2014 in L'Alpe di Siusi, fresh from the US and Australia.
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THE GEMINI/GOODWILL FESTIVAL 2026
31 MAY 2026
© Malvin Artley
Rhetoric, ideals and narratives are for the masses. Realities are made on the ground.
“If you don’t know nothin’, there ain’t nothin’ to worry about.”
Gemini
Spiritual misconceptions
Interfere with what?
The fluidity of Gemini
The full moon
Current events
The new moon
True Promise V
Turmoil in Israel
The stopgap
The MoU – what is it?
The bus stop
Trump’s choice
The emerging new order
The interim pause
The new moon and the US
Happy Birthday(?)
The July ‘Grand Trine’
Hype vs. reality
What can we expect?
The unseen factors
Some truth about Israel
In conclusion
Greetings Everyone!
Summer has finally arrived here in northern Italy, along with all of Western Europe. Temperatures are expected to be upwards of 40°, with winds for Italy coming across the Mediterranean from the Sahara desert. And since this is coming across the Mediterranean for Italy, the winds are accompanied with humidity. Here at the house we have a small garden in the back where we can let the dogs go out and have a sniff. Of course, having garden one has to water it. In a week like this one that can mean watering twice a day for some plants. But so far, so good. The garden is doing okay at the moment. Our Persian tobacco plants have shot up. They appeared in our garden a few years ago, probably carried in by birds. It is a lovely plant. We didn’t know what they were at first. In looking at the leaves one can see why it’s called a tobacco plant, though, even though it is mainly decorative and it is not generally smoked in the West. In Persia (Iran) they smoke it in a hookah and they say you get a brief buzz from the nicotine, which is five times more potent than American tobacco. I wouldn’t know. I haven’t tried it. I am not a smoker anyway.
To other matters, anniversaries are always significant. In astrology we have the solar return chart, which comes at the anniversary of one’s birth, when the Sun returns to its exact natal position, based in the city where one currently lives. Astrologers disagree on the bit about the city, but I have always found the solar return chart to reflect where a person lives, rather than where they were born or where they happened to be on their birthday. Arguments aside, the solar return chart outlines the tone for the year ahead and gives one an idea of what to expect. That aside, in general terms of birthdays it is always nice to be remembered on one’s birthday. When one is young, birthdays are a big deal. Cake, ice cream and goodies! Most kids receive treats and sweets in their birthday and they are made the center of attention. When one reaches a certain age, however, once the years of youth are passed – and that depends on the person – birthdays are just another day. Still, it is nice to be remembered. I have two grown nephews by marriage here and they always make it in for family celebrations and their own goodies (money, these days). Italians are usually pretty good about family matters.
Here in our fair city we have an anniversary this year, too. At the entrance to the historic center, at the Gate
of San Marco one can see the year 1426 set in the paving stones. Above that is the winged Lion of San Marco holding an open book. The Lion of San Marco was the heraldic animal of the Venetians. The significance of the date and the open book points to the period when Rovereto was peacefully absorbed into the Venetian Empire, heralding an era prosperity and growth for the city, which sits on a strategic transport point on the Adige River. Hence, the lion holds an open book. If the book had been closed it would have meant the city had been conquered militarily. So, this year we celebrate 600 years of Rovereto history and prosperity, though I have seen no plans by the city for any sort of remembrance or celebrations. I guess 2026 will be just another year for the city.
However, there is another anniversary that is being celebrated this year, and this one to big fanfare. We are speaking of course of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. And this celebration will no doubt be quite something. Celebrations have already started, though opinions have varied widely on how events thus far have been ‘quite something’. We will outline why over the remainder of this letter. But this brings us to our present topic. The US is said to have a synthetic expression of a Gemini personality.[1] Hence the United States will be featuring strongly in the rest of this letter. For people who follow the news, that comes as no surprise. So, without further ado we move on to our present topic: Gemini, the Twins.
Gemini: We have a family relation by marriage here who is a Gemini. She knows I am an astrologer, and every time she sees me she asks me, “Comè I gemelli, Malvin? Dai! Dimmi qualche novità di buono!” (How is it for Geminis now? Come on! Tell me some good news!) If I have bad news she doesn’t want to hear it. People tend to be kind of funny that way. Anyway, I always tell her that for one of the twins the news is good, but for the other not so much. She knows I am joking with her and we share a laugh about it. But the joke goes to a point: the Gemini Twins are sometimes called ‘the quarrelling brothers’, which brings in one of the primary ideas about Gemini. Gemini illustrates the interplay between factors. I prefer the term ‘factors’ over ‘opposites’. In human terms Gemini represents the relation between the soul and the personal self. It is the personal self, or personality which is usually the one who quarrels with the soul as to one’s direction in life. The soul tends toward unity of purpose, service and direction, whereas the personality often likes to just go its own way. In other words, the personality tends toward selfish initiative, whereas the soul tends toward unified group work. Stated in another manner, we have the following quote:
Gemini “…is the force which produces the changes needed for the evolution of the Christ consciousness at any particular point in time and space. It is always compatible to the requirement.”[2]
The ‘Christ consciousness’ is a Christianized term for the inner Light of the higher Self (Solar Angel). It is characterized by pure reasoning, known as buddhi, or true intuition. Its primary mode of action is spiritual service, meaning those actions which raise the level of consciousness in all beings and brings liberation from suffering, even to full enlightenment, the latter being the end goal. That entails the steady building of the bridge of Light that connects the brain consciousness with the Light of the higher Self. That bridge of light is called the antahkarana. Through the long process of human evolution over many, many lifetimes that bridge of Light is gradually built, unconsciously at first. But the process really takes off when one learns to meditate. There is a hierarchy of importance in building this bridge of Light (‘Light’ meaning consciousness) if the matter proceeds in the correct order – service first, meditation and study last, the latter meant to be an adjunct of one’s service. Mahayana Buddhist masters always stress the essential nature of meditative practice over all other activities, at the same time stating that such practice is meant to be done for the express purpose of leading all sentient beings to full enlightenment. In other words, meditation itself is seen in such a light as a supreme act of selfless service instead of being an act to relieve one’s own suffering, which brings up an issue that has come to light with recent events.
Spiritual misconceptions: With the Russian intervention in Ukraine, the events of October 7th and the resulting genocide and most recently the US-Israeli war against Iran there has been debate in Buddhist groups about the proper approach and attitude toward such conflicts. Much of the debate has centered upon practicing equanimity (which some people equate with sitting on the fence, i.e. not favouring one side over another), practicing non-violence (which is taken to mean being passive in the face of evil) and to stay composed in the face of any circumstance (not rocking the boat). These are wrong views. ‘Western Buddhism’, as it is sometimes called, is approached by many adherents who end up in Buddhist centers under a teacher as a means to alleviate their own suffering, not taking into account the real purpose of Buddhist practice, which is to relieve suffering for all beings. I saw this at the Buddhist center where I was connected in Australia with some of the students there. The teaching nights were like an opiate, the same as for many Christians who go to church and count on Jesus to relieve their suffering. “Trust in God”, or Buddha, the guru, or whomever, and everything will work out. That is not spirituality.
