sigh… Welcome to “Another Day, Another Dictatorial Disaster” here in the Not-So-United States of America. This year has been a century long already, and we’re only a week into it. WTF…
I’ve been thinking hard about how best to use this platform and how to add the most value to both my time writing and your time reading. I haven’t come to any conclusions yet, but pieces like this take a long time to research, write, edit, and post as that is all done by A Real Human®, not AI bullshit. In this very broken breaking news world, that leaves me way behind the news cycle.
Perhaps that’s… a good thing? Instead of a post getting swallowed up by the frenzy of hot takes and clickbaits, it can instead be a slow-cooked, more nutritious stew of interesting facts, history, and introspection. I don’t know. Please, tell me how you feel about it! I offer different content on different platforms, and it’s challenging right now to figure out if any of it has any goddamn impact. Anyway…
As you’ve likely heard, the US regime invaded the Venezuelan regime in the wee hours of January 3, 2026, bombing the capital Caracas, and kidnapping President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. This is definitely going to be a “multiple things can be true at the same time” shituation, so let’s try to break down the history, economics, and astrology of this Chaos in Caracas.
First, a bit of history on Venezuela, their government, their economy, and how they got to where they are today. Most countries have a tumultuous past. That is especially true for nations in the global south, and Venezuela has not been spared the violence, colonization, and political maneuverings that have plagued its neighbors in South America. Let me explain… no, there is too much. Let me sum up:
Many pre-Columbian cultures existed in what is now Venezuela prior to Spain’s colonization of the area in 1522, after our least-favorite syphilitic son-of-a-bitch Christopher Columbus did a 1498 float-by
Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, then hands over that colonization to Germany’s Weiser family to pay off his multitude of debts
The Weisers and their minions bring over thousands of enslaved Africans to work on sugar plantations and also embark on several expeditions to find the mythical “City of Gold” - El Dorado; most of them die. Horribly.
The next 250-ish years: More colonizing, fighting, and dying.
July 5, 1811: ¡Viva la Revolución! Francisco de Miranda tells Spain to kick rocks and starts the Venezuelan War of Independence, establishing the First Republic of Venezuela
1812: The revolution gets extra groundbreaking thanks to a massive literal M7.7 earthquake
1813: Simón Bolívar takes over leading the fight for independence, establishing the short-lived Second Republic of Venezuela
1817 to 1830: More battles; more short-lived Republics of Venezuela; finally, a new independent State of Venezuela, but not before up to one-third of the population is killed in these wars
1854: Slavery is abolished (yes, they were a decade ahead of the U.S.)
1895 to 1899: War, but make it British! The Venezuelan Crisis of 1895 saw the U.S. arbitrate a feud between Venezuela and Britain over disputed territory, much of which was eventually awarded to Britain
1922: There’s oil in them there hills! Oil is discovered in the Lake Maracaibo basin, shifting Venezuela into an economic boom that would last until the Reagan Era… and also putting it in the crosshairs of nation states with predatory interests in their new-found natural resources
The remainder of the 20th century saw a succession of coups, corruption, and further colonization by capitalist corporations and Communists alike. Oil prices soured in the 1970s thanks to the ongoing energy crisis and the domestic oil industries were nationalized. Then the oil prices dropped. Then there were sanctions.
All of this led to a subsequent economic collapse as the Venezuelan currency was devalued, and a looted treasury could no longer pay its bills. Poverty became rampant. Tensions and violence reached a climax in 1989 with the Caracazo riots, where hundreds of protestors were killed by military and private security forces.
ENTER: Hugo Chávez.
Chávez led a series of unsuccessful coup attempts in 1992, but was pardoned for his crimes in 1994. He then successfully ran for president in 1999, a position he retained until his death in 2013. Does this sound familiar?
His election ushered in a “Bolivarian Revolution”, which aimed to focus on popular democracy, economic independence, and an end to corruption. A new constitution for the nation was written, marking the formation of the current Fifth Republic of Venezuela, which is also called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
However, his regime was no less chaotic than those of his predecessors. After an attempted coup failed to remove him from office, Chávez turned his attention to controlling the state and private media, thus also controlling the political narrative. His tenure proved to be as sticky as a certain Orange Oligarch we’re now dealing with, surviving a 2004 recall referendum before going on to win re-election.
