump conflates his personal sense of security with national security and with his control over the Treasury (this Node opposes Sibly Pluto). He often threatens to withhold Federal funds from states that aren’t loyal to him, such as California! 

Perhaps Trump’s war on immigrants and the “unloyal” reflects an internal state that no amount of steel slats and concertina wire can relax. It also makes sense that we’re seeing this issue intensify so badly right now, as transiting Pluto and soon, Saturn (Capricorn) oppose his Cancer points. Trump is a tough talker, with a Leo Mars swagger and adrenalin-driven temperament, but true courage is another story. Clearly,  loyalty to him over all else (Leo) is primary when he hires people, but a January 11^th New York Times report raises questions about where Trump’s loyalties lie. A short excerpt captures the sense of it:

“In the days after President Trump fired James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, law enforcement officials became so concerned by the president’s behavior that they began investigating whether he had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests, according to former law enforcement officials and others familiar with the investigation.

The inquiry carried explosive implications. Counterintelligence investigators had to consider whether the president’s own actions constituted a possible threat to national security. Agents also sought to determine whether Mr. Trump was knowingly working for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence.”

Apparently, this inquiry was folded into Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation early on, so it’s impossible to know where things stand, but we know Trump’s anxieties are not likely to ease any time soon—Pluto will oppose his Cancer points for several years to come. 

Bottom line, this debate and discord (Eris) over a physical barrier is about so much more than a steel or concrete structure—it’s an opportunity to grapple with our responsibility (Saturn) and our karmic destiny (Pluto) in this world. Is walling ourselves off from the world—both literally and through anti-alliance foreign policies—how we see ourselves? With SE Eris opposite Pallas (Libra), fundamental principles of American justice are also hanging in the balance—the Wall Trump envisions carries heavy symbolic weight and he’s clearly aware of that. 

SE Jupiter (Sagittarius) conjoins Sibly ASC, semi-sextiles SE Saturn-Sun-Moon (Capricorn) sextiles Sibly Saturn (Libra), squares SE Neptune (Pisces), quincunxes Sibly Sun (Cancer) and opposes Sibly Uranus-DSC (Gemini).Transiting Jupiter aspects the critical cross-quarter points of the cardinal grand cross, in other words. Perhaps it’s lightening up the tension just a bit, but it also stimulates the ambitious thrust of potentially volatile events (Jupiter-Sibly Uranus-DSC) and pushes all limits (Jupiter-Neptune). 

Even with Jupiter’s lighter, more optimistic tendencies, however, its aspects here are mostly challenging, restraining (square) or frustrating (semi-sextile, quincunx), and the angular Sibly houses that Jupiter aspects impact are potentially weighty. Transiting Mars very widely trines Jupiter, as well, conjunct Sibly IC and opposing the Sibly MC. I think we’re seeing why events have cascaded so fast and furiously since the first of the year, and why this shutdown feels more significant than usual. 

That said, a dignified Jupiter on our collective ASC could encourage us and support the efforts of true compatriots. Sibly Uranus (Gemini) also represents our Tech sector, so that may be receiving a nice boost with Jupiter’s opposition, but in the 6^th house, it’s also about federal workers, so we’ll see how this plays out in the shutdown. The Air Traffic Controllers’ Union is suing the Trump administration to move things along, and other unions and employee sectors will likely follow (SE Jupiter quincunx Sibly Sun)—sounds appropriate! 

Lastly, it’s noteworthy here that cosmic change-maker Uranus was about to station direct the day after this New Moon chart—perhaps another reason events began to cascade so dramatically soon after. It squared Trump’s sensitive Cancer Saturn-Venus and trined his bombastic Leo Mars-ASC, probably triggering the so-called “temper tantrums” we’ve been seeing in the news. For the record, Uranus is due to re-enter Taurus on March 6^th.  

So much more could be said about this chart, but the issues will still be relevant for the January 21^st lunar eclipse, so let’s move on to that moment.

