How interesting it is, that the recent build up of tension in Europe concerning the stability of Greece and Spain, is taking place precisely during the build up to Monday’s solar eclipse in the first degree of Gemini. We have heard increasing speculation of Greece’s exit from the Euro, while just a few days ago in Spain people drew one billion euro’s worth of savings out of a recently nationalized bank, creating anxiety about a potential run on the banks there. These are difficult days indeed.
One of the areas of life that Mercury, the ruler of Gemini, presides over, is the marketplace. Mercury also rules trade, and traders, so even though the main horoscope for the Euro has the Sun in Capricorn, it can never be disputed that Mercury is a key planet when it comes to this sort of joint financial enterprise. To prove a point here, below is the horoscope for Greece joining the European Monetary Union:
At the time, Jupiter was in detriment in Gemini – while its ruler Mercury was combust, i.e. closely conjunct the Sun, on the South Node in Capricorn. This suggests that purely from the perspective of the market place, Mercury, always a trickster, has not put all his cards on the table, something here has been hidden, kept out of view. The Sun blinds and renders planets too close to it, invisible. Mercury exalts 2nd house Mars in Scorpio – the economic and astrological picture presented at that time – indicates that the true status of the Greek economy has been over exaggerated. The South Node of itself has a Saturnian connotation, and the limitations, and restrictions, which seem to go hand in hand with this astrological picture, are certainly part of the current Greek experience. Jupiter, in the horoscope is retrograde, and in the progressed horoscope, is now almost exactly on Monday’s eclipse degree. Gemini is a restless sort of energy, unstable in a mundane sense of the word, it also indicates spreading via the air, contamination, which is exactly what the top in Europe are most afraid of. If Greece falls it will effect the entire union, or so we are led to believe.
On Monday transiting Jupiter – at 24 deg. 56 Taurus – is conjunct with Saturn in the horoscope presented. The problems with Greece and the Euro are deep seated, and go down to the core of the chart. Saturn – ruler of Sun/Mercury – tells us a lot about the basic structure – Saturn is not only in Taurus which is a sign notoriously slow to change course, it is also retrograde, which roughly translates to, going against the flow as opposed to with it. Furthermore, the attitude and basic character of the Southern European countries is vastly different from those of the German and French who are at the very heart of Europe. Saturn is in the eighth, so that these sorts of psychological, personality issues have a role to play when Greece is dealing with other partners. Perhaps in the short term – transiting Jupiter will throw Saturn a life-line, however, the long term picture for Greece is not good.
As stated earlier, this Gemini eclipse has the ability to quicken, to spread the word, to create a hype both in the positive and the negative sense of the word. With this in mind, the mutual reception between Mercury in Taurus, and Venus in Gemini, can simply add fuel to the fire. Concern about one’s assets and the value of one’s savings (Venus), creates a movement i.e. a run on the banks. However, on a completely different note, it is interesting that also at this moment in time, Facebook enters the market place!!!