Egyptian Revolt

There is so much going on in the world that it's difficult to find a place to start.  I'll start here with Egypt as it's people are the first in the Arab countries to attain results from their uprising.

 In January I read an analysis from Stratfor (a subscription service that is the equivalent of a business CIA) that talked about attacks on churches in Egypt.  Attacking churches was something unusual, as attacks were generally against tourists, not Egyptian people.  This prompted me to look at Egypt's chart.  I found the following data in Nicholas Campion's Book of World Horoscopes:  Egypt Independence:  March 14, 1922, 10:43 pm UT 30N03, 031E11; Egypt Independence Proclamation by Sultan:  March 15, 1922, 10:00 am Cairo, Egypt.  Egypt Republic – Coup – June 18, 1953, 11:30 pm GMT  30N00, 031 E15.  Anwar Sadat was assassinated on October 6, 1981 in Cairo.

For the sake of clarity, all charts mentioned in this article are placed at the end.

All these events were approximately 30 years apart.  Looking at this, I found an interesting commonality in each chart.  Saturn was in Libra each time.

A little about Egypt's modern history.  Egypt became a de facto colony of Great Britain in 1882.  In 1922 Egypt was officially granted independence (March 14, 1922), but self-rule was not established until 1952.  Britain maintained military occupation until 1936.  During World War II Egypt was used as a base for Allied operations.  Troops were withdrawn again in 1947.  Nationalist feelings grew after the war. 

In 1948 Egypt engaged in a war with Israel.  The military placed blame for Egypt's poor performance in the war on the monarchy.  This led a group of army officers headed by Lt. Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser to overthrow King Farouk in 1952, after which Egypt attained self-rule. In 1953 Egypt was declared a Republic, and Colonel Gamal Abdul Nasser rose to power. 

Nasser's birth date was January 15, 1918 in Beni Mar, Egypt.  Although AstroDatabank gives his birth time of 4:28 am as speculative, this time places Mars in Libra at Nasser's Midheaven, the perfect place for a soldier and leader of men.  Libra is the sign associated with strategists and generals and Mars with war.  Nasser's Capricorn Sun helped to heighten his executive ability.  His T-square among Mars in Libra, Mercury and the North Node in Capricorn, and Pluto and the South Node in Cancer speak to his profound insights, forceful speaking, and also to his vengeful activities.  His Uranus, Moon, and Venus conjunction in Aquarius reflect his more humanitarian side.  The combination of all these traits were reflected under his rule.

Interestingly enough, Nasser's T-square closely aspects the T-square in the Egypt Independence.  The T-square in the Independence chart includes Venus and the South Node in Aries, Pluto in Cancer, and Saturn and the North Node in Libra.  Nasser's Mars in Libra conjoins the Midheaven and Saturn in this chart.  Nasser, in essence, liberated Egypt from the monarchy's rule.

In the chart for the Egypt Republic – or the Coup – we once again find Saturn in Libra.  This time Saturn was conjunct Neptune and in a T-square with Chiron in Capricorn at the MC and Uranus, Ceres, and Mercury in Cancer on the IC.  The Sun in Gemini was conjunct Mars in Cancer.  The overthrow of the monarchy (Sun)  was followed by military (Mars) rule. 

To me, the Saturn-Neptune conjunction represents the combination of ideals and dreams with structure and reality.  The end result of it can turn out in one of three ways.  If Saturn, or reality, wins, dreams can be obliterated by overly pessimistic practical considerations, whether or not the dreams are attainable.  If Neptune, or dreams, wins, the dreams can remain dreams, because the tangible steps necessary to make the dreams come true are never taken.  The last, and most desirable of the outcomes, comes from balancing Saturn and Neptune.  This calls for setting up a structure that allows for practical steps to be taken in order to manifest the dreams and ideals.  The squares to Uranus and Chiron in this chart throw more volatility and chaos into the mix in terms of attaining any goals.

Nasser ruled Egypt very successfully.  During his reign, Egypt's world prominence grew.  While Nasser ruled as an autocrat, his willingness to stand up to the western powers made him extremely popular in Egypt and in the rest of the Arab world.  His influence was seen as provoking the Six Day War with Israel in 1967.  Despite Israel's  astounding defeat of the Arab nations, Nasser popularity remained.

In 1954 there was an assassination attempt on Nasser's life.  The gunman who confessed to the crime implicated the Muslim Brotherhood, an extremist Egyptian Muslim religious organization, as orchestrating the assassination.  This was the beginning of the Egyptian crack down on the Muslim Brotherhood, which has existed throughout Egypt's current history.

