In coffee shops, at parties and in grocery store line-ups…sooner or later some nervous person, hat in hand, will sheepishly approach me and mutter, "what will happen to me?" Everyone wants to know the future. An occupational hazard, I suppose, of being a psychic and an astrologer.

It's an odd feeling, though, and a particularly draining question to answer. Usually I end up hopelessly embroiled in a long conversation with a complete stranger. Life's spiritual lessons, you see, can be discussed in the most mundane places. I must admit, however, there have been times… when desperately pressed for time… that I have actually smiled sweetly and replied "I'm sorry you have no future." I'm not proud of it, but it has happened.

But the mysteries of the future persist. A fortune is suddenly lost, a rock-solid investment disappoints, an unexpected love affair changes our lives: we are all vulnerable to the whims of what must come. It has always been my experience, however, that future events can surprise even the most jaded among us. What is yet to be, it would seem, has a life of its own.

And surprising a human being is no easy trick. We are a crafty lot; bright, obsessive and unwilling to relinquish control of our precious fates. Many of us spend hours, days…even months… cleverly preparing for what could be. The future is a brightly wrapped package and none of us knows what is in it. Ironically, however, as an astrologer I am in the business of prediction.

Apart from individual horoscopes, which are completely fascinating, I find it unusually satisfying to predict the futures of countries, kings, diplomats and technologies.

These are public events that, when finally manifested, are plain for all to see. In Mundane Astrology, or the practice of predicting world events, a thing either is or it is not. Thankfully, there is very little room for conjecture, egos are not at issue and accuracy, once again, becomes an exciting proposition.

And so, having studied both the stars and my own private visions, I offer my predictions.

Canada :: Canada will fair better than most in the up-coming world economic crisis. Although unemployment will become a bothersome issue, it will not reach the devastating levels experienced by Britain or the US. The autumn months of 2009 will be the bottom point of employment woes. The Bank of Canada will dramatically change rates in October 2009. By mid-April 2010 financial bickering will force Parliament Hill into a Confidence Vote. The government will topple and be replaced by a slight Liberal majority.

United States :: The next 18 months will be particularly troublesome for the US. Civil unrest will continue to steadily increase and, by late July, will erupt into rioting in several major cities. Homelessness will create new levels of crime, organized looting and an ongoing problem with squatters in abandoned commercial settings. August will be an unusually violent month in the cities of Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Miami, Cleveland, San Diego and Portland.

Most state governments will be unable to pay wages, tax returns or municipal bills and will, consequently, downsize and concentrate almost exclusively on law enforcement. Economic woes will continue throughout 2010 and, by March 2010, will give rise to a military style of governance. For the purpose of law enforcement and security, the country will be divided into three separate jurisdictions, with headquarters in Denver, Atlanta and Washington, DC.

Middle East :: The Middle East will revisit a decades old agreement, optimistically approach a new contract and then rapidly descend into conflict. After April 4th the retrograde motion of Pluto will drag the United States headlong into six months of military decision-making, moral questioning from the media and public scrutiny. It is also very likely that, shortly after April 7th, a previously hidden weapons agreement will be publicly exposed.

Watch for a surprising diplomatic disappointment between April 3rd and April 7th to trigger six months of volatile political reactions. Eventually, calmer influences and short-term agreements will prevail. Before mid-September, however, increasingly dramatic military posturing in the Middle East will captivate the world's attention.

Obama :: The coming 18 months will change the US forever. President Obama will soon face a series of escalating economic and civil disobedience problems. The entire country will experience a biting economic collapse and endure either a serious restructuring of government or a host of problems involving homelessness, military dissatisfaction and rioting.

President Obama will introduce a program of state owned property laws, mandatory service and far reaching communications changes. Watch for controversial policy changes affecting the legal rights of citizens to be announced between July 7th and September 9th. Extraordinary security measures will need to be instituted to ensure the safety of senior politicians. After mid-October Russia and China will become an ongoing stress point for America. Astrologically, there is also a strong indication that, between March and mid-April 2010, Obama will order the use of a powerfully explosive and previously unknown weapon.

Space Technology :: Both by accidental security leak and by public announcement, NASA will reveal a history of weapons development, space exploration and propulsions technology that has previously been hidden. New information concerning a long and varied history of life in our solar system will become public and may, in some instances, cause panic. NASA and other scientific agencies that have answered to the government will, after June 2010, be absorbed into the military structure.

Climate Events :: Serious coast flooding will be experienced in North America in the last three months of 2009. Minor earthquakes will be problematic for the West Coast throughout May, December 2009 and again in March 2010. In early 2010 an extremely large earthquake is likely to devastate several cities in the Pacific Northwest. Wind events, temperature extremes and furious wild fires will continue throughout the next two years.