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There is much astro-chatter about the upcoming stellium in Capricorn on January 17th. Stelliums are three or more planets close together all throwing their energy together. This one has Sun and Moon conjunct Venus and Pluto with Saturn Mercury also in early Capricorn. I’d be more concerned if there were more outer planets involved. Inner planets can act as triggers but don’t have the weighty effect of the outer ones.

It will still focus a good deal of planetary zap onto a specific area of individual charts – Trump’s 5^th house (ruling children and speculation); the UK/EU/Germany’s 4^th houses respectively, ruling domestic matters. Whether or not the stellium will have much long term effect, just of itself, I’d doubt.  Though it will affect babies born then – stelliums can make for geniuses, very single-focused on a narrow area of life.

The other question is whether the Sun ingressing Capricorn at the same time as Saturn is significant. Saturn returns to Capricorn every 29 years, but not often on the same day as the Sun’s annual cycle as it did this year. A previous occasion in 1664 was followed by the plague which wiped out a third of London’s population and in 1666 the Great Fire. But I would have ascribed these more to the Saturn Neptune conjunction in Capricorn – Saturn Neptune often accompanying epidemics and times of civilian panic.

It occurred again when Napoleon of France made his failed invasion into Russia in 1812; and again in 1871 when Germany came together as a unified country. On the first of these there was a devastating Neptune square Pluto in orb; on the second a can-be-fanatical Uranus square Neptune was around.

You can drown yourself in data and connections which are always there with so many cycles to play with. I find I have to stand back and be selective about what I pay attention to otherwise it gets too muddling.

The USA is due for a dose of reality as tr Saturn in Capricorn starts to opposes the USA Venus and Jupiter in Cancer in Jan/Feb, July/Aug and Oct/Nov 2018. They’ll feel unloved or at a loss, with their enthusiasm and confidence dented. Both Venus and Jupiter have financial implications though the economy and employment rates are holding up, partly because of strategies put in place pre-Trump. Economic plans usually having a two year lag.

The fanatical, hostilely-argumentative tr Uranus square the USA Mercury opposition Pluto will have cleared by mid April, though it won’t totally disappear. Previous occurrences oversaw Watergate and McCarthyism.

The Jan/Feb and July/Aug Solar and Lunar Eclipses will jolt the USA Aquarius Moon (no matter which chart start time is used) which usually brings emotional and domestic shocks, as did last August’s. More pointedly the mid July Solar Eclipse in Cancer will conjunct the USA Mercury pulling on the Pluto opposition, so sparking up that bitterly dogmatic energy again for several months, with mis-communications rife. The Eclipse opposition Pluto will offer an opportunity for a clean-out of stagnating situations, though it’s likely to be ignored, leading to further decay.

Neptune is also at its favourite ploy of dissolving, undermining and spreading smokescreens around – conjunct the Solar Arc Sun in January; and more worrisome, squaring the Mars/Uranus midpoint from April onwards, which also has the Solar Arc Saturn conjunct around mid year. When Mars/Uranus is triggered it brings a test of nerve, is associated with violence or operations. Neptune in the mix will add a layer of cunning and deceit, as well as mental instability.

On a more cheerful note the Jupiter/Node midpoint will be activated by tr Pluto in opposition from late March, on and off till late 2019. And tr Jupiter in Scorpio will be trine the USA Sun and then Mercury and sextile Pluto till the fall which will both bring morale boosts.

The USA leadership-ability North Node in Leo will meet a nodal return mid 2018, which is (should be) a time of striving to develop the country’s soul destiny.

The Trump term chart indicates a marked change of direction when tr Uranus squares the MC in March; more so as Uranus moves into Taurus to square the Sun from mid-May onwards, which will be a considerable jolt – that latter returns in Oct/Nov and early 2019. There will be moments of triumph and luck from late March and also several sinking phases through the year. The real problems may hold off until 2019, especially late in the year as the Solar Arc Pluto closes the square to Uranus to exact, which is highly unstable. The Jupiter on his Term chart does give him more luck than he deserves, but it could also tempt him to push past across one line too far as tr Pluto starts to square the Jupiter in 2019/2020. That can often result in clashes with authorities.

For Trump personal timeline see posts November 30^th and October 19.

