Pussy Riot trial divides Russia and enrages the music world.

In the UK we understand the power of protest and the the right for free speech, especially in artistic forms. Tell me another country in the world which would allow an excerpt from the punk anarchist anthem “God Save the Queen” by the Sex Pistols to be played at the open ceremony of their own Olympic Games with the serving monarch of the day in attendance? I bet you can’t. In Russia, the authorities are not so enamoured by such behaviour. In a trial that is catching world headlines, Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, and Yekaterina Samutsevich all members of the female Punk protest group “Pussy Riot” have just been found guilty of hooliganism, after performing an anti Putin protest song in Moscow's Christ the Saviour cathedral in February and have been sentenced to 2 years in jail. As ever there is an astrological story behind the events in Moscow right now, and glimpsing ahead, this could be a seminal moment in the future of modern Russia.

Just looking at the modern Russia chart compared to the transits today, you can see a lot of blue and purple above, which on my astrological colour scheme says one thing, tension!! Where to start? Well, let’s look at the planet of music and of ideals, Neptune. The natal Neptune on the Russian natal chart is conjunct Uranus, the planet of rebellion in the 5th house of entertainment and creativity, so when those two transiting planets made vital connections in relation to the Russian natal one, things were bound to happen, and they have.

Neptune espouses musical and creative values but is a spiritual planet – this protest took place in the most important cathedral in Russia. Neptune also rules collective values and the power of complete freedom and the dissolution of power and control, and in the past few months it has been opposing the Russian natal Moon, representing not only the people but also the women of Russia. Transiting Neptune in the 7th house of open enemies to the state is at a point midway between the Sun, the leader of the country (Putin) and the Midheaven the public face of the country – you can see the two orange sextiles radiating out from Neptune. Neptune has been shaking things up, slowing encouraging the people who believe in looser more liberal controls in Russia to show their hand. The transiting Nodal Axis is also now square to that critical natal Moon in Virgo in the first house, putting a real focus on the treatment of women and women’s issues in Russia.

Transiting Uranus, the planet of protest and rebellion is now exactly to the Russian Nodal Axis, showing a turning point and a moment of fate for those who wish to overthrow the old guard and fight for new fresh values. Uranus makes a trine to the Russian natal Mercury which interestingly sits in Sagittarius, the planet of freedom – this protest was also aimed because of a need for freedom of speech. There is another connection to Mercury, an opposition from Jupiter, the other faith planet and one which rules the legal system. This trial (Jupiter) is square to natal Jupiter bringing an international focus to the whole affair. Artists like Sir Paul McCartney and Madonna and human rights groups around the world have openly supported “Pussy Riot” in their case, putting huge pressure on the Russian courts and leadership. After all, their protest which lasted just one minute didn’t break any rules or cause any damage, it only was a critical challenge to the lack of free speech and the controlling masculine attitudes of the leader of their country. Somehow, I think this is a case that will run and run, as the national media (Mercury) does sit in Sagittarius, and the nature of this placement will refuse to be held back either.

I mentioned that this could be a seminal moment for Russia for a reason. Look at that close Pluto Venus conjunction in the 4th house of the Russian chart. Pluto is the planet of transformation, and critically it sits in an angular house, the 4th house of the land and of endings. Venus and Pluto in Scorpio could be translated as the confinement or harsh treatment of a woman or women, and that tight conjunction makes a square to the ascendant, so there seems to be a link between these issues and the transformation of Russia as a country itself. Also notice that there is a grand trine on this chart, connecting the Sun (Putin), the Moon (the general public and feminist issues) and the Midheaven, the rulership of the nation.

From small acorns large oak trees grow, and I always look at charts with the possibility of future events sitting there waiting to be activated. When Saturn conjuncts with that Pluto Venus square the ascendant in 2014 as those young women are due for release and transiting Pluto exactly conjuncts the Russian Uranus at the same time, I wonder what the prevailing mood in Moscow will be? Pluto goes on to connect with natal Neptune a year or so afterwards, the planet of destruction and of the breakdown of administrative structures in Capricorn conjunct to a trine of Neptune and Jupiter, the ultimate expression of idealism, justice, faith, of expansion and complete freedom. Watch this space…