Pluto and Kim Jong Un
It’s been interesting to watch how the movements of the planets have played out in the life of Donald Trump. When Jupiter was trine his Sun and sextile his Moon he had a couple of good weeks. Two natural disasters had blown away the bad feelings that lingered after his Charlottesville remarks and given him a chance to look presidential. Then he seemed to be cozying up with Democratic leaders, which made him seem above partisanship. There were hints that maybe he was growing into the role of leader of the free world and his poll numbers ticked up.
This period actually lasted longer than I had expected, but it was bound to come to an end. And, sure enough, this week we have Trump back to his old, divisive tricks, picking fights with (mostly black) players in the NFL and NBA. Though this is only going to strengthen his position with his base (some of whom were threatening to burn the M.A.G.A. hats when he seemed ready to make a deal with the Democrats on D.A.C.A), it exacerbates the racial divide in this country and identifies him as the president of O. W. P. O (old white people only).
However, the ramifications of the argument that Trump is having with black athletes seems trivial when compared to what could be the outcome of the pissing contest he has started with Kim Jong Un. Personally, I get a little nervous watching two world leaders, each with nuclear weapons at his finger tips, exchange personal insults like a couple of grade school bullies. I know what’s going on in Trump’s chart, with transiting Saturn conjunct his natal Moon and opposed to his natal Sun, but what’s happening in the horoscope of Kim Jong Un.
That is a problem, because not only do we not have a time of day for Kim’s birth, we’re not even sure of the year. The official story is that he was born on Jan. 8, 1983, but there is also testimony he was born on Jan. 8, 1984. (Click here to see the source data in Astrodatabank.). The only thing that is the same in the charts for these two days is the position of the Sun, but that turns out to be all we need.
Since January of this year Pluto has been passing back and forth across 17 degrees of Capricorn, the degree of the zodiac occupied by Kim’s Sun. Pluto represents power, depth of feeling, obsession and extreme reactions. Under the influence of a strong Pluto aspect people often feel overwhelmed and locked into an impossible situation. These aspects can coincide with a useful period of self-examination and a realignment of priorities, but they can also manifest in extreme, desperate actions aimed more at venting frustration that solving any problem.
I don’t claim to know anything about the inner workings of the government in Pyongyang, but since no one else seems to know much, I’m going to offer an opinion. Judging from this Pluto aspect, Kim feels that his position is as leader of his country is not secure, that it is being threatened by both outside and internal agents. Like a lot of dictators, he has responded to this uncertainty by putting his country on a war footing. Backing away from that now would be a show of weakness, and with Pluto riding his Sun, he feels that such a retreat would only encourage his enemies. On the surface, Trump’s threats and insult might seem insignificant, but at a deeper level they serve to stoke Kim’s Pluto paranoia.
When I looked at the Sibley U.S. chart last Jan. I thought that the chances of Trump getting us into a war this year were minimal. Now I’m not so sure. You don’t back a person under a Pluto aspect into a corner unless you are prepared to deal with extreme and irrational actions. This aspect in Kim’s chart will be exact in early November and it will be remain within a degree for most of the year. After that he will feel the pressure lifting, but given the escalating war of words between him and Trump, Dec. could be several million lifetimes away.
