Zimbabwe in crisis – Political theatre, tanks, vested interests and China.

There is a very interesting power play going on in Zimbabwe at the moment, but what is really going on? Is there an official coup in progress against 93 year old President Robert Mugabe? Then again, he has been seen on the national TV service that the military now control, at home and seemingly in control. It appears that he is confined to home, but free to speak. What’s going on? Let’s take a closer look…

The Great Saturn and Pluto conjunction of 2020. How will it affect us all?

I have been promising to write this article for quite a while now and many of my readers have been asking for it too, so today I finally get out the crystal ball and try and predict what may happen as these two most influential of planets connect up in the month of January 2020 and beyond.

China - Protests on the rise in Hong Kong, but will they succeed?

A little mundane Astrology for you this morning just to show that I am still doing it. Overnight there have been stand-offs and chaos in Hong Kong as pro-democracy protesters stand up against Chinese government policy to vet every candidate for the coming elections in 2017. Effectively the Chinese want to control who can stand for office, whereas many of the people in Hong Kong want free and fair elections.

China begins the process to usher in a new set of leaders

In Beijing at the Great Hall of the People, the current Chinese President Hu Jintao has been chairing a congress of 2000 hand-picked delegates to oversee a new Chinese administration. I an curious who actually selects the timing for the new leadership congress in China and I wonder if the Chinese actually secretly look at Western Astrology and the planets to select the days, as this conference date was set months ago and yet it is perfectly aligned against the natal Chinese chart for a change in administration.

China – Beijing deluged by worst floods for 60 years

In Beijing, the Chinese capital has been experiencing the worst rainfall in 60 years causing flash floods, wide scale damage and several people have been killed. According to the BBC roof collapses, lightning strikes and electrocution from downed power lines were among the causes of the deaths. If you look at the Chinese natal chart, this situation can be clearly seen.

Chen Guangcheng – A thorn in the side of the Chinese leadership

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.

China coming to Europe’s rescue, but at a price…

Thirty years ago China was on it’s knees, a 3rd world country run by a communist dictatorship (in truth not much as changed there) battling population growth and world isolation. Now China is an economic superpower, driving the world economy and the one beacon of hope for the European Union which is on the brink of total collapse as the Greek Debt crisis grinds on to a inevitable conclusion. It prompted me to look at the relationship between the two, and I found some surprising planetary placements.

China – Is the Chinese dragon ready to show it’s teeth again?

China, the rising power from the east, has just become the second biggest economy on the globe and is a nation industrializing and growing at an incredible rate. Without China making things, 7 out of every 10 shoes produced on planet earth is made in China, the industrial and economic world would grind to a halt. They say when America sneezes, the world catches a cold. So the same now could be said about China. Hidden from the world’s press for the moment as phone hacking takes the headlines, some local disputes in the east are causing concern in that corner of the globe. So, what are the chances of the actions of China causing economic panic? I look at the astrology.

The Chinese natal chart was formed on 1st October 1949 in Beijing (Peking) at 15.15 hrs. This gives China a Libran Sun in the hidden 8th house, with an cool Aquarian Ascendant as well as an Aquarian Moon buried deep in the 12th house. Libra and Aquarius are social signs, and Libra more than any other is equated with equality – this is the signature of Communism and Socialism. Interestingly though, the Chinese Sun is in the 8th house of big business and other people’s finance. Fascinating how the Communist giant has suddenly transformed into an economic superpower. With an accent on the water houses the 8th & the 12, the Chinese have a way of adapting to a situation, whilst keeping their core values at heart. Very clever. The 8th house is Scorpio’s house, where change and transformation is initiated. We in the West still find the Chinese bizarre, obtuse, unusual and revolutionary – all words associated with Aquarius.

The Moon, representing the people in the 12th show that they are in effect hidden away, they suffer and serve the nation (12th house) and being quindecile to a brutal Pluto/Mars conjunction in regal Leo they are kept under tight control and those breaking the rules suffer terrible punishment. If ever you were to see a signature of human rights abuse, this quindecile is it. Saturn also sits in the 7th house with Pluto and Mars. China tramples over the weak and always tries to dominate in it’s relationship with other countries. The size of the armed forces (Mars) is huge (Pluto) and this enormous force of numbers does the state's bidding in snuffing out any potential rebellion. Saturn is peregrine in perfectionist Virgo. Here are the authorities having eyes everywhere, in every town and village across the country. Everything must be done correctly and precisely in the way of the state. This is a penal, harsh Saturn. It is also a Saturn critical over other countries and the way they do things. The problem with these 3 heavyweight planets in the house of relationships, is that China will be tempted to start to throw her weight around once she feels she is strong enough. The signs are just starting to appear.

