UK: financial difficulties ahead?

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Dear friends, In recent days my attention has turned to the UK. Today, the Sunday Times has printed a story (sensationalist, it is true) about growing fears in the banking community (see below). If we look at the UK 16° Virgo rising chart (see below), we can see that there are many indications of problems with financial stability in the months ahead, and even in the next year or two. The Ma/Ju period is running until 18 May 2008. during the remainder of this period L4 Jupiter, an great benefic in a Virgo rising chart, is transiting good houses, H3 and H4. From June to September 2007, Jupiter has been exactly conjunct H3 MEP, aspecting also H7, H9 and H11, offering protection through its own successful actions and the help of its off-spring (general

indication of Jupiter), the USA, and its friends (L4 natally in H11). However, in September transit Jupiter will enter into the aspect of natal Mars in H8 and natal Ketu H7, remaining effective through October. This will adversely influence the conditions during the sub-period of Jupiter. That said, it is the Ma/Sa period that is likely to be more troublesome. It begins in mid May 2008 and lasts until late June 2009. At that time, the UK will be in both the major period of its MMP and the sub-period of an FM - the dreaded dual malefic period. Such periods can be difficult if the planets involved are weak and afflicting in the chart. L8 Mars is located at 20° 40' Aries, which is its own MT sign and in the last degree of the MEP of H8. As such from the

beginning of this century, its maleficience will begin to be felt with respect to its aspect on H11, H2 and H3. L6 Saturn is located at 2° 17' Leo H12, but is not afflicting in the chart. However, natal Saturn is weak, with only 1/4 strength by its placement. Further it is debilitated in Aries H12 in the Navamsa chart (50% strength). In the Rasi chart, Saturn is further weakend by it´s dispositor L12 Sun being weak through disposition. Sun is placed at 19° 06 Sagittarius H4 MEP which is a good placement, but is harming H4and H10. Sun thus also harms its own dispositor, L4 Jupiter. Moreover, the Sun´s strength is undermined by its dispositor, L4 Jupiter, although well placed and exalted at 10° 46' Cancer H11 has its dispositor L11 Moon, also well placed, but weak being in old age at 28° 20' Gemini H10 (1/3 strength). In

other words Saturn has only 1/4 strength and the L12 Sun, its dispositor is harmful to the indications of real estate, communal harmony and the executive branch of government. In other words, In the UK chart the lord of financial stability is in the house of losses and weak on all accounts. It is therefore highly vulnerable to transit afflictions. It is not surprising that the British have lost one of the great empires of the world. They have also gradually lost their standing as a great political power when the Pax Americana began to eclipse the earlier Pax Brittannica following WW II. At that time, Hitler and the Nazis had turned London into rubble with an endless bombardment with the V-2 rocket-bombs. Interestingly, it was in the mid 20th century, according to the 50 year rule, that the natal affliction of L12 Sun to H4 and H10 would have become fully

felt. That said, with L4 Jupiter in H11, L11 Moon in H10, Britain has good friends and its L2 Venus is well placed in H5 giving speculative tendencies. London is still the worlds premier financial market. However, as Ketu afflicts Venus, this can give sudden crisis to H2 indications of status, wealth and relations with neighboring countries. In any event, turning back to the condition of Saturn. In November and December 2006, transit Saturn entered Leo for the first time, went retrograde at 1° Leo and then reentered Cancer. A study of financial stability conditions in the UK could reveal some weakness having emerged at that time, more so as transit Ketu also entered Leo H12 at that time (albeit 30° Leo!). In April 2007, transit Rahu and Ketu entered the MEPs of Aquarius H6 and Leo H12,

beginning to create tension there. However, it was only after the Rahu went stationary in the 14°-13° range of Aquarius H6 and Ketu in Leo H12 in late July/early August that the strains became palpable. More so as in mid July Saturn had reentered Leo H12 and then became exactly conjunct natal Saturn on 4 August, around the time when the US sub-prime crisis began spreading to Europe and has since been worryong investors around the world. Looking ahead we have the following transits to consider: * transit L6 Saturn conjunct Ketu and L2 Venus around 11° Leo H12 in the second half of October 2007 * transit L6 Saturn stationary at 14° Leo H12 MEP from November 2007 to January 2008, afflicting H12, H2, H6 and H9. * transit Rahu at 3° 45' Aquarius (afflicting natal Saturn) and Ketu at 3° 45' Leo conjunct natal Saturn - felt from December 2007 to May 2008, but peaking in early April 2008. On the upside, these transits occur before the onset of the sub-period of Saturn, but in my judgement, they will have set in place a weaker situation for the financial stability of the country during that period. In the second half of 2008, the nodes will move into Capricorn and Cancer in 2008 and shortly thereafter become stationary at 25°, from where they will afflict L2 Venus in H5 and L1 Mercury in H3. Best wishes, Thor From The Sunday Times September 9, 2007 Worst crisis for 20 years, say banks David Smith and John Waples LEADING bankers are warning of the worst crisis in the money markets for 20 years, which will come to a head this week when $113 billion (£57 billion) of commercial paper – market IOUs – comes up for refinancing. This huge refinancing, mainly through London, exceeds the $100 billion that became due in mid-August, and which sparked the most serious phase in the money-market crisis, which has seen banks scrambling

for funds and market interest rates rising sharply. “This is a serious pressure point,” said one leading banker. Another senior executive of one of Britain’s top five retail banks said: “These are the worst conditions I have seen in money markets for 20 years”. The huge amount of commercial paper becoming due is the hangover from the crisis in credit markets that began with American sub-prime mortgages. Many of the off-balance-sheet structured investment vehicles (SIVs) set up by the banks were borrowed in the form of asset-backed commercial paper.