Canada's Astrological Patterns
Written & published in August 2005
In this section we will look at Canada's birth chart, followed by some astrological titbits about the Prime Ministers' Sun signs, the current PM Paul Martin's transits, and the first female PM's links with Canada's chart. The section concludes with a brief survey of Canada's main forthcoming transits.
Birth Chart for the Confederation
This is the chart for the coming into force of the British North America Act, at midnight on 1st July 1867. The location is the capital city, Ottawa. This is the moment when the country of Canada that we know today came into formal and legal existence.
This chart tell us that Canada was 'born' when the Sun was in Cancer, the Moon was in Gemini, and the sign on the Ascendant was Aries.
The Sun sits next to Uranus, and both are placed half-way between Mercury and Venus. This, combined with the Moon in Gemini in the 3rd house, indicates the high consciousness of multiple identities within Canada, identities that need to be woven together into a 'family unit', lest they split the country apart by pulling it in different directions. It shows, the need to be 'fluent', mobile, and adaptable in order to fit in. The qualities of accommodation, cooperation, finding the middle ground, dealing with variety and multiplicity are all symbolised here. The potential difficulties reflected by these placements are fragmentation - being far flung and having a sense of dislocation and disconnected identity. In short, the tendency towards separation, 'divorce', and disintegration.
There is a powerful yet uneasy relationship with land shown in this chart. Pluto is in Taurus in the 1st house, directly opposite Saturn in the 7th house, and Mars is in Virgo in the 6th house. This speaks of land wealth, agriculture, a very strong and even obsessional work ethic. It also indicates a down-to-earth ambition and a healthy drive to master the material environment in order to thrive. The darker side of this configuration is that there is a lot of potential for abuse of power, symbolised by the Saturn-Pluto opposition, combined with a self-destructive streak. Because the houses are the 1st and 7th, this will affect Canada's international relations.
Combining this with Neptune conjunct the Ascendant, it suggests that Canada's national psyche has a tendency to identify with the role of the victim. Every nation has psychological weak spots, and this self-abnegating and self-immolating trait is a potential achilles heel in the country. The chart shows that Canada is very sensitive to the wider perspective and consequences of its actions, and this may sometimes undermine the good it could achieve by being more straight-forwardly assertive. There is a problem with boundaries - as evinced by the constant re-drawing of provincial and territorial boundaries throughout Canada's history - and, combined with a preference for being accommodating and pursuing 'win-win' outcomes (Libra Ascendant), is likely to draw the country into its Aries-Libra Ascendant-Descendant dilemma: how much do we push for what we want, and how much do we let other countries get what they want?
The constructive side of Neptune on the Ascendant, taken together with several other chart factors, shows a very strong humanitarian, egalitarian, and compassionate streak. These other factors are: Mars in Virgo in the 6th house, Jupiter in Pisces in the 12th house, Chiron in Pisces in the 12th house, nodal axis across Virgo-Pisces in the 6th-12th houses, Sun conjunct Uranus in Cancer in the 4th house. These placements also point to a somewhat reticent and inward-looking, contemplative nation. If this were an individual, it would suggest a strong need for solitude and time alone. To realise the potential shown in its birth chart, Canada must learn to better balance passivity and assertiveness, responsibility and powerful authority, inner and outer, selfishness and selflessness.
Current PM, Paul Martin
Paul Martin is Canada's current PM, and was sworn in on 12th December 2003. His Sun and Mercury are conjunct Canada's Mars, and his Node is conjunct Canada's Saturn. He therefore plugs directly into Canada's chart, with the planets that are to do with ambition, authority, and assertiveness/aggression
Paul's birth chart's links with the Confederation chart indicate that he has a considerable resonance with, and perhaps power over, issues to do with Confederation, and the relationship of Provinces and Territories with the Federal union.
Paul was sworn in when the transiting Node was at 20 degrees 06 minutes of Taurus/Scorpio, and his own natal Node is 20 degrees 50 minutes of Taurus/Scorpio.
The nodal axis is often prominent during times in our lives when our path unfolds more clearly and we take definite action to move ourselves towards realising our purpose.
First Female PM
Canada's first - and so far, only - female Prime Minister was Kim Campbell. Kim was born in 1947, eighty years after Canada was 'born' in 1867.
Canada's Venus/Pluto midpoint, representing 'powerful women', is at 00 degrees 52 minutes Gemini.
Kim's Sun/Pluto midpoint, representing power, authority and leadership, is at 00 degrees 24 minutes Gemini.
The standard orb for a midpoint is 1 degree 45 minutes. Therefore the relationship between Canada's Venus/Pluto midpoint position, and Kim's Sun/Pluto midpoint position (0 degrees at 28 minutes) is considered to be very close indeed.
PMs' Sun Signs
Canada has never had Prime Minister who was born when the Sun was in Aries or Leo. In fact, Canada has only ever had one Fire sign PM, and that was William Lyon MacKenzie King, who was born when the Sun was in Sagittarius.
The most frequently occurring Sun signs out of all the Canadian PMs are Gemini, Cancer, Capricorn, and Pisces. There have been three occurrences of each.
The most frequently occurring Sun sign element is Water, and the most frequently occurring sign mode is Mutable.
Signs of 'negative' polarity also predominate by two-to-one. Fourteen PMs had their Sun in one of the 'negative' signs, and seven had their Sun in one of the 'positive' signs. The opposing signs of Cancer-Capricorn and Virgo-Pisces are particularly popular.
