The “Olive Countries”: The horoscope of Portugal

The Olive Countries – Myrthe Sardjoe
Nowadays Greece, Portugal and Spain together are sometimes called ‘The Garlic Belt’ or the ‘Olive Countries’. Beside being all three Southern European countries, producing olives, garlic and being in severe national financial trouble, there is more what those countries have in common: Their horoscopes!

 During 1973-1975 there was an incoming square between Pluto and Saturn. In Portugal the regime of dictator Salahzar fell in April 1974. In Spain in 1975 the regime of dictator Franco finally came to an end. After a year of illness, Franco died. In November 1975 the inauguration of King Juan Carlos took place. And Spain became a modern democracy. In Greece the dictatorial regime fell too, in July 1974.*

The horoscopes of these three countries are therefor set at: Portugal: 25^th of April 1974, 11:45 a.m. (Rebels report on the national radio that Portugal is free); Greece: 24^th of July 1974, 4:00 a.m. (Karamanlis arrives in Athens); Spain: 22^nd of November 1975, 12:45 p.m. 1975 (The inauguration of King Juan Carlos).

Incoming Square Pluto-Saturn
Significant in the horoscopes of Greece and Portugal is that Pluto and Saturn are making an incoming square.

This square is now being repeated for the first time since the fall of the three regimes in Portugal, Greece and Spain! Todays incoming square has shifted exactly 90 degrees from the one in the early seventies. This means that today Pluto squares the position of Pluto in the early seventies and makes an opposition with Saturn’s position then. Saturn  is currently conjunct early 1970’s Pluto  What we are now witnessing is the re-emergence of critical issues that were also dominant then. The horoscopes of Portugal (1) and Greece(2), with the natal chart on the inner wheel and the current transits in the outer wheel.

Portugal
Right now the horoscope of Portugal is equally severely triggered as the horoscope of Greece. (I  described the Greek situation in previous articles about Greece.*) 

Transiting Pluto squares Portugal’s radix Pluto at the IC. Saturn is this month exactly square radix Saturn (in 12^th house). And Pluto is making an opposition with the radix Mars in the 12^th house. In my view this could indicate the hedge funds, the people, who are speculating on the economic downfall of Portugal. Since the 12^th house is about hidden enemies, and those hedge funds are doing their malefic work behind the scene, this could fit well.

Uranus is approaching Portugal’s MC and Saturn her IC. We have seen how this is working out in Greece:

Strikes, riots and demonstrations. Angry (young) people in the streets of Athens.

For Portugal this constellation will be more tense in 2011. So maybe Portugal will face similar rebellion in 2011, as Greece does today.

Right now transiting Jupiter makes a conjunction with Venus. And during 2010 Jupiter will stay in the 9^th house. This could indicate foreign, financial support for Portugal. Whether Jupiter alone will be strong enough to stand the storms, I doubt. But for 2010 Jupiter will try, for sure.

Neptune is transiting the 8^th house. This could indicate the growing debts of Portugal. And the difficulties with the high, instable rates of interest.

 This is the first in a two-part series of articles about the Olive Countries.

*More about Greece in: ‘Greece, what’s going on?’ and in ‘Searching for Soul’.