Spirituality is the applied effort of spiritual principles in everyday living, which automatically confronts us with our own minds, emotions and needs – if we practise correctly. It is the contradiction – actually the antidote – to comfort as a personality, which calls upon us to bring succour to others, as we seek to do the same for ourselves. Thich Nhat Hanh, who is so idolized by American Buddhists stated the matter clearly, regarding meditation as service: “When bombs are falling, practice must leave the meditation hall. It must move into the streets, into villages, into danger. It must interfere.”
Interfere with what? – with the powers that seek to enslave humanity. In other words, power that seeks to enslave must be confronted, because enslavement is the opposite and antithesis of spiritual practice. Power can be confronted without resorting to violence, however, but it entails risk. Mohandas Ghandi and Martin Luther King, Jr. gave us examples of how to do just that, and they put themselves at great risk in doing so. In the West that interference means things like rolling general strikes, civil disobedience, boycotts, and so on at the collective scale. Family life is one of the best teachers at a personal level, with all of its pains and sacrifices for loved ones. It means volunteering, empowering those who are less fortunate. It means making spirituality a living act of service instead of something we read online or in a book, yet never apply. Why bring this up in relation to Gemini, though? The rulers of Gemini give us some clues.
Mercury, Venus and the Earth are the three rulers of Gemini,[3] from the orthodox to the most sublime, resp. With Gemini we have the sign most connected with spirituality resulting in applied goodwill toward all beings. It is the energy that ‘relates the highest to the lowest’, in trying to put a process to words where words are really inadequate. It is the sign where spiritual principles are applied in every waking circumstance. Goodwill is not a sentiment. It is the living will-to-good in action, at all levels of personal life:
“Fluidity, recognition of duality, soul control! These are the keynotes of this sign, and should be the keynote of your life, for whether you are in this sign in this life, it has at some time and many times conditioned your experience, and the results are marked in the life of the advanced disciple.”[4]
The fluidity of Gemini as seen in the Mercury rulership is the interplay of light along the antahkarana, relating soul and personality. Venus, via the higher mind, integrates the experiences one gains in the subtle worlds during meditation with the everyday life in the personal world. The Earth, almost never noted except in sidereal astrology, makes for the blending of factors a reality on the physical plane, rendering a person as a living soul on earth. And that brings in the final consideration for this letter, in that astrology in the future will see Gemini as the sign that forms triangles between the polar opposites in the zodiac, relating two opposing signs:
“Gemini, therefore, forms with each of the pairs of opposites in the Zodiac a third factor, powerfully influencing the other two constellations, and thus forms, with them, certain great zodiacal triangles.”[5]
In the future there will be meditations related to one’s Sun sign that incorporate the opposite sign. The opposite sign will bring in a factor that ‘rounds out’ the personality, while at the same time presenting a challenge to the personality, and thus an opportunity for growth. The placement of Gemini in the individual’s horoscope will show the means whereby the two factors are blended. These can then be applied on the soul path as presented by the Ascendant. That is something to contemplate, but we leave our discussion of Gemini at that. For the remainder of this letter we take a look at the two lunations since the last letter and events as they are unfolding in relation to the first two of the major spiritual festivals, Aries and Taurus.
The full moon took place on 31 May 2026 at 08:45 UTC (6:45 pm AEST). The Sabian symbols for the lunation axis are of particular interest since the US, with its Gemini personality will feature in the remainder of this letter. They read as follows:
Anyone who has been following the back-and-forth regarding the supposed negotiations between Iran and Washington will perhaps see the significance of the symbols represented above. Nosedives by airplanes originally were used in warfare for dropping bombs and guiding them to their targets. That is not the case nowadays with self-guiding bombs and missiles. But the act itself represents daring and perhaps showmanship. The performance of such an act also carries inherent dangers, though, as in the possibility of crashing into the earth due to miscalculations or equipment failure. Speculation over the past month had been rife as to when or if the United States would once again attack Iran, which in recent days has again happened. It has been given thus far that the Israelis would attack Iran regardless of whether or not the US joined in. But the solar symbol, representing the major impacts to come from this full moon, in general portended a rather dubious and perhaps powerless activity to be undertaken. That is reinforced by Ceres conjunct Uranus, which is indicative of a ‘change of season’. In fact, that is what we have seen since this full moon, which will be addressed in our analysis to follow.
The lunar symbol on the other hand represents the theater that the media presents for us when any such action as represented in the solar symbol takes place. The American media are masters at spin. And Trump, with his Gemini Sun and Leo ascendant would seize on any opportunity to magnify his efforts toward operations ongoing in West Asia. Do we see theater and potentially perilous actions represented in the rest of the figure? Indeed, there is much to suggest it.
Uranus is at the bending of the nodes, with the Sun and Moon just having separated from one of this year’s moon wobbles. Events typically go, shall we say, not according to plan during moon wobbles. And those are times where emotions tend to run high, wherein forces seeking to move us forward (North node) are brought into conflict with forces that seek to keep us in the past (South node). The Moon is quincunx to Mars, the latter which is separating from its square to Pluto, with any sort of militant or rash action typically being met with unforeseen consequences. Any act of war has a tendency to do just that. Mars and Pluto hard combinations are often significant of operations, either on the body or in military terms.
The midpoints to the lunation axis, since this is a mundane chart, are rather interesting. Looking at the 45° modulus, the Sun/Moon midpoint is also combined with Jupiter, semi-square, as well as being semi-square to the Mars/Saturn midpoint, the latter also known as the ‘death axis’. The midpoint train just described can go one of two ways – it can either result in hard-won agreements born out of volatile negotiations (as Trump would hope); or they could represent warfare with the intent on massive destruction (which is what we saw). Once the weekend after the full moon was finished, we saw which way the weathervane pointed. We will have more about what has just been described as our examination of current events unfolds in this letter.
Current events: With the preceding in mind the following events have taken place since the Taurus letter was sent:
The preceding being enough for now, we start our look at current events with the new moon of Gemini, which gave an indication of significant developments.
