Latifa Maktoum

Last week, I looked at one daughter who was being controlled by a father; this week I am looking at another daughter, who has been held captive by a father.  The plight of Princess Latifa Maktoum, daughter of  Sheikh Maktoum, the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, is now being taken seriously by the U.N. who have formally requested evidence that she is alive.

Birth Chart

There is a great deal of symbolism in Latifa’s birth chart which can describe the events of her life.  Sun  in Sagittarius indicates a restless soul, one that could not tolerate the restrictions of such a life she was born to in Dubai.  The Sun exactly sextile Jupiter emphasizes that freedom loving nature and adventurousness (she is an experienced skydiver).  The Sun conjunct Uranus gives her the Rebel Archetype, another sign that she could not give in to his regime.  The Sun opposite Chiron indicates a wound connected with the father.  Mercury conjunct Saturn may indicate the fact that she has been silenced.  Jupiter square Pluto shows a life characterized by power struggle.  Furthermore, Pluto conjunct closely South Node denotes painful past lives, possibly with similar themes and struggles (and very likely to be with the same father).

Escapes and Captures

Latifa has several siblings, but one of her sisters, Shamsa, also tried to flee the family nest before her, and was found in Cambridge in the year 2000.  She was taken back to Dubai, but has not been seen in public for 20 years.  The investigation into her disappearance lapsed, but is now being renewed.

Latifa’s first attempt was in 2002, aged 16.  She was caught at the border of the United Arab Emirates, and then jailed for over three years.  Her transits on that occasion included Uranus square her natal Mercury (attempt to escape).

In 2011 she got to know a Frenchman, Herve Jaubert, who helped plan her 2018 escape.  They have a significantly strong synastry: his Mercury sextile her Neptune (a means of escape), his Jupiter sextile her Mars (optimism) and Saturns conjunct (making plans).

They enlisted the help of a friend, Norwegian Tiina Jauhianen, who accompanied her on the boat in 2018.  They left on 24th February 2018, with a suitable set of transits: Mars conjunct Latifa’s natal Uranus in Sagittarius (a bid for freedom), Saturn sextile her natal Pluto (a deliberate act on behalf of change), Saturn trine the North Node in Taurus (a deliberate act connected with karma) and Neptune exactly square her natal Sun (confused and at sea).

The boat was intercepted on the orders of her father eight days later on 4th March 2018.  Two of the transits were still operational, showing different aspects of the process: Saturn trine her natal North Node in Taurus (a blocking in her karmic path) and Neptune square her natal Sun (her hopes for subterfuge uncovered).

On 11th March 2018 a video was released which she had prepared before her trip in the event that her life would be endangered.  It described family life (“I’m not allowed to drive, I’m not allowed to travel or leave Dubai at all”), her reasons for fleeing, including an accusation that her father had committed a murder.

After she had returned to Dubai, speculation arose about the conditions she was kept in.  On 15th December 2018 the former President of Ireland Mary Robinson was sent to Dubai to meet her, to establish that she was alive and “free”.  They had dinner together and photos were taken.  Later it was revealed that it was all a ruse.  Latifa’s stepmother Haya (daughter of King Hussein of Jordan) says she was told Latifa had mental health problems, and the visit would be a good idea.  She had invited Mary Robinson, and Mary Robinson has now said she is horrified that she didn’t realize the true reason she was there.

The transits for this “fake meeting” were, for Latifa: Neptune still square her natal Sun, still confusion and subterfuge surrounding her.  For Mary Robinson: Pluto trine her natal Venus (a deeply significant meeting), Uranus square her natal Mars (a hidden danger), the North Node on her natal Mars (a karmic meeting), Jupiter opposite her natal Uranus (an opportunity), Neptune sextile her natal Moon (deception connected with a female), Neptune square her natal Midheaven (a high profile deception) and Chiron trine her natal Mars (an attempt at healing).

Haya, in her role as go-between, had the North Node (karma) trine her natal Venus (charm and connections), Chiron exactly on her Venus (attempt to heal a female), and Jupiter on her natal Neptune (A charitable, naive or deceptive act).  When Haya found out the truth, it set off her own desire to escape, and she fled to the U.K. on 15th April 2019.  The transits for her bid for freedom included: Jupiter sextile her natal Uranus (a bid for freedom), Saturn square her Chiron (discomfort leading to action taken for healing), and Uranus sextile her Saturn (a bid to free oneself from ones chains).  The Jupiter sextile to natal Uranus prevailed, as Haya currently resides in a home in Kensington Palace Gardens, but there have been wranglings over the custory of her children with Sheikh Maktoum.  She has diplomatic immunity under the Geneva Convention.

Captivity

In early 2019, Latifa established contact with some of her friends and supporters through a mobile phone smuggled into the villa in Dubai where she was held captive.  She made a series of videos detailing her conditions: “I’m doing this video from a bathroom, because this is the only room with a door I can lock. I’m a hostage. I am not free. I’m enslaved in this jail. My life is not in my hands.”  But one day the contact stopped, and, fearing for her fate, her friends have released the video recordings.  They have not given out the date the recordings stopped, but it appears likely to be in the second half of 2020.  A date would have been useful to track astrologically what was going on for her at the time.

