Ivory Coast – A divided country now fighting for a fresh start.

Since the disputed elections held on November 2010, the Ivory Coast or to give its official name, Cote D’Ivoire has been in virtual civil war. To explain the situation, the incumbent President Laurant Gbagbo who took control after winning election in 2000 following a coup in 1999. The Ivory Coast has been effectively split since 2000 with Gbagbo and his supporters coming from the Christian south of the country, whereas his main rival and opposition leader Allasane Ouattara hailed from the mainly Muslim north. Gbagbo has continually refused to hold elections until the ones called in November. In the elections, Ouattara was declared the winner with 54%  of the vote, but Gbagbo claimed the vote had been rigged in the north. Thus the current conflict and battle for power between the two bitter rivals and their supporters began. There have been reports of massacres and the international community wanting the conflict to end immediately without intervening have put down stringent sanctions on Gbagbo to strangle the life out of his administration, hoping that he will eventually step down.

One look at the Ivory Coast chart and immediately you can see a divided country. The Sun in Leo is in the insular 4th house and directly opposite it in the 10th house sits the Moon. The leader (Sun) is at odds with the will of the people (Moon). Also this is an 4th-10th house opposition, the 10th house has always in Mundane astrology signified the Government of the day and the 4th house relates to the official opposition – just like the North & South opposition in the actual country. Amazing how just the pattern of a chart can so accurately describe the situation on the ground, isn’t it? The showy Sun is accompanied by Uranus, Venus and Pluto in a packed 4th house. Sun with Uranus shows that the leader (Sun) gained accession after a coup (Uranus), Venus here shows an obsessional love of sport and entertainment by the people (quindecile Moon) and Venus’ influence is strong as Taurus rules by midheaven is on the ascendant. Pluto shows that great wealth and power is gained from the land, indeed major planets located in a 4th house on a national chart always tends to show an agrarian economy. Pluto also indicates metamorphosis, any malefic aspects to this group of planets all connected by conjunction would activate a change in direction of the leadership. That change would be aggressive and maybe bloody with a tight square between Mars in the first house and Pluto, with the  militarily involved. Just to clarify which planets and influences would affect that change, I look to Scorpio (Pluto’s ruler) and which house it is ruling and also Pluto’s own 8th house and any planets therein. Scorpio cuts across the 7th house cusp, which indicates a foreign influence and Jupiter sits in the 8th house, Jupiter’s movements would be key on this chart.

Time to analyse the  transits and solar arcs to see the situation. Looking back to the election date of 28th Nov last year, the closest aspects by solar arc progression were Jupiter almost exact conjunction with the “opposition” Moon, in essence the will of the people being favoured and Solar Arc Pluto sextile Jupiter, (metamorphosis and change Pluto and 8th house highlighted). One other thing to note, that Jupiter hitting the moon also activated the opposition to the Sun (the Leader) and the quindecile to Venus which through Taurus on the ascendant controls the face of the nation – there would be a change of direction. What did I say about Jupiter being key? The Sun was exact in trine to Mars so the leader activated his military forces, and the progressed North Node was opposite Neptune, confusion and allegations of corruption and dirty dealing about the direction the country would take. The transits echo the Solar Arcs. Saturn square Mercury, the government (Saturn) trying to affect the details of the vote (Mercury), transiting Neptune opposing Venus showing confusion and deception (Neptune) in the country (Taurus Ascendant). Finally transiting Pluto in that 8th house trine natal Pluto. This is very nasty and still in effect today. Death, destruction, genocide affecting the change Ivory Coast needed, the horrors of which are hitting the world newsstands now.

Looking at a horoscope is not always a pleasant site, it shows the very best and the very worst in situations. Ivory Coast will plummet the depths before a solution is found, however I am sure that the people in the end will get what they want and voted for.