NOTE: Over the past year, I have seen several people who either currently or formerly live in Venezuela remark, “What’s going on in America right now reminds me of us in 1999. People don’t realize how easily authoritarian rule takes hold and how hard it is to remove once it’s here.” Their words are worth heeding.
During his time in office, Chávez promised to dismantle the old two-party system that essentially worked to ensure either one or the other remained in power (again - sound familiar?), yet appointed his political allies to run PDVSA, the state-run oil company. In December 2002, the entire PDVSA workforce went on a national strike in an effort to force Chávez to resign, but that ended in February 2003 when he fired 18,000 PDVSA employees - 40% of the oil company’s workforce.
Chávez’s rule was certainly more authoritarian than democratic, but he did make a number of social improvements. His “Bolivarian missions” focused on feeding the poor and improving literacy, with nearly 1.5 million adults finally learning to read.
The economy grew by 95% and poverty decreased from 48.6% (2002) to 29.5% (2011). Access to healthcare also improved. These social programs earned him the adulation of many Venezuelans, even though his government continued to employ violence and corruption as a primary means of “doing business”.
All things come to an end, though. Chávez’s health was deteriorating rapidly due to cancer. Despite winning a third term in the October 2012 election, he was never sworn into office. However, before passing away in March 2013, he did appoint a vice-president and successor…
ENTER: Nicolás Maduro.
Nicolás Maduro Moros has been president since Chávez’s death in 2013, and ruling by decree since 2015. The country has been in a decades-long socioeconomic decline that went into overdrive when he took office. Venezuela was the world’s 8th largest exporter of oil, but economic sanctions severely restricted its ability to conduct business.
This has had dramatic effects on the nation, causing its GDP to drop by 80%. This in turn triggered massive inflation, with Venezuela reaching hyperinflation levels of 130,000% in 2018, dramatically decreasing the real wages and thrusting 85% of the population into poverty. The roughly 28 million citizens of Venezuela have experienced some of the world’s worst hyperinflation in the past 50 years, and about 9 million of them have fled the country.
Maduro has also refused to hold fair elections, using the judiciary and military to suppress opposition and retain power. Those 9 million Venezuelans in exile were prohibited from voting in the 2024 election, the results of which are *highly* contested.
Of course, there are always larger foreign and domestic influences at play, which brings us to the recent U.S. invasion of Venezuela and its kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro, and his wife Cilia Flores.
With Venezuela’s tumultuous history of colonization, wars of independence, more colonization, civil wars, and constitutional crises, it’s challenging to find a reliable “birthday” to use, so I’m going to use three charts to tell this story:
The current government’s formation (since this invasion is essentially a hostile government takeover by a foreign power)
The event chart for the invasion itself
The event transits on the Venezuelan government’s natal chart
We’re using December 20, 1999, for the Venezuelan natal chart, which is the day the current constitution went into effect.
Venezuela’s constitution, and therefore current government, has a 21° Virgo ASC - it’s all about the details and daily work. Chávez’s intentions with this constitution were to improve the daily life of the country’s citizens, which he achieved to some degree. The effort to root out corruption was less successful.
The Virgo ASC is trine the Moon in Taurus, its sign of exaltation. The Moon represents the people of a nation, and it’s in the 8th house of death, taxes, and shared resources, along with Saturn Rx (10° Taurus) and Jupiter (25° Aries). This can be a volatile house, and unfortunately, it seems the Venezuelan people are often the ones facing both the restrictions of Saturn and the aggressive expansion efforts of Jupiter.
Virgo is ruled by Mercury, which is part of a Sagittarius stellium that includes the Sun (27°), Pluto (11°), and Chiron (10°). In fact, Mercury (13°), Chiron, and Pluto are all conjunct within a 3° orb and hanging out in the 3rd house of media and communications. That is powerful, but painful, energy!
Sagittarius is very much about fun and freedom, but it can also be fanatical in its beliefs. There can be a conflation of “democracy” and “dictatorship” that supplants the will of the people with the fervent ideals of the Dear Leader, leaving them convinced their strongarm tactics are what’s best for the country. How very authoritarian.
This combustible conjunction is also creating a quincunx with our Saturn in Taurus in the 8th house. Saturn can provide structure or constriction, and in resource-minded Taurus, it seems to be doing the latter. When the government controls all the resources, the people live and die at its pleasure. Again, a painful placement.
