Moving on, I think the most important astrological symbol for 2008 would have to be Pluto moving into Capricorn. As I am no good at looking at charts of countries I can only speculate on it in abstract or pure form, and I think this might increasingly be useful given that the world is becoming increasingly globalised.
Now I believe astrology is better in hindsight than it ever can be in foresight. But even in 2005 I had noted that in 2008 there would be the beginning of great turmoil in financial institutions because of the Pluto Capricorn thing. And pretty much everyone on any astrology forum I've seen has said the same thing for about as long.
In hindsight though we might go even further. I think the orthodoxy was that Pluto in Sagittarius was about die-hard religious fanaticism, the distinction between freedom fighter and terrorist, and worries over excessive idealism being dangerous. Wars between countries thousands of miles away, wars between cultures was a common motif.
In hindsight we might also talk of Pluto in Sagittarius bringing an increase and over-speculation in risk. An acceleration of transactions at a pace that should have been more cautious. I don't know much about the institutions, but I'm thinking of derivatives and other risk markets. And investment banks blurring the boundaries between main street mortgage banks and uber-being derivative and complex financial instruments. The two should have been merged with greater care. Now if we think of Taurus as Main Street and Scorpio as Wall Street does this show up in the emphemerides? Well Venus is far too transitory for us to tell.
Now where did this risk taking come from? De-regulation in the 1980s? Someone said this was a major mistake, but it was not wholly bad. It helped revive the economies of most nations that took it up. Thatcher and Reagan. Even the end of the Cold War. In the latter 1980's Neptune was in Capricorn, and Pluto moved into Scorpio. Now if we think that Pluto and Scorpio are Wall Street, then they would become much more powerful at this time. And I think they were more powerful. Western economies, especially the UK become much more focused on the financial services economy as it became the big earner. But I think Wall Street and the essence of capitalism lies in a relaxed government attitude, which did not regulate much.
I think de-regulation might be contrary to Capricorn, a sign I think of as beaurocratic and with a hint of authoritarianism to it. So if Neptune was in Capricorn then we were maybe over-idealising the relationship between governments and markets. We thought we had struck a perfect balance when in fact the 1980's, although de-regulating markets as a whole, were also a time of increasingly authoritarian government. Thatcher tried to destroy local politics. Maybe in America the Federal government became more powerful as well?
The dichotomy of privatisation might be a good example. Industries run by government were sold off to make money, but instead of being run by government they were instead heavily regulated, making it difficult for them to breathe.
So now Pluto is in Capricorn, the illusion is being unravelled. The unregulated investment banks, after being overly speculative in their transactions and swaps (Pluto in Sagittarius) have exposed the underlying illusion that governments can be laid back whilst allowing a liberated financial services economy to thrive.
And while Neptune might show change stemming from (sometimes false) romanticism, I think Pluto shows change stemming from necessity. So now these financial institutions have become toxic it is becoming clear that the derivatives and sub-prime mortgage risks are spread in a rather unfathomable way, hidden in the whole system. I think that now Pluto has shown the need, the long Capricorn transit will show how an economic crisis can cause greater political change. As I think Capricorn is slightly tinged with authoritarianism, I think Pluto might bring out this quality. And the multi-billion currency bailouts the government is lauding over us all might also be an example.
Now I haven't mentioned Uranus at all, but I'm sure he is playing a role too. But I think his role occurs more through aspects. And I'm sure Saturn and Jupiter can aggravate or mitigate certain flashpoints.
So how might this project into the future? Well Neptune has been in Aquarius, while Pluto was in Sagittarius, so we must look to what we think Neptune has been doing there, what idyllic illusion is he creating, that Pluto might be forced to sweep up after?
Some guesses include: the illusion that we are a functioning democracy with rights etc, when in fact Pluto in Sagittarius show's us increasingly at each other's throats and in Capricorn will show the increasing lack of citizen power. But then Neptune will be in Pisces. Gees, this story never ends...
Two cents
