Death of a North Korean Dictator
December 2011 saw the death of North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-il. Although his passing away was officially announced on the 17th of December, no one is sure of the exact time or date of his death, nor indeed, of his birth, given this controlling regime’s penchant for secrecy and their preference for mythologizing the life of their ‘dear leader’ in order to elevate him to godlike levels.
Indeed, the official North Korean version of his birth states that he was born ‘Abe Lincoln-like’ in 1942 in a log cabin on the sacred Mount Paektu – an event ‘allegedly marked by a double rainbow and a bright star in the sky.’[1] In fact, historians think he was actually born in Siberia in 1941 when he father sought political refuge from the Soviet Union after being sent into exile.
Looking at the mundane transits at the time of the announcement, there was a Moon-Mars conjunction in Virgo in play at the time, which happened to be squaring the nodal axis. This suggests that his death by heart attack was over quickly and may have occurred whilst travelling or in motion, which fits with the official account of his death – of a heart attack whilst on a train.
Given that the announcement also came within a week of the lunar eclipse, which always occurs near to the lunar nodes, this seems to be an ill-fated omen. In fact, in Babylonia and Assyria, the cradle of astrology, lunar eclipses were considered to be very bad portents, especially harmful to the king. In fact, historians have revealed that at such times, the ruler was often removed from the palace and a stand-in made to take his place. This hapless victim thereby acted as a proxy, bearing the brunt of any misfortune bought about by the eclipse that was originally meant for the king.[2]
The Eurozone and the March 2012 Major Grand Trine
The Eurozone crisis also reached boiling point around the 9th – the day before the lunar eclipse, with David Cameron vetoing the UK’s inclusion in the new treaty being negotiated with other Eurozone countries. Although I was initially perplexed by the symbolic significance of this, on retrospect, it occurred to me that perhaps the Gemini-Sagittarius axis of this eclipse series represented ‘faith in the monetary and political system;’ faith and belief being associated with Sagittarius; whilst politics, negotiation and commercial activities are very much associated with Mercury-ruled Gemini. Headlines such as ‘Euro crisis summit: The night Europe changed’ also seem in keeping with the nature of eclipses to suddenly and irrevocably change a situation.
The proximity of the final stage of Euro crisis talks to the eclipse suggests that European leaders have six months in which to resolve the crisis before banks and stock markets completely lose confidence in its viability.
One ray of hope lies in the stationing of Jupiter, which took place on the 26th of December 2011. Currently traversing steady Taurus, sign of banking, agriculture, real estate and tangible forms of material wealth, Jupiter’s retrograde period, which began at the end of August 2011, roughly coincided with the first signs of turbulence within the markets relating to Europe over the summer. This suggests that the return of this lucky and abundant planet to direct motion should now corresponds to a restoration of confidence and stability between now and June 2012.
As I mentioned in my November Astro-Insights column, the conglomeration of Mars, Pluto and Jupiter into a grand trine formation during November offered several windows of opportunitywhich favoured stable, but far-reaching reforms and major structural changes to Europe’s political and monetary systems, which were NOT utilised.
Fortunately, because of retrograde spells by Jupiter and Mars (due to take place from January the 24th 2012), these windows will once open again for a second and final time in Spring 2012. Around mid-March (13 – 15th), another set of Mars-Jupiter-Pluto trines will take place, as Jupiter re-traces its steps through Taurus and Mars reverses through Virgo.
What’s more, close to this time, Jupiter will be joined by fellow benefic, Venus, providing a double dose of auspicious vibrations, creating the perfect environment in which to take action. Not only does it provide the setting for a stable, smooth transition out of financial trouble, but it also favours the introduction of practical, constructive reforms and regulations to both the international banking system, as well as to the laws concerning the way that large institutions, including governments, are run. Let’s hope that this time, the politicians will grasp this opportunity with both hands and take action, instead of dithering.
References:
[1] See his obituary in the New York Times and on the BBC website, as well as this explanation(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16336991)
[2] The importance of these predictions cannot be exaggerated. The Assyrians and Babylonians regarded lunar eclipses as evil omens, directed against their kings. Now that they were predictable, it was possible to appoint substitute kings who would bear the brunt of the gods’ wrath. The real king would remain unharmed and the continuity of the state’s policy was guaranteed. (The poor man who was appointed as substitute king was killed. In this way, the omen was always right.) –http://www.livius.org/k/kidinnu/kidinnu.htm
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