I have been keeping a close eye on the Turkish national chart over the past few weeks as I suspected that Turkey may hold the key to one or more of the problems in the middle East region. Now with the Syrian crisis really heating up right on Turkey’s south east border, an area traditionally dominated by Kurdish citizens, I have a distinct feeling that Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister may decide to act before any disturbance spills over into his country.
Turkey was formed on 29th October 1923 at 20.30hrs in Ankara. The chart (above) has no planets in earth, and we have 4 planets in air and 5 in water. The Turks are an emotional people not only shown by the amount of planets in water signs, but also by the Moon Pluto conjunction straddling the Cancerian ascendant. They are hugely proud and protective of their nation. We find Uranus at the top of the chart as part of a grand water trine. Turkey was formed after a war of independence to expel foreign forces from Constantinople and Smyrna (now Istanbul and Izmir) in the wet of the country, lead by Mustafa Kamal Ataturk. The grand trine shows that conflict, Uranus conjunct the Midheaven shows the rebellion taking the leadership through a social movement (Venus) via a brutal war (Pluto).
We have a very full 5th house and the Turks are huge sports fans and culture and dance are still very important in daily life, however Saturn here also shows restrictions. Conjunct to Mercury and trine to the Moon, we see that any criticism (Mercury) of the state (Saturn) by the people (Moon) will be cracked down upon heavily. It also shows that any communication, via mobile phone, or internet will ultimately be under the strict control of those in charge.
Turkey is a country of huge contrasts. For example Turkey traditionally is a Muslim nation, however with Uranus in the 9th house in Pisces (the spiritual sign), it shows very much a take it or leave it attitude with regard to faith. We find Neptune in 3rd house in Leo of the press and media square to outgoing Jupiter and Venus. The press and TV in Turkey is very colourful and full of sensationalist stories of who is going out with who (5th house). The Turks are very much a nation obsessed with affairs of the heart. Their attitude to alcohol is also interesting, the square shows a very liberal attitude to drink, something you would not find in other countries in the region.
Mars in the 4th house of the land and home show a violent underbelly to the country, especially with regard to the Kurdish minority. Mars makes a destructive square to Pluto and the Cancerian ascendant. This is an in house problem for the Turkish nation, and something that will forever be there for the police and military to deal with. Underground action against the people and the nation by those who oppose the national view of those in control will always unfortunately tend to end in bloodshed.
Now the transits to the Turkish chart are very interesting. We see Pluto approaching the 7th house cusp on the descendant and about to enter the 7th house of relations with other nations. Pluto opposing the ascendant will transform Turkey in some way, but how? Will Turkey be seen in a different light around the world as this aspect hits. As a country that enforces control, as Pluto suggests. Remember Pluto is very strong as Turkey is a Scorpionic nation. Maybe a bigger clue to what may happen is shown by transiting Saturn and Jupiter. Jupiter is opposing the Turkish natal Sun, therefore an international (Jupiter) situation is causing concern to Turkey’s leaders, highlighting the Syrian crisis. Saturn is now exactly on the natal Mercury in the house of ambassadors (5th) so diplomatic words are now being used to affect change in conjunction with other nations in Syria - Capricorn Saturn’s sign affects both the 7th and 8th houses.
Transiting Venus (the diplomatic planet in Mundane Astrology) as well as Mercury are both square to the Midheaven, so dialog is at the moment the approach Erdogan is using. However will words work with Assad? I don’t think so, and with natal Saturn next to be hit very soon after the conjunction with Mercury, I think more strong arm tactics will have to be employed by Turkey to stabilize it’s border regions. Notice also that transiting Mars which is almost stationary is sextile to the Turkish Sun, so military action is one option that may come very easily right now to employ. I think that Turkey will try to do this in cooperation with other Arab nations, as this will yet strengthen Erdogan’s influence in the region, but if she has to go it alone, I think Turkey may do so.
It looks to me as if Turkey is trying very much to increase her regional influence, however internally there is unrest as Turkish society is split over the more controlling and pro-Islamic policies being brought in by the Erdogan government. Soon (in the next couple of years), transiting Pluto will start to oppose it’s own position at 12 degrees Cancer in the first house. This is one aspect very much to keep an eye on, as Turkey at that point will be transformed as a country. This transformation could get very nasty and bloody because of the natal Pluto Mars square. It is a topic I will return to in future posts…