The Invasion of Ukraine
This morning, at 5am Ukraine time, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
This is a very serious moment. A major nuclear power attacks a sovereign neighbour.
Here is the chart. It bears unsettling resemblance to the chart of the first shots of WW2 (1 Sep 1939, 4.45am, Danzig), including Venus (the planet of peace!) rising in an earth sign, the Nodes across Taurus-Scorpio, Uranus in Taurus, Mars in late Capricorn. Indeed, Mars, Venus and Pluto are currently transiting that WW2 Mars, the planet of war. The current NN is on the MC of the WW2 chart.
Data from Astrodatabank.
Some situations are too frightening for speculation, so I’ve been unwilling to write about Ukraine until now, because the astrology did not look good. However, we are here, at the beginning of the execution of President Putin’s long-held plan, and the worst has begun to unfold. Ukraine’s democracy is a threat to his dictatorship, and he will attempt to bring the country to its knees. Putin says he has no plans to occupy Ukraine: this is not true. Russia has no plans to stop at invading Ukraine.
Putin’s plan is not just to destroy democracy in neighbouring states and reabsorb them into Russia, but to undermine democracy globally. The invasion of Ukraine is part of a much larger strategy. In the past decade, Russia has undermined elections in the United States and Europe, corrupted politicians, manipulated Britain into Brexit thus weakening the European Union, and funded and trolled both far right and left agitators and activists, pouring fuel on embers that were already smouldering. The propaganda war across the internet has been intense for years.
•Refugees
The coming conjunction of Neptune and Jupiter in April suggests the potential for a huge wave of refugees. When these two opposed each other a few years ago, we saw half a million people walk out of the conflict in Syria.
• Nuclear threat
The nuclear aspect is one of the most worrying parts of the astrology. Ukraine has nuclear power plants itself and Russia has an arsenal. By transit, the Lord of the Underworld is currently stimulated by Mars and Venus.
As we are all aware, it is the US Pluto Return. Pluto has, of course, opposed the US Sun and all the other planets in Cancer already, so this has been a prolonged process, but here we are at a crunch point. Pluto represents nuclear energy and weapons. It’s possible that part of the Russian plan is to manipulate the US into a nuclear confrontation. I hope not.
• Land grabs and economic shocks
My colleague Lynn Bell pointed out at the start of the year that the North Node in earthy, possessive Taurus could be associated with land grabs, as it was in WW2 and in the mid 1960s. Taurus/Scorpio is also a financial axis. With the eclipses coming here in spring and autumn we’ll see change.
•Oil, gas, inflation
The cost of living and inflation are coming down the road anyway with the major conjunction of Neptune and Jupiter. But Neptune also rules oil and gas, so expect prices to inflate hugely.
•Street-fighting
Putin has sent his troops into a country where the citizens are armed to the teeth. It’s horrible if you consider Russia’s invasion of Chechnya, which was a bloodbath and continues to be a mafia-state. Mars is making a conjunction to Vesta, the domestic goddess, this morning, which suggests a fight over the hearth. It’s also a fight between two nations that traditionally see themselves as brothers. These are fellow slavs with a similar culture and language in hand to hand combat. That never stopped the gulags, of course. We may also see more women fighting too.
It’s worth remembering that the aggressor in WW2 was eventually defeated. There’s no reason to think this will end well for Russia in the long term, but not before massive damage can be done.
This is a very sad day. I am praying for peace, and hope that the entry of Mars and Venus into Aquarius in early March may lead to some order being restored, but I fear it is too late now: the die is cast. In reality, these two are going to make a conjunction at 0° Aquarius, the degree that is so important in describing 2020 to 2040. There’s no doubt this is an historical turning point and this action will effect the course of the next two decades.
Just noting that the last time I wrote about Ukraine, Venus was retrograde in Capricorn.
Also FYI — a reminder that the current Mars-Venus conjunction is on the same degree as the Saturn-Pluto conjunction of 2020 — sigh.
