Thailand in Crisis; army moves in on Red Shirt protest

The Land of Smiles is now a land of strife. After a months-long protest by anti-government "red shirt" protesters, a violent crackdown by the Thai army on the protesters encampment in Lumpini Park has resulted in a reactionary wave of arson, looting, and rioting throughout Bangkok. Reports now state that the violence has spread to other cities in the Northeast. The once-tolerant and peaceable Buddhist kingdom has been increasingly riven by political and social conflict over the past four years. Much of conflict has centered on the former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who ruled the country from 2001 to 2006 but was found guilty of corruption and left the country to escape justice. Once the richest person in Thailand, Thaksin has been a very polarizing force in Thai politics in the past decade, with many poor people rallying to his defense while more educated, urban classes are generally opposed to his authoritarian and corrupt style of rule. In political terms, the crisis is perhaps the result of the lopsided path to development that Thailand has followed where urban elites are fared disproportionately better compared with the rural and working classes.

From an astrological perspective, we can see that Thailand has been caught in the middle of a rare t-square planetary alignment involving Saturn, Pluto, Uranus and Jupiter. Over the past two years or so, these planets have moved into a tense pattern where there are square 90 degree aspects between Saturn (control, loss, hardship), Uranus (freedom, risk-taking, rebellion), Pluto (power, manipulation) and Jupiter (justice, wealth, wisdom). While we can see this rare alignment is implicated in the global upheavals through the economic system since 2008, it has affected Thailand more directly because of where these planets fall in relation to the the location of the planets at the time that Thailand came into being.



As I have previously noted, the horoscope for Thailand is currently under a significant amount of affliction. Using the 1932 chart representing the beginning of constitutional government, we can see that both dashas and transits are contributing to the high level of unrest and anxiety. The chart is running the Venus-Saturn dasha period. As major period lord, Venus ought to have been a fairly positive influence. Certainly, it's a benefic planet by nature and it is well placed in the natal chart in the 1st house with Mercury, although it is retrograde. But major period lords have more of a background influence and given the long duration of the dasha (1994 to 2014), it still allows for a wide range of events to occur, both good and bad. So while Thailand has had its fair share of problems during the Venus period, it has also experienced strong economic growth through most of this period, just as the Venus symbolism suggests. The Saturn (10 Capricorn) minor period (also known as a bhukti) runs from June 2007 to August 2010 and is considered a naturally malefic planet that symbolizes loss and sorrow. Moreover, its placement in the 8th house in Thailand horoscope is quite difficult. The 8th house stands for obstacles and setbacks of all kinds and is often found in situations of civil unrest along with the 6th and 12th houses. Moreover, Saturn forms a close partial "trine" aspect with violent Mars (8 Taurus) so that may be a clue that the Saturn period would see bloodshed and strife of some kind. While some might think that Saturn redeems itself somewhat by virtue of being in its own sign of Capricorn and ruling a good trikona house (the 9th - Aquarius), it is still a planet that will tend to produce negative results, especially when transits are problematic. We may also note that the major and minor period lords Venus (in Gemini) and Saturn (in Capricorn) are in an awkward 8th house relationship with one another and this is another indication of the incompatibility of energies that characterizes the current period.

But dashas are only a starting point in the analysis. The quality of dasha periods can be greatly influenced by transits, especially when the dasha lords are impacted. This is part of the situation now in Thailand. Transiting Saturn (4 Virgo) is coming to its direct station very near the 4th house cusp (1 Virgo). The 8th house (representing setbacks) and 8th lord Saturn (losses, sadness) is being brought to bear on the 4th house (population, everyday life). Since the 4th also represents happiness and comfort, Saturn's presence will tend to deny these dimensions while it is in the proximity of the 4th house cusp. The fact that Saturn is stationing very close to this point makes it more likely to do harm. It also means that it will spend a longer time at this point, and thus suggests the disruptive situation may be protracted. Indeed, the protests have already lasted many weeks. Saturn is also casting its full strength aspect onto the ascendant (1 Gemini) which represents the country as a whole. Given the extent of the troubles that are now spreading all over the country, this is not surprising. The violence and protests have hit the tourist industry hard and is now taking its toll on other businesses. So we see how the transit of a malefic dasha lord to a vulnerable point in the Thailand horoscope reflects part of the current situation.

