Aspects for the week beginning 29 July 2018

Imran Khan

Imran Khan emerged this week as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan, after twenty two years of striving for that aim.  His early incarnations had included cricketer and playboy, and he was one half of a celebrity couple with Jemima Khan (nee Goldsmith).  He was also a philanthropist, and founded a cancer hospital after the death of his mother.

Birth Chart

I am using the accepted date of 5th October 1952 for his birthchart.  At one time, the Pakistan Cricket Board gave out his birthdate as 25th November in that year, but this proved to be erroneous.

Many features of his life and personality can be seen to be derived from his Sun sign, Libra.  He was, for example, known for his good looks in his playboy days.  He has a political bent, in Sun conjunct Saturn, but at the same time a rebellious streak, in Sun/Saturn square Uranus.  This brings a conflict between the old and the new.  There are traits of leadership: he has half his planets (5) in Cardinal signs, and his Sun trines the North Node (a karmic mission which includes leadership).  His Moon in Taurus (the exact position of which is vague as we do not have a birth time) trines his Chiron (Inner Healer) in Capricorn, which symbolizes the hospital built in memory of his mother.  Venus also sextiles his Chiron, encouraging healing ways.  He is not afraid to be controversial, with Mercury square Uranus. He does have a complex mind, with Mercury also conjunct Saturn/Neptune, sextile Pluto and trine his North Node.  Mercury trine closely the North Node found expression in his founding a technical college (in 2008).  His mind would be continually on the go, in all different directions.  He has Jupiter sextile closely Uranus (The Entrepreneur and Philanthropist), and Jupiter square Pluto (a love of power).  But a standout aspect in his chart is Mars trine Pluto, a powerhouse of energy, helpful in sport. Pluto on his South Node in Leo suggests power in past lives, perhaps in Egypt.

Playboy

Khan was educated at University in England, graduating with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Keble College, Oxford.  In the early years of the 1970s he also began his cricketing career, and cultivated his playboy image, reported to have been “non-stop partying” at nightclubs, though he was teetotal.  He was quoted as saying: “I never claim to have led an angelic life”.

The Cricketer

Imran was active as a very good all round cricketer for two decades, from 1971 to 1992.  He made his name especially as a fast bowler (Mars trine Pluto).  He reached his peak in 1982, becoming captain of his country’s team, and led Pakistan to victory at the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

Husband

In 1995, Khan married Jemima Goldsmith, daughter of James Goldsmith and Lady Annabel Goldsmith.  A golden couple, and a union between Islam (Khan) and Judaism (the Goldsmith clan).  Their synastry was not unproblematic: His Venus was square her Sun, and his Saturn opposed her Chiron, but his Mars was sextile her Mercury (a lively communication) and his Neptune trine her Jupiter (much good will between them).  Jupiter was sextile his Sun when they married, and Jemima’s Venus received strong aspects from the outer planets, so there was great hope at that time.  Lady Diana became a close friend and visited them in Lahore.  The couple had two sons, Sulaiman Isa and Kasim, and Jemima moved to Pakistan, but though she converted to Islam she could not settle there, and was under attack for her ethnicity, especially when Imran’s political ambitions attracted enemies.

They divorced, amicably, in 2004, and Jemima returned to the U.K.  She was reported to be delighted at his victory this week.

Politician

Imran Khan founded his political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, in 1996, motivated by a sense of justice and appalled by the political corruption in politics and poverty in society.  It was to be a long and slow battle, to attain political power (natal Jupiter square Pluto), with many viscissitudes.  He was offered some positions of power, such as that of Prime Minister to Musharraf in 1999, but turned them down, not wishing to be associated with corruption. In 2007 he was placed under house arrest, with Neptune (incarceration) conjunct his North Node and square his Jupiter, and Mars square his Sun (personal danger).  In 2011 he addressed huge rallies, and became thought of as a real political threat to the ruling parties.  Just before the elections of 2013, with Pluto square his Sun, he fell headfirst from a stage and was hospitalized, but his party emerged as the second largest party at that point in time, forming the opposition.

Victory

This week’s victory sees the fulfilment of his natal desire for power (Jupiter square Pluto) in that Pluto has moved to trine his natal Jupiter.

The course of true politics, of course, never does run smoothly.  There have been accusations of vote rigging, and of cosying up to the powerful military.  He did, in his victory speech, try to strike a unifying tone (very Libran).

Simon Tisdall writing in the Guardian and Observer describes Pakistan as “a divided nation that is  also one of the world’s most impoverished and unstable states”.  Undeniably, however well-motivated Khan might be, he may be hamstrung in all sorts of ways and by all sorts of warring factions in trying to accomplish his aims. Tisdall feels that his premiership may enable a shift in international relations.  The chart of Pakistan shows a conjunction between its Jupiter (its aspirations) and Imran’s Pluto (his desire for power), which is a significant combination with potential, but not always easy to achieve with the “honesty and integrity” which Imran professes. But it is worth a try.

Aspects

Aspects this week centre around Thursday and Friday.  Therefore I am providing some input from the Fixed Stars, for those of you who like to work with them.

Tomorrow (Monday 30th) our Sun aligns with the Fixed Star South Asellus in the constellation of Cancer.  “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld  provides the following seed thoughts for this star:

“Some way of relating to teenagers through animals has been discovered as a powerful means of creating better bonds and a better sense of self….Communication with the animal kingdoms and to a lesser extent the plant kingdom will be enhanced for most people.  This will especially apply to mammals and their ability to share their needs with people.  This will work best with animals in the wild or animals who are nom-domesticated…  The closer to the wild state, the more the influence.  People may become aware in a very personal way how the family of humanity can combine with the family of animals.  They may recognize their own ability to communicate with animals and trust it a little bit more.”

Thursday’s (2nd August) aspect is Mars square Uranus, a disruptive, electric type of energy.  Wilful types may try and railroad proceedings for more diplomatic or gentler types.  The latter would do well to disengage until the energy is more to their liking, or more workable for them.  Mechanical items can go wrong, or tempers could get frayed. This aspect can often bring literal thunderstorms, weatherwise.

Friday (3rd) could bring some rebalancing of that state of affairs, with a sextile between Mars and Chiron.  The wilful types may see that their way of doing things is not working in a group situation (it may work for them on their own), and invite some healing input from others.  Healing actions and efforts can thrive under this aspect.

Two Fixed Stars are operational on Saturday (4th): Acubens in Cancer, and Kochab in Ursa Minor.

Bernadette Brady, in her book on the Fixed Stars, cites Rigor as attributing Acubens with “a logical mind, strength, perseverance and good organization”.  She also states that the star is linked with “the energy of giving life, the gateway of life”.

“Starlight Elixirs” offers the following:

“In this star you see some of the more generalized tendencies of Cancer that have a symbolic effect on people such as a willingness to express and work out family issues, to understand the nature of the home, and to create this more clearly. There is some general influence here with better understanding of the subtle forces involved in creating a home, such as through the Chinese art of geomancy known a feng shui.”

For the other star of the day, Kochab (again from “Starlight Elixirs):

“This star can assist people in grounding information from their past lives.  This is a way in which one becomes more comfortable with one’s past lives, as if these lives are running concurrently or parallel to one’s present life and can affect the person in positive ways.  The ability to accept this easily, feel good about the information, and take it in by actually owning it and really knowing it, this is far beyond a verbal or intellectual process.  This can generate a deeper sense of power within the individual.”

Anyone for a regression?

The week in bullet points:

• Monday – animal communication
• Thursday – disrupted energies
• Friday – healing energies
• Saturday – home and family issues; past lives