Vietnam with a population of 96 million has, so far, managed to crush the coronavirus with no deaths recorded, having taken early measures to stop flights, lockdown the population, set up military-style quarantine camps and it has the highest test-per-confirmed-case ratio of any country in the world.

There are concerns about a second virus wave but the greatest worry ahead is economic for a trade and tourism-reliant country.

Modern Vietnam came into being on 2 July 1976 8.30 am Ha-noi, when north and south were merged after the end of the war. This year there is, exactly now, a dead-halt Solar Arc Mars opposition Pluto, as many have been thrown out of work and poverty increased. There’s also a confused tr Pluto conjunct the Solar Arc Neptune and a few jolts from tr Uranus hitting on the Vietnam Saturn square Uranus during the lockdown. But on the upside there’s an upbeat tr Pluto trine the Jupiter in Taurus till late year so confidence will stay high. Ahead the Solar Arc Pluto will oppose the Jupiter along with a Solar Arc Mars square Sun in 18 months’ time so there’ll be a major push for success which could overshoot the mark and backfire. Perhaps overly aggressive state control.

The Bank of Vietnam chart, 6 May 1951, will feel the impact of the economically unstable tr Uranus in Taurus square tr Saturn in Aquarius in 2021 and on as tr Uranus is conjunct first the Bank’s Taurus Sun in 2021 and then moves on to conjunct the Mars and square Pluto up to 2023. That will be a very rocky ride. At the same time there is a disappointing Solar Arc Neptune square the financial Venus in 2021 and then square the Saturn in 2022; plus a highly uncertain and panicky tr Neptune opposition the Saturn in 2022/23.

So much like elsewhere the economic pain will start to bite from 2021 and on for several years. But having survived through the devastating war years the Vietnamese are tougher than most.

Australia is gradually lifting restrictions with virus cases dwindling and to date only 97 deaths recorded. Economic measures taken so far are, like everywhere else, historically large in scope to support the workforce; and there are worries ahead about the essential trading relationship with China as well as the negative impact for an export-heavy economy from a global recession.

The Australia 1 January 1901 1.35pm chart indicates a bumpy two years in 2020/21 with tr Uranus trine their Saturn, Sun and Mars, though the real headaches are likely to come from 2022 onwards as tr Neptune will move onto a financial bubble-bursting square to the AU Jupiter; and tr Uranus will form a voter-upsetting conjunction to the Taurus Moon in 2023. Tr Pluto will also move to cross the Midheaven in 2023 or 24 depending on the start time of the chart, which will involve either a loss of reputation or the start of a long search for a different strategy ahead.

The Bank of Australia chart, 14 January 1960, is stressed and nerve-jangled this year with tr Pluto conjunct the Capricorn Sun and tr Uranus opposition Neptune and trine Pluto and Saturn. The Bank’s enthusiasm and confidence will be dented in 2021 with tr Neptune square their Jupiter and a jolting Solar Arc Uranus square the Sun at the same time. 2022 to 2026 look extremely challenging, not to say devastating years with a run of difficult aspects – major confusion and meltdown from Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Neptune in 2022, panicky failure from tr Neptune square Mars in 2024/5; dead-halt with Solar Arc Mars opposition Pluto in 2025 and shocks from Solar Arc Sun square Mars in 2026.

The changeover of the signs through the middle years of this decade – Pluto into Aquarius, Neptune into Aries and Uranus into Gemini – will have a major impact and shift the country’s trajectory.

Australia survived the 2008 crash better than most though the global recession after did bite, but they are a resilient country with better reserves going into this crisis than most.

Karl Marx, described as one of the most influential figures in human history, both lauded and criticised, was born on 5 May 1818 2am in Trier, Germany into a middle class, non-religious, liberally inclined Jewish family. Marx’s political writings forced him into exile in London as a stateless person, where, in collaboration with Friederich Engels, he wrote The Communist Manifesto and the three-volume Das Kapital. Their writings had enormous influence on subsequent intellectual, economic and political history.

He married and had seven children, only three of whom survived to adulthood. He himself was plagued by health problems – a liver ailment aggravated by overwork, bad diet and lack of sleep, inflammation of the eyes induced by too much work at night; and eruption of carbuncles or boils exacerbated by alcohol, tobacco, poor diet and failure to sleep.

He had a New Moon Taurus in his financial 2^nd house, ironic given his perpetual shortage of money. His New Moon was in a confident and lucky trine to Jupiter in capitalist Capricorn, sextiling onto Saturn in Pisces. His Mars in excitable Cancer was in a frustrated and angry trine to Pluto, sextiling onto Venus in Taurus; and his Pluto was square a 10^th house reforming, revolutionary Uranus and an idealistic Neptune. His Saturn was also in a can-be autocratic square to Uranus. His Saturn Pluto conjunction would give him a depressive streak and his Uranus Neptune is tinged with genius but also highly-strung.