The new moon: There were stunning developments on the new moon of Gemini, which bear parsing, astrologically and event-wise. The new moon took place on Trump’s 80th birthday. This was actually a day after his solar return, which was on the 13th. However, the latter is of little matter. Since the war with Iran erupted at the end of February, Trump has been saying that a deal was within reach with Iran for ending the war. He wanted a deal signed on his birthday, which would have made for a great birthday present. Well, there was an agreement that was reached, but he had to make serious concessions to get it – the MoU, discussed below. And what has been agreed is unlikely to end the war. The big spoiler in this mix is Netanyahu along with the hardliners in the US and Israel.
Toward the end of May talk of an impending deal with Iran was getting louder. Both Washington and Tehran had sent outlines of what was to be their requirements via the Pakistanis for an end to the hostilities. One of the conditions for Iran was the cessation of all hostilities on all fronts, especially an end to Israeli aggression and bombing in southern Lebanon. At the end of May Netanyahu threatened to bomb Dahiyeh in southern Beirut. For Iran that was a red line. The Iranians said they would retaliate for any such bombing. Before moving on to what the new moon actually indicated, we look at what had just happened for context.
True Promise V: In the afternoon 7 June the Israelis struck the southern suburb of Dahiyeh in Beirut. They claimed they had struck a Hezbollah terrorist cell, in their words. This was three days after a cease-fire had been brokered between Israel and Lebanon. Inclusive in that cease-fire was an Iranian warning not to bomb Beirut, with serious consequences to follow if the Israelis chose to do so. Well, as is their wont and in their hubris, the Israelis bombed Dahiyeh, apparently testing the Iranian resolve, and found out the Iranians were not just spouting rhetoric. The Iranian response followed quickly, with the Supreme Leader in Iran greenlighting Operation True Promise V. Iranian missiles rained down on northern Israeli settlements. The situation quickly escalated from there, with the Israelis making counterstrikes within Iran on a chemical plant, resulting in the Iranians responding in kind in Haifa.
For the Israelis, the reason for striking that particular suburb in Beirut had several objectives – testing the resolve of Iran, breaking the cease-fire that had been imposed upon them by United States and seeking to re-establish a level of escalation dominance. They did not believe Iran would respond. On the Iranian side, their strikes also had several purposes – the fulfillment of their promise to the Lebanese, especially the Resistance there, to enforce the cease-fire and to establish their own deterrence. The Iranians had to respond to the Israeli strikes out of necessity, otherwise they would have been seen as not honouring their commitment, and as backing down in the face of Israeli provocation. There were several waves of strikes back and forth between Israel and Iran, with no apparent overt American involvement. However, the Iranian response to the Israeli strikes was to include American bases in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia (allegedly) and Kuwait along with sites in Israel, including a chemical facility in Haifa. While this was going on, Trump was saying that Washington had nothing to do with the aggression by the Israelis, when in fact everyone knew the Americans were directly involved, or at least had knowledge of the strikes. There were American refuelling tankers in flight over the Persian Gulf at the time. Washington and Tel Aviv are always co-combatants regarding Iran and surrounding states.
In response to Israeli strikes on Iran in this latest round, the Yemenis closed the Bob el Mandeb Strait to Israeli shipping, as well as firing missiles into strategic bases in Israel. The Iraqi militias had warned the Americans that if the aggression from Israel continued their bases in Iraq would be set afire. This exchange of blows was an important event for several reasons. Seen from the point of view of military analysis:
“Iran has shifted the entire calculus and achieved something long thought impossible. For years it was considered unthinkable that Iran would ever strike Israel directly, even after Iran was hit first. Then Iran began responding to Israeli attacks, first with ‘demonstrative’ strikes, then increasingly crippling ones. Now Iran has established total strategic dominance of the escalation ladder to the point where it can treat Israel as Israel has treated other regional countries since its founding, punitively hitting it at will for violations that no longer necessarily include direct attacks on Iran’s home territory. And the most shocking kicker of it all is that the US cannot do anything about it—and has even told Israel to ignore the attacks and stand down.”
True Promise V was the first time since 1979 that Iran had directly attacked Israel without being attacked first, and more, in support of a third party. The Iranian response to the Beirut bombing exhibited solidarity with the other Resistance factions, as well as putting the American backed government in Beirut on notice. The Iranians had warned the Israelis and Americans about what would happen if critical infrastructure in Iran was hit, referenced in the quote above. Thus far, the exchanges between Israel and Iran have stopped. We wait to see what will happen next. But the Iranian response to the Beirut bombings by Israel had another effect, this time within Israel itself.
Turmoil in Israel: Netanyahu has come under heavy criticism for his handling of Israeli wars and the fact that none of the military objectives in them have been achieved. One thing not readily apparent at this time is that the Greater Israel project is finished. Israel cannot counter Iran on its own. The Trump administration, facing midterm elections and serious economic troubles, is loath to expand the conflict in West Asia any further. Trump wants a deal, one he can present to the American public as a win – and one which would end any hopes of Netanyahu being re-elected in October. Right now, if Netanyahu were to face elections he would lose. With this intervention by Iran, Netanyahu’s strategic security has fallen. The Israeli deterrence has been destroyed, made so because The Resistance is united, and backed up this time by Iran.
Toward the end of the True Promise V skirmish, which only lasted a couple of days, there was a mysterious flight from the UAE that landed in Tehran. Shortly after that, as within hours, Trump called a halt to Israeli strikes, with the result that the Iranians stopped their strikes on American bases and Israel. As it turned out, that flight was an Emirati delegation delivering $3 billion of frozen Iranian assets back to Tehran. It was a goodwill gesture. Since that time, the Emiratis have been negotiating with the Iranians in order to prevent any future strikes on a Emirati infrastructure. People and nations become quite penitent whenever their imminent demise is facing them.
The stopgap: Coming into the present day and new moon, the Israelis again decided to bomb southern Beirut, this time for the purpose of assassinating a senior Hezbollah leader. This was on the 14th, the day of Trump’s birthday celebrations and the new moon. Needless to say, Trump was not very happy about it. The Iranians again vowed retaliation. On that day also, Trump was hoping for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed with Iran. What happened next was quite extraordinary. The Iranians were locked and loaded, ready to pummel Israel once again for their violation of what is supposed to be a cease-fire with Lebanon. Knowing this time that the Iranians were good for their word, Trump got on the phone to Tehran and begged them not to retaliate for the Israeli adventurism.
Trump offered Tehran a large sum of money, in the billions, if they would cease-and-desist their retaliation against Israel. The Iranians refused, saying that it was their money anyway and that the integrity of Lebanon was more important than any sum of money. Knowing that the Iranians were just about to retaliate and that his efforts to pay off Iran had failed, Trump called up Netanyahu and blasted him for bombing Beirut, saying that the MoU will be signed on Friday, and that all Israeli troops would have to be removed from Lebanon. The Israelis are furious, and have vowed to continue their airstrikes and incursions into Lebanon in their effort to establish a buffer zone south of the Litani River. The Israelis are paying a very heavy price in Lebanon as of this writing (19th) for their hubris, with reports of dozens of Israeli casualties and talk of the Hannibal Directive being imposed if Israeli soldiers are taken captive. It is quite possible that Hezbollah will not need Iranian intervention to force compliance with the ceasefire.