A "super blood wolf moon" and a "rare spectacle"

The “Blood Moon” January 21^st total lunar eclipse

As mentioned earlier, a full moon eclipse is a point of both culmination and fulfillment, of deep emotional stirrings and revelations. Eclipse expert Celeste Teal says that:

“Sometimes there’s a surge of events and new information within days of an eclipse, either just before or right after…the events taking place near the time of an eclipse often serve as an announcement of the issues that need to be addressed and those that will come under review in the months or years ahead.”[2]

Teal also argues (convincingly) that a lunar eclipse impacts current to a maximum duration of about 3.5 years. The eclipse we’re discussing will endure (including full and shadow periods) 5 hours and 12 minutes, which by Teal’s accounting (1 year for each hour, to a max of 3.5 years), would give this eclipse maximum astrological impact. 

This may be cut short, however, by the fact that Saturn will transit opposite the eclipse point when it enters Aquarius in March, 2020; Teal says that Saturn is thought to “consummate” an eclipse.[3] Either way, this eclipse will impact American affairs well into the 2020 election and administration.

This eclipse will also be entirely visible here in these United States—that adds to its impact.

Importantly, Teal points out that the degree of the eclipse (0°+Leo here) will remain an open “portal” and especially sensitive to transiting planets (especially Mars) during that duration period.  Stay tuned!

With that said, let’s examine the eclipse chart, set for Washington, D.C. on its own.  Please note that astrological software calculates eclipses for the exact moment of Sun-Moon opposition; this gives us a picture of the eclipse at maximum fullness.

Chart #1: Lunar Eclipse January 21, 2019. 12:15:59 a.m. ST, Washington, D.C. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node.

Eclipse Moon-Sun (Leo-Aquarius) straddle the 10-4 axis, conjunct the MC-IC axis. Issues of fundamental, heritage-related and reputational importance are at stake here. This opposition also forms two legs of a T-square: Uranus (Aries) forms an out-of-sign square to the Moon-Sun axis. With Uranus now direct and finishing up its tour of Mars-ruled Aries, we could see a volatile push for change that throws the fixed points off balance. Would that be Trump’s ace-in-the-hole, an emergency declaration that allows him to raid our national coffers where he will? It doesn’t seem like that’s the plan today, but our Sun-conjunct-Uranus (Gemini) president often wields surprise like a weapon.

Sun (Aquarius) rules the eclipse, conjunct IC. As Leo’s ruling planet, the Sun is the so-called “Lord” of the eclipse, so the Sun’s placement at the bottom angle of the chart suggests a deep reckoning with heritage, identity and karmic baggage. There’s a reason we’ve seen a resurgence of white nationalism in this country (Aquarius is often associated with authoritarian/fascist tendencies by mundane astrology), but the Dragon’s Tail in this same house suggests that to unblock our full potential, this quandary over heritage and identity needs to be fully grappled with and released. We need to move on if we want to thrive in the coming Aquarius Jupiter-Saturn cycle, for starters—a story for another day.

So many complicated issues are tangled into this one simple placement—undoubtedly there is other deeply-rooted “baggage” (our never-ending struggle over women’s equality, for example) that needs releasing. There’s a new push to reintroduce the 1970s Equal Rights Amendment and get it right this time—with a regal Leo Moon at the top of this chart (Pelosi?), why not?

The right relationship between technology and power (Uranus-Leo), and how that impacts our relationship with the Earth (astrologically opposite the Sun, so conjunct the Moon here) is all potentially at stake here. There are so many ways we need to be using our energies, and building ineffective walls will only undermine all of it!

Artists recreate the Berlin Wall to make a point.

Pallas rises conjunct ASC (Libra) and opposite Part-of-Fortune-DSC-Uranus (Aries). As mentioned much earlier, Pallas evokes issues involving humanitarian justice, perhaps even civil rights struggles, so we might expect some new developments at our beleaguered southern border. Trump’s immigration policies are heavily laced with xenophobia, if not outright racism, so we’re faced with a choice here: will we devolve as a nation into pre-1960s views of such things, shutting ourselves off from the world in the process, or will we rise to the challenge of living justly and well in an ever-more diverse world? Let’s examine a couple more clues.

