Shamima Begum

“Shamima knew when she made the decision to join Daesh, she was going into a country where there was no embassy, there was no consular assistance, and I’m afraid those decisions, awful though it is, they do have consequences”

~ Jeremy Hunt

Shamima Begum, who as a 15-year old schoolgirl, went to join ISIS, lost her appeal this week in relation to the removal of her British citizenship.  She is currently stateless in a Syrian camp, and her situation is subject to much debate and disagreement.

Birth Chart

Shamima’s chart is very reflective of her character and situation.  First of all, she has 8 out of her 10 planets in the Fixed signs, which is very unusual, and describes someone who is stubborn once set upon a course of action.  Secondly, she has no Cardinal planets, which may show she is easily led (one of the arguments surrounding her is whether she was groomed).

Her Sun in Virgo square Mars is not averse to danger, though it is a loose aspect, and may be the sign of the Warrior Archetype.  Her Sun trines Jupiter  (a thirst for adventure and foreign travel), squares Pluto (deep transformations in life) and squares Chiron (acclimatization to crisis).

Her Moon is in Aquarius, which combined with a Virgo Sun, produces a cool and detached personality.  The Moon opposite Mercury  indicates that her imagination and rational brain can be out of sync. But the Moon’s conjunction with Uranus in Aquarius strongly speaks of the Rebel Archetype being very influential within her psyche.  This conjunction close to the South Node may be linked with the loss of babies (three in total), and may be karmically linked with Atlantis in past lives.  She’s not afraid to be controversial (Mercury opposite Uranus), and with Mercury also conjunct the North Node, she may eventually be a teacher, if rehabilitated, having that potential as her karmic mission.  Venus exactly square Mars means that she could be motivated by sensuality, but Venus square Saturn can betoken disappointment in love; while Venus square Chiron shows emotional wounds.  Mars loosely opposite Saturn indicates some harshness, and Mars conjunct Chiron is interesting: I associate this in karmic astrology with wounding on battlefields in past lives.  In Shamima’s case, she certainly experienced a war climate, in this lifetime.

Her birth chart analysis continues to reveal a great deal.  Jupiter square Neptune is an aspect which classically represents confused ideologies, especially between religion and spirituality.  She may have been in a state of aimlessness before being groomed by ISIS, and certainly would not have been thinking clearly on such matters.  Jupiter square the Nodal Axis may represent international karma, as someone who is half-English half-Bangladeshi, and married to a Dutchman, and is now stateless.  Finally, Saturn square Uranus denotes personal earthquakes.  Her camp is situated in Northern Syria close to the border.  It may not be very close to where the recent earthquakes took place, but it is certainly in an unstable territory, geographically and politically.

ISIS

Shamima was brought up as a Muslim in Bethnal Green, and left the U.K. with two school friends in February 2015, after being groomed online and attracted towards a “better life” as a bride of ISIS in Syria.  The MET Police had had intelligence information originating in Canada hinting at the possibility of this happening, and had sent warning letters to the Bethnal Green trio’s parents, which were intercepted by their daughters.  The tragedy could have been averted (the other two girls are reported to have died).

On leaving London, Chiron was sextile Shamima’s natal Saturn (a deliberate decision with the hope of improving her life), Uranus was sextile her natal Uranus (her Inner Rebel had come into its own) and Neptune was squaring her natal Pluto (deepening her problems, and entering into dangerous waters).  The girls arrived at Gaziantep in Turkey (interestingly also the site of the epicentre of the first earthquake this year) where they were picked up by pre-arrangement and taken across the border to Syria.

Ten days after Shamima’s arrival she was married to a Dutch ISIS fighter.  Two of the transits mentioned for her arrival were still operational, plus Venus trine her North Node (a karmic romantic connection), and Mars trine her natal Pluto (a warrior connection).  They had three children together, one of whom (a daughter I believe), Shamima was particularly attached to and tried desperately to keep alive – her death (from starvation) was heartbreaking.