It’s a powerful, talented chart but he didn’t have a happy or an easy temperament.

His leaving-a-legacy-for history 17^th Harmonic is, not surprisingly, immensely strong with a Cardinal Grand Cross of Sun opposition Neptune square Saturn opposition Pluto, North Node; and Mars opposition Venus square Midheaven. His 22H is also marked which is usual for someone who made a global impact – with a ruthless Pluto Mars opposition Neptune square Venus Moon.

He wrote The Communist Manifesto with Engels in 1848, the year of ‘European Revolutions’ when Uranus and Pluto were together in Aries with Saturn catching up fast in late Pisces.

Friederich Engels was born 28 November 1820 9pm Barmen (Wuppertal) Germany, heir to a prosperous textile business, whose revolutionary tendencies disappointed his family. He was an unlikely communist sympathiser being ‘a great lover of the good life, passionate advocate of individuality, and enthusiastic believer in literature, culture, art and music.’

He had an extraordinarily Mutable chart with his Sun, Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Neptune spread out through Sagittarius with Jupiter North Node and Pluto in Pisces and a Virgo Moon. Four of his Sagittarius planets sitting in his fun-loving, sociable 5^th house would make him a bon viveur. Jupiter in the 8^th, blessed with money from previous generations.

Pluto in his 8^th gave him the capacity for great influence – in square to Neptune with megalomaniac ambitions, square Uranus of a revolutionary nature; and in square to Mars a ruthless streak; square to Mercury dogmatic in arguments. Saturn in Aries in the 9^th – self-righteous, strongly held opinions and beliefs.

There were good cross overs for joint ambitious projects with Marx’s New Moon in Taurus falling in his career 10^th; and his Sagittarius planets falling in Marx’s 10^th with the exception of his Sagittarius Sun which was conjunct Marx’s Midheaven from the philosophical 9^th. It wouldn’t always be the easiest of relationships since his Mars was in a sparky conjunction to Marx’s Uranus but they would spark off each other.

The tr Uranus Pluto conjunction in Aries of the European Year of Revolutions in 1848 when he and Marx started to publish fell in his 10^th house.

His creative and can-be-dominating 5^th Harmonic was strongly marked with a hard-edged (and cruel) Mars Saturn – 5th harmonic types want to remake the world according to their writ. His leaving-a-legacy 17H was also heavily aspected, innovative and ruthless.

Although some scholars have attempted to exonerate them from blame for the state crimes of the communist regimes which followed, others have said the destructive consequences were implicit in their centralising theories.

A German court has set a bomb under the EU legal order by questioning the European Central Bank’s 2015 programme to buy sovereign bonds. The judges gave German institutions three months’ notice after which if the ECB has not complied with their doctrine, the Bundesbank and other German entities are banned from participating in the quantitative easing programme. It appeared to have taken it upon itself to the role of interpreting this area of EU law; which would pave the way for other national constitutional courts to challenge the European legal order and the European Court of Justice in other areas. There are already disputes with Hungary and Poland about the implementation of European law.

All very arcane and legalistic and the economics are beyond me but Germany has always, along with the Netherlands, been the sticking point for any bale out for Italy, Spain, Greece etc – which argument will come to a head sooner rather than later.

The Germany/EU relationship chart does have tr Uranus conjunct the financial 8^th house Taurus Moon exactly now, and repeating into early 2021. So the Karlsruhe ruling has hit home. And the upcoming December Solar Eclipse will be conjunct the composite Saturn for a battle of wills over differing definitions of the rules and responsibilities involved in the joint project. Into 2021 through till late 2022 tr Pluto will conjunct the composite Neptune for continuing confusion, disappointment, even devastation. So the relationship is not likely to improve over the immediate future.

Germany itself will be undergoing massive changes over the next several years with tr Pluto opposition their 10^th house Uranus in 2021/22; and the erratic and unpredictable tr Uranus moving through their financial 8^th house starting two months back and extending on for several years. Tr Uranus conjunct their 8^th house controlling Pluto in 2022/23 will be particularly disruptive. And even before then, this June’s Cancer Solar Eclipse will oppose the Germany Saturn and square Mars which is likely to reap an unhappy whirlwind in the months following.

And the EU won’t have its economic troubles to seek either with tr Uranus also now into their 8^th house and aiming to conjunct the 8^th house Moon and square Uranus from this July onwards – so the financial heat will be rising.

50 years ago what were regarded as state sanctioned killings of four students at Kent State University rattled the USA right up to the White House. The students were protesting Nixon’s surreptitious expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia and Laos and there had been damage to property by fringe activists in the days before. The Republican governor described the protestors as ‘brownshirts’ or communists and called in the National Guard, who for reasons that were never explained opened fire on unarmed students who had no idea the guns were loaded.

