An astrological chart for Russia

Nations have astrological charts just as people do – in fact, you can cast an astrological chart for any person, event, animal – every moment in time has its own chart.  The study of astrological charts of nations and political entities is called “mundane astrology.”

With Russia in the news now, someone asked in the comments about a chart for Russia and I dug up this old article I wrote exploring which chart for Russia is the most useful, and outlining a bit of an analysis for the Russian chart.

December 8, 1991 is the date that Belarus, the Russian Federation and the Ukraine announced the Minsk Declaration which dissolved the Soviet Union, but the agreement wasn’t ratified by the Russian Parliament until the 12th of December that year at 13:22 according to Nick Campion. On the other hand, Adrian Ross Duncan uses the chart of December 25, 1991 when the flag for the new Russia began flying at the Kremlin.

The late Zipporah “Zip” Dobyns, one of the world’s most celebrated astrologers, uses yet another chart: the chart of Gorbachev’s resignation in August of 1991. Her reasoning in using this chart is because “it works” to explain subsequent events better than the other dates. With all due respect to the memory of Ms. Dobyns, this doesn’t seem a very scholarly way to approach the birth of a nation.

To me the date that makes the most sense from a historical point of view is the date that the Russian Federation declared its independence from the Soviet Union which was June 12, 1990. This is the date that the First Congress of People’s Deputies of the Russian Federation adopted the Declaration on Russia’s National Sovereignty which seems to me to be a very formal declaration of statehood and a strong basis for an astrological chart. This is the day that is celebrated as the Day of Russia and is identified by modern Russians as the birth of their nation.

This chart is a very interesting one, with a 26 degree Virgo ascendant which has been squared by Pluto over the past several years. The Sun in Gemini is prominently placed on the Midheaven showing a changeable nature, and an exact opposition between Venus and Pluto illustrates the destruction and regeneration of many of modern Russia’s alliances since its inception as well as the fact that its partners are its worst enemies.

The Gemini Sun, showing a tendency towards change and a facility with different roles, sits right on the Midheaven which in traditional astrology is considered a symbol of great power. This is a singleton Sun, meaning it makes no traditional aspects to any other planet (other than a square to the ascendant). This reflects the isolation of modern Russia which stands alone without any real allies. Russia is linked to China and to Iran, but those relationships are tenuous at best and primarily serve the purpose of opposing the US (more on that later).

The Moon in this chart is in Aquarius, illustrating that the political entity that we know as modern Russia is concerned primarily with matters of reason rather than emotion. With Virgo rising in the chart there is a focus on details and a dislike of blatant expressions of ego. This is also interesting because the South Node of this chart is in Leo, showing that a focus on the ego of the nation is in the past. We no longer see the loud declarations of power coming out of Russia as in the cold war; instead there is a quiet and strategic attention to the details (Virgo) which has brought about a significant improvement in the economics of the country.

That quiet Virgoan strategy is offset somewhat by the placement of Mars, denoting the aggressive instincts of the nation, in its own sign of Aries and in the seventh house of partnership. Mars makes a sextile to the Moon, indicating that the soul of the country (Moon) is tied in with its ability to defend itself (Mars). Mars in the seventh house shows a fierce independence in its partnerships as well as an eager willingness to do battle (Mars) with allies (seventh house) in order to prove its autonomy (Aries).

Jupiter in the chart is in Cancer, the sign of tribal affiliation, which tends to show a strong nationalistic fervor in a country; however, Jupiter conjuncts Chiron which reveals a painful process in achieving this. Russia is comprised of over 150 different ethnic groups which do not coexist in easy harmony, and much of the tension in the country results from these warring factions.

Most interesting is the exact opposition of Venus to Pluto in the chart. Venus of course is the planet of relationships, and we have already noted the presence of the god of war (Mars) in the Venus-ruled seventh house. This is not a nation that forges alliances easily, and with both the Sun and Mercury in Gemini there is a tendency to be very changeable in one’s nature and focus at any given time. The opposition of Pluto to Venus shows as I said yesterday that some of Russia’s worst enemies are its partners. This aspect engenders a tremendous amount of fear and distrust.