Quincunxes (150°) are irritating aspects that have neither the ease of a trine (120°), nor the direct challenge of an opposition (180°). With Venezuela’s history of corruption and plundered resources, this aspect with Chiron, Pluto, and Mercury is particularly important.
Sagittarius doesn’t get to have all the fun! Neptune (02°), the South Node (05°), Uranus (14°), and Mars (18°) have joined forces to create an Aquarius stellium in the 5th house of culture, recreation, and birthrates.
Aquarius is the sign of social justice and the collective. Uranus is all about rebellion and change, while Mars signals the military, opposition, and police forces. Neptune, however, can indicate fraud, cults, and delusions. That is a messy, martial mash-up and Venezuela has no shortage of any of these energies.
Now let’s talk about the invasion itself. This U.S. regime has been threatening to invade everyone from Nigeria to Greenland to Canada to Panama to Cuba since before they took office. Most people took it as tough talk meant to intimidate and financially extort foes and former partners alike, Hell, they even slapped tariffs on the uninhabited McDonald Islands!
But that saber-rattling was not just for show. In fact, much of it is written between the lines of Project 2025 if you read closely enough:
“To contain Venezuela’s Communism and aid international partners, the next Administration must take important steps to put Venezuela’s Communist abusers on notice while making strides to help the Venezuelan people. The next Administration must work to unite the hemisphere against this significant but underestimated threat in the Southern Hemisphere.”
“A ‘sovereign Mexico’ policy. Mexico is currently a national security disaster. Bluntly stated, Mexico can no longer qualify as a first-world nation; it has functionally lost its sovereignty to muscular criminal cartels that effectively run the country. The current dynamic is not good for either U.S. citizens or Mexicans, and the perfect storm created by this cartel state has negative effects that are damaging the entire hemisphere. The next Administration must both adopt a posture that calls for a fully sovereign Mexico and take all steps at its disposal to support that result in as rapid a fashion as possible.”
“Concerning Greenland, the opening of a U.S. consulate in Nuuk is welcome. A formal year-round diplomatic presence is an effective way for the U.S. to better understand local political and economic dynamics. Furthermore, given Greenland’s geographic proximity and its rising potential as a commercial and tourist location, the next Administration should pursue policies that enhance economic ties between the U.S. and Greenland.”
And what do these nations all have in common? Resources!
In other words, this isn’t just the egotistical ramblings of an incoherent Oompa Loompa Oligarch. These are the strategic maniacal machinations of his billionaire puppeteers who want to play an IRL game of Risk using actual humans as pawns, all so their already inflated coffers can overflow like a backed-up toilet at the Taco Bell. These people are unencumbered by morals, ethics, or even the meagerest shred of humanity. This is all a big fun game for them.
Greenland is not only a strategic defensive point for the continental U.S., it also is one of the largest known deposits for rare earth minerals that are used in green technology such as wind turbines and electric vehicles. The nation has deposits of 25 of the 34 most critical raw minerals and while mining them will be challenging, simply possessing the rights to them still comes with significant financial benefits.
Mexico is also rich in natural resources, with oil being a top economic producer. It is the 11th largest producer of oil, has the 17th largest oil reserves, and the only 3 Western Hemisphere countries that produce more oil are Canada, the U.S., and Venezuela.
That’s right - Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves and the 8th largest natural gas reserves. In. The. World. More than the U.S. More than Saudi Arabia, Iraq, or Russia. They also have a ton of gold - 10,000+ tons of it to be precise. Add in diamonds, iron ore, more rare earth minerals, and its strategic placement just off the southern coast of America, and suddenly Venezuela is a very appealing target.
So now the motivation behind this invasion is becoming far less “Maduro bad - must go!” and more “Venezuela rich - must plunder!” Let’s see what the event chart has to say about these shenanigans.
A of all, basic military strategy strongly discourages attacking your target under a Full Moon, but that’s exactly what happened. This was no ordinary Full Moon, though. It was a Full Moon at 13° Cancer, meaning it was in opposition to the Capricorn Sun. Capricorn is the sign of governments and in mundane astrology, the Sun represents the leader. This invasion happened just a few hours before the Full Moon was exact, so that’s why the Moon and Sun are not yet at 13°.
