As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, India is a country bubbling with confidence. Whilst US and Europe is afflicted by economic recession, and will probably be so for several years to come, previous “third world” economies like Brazil, China and India are growing rapidly and beginning to use their economic muscle to assert themselves in the world. In fact, whilst these countries previously had to rely on the West for hi-tech solutions, they are now developing their own. For example China has recently developed a 5th generation Stealth bomber which may match anything the Americans have got, which they test flew just as US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates arrived in China for a visit… just to let the US know.
The population of India is well over a billion, yet they have the world’s largest democracy, a reasonably effective educationand health system, and a huge middle class. On the other hand, out of that 1.2 billion, there is a vast quantity of people living at a subsistence level, especially in the countryside – not unlike China – which for both countries is a rather destabilizing influence. Today vast numbers of Indian wander around with a mobile glued to their ear, just like in the West. Indeed even the poorer people own a mobile, because it represents the passport to prosperity.
Yet there is a major difference between Asian countries like Korea, Japan and China compared to India… in India everything is chaos. Driving on Indian roads is a miracle of survival. New roads are being built, but if a road is three lane, and four rows of cars, trucks, motorized rickshaws, bicycles etc. can fit, they surely will. And there will always be room for a car driving in the opposite direction. One Microsoft executive I talked to explained that Indian programmers could always get the job done, but if you asked them to design a cow, it might well have five legs. But it could still be milked. So what was the problem?
There are two important horoscopes for India, one for Independence from 1947 and one for the creation of a republic in 1950.
Horoscope Independence: 15.08.1947 Midnight. New Delhi. AS 0.54 GE
The Independence horoscope is shared with Pakistan and is strongly affected by the exact Saturn/Pluto conjunction of the period, which sensitizes India to this planetary cycle. The combination of these two planets shows the destruction of autocratic structures and suggested roots going back to a distant past. The conjunction itself shows the formation of new structures against a background of upheaval, and each subsequent phase of the cycle tends to show a national trauma or structural change. The partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 led to an immediate conflict and hundreds of thousands of dead, as Muslims trekked into East and West Pakistan, and Hindus trekked in the opposite direction. The opposition in 1965 took place at the time of the second war between India and Pakistan. The recent square between Saturn in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn has taken place at a time of heightened tension with Pakistan, not least because of terrorist episodes hatched in Pakistan, the main one being the massacre of citizens in Mumbai and its iconic hotel the TajMahal. As a result security is extraordinarily high in India these days at all major traffic points and hotels.
The fact that Jupiter in Scorpio squares the Saturn/Pluto conjunction in the horoscopes of India and Pakistan shows deadly religious tension that can explode at any time. Probably the coming Jupiter Pluto square in February 2011 can trigger religious extremism at this time, not least because it activates Mars. It is this Mars in emotional and nationalistic Cancer that shows extreme feelings on the boil. Mars is square the midpoint of Jupiter and Saturn/Pluto, so the potential for violent religious extremism is always there.
A little over two years after independence, on 26th January 1950, India declared a republic and it is this date in particular that gives the greatest insight into the Indian nation. This is the date celebrated nationwide, just as July 4th is for Americans. And as Indian rarely do anything without consulting an astrologer, this time is probable elected using astrology. Whereas the Independence horoscope tells of the disruption of the Indian subcontinent after the 2nd World War, and the establishment of new ruling dynasties in India after Gandhi, the Republic horoscope sets India aside as a unique identity. The population is amazingly friendly, as indicated by the stellium in Aquarius. The curiosity of the Indian people knows no bounds, and Venus conjunction Jupiter in Aquarius shows a melting pot of regions and religions that get on surprisingly well together. Over 300 different languages are spoken, and there are many different fervently practiced religions.
The Republic of India: 26.01.1950 10.15 Delhi AS 4.49 AR
The strong Aquarian emphasis in the Republic horoscope shows a nation that is proudly international, embracing English as an official language, along with Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil and a host of others. When eating in a posh restaurant in India, people are just as likely to be speaking English together as Hindi. This language skill has given enormous advantages, and enabled the country to sell business solutions to English speaking nations worldwide. In England, if you have the misfortune to have a problem with your computer or phone and ring up the support section, the chances are you will speak to an Indian, who will discuss the weather in Birmingham with you, even though they have never left their state.
