With a midheaven on his Gemini Sun Trump gave the order to extract Maduro at 10.46pm on January 2nd. When the mission landed at 2.01 am the midheaven was conjunct his secretive, duplicitous and double-dealing 12th house Pluto. The swampy and ill-starred Neptune Saturn Scheat in late Pisces was prominent in both; and Uranus conjunct the destructive Fixed star Algol was also in play.
His intention is to take over the country’s oil production for America’s benefit and to control the cheap oil supply that China, which buys 80% of Venezuela’s output, has relied on. Russia is a also a crucial oil partner. For Cuba it could be existential since it gets much of its oil from Venezuela and has thousands of paramilitary “advisers” stationed there.
Analysts were doubtful that investors would rush to the country given decades of instability and the scale of the investment needed in Venezuela’s unconventional heavy oil sector. “The capital we are talking about is massive – billions of dollars in investments. This is not something American companies will be running towards just hours after an intervention.”
The lessons of Iraq are weighing heavily and Libya. Never mind the Vietnam quagmire.
In his first term, Trump spoke of a pivot to the western hemisphere that would see the US switch focus to its own backyard from Greenland and the Arctic down through Canada to the Panama canal, and then Latin America and the Pacific. He sees drugs, migration, organised crime and political instability to the south not as foreign policy problems but as domestic ones with a foreign address.
The Venezuela 22 September 1830 chart which has three stressed yods onto Mars, Saturn and Venus respectively – with two of them colliding at the moment by Solar Arc. The SA Pluto from the leg of one yod (sextile Uranus inconjunct Venus) sparking off another yod of Saturn sextile Mercury inconjunct Mars. Sounds obscure but two configurations meeting like these usually points to a life-changing moment in time.
The late Virgo Venezuela Sun was triggered by the recent solar eclipse; and the early February 2026 solar eclipse will oppose the Saturn with the August Soar eclipse being conjunct the Saturn – all of which look depressed and tough going.
The Venezuela Saturn is conjunct Trump’s Mars and Ascendant so may be a tougher nut for him to crack than his wild fantasies envisage. The Venezuela Sun falls in DT’s 2nd house of money so no surprises there, though in final degree Virgo it flags up tr Neptune moving into DT’s 8th house in opposition, not generally considered good for solid financial deals. The Venezuela Uranus opposes DT’s Pluto so there is potential for a major Trump upset. The Venezuela Jupiter Neptune in Capricorn parlay into DT’s Jupiter Neptune in Libra will magnify his over-hopeful streak. The Venezuela Mars and Pluto falls in DT’s 8th – which does not suggest an easy partnership.
Of the other countries on his potential hit-list and this is only a cursory glance – Mexico and Greenland look most agitated vis a vis Trump. I will do South America later this week and Canada etc.
But I would imagine/hope that his megalomaniac streak might start to dissipate after that Progressed Moon on his bully-boy administration chart starts to move away from the Inauguration Pluto Sun opposition Mars T square from spring 2026 onwards. Though the USA’s travails and nightmares will roll on into 2027.
The latest news from Venezuela on January 5th are that about 10 oil tankers have left Venezuelan ports and are thus defying the US blockage. I find this interesting, given the only efficient and safe way to stop them is to seize them. We have, of course, been following the Russian Shadow Fleet here in Finland, and have a vessel under sequester at the moment, with World mostly silent. But I feel that the sheer size of operation needed here will have enormous implications to International shipping.
Interesting astrology: Almost exact Sun/Mars/Venus conjunction mid-degrees Capricorn.
The first tanker has now been seized, despite a Russian submarine escorting it. Bluff called out. Exact Sun/Mars/Venus conjunction 17′ Capricorn. Moon 11′ Virgo.
I am starting to wonder is it the Vanadium and the Nickel and maybe even the small amount of Chromium in the heavy crude. But again, it is expensive to extract from the crude, unless there was some unreported breakthrough recently for these mineral extraction.
@Callie S, I am pretty certain there isn’t. Remember how Trump Administration authorized Arctic drilling as one of the very first Executive Orders? None of the big companies has made any investments in Alaska that I know of.
In general, this fixation with oil is baffling. I am not a young person myself, being Gen X, but it really feels like this is a discourse the Boomer “World leaders” keep in motion. Business leaders, who’d mostly be Gen X or even Millennials now have moved on. I have long thought that we will have an energy breakthrough during Pluto in Aquarius, Neptune (and Saturn) in Aries and Uranus in Gemini. Therefore, with the three later planets currently making their last dip to previous signs for 29–167 years, I feel that snatching Maduro could be the last true oil war.
Thanks. Yesterday I was thinking Trump’s action felt like the early years of Xi. We are seeing actions but don’t know the intent and then the world will only find out when all the dots have connected. It is like one political commentator had said about China’s Strategy is Chinese Wei Qi (also known as Go in Japan)
@Callie S, a key difference here is that Xi was was turning 60 when he took over the CCP leadership positions, a youngster by Chinese standards. Also, a member of prominent family, who received a top notch education. Although he is a Gemini Sun, like Trump, he seems much more strategic. I suspect it’s due to his Cancer Mercury/Uranus square Libra Saturn/Neptune (both retrograde). This 1953 Saturn/Neptune shows up in some charts at Putin’s circles. Xi was born the very day Imre Nagy became Prime Minister of Hungary and there was a coup in Colombia.
There is nothing strategic about DJT, on the other hand.