Finally, this is a Dragon’s Head eclipse, which means that the North Node falls near to the eclipse point (in a lunar eclipse, the Moon), which happens in this chart. Again, Celeste Teal:

“The Dragon’s Head offers an inflowing rush of new energy, and the Dragon’s Tail [South Node] provides an extracting force, inviting the release of accumulated energy…Even though the Dragon’s Head eclipse offers new stimuli and often leads toward fresh opportunities of conquest, the rush of incoming energy may come as a surprise that is experienced at first as disruptive.”[4]

The issue we face with this particular chart is determining who or what in our national life is represented by the eclipsed Leo Moon. Clearly something or someone of great importance, being conjunct the MC. Considering that this eclipse will impact at least the coming two years (as Saturn nears its opposition to the eclipse point), perhaps we’re seeing our first female president?—three qualified women have thrown their hats in the ring already. Venus conjoins Jupiter (Sagittarius) and trines Mars (Aries)—it’s not a bad time to make that announcement. 

Mars also squares Saturn (Capricorn) here, however, so the political road for any candidate will be grueling. Neptune (Pisces) is the sleeper energy to watch here: it squares Venus-Jupiter and sextiles Saturn. Channeling Neptune’s idealism into action and tangible results will be the key to success. This is a bipartisan opportunity; hopefully the GOP has a more forward-looking plan for 2020 than it did for 2016!

"People pressure – not political negotiations –gave the decisive push"

Final thoughts and historical echoes

We’ve been slouching towards this painful shutdown dilemma for awhile—but this past month has been particularly dramatic and difficult, astrologically and otherwise. The new Democratic-majority House challenges Trump’s domination of Congress and his sway over the majority leaders and oversight committees, and that threatens his control. This is how a representative republic works, of course—welcome to democracy!

Unfortunately, this doesn’t work well with Trump’s style of deal-making (i.e., getting what he wants and “breaking” the other side): as Vox.com points out, deals are based on trust, and that’s in very short supply: 

“The disillusionment is well earned. Over and over again, Democrats have shaken hands on an immigration deal with Trump, only to see him abandon it as soon as they leave the room. Nor is this ancient history. Trump went back on his word during the negotiations that led to the current shutdown. That was less than a month ago.”

The obvious questions after an analysis like this are, what will it take to end this government shutdown, and when is that likely to happen? There are few clear answers in the two charts we considered, but even unclear answers are helpful! I suspect that by the 21^st, something far more concrete will have happened, and it will be because enough doubt has been raised in people’s minds regarding Trump’s purposes in keeping the government shut down. 

Or perhaps more attention will be directed at why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to present House bills for consideration on the Senate floor, as though keeping the government shut down suits him, as well. His wife Elaine Chao is still Trump’s Cabinet Secretary of Transportation: why would McConnell want to mess with that arrangement? But back to Trump’s motives for a moment. 

From the research and work on these charts that I’ve done, it’s really not clear to me that Trump wants to re-open the parts of government he has shuttered. He has no love for the FBI, of course—and their well-reasoned petition to the White House that he would fund that agency fell on deaf ears yesterday. Some of the Courts that would normally be processing civil suits against his Trump Organization are now conveniently hampered or totally put on hold; environmental and humanitarian aid agencies that he has no use for are now disabled. 

Thankfully the Mueller investigation is exempt from the shutdown—but the Justice Department is severely impacted. Again, how convenient for Trump and his ongoing disputes with that department. Do we seriously think he’s going to re-open the government when he benefits from it being shut down? 

Then there’s the whole issue of the FBI’s investigation into his relationship with Russia—the subject of Friday’s New York Times revelations and the subject of Saturday evening’s breaking news from the Washington Post. Here’s where the shutdown may (or may not—only Mueller knows right now) fit into a larger, historical context that’s worth a quick look. 

