The USA’s economy has been struggling lately. From growing unemployment to sagging retirement funds, this is truly a testing period for the nation. In addition, financial scandals like Bernie Madoff and other risky lending practices have come to light.
Astrologically we can look at a nation’s finances and economic conditions and assess the significance of the current times. Venus is the planet that for a nation represents its resources and values. Note its location in the birth chart for the US below at 3° Cancer in the 7th house (circled planet on right side). As a nation this indicates an overall sentimentality toward security as well as a tendency to project our values and our resources outside of our boundaries. The general trend of the USA toward imports of natural resources and exports for manufacturing/labor are consistent with this general description. Also, on a personal level we prefer to outsource our retirement (i.e. security) to banks and other investments in the form of the stock market.
As the planets move through space they eventually form connections, or aspects, to this Venus point for the US. These times indicate significant turning points with regards to the nation’s finances and economy.
Pluto (circled planet near left side of the chart in Capricorn) is currently making a significant aspect to this Venus point suggesting a very important time period for these issues in the US. Pluto makes one complete cycle approximately every 248 years and is currently in the opposition phase of its cycle with the US natal Venus. This phase started in January 2009 and continues through November 2010. The final wave of this phase occurs from June 25, 2010 through November 26, 2010.
US Natal Chart (Sibley) (Click to enlarge)
Just like with the Moon’s phases, the other planetary bodies go through their own phases relative to the Earth. Like a New Moon, the start of any coupled planetary transit cycle begins with their conjunction (same location in the sky). As the transiting planet moves away from the natal planet, eventually it comes to a 90° angle (waxing square) to it, followed by the 180° opposition (like a Full Moon), the second 90° angle (waning square), and then the cycle finishes when a new cycle between the planets is born at the next conjunction. See below for the basic outline of the process including the associated energy of each of these important climax points in the planetary cycles:
Conjunction (0°) – Birth and creation.
Waxing Square (90°) – Tension due to growth.
Oppostion (180°) – Culmination and results.
Waning Square (270°) – Tension due to decay.
Current Pluto/USA Natal Venus Cycle
Pluto conjunct Venus (September 1914 - May 1918)
This time period initiated a new cycle with regards to power/resources (Pluto) and our finances/economy (Venus). This was the general period of WWI and also a time when the US was discovering and creating the mechanisms of the oil business which would eventually grow into an enormous industry that was not envisioned at the time.
Out of this period also came US Code Title 19 Section 1332(c) which gave the US International Trade Commission the ‘power to investigate the Paris Economy Pact and similar organizations and arrangements in Europe’. The Punitive Expedition in Mexico also occurred between 1916 & 1917 where the US invaded Mexico to suppress an uprising during the Mexican Revolution. This border invasion created tension between the USA and Mexico.
Finally, the Federal Reserve Bank Act of 1913 led to the organization of the Federal Reserve Bank system in the US starting in 1914.
Pluto waxing square to Venus (September 1972 – June 1974)
This period represented ‘growing pains’ associated with what was initiated from 1914-1918. During the early 1970’s there was a large recession as well as an oil crisis. This was also the end of the Vietnam War and when the Watergate scandal surfaced. Note that these occurrences during the waxing square phase represent the warning signs or indicators of that which was initiated during the conjunction.
Oil/resource issues, economic collapse, questionable foreign occupation, and unethical investigations are what occurred during this time period. These actions are easily relatable to those conditions introduced in the above paragraph on the initiation of this cycle.
*Pluto opposite Venus (January 2009 - November 2010)*
We are now at the tail end of the culmination period for this cycle. We are reaping what we have sown in the beginning of the cycle (1914-1918) as well as reaping what we experienced and allowed to continue to grow during the waxing square period in the early 1970’s.
Yet again we find ourselves involved in an issue of questionable foreign occupation and dealing with resource issues including oil. The economy is shaky at best and there is a gushing geyser of oil in the Gulf of Mexico revealing the problems that can arise with this form of energy resource. From June 25, 2010 through November 26, 2010 expect the culmination of these activities to be revealed. The mid-term elections in November 2010 will no doubt be addressing issues such as the Federal Reserve (Tea Party), alternative energy, and foreign occupation. It’s likely that MAJOR changes will occur early in 2011 that will reflect the revelations which arise from this culmination period regarding these issues.
Pluto waning square to Venus (June 2067 – February 2072)
This time period is way too far off to realistically speculate. But perhaps in terms of natural resources, the US will finally release oil as its primary energy source. We will have to wait and see.
Discussion
Pluto/Venus cycles are ideally about transforming the way that we value things to truly reflect our image. Decisions made at the start of the period regarding these issues have a lasting effect. The opposition period of the Pluto/Venus cycle that is occurring from January 2009-November 2010 is revealing to us what we had sown back at the start of the period (September 1914-May 1918) and what we had allowed to continue during the waxing square period (September 1972-June 1974).
We are undoubtedly dealing with the results of decisions long ago to create a society so heavily dependent on oil from foreign countries. Our sense of entitlement in terms of national borders has also revealed itself. Over the next several months we may very well find that the price of oil skyrockets and that we just aren’t in a position to sustain our energy demands domestically. This could lead to our continued intrusion of other countries to claim our perceived ‘rightful’ ownership of resources.
In the early 1970’s, during the waxing square period, we had opportunities to adjust our sense of entitlement after the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War and to adjust our dependence on foreign oil during the oil crisis. In many ways we have not learned from these experiences and we are now reaping the results of failed adjustments from that important decision making period.
We can use the Pluto/Venus opposition period to accept the effects of potentially harmful decisions regarding the use of natural resources and the ethical dilemma of entitlement over other’s borders. If we humble ourselves we may realize that we could have done things differently and then decide to head in a new direction from there. But this requires us to actually admit that we were shortsighted and that we are willing to transform our values system to better reflect what we believe our true image to be as a nation. So far, the US has yet to display any form or humble regret for actions of the past. The current Gulf of Mexico oil spill may be just the event that allows for the humble release that is required now.
With a lunar eclipse occurring at 5° Capricorn in conjunction with Pluto and opposing the US natal Venus on January 25, 2010, expect this culmination period to come in with a bang in late June-early July. Then from August 13-31, 2010 Saturn will form a waxing square with the US natal Venus completing this tension phase that started in November 2009. With Saturn and Pluto in a square to each other and with each planet forming a hard aspect to the US natal Venus, the end of the summer may see some concrete adjustments made to the US financial system. These adjustments may be made as a result of a financial collapse sometime earlier in the summer. Sounds like fun!
And so it is…
Readers, if you enjoyed the content of this type of article, please check back as I will be posting articles soon related to other planetary cycles which are at major turning points over the next few years as well. Check back soon!