Nixon did reverse out of Cambodia six weeks later, Congress later curbed a president’s right to make war without oversight, and the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18. So there were a few positives born out of a national shock and shame. It brought to an end a decade that started in hope with JFK, aspired to improve civil rights and ban unjust wars, and ended in a conservative backlash. The Republican governor was re-elected for another two terms.

It happened on 4 May 1970 at 12.24pm, Kent, Ohio when there was a Sun Saturn conjunction in Taurus and a passionate and excitable Venus Mars in Gemini trine Uranus. The chart itself isn’t too interesting though the previous Solar Eclipse located to Kent is. It had the Psices New Moon exactly on the Midheaven, making it a critical location; with an emotionally intense Venus opposition Pluto; and an equally excitable and unstable Jupiter opposition Saturn Mars in Taurus – Saturn Mars being associated traditionally with the military and assassinations. The previous Lunar Eclipse had Mars in Aries conjunct the IC (and square the USA 1776 Pluto opposition Mercury). Planets on the axis in eclipse charts indicates these are crisis regions.

The USA 1776 chart at the time significantly had its Solar Arc Sun opposition the USA Mercury tugging on that fanatical, power-hungry Mercury opposition Pluto which is being sparked up at the moment and for the next three years by tr Pluto in square. The Solar Arc Uranus was exactly opposition the USA Mars for an inflammatory, tinderbox mood.

All countries have their horror moments but the USA does appear to have more than most for what is supposedly a democracy.

Additional thought – the Inauguration chart for January 2021 assuming it isn’t delayed – has a hair-raising Uranus Mars in Taurus square Saturn Jupiter – which might well point to violent protests met with retaliating violence.

New Zealand will keep a closed border policy for a considerable period ahead according to PM Jacinda Ardern. This will hit the tourism industry as well as trade with China – both of which are essential to the economy. The NZ finance minister warned last month that the country is facing an economic shock “a quantum greater” than that of the 2008 crisis, with high unemployment. With a population of around 5 million they have had 20 coronavirus deaths to date and are easing internal restrictions.

New Zealand always was facing an exceptionally tough decade starting on its Uranus Return, followed by a series of heavy, challenging transits right through the 2020s. Tr Pluto moving into the 4^th house this year and staying for many years ahead bringing internal disquiet and strains, will conjunct the NZ Capricorn Sun Mars and square the NZ Pluto from early 2021 to 2024; with the economically destabilising tr Uranus in Taurus square tr Saturn in Aquarius in 2021 hitting on the NZ (Uranus) Saturn. The Solar Arc Saturn will square the Sun in 2021, then Mars in 2023, then oppose Pluto in 2026 bringing a series of setbacks. By which time tr Pluto has moved into Taurus and will form a disruptive (revolutionary) conjunction to the Uranus and move onto a tough-slog conjunction with Saturn up to the end of the decade.

The Bank of New Zealand, 1 August 1934, is stressed this year with tr Uranus square the Sun, tr Pluto square Pluto and a ‘shocking’ Solar Arc Sun opposition Uranus. But isn’t as stressed in the following years as after 2008 or indeed the UK joining the EEC in 1973 when there was economic pain.

The country is earthquake prone so there may be an element of natural disasters ahead. Though the major 2011 and 1931 quakes both occurred when Uranus was in Aries and that has moved on.

The China ‘situation’ will have a serious impact on the country with considerable strain showing on the relationship charts with China 1912 and 1949 right through till after mid-decade.

Jacinda Ardern’s First Term chart, 26 October 2017 11.20am was blessed with a lucky and successful Sun Jupiter Venus in the 10^th. She’s up for re-election on September 19 this year. There’s no birth time for her, 26 July 1980, but she does have a lucky tr Uranus trine her Jupiter in Virgo over the election; as well as (probably) a successful Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct her Pluto; with one less-than-helpful tr Pluto square her Saturn/Uranus midpoint which could be a stumbling block. Her 2021/22 look less than exuberant with tr Neptune undermining her popularity in square to her Venus and in an uncertain opposition to her Saturn; and her Solar Arc Saturn is in a blocking square to her Sun. If she is back in, she’ll have a less progressive second term.

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Greece is looking forward to kickstarting its tourism season by July 1^st. The government acted swiftly at the start of the pandemic and to date they have had only 146 deaths. Tourism accounts for around 25% of Greek GDP and one in five jobs. They are hoping initially to attract visitors from neighbouring countries not reliant solely on aeroplanes. Their economy had only just started to recover from an eight-year financial crisis when the lockdown was imposed.

