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 several spectacular cosmic phenomena,
The Aquarian Age
The Aquarian Age emerged in November 1989 with the fall of Berlin Wall caused by very rare astrological phenomena, the likes of which the world has not seen for five thousand years. From 1977 through 1993, a very short moment on the cosmic scale, three rare cosmic phenomena took place. Pluto reached its perihelion, the point of its closest proximity to the Sun, and the triple conjunction of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune took place. In about the same time, Eris, a newly discovered planet the size of Pluto, has reached its aphelion, the point of its ultimate separation from the Sun. Last time, a similar configuration of these five planets took place in 3336-3321 B.C. marking the rise of our civilization in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
This Aquarian Age will last for more than eight centuries ending in 2856, and these centuries will be the years of world peace, economic prosperity and cooperation between nations. Indeed, the first two decades of this Age were very promising with very supportive harmonious influences of the slow-moving planets. As is true for all long-term astrological cycles, the very beginning of the cycle sets up a tone for the rest of the cycle. So, we may expect that all these positive developments of the 1980s and 1990s, will continue evolving through the end of this cycle for many centuries to come.
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 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. In addition, Jupiter and Saturn were stationary maintaining their positions and their aspects for three months. There was one stressful aspects: Pluto/Sedna opposition. Fortunately, this aspect was already waning and balanced by harmonious aspects from Saturn and Neptune.
Such planetary configurations of harmonious aspects between five slow moving planets 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 never happened in the beginning of any previous astrological era. Instead, the positions of these planets in the beginning of every previous era pointed to 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 harmonious 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
This 20-year period from 1979 through 1999, 10 years before and after Pluto perihelion in 1989, was a period of political stability and economic cooperation the like of which we rarely saw in human history. Unfortunately, it ended in 1999 when Neptune and Pluto entered their septile aspect (51.4° angel between two planets, 1/7 of the circle). In March of that year, NATO alliance entered the Kosovo War between Serbia and its rebellious province of Kosovo on the side of Kosovo. Since then all the foreign policies of major nuclear powers, such as the U.S., Russia and China appeared clearly imperialistic. Meanwhile, Turkey and Iran not only openly declared their imperial ambitions, but also took concrete steps toward reclaiming their former imperial glory.
Fortunately, this imperial septile ended in 2016. Unfortunately, the strife for the imperial glory did not end with it since most of the slow-moving planets of our solar system, such as Uranus, Neptune, Eris and Sedna formed stressful aspects to three fixed stars, Algol, Arcturus and Scheat, associated with wars, civil strife, pandemics and many other disasters. In about the same time in 2018-22, Pluto formed a square to Eris. Historically, such square are associate with a rise of violence and civil discord. Fortunately for us, all these stressful aspects will dissipate by mid-2026.
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. Thus, Trump’s tariffs in 2016-19 and in 2025 seem to stimulate the U.S. economy while negatively affecting the economies of India and China. Managed economies are supposed to be able to avoid or at least minimize most economic contractions. Apparently they do not. Such was the Great Recession in 2007-09 for example. It occurred under the influence of Neptune/Pluto septile while both planets also formed septile aspects to Saturn and Uranus. Apparently, the influence of the planets was not easily manageable.
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 1940. 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, Xi Jinping of China, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Recep Erdogan and Osama bin Laden of Al Qaida. Close to the end of this septile, Recep Erdogan, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping remained in power. If history is the judge—and it is almost always is—their presidencies 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. Thus was the fate of the British, French and Japanese Empires, the Third Reich of Germany and the Soviet Union. However, this will not be the case of the U.S. Instead of shrinking like Russia, Great Britain and France, the U.S. will be the dominant force that would lead the world to the newly emergence state of governance where the mega corporation will play a dominant role. Read more.
China. During Pluto perihelion in 1989, China emerged as a world superpower and it will remain such for at least a few more decades. China definitely will not rule the world, and there is absolutely no chance that China will replace the U.S. as a dominant superpower. 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, Pluto/Eris square in 2018-22 and the conjunctions and oppositions of most of the slow-moving planets to the fixed stars discussed above. Once these aspects are over in the spring of 2016, Russia will resume its decline. In a few years, Russia will lose its imperial ambitions, and in less than a century 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, and for a while it appeared that it may become a world superpower, its influence equal that of the U.S. and China. However, these will not happen. The future world will not be ruled by governments of nations. Instead, a new form of governance will emerge when the international mega corporation such as Google, Apple, Amazon and a few scores of others will become the most influential in the world affairs. 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 such before Pluto aphelion in 2113 are close to zero. Nevertheless, Iran will continue playing a role in the regional affairs for at least half a century. Read more. 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.