The tumultuous Uranus square Pluto is waning fast, which has made for a series of rolling upheavals, rebellions and uncertainties since 2012. To be replaced by an approaching Saturn Pluto conjunction in Capricorn which won’t come into exact aspect until 2019 but the effect will be felt, of a more battened down and repressive mood. Uranus moving into Taurus in May will put three of the four outer planets in Earth signs, focussing attention on money, possessions and work, with more of an emphasis on maintaining the status quo. Earth is good at building solid structures and businesses, but lacks flair, imagination and sentimentality, and dislikes sudden change. Saturn will trine Uranus at points in the second half of the way which can point to cautious innovations.

Jupiter will continue in sex-and-money Scorpio till November which picked up last fall with the #metoo outings; but also has financial implications, of which Trump’s tax reforms may be part – making the rich richer.

The Eclipses, Solar and Lunar will continue to focus on Aquarius and Leo, with the North Node in Leo till late year. Although there are two Solar Eclipses mid-year, the second in July falling in Cancer with the New Moon opposition Pluto. That looks the most fraught, with the Lunar Eclipse following on 27^th July, having the Moon conjunct Mars opposition Sun square Uranus – so very rock n’ roll.

Neptune continues in Pisces till well into the 2020s fuelling religious zeal and casting its usual smoke and mirrors effect to obscure clarity of thinking.

Jupiter will sextile Pluto along the way for some highs; trine Neptune at other times for ‘false happiness’ and delusional hopes (financially) though only in a mild way. And moves into upbeat Sagittarius from November for a year. April looks high-risk with The Aries Sun square Pluto and conjunct Uranus; and Mars in Capricorn conjunct Saturn and Pluto.

Trump is continuing his petulant war of words with CNN, retweeting a doctored image with the CNN logo imposed on a bloodlike splatter under his shoe. Even a conservative radio host criticized him for attacking CNN and the FBI on the morning of Christmas Eve. He tweeted “Grow up sir. Have you no sense of decency? Go spend time with your family.” And a former Government Ethics director call him a “wannabe autocrat”. “These colicky tweets reveal he’s hurting this weekend. They make him (and our country) look weak.”

Full of his usual festive cheer.

CNN certainlys hit him in a vulnerable spot astrologically. They launched on 1 June 1980 6pm EST and have Saturn in meticulous, workmanlike Virgo which squares onto Trump’s Sun and Moon, so he’ll appreciate them as much as being doused in a bucket of cold water. Saturn cuts down to size, criticizes, shines a light on shadow issues. The CNN Pluto is also conjunct his Jupiter for a power-playing struggle for the upper hand; and given that their Pluto also squares his Saturn, they block him by making him feel unloved (Saturn in Cancer).

The Trump/CNN relationship chart has an explosive, abrasive composite Mars Uranus conjunction; and another fight-for-control aspect in a composite Sun square Pluto. Relations will continue to slide through 2018 but it will be 2019 when they hit their nadir.

Israel is becoming increasingly worried as Syrian army forces backed by Iranian-backed militias, including Hezbollah, push closer to the Israeli border. Assad is intent on reclaiming Syrian territory lost to the rebels during the civil war. More worrying is Tehran’s desire to consolidate and expand their sphere of influence. Which is why Israel in the last few weeks has stepped up its strikes against suspected Iranian targets inside Syria. Assad is now in control of 70% of the country whereas before Russia’s intervention he only had 25%. The situation is fluid with Syrian troops quelling jihadist militia, and he may be wary of allowing Iran too much influence as he grows stronger. But it could easily spill over into a wider conflict, if it leads to an Iran-Israel confrontation, which would pull the USA in.

The previous post on Assad, December 15^th, pointed to a high-risk period coming from early 2018 right through till the early 2020s, so his game isn’t won yet, by a long shot.

With astrology it’s never wise to connect too many dots since there may be disparate problems flaring up. But US Defence Secretary James Mattis does look on war-alert from February 2018, with tr Pluto square his Mars/Saturn midpoint, though none too happy about it. That could, of course by North Korea, or just plain exasperation at Trump. Israel looks to be marginally panicked in January, on full-steam-ahead and damn-the consequences in February; explosive in March and highly edgy in April. So tensions will continue to escalate.