This series of events has signaled a change of season between Washington and Tel Aviv, as well as between Washington and Tehran. It is clear now that the United States knows they cannot defeat Iran militarily, and Trump wants to pull out. The Israelis know they cannot defeat Iran alone, so they have some very serious and existential choices to make: Do they fight on without US support and risk losing US weapons and funding, or do they capitulate and retire back into Israel’s northern border? Or…do they find a way to draw the US back into the fray? Most analysts tend toward the latter scenario. The MoU was set to be signed on Friday, but in a surprise move the MoU was signed on a video chat while Trump was in Versailles. Students of history will realize the significance. Versailles was the treaty of surrender by the Germans in WWI, stipulating heavy reparations by Germany. It was those reparations, resentment by the German public and betrayal by their leaders that led to German nationalism and the rise of Hitler. There are some interesting parallels in the linked video (above) to today, which we will skip here. But the aftereffects of that treaty led to WWII. What has really happened with this MoU, then? What is the reality of the MoU?
The MoU – what is it?: Since the MoU has just been signed, it heralds the solstice by a couple of days. Looking ahead at the Cancerian quarter for 2026, we are looking at a northern summer full of uncertainty and explosive events. A memorandum of understanding is not a treaty. It is instead a stopgap, a testing phase, wherein the various signatories verify the seriousness or not of each side’s intentions. The US and Iran are the signatories of this MOU. The Israelis are dead set against it. Trump entered into the signing of the MoU to avoid a major escalation of hostilities, one which would certainly have wrecked the infrastructure of the Persian Gulf region, and which would have been catastrophic for the world economy. The midterm elections are in full swing. The strategic petroleum reserves in the US are nearing critical levels, the accessing of which is one of the main reasons fuel prices in the US are still comparatively low. It is hoped that by releasing the ships in the Strait of Hormuz that oil will flood the markets and keep prices down leading into midterms. It is a longshot, but that is the hope. In short, the MoU was rushed through, to the advantage of the Iranians. And in doing so, it has stirred up a real hornets’ nest of politics within the US and Israel. The Iranians on the other hand are under no illusions about where the MoU might lead.
“The main function of this agreement is not the recognition of our sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz (which has already been accepted even without an agreement), nor the release of Iran’s blocked assets, nor any other real gain explicitly stated in the text of the agreement. Its real function is to postpone the final and decisive battle that will determine the current victor. In fact, its main function is to provide a breathing space to rebuild future combat and defensive capacity and prepare for a full-scale and major battle — an opportunity that both sides will use to their own advantage.”
The bus stop: As a result of the signing of the MoU, the proverbial bus has left the station, with candidates being lined up to be thrown under it as it passes. Chief among these in the US are Pete Hegseth, John Ratcliffe and possibly Marco Rubio. The Israelis are looking at Netanyahu to encounter the bus, blaming him for overestimating the capabilities of the US and Israeli forces in being able to overthrow ‘the regime’ in Tehran. More circumspect commentary in the Hebrew press recognizes that the Israeli leadership brought the current situation on the nation themselves through a combination of hubris and poor intelligence gathering. (See Crooke with The Cradle in Suggested Viewing). The spin doctors in the US, meaning the mainstream media, are apoplectic about Trump’s MoU with Iran. Typical comments are to the effect that, “Trump has betrayed one of America’s greatest allies”, while on the other side they are already pounding home the meme that the Iranians cannot be trusted and that they will break any such agreement. The latter rhetoric is meant to prepare the public for another round of war. The fact is, it is the United States along with Israel who have consistently demonstrated that they are not agreement capable.
Trump’s choice: It should be abundantly clear now if one knows anything about American politics that Donald Trump was selected by the donor class in the US to be the President to lead the US into war against Iran. Given the nature of the donors (largely Zionists) and the sums of money involved Trump had little choice other than to take the US into that war. That was his first ‘offer he couldn’t refuse’ and real test of his leadership. Trump stated why he thought it was necessary in saying that he (meaning the Washington establishment and oligarchs) wanted control of all of the world’s oil reserves. Whoever controls the energy controls a nation’s economy. The Israeli and US military hubris was such that the Ramadan War (28 Feb) was supposed to be a slam-dunk, with ‘the regime’ falling in a manner of days and a puppet regime installed post haste. It would have been a terrible result for the world. But then Iran stood up, much to the dismay of all involved, and much to the rejoicing of the wider world. The rhetoric of ‘Iran is weak’, ‘the people of Iran will welcome us with open arms’, ‘the invincible power of the combined US-Israeli armed forces’ – all had a meeting with reality. Then other realities emerged as Iran stood firm. The next ‘offer Trump couldn’t refuse’ presented itself.
The signing of the MoU was one of the few times when Trump really had no other choice. The signing was based on a detailed risk assessment of oil reserves, citing mid-August as the deadline, as “the moment the U.S. must legally halt the emergency dumping. When that tap closes, the global oil supply deficit will instantly widen by millions of barrels per day, creating a world crisis.” It was clear Iran was not going to be defeated militarily. Boots on the ground and occupying Iran was out of the question, which would have been required to secure the oil. There was neither the manpower nor the political will to risk the huge American casualties that would have resulted, especially going into midterms, and especially in the brutal summer heat one encounters in Iran. And the strategic oil reserves were nearing exhaustion, not simply in the US but across the world. Hubris gave way to reality. As a result the MoU has put huge pressure not just on the US, but on Israel as well. The MoU cannot be allowed to fail.
The only wise choice was to sign the MoU in the moment, for which Trump should be commended, even though he did so for selfish reasons. The choice to go to war in the first place was widely condemned, but now the world has been offered a respite. Domestic politics in the US played a big role in the signing of the MoU, let there be no mistake. Roughly 2/3 of Americans disapprove of the war, with about the same percentage disapproving of Israel, too. The donor class – which does not represent the American public – think the MoU is a terrible idea. But Trump’s position at that moment was untenable. His only real choice was ‘Trump and America first’, or be the man who plunged the world into a massive and deep depression. As he said at one point, he didn’t want to be remembered in the same vein as Herbert Hoover, the president most widely blamed for the Great Depression in the United States. What is in the MoU, then?