Russia’s constant presence in our news since Trump ran for office has raised a multitude of questions, in fact: how did Russians influence our 2016 election, how is it still roiling American public discourse via social media, why did a Russian woman infiltrate the NRA, why does Putin seem to have such “pull” on Trump, why were there so many Russians and Ukrainians at the Trump inauguration ball (were there illegal campaign donations from these foreign nationals?), and a host of frankly scary possibilities regarding Trump’s potential entanglements with Russian oligarchs (and by extension, Putin).  

In fact, our history with Russia and the Soviet Union before it is long and very complicated. I bring this up here because the January 21^st eclipse chart contains some historical echoes from the end of the U.S.-Soviet Union Cold War—specifically from the period during which the U.S.S.R.’s sphere of influence in the Baltic states and Eastern Europe (including East Berlin) began to crumble.

"The Berlin Wall was built to keep people in..."

We won’t go into that complicated story in any detail, but in the final waning years of the 1821 Uranus-Neptune cycle, from about 1989-1992, the Soviet Union basically crumbled economically from within, the Berlin Wall was torn down (November 1989) and Soviet satellite states started demanding independence one by one. Very hard economic times followed after.

It was the celebrated “end of the Cold War,” and after all those paranoid years of nuclear brinksmanship, not one missile was fired. As successful as that sounds, the Soviet implosion undoubtedly left behind some scars and resentments. 

Importantly, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn had been transiting Capricorn in 1989, with Uranus and Neptune shutting down the “old order” of geopolitics and approaching their new cycle at 19°+Capricorn in February 1993. The world hasn’t been the same since, right? 

Perhaps this transformation would have remained more conceptual and theoretical, but Saturn was driving events as well, dignified in Capricorn itself and disposing the other Capricorn points. Saturn can probably be credited for manifesting the structural upheaval that Uranus and Neptune were stimulating. 

Here’s where the echoes with today (and the January 21^st eclipse) are deafening: Saturn is again in home sign Capricorn—this time approaching its new cycle with Pluto. In fact, Saturn’s placement in Chart #1 above echoes Saturn’s placement in April, 1989, the period in which the turmoil that fatally undermined the Soviet Union was gathering steam. 

By the time the Soviet Union reconfigured itself into the Russian Federation (official in December 1991), Uranus and Neptune were also in mid-Capricorn. Again, the January 21^st eclipse echoes those critical points, so we shouldn’t be surprised that Russia is in the news. 

It’s also significant that these mid-Capricorn points oppose our Sibly Sun and square Sibly Saturn, at the same time they trigger echoes in Soviet history, so perhaps it’s not surprising that we keep seeing connections between Russia and the stress we are experiencing as a nation right now? Much has been said about how bitterly Putin resents what happened to his homeland in the 1980s-90s, so we have to wonder how he (and by extension, Russia itself) has been dealing with the impact of Saturn’s slow approach to the Federation’s radix Uranus-Neptune (Capricorn).  

The Mueller investigation has given us some answers to this riddle, but a deeper understanding of what Trump’s role, if any, has been in all that is another story. 

Once Saturn moves on into Aquarius, the Russian Federation will experience its first Saturn return (over radix 5°+Aquarius)—this could be another stressful time, or a time when that nation comes into its “own” in some way. Either way, we’re probably going to be involved, like it or not. Simply put, the U.S. is Putin’s foil—the whipping boy adversary that helps keep him in power. Hopefully Putin doesn’t have an even deeper hold on our president.

To that point, the Washington Post has just posted an article titled “Trump has concealed details of his face-to-face encounters with Putin from senior officials in Administration.” Maintaining deniability is a super-power Trump and Putin share, however records of known conversations either exist or they don’t, so who knows where this goes? 

Bottom line, this is a critical period for Russia as well as for us, and there’s no denying that our national fates have been linked over history, for better or worse. This story isn’t going away any time soon—certainly not while Trump is in office. Let’s hope the Mueller investigation gets to the bottom of what it means for us today!

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, p. 72.

[2] Celeste Teal, Eclipses: Predicting World Events & Personal Transformation, Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury, MN, 2006, p. 25.

[3] Ibid, p. 26.

[4] Ibid, p. 11.