This event chart has 03° Scorpio ASC. Now, listen - Scorpio gets a lot of hate and I’m actually a big fan of the sign, BUT is a chart like this? It screams “covert affairs” and “something deeper”. In other words, this whole thing is sus AF.
Like I said, basic military strategy generally deems a Full Moon - the night of the most heavenly illumination - as a TERRIBLE time for an invasion or other secret mission, yet that’s exactly what they chose. Why is that? Mere incompetence would explain that decision from Party Sauce Pete, but there were senior military members involved.
DOTUS apparently gave the green light on Christmas (December 25), which was just past the still-very-dark New Moon (not that he has the authority to start wars, but here we fucking are). Why did they wait? Were they working with someone on the inside in Venezuela and actually wanted to ensure that U.S. forces could easily find their way around the presidential compound?
One uber-interesting bit of information that has come out is that Maduro was being guarded by a contingency of Cuban soldiers. Why would he be guarded by military members from another nation and not his own? Could it be because he couldn’t trust his own people? Was he afraid of a coup or “accident” that would leave him in worse hands than those of the American military? Was this a capture or an extraction?
Remember that his wife was also “captured”. While Cilia Flores is apparently a wealthy and influential figure, she is not an actual member of the Maduro regime. In fact, none of the other members of the Maduro regime were removed, meaning it’s generally business as usual in Venezuela, except with Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez now being sworn in as interim president, and she’s allegedly just as hardline as Maduro.
AARGH!!! IT’S SO FREAKING WEIRD!!! WHAT WAS THE POINT???
Let’s look at what chart co-rulers Mars and Pluto are doing. Mars is part of that Capricorn conjunction with Venus and the Sun, all of which are in the 3rd house of communications. This attack is definitely meant to send a message, and it will dominate the news cycle for some time to come. It’s almost like they wanted to distract us from something, perhaps like the deadline for releasing the Epstein files.
That conjunction is in opposition to the 10° Cancer Moon in the 9th house of the judiciary. The Moon represents the people and while the people of Venezuela may feel that justice has been served, the people in the U.S. know this was a very illegal action to take that violates our Constitution.
This is one of those “multiple truths” moments: Maduro can be a flesh-wrapped sack of trash that has abused his power and people, and our own Orange Human Hefty Bag has endangered Americans by this illegal attack on another nation without the requisite Congressional approval. One does not justify the other.
Pluto (03° Aquarius) is square our Scorpio ASC and hanging out just inside the 4th house of homeland on the IC. In fact, the Scorpio ASC, Aquarius Pluto/IC, and Leo MC all create a perfect T-square.
I can’t shake the suspicion that Maduro may have orchestrated his own exit from the country under the guise of this invasion. After all, he looked very healthy and unharmed in the photos and videos we’ve seen since his capture, which is a far different state than other deposed dictators like Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi. Why would he do that? There could be a million reasons, or it could not be accurate in the least. Just a little voice that keeps whispering as I look at these charts.
It could also be that someone close to Maduro betrayed him, aiding and abetting the invasion, but ensuring that he wasn’t assassinated. Either way, there is much more to this “capture” than we’re being told, and don’t think it is just about plundering Venezuela’s vast resources. Remember that Neptune, our planet of illusions and delusions, is at the anaretic 29°, the degree of crisis and decay. It’s also conjunct Saturn, the planet of restriction. Do not believe everything you see or hear.
Mercury (02° Aquarius) is also quincunx the 01° Leo MC. We could see this event as one that feeds Dear Leader’s ego, but there is literally something very irritating about how it’s being reported. Quincunx is the aspect of irritation, and in this chart, it squares that anaretic Neptune. We are being told this is to help the people of Venezuela, but that is a T-rex-sized pile of shit. The People will not be better off.
Friendly reminder that this Full Moon is also part of the Lunar Phase Family that began on July 5, 2023. We talk about these more in depth on Patreon, but essentially, this is a New, 1st Quarter, Full, and Last Quarter Moon that all take place around the same sign and degree, but spread out over a 27-month cycle (one new phase every 9 months). That means the “next installment” of this LPF will take place on October 3, 2026. I don’t know what will happen, but mark that date on your calendar and watch it closely.
