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The Astrology of Nations, by John Michael Greer

The Astrology of Nations: Casting and Interpreting Charts for Nations, Politics, and Economies, by John Michael Greer
REDFeather, 0764368745, 192 pages, January 2025

Who wants to talk about politics? Just mentioning the topic these days tends to ignite passionate responses. For those interested in the discussion of events from a celestial point of view,  John Michael Greer’s The Astrology of Nations: Casting and Interpreting Charts for Nations, Politics, and Economies presents an intriguing exploration of geopolitical landscapes through the lens of mundane astrology. Known for his expertise in both the esoteric and practical realms, Greer offers a unique perspective that bridges ancient traditions with contemporary global happenings, presenting readers with the foundation required to interpret mundane astrology charts.

Mundane astrology, often referred to as political astrology, is a branch of astrology that focuses on the prediction and analysis of world events, national affairs, and large-scale occurrences. Unlike natal astrology, which examines the influence of celestial bodies on an individual’s life, mundane astrology deals with the broader scope of societal and global happenings. Using mundane astrology, astrologers can create charts based on significant events such as the founding of a nation, inaugurations, the signing of treaties, or the commencement of wars. These charts are interpreted to understand the potential influences on a country’s future.

As someone coming from a background in natal chart reading, mundane astrology was all new to me. From the get-go, Greer’s insight into the difference between the two branches of astrology, along with the common mistakes those approaching mundane astrology for the first time make, really made grasping the complexities of this branch very accessible. He goes above and beyond explaining, defining, and clarifying concepts to ensure readers have the full picture. Plus, Greer’s personable writing style, often telling jokes along the way and making the reader feel like they’re in dialogue with him, is one of the things I enjoyed most about this book.

The Astrology of Nations is divided into three parts. “Part 1: The Art of Mundane Astrology” is where Greer really delves into the astrological science of this branch. He begins with definitions, astrological basics (signs, modalities, elements, houses, and planets), and more advanced astrological concepts (planetary rulership, dignities and debilitations, triplicities, and decans). For those new to the topic, it’s definitely well-written enough to understand, but it is a chapter you’ll most likely come back to a few times while reading, even if you’re a seasoned astrologer. Greer includes multiple tables to provide visual representation of all the information, which is immensely helpful for quick reference.

The next chapter “The Charts That Matter” is also jam-packed with introductory material, along with a discussion of the importance of discerning the difference between natal reading and mundane reading. Greer really emphasizes the importance of making accurate predictions, noting one of the significance factors that affects this is “choosing the right charts to cast.”1 Whereas natal astrology is simply one’s birth day, time, and location, there’s more nuance to deciding the right chart in mundane astrology. While inauguration and foundation charts are useful, Greer discusses the value of solar-ingress charts, lunation charts, eclipse charts, and charts for major conjunctions. This section felt filled with possibility, and while I certainly have a long way to go, I am looking forward to taking the time to analyze this variety of charts.

In the remaining chapters of this section, Greer goes in-depth for the Sun, Moon, planets, and dwarf planets. For each one, he discusses their significance overall in the chart, the meaning of the planet in each house in both a dignified and debilitated placement, and then gives an interpretation for the planet in a helpful and conjunction/hostile aspect with every other planet. These chapters REALLY are wonderful for learning the energy of the planets in a mundane chart. I decided to cast a chart for the Aries solar-ingress coming up in March, and I went back to these chapters to take notes on what I observed in the chart to then piece together to form my own understanding.

“Part 2: Case Studies” is where Greer showcases how he reads mundane astrology charts, writing case studies for pivotal political events, including the shooting of President William McKinley, the abdication of King Edward VIII, and the foundation of the United States. For each, a chart is obviously included, and Greer delves into discussing what stands out in the chart, such as the ruler of houses, the angular cusps, the planetary relationships, and all the other fascinating aspects of mundane astrology that synthesize at the particular moment in time. Reading the case studies gave insight into where to focus my own attention when doing a mundane reading; Greer does a fantastic job of laying it all out clearly to see the various components of the chart working together.

In the final section, “Part 3: Predictions”, Greer once again demonstrates the reading of mundane charts, but this time with an eye for the future rather than the past. He focuses on three events: the current experience resulting from the grand mutation of 2020, the future of Afghanistan, and the great conjunction of 2040. As with the case studies, Greer once again comprehensively states what he sees as the defining features of the chart and the conclusions they led him. This predictive approach is a great way to perceive the benefits of reading mundane charts (you especially might want to read Greer’s predictions if you’re an art collector!) and the value it can provide to people as they navigate life.

Overall, The Astrology of Nations is an ambitious and relevant work that seeks to apply astrological principles to the histories and future of our world. Readers will see how examining historical events alongside astrological data reflects these astrological patterns that emerge, which when studied offer predictions and insights into future geopolitical developments. Greer is a truly exemplary teacher when it comes to examining how planetary movements influence national trends, economies, and events. His foundation information and thorough analyses are accessible to both astrology enthusiasts and those interested in global affairs. The book offers a fresh perspective on geopolitics, challenging readers to consider alternative viewpoints.

