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Christina's Blog
The Oxford Astrologer
Culture, Sociey and Astrology
from Mythopia
I don't subscribe to any particular school of astrology, but I do make a point of keeping up to date. I choose the ideas that work when I apply them to a real chart and real life and throw out the ones that turn out to be, well, wishful.
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Christina Rodenbeck, based in the ancient centre of learning, Oxford, examines living mythology through the lens of astrology. She likes to challenge prevailing orthodoxy, champion
originality and enchant with a good story. She is available for personal consultation. Read more of what she has to say at The Oxford Astrologer.
Ukraine: History Is A Process
Nelson Mandela's Chiron Return - The famous South African leader gave his most celebrated speech one Chiron cycle before his death.
Doctor Who's Chiron Return - The fabulous sci-fi series first aired in 1963. How does the show’s story lines reflect the British psyche?
The US Fiscal Deficit - is the mother of all debts. Mercury and Saturn combine to stall discussions along with the UR-PL square and eclipses
The Dwarf Planet Ceres - is profoundly connected to nurturing, parenting, fertility: the cycle of birth, growth, death and rebirth
UK Nixes Syrian Invasion - PM Cameron Page's intention to join the U.S. is thwarted by Parliament. Here's how the UK chart is shaping up
Prince George - his Cancer Sun, chart with Scorpio Ascendant and 8th house planets explained. Plus the royal pattern of 10th house planets.-
Turkey's Identity Crisis: As Saturn crosses Turkey's Scorpio Sun, the nation and its neighbors wonder if it's a secular or Islamic state...
Water Grand Trine - This isn't just any old Grand Trine: it's between three heavy-duty planets, Jupiter in Cancer, Saturn in Scorpio and Neptune in its own sign Pisces.
Oxford Archives
Is Ukraine destined to be a free democracy and part of Europe or a Russian vassal state?
That is what people are protesting about on the streets of the capital Kiev this winter.
Ten years ago, street protests in Kiev blossomed into the peaceful Orange Revolution. It seemed to be successful at the time since the corrupt leadership was replaced. However, today, the very president ousted during the Orange Revolution is back in power and Yulia Tymoshenko, one of the most high profile leaders of the opposition, is in jail. And hundreds of thousands of people have been protesting in the streets and squares since the end of November. This week three protesters died, and unrest spread to other parts of the country. Reconciliation talks with protesters broke down.
Ukrainian Independence Day is celebrated on August 24, the day in 1991 that the parliament declared independence from the Soviet Union. Despite the name, this was a conservative move. Ukrainian politicos were worried about the dangerously liberal direction Boris Yeltsin was taking Russia and they wanted to conserve communism.
You can see in the chart that conservative Capricorn rises. This is the sign of the establishment. In fact what happened on that day in 1991 is that the people who already held power in Ukraine ensured that they held on to it. Saturn, the planet of rules and tradition, also rises here but it is in Aquarius.
Now it's important to remember that Saturn is traditionally Aquarius' ruler. The modern ruler is revolutionary Uranus. Aquarius as a sign is both conservative and revolutionary, a rule-maker and a rule-breaker. Aquarius is about establishing systems. So Saturn Rising in Aquarius is a perfect expression of a conservative revolution.
The Ukrainian Sun is on an awkward degree, at a tricky angle to that Saturn and in an awkward house. But it is part of a nice stellium. Break the Sun's placement down like this:
• It's within the first degree of Virgo, the sign of service. This degree in any sign is often extreme. This would fit with being a vassal state.
• Quincunx Saturn, difficult adjustments need to be made to reconcile national identity with power.
• Seventh house. Sun in the 7th house in a mundane chart can mean that the real power is held by someone else, even by a foreign power or by an enemy. In other words, real power over Ukraine may actually be in neighbouring Russia.
• Mercury, Venus and Jupiter conjunct in Leo. This is very creative, expressive and flamboyant, and indeed the Ukrainians as a whole seem to have responded to their situation with vibrant artistic flair and theatricality. Their demonstrations have not been boring. They include dancing, art installations, poetry, and, of course, the feminist group Femen which gained worldwide attention last year.
This stellium in the 7th is opposed by the Moon, that is the people, in community-minded Aquarius. This is tension between self-expression and group expression, between the lions in power and the people, between Leo hierarchy and Aquarian equality. No wonder they've been having a rolling revolution since 1991 that erupts every few years.
The leader on the barricades who's attracting the most media attention right now is ex-boxer Vitali Klitschko, whose chart slots right into this Leo-Aquarius axis. His dynamic, intelligent Mars is at 21° Aquarius, conjuncting Ukraine's Moon, firing up and energising the people. And his Mercury is at 20° Leo, speaking a language the powerful understand.
The astrological signature of the peaceful revolutions that took place between 1989 and 1991 across Eastern Europe was the conjunction of revolutionary Uranus with idealistic Neptune in the sign of government Capricorn. In 1989 this was conjoined by Saturn and in 1991-2 by the North Node.
Saturn is important for Ukraine. It's rising and it's the chart ruler. The Orange Revolution broke out on November 22, 2004. The Sun was on Ukraine's MC, the highest point in the chart and square natal Saturn -- and Saturn was on the Descendant. Today Saturn is in Scorpio, in the 9th house, approaching the MC. So both popular protests have taken place when Saturn was in an emotional water sign, and near the angles of the chart.
But these protests kicked off on November 21 2013. Obviously the Sun was in the same spot as last time – right at the top of the chart and square natal Saturn. But transiting Saturn itself was on natal Pluto in Scorpio. Pluto is the highest planet in the chart, which makes you wonder if the jackboots are in charge. It's not inevitable but you see this in a state run by the military or the police.
What is more transiting Pluto has now reached the Velvet Stellium of 1989-1991. All those revolutions may be transformed during this period – for better or for worse.
For Ukraine, Neptune is poised to wash over the progressed Ascendant opposite the natal Sun. Progressed Jupiter has also moved to conjunct the natal Sun. This could mean a total sweeping change again. Transiting Saturn will not reach the MC exactly until next winter. It'll be interesting to see what happens then.
Meanwhile, Venus in Capricorn has played a pivotal role in all this. On November 21, she was at 14° transiting the Velvet Neptune exactly. Today she has retrograded to 15°. She will back up over Neptune this week and then turn direct over that position in the first week of February.
Stamps depicting traditional Ukrainian headresses.
Every woman is a queen.
Ukraine has Venus in Leo/Moon in Aquarius.
* The time for this chart is from astrologyweekly, an excellent source for mundane astrology. They based this on The Book of World Horoscopes. However, they had set the time for Moscow not Kiev, which put the ascendant out by an hour. This new time puts the revolution of 1991 into the hidden 12th house since in fact it took place behind closed doors. There were no street protests that day.
Who has Venus in Capricorn at 14°? Yulia Tymonshenko, Ukraine's jailed ex-Prime Minister. As you would expect from such a survivor, she also has Saturn at 15°. Watch that space.