The 31 January 2018 Lunar Eclipse at 11 Leo triggers the Iran 1 February 1979 Aquarius Sun exactly as well as its Mars Mercury. And locating that chart to Iran puts the disruptive Uranus conjunct the Midheaven and the Full Moon across the Asc/Desc axis, which does point to significant events, not necessarily on the day itself but over the few months covered by the eclipse. And the 15 February 2018 Solar Eclipse is exactly conjunct the IC located to Teheran, which again suggests it will be the focus of important events. There could also or alternatively be natural disasters, such as earthquakes, as well since Mars on an eclipse is often points to a shocking collision of sorts, and Uranus on the MC to major upheavals

Neither Iran chart, 1979 or 7 October 1906, looks positive in February with tr Neptune opposition Saturn on one and tr Neptune square Mars/Saturn on the other before continuing on to conjunct the Mars by April and onwards – both of which will feel like failure and at least induce panic and major concerns.

The Eclipses will also trigger and aggravate the Israel chart with the Lunar Eclipse being conjunct their stubbornly, war-like Saturn Pluto and the Solar Eclipse opposing their Mars, which echoes last year’s eclipses. So it will be a fraught period throughout that region.

FYI: My last Syria post evoked a charming response from an ru email (Russia-based) threatening me with butchery and describing me in terms which I won’t repeat in front of the children.

Will do a look round at the  general year ahead when I have a moment; plus countries.  Keep cheerful.

New Zealand, like California, is feeling not just the winds of change but a full-on force 9 gale approaching. New Zealand became self-governing on 17 January 1853, so just two years after California became a state. The NZ chart has Sun Mars in late Capricorn square Pluto in Aries and Uranus in early Taurus. So there will be an extended period of upheaval and radical change as tr Uranus squares the Sun Mars and conjuncts Pluto in 2018; and then moves onto a Uranus return in 2019; followed in the early 2020s by tr Pluto conjunct Sun Mars and square Pluto. It will be fairly similar to the Depression of the 1930s which did hit NZ hard.

It may be partly economic because of Jacinda Ardern’s new centre-left government which has hit business confidence, with Forbes suggesting a recession is inevitable during her term. She is intent on re-asserting government controls which were lifted in the 1980s leading to unprecedented economic growth, and it became one of the richest countries in the world. Drought may also be an increasing problem as well as natural disasters.

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Tramping the Catalan secessionist movement under foot appears to be the Spanish government’s continuing tactic with murmurs that a fresh wave of arrests of nationalists may be unleashed. PM Rajoy stands accused of using the judiciary as a political tool. ‘The speed with which the justice system has responded to the Catalan crisis is in marked contrast to the glacial pace with which it is handling the hundreds of corruption cases involving members of the ruling Popular party.’ (Guardian). 19 of the elected candidates are in prison, on bail or in exile, and face charges that carry up to 30 years inside. An official report into the largely peaceful demonstrations organised by Catalan grassroots organisations in October described them as “sowing the seeds of hate towards the Spanish state”.

A bully-boy strategy is guaranteed to harden attitudes even amongst those Catalans who would favour a unified Spain. Memories of Franco’s dictatorial treatment of the region still rankle and there is a centuries-old dislike of Madrid in the north. Catalans versus Castilians – history never dies.

The Catalonia 11 May 1258 JC chart, is highly unsettled through 2018 with Solar Arc Saturn (forces of repression) conjunct the rebellious Catalonia Uranus; and an explosive tr Uranus opposition Mars from mid-2018 into 2019, with more emotional outbursts following.

The Spain 19 January 1479 JC chart seems to work better than the modern 1975 one. The Aquarius Sun and Jupiter in Taurus have been rattled by the 2017 Eclipses and will be again in 2018. Over confidence could be a problem ahead which what may precipitate the fast-downward slide it’ll hit from April 2018 till 2020 with tr Neptune conjunct Mars and opposition Saturn.

It poses a headache for the EU, not that they care much about democracy or secessionist movements. But relations with Spain are moving into a troubled period till 2020. In some ways more difficult than EU/UK relations. And that shows up both on the EU/Spain 1479 relationship chart as well as the EU/Spain 1975 one.

Politicians never learn. Like Palestine and the RCs in Northern Ireland. Treat them badly, when some turn violent out of frustration meet that with retaliating violence and so it escalates. When it would be perfectly simple in the case of Catalonia to give them more autonomy within a unified Spain and let it all settle down.  NB: PM Rajoy was Jesuit-educated, is pro-bullfighting and has had several corruption allegations made against him all denied and found unproven by the courts. Judges are political appointees.