New Zealand has been on a long haul post-Covid with a punishing Pluto trail through its domestic 4th house across its Sun Mars in late Capricorn and square its Pluto which has now finished. Tr Pluto is moving to square the 6th house Uranus from mid February 2026 to late 2027 which suggests a definite shift out of a rut. It may be turbulent, bringing upheavals and forced change but it will pull away from an extraordinarily difficult past few years.
17 January 1853 12 am Wellington NZ is the chart that works best. For a country that gives the impression of being a sedate backwater it does have a powerful chart spilling over with initiative and progressive ideas – with a Sun Mars in Capricorn square Pluto in Aries conjunct Uranus. Though it will have had a history of going through periods of constant churn. Its Saturn Uranus conjunction also has the capability of merging old and new and making it stick.
The present prime minister Christopher Luxon, former CEO of Air New Zealand, who succeeded Jacinda Ardern, is an evangelical Christian, recognised as a social conservative. He has shrunk the civil service, introduced cuts to healthcare expenditure, the three-strikes sentencing law and a pilot military-style boot camp for youth offenders, and enacted billions in tax cuts. In foreign policy, he has increased military spending and Five Eyes cooperation in a general pro-US shift. His coalition partner Winston Peters and David Seymour have openly challenged his authority.
He is a Sun Cancer probably opposition a Capricorn Moon square Jupiter so upbeat and confident; with his Sun in an ambitious trine Neptune sextile Pluto; and a hope-for-a-better-society, though at times indecisive Neptune opposition Saturn.
He’s in a nerve stretched year with tr Saturn Neptune opposition his Uranus and lacklustre midpoints, running into the buffers by 2027 with Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Pluto.
His Term chart, 27 November 2023 11.18 am Wellington, NZ, is certainly getting rattled up through this year with tr Uranus opposition the Mars in May and July, returning till early 2027 which suggests high insecurity and arguments.
Relationship charts with their main trading partners – China, Japan, South Korea, Australia seem OK moving ahead. With Russia not so much – aggravated and disappointed in 2026/27. With the EU also stressed and more so with the UK. So so with the US.
It has been a truly difficult decade for New Zealand even before covid with tr Uranus in Aries rattling up their Sun Mars and Pluto in 2017/18. Gradually they are aiming for a resurgence which will come after new systems are put in place in 2026/27.
Thank you Marjorie for looking at NZ’s charts. It’s heartening to read your assessment. I would echo Hamish’s comments. A tough period indeed with a riven community pulling away from a collective understanding as to what it means to be a citizen of the country and troubling race relations arising from challenges to the status of Maori and Maori culture.
Thank you so much for having a look at our little nation – yes, we have been through (and are going through) some difficult times. It would be nice to hope for some kinder Astrological cycles in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, we have a general election at the end of this year, are there any signs as to it may go? Currently its looking like a “cliff-hanger” but in another 10 months or so things could look decidedly different ….?