There are probably only one or two points in the 14 points of the MoU to which the United States would actually agree. Sanctions against Iran are unlikely to be lifted. That has to be approved by Congress. Given the capture of Congress by Zionist lobbies and their hatred of Iran it is very unlikely sanctions against Iran would ever be lifted. What we are probably looking at now is the evolution of a long siege against Iran, along the lines of the Syria model. Like they have tried with Russia (and failed), the think tanks in Washington and Tel Aviv are of the idea that prolonged pressure against Iran will cause regime change in Tehran. Well, given the war and 47 years of sanctions and pressure, the Iran of today is a changed nation (must read, archived) instead of the one we thought it was on 27 February this year. The leadership of Iran today is technocratic instead of revolutionary, concerned with the survival of the state rather than the 1979 Revolution:
“The republic born of the U.S.-Israeli wars is defined less by ideology than by nationalism, less by revolution than by statecraft, less by clerical charisma than by the confidence and technocratic ethos of a new officer class. In comparative terms, it resembles the military-led nationalist states of the twentieth century—Turkey under the later Kemalists, Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser—in which ideology persisted but was subordinated to national interest and the imperatives of state power.”
The emerging new order: The events of these past days have cemented the fact that a new order is being formed in West Asia. This will be covered more extensively in the next letter. Western narrative has given way to reality on the ground. The Israelis must leave Lebanon (south of the Blue Line) within 30 days and cease all hostilities against Lebanon. As it stands, the Iranians had agreed to suspend charging fees on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz along with allowing the free passage of all ships to and from the Persian Gulf for a period of 60 days as the cessation of hostilities is tested. That has yet to eventuate. After 60 days the fees for passage will resume in cooperation with Oman. The nuclear issue will be kicked down the road depending upon how things go. But Trump is facing serious opposition at home and in Israel to any sort of normalization of relations with Iran. Along with the 60 day interval sanctions on Iran’s oil exports will be suspended. The blockade of Iranian ports by the US will be suspended. And the world will see some relief from the supply chain disruption the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused. The 14 points the Iranians had demanded – and to which Trump jumped to agree – have remained unchanged for the past few weeks. So, let us be clear about what was agreed and what it actually means, because we know this is not a peace treaty.
The interim pause: What Trump agreed to on the 15th clearly favors Iran. The US just ate a big TACO rather than seeing Israel bombed again and Gulf infrastructure wrecked. And the reason Trump signed the MoU? – he admitted such – that the world’s oil reserves would have been exhausted in four weeks had the war not been stopped. To his credit, he chose to give relief to the world economy (and thereby his and his cronies’ business interests) over trying to force Iran into submission, at least for now. The deal is terrible for Israel, as it hems them in at every point, under threat of Iranian retaliation for broken terms of the agreement. The American presence will have to be removed from West Asia with the exception of Israel itself. Iran retains control of the Persian Gulf, which in turn allows Russian and Chinese influence to flourish there into the future. This is a major setback for American long-term strategic interests in the region, as well as meaning the Gulf monarchies and Iran maintain sovereign control over two thirds of the world’s oil reserves. The American Empire, as a result is quickly coming undone (See Crooke with the Judge in Suggested Viewing).
The Iranians are under no illusions. They know neither the US nor the Israelis are agreement capable, and they fully expect that the MoU will be broken. Alastair Crooke, who has been involved in negotiating many such cease-fires, says that the current agreement may last a few days or even into next week. But it is fully expected that aggression by the West in some form will resume and the war will be on again. So, where do we see all this in the astrology, finally returning to the astrology of the new moon?
The new moon and the US: The new moon fell within a few degrees of the natal placement of the US Mars (chart). We have examined this placement of Mars in the US chart before, as it squares Neptune and describes much about the American spin and rhetoric, especially regarding patriotism and war. It is the aspect in the American chart that gives the US its sense of ‘divine right’ to do as it pleases – for the good of the world, of course. But along with the conjunction of the lunation with natal Mars, we find transiting Saturn was at the exact upper square (the approaching square) to the US Sun. The upper square of Saturn to the Sun typically points to either rewards or enforced re-assessments of one’s ambitions. When one’s ambitions have been correctly plotted and gainfully applied, the square brings rewards for past efforts. That particular square to Saturn marks either a high point in prestige and income if one’s past work is sound; or a marked collapse of hopes if plans have been unrealistic and work toward their realization has been inconsistent. It is rather obvious that the US is facing the latter prospect with this transit. In addition, Saturn is transiting within a degree of the opposition to the US natal Saturn placement. This is typically a difficult transit and happens every 29 years, roughly. A quick synopsis of past Saturn oppositions to its natal place and upper squares to the Sun will give some clues as to what to expect for the US going forward.
We could go on but perhaps the idea is clear enough. Saturn tells the tale of one’s ambitions in life and outlines a cycle of one’s maturation, ingathering of experience and plots the ‘map of destiny’ (opportunity) in one’s chart. It is no different for nations. The crises that eventuate with the Saturn transits just described usually take a few years to work themselves through in the United States. Bureaucracies do not tend to move very quickly, and there are other nations to consider. The petrodollar is collapsing because of the war, with the Gulf monarchies no longer willing to put their trust or their money in the US. That leaves the financiers in the US scrambling for assets against which money can be loaned.
The petrodollar had been in place since 1973 (see point above) as a result of a previous Saturn transit just described. The world is moving back toward gold in trade rather than dollars, meaning the US is fast losing its exorbitant privilege as the world reserve currency. As a result, the oligarchy in the US is watching as its hegemony collapses. As much as Trump is being criticised by the same oligrachs, the situation would have been far worse if the MoU had not been signed and the world economy had been allowed to collapse, which still has a question mark hovering over it, by the way. The MoU is still not being implemented due to the continuing bombardment and invasion by the Israelis in Lebanon. The Strait of Hormuz has been closed again as a preliminary measure to force Israeli compliance with the MoU. As much as they complain and claim otherwise the Israelis are part and parcel of the MoU. But with the preceding in mind there is another chart to consider, given what is happening in the US, which plays such a large role in world affairs.
Happy Birthday(?) America! For any astrologer reading this, if you want to see something interesting, have a look at the solar return chart for the United States using the Sibley chart (17:10, 4 Jul 1776, Philadelphia, PA). It works just as well with Dane Rudhyar’s rectified chart (4 minutes later than the Sibley chart). Trump is trying to turn the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States into a great spectacular, as any president would like to do. Except in his plans, and given the direction his administration has taken, the event at the White House on July 4 may not be so spectacular, but instead looks to become a spectacle. And then there will be the political atmosphere to consider in light of what we are seeing as a result of the MoU.