Interestingly, the major period lord, Venus, is also involved in some difficult transits. Venus (17 Gemini) is currently conjoined by transiting Ketu (aka the South Lunar Node) at 18 Gemini. Ketu is both a planet of sudden and unpredictable actions as well as symbolizing renunciatory or otherworldly impulses. It is also frequently associated with spirituality. Meanwhile Venus is associated with love, beauty, money, and luxury. We can see how the portfolios of these two planets are diametrically opposed to one another. The red shirt protesters are poor, disadvantaged people originating from the rural Northeast who feel that the political system has shut them out. They feel no love for the educated elites of urban Thailand. While there is evidence that some of the protesters have been financially backed and manipulated by the ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin, there is a legitimate social justice component to this movement. Today several shopping malls were set on fire by the red shirts, this is perhaps a fitting expression of unpredictable and ascetic Ketu confronting the luxury-loving Venus. It is interesting to note that the last time Thailand erupted in violence was exactly 18 years ago in May 1992 against an unpopular military dictatorship. Students of astrology know that the nodal cycles of Ketu and Rahu are 18.6 years in length so Ketu was also conjunct natal Venus the last time that we saw a major outbreak of violent civil unrest. Ketu interrupted the prevailing state of mutual respect and affection (Venus) of Thai people enough to provoke a crisis on the streets.

Other short term transits have also contributed the eruption of the crisis at this time. On May 12, Mercury stationed at 8 degrees of Aries, which is in a close square aspect with natal Saturn (10 Capricorn). Since Mercury rules the first house (Gemini), it symbolized the whole country here as it fell under the full brunt of Saturn's negative influence. Mercury has only barely moved since then and now stands at 10 Aries -- in its exact square aspect with Saturn. Transiting Mars (26 Cancer) is another possible triggering planet since it symbolizes violence and conflict and it is conjunct natal Jupiter (27 Cancer). Jupiter rules wealth, the economy and large financial institutions. In the midst of today's violence, protesters set fire to the Bangkok Stock Exchange.

But where is the government in all this? The government is symbolized by the Sun (9 Gemini) and it also has come under the influence of transiting Saturn (4 Virgo) by its square aspect. The orb of the aspect is still 5 degrees away so that might offer some reason why the Abhisit government has remained intact thus far. However, the pressure against the government has been long-standing since Pluto (11 Sagittarius) has been aspecting the Sun for the past two years. This is a very slow moving and difficult aspect and reflects the intractability of the poliltical situation in Thailand. Pluto symbolizes power in its most coercive form and when it is in bad aspect to the Sun, it can reflect a time when the government can only function through force or threats . The Abhisit government does not enjoy full legitimacy in the eyes of the red shirts and their supporters around the country. He was not elected but rather put into power after a military coup ousted the Thaksin. This is a reflection of the Sun-Pluto connection where consensus and rational discussion is replaced by cruder forms of power.



Giving the difficulty implied in these planets, Thailand's future does not look good. Saturn will begin move forward after May 30 so that may improve the living situation for the average person in fairly short order as it reduces its pressure on the 4th house. But it will exactly aspect the Sun in July and August so that is another time when we may see the government and its leaders come under criticism. It is possible the government could be forced to call an election at that time in order to mollify opponents. And yet the extent of planetary affliction looks like it would correspond with something worse than simply giving in and calling an election. I would therefore expect a return to a more unstable political situation at that time. Transiting Pluto will stay in opposition aspect to the Sun for the rest of the year and is likely to continue to undermine the current government. The period in November-December 2010 looks especially difficult for government and leaders as Ketu will conjoin the Sun while Pluto opposes it. The December pattern looks more difficult, so that might be the period of greatest political and social concern. To make matters worse, Saturn will station on 23 Virgo in close square aspect to both Venus (17 Gemini) and Mercury (21 Gemini). This aspect will likely translate into some significant economic disruption and frustration as well as sadness and disappointment.

