The arrival of the Grand Prix circus to Bahrain, associated with it’s glamorous image & high profile sponsors proved too much of an opportunity for the Shia opponents of the Sunni ruling dynasty to ignore. Since last year when the uprising on the island kingdom of Bahrain was brutally crushed by King Al Khalifa, tensions have been simmering under the surface. Shia Muslims make up majority of Bahrain’s population and seeing other nations in the region overthrow unwanted dictators, the Bahraini people also attempted (and failed) to change the balance of power last year in the Pearl revolution attempt, named because most of the action took place near the Pearl roundabout, so named as a statue holding a giant pearl is the centrepiece of the financial district of Manama in the heat of the city. The arrival of the grand prix also coincided with the Bahraini natal chart under duress sparking the troubles highlighted in the world media.
On the chart above, there are a lot of aspects in blue & purple, a sure sign on the color system I use of tension and opposition. The main protagonist on this chart causing much of the tension is the transits of the nodal axis. The South Node, the node of detriment is now at the midpoint of the Moon/Saturn conjunction on the natal chart. This conjunction shows the hold the ruling classes (Saturn) have over the general public. With the South Node now stationed on this conjunction, this power over the people is being shaken up. It is really interesting too that is was a sporting event that is proving the motivation for the protesters to get out onto the streets. The transiting Nodal axis is square to Mercury which sits on the cusp of the 5th house of sporting endeavours. How more appropriate than Mercury being in the spotlight, as this planet rules transportation and of course cars. The Moon/Saturn as well as the Bahraini Jupiter Neptune conjunction connection is also being attacked by transiting Neptune which is now in a stressful square – uncontrolled mobs now roam the streets of Manama highlighting the disparate and indefinable nature of Neptunian energy fueled by the international exposure (Jupiter) brought by TV cameras (ruled by Neptune) from around the world, trained on the island kingdom and it’s people.
Transiting Pluto, the planet of change is square to natal Uranus which also sits in the sporting 5th house and rules the Midheaven representing the people at the top of society, as well as being trine to that aforementioned Mercury. Controls on the assembled media (Mercury) and the protesters (Uranus) may well be tried, but will they succeed? The inconjunct aspect between transiting Pluto and the natal Moon is irritating, and the protests of general public may well be a thorn in the side of the king for a time to come as Pluto is now in retrograde motion heading for an exact inconjunct aspect at the start of June and possibly a showdown in December as Pluto makes it’s final connection. The chart ruler Venus is now trine to Mars urging action to be taken by the police and military forces to curb the excesses of the protests.
It is worth looking at the relationship of the current planets in conjunction with the stars too, as they can confer just as potent a story to what is going on within the kingdom. By the way, a “paran” is an inherent link between a planet and a fixed star. For example, when if a planet is rising at the ascendant (local horizon) on the day in question and a fixed star at that moment is also hitting an angle on the natal chart, the two are linked and are said to be “in paran”. This link is significant, as each star and each planet have different qualities that when merged have an effect on the particular point of earth that the connection is made.
The following analysis is set to Manama and made through Bernadette Brady’s Starlight programme. It makes interesting reading. – the fixed stars are in blue.
MUNDANE PARAN ANALYSIS
Stellar and planetary combinations from:
Thursday 19 April 2012 05:14:13 -03:00
Manama, Bahrain 26°N14'10" 50°E34'59"
THE BACKGROUND THEMES WHICH CAN BE ACTIVE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS
Uranus - Public opinion, Public expectations
Rising when Denebola is Setting orb 00 mins 38 secs -
Accepting alternatives and different customs
Culminating when Castor is Rising orb 01 mins 09 secs -
A popular author, film, or cause takes the community's attention
Pluto - The Crises or the Changes that Occur
Setting when Ras Alhague is Setting orb 00 mins 06 secs -
The wisdom of one influences many
Rising when Capella is Setting orb 00 mins 29 secs -
Abrupt ending to an old conundrum
Rising when Acrux is Setting orb 00 mins 39 secs -
Issues of money and power
On Nadir when Vindemiatrix is Rising orb 00 mins 43 secs -
A cyclone, literally or metaphorically
Culminating when Alhena is On Nadir orb 01 mins 54 secs -
A shift of foundations, taking a different path of action
On Nadir when Alhena is Culminating orb 01 mins 55 secs -
A shift of foundations, taking a different path of action
THE ANNUAL THEMES THAT REOCCUR FOR THIS LATITUDE EVERY YEAR IN THIS ERA
Heliacal Rising Star
Fomalhaut - Rising 83 mins 28 secs before Sunrise -
Idealism, illusion, and even deception, abound
Heliacal Setting Star
Vindemiatrix - Setting 02 mins 20 secs before Sunrise -
A time of gathering people or ideas together
Sun - The stars in paran with the Sun on this day
Rising when Algol is Rising orb 00 mins 34 secs -
A person who destroys through passion
THE ACUTE THEMES THAT ARE ACTIVE JUST FOR THIS TIME PERIOD
Moon - The Emotions of the People
Setting when Sirius is Culminating orb 00 mins 25 secs -
A martyr, a person mourned by the common folk
Rising when Alhena is On Nadir orb 01 mins 01 secs -
The people have a common mission, or goal
Mercury - Business and the Media
Rising when Denebola is Setting orb 01 mins 46 secs -
The contraire
Venus - The Social Conventions
Rising when Deneb Algedi is Culminating orb 01 mins 44 secs -
Society's appreciation of its art
Mars - The Events of the Day
On Nadir when Aculeus is Setting orb 01 mins 44 secs -
The hardships endured by people
Jupiter - The Type of Action which is Favoured by this Period of Time
On Nadir when Menkar is On Nadir orb 01 mins 23 secs -
The popular hero, the popular cause
Culminating when Menkar is Culminating orb 01 mins 50 secs -
The popular hero, the popular cause
Saturn - The Law and Civic Order
Setting when Rukbat is Culminating orb 00 mins 29 secs -
The foundations of a society are altered
Setting when Vindemiatrix is Setting orb 00 mins 40 secs -
Social, or political, order is challenged, information is repressed
Culminating when Achernar is On Nadir orb 01 mins 51 secs -
Leaders change, new leaders come out of chaos - Arising and lying hidden
On Nadir when Achernar is Culminating orb 01 mins 59 secs -
Leaders change, new leaders come out of chaos - Arising and lying hidden
Just reading down the delineations of the connections between the stars and the transiting planets for Manama, Bahrain for the past few days exactly describes the mood of the people and their violent protests. There has been a death of a protestor shown by the connection of Sirius to the Moon – a martyr has been created. There are indications of people gathering together, new leaders coming to the fore and having a common goal to force change.
The stars and the planets indicate that this is a very unstable time in this part of the world and with the aforementioned South Node close to connecting with Bahrain’s natal Saturn, one to keep an eye on in the weeks ahead as the ruling Sunni Monarchy come under even more pressure to give up more power to the people.