Hello Christina, it’s mercury square uranus today, I believe, bad, awful news has been voiced. I’m a UK citizen living in eastern Poland, about 50 miles from Belarus, even now as I write I can hear helicopters (aircraft) overhead. I lived here for almost 30 years and it’s been a home, but I am now fearful, it’s probably time to leave. Interestingly, (and also scarily so) transiting Pluto comes into an active square my natal mars (28 Libra) today (according to astrodienst). Your article is illuminating and frightnening revealing. Today the world has changed. Thank you Christina for all your insights.
Stay safe, Jem. Maybe it is time to return to the mothership.
He funded the hard right wing, shifting them further right, keeping them in power. The Tory party for sure. As far as I know, he didn’t fund the left, he funded troll farms to troll them. I can’t think of anyone who claimed to be left but took funding from Russia? Maybe there was. My mind’s blank, today is so awful.
I didn’t see how he could afford this if Russia was broke, but what I didn’t know until today was he spent the last 8 years positioning himself so he could, clearing debts etc so sanctions wouldn’t hurt him. So that’s a reveal.
“At the time of the 2014 Ukraine crisis, Russia’s foreign debts were much bigger than its FX reserves. Now it’s the other way round”
Bloomberg 23 Feb 2022 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-23/what-s-at-stake-for-global-economy-as-russia-standoff-escalates
I was thinking this won’t end well for him or Russia. It’s abuse of power, it always backfires. Yes, not before massive damage can be done.
There’s a lot of speculation as to why. Most people think he wants an empire. I don’t know. He’s an old man hellbent on destruction. He’s not helping himself. He seems bitter. I actually wondered if he was dying and he wants to go out in a blaze of glory or something. I don’t know, I can’t make sense of this. 🙁
Normally, I follow events as closely as I can, understand, get my bearings. But I feel like I need to step away. There’s too much misinformation out there anyway.
I pray for peace too. 🕊
Thanks, Christina
Certain groups may not be aware exactly where their funding is ultimately coming from. I think any disruptive activity has been good for his plan, so it’s worked well to simply encourage division and egg people on.
It is important to step back these days. The Neptune-Jupiter conjunction is already with us and making a lot of noise.
Thanks for your analysis of this terrible, heartbreaking event Christina, I was hoping you’d look at it.
Such an extraordinary version of reality coming out of Russia’s official channels.
In terms of stepping back, I thought this analysis added interesting background: https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-expansion-russia-mislead/31263602.html
That poor lonely moon in that top chart. No offers made to send troops in to help stand against the massive military force invading them.
It’s hard to find words that feel appropriate. Frightening time.
I note already that Chernobyl was one of the first targets. Very scary, very sad.
The world seems to be hoping Venus will look out for Zelensky
He does have a Venus-Sun conjunction in Aquarius — which will be transited soon — after 6 March.
[…] https://oxfordastrologer.com/2022/02/the-invasion-of-ukraine.html […]
alarming but all true
Thank you very much. My take on this unfolding tragedy is that China will benefit enormously by being able to partially rescue the Russian economy in the short term by buying their oil and wheat and supplying to all the countries in Africa, Asia the Pacific and everywhere that has accepted development loans from China as well perhaps as Uzbekistan, Kyrgystan, Tajikstan anywhere where soon to be unemployed migrant workers in Russia have sent home remittances to their families. Expect the supply of Chinese made goods and support for heavy industry and infrastructure in Russia too. Putin maybe willing to smash Ukraine to enforce its neutrality, he may be emboldened if he succeeds, to move on other nations that were once part of the USSR and risk war with NATO but he can’t do that alone. He apparently thinks the threat to Russian sovereignty is NATO and the west but the Chinese play a long game.
I would be really interested to see an analysis of the charts of USSR, modern Russia, modern China and NATO as well as the USA for the next 5-10 years if anyone is skilled enough to offer this.
I am just doing a little research on this very topic. I believe that the grain silos in China are overflowing now.