All this planetary stress on the natal Sun does not augur well for Thailand's beloved King Bhumipol, who is now 82 and largely confined to hospital. In previous periods of civil strife, he has been able to reconcile opposing sides and prevent situations from spiraling out of control. However, he has been conspicuously absent this time, and this is one more reason the future of the country seems more at risk than in the past. Given the afflictions to the Sun in this horoscope, he is unlikely to make a positive contribution to this situation or if he does, it will likely not lead to a lasting solution.

Overall, Thailand's troubles are likely to continue for some time to come. One hopeful sign is that Saturn's minor period will end in October. At that time, the Mercury minor period will begin and last until June 2013. The Venus-Mercury period definitely looks more positive, although just how fast Thailand returns to a state approaching normal will depend on the transits. 2011 will see Saturn aspecting both Venus and Mercury once more so that suggests another step back.

Obama's triumphs and challenges

After suffering an embarrassing rebuke of his policies and proposed health care reform in January with the election of Senator Scott Brown, President Barack Obama has managed to bounce back, even if his approval ratings remain below 50%. Despite crystallizing popular opposition to health reform, the Scott Brown election on January 19 in Ted Kennedy's old seat marked a real low point for the Obama administration. Nonetheless, Obama and the House Democrats gamely fought back and skillfully cobbled together enough votes to pass the historic reform package on March 21. Despite the big political win on health care, Obama did not receive a significant boost in his popularity, no doubt reflecting the fact that most Americans do not like the proposed reform. He has also come under some criticism in the past week over the dangerous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as commentators have suggested that his administration was slow to react to the first news of the accident.



In my last article on US politics, I thought there might be a shift in Obama's "energy" with the start of his Rahu minor period in February. Rahu is conjunct Uranus in his natal chart, so I thought this might make him more autonomous and independent in pursuing his agenda. That was perhaps reflected in the Democrats dogged determination to push ahead with health care regardless of political opposition. Led by the liberal Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Obama did indeed pursue his goal of health care reform with greater independence. While I did not expect the Democrats to get health care passed so quickly on the heels of the Brown setback, I did note that he would get a boost from a nice Jupiter transit to his Venus in early February when Pelosi urged him to press on without Republican support. I also thought that this Jupiter influence would grow as it moved deeper into his 2nd house which it did in March and April. Obama's equal 2nd house cusp lies at 24 Aquarius and at the time of the successful passage of the bill, Jupiter was transiting 20 degrees of sidereal Aquarius, just four degrees short of the sweet spot of the 2nd house representing wealth, good fortune, and positive announcements.

We can also see that Mars (7 Cancer) and Saturn (7 Virgo) were in very close aspect to his natal Jupiter (7 Capricorn). On the face of it, it might seem counterintuitive to have two malefic planets like Mars and Saturn aspecting a natal planet at a time of success. But it is important to remember that under standard Vedic aspecting rules, that Saturn not a full strength aspect to Jupiter; rather Saturn comes under the influence of Jupiter's full strength aspect. With Jupiter as the more active party in this association, the results are more positive, especially when Jupiter itself is strengthened by its nice transit placement. The Jupiter-Saturn combination symbolizes effective executive power, progress with goals, and respected authority -- all things that Obama enjoyed from being the first administration to finally pass a law requiring mandatory health insurance for all its citizens. This Jupiter-Saturn outcome also tipped towards the positive because 1) Jupiter is placed in the first whole sign house in Capricorn and 2) Saturn rules Capricorn, and therefore it rules Obama's first house of prominence. Therefore, this Jupiter-Saturn contact would likely involve a boost for Obama's profile in March, and more likely for the better.



But now that transiting Jupiter has entered sidereal Pisces, it is placed in Obama's 3rd house. This is a somewhat less positive place in his horoscope, especially since Jupiter (2 Pisces on May 13-16) will soon come under the influence of his natal Saturn (2 Capricorn) by its full strength 3rd house (sextile) aspect. While Jupiter to Saturn may have corresponded with success, the current scenario of Saturn to Jupiter looks decidedly more problematic and will probably generate some real difficulty for Obama. Jupiter rules the 12th and 3rd houses so we perhaps could see him suffer losses (12th) from an errant or misplaced communication (3rd).

