Like China, Russia has a long and complex history. Despite it’s more official beginnings dating around the 9th century CE, the largest region of the world has had many different populations inhabiting it throughout the millennia.

Ancient tools found in the northern Caucasus Mountains date back 1.5 million years. This rocky, high altitude is the intersection between Asia and Europe. Peoples like the Assyrians, Scythians, Turks and Armenians settled here throughout the ages. It has been invaded innumerable times by larger Empires like the Romans, driving many to flee to parts of what is now Europe.

I have never been to Russia but have made a few Russian friends over the years. I’ve read Russian literature. It fascinates me historically the way Asia fascinates me. It’s a shame how Russia has been demonized the way all countries get demonized in war. It’s important to remember these are governments instigating war, not civilians. Many Russian people have been dying along with Ukrainians.

The chart for the current regime in Russia is December 25, 1991 at 7:00pm in Moscow.

You can see there’s a ton of activity in the 5th house of creativity, performance and children. The end of The Cold War was the aftermath of the Saturn-Uranus conjunction that took place in 1988-89, as many of the outer planets were transiting Capricorn at that time. You can see Uranus and Neptune are conjunct in Capricorn.

Uranus-Neptune alignments are a bit strange and not always complementary. It’s like Uranus the liberator is having an existential crisis, making the energy more sacrificial and vulnerable than Uranus prefers. In the 5th house, this conjunction might affect the national birth rate. Russia’s birth rate has been low for a number of years.  However, the birth rate of the entire world has been on the decline since the 1950s. I know it’s particularly low in Italy and Japan.

Because this conjunction is happening in Capricorn, we need to look at how a Saturnian-themed squeeze might affect the 5th house. A major economic recession hit Russia in the first half of the 1990s – meaning the GDP declined by 50%. It didn’t help that investors from Wall Street swooped in to buy up Russia’s cheap post-war assets. The 5th house is also about games and competition. U.S. investors were having a field day at Russia’s expense.

Sun conjunct the north node in the 5th reveals national pride. The national identity moving into the Capricorn realm of responsibility and discipline has ultimately helped Russia gain more competence in the world economy. Putin is largely responsible for that. The GDP, oil and gas reserves all dramatically improved in Russia under Putin.

When the U.S. aided the Mujahideen in Afghanistan with weapons to fight the Russians in ’88, which ended in defeat for the USSR, the U.S. globalists thought Russia was now toast. While Russia did struggle throughout most of the 90s under Yeltsin, Putin you could say became a nemesis because of his success.

In Putin’s natal chart, Chiron is at 7 degrees of Capricorn, tightly conjunct Russia’s north node and conjunct the Sun within 4 degrees. Chiron conjunct the north node (as I mentioned in the Ergot post) is about healing. The future path of Russia was catalyzed by Putin’s ability to fix what was broken.

In this respect, Putin is the political equivalent of the bullied guy in high school who became a Tech billionaire in his 20s. That is the simple explanation for why the U.S. government has been slandering him for so long, though he has other aspects in his chart worth mentioning.

I’ll do Putin’s chart sometime in another post (as well as Ukraine’s), but this illustrates an excellent opportunity for critical thinking and seeing different perspectives.

It must be mentioned, however, that the major turning point for Russia had much to do with transiting Pluto conjunct the nation’s north node in Capricorn between 2013-2014. This was when Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine. Transiting Pluto conjunct the north node in a natal chart is a powerful transition towards one’s future path. With Cancer on the south node in the 11th, Russia seemed to be constantly battling problems in their alliances. Pluto in Capricorn in the 5th house is about learning how to take center stage. To be responsible for one’s destiny often through making a break with the past.

Mercury and Mars widely conjunct in Sagittarius in the 5th house also reveals an ability to be assertive and fight back. Mercury in Sagittarius is known for its no-filter, biting tongue. Expect to be arguing well into the night in a debate with a Mercury in Sagittarius. They will verbally go below the belt. To their credit, though, Mercury in Sag has a talent for seeing the world through a broader, more culturally aware lens. Extending this ability even further is the square with Jupiter in the 2nd house of money.

Mars in Sagittarius goes after what it wants. Mars thrives in fire signs and has no issue with expanding its desire and influence where it deems necessary. In the 5th house of play and competition, Mercury and Mars here have both an advantage and disadvantage. In the area of creative performance, the advantage is you would probably have a great time hanging out socially. In the area of politics, you might not be taken seriously enough.

This brings me to the most foreboding aspect of Russia’s chart: Pluto and Venus at 21-22 degrees Scorpio in the 4th house. Wherever Pluto resides, expect both domination and fault. Because Pluto wants it all, the chances of destruction are high. In the 4th house of family and domesticity, Pluto will protect its home with all the force it can wield. Like stumbling across a crocodile’s nest full of eggs: if the mamma sees you, you’re done. Do Not Trespass is written in giant red letters.

With Venus in the 4th conjunct Pluto, it means that money is vital to that relationship. Venus conjunct Pluto holds the keys to the kingdom. If you invade the home sanctuary of Venus and Pluto, especially in Scorpio, then you should anticipate death. If China’s Mars-Pluto conjunction in Leo is about forceful pride and honor, Russia’s Venus-Pluto conjunction in Scorpio is about the transformation of power.

Moon in Virgo at the end of the 1st house (interpreted in the 2nd house) is about being emotionally sensitive yet discriminating. In the 2nd house of finances, this could mean financial shrewdness. Virgo can be the paragon of austerity when it wants to be. But it also wants to be of service.

With Russia’s chart pretty much dominating the 1st-6th houses, self-development is strongly emphasized. In my analysis of the U.S. chart, the houses of partnership are more emphasized. We can see how that worked for the U.S. for as long as it did, but co-dependency has its drawbacks.