Egypt under Nasser had many accomplishments.  The Aswan High Dam was built.  Industrialization was accelerated.  Land reforms broke up private estates.  There was a campaign against corruption.  Women received increased rights, including the right to vote.  (This is pretty astounding given that women didn't receive the right to vote in Switzerland until 1971.)  Foreigners who occupied key political and economic positions were driven out, making room for a new middle class of Egyptians.  In essence, life for the ordinary citizen improved under Nasser's rule.  This can be tied to his Uranus, Moon, Venus conjunction in Aquarius, the sign representing the people.

On the not so positive side, Egypt under Nasser became a police state.  Mail was opened.  Newspapers were nationalized.  Telephones were tapped.  Visitors were searched.  One-party candidates were chosen by Nasser and his associates.  Political enemies were sent to concentration camps in the desert.  These activities reflect his Mars – Pluto square.

Upon Nasser's death, Vice President Anwar el-Sadat was elected President.  Sadat had been one of the officers engaged in the 1952 coup against the monarchy. 

Sadat was born on December 25, 1918 in Mit Abu El Kom, Egypt.  AstroDatabank gives a time of 3:41 am as speculative.  Sadat, like Nasser, was a Capricorn, the sign associated with executive ability.  Assuming Sadat was not born before 3:10 am, his Moon was in the sign representing peace and diplomacy—Libra.  His Libra Moon and a Sun – Venus conjunction provided him with plenty of charm.  His T-square among the Sun and Venus in Capricorn, the Moon in Libra (assuming that's correct), and Jupiter and Pluto in Cancer would have made him a ruthless opponent, capable of using force and coercion if deemed necessary.

Sadat began his term of office as a warrior leader.  In 1971 he signed a treaty of friendship with the Soviet Union, but then ordered Soviet advisors out of the country in 1972.  In 1973 he launched the Yom Kippur War with Israel.  Initially Egypt was successful, but Israel aided by US military technology turned the tide (In a play about Golda Meir, a story is told about Meir threatening President Richard Nixon with Israel's use of nuclear power if Israel was not supplied with the alternative weapons it needed to defend itself.) 

Sadat pushed through economic reforms that encouraged private investment and introduced greater political freedom.  The reforms created a wealthy upper class and a small middle class, but did little to help poorer Egyptians. 

By making peace with Israel, Egypt regained control of the Sinai peninsular.  So while Egypt lost the war, Sadat prevailed in the peace settlement.  The Camp David Accords were signed on September 17, 1978 (time unknown)  and led to the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty on March 26, 1979 (time unknown).  The Moon (symbolizing the public) is in early Aries in the Accord chart and the Sun and Mercury are in early Aries in the Peace Treaty chart. 

The importance of these placements may come to light now as transiting Uranus approaches these degrees.  Since transiting Pluto has been square these planets since its entrance into Capricorn, it's likely Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood have had more to do with the recent uprising than is known currently known.  Pluto represents hidden factors, and the Muslim Brotherhood, along with Iran, are committed to the destruction of Israel.

On October 6, 1981 Sadat was assassinated by Islamic extremists.  Once again Saturn was in Libra (along with Ceres, the Sun, Jupiter, and Pluto).  Jupiter and Saturn were also both in Libra at the time of Egypt's Independence Proclamation in 1922.  Ceres being involved with these planets leads me to believe that Sadat's assassination was as much about food prices or the Egyptian economy as about a protest of the Peace Treaty with Israel.

Hosni Mubarak, another military man, born May 4, 1928 in Kafr-El-Meselha, Egypt (time unknown), became the next President.  Mubarak had been Sadat's Vice President and was sitting next to Sadat when Sadat was assassinated.  He had also been the Chief Commander of the Egyptian Air Force and is said to have shown talent for military strategy during the Yom Kippur War with Israel in 1973. 

Mubarak served as President for nearly 30 years.  He continued Sadat's legacy by supporting Egypt's peace treaty with Israel and US efforts in the Mideast.  Throughout his presidency, the US continued its financial support of Egypt, which began after the Camp David Accord.  Mubarak also succeeded in gaining Egypt's re-entry into the Arab League in 1989, which had been suspended after the Egypt-Israeli Peace Treaty.  Throughout Mubarak's rule, Egypt has served as a moderating force in Mideast issues.

Mubarak's staying power can be seen by the preponderance of significant celestial placements in his chart in fixed signs—Chiron, Sun, and Mercury in Taurus and Moon in Scorpio.  Fixed signs stick to what they start.  Taurus is a sign associated with money.  Mubarak also has a Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Aries.  While some may argue that Aries represents Venus' detriment, so this mitigates Venus' benefic status, I would argue that Venus-Jupiter conjunctions in any sign show "good fortune."  Good fortune doesn't necessary imply "good people."  The Mubarak family is said to have billions stashed away in foreign accounts.