More generally, the next few weeks seem quite burdensome for him since Saturn will station at 4 Virgo in close aspect to his minor period lord Rahu at 4 Leo and in a semisquare 45 degree aspect with his Sun (19 Cancer). This double dose of Saturn is likely to mean setbacks for Obama as his agenda will be undermined by circumstances and foes alike. Sun-Saturn contacts often occur in confrontations with authority. Since President Obama IS the authority, this could mean that one of this government departments is found wanting in some way, or perhaps the administration loses a crucial judicial decision. Or maybe this will be a moment when Obama realizes that The People are the real authority. I'm not quite sure that Sun-Saturn contacts work that way, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Given the current unresolved situation with the oil spill in the Gulf, it is possible that he and his government could be blamed in some specific way.

Besides the multiple transit hits to his Saturn on May 15-16, June 2-3 also looks quite difficult for him as transiting Mars (4 Leo) will conjoin his Rahu (4 Leo). This will be just a few days after Saturn has its direct station and begins to move forward once again. A very slow moving Saturn is something that can cause a lot of damage so that period just before and after the station on May 30 could be quite awkward for the administration.

Obama should get some lift from the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction at 5 Pisces around June 9 since it will aspect his Midheaven, or unequal 10th house cusp.
This should be a welcome relief from the preceding Saturnian difficulties. Jupiter to the 10th often corresponds with recognition and goals fulfilled so we can expect some important part of the administration's agenda to come to fruition around this time. I would also note that this Jupiter-Uranus conjunction occurs in close sextile aspect to the Sun-Mercury conjunction (6 Capricorn) in the Inauguration chart, so that increases the likelihood that Obama will be riding high around by the second week of June. This is likely to mark the beginning of a period that is more favorable for him as Jupiter will have its retrograde station at 9 Pisces in July, in exact aspect to his natal Mercury (9 Cancer). Mercury often represents trading and business, so it's possible Obama's financial reform bill could pass at that time. With Mercury as the 9th lord in the 7th house of partners, it's also possible that he could successfully conclude a treaty with a foreign country at that time or participate in some other successful interaction with another country. More generally, the economy may be seen as prospering around the time of his positive Mercury transit.

A few readers have asked me about the Democrats prospects for the midterm elections on November 2. I haven't looked into it yet in detail, but one interpretive problem is that I don't have any timed birth data for key Republicans like John Boehner and Mitch McConnell. Without seeing the planets for the other side, we only have the charts of Barack Obama and perhaps Joe Biden to see which way it could go. Biden's chart looks fairly good for November, but Obama's is more mixed. Hopefully, I will form a clearer opinion over the coming weeks.

Oil spill wreaks havoc on US Gulf Coast

As the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico enters its third week, there are no easy or quick solutions for either BP or the Obama administration. With thousands of barrels a day leaking into the water, the resulting giant oil slick is approaching the Gulf coast states of Louisiana, Alabama and Florida. Rough seas and bad weather are further hampering efforts to contain the slick before its hits land and does further damage. The oil spill has the potential to become one of the worst environmental accidents in US history as the entire fishing industry in the Gulf is threatened.

What insight can astrology bring to this event? Well, first we may note the current transit situation. Neptune (4 Aquarius), the planet associated with liquids and oil, is in a close alignment with Saturn (4 Virgo) and Uranus (4 Pisces). Saturn symbolizes problems and hardship, while Uranus represents sudden or shocking events and often acts as a kind of amplifier. So we can see how the interaction of these three planets can be seen as reflecting some kind of sudden and unwanted event involving water or liquids that pops up somewhere in the world at this time. We might also go into greater detail trying to examine the horoscope of the exact time of the event on April 20 (if known) and how it may have depicted this unfortunate accident.



