Sterling, the Bank of England and UK house prices
My original plan was to start my currency forecasts with the
dollar. Then I looked at the Bank of England chart and started to work on that. In the end I have done all the analysis for all the currencies before writing up any of them, as, in an interlinked global economy it is impossible to deal with individual countries, without reference to the others.
I am still not fully happy- the sheer volume of data means that my analysis is only scratching the surface and often raises as many questions as it answers.
But one has to start somewhere so here goes:-
Summer 2008
It would be good to believe recent suggestions that the worst of the credit crunch may be over. Perhaps it is, in the form it has taken to date. However it is difficult to see an end to the story for any of the major currencies and Sterling in particular. Challenges to the Bank of England seem set to continue throughout the rest of the year and the spectre of inflation is definitely not going away.
We have seen some respite in last couple of months, but it doesn’t look like it will last. As Saturn moves forward again to its position of September 2007 and February 2008, the concerns of those months will resurface. We will see things starting to unravel again later in June and in July. Although at a global level the impetus from this will come from America and possibly elsewhere, the falling house price situation in the UK itself will create its own pressures at this time.
Sterling and house prices in the UK chart are both partially governed by Saturn, which is opposed by Neptune from now right through the summer- It is interesting to note that the last time Saturn was in these degrees of Virgo in 1979, the Right to Buy council houses Bill was developed. Now Saturn is tuning full circle and the current government are talking of buying up un-saleable developments. How the world turns…
In any case, it is difficult to see anything but the dissolution of the status quo with this aspect; public trust that both houses and the pound are safe bets will be proved illusionary.
My original plan was to start my currency forecasts with the
dollar. Then I looked at the Bank of England chart and started to work on that. In the end I have done all the analysis for all the currencies before writing up any of them, as, in an interlinked global economy it is impossible to deal with individual countries, without reference to the others.I am still not fully happy- the sheer volume of data means that my analysis is only scratching the surface and often raises as many questions as it answers.
But one has to start somewhere so here goes:-
Summer 2008
It would be good to believe recent suggestions that the worst of the credit crunch may be over. Perhaps it is, in the form it has taken to date. However it is difficult to see an end to the story for any of the major currencies and Sterling in particular. Challenges to the Bank of England seem set to continue throughout the rest of the year and the spectre of inflation is definitely not going away.
We have seen some respite in last couple of months, but it doesn’t look like it will last. As Saturn moves forward again to its position of September 2007 and February 2008, the concerns of those months will resurface. We will see things starting to unravel again later in June and in July. Although at a global level the impetus from this will come from America and possibly elsewhere, the falling house price situation in the UK itself will create its own pressures at this time.
Sterling and house prices in the UK chart are both partially governed by Saturn, which is opposed by Neptune from now right through the summer- It is interesting to note that the last time Saturn was in these degrees of Virgo in 1979, the Right to Buy council houses Bill was developed. Now Saturn is tuning full circle and the current government are talking of buying up un-saleable developments. How the world turns…
In any case, it is difficult to see anything but the dissolution of the status quo with this aspect; public trust that both houses and the pound are safe bets will be proved illusionary.
What we saw in general terms in 2007 as Neptune opposed Saturn by transit and deflated the US housing bubble – we will be able to see much more starkly in the UK as Neptune opposes, not transiting Saturn but the UK’s own Saturn position.
And it is difficulty to see how this will not lead to further financial and other housing related corporations facing failure, even despite the attempts to raise further finance in the last few months.
The eclipses on 1st and 16th August are likely to trigger further events. The 16th August eclipse corresponds with the Neptune Saturn configuration. We will really know how bad it is going to be by then. Answer- very bad indeed. We will have statistics that show a year of price falls and no potential for the trend to reverse.
Some of the latest forecasts are for 50% house price drops over the coming years. While I think there are enough houseowners who don’t have to sell, so that this level of declines won’t happen in all sectors of the market, it is a sure thing for inner city flats and lower end terraces and also for the top end where there just aren’t enough people with anything like the money required to pay current prices.
Autumn 2008
And it is difficulty to see how this will not lead to further financial and other housing related corporations facing failure, even despite the attempts to raise further finance in the last few months.
The eclipses on 1st and 16th August are likely to trigger further events. The 16th August eclipse corresponds with the Neptune Saturn configuration. We will really know how bad it is going to be by then. Answer- very bad indeed. We will have statistics that show a year of price falls and no potential for the trend to reverse.
Some of the latest forecasts are for 50% house price drops over the coming years. While I think there are enough houseowners who don’t have to sell, so that this level of declines won’t happen in all sectors of the market, it is a sure thing for inner city flats and lower end terraces and also for the top end where there just aren’t enough people with anything like the money required to pay current prices.
Autumn 2008
As a result of the summer’s events, both the BOE chart and the UK chart show the potentials for restrictions on trading in September. There are a number of interpretations of this –just that house sales will dry up completely, that there will be bad retail sales over the summer, public sector discontent and threat of strikes ( although it is in the later years of this period that those become more likely), oil or food shortages and higher interest rates in response to pressures on sterling.
The situation is complicated by the presence of Jupiter in October which might lift the tension temporarily. But it is definitely temporary, the Saturn Uranus opposition which will form in the Autumn will run until 2010.
Winter 2008/9
Basically we have a continuation of the situations arising in Mid 2008, although without critical developments until probably February (when the next eclipses occur). Possible debt issues by the government and a review of the Bank of England remit ( there are some similar aspects at this time to the ones that created the current remit in 1997) may occur in this phase.
Neptune is once again opposing the UK Saturn (a situation that does not end until late 2009), so we cannot expect any improvements in either house prices or sterling during this time.