Found in a Camp

In February 2019, Shamima was found in a Northern Syrian camp by a war correspondent named Anthony Loyd.  The North Node was trine her natal Mars at the time (karmic exposure), and Saturn was trine her Saturn (an important turning point).  It must have been a crucial professional scoop for the journalist.  Anthony Loyd has the Sun exactly conjunct Uranus in Virgo in his chart (in an affinity with Shamima’s chart) opposite a conjunction of Saturn and Chiron in Pisces.  His transits on finding her were  Jupiter square his natal Sun (a lucky break journalistically!), Pluto trine his natal Mercury (a deep, hard-hitting piece of reporting!) and Jupiter exactly square his Uranus (a risky venture, in some way, a transit exact to the day).  Their synastry showed:   Her Jupiter trine his Venus (she provides him with a lucky break, or a scoop) and her North Node conjunct his Mars in Leo (a karmic connection).  In talking to Anthony Loyd, and later to Quentin Sommerville (no birth date available) she sounded uncaring and blase about the sufferings brought about by ISIS, though to some extent she was still wary of them.  Indications were that she had actively participated in the way of life of the fighting community.

The next day (with virtually the same transits for Shamima), Sajid Javid, who was Home Secretary at the time, revoked Shamima’s British citizenship, which meant that she could not return to the U.K.  For Sajid, Saturn was sextile his natal North Node (making a historic decision or judgement).  At the time, it was wrongly believed that she had joint Bangladeshi citizenship and would be able to go to Bangladesh, but it turned out that she would face the death penalty there, as she would be regarded as a terrorist. It is technically illegal (under international law) for the U.K. to leave someone stateless, which she now was.  She was deemed a threat to national security.

Heavily pregnant at the time, her baby, a son named Jarrah, was born on 17th February.  I wrote at the time:

“Shamima Begum, who as a 15-year old went to join ISIS, and who wishes now to return to the U.K., gave birth to a baby boy this morning.  The issue sparked a lot of debate last week, revealing a great deal of complexity around it.  If he survives, he is likely to have a complex destiny.  If his mother is allowed to bring him into the U.K. she would have to face the music, and may be separated from him.  With the Moon in Cancer, his psyche will be very much tied to that of his mother.”

Additional features of his chart were the Moon’s conjunction with the North Node in Cancer, the babyhood being part of his karmic mission, and Venus conjunct Saturn (a cause of heartbreak).  At his birth, Shamima had Mars exactly trine her natal Sun, to the day (birth of a boy!), Mars square her natal Neptune (uncertainy and precariousness) and Saturn trine her natal Saturn (facing the music). Jarrah died of a lung infection just a few days later, on 8th March 2019.  She had been found, but her newborn son, though hospitalized, had not been saved.

Appeal Denied

Shamima’s unsuccessful attempt to appeal against the government’s decision this week comes under the following transits: Neptune trine her natal Mars, and Chiron sextile her natal Uranus, not difficult transits.  In a recent television programme, BBC’s “The Shamima Begum Story”, she seems almost resigned to her current fate.  The programme included an interview with her Dutch husband.  In another programme recently aired, SKY’s “The Return: Life After ISIS” she is shown living amongst an international group of ISIS brides trying to return to their countries of origin (Britain being one of the most intransigent) supporting each other, and trying to keep up morale.

In an LBC radio broadcast this week, James O’Brien expressed the view that she should be accorded the same treatment as white teenagers from Rochdale and Rotherham who were seen as victims of child trafficking and sexual exploitation.

My own view is that she need not be a threat to our national security, as she would be under surveillance here in Britain, we would be able to obtain information about ISIS from her, and she could face justice in a court.  Life in prison, if that would be her fate, would be preferable to being stateless forever in the desert under the conditions in which she now lives.  In my opinion, that is no state for a human being.  Others might consider it just desserts, (or deserts – excuse the pun).

