I want to speak a little bit about the very significant events occurring in Egypt right now. Very little can be known, as events are changing on the ground every hour, but the stakes are clearly very high as the possibility now exists for the most populous nation in the Arab world (Egypt has 84 million people) to become a democracy. Despite the fact that the U.S. is a democracy and has stated for decades that it wants to see democracies around the world, it is also just as true that it has supported autocrats and dictators so that we can count on some degree of stability in the region. The good side of this has been the fact that Egypt and Jordan have peace agreements with Israel avoiding war between the two countries. But right now, it seems increasingly obvious that there is a cry for democracy that is rising in the citizens of our world. The events in Tunisia have not quickly triggered events in Egypt. What I see is that we may have now reached the inevitable moment in history where the U.S. will have to decide whether it is permissible to invest in dictators while mouthing support for democracy or is this the time to commit to the values we say we have. The Arab world is watching closely at what President Obama and his administration do next.
I do not have the chart for Egypt yet but should have it soon. What I do know is that due to the present velocity of Mars, the Sun and Mars have been dancing together in a conjunction for many weeks. It began in mid-January when they were only 5° apart and increased in intensity when both entered Aquarius on January 20, 2011. Right now, they are less than 1° apart and will conjunct at 15° of Aquarius on February 3, 2011. Even if we don’t know how this affects the chart of Egypt itself, we do know that any prolonged Sun-Mars conjunction will bring any long-standing frustrations and desire for change to a boiling point.
It is always interesting to note that when a country ruled by an autocrat begins to succeed economically and bring about a strong middle-class, expectations, hopes and dreams will increase exponentially, which directly leads to a demand for democracy. A wise dictator sees this and begins to reform the political system to create an orderly transfer of power. Most history tells us that often autocrats refuse to do this and at some point, the demand for revolution outweighs everything else and that is where Egypt finds itself right now. From an astrological viewpoint, the dance of the Sun and Mars is creating that trigger. So far, Mubarak is resisting change, but it seems inevitable that he will be forced to resign. If he doesn’t the chance for tremendous violence becomes likely with possible tragic results. The question for the U.S. is what position to take now. Is it best to ‘support our ally’ and potentially be seen as an enemy to the rising democratic forces in Egypt or will we take a position that supports the new emerging forces that we say we want for the entire world. It’s complicated. We may not know what is being said behind the scenes right now, but I imagine the U.S. administration is doing all it can to resolve this without having to take a public stance against its ‘ally.’
Let’s hear your thoughts on this.
Great post! Thanks.
I too have been watching the unfolding events in Egypt. I was saddened to hear that antiquities (mummies and other 3,000 year old objects) in the Cairo Museum were stolen and damaged. I have been impressed with the military role in siding with the protesters. Egypt’s geodetic chart has a Leo rising with Aquarius on the 7th house, so that major angle is being activated during this Aquarius time of the year and with many planets transiting through Aquarius at the same time. I have been trying to find the date when Murbarak came into power; I have heard 30 or so years ago…the regime is having a Saturn return. I noticed that things were peaceful in the Cairo Square until the New Moon on February 2nd, and then the pro Mubarak (goons, I believe they have been called) started attacking the peaceful protesters and that’s when violence broke out among the two groups (let’s see what the 1/4 Moon and Full Moon brings). This protesting is having ripple affects through the Arabic world as we see other Arab nations trying to make some supposed changes before their people decide to take up the banner and start their own protests. I think this is the beginning of bigger upsets in the Middle Eastern countries.
Audria
Well so much for no violence. Seems the military or the police are now forming opposition protests that are turning violent. Is this clandestine incitement by the regime?
Saturnian forces would seem to be in play. Does this bode well for the reforming movement or is this just a testing point? I feel this is early on and another week or two will bring much more activity revealing the Mubarak strategies. He will most likely step down and appoint another dictator that would placate the uprising sentiment until the helium of this revolutionary balloon subsides. I am with Margaret, let us see the highest good of Egypt and the welfare of its people.
good article Jim….Deborah mentioned the Saturn Rx…i find it interesting that the govt/authority (Saturn)has retreated and not used violence against the people.
IN his current newsletter Alan Oken has indicated that the latest Solar eclipse and Saturn turning Retrograde in Libra has had some affect. Learning right relationships along the southern coast of the MED. will be a focus at least thru June. I know that the unrest in Egypt has been going on for at least the past 15 years as highly educated Egyptian youth find no opportunities economically. Please pray for the highest and greatest most good for Egypt.
Thank you Jim, very thoughtful and knowledgeable. This 11th house Uranus Saturn conjunction thinks this is an exciting time of change. Woo-hoo! I’m amazed at how clearly middle class (like us) most of the protestors are. I feel that the military siding with the people is the deciding factor, and a way to keep these protests from turning tragic. I do not believe the military will change their minds.
I saw a sweet news story tonight about protestor/volunteers cleaning up the streets today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5GSfSRY2PQ&feature=player_profilepage
The people seem very reasonable generally to me. I trust that this reasonableness will prevail in any new government there. The protest groups met today to form a unifed set of demands.
and Americans get it clearly too:
my 87 yr old art teacher says this…'(I’m looking at) our own politics and how we’re slyly trying to play both ends. If we didn’t have freakin’ 176 bases around the world, and weren’t so reliant on oil coming through the Suez canal, and so freakin’ militaristic that we got to police, or rather invade the world, maybe we wouldn’t always side with dictators and get everyone to hate us’
To Deborah,
I’m actually going into this in the next newsletter, but it isn’t Saturn alone that’s doing this. It’s the coming opposition between Jupiter in Aries and Saturn in Libra. I think this is a very exciting time for positve changes to occur.
What is the effect of Saturn retrograde on current events? Seems like the throwing off of the old, tired, heavy handed regime in favor of something new.