The massive cost of disengaging from Russia’s stranglehold over Europe’s gas supplies may be a partial explanation for the hefty financial crunch flagged up on many central bank charts as Pluto moves into Aquarius in 2023.
See post September 11 2021.
Germany gets 55 per cent of its gas, 45 per cent of its coal and 40 per cent of its oil from Russia. Belgium, France, the Netherlands import less than 10% natural gas; Spain and Portugal none. Italy 40%. Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, 60%, Poland, 80%. Bulgaria all. With reserves in place, most states would likely make it to autumn of 2022 without severe shortages. But the price, already up by 60% on the Ukraine invasion, would go through the roof. Post-COVID-19 economic recoveries will be derailed. It will be far more difficult to run the European economy for several years without Russian gas.
The much lauded Angela Merkel has seen her legacy tarnished as her softly softly approach to Putin over Nordstrom, closing nuclear power stations and keeping defence costs down has blown up in her face.
The new chancellor Olaf Scholz has, much to general surprise, transformed German policy in just a week, increasing Germany’s defence budget by €100 billion, finally meeting Nato’s 2 per cent spending target; and beginning to tackle a revamp of the energy policy.
The explosive jolt showing on the Germany 1 January 1871 chart from mid June this year as tr Uranus is conjunct the 8th house financial Pluto (for the first time since 1939) is beginning to make sense. It runs on and off into early 2023. With tr Pluto in a frustrating, trapped trine to the Germany Mars picking up from March 2023 till late 2024. Like the UK and the EU chart it has tr Uranus bringing a roller coaster economic ride as it moves through the 8th house for another several years.
The Bundesbank (Central Bank) 26 July 1957, will hit a crossroads from late this May as tr Uranus is conjunct its South Node, throwing up, though 2023/24 is when it moves into confused and paralysed state with tr Pluto square the Neptune and tr Uranus in a ‘shocking’ insecure square to the Mars.
Olaf Scholz was sworn in on 8 December 2021 at 10.55am which puts a redoubtable Mars in Scorpio conjunct the Midheaven sextile Pluto Venus and trine Neptune, so there’s no doubting his determination. But the 2nd house Neptune square Sun Mercury hints at financial disappointments and indecision. His own personal chart, 14 June 1958, has tr Neptune square the Gemini Sun and Saturn in Sagittarius now, and running till the year end, so a confused, undermining year.
Relocating Angela Merkel’s chart to Moscow buries her resolute Pluto trine Mars in the ‘trapped’ 8th and less-assertive 12th houses; and puts her hopeful Jupiter in the 7th. The Midheaven of that relocated chart will receive a serious jolt from late May onwards.
Gerhard Schröder, former Germany chancellor, even more complicit, sits on the boards of Russia’s state-owned energy companies, Rosneft and Gazprom. He once called Putin a “flawless democrat”; while the Wall Street Journal called him “a luxury-loving, paid-up, swaggering instrument of Vladimir Putin.” He signed the signed the original Nord Stream deal to supply Russian gas to Germany just before he departed office in 2005 and then swiftly accepted Gazprom’s nomination to head up the shareholder’s committee of Nord Stream AG. His chart located to Moscow has puts his Aries Sun in the speculative 5th and Venus in his 4th, hinting he’d be relaxed about living there (in luxury). The midheaven of his relocated chart is catching the dissolving tr Neptune square at the moment.
Marine Le Pen, the French far-right candidate, another Putin apologist has Venus on her Midheaven and Jupiter in her 10th located to Moscow suggesting her career has benefited from her Russia connection.
Boris Johnson is similarly at ease in the Moscow mood with his sociable Sun Venus in Gemini on his Descendant there, and a relaxed, indulgent Jupiter in his 4th. However it also puts his Scorpio Moon conjunct his relocated Midheaven and Neptune in his 10th being rattled from this mid May onwards. He’s coming under increasing pressure to speed up sanctions on his erstwhile buddies, tennis cronies and Tory Party donors amongst the Russia oligarchs.