The Twilight of Pluto, by John Michael Greer

The Twilight of Pluto: Astrology and the Rise and Fall of Planetary Influences, by John Michael Greer
Inner Traditions, 1644113112, 176 pages, April 2022

There’s no doubt Pluto has a stronghold within astrology, especially Evolutionary Astrology, where Pluto is considered the “starting” point for understanding the entire natal chart. Maybe you’ve heard recently about the Pluto return of the United States and what it may mean for the fate of the nation, or perhaps you’ve learned about the destructive, yet purifying nature of Pluto within your own chart.

But why is it that many astrologers overlook that Pluto is no longer technically considered a planet? And what might this mean for the planetary influence Pluto has moving forward? These are the questions John Michael Greer explores in The Twilight of Pluto: Astrology and the Rise and Fall of Planetary Influences – a must read for anyone with an interest in astrology.

I’ll confess, I was firmly in the astrologer camp that believed this “small” astronomical change of categorization had no impact on the influence of Pluto. I’ve enjoyed working with Pluto in my natal chart over the years– the way Pluto squares my North and South node, the significance of Pluto in my 4th house, the transit of Pluto through my Capricorn stellium the past decade, most notably conjunct Saturn and Venus in recent years.

Pluto has felt very significant to my astrological understanding of myself, but not once did I question what the change of Pluto from planet to dwarf planet by astronomers in 2006 might mean for the astrological fate of Pluto moving forward. With this book, Greer has completely shifted my point of view about the influence of Pluto, not only providing insight into what I went through on a personal level but also reshaping the way I perceive the influence of Pluto as an astrologer.

“It’s an irony of no small proportion that the downgrading of Pluto took most astrologers completely by surprise. While astronomers discussed the dwindling estimates of Pluto’s mass and laid the foundation for the decision in 2006, and (as we’ll see) many of the distinctive phenomena of the Plutonian era declined at roughly the same pace, astrologers by and large went blithely on their way treating Pluto as a planet, making predictions that assumed it would continue to retain its planetary status forever.”2

Greer’s main thesis in The Twilight of Pluto is that Pluto’s influence is waning now that it has been reclassified as a dwarf planet. To back this claim, Greer shows how the rise and fall of other celestial bodies, both those proven to exist, as well as bodies that were only hypothesized to exist, such as Ceres, Lilith, Vulcan influenced the world during their prominence in astronomy, but faded away once they were either reclassified or determined to not exist. He also discusses the impact of discovering new planets, such as Uranus and Neptune, and the impact of these planetary energies on culture.

The key domains that Greer examines to document the rise and fall of Pluto’s planetary status are nuclear fusion, space travel, communism, psychoanalysis, and modern art. Pluto brought out a focus on despair, apathy, divergence, separation, a lack of symmetry, and breaking things down to the smallest parts in order to make sense of the whole.  And everything Greer points out about the emergence and decline of these characteristics in these main domains was utterly fascinating.

“These examples from the past offer important guidance for the future. As we will see, the core nature of Pluto can be summed up straightforwardly as opposition to cosmos. The ancient Greek concept of cosmos–literally “that which is beautifully ordered”–lies at the heart not only of astrology but of most of the world’s traditions of spiritual philosophy and practice. . . During the Plutonian era, that vision was in eclipse.”3

However, luckily, it seems the doom and gloom of the Plutonian era is fading, as a return to unity in the cosmos happens once again as Pluto’s influence continues to wane. Greer dedicates an entire chapter, “After Pluto”, to his thoughts about how astrology will continue to evolve, as well as the changes he foresees happening in the Plutonian domains examined. There’s plenty of thought-provoking material to reflect on, especially for practicing astrologers. Greer asserts the potential implications of Pluto’s classification as a dwarf planet leads to the need for future investigation about the planetary influence not only of Pluto, but the dwarf planets too: Ceres, Eris, Makemake,and Haumea.

The final chapter, “The Cosmos Reborn”, highlights how despite believing modernity, often characterized as a abandonment of the cosmos, including all of magic, spirits, and inherent symmetry within the cosmos, will continue on this way, there’s plenty of evidence to the contrary. Greer explores how Pluto’s planetary declassification actually aligns the ten planets with the Tree of Life, and explores the placement of each planet within the Tree of Life. This was fascinating to read about.

Overall, I really enjoy how The Twilight of Pluto blends history, astronomy, and astrology. Too often, I feel astrology is divorced from the scientific study of space. This book is helpful in getting astrologers to break out of habits, such as the focus on Pluto in the chart, and reconnect with the present moment. I think my favorite take-away of the entire book was the reminder that both astronomy and astrology are constantly evolving as new information comes to light. I enjoyed Greer’s thoughts about the future of astrology, as well as areas in the field where he believes there’s room for more exploration.

This is by far the most influential astrology book I’ve read this year, and Greer has done a great service to the astrological community for sharing his careful study and observations. I highly recommend this book to every single practicing astrologer, as well as those interested in history and the potential for the future in general. If you’re interested in learning more, one of my favorite astrologers, Aeolian Heart, interviewed Greer about the book, which can be listened to here.