Chen Guangcheng has recently become a focal point for those who complain about the authoritarian line taken by the Chinese rulership. Developing almost total blindness after birth, he still was able to study law and represented the poor in his home province, especially fighting against the one child per couple rule. As a result of going against party policy, he was arrested and put in jail for 4 years and after being released in 2010 was confined to house arrest in Dongshigu Village where he grew up. After a video last year of his wife and himself being beaten up was received by Amnesty International, his case was taken up by the British Foreign office and US State department. Somehow he escaped from custody and fled to the US Embassy in Beijing, however he was injured in the attempt and a deal seems to have been reached for him to receive medical attention. Latest news states that the Chinese have threatened his beat his wife and child prompting him to come out into the open, and in the process raising the diplomatic tensions between the US and China.
Chen was born in the village of Dongshigu in China on 12th November 1971. He is a Sun sign Scorpio and has a Virgo Moon, a water/earth combination which is very powerful. Chen will be a deep incisive thinker, very intellectual, strongly emotional, highly critical and needing to feel powerful and to be in the public consciousness. This guy is also a reformer, Scorpios enforce change in those around them for that is the nature of their ruling planet, Pluto. The fact that he has more planets in fire signs than in any other element gives him plenty of enthusiasm and verve in any task that he takes up, and having 7 planets in mutable signs makes him elusive and tricky to hold down for long.
There is a very significant t-square on this chart, the backbone of which is Saturn retrograde opposite a quadruple conjunction of Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Neptune in Sagittarius – a more idealistic collection of planets you could not find. At the point of the t-square is Mars in Neptune. You can see this t-square two ways, in a personal and in a wider sense of the problems that Chen faces day to day.
I’ll explain. Chen is a family lawyer, the link in his profession shown by Saturn (ambition) opposed by Jupiter, the planet representing knowledge of the legal system. He tends to represent the marginalised in society, the ordinary people who suffer (Neptune) at the hands of the authorities (opposed by Saturn), often women (Venus) for whom he communicates (Mercury) their grievances. That’s fine one would think, but this is China where one is supposed to tow the line. With Mars squaring this multiple opposition, he does this representation with compassion and from his heart. Mars is not aggressive by nature, it is poetic, imaginative and clever and does not accept boundaries and limits of any sort. Try and limit someone with Mars in Pisces, and they will invariably find some route to circumvent the blockages that you are putting in their way. The one child per family rule has been in force in China for years now, but you can understand that Chen would see this restriction on freedom of choice as a fight worth taking up. Finally, remember the Sagittarius angle here; Sagittarius needs for one’s views to be respected and Chen will make sure that his voice is heard loud and clear.
Now to the alternative wider view of this t-square. Again we have the idealism of freedom of choice and the victims of state rules on one side of the fence (Jupiter/Mercury/Venus/Neptune) which Chen passionately believes in opposed by the Chinese authorities (Saturn) who show fear in the message and support he is attracting (Saturn in Gemini), and because they oppose his stand the state police (Mars) have taken action to arrest him, have used violence on him (Mars) and have him confined in prison (ruled by Neptune/Pisces). This confinement can also shown by Saturn trine Pluto sextile Neptune, the free spirit and idealism of Neptune being cracked down upon by the rule of Saturn and the underground secret and brutal controls of Pluto.
Those authorities have targeted him in particular (Saturn quindecile Sun) but that need for law and equality highlighted by Uranus in Libra which stresses in one an even handed and compassionate approach not only to relationships (ruled by Libra) but society in general, which will drive him onwards. Uranus is sextile to Jupiter highlighting an international angle to his plight as well as a cheerful hue to his character. Chen may have a very cutting sense of humour which will keep his spirits up and no doubt annoy the hell out of those who oppose him.
If we look to the stars on the day of his birth, we see the Sun (above) right in the middle of the constellation of Libra, the scales of justice. Difficult to imagine Chen having any other profession than one that involved seeing both sides of an argument, it is ingrained in his very being. That Sun is in paran relationship with the passionate and sometimes violent star Algol, a relationship that that is hugely inspirational but can also be highly destructive.
Jupiter, Venus and Mercury in close attendance to the star of Antares, the heart of the Scorpion in Scorpio. Antares is one of the royal stars of Persia, a deep red star which exudes determination and huge intensity. In this case, it urges determination of freedom of expression and actions, and the lowering of civic restrictions (Jupiter). It shows a determination to fight for the liberty of women to live their lives how they want (Venus), to break down social barriers (Venus) and the determination to express those views without hindrance (Mercury). These star connections very much mirror what is shown on the astrology wheel above.
In visual astrology, Jupiter is seen as the Prince in waiting, he who would like to overthrow the establishment and Venus in close attendance gives Jupiter her light and blessing. This is why Chen Guangcheng is taking up the fight in China. The only problem with Antares is that one can be the cause of one’s own undoing, and that one may have to go through some transformation or confinement before one does get to the promised land one wants.
Here are a few more of the connections which I have picked out. Chen has Spica the brightest star in Virgo rising (the last major star to hit the horizon before the Sun on his day of birth) so he will use his talents and gifts to help as many people as possible, and his heliacal setting star is Mirach which lies in the constellation of Andromeda, the princess. Setting stars are traits that appear from your latter middle years through until old age and Mirach brings a quiet determination for diplomacy and for hearing all points of view. As he reaches 40 and middle age, those yearnings for democracy in his country and for equality are I suspect are just starting to hit home within his psyche.
Chen has Deneb Adige (the tail of the Goat) in the constellation of Capricornus rising in paran relationship with his Moon, so he is someone who from his early years walked a different path from the expectations of society. The star Alphecca which sits in the constellation Corona Borealis (the crown) is setting in paran with the Moon showing that Chen is someone who will want to leave behind him a legacy. Will he succeed in this? Well, the star Arcturus in the constellation Bootes also setting is linked with Jupiter singling him out as a brave and bold leader within his society, and the royal star of Regulus (the heart of the Lion in Leo) was culminating (reaching it’s peak in the sky) as the Sun was rising when he was born. This is a sign of honour and of receiving awards in his middle age, so long as one does not exact revenge on one’s enemies. Should he show restraint and dignity, the stars say that he will be recognised, and the publicity he is now receiving as well as the protection of the international community for the fight for justice for the ordinary Chinese people that he is waging seems to be baring out this prophesy from the heavens.
Chen is one brave guy who despite his disabilities is taking a peaceful stance against the closed shop that is the Chinese rulership. His stand comes as China is facing some tricky transits herself. Transiting Uranus is now square natal Uranus, and the last time Uranus make a stressful connection to natal Uranus was an opposition in 1989 triggering the student protests and the unfortunate events of Tiananmen Square. Transiting Pluto is also square the Chinese Sun which will no doubt transform the country in some way. I have said before that because of the nature of Pluto and Mars conjunct in the 7th house of open enemies, any opposition to the ruling classes tends to end up in some sort of violent clashes, which is often brutally put down. This time though Pluto is having a say and an influence on the Chinese Sun itself, so the pressure may just come not only in the form of on the street protest, but also financially as the natal Sun sits in the 8th house not only of big business and international finance but also of change, transformation and underground action.
Keep your eyes on China and Chen Guangcheng throughout 2012 as I think that a crisis involving the fate of both of them may well be brewing. The Chinese ascendant lies very close to Chen’s North Node in revolutionary Aquarius so both will be affected in some way by the movements of Uranus. I very much suspect and feel that the destinies of both the country and the dissident lawyer are inextricably linked.
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