Whatever the value of that transit-centered approach, I find it more interesting to see how this event might also be seen in relevant natal charts. For example, it's quite possible the spill could be seen in the US horoscope, especially with transiting Saturn (4 Virgo) conjunct the natal Neptune (1 Virgo) and transiting Neptune (4 Aquarius) conjunct the natal Moon (7 Aquarius). The Saturn to Neptune contact broadly represents damage (Saturn) involving liquids (Neptune), while the Neptune to Moon contact reinforces the water/oil theme and expands it to the population (Moon) as a whole. I acknowledge that both of these orbs are pretty wide, especially given that these are very slow moving planets. The margin of error can be measured in months, if not longer. And yet these two simultaneous hits involving Neptune still seems interesting, given that they have occurred so close to what may become the worst oil spill in history. We can also see transiting Mars (14 Cancer) closely conjunct natal Rahu (15 Cancer), acting as a kind of short term trigger, often of a violent or harmful event. I should note that I'm using the Kelleher 18.30 chart here for the USA, although charts for other times from July 4, 1776 would also show basically the same planet to planet contacts. I know there is considerable disagreement over the "correct" USA chart and I don't wish to alienate readers who may prefer other US horoscopes. My limited aim here is simply to show that there are a number of basic transit hits that are broadly congruent with this oil spill.

However, there is another chart that might reflects this event, and that is the inauguration chart of Barack Obama. President Obama was sworn in as president at 12.05 p.m. on January 20 , 2009. The resulting chart can be seen both as a mirror of his term as president and as the country as a whole. One of the nice things about US inauguration charts is that there is very little uncertainty about them, unlike the birth horoscope of the USA. While few astrologers can agree on the best US chart, everyone knows when the inauguration took place. Using an unequivocal birth chart is a way of minimizing ambiguities and can thereby narrow the range of possible interpretations from the chart itself. Astrology is already so rife with uncertainty and unknowns (both of the known and unknown varieties -- thank you Donald Rumsfeld), the last thing we need are natal charts that astrologers cannot agree on. The other useful thing about inauguration charts is that since they always take place at the same time on the same date every four years, it is possible to look into the future for possible clues about the direction of future administrations. Please note, I'm not saying that the US presidential inauguration chart is an adequate replacement for a USA natal chart. Inauguration charts will not always correspond with major events, but they are usually enough hits there to make them a useful complement to a national natal chart and the chart of President Obama himself.




Here we see that Saturn-Uranus-Neptune alignment in fairly close aspect to the natal Moon (5 Scorpio). Neptune is in a difficult square angle to the Moon, symbolizing trouble and awkward situations involving liquids (Neptune) on the population and resources (Moon). Since the Moon also rules the 4th house in this chart (Cancer), its affliction here further emphasizes unfortunate situations involving the population and resources. Also we note that the Moon is in a water sign (Scorpio) so that gives extra emphasis for some kind of event involving liquids that creates troubles for the population, especially those living near water. Oil is a liquid energy resource, that Scorpio Moon may further symbolize situations involve oil and gasoline. Not to stretch the point, but the Moon can also be the significator for food, so this may also be seen as a possible planetary affliction to the (water-based) food supply. Saturn is also part of the story here since it is in close 3rd house/sextile aspect with the Moon. According to Vedic aspecting rules, the 3rd house/sextile aspect is a full strength aspect and if the chart is otherwise weak, it can coincide with negative events that involve suffering and loss. Interestingly, transiting Mars (14 Cancer) again has a nodal transit hit here, as it is conjunct natal Ketu (15 Cancer). This both acts as a short term event trigger and describes the initially violent quality of the original explosion on the oil rig that killed a dozen workers.

Since both Neptune and Saturn will continue to be in close aspect with the Moon for the next several weeks, problems from this leak are likely to continue. Neptune will turn retrograde on May 31, so that may diminish its negative effects somewhat as it begins to move away from its aspect with the Moon. However, Saturn will turn retrograde the day before, on May 30, and therefore may intensify its effect on the Moon through June and July. Perhaps these influences will cancel each other out in some way. More positively, Jupiter will aspect the Moon -- along with Mars -- in the first week of June so that may offer some hope that a permanent solution can be found to this underwater oil leak.

Transiting Saturn will be in close aspect to the natal Moon through July so this looks like a time of difficulty for the US generally. What's worse is the Mars-Saturn conjunction at 6 Virgo on July 30 occurs in almost exact aspect to the natal Sun-Mercury conjunction at 6 Capricorn in the Inauguration chart. And this will be just one degree past the Moon. While the aspect to the Sun-Mercury will only be a partial strength 120 degree aspect, it is nonetheless exact and given the doubling of malefic energies from Mars and Saturn, we should see a very troubling situation emerge at that time that puts the government (Sun) and the economy (Mercury) under greater pressure.