For China, the North Node moving into Aquarius is a time when the Dragon rises.
The North Node has moved into Aquarius, which is big news for … China, or more precisely the People’s Republic of China. This is because the PRC has an Aquarius Rising at its foundational chart, which is the chart I use to examine Chinese politics and the fate of that nation. Aquarius rising makes sense, if you think about China as being a communist country, which it was founded as, although now it seems to have evolved into a technocratic authoritarian socialist country, which also rings true of Aquarian themes. Since the 1980s, many of China’s top leaders have been engineers, economists, and technical administrators, all of which can be seen to fall under the jurisdiction of Aquarius.
Here are thematic historical events that have occurred to China while the North Node has been in Aquarius in the first house of the national mundane chart for China.
1952–1953: Socialist Consolidation
- The First Five-Year Plan begins (1953). China adopts Soviet-style central economic planning, laying the foundation for rapid industrialization.
- Large-scale collectivization of agriculture accelerates. Independent farming begins giving way to collective organization.
- State ownership expands dramatically. Private industry and commerce increasingly come under government control, fundamentally changing the structure of the economy.
The first five year plan is a hallmark of the Chinese method of developing itself as a nation or “growing”. The North Node is where one finds “growth” in the chart, be it an individual or a
1970–1972: China’s Re-entry into the International Community
- People’s Republic of China admitted to the United Nations (1971). The PRC replaces Taiwan as China’s representative, transforming China’s international legitimacy.
- Nixon’s historic visit to China (February 1972). One of the most important geopolitical realignments of the Cold War.
- Beginning of the end of China’s diplomatic isolation. Relations with Western countries begin expanding rapidly after two decades of relative isolation.
China being admitted to the UN reinforced the North Node expressing China’s growth as an individual identity with in the world body of nations. The South Node is in the 7th house whenever the North Node is in the first house and here we see China staking its identity in the world and coming out of isolation by relating to the other, which is a 7th house topic.
1989–1990: Crisis and Economic Redirection
- Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown (June 1989). Perhaps the defining political event of post-Mao China.
- China enters a period of international sanctions and diplomatic isolation following the crackdown.
- Deng Xiaoping preserves economic reform despite political retrenchment. Although reform slows temporarily, the leadership ultimately commits to continuing market-oriented development, setting the stage for the 1992 “Southern Tour.”
This time period rings true with the North Node theme of working on your own identity. China during this period cracked down on liberal democratic forces from within, as well as from without. The suppression was brutal and bloody, but it consolidated China’s transformation into a socialist technocratic authoritarian country. It is interesting to note that the Moon is conjunct the Ascendant for the PRC Mundane chart and the Moon represents the people. There is a warning sign in Tiananmen Square, which is the people will rise up if their needs are not being met.
2007–2009: China Becomes a Global Economic Power
China overtakes Germany as the world’s largest exporter (2009). This marks a major shift in global manufacturing leadership.
Beijing Olympics (2008). China’s emergence as a confident global power is showcased to the world.
Global Financial Crisis (2008). China launches one of the world’s largest stimulus programs, strengthening its role in the global economy.
Beijing and China during this time asserts itself as a world leader economically and culturally for the first time in our Modern Era. This is the beginning of China phasing into a cultural force around the world and asserting its authority and dominance in world politics.
China and the North Node 2026
As one can see by reviewing the timeline, China makes cultural leaps as a world power when the North Node strikes Aquarius every 18.5 years. This can come at a risk of of sacrifice of old power regimes and the oppression of individualistic expression. The PRC is likely to continue, if not accelerate its course in becoming one of the most technologically advanced states in the world. Aquarius though is ruled by Saturn, and one principle of Saturn is control. We should continue to see a rise in surveillance technology, social score metrics, and AI in the use of state population control and as a method by which China will continue to assert its dominance over its population and territories it sees as its own.
I would expect China to continue to push for alternative energy, especially Nuclear, whether fusion or fission, as well as solar with the North Node going through Aquarius. The PRC will certainly be the top nation state competing with the US in terms of AI and chip development.
There is a warning over the next 18 months with Jupiter conjunct the PRC Mars August 6th through 8th 2026 that there will likely be turmoil, a natural disaster, or aggression involving the nation. With Saturn conjunct the North Node of the PRC chart there is a chance that we see a change of leadership in China. Xi Jinping is fiercely in charge of the entire PRC now, but last time Saturn was in Aries Deng Xiaoping passed away.
I take Xi Jinping’s birth chart to be 11:14 am having rectified it. Mercury the ruler of his MC was conjunct his Ascendant by Solar Arc direction in 2013, hence he attained the height of power and became a world ruler that year. It is a rectified chart though as his official birth time was either not recorded or is not publicly available. I have Chinese friends who have spoken of rumors that the Chinese Politburo is awash in Daoist magic… so it would not surprise me if he intentionally kept his birth time secret.
At that time though, the North Node was in Virgo, the 8th house of the PRC chart. We do not get the same testimony this time. The more likely outcome is that Xi consolidates his role as a historic leader. I say this because Xi has his North Node in Aquarius at 3º, so we must assume that he is going to go through a significant transformation as a leader during this time. All hail Emperor Xi Jinping of the second Hahn Dynasty, right? Xi is likely to face his fiercest political test yet during this time of China shifting into a new identity, as we have seen it does every time the North Node is in Aquarius. This is because at this pinnacle juncture, he is experiencing his third Saturn Opposition, marking a time where he comes against the limits of his personal ideals and ambitions as indicated by his native Saturn being in the second house.
I wrote more about Xi Jinping’s astrology chart here.
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