Egypt – Disruption, violence and confusion reigns

In Egypt since the military coup last week taking down the government of Mohamed Morsi, the now former President, there has been celebrations, violence, more protests and still no-one has stepped into the breach to officially take over to lead the country out of the confusion that now has a hold over the population. In looking at the transits and the history of this chart, you can see repeated themes popping up through the years.

Egypt’s natal chart (this is one endorsed by Nick Campion in his “Book of World Horoscopes”) was formed at the time of the military coup in 1953 when the Republic of Egypt became effective and this shows the ruling Sun conjunct to military Mars (the chart ruler), making a trine over to a very restrictive in spiritual terms Saturn/Neptune conjunction. This conjunction in the 6th house of the national services (ruling the police and the army) is the cornerstone of a very strong t-square connection with revolutionary Uranus and Mercury ruling that 6th house opposing the Midheaven (the people in power). Notice Mars also making a quindecile to the top of the chart showing the military hand taking on the levers of power in the country. This the chart of a military takeover, no doubt about it.

Ok so what do we have here on the transits chart? Well the grand water trine (everything I write now has connections to this formation in the sky) of Jupiter in Cancer, Neptune in Pisces and Saturn in Scorpio is acting upon the natal Egyptian Mars, the sign of the military, the ruler of the chart and one of the co-rulers of the Egyptian 1st house. Saturn in Scorpio (the ruler of the Midheaven) at the same time is squaring the Nodal Axis, bring about a return of a situation from the past, a military coup seeing a change of government. Effectively, Jupiter gave the Egyptian military the confidence and the need to take a risk, Saturn in Scorpio activated a hard line all or nothing approach and a fateful moment for the country and Neptune brought ideals and the will of the collective onto the streets to call for change.

I think it significant that transiting Pluto is making a trine to Venus, which co-rules the 1st house through Taurus, Venus’s sign being encased here, bringing a swift transformation to the face of the country, trines of course allow fast action and the removal of Mohamed Morsi was rapid in the extreme. It is interesting to note that a few days ago transiting Mars was making a direct trine to the Saturn/Neptune conjunction in the 6th house, also bringing action to remove the current hard-line Islamic leader. Mercury now retrograde is opposing the Midheaven, and of course as I mentioned from earlier on, you will appreciate that Mercury rules the 6th house of the services, conjunct to natal Uranus and square to that natal Neptune and Saturn thus activating the natal t-square and the oppositions to the Capricorn Midheaven. Mercury turning where it did in the house of the opposition close to natal Mercury I think turned the ordinary people against a leader who was already proving very divisive.

This t-square in the natal chart of Egypt is very responsive to change on a national level. Back in 1970 when president Gamal Abdel Nasser passed away, transiting Saturn was making a double inconjunct aspect to the Saturn/Neptune conjunction. Inconjunct aspects are ones of separation and this saw the a leader pass away. Nasser was replaced by Anwar Sadat who was assassinated on 6th October 1981. On that date, transiting Jupiter was sitting bang on the Saturn/Neptune conjunction and transiting Mars the chart ruler was on the natal Pluto. Hosni Mubarak replaced Sadat at that time and he ruled until 2nd February 2011 and the Arab spring uprising, when (yes you guessed it) transiting Saturn was applying a conjunction to the Saturn Neptune conjunction and making a close square to natal Uranus. Mohamed Morsi was elected on 30th June 2012 when transiting Saturn still in conjunction to the Saturn/Neptune square was now making a square to natal Mercury, the planet of course which rules ballots and votes. Now irony of ironies, that Mercury now turning retrograde at the nadir of the Egyptian chart has got rid of him.

It all fits together quite neatly, however now the military leaders have to find the right person to take over and this will not be an easy task. By waiting at least until Saturn is moving directly then they have at least got a chance of some stability, however by making an appointment under Mercury retrograde, especially when it is opposite to the Egyptian Midheaven, confusion will tend to make things worse. The submission of Mohamed Elbaradei, the pro-reform leader has been put on hold just as Mercury retrograde promises, and maybe it will be a while still before a suitable candidate that all the factions, parties and the military in Egypt will agree upon can be truly found.