Venezuela suffers two magnitude-7 quakes

By Sue Kientz

Last Wednesday, June 24, Venezuela was roiled by two devastating earthquakes in less than half a minute, a magnitude 7.2 followed by a magnitude 7.5, the latter temblor 3 times stronger than the first, hitting the country’s north just west of the capital Caracas. Coming barely six months after the U.S. military removed the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, on orders from U.S. President Trump, this new crisis has caused extreme panic and despair in many of the hardest hit areas. President Trump was quick to promise interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez financial aid and search and rescue teams, as are many other countries and international aid organizations, but a week later, hope is fading that all the needed assistance will come in time for those still trapped in the rubble.(1)  

Life was supposed to get better for the Venezuelan people, not worse, with many glad to be finally rid of their strong-man leader Maduro, and he and his family arrested to be tried in the United States. Many hoped for better living standards and an improved economy just around the corner, especially as when Maduro left, fortunate Jupiter was in Cancer, moving towards Venezuela’s founding Sun (12 Cancer),(2) representing that life (Sun) might again be full of prosperity and happiness (both Jupiter related). Yet at the time Jupiter was moving retrograde (appearing to move backwards)(3) in Cancer and stopped at 15 Cancer before reaching the Venezuela Sun, so the expectations of a rejuvenation of their lifestyle remained elusive. Then came June 24 at 6:02 pm Caracas time,(4) when the rapid succession of quakes hit as rigid, unyielding Saturn (13 Aries) reached square (90 degree; severe blow or disaster) to Venezuela’s Sun. As the earth shook, Mars (27 Taurus) formed a semisquare (45 degrees; troublesome, unnerving) with both Venezuela’s Sun and transiting Saturn and also opposed (180 degrees; major challenge to be overcome with group effort) Venezuela’s founding Mars (24 Scorpio) and Ascendant (26 Scorpio), a combination tragically symbolic of the terrible earth shaking (Mars) and its effect on buildings (Saturn) of all kinds that toppled and fell in cities and towns (Saturn as hard material that when mightily disturbed, breaks and falls causing widespread destruction).

Venezuelans hold out hope that the international community will come through with needed supplies, as dwarf planet Eris (25 Aries), representing other people, strangers, and those who act out of community concern,(5) is sextile (60 degrees; supportive) Venezuela’s Mercury (24 Gemini), the latter facilitating communication and messages.

One promising component in all this is President Rodríguez, born May 18, 1969, in Caracas,(6) whose birth chart shows someone who might be well positioned to navigate her country thru this crisis. Her Sun (27 Taurus), opposite Neptune (27 Scorpio) and trine (120 degrees; a great help) Jupiter (26 Virgo), suggests she has faced crises that seem to throw everything into chaos around her (Neptune as dissolution and uncertainty) yet has found strength and resources to overcome and succeed (Jupiter, fortunate instincts and ability).  Add to that, at this onset of the disaster, Jupiter itself (28 Cancer) was sextile her Sun and Jupiter, and trine her Neptune, an extraordinarily supportive figure. Jupiter will soon be moving into Leo, but in good time will then sextile Rodríguez‘s Mercury (11 Gemini) and trine her Mars (14 Sagittarius) and Venus (16 Aries). This suggests she will enjoy future communications (Mercury) of her country’s needs and find that action (Mars) and aid (Venus) will follow from the countries with which she has made close contact in the early hours of Venezuela’s extreme distress.

Title Image credit: United States Geological Survey, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Notes and References

1. Grant, W., et al, “Aftershock frays nerves as many Venezuelans left to fend for themselves,” 29 June 2026, BBC, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqj1210rj0yo
2. Venezuela mundane chart, 5 July 1811, 3 p.m., Caracas, Venezuela, Astrodienst, https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Nation:_Venezuela
3. All planets including dwarf planets can appear to stop (called “stationing”) and slowly move retrograde, or backward in degrees as observed from Earth, due to the position of Earth sometimes moving faster than other bodies, so the other planets seem to drift backwards in the sky for a certain period (then they “stop” or station and move in forward motion). Sun and Moon never appear to move retrograde.
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Venezuela_earthquakes
5. Kientz, S., “Eris, the Discomforting Other,” More Plutos, appeared in the Astrological Journal, Sept./Oct. 2014 issue; https://moreplutos.com/articles/Eris-SueKientz_AstrologicalJournal-Sept-Oct2014.pdf
6. Rodríguez, Delcy, 18 May 1969, no time (7 a.m. used), Caracas, Venezuela, Astrodienst, https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Rodriguez,_Delcy

For more details about the angles or relationships between planets, see Lynne Hyde’s “Astrology Basics,” 12 November 2024, ANS, https://astrologynewsservice.com/articles/astrology-basics/