What happens when we put the two charts together? If we add the transits from the invasion to the natal chart of the Venezuelan government, as few interesting aspects appear.
First of all, that Scorpio ASC lands in Venezuela’s 2nd house, which is the house of money and resources. Hello??? While there may be other ulterior motives we’ve yet to uncover, there is NO WAY this is not also about plundering Venezuela’s economy and natural resources.
Interestingly, that Scorpio ASC also makes a loose sextile with Venezuela’s natal Sagittarius Sun. Remember that the Sun represents the leader, which in this case is presumably Maduro. There is currently no indication that he had been overthrown internally and was merely acting as a figurehead, but there’s also nothing saying that he didn’t suspect such a coup was in the works.
Further into the 2nd house, the natal Scorpio Venus makes another sextile with the transiting Capricorn stellium of Venus, the Sun, and Mars. Here, the Sun would represent the leader associated with the invasion - our own Fanta Fascist. Taken together, these both strongly suggest some financial deal was made “under the table” that would be mutually beneficial to both leaders. It may not make sense of the surface, but these machinations and chess games seldom do.
That natal Sagittarius Sun (AKA: Maduro) is involved in a number of other aspects. In fact, sitting on the IC just inside the 4th house, he is truly the anchor point in this entire chart. That natal Sun is:
Conjunct transiting Mercury (02° Capricorn) - 4th House
Square transiting Saturn (26° Pisces) and Neptune (29° Pisces) - 7th House
Quincunx transiting Uranus Rx (27° Taurus) - 9th House
That Mercury implies there was some communication between governments about this invasion, either the U.S. and Venezuela, or either of those nations with another unknown state.
The square with Neptune and Saturn in the house of committed partnerships and open enemies could indicate a deception around this “capture” and exactly how confined he will be. It will certainly be challenging, but perhaps that challenge was necessary to find freedom.
NOTE: Without adding another chart to this post, I did look quickly at Maduro’s personal natal placements. We don’t have a time of birth for him, but some placements don’t require it. He is a 0° Sagittarius Sun, which aligns with all of that Sag energy in Venezuela’s chart. However, he also has some big Scorpio placements with Mercury, Venus, and Neptune in the sign of secrets. This dude is not all that he appears to be. He also shares a natal Mars in Leo with our own National Embarrassment. Could they be frenemies with a shared love of the dramatic?
That last aspect is the one that I find most telling. Uranus rules energy and in Taurus, a fixed Earth sign, it speaks about natural resources found underground. However, Uranus is also about rebellion, strikes, and agitators. It is the sign of disruption, hence why we use it in our logo!
Did Maduro strike this uncomfortable deal of extraction for resources? Did he find there were open enemies in his midst who planned to stage a coup and that’s why Cuba sent their soldiers to guard him? What else was part of that deal?
V Spehar from Under the Desk News made an interesting point that with Venezuela under U.S. control, it could be used to “legally” deport anyone the regime wanted to be rid of, just like they tried to do with CECOT. That would include anyone rebelling against this regime or disrupting the implementation of their precious Project 2025.
The 9th house rules the judiciary and long-distance travel, and it is also the natural house of Sagittarius. This could all be way too tin hat, but this entire regime fashions itself as some B-film villain, so even the most ridiculous scenario may not be inaccurate. Absurd times call for absurd theories. Pass the roll of Reynolds!
Finally, one quick note about transiting Chiron (22° Aries). It is now conjunct natal Jupiter Rx (25° Aries) in the 8th house: death, taxes, and shared resources. Natal Saturn and the Moon are also in that house. While the Venezuelan people may have initially celebrated Maduro’s removal and seen it as a sign of freedom, I do not think they are getting the liberation they desired. If anything, this could lead to an increased amount of pain for them.
Remember that Jupiter, despite being a benefic, expands everything it touches. When conjunct Chiron, that can mean great pain, especially in the 8th house. Remember also that nothing else about the Maduro regime has changed except for the vice-president getting a (temporary) promotion. A government is bigger than one man. Dictators come and go, but there is always another one ready to take their place. Democracy requires more than a new head of state.
WHEW! Thanks for reading and I hope you found this interesting! Please leave a comment, like, and share, and if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to Politics & Pentacles! Got an idea for a story? Let us know!
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