A surge in energy prices and shortage of gas is causing anxiety to spike along with bills across Europe. The UK appears to be harder hit than most with a perfect storm of energy companies going bankrupt as well as petrol stations closing and supermarkets going bare-shelved because of a shortage of lorry drivers. There is evidence of similar shortages across Europe, but the UK has been among the worst hit because of Brexit as well as the pandemic. Inflation in the U.K. jumped by 3.2 percent in August the largest rise in almost a quarter of a century. EU inflation was 3%.
Parallels are being drawn with the 1970s when a three-day week was imposed on 1 January 1974 to conserve electricity after industrial action by coal miners and railway workers. It was followed by an election when Tory Ted Heath had to hand over to a minority Labour Harold Wilson government.
There are not too many similarities to that 1974 period which occurred when Saturn in Cancer squared Pluto in Libra, redolent of hardship. But there are in what followed two years later when Wilson’s replacement James Callaghan had to go cap in hand to the IMF, for the largest loan ever to have been requested, to shore up a balance of payments/currency crisis.
Through the mid1970s there was a global recession, an oil crisis in 1973 and UK inflation by 1975 was running at 26%. It was eventually brought down to single figures by 1978 – and in 1979 Margaret Thatcher swept to power on the slogan ‘Labour is not working.’
During the mid 1970s on the UK chart the Solar Arc Neptune was conjunct the 8th house Mars in Taurus which would bring major uncertainty and panic and the economically-challenging tr Saturn in Leo square tr Uranus in Scorpio was hitting the UK’s financial planets; in particular tr Uranus was opposing the 8th house Mars. So a triple whammy of the wrong variety.
The astro-pressure on the UK 8th house economic Mars was always going to be a major headache over the next few years. Tr Saturn in Aquarius will be exactly square in the first half of this December before moving on with tr Uranus to hard aspect the UK 2nd house financial Neptune and ‘speculation’ Venus in early 2022 and retrograding through the year. And worse the Solar Arc Uranus will conjunct the Mars by late 2024.
Below a rerun of a previous post: May 14 2020.
Cataclysmic descriptions about the economic damage caused by the virus lockdown are difficult to gauge since no one knows whether it’ll be a V-shaped dip with quick recovery or an L-shaped slog. The more dramatic couch it in terms of a historic first in direness. Though parallels are being drawn with the 1976 humiliation for the UK when it was forced to go cap in hand to the IMF for a loan. PM James Callaghan said: “We used to think you could spend your way out of a recession and increase employment by cutting taxes and boosting government spending. I tell you in all candour, that option no longer exists.” What followed was a reduction in government spending, tax increases and rises in interest rates. The economy did recover and it was paid back within three years but it ultimately paved the way for Margaret Thatcher’s 1979 victory.
The IMF Bailout came in December 1976 when tr Uranus was in early Scorpio and squaring Saturn in Leo, in the months running in and after. Tr Uranus in hard aspect to tr Saturn is traditionally associated with economic recessions and another such turns up in 2021 with tr Uranus half a cycle on in Taurus square Saturn in Aquarius.
On the UK chart around the time of the bailout tr Uranus was poised to oppose the 8th house financial Mars by January 1977 with tr Saturn in square. This time round tr Uranus will conjunct that UK Mars with tr Saturn in square in 2021 – so very similar. The Solar Arcs were marginally more damaging in 1976/77 with Solar Arc Saturn conjunct the financial Venus with tr Saturn in opposition to the UK Venus; and tr Uranus square the Solar Arc Venus.
But it’ll still be a very rocky ride ahead economically for the UK with the tr Uranus square tr Saturn hitting on the financial planets badly in 2021 with more disappointment by 2023 with the Solar Arc Sun square the 2nd house Venus; and more shocks in 2025 when the Solar Arc Uranus is conjunct the Mars. Tr Uranus doesn’t clear the 8th house of international trade till 2027 so it’ll be a bumpy ride ahead.
The Bank of England chart, 27 July 1694 JC, with its natal Sun Jupiter in Leo and Solar Arc Uranus in Taurus will catch the tr Saturn square tr Uranus next year for high-stress challenges. With 2023/2024/25 keying up as high-anxiety phases as well.
An IMF bailout hardly seems likely since they haven’t the money to prop up the world, but similar cutbacks and shocks look unavoidable.
ADD ON: See previous post: UK and Boris – a folie a deux ++ Tory Party 2023 turmoil4th September 2021.
‘The Conservative Party chart, 10 May 1912 is showing the Spring 2023 as a crisis point. There will be sinking moments and disappointments before then; as well as major calamities flagging up exactly now till mid October and again mid January to mid February 2022. 2022 looks nerve stretched and seriously jangled with the Solar Arc Uranus conjunct the Sun. But 2023 is the significant juncture when it could be derailed when tr Uranus is conjunct the Taurus Sun, followed by tr Uranus conjunct the Saturn at the same time as tr Neptune in an undermining square to Pluto’s power point.
Boris’s relationship with the Tory Party is sagging badly from May 2022 onwards with tr Neptune square the composite Mars; and then into a disruptive phase from May 2023 with tr Uranus in hard aspect to the composite Mercury opposition Uranus.’
Boris’s relationship with the UK is showing signs of increasing disappointment and an ebbing-away of good feeling with tr Neptune square the composite Jupiter this year and next until January 2023. There will be great irritation and confusion this December; with angry frustration and a sense of being completely trapped from March 2022 on and off till late 2023. There will be high anxiety in 2022 but it may be the explosions of 2023 as tensions spill out into public reactions that are the trigger for departure.
I’ve always thought 2022 was when the Brexit economic damage and Covid overspend could no longer be swept under the carpet as at present.
Not having an effective opposition will give Boris undeserved luck. But by this time next year Keir Starmer’s leadership chart will be passed its make-or-break Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Mars – which means either he’ll be gone or over the hurdle and there will be a more functional block standing up to the Tories.