The closest aspect in India’s horoscope is the exact trine of Mercury in Capricorn with Saturn in Virgo. This is a beautiful aspect for business, strengthened by mutual reception. The IT sector in India is huge and growing, and the renowned trading skills of India are shown by this aspect. Mercury in the 10th shows India as a nation of businessmen, all with an angle as to how to earn more money. The government spends considerable resources on educating the population and training their skills, and the work ethic is extremely strong.
Although Mercury could hardly be better placed, it does however make a square aspect to Neptune, and this might account for the extraordinarily complexity of communication with Indians. They are extremely friendly and polite, to the extent that they are sometimes reluctant to deliver hard facts. A yes may be said just to make you happy, rather than as an expression of intention. Mercury is actually about to go stationary direct in this horoscope, so the square to Neptune never actually becomes exact (by progression), and it also means that the trine to Saturn remained exact for the first 10 years after the republic was established. This aspect ensures that India will have long term success in business, and that the government itself will be organized through a strict democratic system designed to be of service to the people.
However, the people of India might not agree. The cynical view of politics in India is that government positions are sought for the purpose of wealth and power. Getting elected means being able to feather your own nest and that of all your relatives.In fact the last two years in India have been characterized as years of corruption. One scandal after another in unrolling and threatening the stability of the government. For example the minister of communication has apparently undersold bandwidth to the tune of billions of dollars, which means for Indians that he must have pocketed enormous bribes. It is probably the transit of Pluto over the Republic MC that is currently creating the turmoil high up in the system.
Pluto’s passage over India’s MC has coincided with new legislation in Congress to fight bribery and corruption. Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, has promised to “cleanse” the government. But amongst the media in 2010 there is an explosion of anger about the endemic corruption in India. Looking at the current transits to India’s chart, the arrival of Uranus at the Ascendant degree of 4.49 Aries suggests that this unrest may get very serious indeed during the course of 2011. This is a very explosive transit, and the precautions India is taking against potential terrorist attacks is completely justified. Key periods of danger are when Uranus goes stationary at 4.33 Aries in July, and in March and December 2012, when Uranus crosses the Ascendant again. There is also a major trigger period this year when Mars activates Uranus in April. As this Uranus transit takes place on the Ascendant rather than the Descendant, it could be that unrest is internal rather than external, or that India itself goes on the offensive. Another possibility is the increase of extreme nationalism in India, which could favor the more right wing Hindu nationalist party (BJP).
As the Uranus/Pluto square begins to bite from 2012 – 2015, the exact conjunction of India’s Mars with Ketu, the south node of the moon, will be activated. Traditionally the union of Mars and Ketu symbolizes a spiritual warrior who uses the energy of Mars for spiritual growth through self-denial. There is no shortage of examples of this, as a walk through any town leads to encounters with ascetics, sadhus and spiritual travellers, who have given up the material life and embraced a life on the road. There is a Hindu tradition of giving everything up in the later years of life to concentrate on spiritual goals. This very same Mars/Ketu conjunction may also reflect the Indian attitude to war. Though threatened by Pakistan and China, it does seem to pursue a policy of restraint. That has not stopped India developing nuclear weapons but they do have a policy of no first use, and what they call “minimum credible deterrence”. They also have the 3rd largest standing army in the world, but when you meet soldiers in the streets, they seem to be just as friendly as every other Indian.
Uranus/Pluto to India’s Mars and Ketu takes place in 2013, and it is likely that the Indian army will see action at this time. With the very volatile mix on nuclear weapons in Pakistan and India, and there will be some dangerous brinkmanship. In India’s progressed horoscope at this time the progressed sun actually comes on Rahu (the north node) and opposes Mars/Ketu, so India will almost certainly be very assertive. As it is Mars in the 7th that is affected, the trouble is likely to come from an external country, which would therefor most likely be Pakistan. India’s Mars at 9.23 Libra is however quite close to China’s sun at 7.47 Libra, and China will also be experiencing the disruption of the Uranus/Pluto square, which is very likely to unseat leading government figures in that country.
However, you do not have to look very hard to see major countries being affected by the Uranus/Pluto square, The United States, with its sun at 13 Cancer being one, and the United Kingdom with its sun at 10 Capricorn being another. What we are probably seeing at this time is a major shift in the balance of power, coupled with worldwide distress because of the economic crisis. Even in India food prices have tripled in recent years, whilst the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer everywhere in the world. Some disruption is to be expect everywhere in the world, and India as a nation is very well equipped to deal with it, not least because the Moon in Taurus shows vast resources and a stable and long-lived Mother India.
Adrian Duncan