Just to point out to UnmysticMom, there are third world countries with fantastic health care systems. Of course I can’t actually say who pays for them.
Germany’s dependency on Russia for its oil and gas was always going to be a problem. Almost like an addiction that Merkel was always willing to feed, even at the expense of their nuclear power industry, which was state of the art. I don’t really think the Germans will give it up. Dies anyone?
Andrew Neil in the Daily Mail states Johnson is now in a position to remain leader of the Conservatives. I couldn’t read all the article it made so angry. Angel Merkel was a Christian Democrat and I believe her heart ruled her head. It certainly looked that way with her intertwined chart with Russia. She personified the East/West Unification. Perhaps she stayed too long. Two things Cameron stated about Europe rings true, one is the UK leaving could start a War and the other is no leader should stay more than two terms. This War is slightly personal for me I am half European and have Eastern European DNA. I feel displaced living under Johnson’s rule, as he does rule.
Helen, the headline of that article depressed me so much that I couldn’t bother reading it, but I did read the comments to the article. And they were even more depressing! People endorsing Johnson and calling him one of the best PMs was just too much to take in. How can ordinary people not see through that charlatan is beyond me.
?
huh, terri?
I haven’t heard anyone in America “support” Putin (excluding odd politicians using war to make points).
U.S. newscasters are visibly dismayed delivering updates on Ukraine, and U.S civilians are pained by those reports.
Your statement that a good portion of Americans are fascist is false – the united cries of The Good Portion of this planet for Ukraine includes the United States.
No more.
No less.
Unfortunately, @”A”Fan, on my local Nextdoor community site in generally progressive coastal San Diego, California, there’s a nest of pro-Putin fascists spreading Russian propaganda. They’re present, the same cultists who listen to Tucker Carlson and Fox and support Trump.
Hi Nicole ~ Seems “bad portions” can be found anywhere – and I’m sorry you have some troublesome neighbors. I take heart that The Good Portion, in America and the world, are distressed by the treatment of Ukraine – and hold hope for peace. May majority rule on this!
Hold your seats: President of Finland Sauli Niinistö is always very cryptic, but from his statements today and Swedish PM actually flying to Finland on Saturday tomorrow I would reduct Finland is going to leave a NATO application, Sweden might join.
In his New Year’s speech President Sauli Niinistö of Finland quoted Henry Kissinger: “Whenever avoidance of war has been the primary objective of a group of powers, the international system has been at the mercy of its most ruthless member. ”
Russian troops started shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant last night, the largest of its kind, in southeastern Ukraine. Disaster was averted, but experts in US suggest this is just the beginning it’s expected that they will target the remaining three. How can this insanity go on! Any astrology there?
Sorry I’ve been out all day – will look tomorrow. But somewhat depressing to put it mildly ahead with more major ruptures and jolts to come.
This is, actually, where I think China will hop in and do some kind of “peacekeeping”. They are actually pretty serious on civilian nuclear security for some reason.
Disclaimer: Not an expert here, but I have noticed the fact Chinese take this seriously.
@solaia I hope you are right but so far zero reaction from China on the nuclear power attack. In the opening of the Paralympics today the Opening ceremony speech by IPC president Andrew Parsons for peace in Ukraine was all but censored in China. Given China’s abuses, I don’t think there is much to be expected.
@Anita, they don’t want their big market dead of radiation poisoning. This is the thing with China, they actually always think of theiir markets.
Correction there are actually 15 nuclear plants in Ukraine
Geothermal energy is the way forward. Can generate it in your own backyard (so to speak) thus ending dependency on energy imports. Still in it’s infancy unfortunately but apart from nuclear revival (which would be safe once we discover how to neutralise the residue), it could soon be fast-tracked as part of the overal energy transition away from fossil. In NL the brakes have been put on installing more solar as the existing infrastructure has reached its limits. War is despicable but also a huge driver of innovation.
