Global Hot Spots

This update analyzes how the transiting Mars-Pluto opposition in May 2023 will affect the charts for Ukraine, NATO, and Russia. The Mars-Pluto opposition aligns with Ukraine’s progressed Saturn, just as Pluto 0°16′ Aquarius is exactly conjunct progressed Saturn in Ukraine’s twelfth house. But the bigger influence throughout most of 2023 is transiting Pluto forming a T-square with the Moon’s Nodes. This indicates that important shifts are underway for those people or countries whose charts are affected. Such a shift is often the result of what others decide to do, forcing the person or country to adapt. These configurations indicate that Ukraine is under pressure from its Western allies to bring an end to the war. If that isn’t achieved soon, NATO may seriously consider further action – watch the video to learn what sort of action!

Venus retrograde in Leo makes the summer of 2023 hotter than ever with her drama. Sizzling in the background is the Pluto-Nodes T-square, which is triggered by the Sun opposing Pluto just as Venus turns her back to go retrograde. A heavy choice involving independence vs. compromise must be made, as suppressed issues over love and money are making their way into the daylight now. Watch this video to learn how to best resolve them!

This update on the “Woman Life Freedom” protests in Iran focuses on Saturn’s effect on Iran’s natal chart, and the Saturn Return for this chart, which occurs in February 2024. With the Moon of the Saturn Return across the chart from the Sun and all the planets, this chart makes it clear that women’s liberation is THE defining issue for Iran over the next 30 years. It also indicates how women will rise to positions of power as a result of the persistence of the incredibly brave protesters! Included are insights on the Uranus-Pluto cycle, and how its major turning points link to important positions in Iran’s natal chart. This cycle indicates upheaval and renewal for Iran, but especially an economic rejuvenation – watch the video to learn more!

The protests which began in Iran in September 2022 over the death of Mahsa Amini will flare again as Mars goes retrograde at the end of October 2022. These protests will grow into a lasting, determined, and organized opposition to the clerical leadership of Iran. There are even heavier astrological influences in play for Iran over the next few years, as a sensitive point in Iran’s natal chart is triggered by Uranus, the planet of revolutionary change. This same sensitive point was part of a very similar configuration that triggered the ousting of the Shah’s regime in 1979, and Iran’s Cultural Revolution in 1981. This configuration hints at a deeper resistance to the Islamic clerics’ rule, which is interwoven into a sinister power struggle between the Islamic leadership and the security forces of Iran, a conflict centered upon who will inherit power in the next few years. Watch the video to learn what lies ahead for Iran from 2023 through 2027.

There is a very rare aspect in effect in 2020, influencing the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 13, Neptune and Chiron are in an exact contraparallel, which is an aspect by declination (angle north or south of the equator) rather than longitude. Chiron indicates an area of weakness, a disability, or a wounded nature. Neptune is associated with the spread of disease, but also with healing and drugs. Past instances of a Neptune-Chiron contraparallel were in effect during times of mass death: the 14th century outbreak of plague; the US Civil War; and World War II. It does not indicate the beginning of such circumstances, but it can disrupt a precarious status quo and intensify problems if an underlying misuse of resources or disregard of obvious peril, as indicated by other astrological aspects, has not been addressed.

On April 3, 2019, Hong Kong’s legislature proposed changes to existing law that would allow extradition of suspects for specified crimes to mainland China. What began as protests against this law has ballooned into protracted protests over Hong Kong’s independence from mainland China’s legal system. Protests have turned disruptive and even violent in some cases, pushing the limits of what the mainland will allow. On November 24, 2019, a Mars-Uranus opposition impacts the charts of Hong Kong and China, and the North Node impacts the chart of the Chinese Communist Party. These indicate an overwhelmingly explosive situation, with a loss of patience and restraint on both sides.

The comparison has been made between Greece’s referendum choice on July 5 and the Greeks’ refusal to bow to Mussolini in 1940 (read Ambrose Evans-Pritchard’s excellent article here). That refusal has symbolic significance to the Greeks as they struggle with the prospect of even harsher austerity measures if they agree to another bailout from their EU creditors. However valid one considers this comparison to be, comparing the astrological charts of the two dates shows compelling similarities

On June 16, 2014, the US Supreme Court refused to hear Argentina’s appeal of a previous court order that blocks the distribution of Argentina’s July 2014 bond payment until Argentina settles with bondholders from their default in 2001. In December 2001, Argentina defaulted on its loans, and in January 2002, removed the peso peg to the US dollar, resulting in the peso’s devaluation.