Could Norway be invaded by neighbouring Russia? That was the plot of ‘Occupied’, the 2014 television thriller based on a Jo Nesbo novel. Too far-fetched the studio bosses said – until Russia walked into the Crimea. The Russians condemned the drama as fear-mongering; but the Scandanavian countries are all ramping up their military and naval defences, which had been allowed to slide at the end of the Cold War.
Norway, NATO’s most northernmost outpost, is monitoring increased Russian military and submarine activity inside the Arctic Circle, with worries about the maritime choke point, the Greenland Iceland UK Gap, through which Soviet naval forces would have to cross to reach the Atlantic to stop US forces heading in to reinforce America’s European allies.
A senior Norwegian defence official said: “We are a nation of only 5 million, but we lie on the threshold of the largest non-western concentration of force in Europe. The modernised Northern Fleet is Russia’s main strategic deterrent, their main nuclear bastion and contains the capabilities to deter and attack the US. It is also the area where the most sensitive testing of Russia’s strategic hardware takes place.”
Trump’s NATO-bashing and opaque Russian ties are alarming those who sit on the frontline with Russia. What is worrying is that Trump’s Mars MC line on his astrocartography runs through Scandanavia (Sweden, Finland) up into the Arctic circle, as well as further south through eastern Europe, so it is a flash point for him. And his Pluto MC runs through Norway which will bring up his power-hungry streak, though it’s likely to backfire on him.
Norway, 7 June 1905 11am Oslo, has the confused, uncertain tr Neptune square its Gemini Sun in 2018; with a blocked, bleak, Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Pluto; though also a confident, never-give-in tr Pluto trine Jupiter in 2018/19 as well. So whatever ails them, they are pushing back. 2019 and especially 2020 look more stressed, inflammatory and insecure with tr Uranus square their Moon, conjunct Venus and opposition Mars. Relations with Russia (both the 1917 and 1991 charts) look on high-alert with extreme anxiety this year, but most aggravated in 2019/2020.
Finland, 6 Dec 1917 3pm Helsinki, also has Neptunian panicky influences through 2017 till 2020 as tr Neptune squares the Sagittarius Sun, then opposes Mars in 2019/2020; with extreme concern in 2020 from Solar Arc Neptune square Uranus. Relations with Russia, are jangled this year, sinking to a low in 2018/19 and explosive in 2020.
Sweden, 7 Dec 1865 3.30pm Stockholm, again has Neptune dissolving and undermining the Sagittarius Sun through 2018; with a dead-halt and high-risk Solar Arc Mars conjunct Pluto in 2020, followed by an explosive Solar Arc Uranus conjunct Mars covering 2020/21. Relations with Russia, are sagging and hugely unsettled this year, and working up to outright rage and frustration, again with dangerous overtones in 2018/19.
Trump’s idiocy no doubt bolstering Putin’s burgeoning aggression could have unpleasant knock-on effects on places far from the safe enclave of Mar-a-Lago, unless his military brass rein him in.
The common wisdom is that Putin will not mess with NATO member countries, in fear of invoking Article 4. Norway is a founding member. And it still stands, what ever Trump said on his campaign trail, because “making others pay” for NATO is one of those promises his base is likely to let slip, while closing bases in Germany and Italy and leaving tens if not hundreds of thousands of people stationed there jobless won’t be.
Sweden and Finland are more vulnerable, as they’ve been non-aligned countries since WWII. But both have been building “NATO compatible” armed forces since the 90’s, and even if Sweden has been ruled by historically defense sceptic Socialdemocrat Party led coalition since The 2014 General Elections, their NATO Application seemed imminent before Trump was elected. They are, in any case, reinstalling conscription, dropped only in 2010. This ia quite something, from a country that remained neutral in both World Wars, and hasn’t been attacked directly by foreign force since Napoleonic Wars.
In Finland, the Centerright Government has probably been secretly much more NATO friendly they’ve let in – Finland does have a 1340 km long boarder with Russia, was an Autonomous Grandduchy under Russia for over 100 years and fought two wars with Soviets during WWII, so the politicians are extremely careful not to provoke Russia.
Both Sweden and Finland have General Elections coming in roughly two years – Sweden in September 9th 2018, and Finland in April 14th 2019. Finland could face a Governmental crisis earlier, due to True Finn party polling extremely poorly for Local Elections which will be held this month and their founder and long time chairman, as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs Timo Soini stepping down from party leadership. The preferred succesor was just challenged in the race by a much more radical MEP Timo Halla-aho. If he takes the party leadership, at least the leading Center Party and most probably will walk out of The Government. So, I’d say some of the Neptune seen with Finland is about internal politics. The extremely popular President (approval rate is at 90 per cent) Sauli Niinistö, whose only real power is in Foreign Policy, has good personal relationship both with Putin and Merkel, and spoke with Pence and Mattis on their European tour.