Marjorie, you have been amazing in these difficult times, giving us all a platform to Share our thoughts. Your posts gives us hope for better times. This whole nexus of money and absolute power has to end! please is it possible to look at Ben Elliott’s chart. He is the Conservative party chairman, nephew of Camilla and basically key link between Russian donors and Johnson. Two days ago there was an article in Times newspaper about his links and how he has closed down his Moscow webpage after the sanctions. He was the one who introduced Billionaire Amrisi to Prince Charles. He is the key link between Conservative party-donors – Royalty. Any thoughts on his future?
Steady information and caring insight from upstanding people.
Props to Marjorie for the stealth portraits and sharing her platform.
Better than some established Newspapers.
I have just received a letter from British Gas assuring me that I am on the lowest tariff while at the same time telling me that my gas bill is going to increase by 54 percent. It us already astronomical, but that increase means that I will be paying over £3,600 per year just to heat my house as I have already cut back heavily on cooking and the hor water.
As for solar panels, we were told years ago that it would cost £60,000 to install the wretched things. Hardly affordable! Despite its un-eco and un pc Ness, I am tempted to have my gas boiler taken out and a coal back boiler put in. Fuel has to be affordable, whatever anyone might think!
Prior to the 1970s, most Britons were pretty used to living in a cold house, generally only keeping one single room of the house – the living room – heated.
A whole generation has grown up with the luxury of instant hot water and warm surroundings. They will find that opulence very hard to give up.
I remember that there were always stories in the newspapers of elderly people dying of hypothermia. Weren’t there public information films telling them to put their heating on and for neighbours for look out for uncollected milk bottles outside doors?
I’m never sure of whether I dreamt this stuff or not, but turns out it was real
@Jonathan Portes, there were and to an extend still are jokes in Nordic Countries on Brittish people building houses that were colder inside than outsidr. We were always not rich here, but somehow managed to build houses that kept people alive at -30 C temperatures.
And I personally have never been more cold than living near Florence in Winter. Our apartment temperature in a house built in late 1970’s, early 1980’s was between +12 and +14 for months. Heated with gas, paying more my father paid to keep our home at +22 – +23 all through Winter with oil burner (they now heat with district heating), because nothing was isolated. It was similarly painful in the Summer.
We paid 6,000 euros for 11 panels (3,500 kwh/year), including placement and other equipment – situated in western EU
It’s great if you have the weather but putting a solar panel on a British roof sounds like the definition of optimism to me 😉
I think we got used to cheap North Sea gas and no plan for when it ran out.
Excellent article especially concerning energy crisis. However in UK, Margriet the only people that can
afford electric cars heat pumps solar panels etc are the rich 5percent in this country . Not sure the people in
Germany can all afford those things either
The UK has much more social inequality than the western EU countries. With these energy prices it is affordable for many people to have solar panels that cover all of your electricity use or even more, and to “fuel” your electric car for free. I see more and more of them appearing on the roofs. Or there are collective initiatives. In France (I lived there for a while, too) the “chauffage collectif” (collective heating & hot water) was fuelled for a large part with organic rest material from the wine industry.
I disagree,as a Brit. That loved in Germany for more than 25 years on and off in the North there is wind energy and many people have solar panels. In Bavaria we had a lot of sun and less humidity than we are used to in the UK. Nearly all the houses had solar panels. I believe that much of the energy from solar panels on private houses goes into the grid, but the electricity is reduced in price..Many have converted their heating system to wood chip burners, a few have earth energy. Houses tend to be cheaper to buy – more space!
To put things into perspective: gas does not represent 100% of the total energy use in the EU, but only 25%. Of this 25% a greatly varying percentage (between 10 and 95%) is Russian gas. In spite of the complaints by the Russians that they were humiliated, relations with Gazprom and Nordstream were intended to normalise relations with Russia and to treat them as an equal business partner (with admittedly some people on both sides enriching themselves grossly).