“The spectre of the supreme court’s ruling on Begum in early 2021 hangs over this decision by Mr Justice Jay and his colleagues. Reflecting that earlier judgment, we see a determination to defer to the widest possible extent to government on the grounds of national security, as well as a lack of any moral urgency in relation to the alleged breaches of Begum’s core human rights.”

~ Conor Gearty, The Guardian

Aspects 

As we have no aspects until Thursday, I will begin with a Fixed Star which aligns with our Sun on Tuesday, 28th.  The star is SCAT, the delta star in Aquarius.  We have a few applications from  “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld, the first of which I might find helpful on my Philosophy course:

 Further Education

“Scat can encourage people in their tasks when they need to delegate or to form a group interaction that goes on to delegate others. This is  especially helpful in research projects or the teaching profession where interaction of clear hierarchy is an important part of the work, an example being graduate studies under the auspices of various professions.  Such academic relationships are often made a little more acceptable to the people involved by work  with this star.”

Bureaucracies

“There is also an ability her to accept and release some of the naturally occurring difficulties that are produced by bureaucracies.  The ability to  pierce through the veils created by bureaucracies is improved.    Thus individuals seeking to move through red tap to accomplish their goals appropriately may have insight and understand how the group interaction has created such red tape.  At a higher spiritual level, there can be a telepathic concordance between the people involved in such research projects or between those on a bureaucracy  who would seem to oppose you and your progress.  Various new ideas may come forth from this in the dream state.”

This may assist Rishi Sunak’s attempts to break the deadlock over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Fear

“At the highest spiritual level there is a shedding of fear.  This can produce a deep willingness to become one.  This is only for those who are already open to such ideas, perhaps having studied Buddhism, Taoism, or other forms of understanding this oneness amongst people.”

Minor chakras

“This star can stimulate the heart chakra and the minor chakras in the palms.  The astral body is soothed.  For those who seek to use the astral body for deeper communication in the dream state, a natural strengthening and more healthful sleep will take place.”

Thursday (March 2nd) is the main day for working with the aspects this week.  First we have the great conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the early morning at 12 degrees Aries, which has been visible of late as the two planets come together spectacularly in the night sky.  In terms of beneficence, this is one of the year’s highlights.  It is an aspect of celebration, social pleasure, and romance.  There may be announcements of engagements, for example.  Look out for some good news, and crack your best jokes.

In the early afternoon, we have a more exacting influence, that of Mercury conjunct Saturn at 29 degrees Aquarius.  The combination of Mercury and Saturn pins us down to reality, and brings communications of a serious nature.  You may have found yourself trying to come to terms with recent events or news.  The important thing about this conjunction is what conclusions you come to, and what constructive action you might decide to take, even if it is just taking up the ever present demand of decluttering.

In the late evening of the same day, Mercury enters Pisces, which increases mental focus and communication around compassionate issues, such as the vulnerable, those with mental health issues, and the state of institutions, such as prisons and the NHS.  In the period of its rapid jaunt in this sign (up till 19th March) compassion will be more easily shown and charity given, and it will be easier to receive ideas of creativity and inspiration.

The next day, Friday 3rd, brings a third conjunction, that of Venus and Chiron, at 13 degrees Aries.  This can warm the cockles of the heart, while as the same acknowledging wounds.  So it is very poignant, and some of the greatest writers of love songs have it in their natal charts!  Notable examples are Adele, Christine McVie, Burt Bacharach and Joan Armatrading.  So if you’re feeling it, write a poem or a song.  Forgiveness and healing are positive manifestations of this conjunction.

The week in bullet points:

  • Tuesday – progress in study, negotiation to cut red tape, alleviating fear, and healing minor chakras
  • Thursday – beneficence and celebration; exacting paperwork; compassionate mindsets
  • Friday – expressing personal wounds creatively
Date: Feb 26th, 2023 · Comments RSS · Tags: News