Events in Egypt are moving quickly as Cairo is flooded with people in the streets demanding the resignation of President Mubarak. He has been President since October 14, 1981 when he took over leadership of the country after the assassination of Anwar As-Sadat. On that day, Saturn was at 14º Libra, with the Sun at 21º Libra and Pluto at 24º Libra. It is a Saturn return for his administration as his regime appears to be in a downfall and his family has fled the country. It is also a Saturn return for the horoscope of modern Egypt, set for June 18, 1953. (1)
The present uprising in Egypt was seeded in December in Tunisia. On December 17, just days before the lunar eclipse on December 21, a 26 year old fruit seller named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire. He died on January 4. Bouazizi was protesting years of abuse and humiliation he had endured from the police. His act led to the successful overthrow of the corrupt Ben Ali regime, in power since November 1987. (2)
The horoscope for Tunisia has the Sun at 29º Pisces. (3)
The total lunar eclipse on December 21 was at 29º Gemini, square the Sun. The Sun symbolizes the leader or ruler of a country; the eclipse square the country’s Sun signifies the sudden change in power at the top. The nation’s chart also has Mars at 13º10’ Capricorn, the degree of the solar eclipse on January 4 at 13º38’ Capricorn. As mentioned above, the young man whose self-immolation lead to the overthrow of the regime, died on the day of that eclipse. (This natal Mars is especially powerful as it is sesquiquadrate (135º) to natal Pluto at 26º13 Capricorn.)
The Midheaven for the Tunisia horoscope progressed to December 17 has 15º49’ Scorpio, on the Aries Point. (4)
Jupiter ingressed into Aries on January 22, newly igniting all degrees connected to 0º Aries.
As shown above, the horoscope of modern Egypt is set for June 18, 1953 at 11:30 p.m., GMT in Cairo. This horoscope has 19º05’ Cancer on the IC. The IC in a mundane chart shows the ordinary or common people, in contrast to those in power. There was a total solar eclipse on July 11, 2010 at 19º23’ which shows that the people, i.e., the base of support for the rulers shown at the MC, were aroused and shaken.
Uranus at 17º26’ Cancer is at the natal IC and Mercury is there as well, at 20º58’. Natal Uranus was squared by transiting Saturn, which stationed at 17º14’ Libra on January 26. The natal Sun at 27º24’ Gemini has also been squared by transiting Uranus throughout 2010. The square was exact for the last time on January 16. On January 25 thousands of people took to the streets protesting against poverty, high food prices and overall government corruption.
The progressed horoscope for Egypt has 29º Gemini ascending, the degree of the December total lunar eclipse. (5)
The progressed Sun, at 22º26’ Leo, has just passed natal Pluto (21º18’ Leo) and is conjunct progressed Pluto at 22º Leo. Progressed Venus (in Cancer, the sign of food and security) is at 13º opposite the solar eclipse on January 4 at 13º38’ Capricorn.
This is all very simple astrology, yet strikingly demonstrates the impact of eclipses, transiting and progressed planets in a national horoscope.
Charts and references:
(1) June 18, 1953; 11:30 p.m. GMT, Cairo, Egypt (29ºN53’, 31ºE15’); source: astrologyweekly.com
From the website: “Realizing that their time had come, the radical [army] officers engineered a second coup on 18-19 June, the culmination of which was the proclamation of the Republic at 11:30 p.m. GMT on 18 June in Cairo. . . .” Campion, “The Book of World Horoscopes” (Second Edition), p. 144.”
(2)
wikipedia
(3) March 26, 1956; 12:01 a.m. 1E; Tunis, Tunisia (36ºN37’, 10ºE11’); source:
astrotheme.com
(4) Tunisia, progressed to December 17, 2010.
(5) Egypt, progressed to January 25, 2011.