Canada has been a bit in thee firing line this summer for unfortunate events. I can think of the floods in Alberta which caused catastrophic damage to several towns including to much of the city of Calgary. Then there was the Lac Mégantic derailment where a freight train loaded with oil tanker carriages exploded killing 42 people and destroying 30 buildings in the town. A couple of days ago another train collided with a bus in Ottawa causing mass casualties. What has been causing Canada to have a bad time in the summer of 2013? Look at the natal chart and you can see.
Canada as a country was formed as a confederation of initially 4 states (New Brunswick, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec) on 1st July 1867 and so the natal chart is set for midnight on this date. Canada is thus a Cancerian country with it’s Sun closely conjunct to Uranus as an indication of the independence that was to happen that day. I think that it gives Canada it’s very easy going attitude to multiculturalism, Uranus is a sign that accepts society as a whole and does not tend to discriminate. I find it quite interesting that the Sun sits in the 4th house in Cancer, the house of women ruled by Cancer the most feminine of all the Astrological signs. Of course the head of state in 1867 as the Constitution act was signed remained the monarch of the day in the United Kingdom, who was at the time a woman, Queen Victoria. You will also notice that there is a very powerful Pluto Saturn opposition on natal chart of Canada which I suspect highlights the fact that Canada has power over her own affairs but the head of state lies abroad in a friendly nation. Saturn sits in the 7th house of international relations and rules (via Capricorn)the 10th house of government and 11th of friends.
The Moon sits in the 3rd house of the chart in the sign of Gemini, the twins. This is the house of language and communication and of course Canada has several official languages, including the main two, English and French. That split as the people as either English or French speaking, in a mundane chart the Moon represents the people, accurately depicts this country of having at least two different twin cultures. As you will know Canada does rely on it’s vast natural resources, its mining, logging and petro-chemical industries are very important and these hidden resources are seen through Pluto sitting in the 1st house. Canada has vast offshore reserves of natural gas too and Neptune ruling gas and the seas sits conjunct to the Aries Midheaven but hidden away in the 12th house as if out of sight.
Canada despite it’s relatively sparse population in relation to the size of the country is economically powerful and rich and Venus in the 2nd house rules by Taurus shows that this is a country that will be economically sound and will have a high and comfortable standard of living. Most of the population are employed in the service sectors these days and Mars sitting in Virgo the 6th house opposed to Jupiter indicates this is a very active and profitable part of the economy.
The solar eclipse of the 10th May hit Canada’s natal Pluto and Saturn opposition, a prediction of destruction (Pluto) and loss that was to come in the following months and unfortunately since the eclipse Canada has had to deal with a series of difficult events. You will notice that transiting Pluto and transiting Uranus have been opposing and making a square to the Sun Uranus conjunction in the Canadian natal chart at 8 degrees Cancer over the past year not only raising the possibility of destructive events but also causing unpredictable economic difficulties too. Canada’s debt levels have risen and Scorpio, Pluto’s sign rules the 8th house of debt on this chart.
Transiting Neptune is moving in Pisces in the 12th house of suffering and throughout this summer it has been making an inconjunct aspect to Canada’s natal Mercury. Mercury through Gemini rules the 3rd house of transportation and it is noticeable that a couple of the major accidents to affect Canada were transport based. Neptune also is the planet of water and floods and these have cause major disruption too. I have no doubt that the grand water trine of Neptune, Jupiter and Saturn active in mid summer exacerbated the size and extent of the flooding and the damage it caused.
Canada is now starting to lose that Pluto opposition to Uranus and it’s Sun once Pluto starts moving forward later this month will be a relief I suspect to everyone in the country as it will start to relieve the pressure on the Canadian economy, and there are signs now that things might just be turning a corner. Canada still has Uranus approaching a conjunction with it’s Aries Ascendant next year and I wonder if this may cause serious issues with regard to public health and hospitals, drug and alcohol issues, institutions, prisons and to the welfare state, especially as Uranus will at the same time connect with natal Neptune at the same time. Both these planets have a direct effect on the 12th house, with Aquarius ruling this house and Pisces intercepted in this house as well.