We have already seen spectacle with the ‘Nitro Circus’ motorcycle jumps and the UFC fights for Trump’s birthday celebrations. Then there are also the FIFA matches, which have painted a black mark on the US for the Global South. Pointing this out is not to disparage the events, much as it might seem, but to illustrate the fact that America loves spectacle – and the bigger the better. Under the Biden White House there were demonstrations of LGBTQ+ pride, which got all over the sensibilities of conservative and MAGA people. This time the shoe is on the other foot and what is on display now is a repudiation of the so-called ‘leftist agenda’. What we have with the current spectacular is a demonstration of the masculine side of the US. We, as a nation and as a whole, cannot seem to get past the ‘team sports’ of political and societal orientation. One comment summarized what we are seeing succinctly, however:
“Yes, Pride at the White House was political theater. Of course it was. Most White House events are political theater. They produce images, signal values, reward constituencies, and create comms material. But not all theater has the same civic meaning. One symbolic project says: these citizens, long excluded from public belonging, are part of the American “we.” You may dislike that. You may think it is base politics. Fine. But the UFC/Nitro Circus event is doing something different. It fuses the White House, combat aesthetics, sponsor branding, military imagery, Trump birthday mythology, paid media distribution, and politically connected corporate interests into one spectacle.
That is not merely “ordinary Americans enjoying MMA.” That is public symbolism converted into private and political brand equity. On corporate money: I agree both parties are entangled with billionaire and donor power. But that is not a defense of this. It is the indictment. If the corporate and banking layer is calling the shots, then a corporate sponsor-laden White House spectacle is not harmless honesty. It is the mask slipping…”
For the wider world looking on at the Washington spectacular, they roll their eyes and say, “Only in America.” But Europeans, having seen many iterations of what we are seeing in the US, are more circumspect and somewhat ill at ease. From the same comment above (read the entire thread):
“The European mind understands it perfectly. This is what imperial decadence looks like: public institutions converted into branded spectacle, civic memory replaced by adrenaline theater, and the People’s House turned into a content backdrop for regime propaganda. The joke is not that Europe cannot comprehend it. The joke is that America no longer recognizes what it is becoming…Europe has seen versions of it before: public games, imperial spectacle, civic symbols converted into ruler mythology. The fact that one White House lawn event does not change GDP or aircraft-carrier counts is irrelevant. Symbols do not have to collapse a country overnight to matter. They teach people what power is, who belongs, what patriotism looks like, and whether public institutions serve the republic or the ruler’s brand. That is the distinction.”
We take the above points into what follows, because what we are seeing in recent events is Western power in decline – in line with the cycles, which we have examined in past letters. This year marks a pivotal point in American history and for the West in general, which is why the solar return chart for the US is so indicative of events to follow for this year. In the solar return chart we see Mars conjunct Uranus in the 12th house just behind the Ascendant, and just past the bending of the nodes. That marks a change and conflicts in relationships (nodal axis) along with a push to break out of confining circumstances, being liable to rushed and ill-thought actions and the projection/imposition of self-will (Mars/Uranus in the 12th house). The Ascendant is in Gemini, too, the personality of the US. Saturn has just moved past its square with the US natal Sun in the solar return. The Sun is in a trine with the Moon at the exact time of the solar return, which is on 5 July at 3:43 AM EDT, otherwise an indicator of good luck. But by the time the celebration starts the Moon will not have applied to that trine. The plans, however, are for the celebrations to span 16 days.
When one looks at the solar return chart against the natal chart for the US, regardless of which time one uses for the 4 July 1776 chart, we find transiting Neptune square to the natal Venus/Jupiter conjunction, which essentially forms a midpoint: Nep=Ven/Jup. In Reinhold Ebertin’s assessment, he marks the following implications: “Negligence, a lack of correct behaviour, falsehood. – Hopelessness, a disharmonious or destructive relationship.”[6] Now, Ebertin’s interpretations of the midpoints tended to be a bit negative when it came to Neptune and Saturn midpoints, but I have found that his interpretations uncannily fit when interpreting mundane charts. Midpoints find their best usage in looking at event charts. And it does not matter if the planets involved form hard or soft aspects as to the meaning of the midpoint. Ceres forms a midpoint with Venus and Jupiter in the solar return chart, marking a ‘change of seasons’ in American discourse and relationships. The middle of August or thereabouts is when we will see dramatic changes in the economic situation in the US. And keeping in mind that Neptune rules oil and all petroleum products, fuel prices will play a very significant role in America’s prosperity and the outcomes in the midterms.
The aforementioned natal Venus/Jupiter conjunction describes the normally open and welcoming heart of the American public when it operates well. We saw that with the welcoming and interest by Americans in cities across the nation in the various national teams who came to train in the US for their FIFA matches. People welcomed the teams into their communities and hearts, rooted for them during their games, took great interest in their cultures and so on. That Venus/Jupiter conjunction, along with the normally open, expansive and adventurous Sagittarian Ascendant has given America many of its most endearing qualities over its history, leaving aside the darker side of the US. The implication of the midpoint, though, is that this year will mark a sharp departure from familiar patriotic narratives, instead to a deep questioning by the public about American values as they are presented to the public via spectacles and media. Many lies about America’s relations with other nations are being laid bare. The natal Venus/Jupiter conjunction also points to the conspicuous consumption and diseases of excess for which Americans are known – diabetes, obesity, inflammations, cardiovascular diseases, etc. As to what all the preceding is alluding, we will begin to outline that below. But there is one more point to mention before we launch into the meaning of the solar return astrology.
The July ‘Grand Trine’: There has been online discussion and posts about a ‘minor Grand Trine’, (chart) as the combination is called, for mid-July this year. There has also been quite a lot of hype about it. This particular Grand Trine is formed by the outer planets, specifically the Uranus, Neptune and Pluto triangle, with the addition of Jupiter. The aforementioned triangle has been discussed in previous letters here. It has marked a change in the worldview since its first appearance in March of last year. It has gone through various iterations from that time off and on. The difference in July relates to the fact that Mars is conjunct Uranus at 4 July. But there is another factor that is introduced into the triangle, which completes the configuration of the minor Grand Trine.
Hype vs. reality: Actually, what we will see is not really a Grand Trine but instead a series of four exact sextiles, starting just after the Cancer full moon, the latter which takes place on 29 June. Jupiter completes the exact series of sextiles on 19 July this year. But the configuration comes into effect when Jupiter enters Leo, specifically just before the July 4 celebrations in the US. This is where the hype of the configuration comes in, with some astrologers forecasting some kind of great awakening, or as an epic alignment that will clarify our minds, remove illusions, make revolutions possible, etc., etc. Not to throw cold water on the hype, but we are already undergoing revolutionary changes and mass awakening. Reading configurations in such a manner without looking at the context ‘on the ground’ amounts to distraction from what is coming down the pike, speaking figuratively. In other words, as one popular podcaster stated it, rainbows and unicorns can happen, but don’t expect it. So, here we get to the context.
