Kofi Annan (1938 – 2018)

Kofi Annan

“Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy”

~ The Kofi Annan Foundation

Kofi Annan, an icon of diplomacy, departed this world this week, almost universally loved and respected, someone who did his best to make the world a better place.

Birth Chart

Annan had  the Sun in Aries, unaspected – making for a very independent soul.  We do not have a birth time for him.  His Moon may have been in Cancer (if born in the morning) or Leo (if born after noon).

There are several signatures in his chart which speak of peacemaking and negotiation.  Firstly, Mercury conjunct Venus in the strong, calm and stable sign of Taurus. Interestingly, he died on the day of a Mercury/Venus conjunction, a classic conjunction for diplomacy.

Another indication of his outstanding skill is his Mars (his ruling planet) trine exactly Neptune, which depicts the Peacemaker Archetype in that it can elevate the human energies above aggressive tendencies.

The third aspect I would pick out was his Jupiter in humanitarian Aquarius closely trine his natal Chiron, providing the vision and confidence to want to heal the world and improve its condition.

In his tribute, Putin himself pointed out “his wisdom and courage, his ability to make informed decisions even in the most complex, critical situations.”  This partly derives from his Uranus trine Neptune.

There was also his tireless energy, in Mars square Jupiter.

With Pluto trine closely his North Node, Kofi Annan made a very profound karmic contribution to the world.

Career

Kofi Annan was born in Ghana, and originally studied Economics and Management.  But one of his first jobs was at the World Health Organization in Geneva in 1962, where he realized there were bigger issues to be dealt with in the world.  From there he went to work in various departments at the U.N., including that of Peacekeeping Operations.  When his predecessor at the top position Boutros Boutros-Ghali was away in August 1995, he stepped in and proved his mettle at decision making during a crisis.  His transits at the time were very telling: Mars was trine his Jupiter, and Pluto trine his Pluto (empowerment).

He became Secretary General of the U.N. in January 1997, and served two terms, until December 2006. On taking up office, Mars was sextile his North Node in Scorpio, boosting his karmic mission. He set about reforming the institution, seeing where its inefficiencies lay, expanding for example the Security Council.  As is usually the case, his period in office was marked by turbulence on the world stage.

Regrets, he had a few

He berated himself over events related to the genocide in Rwanda, and in Bosnia (Srebrenica).  He tried, and failed, to persuade Messrs. Bush and Blair to desist from the war in Iraq (declaring it to be illegal).  But any failures acted for him as a spur in his life to do better, and continue his efforts, even after he had left office.

Nobel Peace Prize

In 2001 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with the U.N. (Antonio Guterres said “In many ways [he] was the U.N.”).  Kofi’s Sun in Aries is within two degrees of the Ascendant of the U.N. chart, and the U.N. Uranus was closely sextile Annan’s Sun.  At the time of the award, Mars completed a Grand Trine with his natal Mars trine Neptune (which highlighted his talent for peacekeeping).  His achievements were cited as revitalizing the U.N., giving priority to human rights, commitment to containing the spread of HIV in Africa, and opposition to international terrorism.

Efforts after leaving Office

In 2007 he founded the Kofi Annan Foundation, working on international development for a fairer world, and promoting conflict resolution.  In 2012, with hopeful Jupiter on his Mercury, he took up the post of special envoy to Syria, where the civil war was raging, and still rages.  After 6 months, he withdrew (with Uranus on his Saturn), citing frustration with the lack of progress by the U.N. in conflict resolution.  He also led a commission in 2016 to investigate the Rohingya crisis.

Death

At his death, Pluto (the planet of transition) formed a Grand Trine with his natal Mars/Neptune trine, as if to emphasize the description that his was a life well lived.  When interviewed in the Guardian in 2012 about his approach to diplomacy, he described it thus:

“You have to understand what drives them, appeal to their pride and vanity, and offer them a way out that saves face.”