Much as with Iceland, the country and central bank charts are challenged through till mid-decade but not under anything like the pressure of 2008 to 2015.

The Greece 25 March 1821 5pm chart has undermining dips from tr Neptune square the Midheaven and Moon and conjunct Venus Mars in Pisces this year and next. With a tough patch in 2024 from a deprived Solar Arc Pluto opposition Saturn.

The 24 July 1974 4pm chart is in a state of upheaval this year with tr Pluto square the Uranus; with setbacks from tr Saturn square the Leo Sun. There will be a significant hiccup and block in 2022 from Solar Arc Saturn conjunct the Mars; and a lacklustre, directionless tr Neptune conjunct the midheaven as well.

The central bank chart, 7 December 1927, will be facing some crises over the next eighteen months as the Sagittarius/Gemini Eclipses rattle its Sun Saturn in Sagittarius from mid this year and through 2021. And financial pressures from tr Pluto square the Venus and a bubble-bursting /confidence-denting tr Neptune conjunct Jupiter in 2022/23.

But again nothing like the dead-halt, meltdown, grindingly painful influences they had post 2008 for several years.

Iceland is doing better than most with the virus outbreak after decisive action by the authorities imposing a rigorous policy of testing and tracking to find and isolate infected people, even when they had no symptoms. They moved fast at the start and got a grip before other countries. Their tiny population of 360,000 also helped, with just 10 deaths so far.

They will be affected nonetheless because of air travel restrictions, as well as a dip in tourism everywhere. But they are nowhere near as stressed as post the 2008 crash which caused a banking collapse and severe economic depression for several years.

The Iceland 17 June 1944 2pm chart does hint at some disruption and upheavals for the next few years from tr Uranus square the Iceland Pluto into 2021 and then square Mars in 2022. 2021 also has the jolting Solar Arc Sun square Uranus and a run of Neptune squares to the financial Venus, Sun and Saturn between 2021 and mid decade, which latter don’t suggest vigorous growth.

The 1 December 1918 Iceland chart hints that 2022 onwards till 2026 will have their stress points with Uranus squaring the Iceland Uranus opposition Saturn; and a debilitating Solar Arc Neptune square the Uranus and then Saturn. Both charts will be affected by the run of Eclipses, Lunar and Solar picking up from the middle of this year in Gemini/Sagittarius which continue through 2021.

The Bank of Iceland chart, 7 April 1961, is nerve-stretched this year with tr Uranus opposition the Neptune from July on and off for a year thereafter; plus a financially stressed tr Pluto square the Venus.

So much of a pattern with other countries indicating economic pain until mid decade. But none of the Iceland charts are anywhere near as challenged as they were in the devastating years after the collapse of 2008. So not great but not calamitous.

Trump’s never-ending supply of ‘Comical Ali’ press spokespersons has thrown up another doozy in “I will never lie to you” Kayleigh McEnany. She does appear marginally more experienced with a background in CNN and Fox than previous incumbents of the post – Kellyanne Conway, Sean Spicer, Sarah Sanders – but her support of the anti-Obama birther nonsense and her flat denial that CV19 would ever come to the USA don’t give much hope that she’ll deviate from the true believer MAGA line.

Born 18 April 1988 in Tampa, Florida, she has media experience as well as a Harvard law degree. She’s a late Sun Mercury in Aries with a Taurus/Gemini Moon. But what dominates her chart are two other planetary aspects. One is the generational Uranus, Saturn, Neptune in Capricorn which can be tinged with genius or plain chaotic.  Her Sun Mercury are trine Uranus Saturn so she will be innovative and also autocratic. The other is a super-determined, pushily confident Jupiter in Taurus opposition Pluto square an ornery Mars in Aquarius. A Fixed sign focal point Mars is headstrong, with single-minded persistence, a bulldozer who lets little stand in her way. It does give her guts and ability but she will be inordinately stubborn.

If her birth time is morning, then it’ll put her Taurus Moon on Trump’s midheaven which would make sense, though there will be raggedy edges since her monumentally obstinate T square impacts on his Pluto.

The relationship chart has a slippery composite Sun opposition Neptune and trine Pluto – which could suggest joint megalomaniac ambitions, as well as the potential for scandal. The composite Neptune is conjunct Mars which allows for only one ego, so will require her to grit her teeth and play nice for the sake of advancement. It’s a power-hungry combination if they manage not to fall out. But with a composite Uranus opposition Pluto they will, as a pair, move through constantly changing times which could upset the applecart.

Her year ahead will have great highs and several major dips with tr Uranus shaking up first her Mars and then Jupiter in May/June and on into more major disruptions in 2021 as tr Uranus opposes her Pluto. She doesn’t budge easy not even with Uranus lighting storms under her feet.