Our media in the West, governed as it is by various oligarchies and corporations, is doing us a great disservice by not warning us about what is about to eventuate as a result of the two major crises points in the world – Ukraine and West Asia. Since 28 February and the 40 day hot phase of the war with Iran, probably the most significant supply chain rupture in recent history has taken place. That disruption has removed very significant and essential ingredients from the world economy. We might list a few of them:
The last two points above are particularly concerning, and especially for the US, affecting food prices and supply. And the signing of the MoU will not remove the risks for many months. If the MoU collapses the situation will become even worse, and quickly. China on the other hand is uniquely immune to the shock on fertilizer supply this war has produced. There is a video that explains why on both counts (Suggested Viewing, “Inside China Business”). Inflation is up sharply in the US as are fuel prices. The problem in that area for the US, though, is only partly due to supply. One of the biggest problems with fertilizer supply as well as oil pricing has to do with the corporate structure in the US and corruption in the American economic system, which has been deregulated over the years and has allowed monopolization without oversight. Watch the video for details. Walmsley’s YouTube channel is well worth a look.
Aside from fertilizers, about 2/3 of the world’s total oil reserves are located in the Persian Gulf. Hence we see American efforts to wrest control of that oil from the Gulf monarchies and especially Iran. And Iran now has the capacity to control who gets it, along with the other items just mentioned. If you want the bigger picture of what the Persian Gulf and oil supplies in general entail have a listen in Suggested Viewing to the two interviews given by Daniel Davis, below. In the Berman interview Berman had the following to say about where we are now and what we are looking at into the future as a result of the war with Iran, basing what he says on the consensus view of people who know the oil business:
“Every one of them will tell you, “This is a world-changing event. We ain’t coming back from this hole. Nobody’s safe. Nobody gets a pass. The United States is not immune.”
What can we expect?: The American public is largely oblivious to what is coming, largely due to media misinformation and propaganda.. In general Americans are pessimistic about the economy, citing higher prices for just about everything. They think $4.80/gallon for gasoline is high. We in Europe have been paying almost double that for gasoline for years. The difference here is the social safety net that most Europeans still enjoy, which is virtually non-existent in the US, comparitively. Well, even though the war has ended for the moment (which at present is extremely tentative), the world economy would only rebound to a level of roughly 45% of where it was by the end of this year. With the MoU, that is our best case scenario if it holds. So, given what energy experts are outlining for the coming months, it would pay for people to educate themselves on what to do when gasoline and diesel prices in the US approach those of Europe.
It has been estimated that because of this disruption the world economy will collapse by roughly 36% if the MoU fails and the Strait is closed for an extended period. Oil is flowing out of the Strait, but only to the Far East, and at reduced levels. None of it is going west. That Strait can still remain closed. In contrast, the Great Depression of the 20th century saw a hollowing out of the world economy by roughly 22%. Making peace with Iran now will not bring about the rainbows and unicorns just mentioned, and we are not even talking about a peace deal at the moment. Instead we are looking at a long recovery. As the Strait of Hormuz gradually opens, as the infrastructure there is repaired, as ships are maintained and repaired and supplies of essential items return to normal we are looking at a matter of many months – and far past the midterm elections.
In other words the next few years are going to be tougher for average humanity, and that really tests people’s soul connections as a result. Hence, the opportunities for spiritual growth are great, while on the other side personalities will be sorely tested. Our greatest hope is that the mass of the humanity will rise to the occasion. And we will certainly see that to greater or lesser extent. But in terms of revolution, will we see such across the West, as some astrologers are seeing from this minor Grand Trine? As people increasingly realize that the leadership of the major Western powers is focused solely on staying in power, benefiting the donor class – now increasingly being called Epstein class – and keeping the status quo in place, only time will tell.
The US-Israeli war against Iran was a war of choice. Iran posed no existential threat to either Israel or the United States. We have discussed all the whys and wherefores in previous letters. However, as a result of this war and the economic fallout from it, the entire world has been affected. The so-called Global South especially is suffering because of the economic hardship introduced as a result of the war. And now, with the midterm season picking up in the United States, the Trump administration is desperate to find some means of keeping prices down in the US leading up to November. Well, prices will start to spike from next month through the autumn. Virtually every financial and economic analyst is saying that we can expect higher prices, especially at the supermarket and at the pump. And in this, the United States is particularly at risk.
The unseen factors: Because of factors like litigation over eminent domain, for instance, and other blockages that flow on from that, the US has no high speed rail network, which would be the cheapest means of overland freight transport. Italy pioneered and introduced such high speed rail freight in 2018. What exists as the rail network in the US is instead in need of serious upgrades. Railways in the US are privately (corporate) owned and operated. About 40% of freight in the US is moved by rail. We also have an interstate highway system and the bulk of freight transport on those roads relies on private contractors – truckers, whether companies or individuals. Shipment by truck requires a lot of diesel fuel over the long distances encountered in the US. But the latter point is the thing: The US is a huge country with a large population and the distances are challenging. American freight runs on diesel and passenger transport on gasoline. There is very little bulk passenger train service in the US outside of the major cities. And the oil in the United States is not suitable for producing diesel fuel. The prime oil that has been used in the past to produce that diesel has come out of the Persian Gulf. And that oil is not going to automatically flow at pre-war levels as soon as the gates in Hormuz open. The Strait is still closed to the Western powers.
As a result of the war and because the United States is seen as the prime enemy of Iran, the ships that carry the primary oil to the US used for producing diesel have not been allowed to pass the Strait. The war on Iran was a serious own-goal by Washington and a massive strategic blunder. Because of that, the Trump administration is drawing down the strategic petroleum reserves, set to reach the lowest levels since the 1980s in a matter of weeks. This is being done to keep the prices for fuel down, but it will not last. Now, we can say it is not fair that Iran can block the Strait, but the Strait is not international waters. Iran’s territorial waters cover over half of the Strait, with Oman covering the other half, with overlap in between. As it happens, the Omanis agree with Iran and have excellent relations with them. Our intrepid leaders in Washington and elsewhere failed to think that one through. And now we are at an interesting juncture in the conflict. So, we are in an uneasy stalemate at the moment, with the clock running down for the US.