What baffles me is that Trump seems to behave as if the USA’s military power is unlimited. Venezuela today, Greenland tomorrow? At what point do they say: oh look, we don’t have any more capacity…
Trump himself is ignorant and thinks he can wave his magic wand to do whatever he wants while ignoring the limits of US military power, which will quickly be stretched beyond its capabilities. He’s threatening to “protect” Iranian protestors — “we’re locked and loaded” — from the government crackdowns and now invade Colombia, Cuba and possibly Mexico to take over their governments while seizing Greenland. The military, with its old but costly equipment, doesn’t have the capacity to undertake all these “missions,” especially since they’re now expected to police American city streets while struggling to meet recruitment goals.
@Pachito, I think this needs to be a talking point for all Democrats facing midterms. The cost of a true operation on getting “all the oil” from Venezuela.
It seems to evade many commentators that one corrupt regime has been taken over by…. another corrupt regime led by a despot. This is invasion, pure and simple. Nothing good can come of this.
An Iranian friend of ours said, that he would like Iran to be free but not by the Americans. I wonder how many Latin Americans would concur.
Maybe Aries (self, initiative, courage) moving into Saturn will empower people to emancipate themselves.
@patritius, Iranians tend to have a deep sense of history, and still remember how CIA killed their budding democracy. In Latin America, you’d likely find more varied experiences.
Not only the American CIA was involved in the overthrow of Mohammad Mosaddegh, but also Britain’s MI6 as our Iranian friends pointed out to us.
A lotof people in the world wish their leaders were snatched. The modern day leaders are rubbish
putting it mildly
Even the democratically elected ones? Careful what you wish for, in jest or otherwise.
I’ve read elsewhere that this adventure in Venezuela is significant historically, far beyond the immediate turmoil it creates, but really because it definitively upends the post-WWII world order of the Western Alliance aimed at ensuring (relatively speaking, of course) peace and democratic values, as well as respect for national sovereignty.
Instead, what Trump has done (or rather, his handlers masquerading as bootlickers—the man has pudding for brains and would be incapable of planning or understanding the deeper meaning himself) is begun to replace that old system with what Russia and China want—a globe divided into “spheres of influence,” a world order based almost solely on power and predation. It’s beyond horrifying, and makes the world so much more dangerous.
As an American, I can’t adequately put into words my disgust that this is supposedly being done “in the name of” the people of the United States. That’s a real load of … baloney, by the way, since upwards of 80 percent of Americans are strongly against this invasion, which violates both international law and the Constitution.
But the Trumpies couldn’t care less about adhering to either moral or legal principles. Nor do they seem to care that we have become, in a very short time, a pariah nation, left completely without allies. If 2025 had left us with any emotional energy, I am sure we would all be terrified as well as outraged.
Also, I’m certain that in what’s left of Trump’s mind, this was little more than a means of distracting from the Epstein files, combined with a big grifting opportunity.
One small spark of hope: there were protests all over the country, in cities both large and small, within hours of this invasion becoming known. That will only increase—especially since Tuesday is the fifth anniversary of the January 6 attack on the Capitol, when Trump tried to overthrow the government.
With regard to DJT, is it possible to look at the astrology in a way that separates the man from his administration? So much of it is a personality cult more than a government, anyway. Would things settle down if he were to depart before the end of his term?
Also, it would be interesting to look again at the chart for NATO.
Thank you so much for your expertise, Marjorie.
“power and predation” Yes. Very much enjoyed your comment.
“Instead, what Trump has done (or rather, his handlers masquerading as bootlickers—the man has pudding for brains and would be incapable of planning or understanding the deeper meaning himself) is begun to replace that old system with what Russia and China want—a globe divided into “spheres of influence,” a world order based almost solely on power and predation. It’s beyond horrifying, and makes the world so much more dangerous.”
For a person living in a small country in front line, this is nothing new, it’s now just stated explicitly. Russians are, as the kids would put it, “delulu”, but China actually has the muscle.
New York Times is reporting that this was an internal coup, not regime change:
http://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/04/world/americas/trump-venezuela-leader-rodriguez-machado.html
Trump cut a deal with Maduro’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. He’d lift sanctions on Venezuela, she’d revive the economy and lift oil production.
That’s why it was so easy to snatch Maduro. His own govenment wanted him gone.
The Venezuelan Supreme Court has confirmed Rodríguez is the new President. The opposition must be so disappointed.
On the astrology, the Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Aries will conjunct Venezuela’s IC. So the homeland dissolving? Maybe Venezuelans will be cross that the regime isn’t changing?
Not just with Venezuela, but also in the Middle East and Africa, it seems to me that Trump may be sowing the seeds of another 9/11 moment for the US. As to Greenland, any forced action could well see the US exit NATO. It is impossible to conceive that they could get away with this without some concerted action by the other NATO countries to protect Greenland.
Ken-did you read any statements about Venezuela written by European heads of state? Milquetoast and bitterly disappointing. Only decent statement was from the PM of Malaysia. Worst statement thus far, IMO, was from Greece. So, Europe might be too frightened, blackmailed or let’s hope not—-complicit with regard to Greenland…
Greece is run by a dictator who is selling out his country to the Russians.
Mistake. That’s Turkey, not Greece.
I think many counties in Europe and NATO are worried that speaking out against Trump will cause him to completely abandon any support, including Intelligence, that he still gives Ukraine. I’m sure this is a factor with Keir Starmer and the U.K. We also have the prospect of King Charles going on a State Visit to America in April. These occasions usually include banquets with speeches flattering the host and emphasising our longstanding ties with “our oldest ally”. A headache for our diplomats and embarrassment for the King? Is cancellation an option? Perhaps Marjorie could look at that?
@Sandra Jones, exactly this. They likely are also communicating with China, which has significant interests in Latin America, and will seem a more rational negotiation partner.