Control permeates across this chart. The Midheaven representing those at the top is ruled by Scorpio; we rarely if ever see the rulers of China, as they make decisions away from prying eyes deep within the Forbidden City in Beijing. Pluto/Mars squares out to Venus in the 9th house. The birth rate is controlled. This is a competitive country, and success in sport is rewarded. Culture and art are instruments of pride in showing off the nation. Sextiles from Pluto and Mars go out to Mercury and Neptune. There is no freedom of press and with Mercury retrograde, what news there is will be centred on the nation internally and not on issues outside the borders of China. Neptune in conjunction to Mercury creates a veil of deception over what is communicated – beware, what the Chinese say is not what they will plan to do!! Neptune through Pisces on the cusp of the 2nd house controls the money supply and the economy. Again through the sextile from Pluto & Mars to Neptune, we know that the Chinese will tightly control their finances.

Jupiter in the 12th house and widely conjunct to the Moon shows that faith is present but it lies underground, hidden well away from the rulers and also suggests a generosity to the people, if they were allowed to show it. Finally I look at Uranus. Uranus is square to the Sun showing that the present China was formed under revolutionary conditions (backed up by the Aquarian ascendant). Uranus here sits in the 5th house square to the Sun and this suggests that the creative people, actors and artists will irritate the rulers although China culturally will want to be seen as unique and different. Social gatherings formed to protest will also be definitely shunned upon.

Now what of the present and the future? With a Libran Sun alarm bell start ringing with me straight away. This is a cardinal Sun and as we have seen with the UK and with the US, who also have cardinal Suns (in Capricorn & Cancer) problems have been widespread since Pluto moved into cardinal Capricorn in October in 2008, in the UK and US's cases of a financial nature. As I see it, China’s reaction to this Pluto could be far more worrying than the monetary problems of the western powers.

With the UK and to a lesser extent the US, the situations faced have been generally of their own making, with under regulation of the banking sectors being the main problem so far. This can be seen in the conjunction  and opposition aspects from transiting Pluto; the US is currently experiencing an intense quindecile between Pluto and natal Sun seen in the frantic budget negotiations going on. The Chinese Sun is at 7 degrees Libra and as such will be receiving a square aspect. These are tricky as you never have full control over the actions causing you difficulties and/or restraint, as others will be involved. Pluto will stationed 7 Capricorn in March/June this year the first 4 hits to this degree. It will connect again in Jan 2012, Aug/Sep 2012 and finally in November of that year. In working out in what way China will react to this Pluto Sun square,  we must look at where Pluto and the Sun are place natally and where the signs that they rule are placed. Pluto is in the 7th house, so action will be taken in relationship to other countries and the Sun is in the 8th house so this revolves around their possessions. This immediately leads me to think of the dispute in the South China Sea over the past few months. With Vietnam China flexed it’s muscles in May over potential oil and gas supplies in Vietnamese waters and just in the past few days, China has been in dispute with the Philippines about the Parcel and Sprawls island chains, both of which China unjustly claims are in their territorial waters. Going back to the astrology, Pluto through Scorpio rules the Midheaven and the 10th house so these disputes will be hyped up to a level of national importance and pride by the leaders and Leo ruling the Sun rules the 7th House;  again we have the relationship with other countries highlighted. We know that Pluto is conjunct Mars natally, and the worrying thought is that China might flex it’s considerable military muscle to resolve these disputes, as I hinted at earlier.

Transiting Pluto also opposes natal Uranus at 5 degrees Cancer and Uranus rules the first house. Any action China takes will be a shock to the system, and may induce protests from those who oppose the leadership. Pluto hits and stations on 5 Capricorn, directly opposite from now through to November this year. In 1989 during the Tiananmen Square protests, transiting Uranus was in the position Pluto is in right now and transiting Saturn was square to the natal Sun. Uranus is  square to it’s own natal position right now and will return to hit in April 2012 and again at the end of 2012. The set-up now and into next year is eerily reminiscent of those violent days when the student protest were brutally crushed, although this time China is a far more developed and confident country. This time any potential aggression as I see it will be aimed outwards at those around her borders.

Finally on the transits chart, transiting Saturn is due to hit natal Neptune and Mercury  at 13/14 Libra in late August early September. This suggests a hit on the Chinese financial scene (Pisces ruling the 2nd house) and authority, regulations or penal rule over 5th and 8th house issues (ruled by Gemini & Virgo on the cusps), these could be social entertainments or events (5th) and the possessions of other country’s money, businesses or even their land (8th) !!

Although seemingly not as severe as the 1989 aspects, the 2011 and 2012 aspects looking ahead seem to suggest that  China is preparing to flex her might as a global superpower. Any potential conflict in the South China Sea could send the already jittery money markets around the world explode in a frenzy of panic. Watch this space in the coming months as I keep an eye on China and her horoscope.