Era of Globalization

On September 11, 1990, President Bush Senior announced the beginning of the New World Order of peaceful resolutions of international conflicts, a rapid scientific and technological progress and worldwide economic prosperity. His declaration was not accidental. It nearly coincided with two spectacular cosmic phenomena, Pluto perihelion in 1989 and Uranus/Neptune conjunction in 1991-94. Pluto perihelion, during which Pluto reaches its closest proximity to the Sun, takes places every 248 years while Uranus/Neptune conjunction—every 173 years. Whenever these two rare cosmic phenomena occur within 15 years from each other, a monumental cultural shift takes place, a transition from one astrological era to another. Historically, the main political, social and economic processes that start in the beginning of every astrological era always continue through most of the era.Thus, the previous European Imperial Era began at Pluto perihelion in 1494 which occurred close to Uranus/Neptune conjunction in 1477-80. One of the main features of this European Imperial Era was the establishment of European colonial empires. This process started soon after Columbus’ discovery of America in 1492 and ended with the collapse of the last European Empire, Russia in its incarnation as the Soviet Union, in 1991, 2 years after the end of the era in 1989. 26 years have passed since the beginning of our new Globalization Era, which will last more than eight more centuries ending during Pluto aphelion in 2856. Based on what we have observed during these 26 years we can forecast how the rest of this new era will continue evolving. Let’s first examine planetary positions in September-December 1989, when bloodless revolutions in Eastern Europe dismantled the Soviet Empire, and mass nationalist movements began in most of the Soviet Republics.

Planetary Positions at the Start of the Globalization Era

At the end of 1989 Pluto was especially strong in its perihelion and also in its own sign of Scorpio while forming harmonious aspects to all remaining slow moving planets of our solar system except Uranus: a sextile (60º) to Saturn and Neptune, and a trine (120º) to Jupiter. Besides, Saturn and Neptune formed a conjunction, and this conjunction was in opposition to Jupiter. The latter was in conjunction to Chiron, a large asteroid which orbits around the Sun between Saturn and Uranus. In addition, Jupiter and Saturn were stationary which means that they maintained their positions and their aspects for three months. Such planetary configurations of harmonious aspects between four slow moving planets and Chiron are rare, and they indicate positive relationships between various components of our society symbolized by the planets. The fifth slow moving planet, Uranus, did not stay out of this beneficial planetary configuration for long. In 1991-94 it formed a conjunction with Neptune, and in 1993 this conjunction was in sextile to Pluto. Such combination of harmonious planetary aspects between all five slow moving planets and Chiron never happened in the beginning of any previous astrological era. Instead, the positions of these planets in the beginning of every previous era indicated wars and strife. Not so in 1989. This indicates that this new Globalization Era will be the most prosperous and peaceful in history. Let’s observe how this planetary configuration in 1989 has affected so far the socio-political and economic events taking place in the beginning of our new astrological era and forecast what will transpire in the 21st century and beyond.

Wars

The recent spike in violence is a temporary phenomenon caused by Neptune/Pluto septile (51.4º, 1/7 of the circle) and Uranus/Pluto square (90º). Under similar planetary positions of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in the past, much bloodier wars took place, including WWI and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. As soon as these aspects will end in 2016, violence will subside. After the end of another stressful aspect, Uranus/Neptune semi-square (45º) in 2021, most of the world including Russia will return to the times of peace, prosperity and global cooperation of the 1990s. Unfortunately, the peace on earth will not be achieved any time soon. Certainly not in our century. Based on what we have observed in the beginning of our era since 1989, violent wars between nations with millions or even scores of millions killed are fortunately a thing of the past. Most of the 21st century military conflicts will be civil wars fought in Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Balkans. In addition, acts of terror, cyber wars, targeted assassinations, drone warfare and asymmetrical warfare will intensify from time to time, especially till 2021. Read more

Century of the Oligarchs

About a century-and-a-half ago Karl Marx predicted that the 19th century capitalism based on the law of the jungle transferred into economics will be replaced by a new economic order, state capitalism. According to Marx, government institutions will merge with large corporations, and a few super wealthy oligarchs will be in total control of every nation. It appears that Marx’ prediction came true not only in the U.S., but also in most of the world. Read More.