For the “Greens” in Europe weaning of gas and other CO2 producing energy sources is an opportunity, not a crisis. More and more people have solar panels on their houses, better insulation, heat pumps etc. Everybody is aware that we need to become energy independent.
In the mean time I cry for the people in Ukraine.
Do your cars run on gas/petrol or is everyone driving electric vehicles? Don’t you need gas to run electric plants? I understand you can use coal, wind farms, & nuclear. Marjorie’s point is that even with alternative energy sources available the economy is set up in such a way as to have everyone dependent upon petroleum. USA is in the same boat.
In addition, petroleum is a key ingredient in medicines, dyes, food coloring, petroleum jelly, and many cosmetics, skin and hair fair products. So even if all your cars are electric you still need oil (petroleum).
We are transitioning towards a sustainable economy, yes. Including electric cars, electric heat pumps to heat our houses. Don’t know where you are based, but Germany, NL, Belgium, France etc are much more energy efficient than the USA (or even UK — I lived there a few years ago). We also have a very efficiently branched train network that runs on wind energy and nuclear from France. And hydrogen gas produced by excess energy from wind and solar farms is very promising as well.
I’m in USA. Hybrid electric cars are gaining popularity. Ford Motor Company is making money hand over fist because of pre-orders for their electric cars.Part of the problem is there are not many electric vehicle charging ports, so one would have to charge an electric vehicle at home overnight if not longer. We also are still trying to modernize our infrastructure. USA is much larger than all of Europe (if you don’t include Russia) & I’m tired of people calling us rude & backward.
TW, I don’t know where you are in the USA, but as a Californian originally from Virginia when it was still very much the south, I must say there are parts of the country that merit being called “rude and backward,” especially in the politicians they choose.
Small French car 100% electric, c. 350 kms range, fast charging 1 hr; costs new 30k euro
But you must be willing to drive a much smaller car… 🙂
Re “rude and backward”, I remember somebody’s comment about the US being a rich/very rich third world country.
Think about it. From the death penalty to the uxorious health system costs to the “profit at all costs”/”I need to profit even if society is going to hell in a handcart” mentality to democracy being openly and visibly on sale via corporate donations (it would probably be better to just put the offices of senator/governor/President on auction rather than go through the farce of an election), the US shares more with the petty dictators and tyrants of the Third World than it does with the relatively more enlightened democracies of Western Europe.
Am I saying that Western Europe is perfect? Not by a country mile. We have a far-right in this continent as well. But the broad policies of the governments are not held hostage by a few, as in the US.
The saving grace of the US is that it is the most powerful country in its hemisphere and therefore is unlikely to ever be attacked on its own soil (which is why 9/11 was such a shock to the US psyche) and therefore can shore up the rest of the world in case of a crisis. Otherwise, I (and I’m fairly certain most Europeans) would not want to live in the US, as it is right now.
Angela Merkel was more concerned with being hard on Greece and protecting German Banks who were part of that problem then being hard on Putin ..I could say more but will leave it at that.
@chrys, Merkel, in fact, was herself quite hawkish and very suspicious of Putin. But German politics is based on coalitions, and her latest coalition partners at SPD were seen as friendly to Putin, some even as being in his pocket. In fact, Putin started escalating on Ukraine after SPD wan (narrowly) German Elections and got the Chancellor post. One of Putin’s biggest miscalculations was he didn’t expect Scholz to condemn Russia because of the energy supply. Well, here I think he misread Scholz. Astrologically, Scholz is a Taurus Moon/Venus, so definitely not a “realpolician”. He is old enough to remember Occupation of Chechoslovakia, was probably in the most impressionable age when there was Chilean coup and his early 30’s during Polish. Having many “European Leftists” of this generation in my immediate family, I can tell these ones stroke a very emotional a chord, and this generation does not like authoritarian bullies.
Chrys. Indeed you are correct re Greece. A damned disgrace of all at the so called top.