Some truth about Israel: So, it is in our interest to make sure the MoU holds, but that means Israel has to be held to account and reined in from its expansionist ambitions, meaning it has to leave Lebanon and leave it in peace. That is not a small order, given that Congress and a large faction of the donor class sees Israel as doing the dirty work for the US, or even ‘God’s work’, as a few misguided souls in the US seem to believe. But for the MoU to survive and for a reliable security structure to evolve in West Asia Israel must be reined in and America must leave the regions around Iran. What could possibly go wrong? The big elephant in that room must always be remembered: As much as the Israeli establishment and ethno-nationalists in Israel believe themselves to be independent of the US, Israel was created as and still is an American proxy and outpost in West Asia. It is hubris within the Israeli establishment that has led them to mistakenly believe that since the Washington establishment and donor class in the US so richly endowed the Israeli state, that they had control of the US. That hubris has been badly shaken within Israel with the signing of this MoU.
If the US was to divorce Israel, as in not sending any more weapons or funding to Israel the state would soon find itself at the tender mercies of its neighbors. And the wider world is increasingly distanced itself from Israel. Trump is now saying the quiet part out loud, the part that people who know the truth about the US-Israeli relationship have not said before, since the signing of the MoU: “Without the United States Israel would have been blown up a long time ago.”
There have been a few US presidents since Eisenhower who opposed Israel and sought to draw it back from its ambitions – JFK, Nixon and Clinton, for example – who typically met with difficulties, even death afterwards. Call it coincidence if you like, but it is not simply Israeli influence that makes it difficult to oppose Israeli ambitions. Those ambitions also parallel American ambitions. Washington and Tel Aviv are enmeshed in many ways. It is an entire military-industrial-Zionist infrastructure in American politics that is problematic, along with the American foreign policy establishment that sees Israel as an essential American outpost in the region. ‘Israel’ gives the US plausible deniability for military adventurism in the region and keeps the neighboring states destabilized by periodic bombing raids and support of jihadist groups. Eretz Israel ambitions are allowed by Washington because it serves American interests, and vice-versa. Lebanon and Syria have been the recipients of such attentions. Iran has been the recipient of such attentions, too, but in a more covert manner, with the application of sanctions, assassinations of Iranian leaders and scientists and so on.
But Iran has risen in spite of all US and Israeli efforts, the latter aided by European powers. Yemen has likewise resisted American intervention via Saudi and Emirati proxies. And Hezbollah has proven to be an indomitable foe to Israeli and American influence in Lebanon. The MoU just signed on the Iranian side seeks to put a stop to the US-Israeli takeover of Lebanon. And that will be the trigger point when the Zionists in the US and Israel seek to overturn the MoU. Since the American failure to topple Iran Trump is seeking to distance the US from Israel, which is yet another attempt at exercising plausible deniability for the American failure. It will also be used as an attempt to restart the war. Wait and see. Personally, I would like to see the MoU hold and a new security architecture evolve that would see the region free and sovereign from imperial influence Given history and the desperate nature of some of the belligerents, realistically the region will probably see a final, large and decisive battle. Iran would probably emerge battered, but victorious. So for now we all wait and see about the outcome of the MoU.
In conclusion: Recalling an old political saying, there are decades when nothing happens and weeks when decades happen. We are watching the weeks when decades happen. We have not mentioned Ukraine to any great extent of this letter, but there is much going on there as well, with the Russians about to change the way they approach the conflict there – the effect being the Western powers will not be happy with what happens. But we leave that for another letter. We see rapidly shifting narratives in our legacy media as realities on the ground are making themselves apparent. Gone is the talk of the most powerful military in the world being able to exert its will and to threaten the noncompliant states. The days of American and Israeli impunity are rapidly coming to a close. We currently have a lull in the conflict in West Asia which will likely blow up again. But the end result would be the same as what we have just seen if it does. The multipolar world will stand established, while the unipolar desires of Empire are relegated to the past.
Americans and Europeans may be heartened by the fact that a memorandum of understanding is signed between the US and Iran, leading people who do not know any better to believe that the worst is behind us. Perhaps that might be. But more sober analysis tells us that the worst may be yet to come, and not to rest secure in the belief that peace is immediately on the way. Peace is a very battered term these days and is subject to many variations. It is said that one of the prerequisites for the appearance of a more spiritual reality on our planet is an enforced demilitarization. It would seem that we are a long way away from that. But looks can be deceiving. Demilitarization must be preceded by cessation of open warfare. In West Asia we are rapidly approaching that point. The relative calm there will not be easy at first but the removal of the major American military installations from the region are a very needed start.
The festival of Gemini, the last of the three major festivals for every year has a special meaning this year. Gemini is about dialogue, about exchange, about realizing realities in the world and bringing them in line with a greater purpose. In the past what we saw between the US and Iran was threat and posturing. Now we have the basis of an understanding which has come through the realization of hard realities. As a result, all parties will go away for a time and reassess their goals, what can realistically be achieved, and perhaps gain a more sober perspective on the future. What we have just witnessed in these past weeks has been a victory for humanity, in that we have been awakened to the reality of what confronts us rather than what we have been told by our press and politicians for years. Rhetoric is no substitute for experience. And there are many encouraging dialogs going on behind the scenes as a result of the Ramadan War, which we will begin to examine in the next letters. We have suddenly been shocked into the realization that a new world is possible and is indeed evolving. We are just never told about it in our legacy media. Old brotherly relations are being revisited. New relations are forming. And most importantly, we are moving away from the idea of zero-sum politics, into an uncertain but more prosing world based in dialog and shared security. Strange as it may seem on the outside the quarrels we are seeing at present are the sign that the souls of nations are imposing political will on the old order. And that is only set to accelerate. Stay well, stay centered and seek dialog with everyone you meet. We need it now more than ever.
Gemini blessings,
Malvin
25 June 2026
malvin@malvinartley.com
These letters are sent as a service. Feel free to pass them along but do so without charge or alteration. If you wish to be added to or deleted from the mailing list let me know.
Suggested Viewing:
Aeon Video: The ghosts of Albania’s Cold War bunkers | Mushrooms of Concrete
Daniel Davis/Deep Dive: The Consequence of the Iran War of Choice: an Oil Shock
Chris Martenson
Oil Supply Crisis Won’t End Quickly Art Berman
Inside China Business: The Iran War has destroyed fertilizer markets and farmers everywhere, almost
Judging Freedom: Israel jeopardizes US troops Max Blumenthal
Trump’s Biggest Mistake Col. Douglas Macgregor
How Trump makes decisions Robert Barnes (on Trump’s dementia and his team)
US empire is crashing Alastair Crooke (on the recent de-escalation agreement)
Neutrality Studies: Drone Escalation. Russia Will Strike NATO Stanislav Krapivnik
Radhika Desai: Iran defeated the US Empire. What happens next? Michael Hudson, Radhika Desai
Rock the Cradle: The petrodollar era is now collapsing Alastair Crooke (essential to understand)
Picture Credits:
Gemini: Johfra Bosschart (1974-1975)
Bull Durham chewing tobacco: Medium, William Denton
Gate of San Marco: Author
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