Support for Mubarak and his economic reforms dropped when news of corruption surfaced about his son Alaa.  As Alaa faded from the political scene, Mubarak's second son Gamal moved into the spotlight.  Gamal's rise in the National Democratic Party coincided with his move into the world of corporate consulting and private equity management.  Charges of corruption and influence peddling followed.  Many saw Gamal in line to be the next President.  This ascendancy was said to be as unpopular with the military as with the public at large since Gamal had not been a military man.  Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak all came from the military; and the military is the source of power in Egypt. 

Mass protests began in Cairo and other Egyptian cities on January 25, 2011.  Protesters are said have been wide spread across age and social status.  The internet and Facebook are credited with helping early protesters organize.  Murbarak's  announcement on February 1, 2011 that he would not run in the upcoming September election did not satisfy protestors.  Demonstrations continued and turned violent on February 2 with clashes between those pro and anti Murbarak. 

Transiting Jupiter conjoined Uranus in Pisces on January 5, 2011.  Pisces is the sign that represents those less fortunate or underprivileged.  Uranus is the planet representing revolution.  Jupiter represents expansion—so revolutionary zeal expanded.  Uranus and Jupiter formed squares to the Sun (leader) in the chart for the Egyptian Republic (the Coup chart June 18, 1953).  Jupiter entered Aries, the sign of the individual on January 25, the first day of the Egyptian demonstrations.  Uranus formed an exact square to Hades in Gemini on February 18, 2011.  Hades represents, among other things, the downtrodden This aspect was within 1 degree of orb starting on February 2, 2011. 

During the time of the demonstrations, the Sun, Mars, and Ceres were traveling close together in Aquarius.  Aquarius represents the ordinary individual citizen.  Ceres represents, among other things, food.  In all Mideast countries, food represents a substantial (in some countries up to 50%) of an ordinary citizen's expenditures.  This makes it easy to see how exorbitantly rising food costs can incite protests, especially in countries where the ruling elite keep the wealth for themselves rather than help the populace.

On February 10, 2011 Mubarak announced that he was delegating responsibilities to Vice President Omar Suleiman (born July 2, 1936 in Qena, Egypt, time unknown).  On February 11, 2011 Suleiman announced that Mubarak had stepped down.  Mubarak is said to have left Cairo for Sharm el-Sheikh.

The army is seen as instrumental in removing Mubarak from office.  His unwillingness to declare an army officers as his presidential successor had long put him at odds with the army.  Unlike most other countries, the army is extremely popular with the populace and is viewed very differently than the secret police, who are associated with torture.

As head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service (secret police), Suleiman has long been tied to human rights abuses.  He is said to have been a point person for the CIA's rendition program started during Bill Clinton's presidency.  (Rendition is the act of transferring suspected militant out of the US for questioning.  And so much for associating only Republican administrations with acts of torture.)

Suleiman's chart shows a stellium of planets Mars, Sun, Venus (and the South Node) conjunct in Cancer and Pluto also in Cancer.  Cancer is the sign that represents home and family.  Expanding this to me and mine, home and family can be extended to country.  This might make it easy for Suleiman to perceive his actions as protecting his country.  It might also explain his close ties to the US, since the US has Sun, Venus, and Jupiter in Cancer, closely tied to Suleiman's chart.

Currently the military is seen as taking steps to handover power to an elected government.  The government has promised that an "emergency law" which has allowed detentions without charges or trial that has been in place for 30 years will expire in six months.  On March 20, 2011 Egyptian voters, in the highest voter turnout on record, approved a referendum on constitutional changes. 

However the future still remains uncertain.  On March 9, 2011 a significant clash occurred in a Cairo suburb between Christians and Muslims in which eleven people died. The clashes were the result of protests over the burning of a Christian church a week earlier.  And the Muslim Brotherhood, which is an established political party, is gaining power. 

Remember that the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty has a Mercury-Sun conjunction in early Aries and the Camp David Accord has the Moon in early Aries.  The Egyptian Republic – Coup – chart has Mars in early Cancer.  Transiting Uranus will be conjoining the Aries placements and squaring Mars between now and early 2013. 

Joyce Levine specializes in helping you recognize your natural abilities and use them to overcome your personal obstacles to success and to take action at precisely the right time to achieve the results you desire.

To discover how the planets affect you, call Joyce 617-354-7075 or e-mail  for an appointment.