With respect to Sterling it is worth noting that Neptune was last in this point in the zodiac in 1844, where there was a major debate about banking and the backing of currency. These themes are likely to re-emerge now.
Spring 2009
Things don’t get better either. They seem to get much much worse in March through June 2009. The Bank of England chart is impacted throughout by the Saturn/Uranus opposition, which squares the Banks natal Uranus and then conjoins its Neptune; by a Pluto opposition to Venus (the last square was in 1973), and finally as Jupiter joins Neptune in opposition to the Banks progressed Jupiter and Moon (and probably also the progressed MC).
Once again there is focus on the USA at this time, although there are some indications of European problems too. But in the UK the charts are highlighting the same themes as in 1824/5, 1917 and 1973 and the focus seems to be on the value of sterling and the issue of whether it should be pegged/fixed or set to some standard will be discussed. No doubt the sale of the gold reserves will be criticised again, which tends to suggest that gold will be rising vs. all currencies at this time- thus that there may be a real inflationary environment globally (the separate US and Euro analyses look at this possibility). The possibility of increasingly wild speculation in both hard and soft commodities, cannot be ruled out at this time with the consequent impact on the perceived value of sterling.
Changes to government or Bank of England leadership also look possible then – although will not make a shred of difference to the underlying problems. There are bound to be some interventions in both markets and regulators.
Summer 2009
I can see no real let up of the Spring situation through to September of 2009. The aspects mentioned continue to manifest. Key dates are around 19 August , and again 17-25 September.
If sterling were fixed to another currency it would be devalued in this time. It isn’t, but it can depreciate significantly against other currencies, and if they are also weak, against commodities. We are looking at a situation with parallels to 1925 when attempts to get the currency back to the standard failed. Still it is hard to see Sterling falling much against the dollar at this time as that has its own problems.
House prices are likely to continue their march downwards, as severe recession starts to look more probable.
Winter- Spring 2010
The situation in September through November has more in common with 1980. Potentially there is a turning point in September, but this may be a false dawn as the aspects in place are set to recur in early 2010.
Obviously the value of gold in sterling terms reached a peak in early 1980, so it would not be surprising to see this pattern repeated, although in this case there does not seem to be case for the gold price to start falling again unless there is a huge change in economic policy – which seems unlikely this time round at least at this stage.
Indeed by the spring of 2010 the UK chart has some parallels with 1971/72 as the UK progressed moon is conjoined by transiting Uranus. It is interesting that this period includes decimalisation- one is tempted to predict that some sort of re-denomination of sterling might take place at this point- although of course that might be nothing more than getting rid of some obsolete small coins- it is important to keep the possibilities in perspective.
But the period of 1971-72 is also known for the miners strike as well as anti-nuclear demonstrations. As I have mentioned in the general introductions to this period, the movement of Uranus into Aries is likely to provoke public disruption.
The parallels at this time also resonate with the Northern Ireland problems of the past. So it is also possible that financial problems in Northern Ireland will have given rise to new violence there- although it will probably not be motivated by exactly the same issues as before.
But, it is not just Ireland, the public of the whole UK are liable to be unhappy in this period.
Summer 2010
Indeed in May of 2010 the BOE chart has Jupiter and Uranus transiting Neptune as well as Neptune conjoining the BOE moon. This is either highly inflationary or highly panic driven or both.
The approaching cardinal square involving Pluto, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter in August seems to suggest that things will really come to a head over this summer. Uranus is in opposition to Uranus in the UK chart – a definite sign of unrest. The movement of Uranus into Aries merely enhances the probability.
Unless there is an external threat, internal strikes and riots are very likely indeed – a mix of the feel of 1973 and 1981 is indicated. A wise government will accept that the strikes are inevitable and take the opportunity to restructure public pensions for example as doing so will hardly make the situation much worse than it already will be and will have longer term economic benefits.
2011
After a shaky spring, the summer of 2011 does not look so bad. There may be less outright trouble politically. Financially things look quieter but not stable. There is still a backdrop of nervousness. Any significant recovery of sterling or other economic improvement is unlikely.
Pluto in transiting square with Uranus continues to challenge the BOE Venus and progressed Mercury all year. The last time that Uranus was in this position was 1927, and it may be useful to consider what was happening with the Bank and the Fed, in terms of interest rate setting, at that time in order to better understand what might happen in this period. There may be policy cooperation to try to beat the problems.
2012
2012
It is not until March 2012, that Pluto finally reaches the UK IC, moving into the part of the chart that relates to land and resources. Although its greatest effects are likely to be in the early years, particularly between 2012 and 2020 when Uranus is also in a part of the chart where it can create the greatest challenge, it will not leave this part of the chart until the 2030s.
This aspect is likely to pick up the baton started by Neptune in opposition to Saturn in 2008 and create a complete re-evaluation of the importance of UK house ownership. The period to 2020 deserves an article of its own. Suffice to say that, at this point, we are not looking at a return to a booming economy, but the situation is not just economic either - rether mor eto do with what being the UK will respresent in the longer term.
It might be tempting to say that with Pluto on the IC and Uranus on the descendant, that the Olympics may be undermined or attacked. But astrology is never that easy. Uranus on the descendant can just as easily mean the country is full of foreigners which of course it will be. Nevertheless, economics aside, it is a tricky square that the country is picking up at this time and bears some watching.
Economics wise, the BOE chart looks much quieter from spring of 2012 onwards. The emphasis seems to move away from the currency and into the political arena.
Chart notes:
As far as I am aware there is no chart for the UK currency, and when this is so, proxy charts must suffice: in this case the UK and the Bank of England charts.
UK: London, 1 January 1801, 00.00 hrs ( Source: Book of World Horoscopes: N Campion)
Bank of England: London 26 July 1694 (old calendar). Time not known- early morning (Source: Bank of England website)
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