Economic Stability

I hope it is obvious to my readers that the U.S. economy is no longer a capitalist market economy. Instead, it is certainly a managed economy. It is not yet identical to the centralized socialist economy of the former Soviet Union, but it does seem to move in that direction. Besides obvious disadvantages, there are many advantages in managed economies. The most important one is that they are better able to avoid or at least minimize most economic contractions. However, even well managed economy of the U.S. and China will not be able to dodge the influence of severe stressful planetary aspects such as Uranus/Neptune semi-square in 2016-21. Read more.  After 2021, the U.S. and world economies will grow steadily through most of the 21st century, but still experience 2-3 quite severe economic contractions by 2113. Read more.

The End of Great Dictators

The Great Dictator was a film produced by Charlie Chaplin in the 1940s. The main character of this film played by Chaplin had a remarkable similarities in character traits, mannerisms and even physical appearance of Adolph Hitler. Unfortunately, Chaplin’s contemporaries in Germany, Russia, Italy and Romania did not share Chaplin’s insights into insanity of their Great Dictators, and allowed themselves to be led to a slaughter of WWII. Indeed, Neptune/Pluto septile of 1937-44 marked the triumphant march of Great Dictators, such as Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and Antonesku of Romania on their quest to conquer the world. Fortunately, close to the end of this septile or soon after it, all these dictators perished. Stalin was the last to die in 1953. Most likely, he was assassinated. Unfortunately, another generation of Great Dictators emerged soon after Neptune/Pluto entered their septile again in 1999: Vladimir Putin of  Russia, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Osama bin Laden of Al Qaida. Close to the end of this septile in 2015, only Vladimir Putin remained in power. If history is the judge—and it is almost always is—his presidency soon will end. Read more. Almost certainly, no other charismatic leader with a claim to imperial glory will appear in the 21st century. Our new Globalization Era is highly mercurial based on trade, international cooperation, rapid exchange of information and collective leadership; and no Great Dictator will rule the world or a significant part of it for the next eight hundred years. Hopefully never.

Fate of Nations

The U.S. During every transition from one astrological era into another, previous era superpowers decline while new superpowers arise to dominate the world for most of this new era. There have never been even one single exception from this rule. Once an old superpower begins to decline, the process is always irreversible, and this will be the case of the U.S. Read more. 

China. During Pluto perihelion in 1989, China emerged as a world superpower and it will remain such for at about three more centuries during which China will either fulfill this eternal humankind’s dream of unifying the world or least will bring us close to its fulfillment. Read more.

Russia. Russia’s current attempt to reassert itself as a world superpower is a temporary historical regression caused by Neptune/Pluto secondary septile in 1999-2016. Once this septile is over in the Spring of 2016, Russia will resume its decline. In few decades, Russia will lose its imperial ambitions, and in less than a century it will form an economic and political union with the EU or China or both. Read more. 

The European Union was formed in 1992, in the very beginning of our new Globalization Era, which indicates that in a decade or two it may become a world superpower, its influence equal that of the U.S. and China. Read more.

Iran. Since the formation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, the leadership of this nation has been trying to convince the rest of the world that Iran is about to become a world superpower. Unfortunately for them and fortunately for the rest of us, the window of opportunity for a new superpower to emerge is about 20 years, from 1979 until 1999. Since Iran was not even close to becoming a superpower in this period, its chances to emerge as one before Pluto aphelion in 2113 are close to zero. Neither Iran, nor North Korea, or Al Qaida or ISIS or any other nation or terrorist organization will emerge as a new superpower in the 21st century.