(Note: Negative signs are Earth and Water signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn, Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. Positive signs are Fire and Air signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.)
For the dominant Liberal party of Canada, the sign Aquarius is strong in their leaders. This applies not just to Sun signs; Aquarius is the most frequently occurring sign in general amongst this group of PMs.
Aquarius is traditionally linked with the liberal approach, but the darker side of Aquarius is sharply illiberal: the autocrat and the technocrat.
Liberal PMs since World War II
Because the Liberal party has dominated Canadian politics throughout the last century, the decision was made to see if there were any astrological patterns linking the most recent Liberal PMs. It was found that all the Liberal PMs in the post-war period up until the present day form a seven-pointed pattern between the positions of Venus, Jupiter, and the Venus-Jupiter midpoint, in their charts.
In terms of astrology, Venus and Jupiter have an affinity with economic liberalism, unity, loyalty, and fair play. (Please note though, that it is debatable whether Venus-Jupiter will actually symbolise real economic liberalism, fair play, etc, or just issues around and presentation of economic liberalism, fair play, etc. Much depends on the full context of each leader's chart.)
The diagram below shows the names of each of these people, and tells you whether it is that person's Venus, or Jupiter, or their Venus-Jupiter midpoint, that is involved in forming this pattern. Each planet or midpoint is approximately 51 degrees from the points either side of it, placed around the zodiac circle (the zodiac circle has been omitted in order to emphasise the seven-fold spacing of the planets in the pattern).
As you can see, the pattern is completely symmetrical (allowing for the limitations of the drawing software that was used in creating the diagram):
The planets are colour-coded based on their real colours as physical bodies in space: green for Venus, orange for Jupiter, and Venus/Jupiter shows that that person's midpoint is involved in the pattern (midpoint is the point in space half-way between two planets).
There is one point 'missing' from this pattern, located at the top of the diagram above. It remains to be seen whether this point - around 3-4 degrees of Aquarius - will be 'filled' by a future Liberal PM's Venus, Jupiter, or Venus-Jupiter midpoint.
Canada's Forthcoming Transits
Looking ahead, here is an outline of the main transits to Canada's national chart from now until 2010:
- Transiting Jupiter has recently crossed into and then back out of Canada's 7th house, reflecting a raised profile for Canada on the world stage, and the taking up of an outward-looking and international role. It is a good time for Canada to play peace-maker, however other transits reflect recent political decisions to instead embroil Canada in the so-called 'war on terror'. From August 2005, Jupiter will remain in Canada's 7th house for the next couple of years, and so it's from this time that whatever developments that have been quietly gestating regarding international roles are more likely to swing into visibility and action.
- Transiting Chiron opposes Mercury until the end of 2006, linking with Saturn's transit of Mercury, to reinforce the themes discussed above. Also, the transiting Saturn-Chiron opposition will be square to Canada's Saturn-Pluto opposition, thus forming a Grand Cross, from March to June 2007, with Chiron continuing to be within orb of this square until the end of 2008. This latter transit then links with Neptune's square to Canada's Saturn-Pluto during 2006-7. All in all, this sequence of transits indicates that Canada will spend the next few years reviewing its use - and misuse - of power, authority, responsibility, and accountability. The emphasis will be on washing away the old, the decaying, and the corrupt, and bringing about construction, renewal, and healthier structures and institutions.
- Transiting Saturn will be conjunct the country's Mercury soon, and will appear to be motionless in the sky during Spring 2006. This is a time to deal with transport, education, postal, and telecoms issues, particularly regarding reorganisation and construction/reconstruction. This could also be a time when the country's varying relationships with its multi-lingual citizens becomes consolidated, one way or another.
- Uranus has been transiting the natal Mars-Jupiter opposition and unfortunately this is already looking as if it is being used by Canada in a textbook manner, i.e. through a particularly outspoken, jingoistic, war-oriented set of policies and people, under the banner of a war (Mars, Jupiter) of/for freedom (Jupiter, Uranus). This aspect has been present throughout 2004 and 2005 so far, and continues onwards, with October-December 2006 being the concluding phase. The transit being Uranian, there may well be a few u-turns during this time. In November Uranus will appear to be motionless in the sky while this aspect is within orb, thus highlighting this as a very important 'turnaround' time. Uranus will also be in trine to Canada's Sun-Uranus-IC until the end of 2006, reflecting some changes and reshuffles at the top, and a period of flux in the country in general.
- Transiting Neptune is in square to Canada's Saturn-Pluto opposition, thus forming a T-shape, from 2004 to 2007. This is a major challenge to the nation to deal with the various psychological roles of victim, victimiser, and rescuer. During this time the country is likely to become aware of abuses of power, scandals, corruption, fraud, and deceit. Spring 2006 and Autumn to Christmas 2006 stand out in this regard. From 2009 to 2011 Neptune will transit Canada's Ascendant/Midheaven midpoint, reflecting a time of increased national unity at best, or disintegration at worst. This coincides with one of Pluto's transits, outlined below.
- Transiting Pluto will oppose Canada's Moon in 2007, and will be on the Sun/Moon midpoint during 2009 and 2010. These transits are a time when the nation's core issues around disconnection and integration are likely to come to the fore to be reviewed and changed where necessary.
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