@Lynne, yes, partially right here. That said, Greek Government at the time, especially Yanis Varoufakis, is not blameless. Interestingly, three out of 13 MEPs voting against Ukraine’s EU membership last week were Greek “hardline” Communists. Varoufakis’ Party isn’t in, but he has been sending some pretty awful Tweets showing how little anything he does is for any people, Greek or Ukraine, and how much about himself.
Thank you marjorie. My relatives in the Netherlands are telling me that Russian energy imports through the agreement with Gazprom are approx. 15% and the discussions to offset revolves around the entire country turning down the thermostat a couple of degrees & avoiding a couple of trips by car. So better off then some other countries Politicians were concerned but looked the other way, despite the article published by the Telegraph in 2018, that according to leaked EU documents, Kremlin Gazprom tried to control the Europese energy market and was using energy as political pressure against vulnerable East-European countries. Time will tell how determined Europeans are to wean off fossil fuels. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/04/12/leaked-eu-files-show-brussels-cover-up-collusion-putins-gazprom/
We just got news a couple of hours ago that President Niinistö of Finland will be meeting President Biden in Washington tomorrow. Wonder what a meeting on such a short notice might be about? Returning to the subject of this post, Finland also just got a new, French built reactor “on grid” after a 10 year (!) delay. Preparations for building a Rozatom facility were halted.
I absolutely support developing renewable energy production, but think we might see return of nuclear for the next 25-30 years. This would fit Pluto in Aquarius, for sure.
@Solaia
Yesterday 4 warplanes violated Sweden airspace.
At the same time as Finland and Sweden had military exercise together at Gotland.
Sweden sent up Jas immediately .
We’ll see what happens.
Info will come later today.
@Aqua, Russian fighters violating Nordic airspace is nothing new. Swedish Government tells they haven’t changed their mind on this. But Swedish people might have, just enough to give Moderate Party a victory in general elections. Current Government isn’t strong to begin with, they are Minority Government formed after a prolonged crisis last Summer.
Nordstream 2 gone bankruptcy the other day because of the sanctions.
High time for EU (west) to get independent of Russia and for Russia to get independent of the West .
Sure ,it will be tough for some years.We are all aware.
@Aqua, “surpricingly”, they were incorporate in Zug Canton. I once got a lecture on their taxation law from a lawyer, and thought “how is this even possible?”.
The bankrupcy ilings should be very useful in upcoming “dark money” investigations, too.
Johnson needs to stay on the right side of the oligarchs as they know where the political and financial bodies are buried. If our Idiot in Chief played hardball with them, as if, I’m sure compromising material would start to emerge via mysterious leaks in the media. He is in my view front and centre of a huge cash for favours scandal, political graft and personal enrichment which ought to put the sleazy crook out of business for good. He is the Chosen One for some of the right wing plutocrats and pro Brexit media owners, so we are stuck with him and his sewage.
Gamal. And don’t we all love that nodding dog.
Putin puppet. Follow the money every time.
Maybe just maybe Pluto is bringing down the top of the pyramid, at last.
The only trouble is we will all pay not them. You cannot hide your assets when you don’t have any.
Thank you again Marjorie for the superb post. This just shows how much some politicians in the west are responsible for the present situation. I sincerely hope that the ordinary people see through these politicians and hold them to account when its time to cast their votes. Seeing Johnson acting like a statesman when he is knee deep in Putin’s money just infuriates me.
I hope and pray for the day when we see the back of Putin, Johnson, Trump and Modi.
You really can’t make this up. Boris (not a common British name, I presume) was married to a “Natasha.” Hiding in plain slight… I mean -was that an early form of these assets trolling the public? And Boris, Trump and Bernie Sanders all traveled to USSR in late 80’s. And now Boris, unsurprisingly isn’t going after the oligarchs. All roads have always led to Russia.
If the current situation weren’t so deadly serious, it’d be hilarious to read about Boris and Natasha! The number of outright Putin supporters in the US is frightening … but not really surprising, when one considers the entrenched fascism and racism of a good portion of the American populace. Trump only brought them out of the shadows.