The Father

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to give him his full name, the Prime Minister of Dubai, has built modern Dubai into the business magnet and global city it is today.  He has six wives and 30 children.  He has enjoyed friendly relations with our own royal family too.  As a Cancerian, family comes first, and ironically his statements about Latifa’s whereabouts and condition always state that she is in the safety of her family.  However, it is difficult for us to understand in the West such a callous treatment of a child.  Latifa has gone further, in describing him as capable of murder.  So in not knowing her fate, we cannot assume that she is safe.  He has the chart of a Leader (half his planets in Cardinal signs; Mars closely sextile his natal North Node in Aries.

The synastry between father and daughter shows: Her Mars closely square his Sun (her Inner Warrior stands up to him), their Marses are trine in Air (an engagement of their Warriors), his Uranus opposes her Neptune (his will opposes her attempts at escape), his Neptune sextiles her Sun (he is the architect of her captivity, though there should have been a potential for spiritual closeness) and his Neptune trines her natal Jupiter (again, a connection between him as jailer and her sense of freedom, but there should have been the potential for spiritual understanding).  At the time of her capture, Jupiter was trine his natal Sun (he won) and Pluto was square his Nodal Axis (he exercized his will, possibly creating more karma in the future).

The Position this Week

The issue erupted again into our consciousness around this week’s Saturn-Uranus square, which will have struck each of the charts in question differently.  We only have a birth time for Mary Robinson, whose regret was broadcast this week.  In her chart,  Tellingly, the Uranus falls exactly on her  7 degree natal Mercury in Taurus in 3rd House of Broadcasting, making her newsworthy.  The Saturn falls in her 12th House of Secret Sorrows.

The transits for Latifa this week were: Jupiter sextile her natal Sun in Sagittarius and a Jupiter Return in Aquarius (her plight and need for freedom being recognized again), Saturn square her natal Pluto (revealing the extent of the peril she is in), Saturn square her Nodal Axis (a fateful time, karmically) and Uranus transiting her natal North Node exact to the day (a very karmic revelation of the  truth of her captivity).

The transits for Sheikh Maktoum this week were: The North Node sextile his natal Venus (the Universe is watching his human relations), and the North Node sextile his natal Pluto (his psychology is laid bare).

The latest statement (issued on Friday) says she is “being cared for at home , supported by her family and medical professionals.

She continues to improve and we are hopeful she will return to public life at the appropriate time.”

The U.N. cannot afford to ignore the treatment of women in the U.A.E. as a human rights issue, as well as the U.A.E.  involvement in Yemen.  A heartbreaking news report from Orla Guerin emerged this very week about the children in the Yemen. There is also the question of arms sales to the U.E.A. and Saudi Arabia: new U.S. President Joe Biden has now taken the lead in freezing further sales, and it is to be hoped that the U.K. will follow.  And our royal family may think again about their friendship with the Sheikh (I know they have had family troubles too this week, but even so).  Saturn square Uranus has dictated that it is crunch time to deal with such matters.  I do hope that Latifa is safe, but even if she is, years of solitary confinement and lack of sunlight won’t have helped her wellbeing.

Aspects

Have you felt any difference this morning?  The difference that a Direct Mercury would make?  Is your I.T. working better?  Is your message getting across better?  Well, at any rate Mercury is now functioning fairly normally, you may be pleased to hear.  So if you have projects waiting to happen of a literary or technical nature, this may be a green light for you.  If you have been holding back on communication, you may feel the push to move forward again with it.

You don’t have an aspect for 3 days, and then three come along: So, on Thursday (25th), Mars trines Pluto, very early in the morning (you may feel its effect late Wednesday evening).  This aspect speaks of self-empowerment, but you have to remember that everyone also has this force!  This is a great aspect for tasks which need great energy.  If gyms were still open, it would be a  good day for the gym, so failing that you could make up your own gym at home.  Housework or decluttering could substitute for formal exercise, however.  A top scientist today is urging the government to lift the ban on outside sport.  We’ll find out the latest thinking tomorrow as Boris gives another briefing on his plans for easing lockdown.

At lunchtime on Thursday, Venus enters Pisces, so with the Sun already in that sign we are beginning to lose that evangelical focus on Aquarius, and beginning to appreciate a soft-focus approach which takes into account the emotion and feeling of every sentient creature.  Venus in Pisces is unashamedly emotional and easily prone to tears, so don’t be surprised to release the tears which have been stoically been held back coping with the long months of lockdown.  This placing will enable charities to be more easily heard, and the Arts to acquire inspiration.

In the evening, we have another constructive aspect: the Sun sextile Uranus.  Spontaneity and innovation characterize the evening’s proceedings.  Telepathy and higher consciousness, or liaising with a constructive group, are also favoured.

On Friday (26th), Jupiter trines the North Node, and this favours future vision, reaping karmic rewards,  and looking at life positively.  A good day to refresh your hopes, and to observe how everything is happening at the right time in divine right order.

Saturday (27th) brings a Full Moon at 8 degrees Virgo, which is likely to bring some emotional tension and a desire towards perfectionism and practicality, at the same time as honouring spiritual ideals represented by the opposing Sun in Pisces.  Work and service are also principles of this polarity of signs.  The Full Moon takes place at 8.17 a.m. in the U.K., so your dreams may help you work through the upcoming tensions, and early morning action may help to dissipate or fulfil the Full Moon by its peak.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – communications eased
  • Thursday – powerfully galvanizing; emotionally compassionate; mentally brilliant
  • Friday – karmically rewarding
  • Saturday – emotional high tide
Date: Feb 21st, 2021 · Comments RSS · Tags: News