The Astrology of
Burma and Myanmar
Burma was renamed Myanmar by the Generals following the 1988 coup d'etat, and both entities have their individual horoscopes.
Burma and the Astrologers
NewsScope November 22, 2005
At precisely 6:37 am on November 6, 2005, workers began relocating Burma's government from Rangoon to Pyinmana, a secluded village in the country's mountainous interior. Western observers were baffled by the sudden move, but cited the military junta's fear of being invaded by American forces as the underlying reason. However, insiders reported that the generals' fascination with astrology was a contributing factor.
As the historical precedent for this style of decision-making, the birth moment for the independence of Burma was decided by a court of Buddhist astrologers, and they came up with 4:20 am; January 4, 1948 (Rangoon). A horoscope for this elected time shows some favorable placements, notably Jupiter rising and dignified in its own sign, Sagittarius. Also, Venus in Aquarius forms a supporting sextile to Jupiter, theoretically promising the nation wealth, plus religious and ethnic tolerance.
As we know now, the facts of Burma's violent history suggest that the astrologers were way off the mark*. These local astrologers don't use the outer planets, and so missed the fact that Neptune squared the Sun. Neptune so prominent in this chart explains the junta's secret arrangements with drug dealers, as well as their ongoing enrichment through oil revenues.
How did the astrologers miss Mars square the Ascendant? In 1962 when transiting Pluto was conjunct Mars, the military seized power in a coup d'etat. Now transiting Uranus is opposing this Mars, creating disruption within the military hierarchy, and urgent demands for democratic reforms. In addition, transiting Pluto opposes Burma's natal Uranus, further activating the long-oppressed reform movement.
NeptuneCafe Presents...
The Astrology of Burma
excerpted from November 1999 issue of American Astrology
Professional astrologers are often asked to select a promising birth time for a new company, marriage, or in the case of political astrology, a new country. Burma, a region with a long, rich history favoring astrologers, declared its independence on January 4, 1948. According to researcher Nicholas Campion, "the hour having been chosen by astrologers as auspicious."
The horoscope for Burma features Jupiter dignified in Sagittarius and made prominent by its proximity to the Sagittarius Ascendant. Any astrologer looking to promote national prosperity is justified in having Jupiter Rising. Jupiter here is favorably trine Saturn and Pluto in the ninth house, and sextile Venus on the one hand, and the Moon and Neptune on the other. Jupiter also squares the Midheaven, which likewise favors business prospects. So far so good....
The problem with this chart is that the planet governing Generals, Mars, is in Virgo, the sign of military service. This Virgo Mars is the most elevated planet in the horoscope, indicating what would eventually rise to power. Mars squares the Ascendant, which puts the military at odds with the national identity, and a constant source of internal conflict. However, Mars trines the Sun, showing that military power and national government are natural allies. Pluto, the natural ruler of dictators, arrived on Burma's Mars in 1962 when the first military coup d'etat was staged. Burma has been under military dictatorship ever since, although periodically democracy movements challenge the Generals' rule only to be brutally and ruthlessly put down.
Why should anyone care about the goings-on in this far-flung region of southeast Asia? Besides nominally supporting democracy movements around the globe, Americans are in an escalating battle against widespread drug addiction. Burma supplies about 90 percent of the world's heroin production, and since the
latest military government took over in September 1988, heroin trafficking has quadrupled.
The BBC, the PBS documentary Frontline, and other respected news media report that Burma's military leaders protect and profit from global heroin trafficking. And the natal horoscope selected by Burmese astrologers in 1948 clearly shows this tendency. Neptune in this horoscope is located near the Moon in Libra, and closely aspecting nearly every planet in the chart. Neptune is in a helpful sextile to the dictatorial Pluto in the ninth house of foreign trade.
Neptune is exactly squaring the second house Sun, reflecting the large, illegal profits derived from heroin trafficking, and implicating the government leaders. Neptune has a more spiritual side, of course, but until the national government espouses Buddhism or other transcendental approach to running the country, we can assume that heroin is the Neptunian outlet.
The Whole World Watches Myanmar
NewsScope, October 1, 2007
Although the Myanmar's military government has shut down the nation's internet cafes, photos and stories of the ongoing brutal repression are circulating around the global village. The current popular unrest in Burma – renamed Myanmar by the Generals – has its roots in 1988, when millions of citizens launched a pro-democracy movement, but which was cut short when the military staged a coup d'etat.
The horoscope for Myanmar's military regime is set for that coup (September 18, 1988; 4:00 pm; Rangoon). Myanmar's Sun is found in the military service sign of Virgo, where it squares a Saturn-Uranus conjunction in late Sagittarius. This dynamic is now being activated by transiting Pluto, and reveals the deep-seated transformation that is unfolding since Pluto has been hovering over Myanmar's Saturn-Uranus over the past year.
With transcendental Neptune conjunct Myanmar's Aquarius Ascendant, Buddhist monks have naturally become the vanguard of the protest movement. Minor rallies over an increase in fuel prices took a dramatic turn on September 5 when troops killed a number of protestors. That was the day Pluto turned direct while exactly conjunct natal Saturn (orb 0º05'). Saturn-Pluto cycles, as described most eloquently by Richard Tarnas (in Cosmos and Psyche), is "the punitive assertion of conservative or reactionary authority."
Last week, the extremely confrontational Mars and Pluto opposition aligned with Myanmar's Saturn. Protestors' ranks had swollen to 100,000 until the troops began shooting, killing an unknown number of unarmed monks and students. Next up: transiting Pluto is heading into the conjunction with Myanmar's Uranus during the first week of November, the most revolutionary combination in the heavens.
The Dictator
Burma's current powerbroker is General Ne Win who has remained the top military commander since the coup of Mar 2, 1962 (6 pm, according to sources). The horoscope for this coup parallels the developments seen in Burma's national horoscope as well as the September 18, 1988 chart. Pluto is conjunct the Ascendant, and transiting Pluto is now squaring this powerful point. In addition, the ruler of the chart is Mercury (squaring Neptune, ruler of heroin) and placed at 14º Aquarius, right where transiting Uranus and Saturn are hitting this month.
The Current Regime (1999)
The current regime's horoscope is set for September 18, 1988 at 4 pm in Rangoon when the army made its radio announcement of the new government (time is from personal correspondence). Although Mars is retrograde, it is otherwise strong by its abundance of aspects: inconjunct Pluto, sextile Jupiter, dignified in Aries, square Neptune, square Chiron, and trine Venus. The retrograde motion and the square to Neptune points to a military who's purpose is turned inward for purposes other than guarding national law and order, namely personal power and the narcotics trade. This junta was first to make peace treaties with the armed ethnic population growing the poppy fields, from which heroin is produced.
The aspect relevant to our discussion here is the repetition of a theme: Pluto squares Venus, the junta challenged by the strong woman. In this case Venus is in Leo, and by the time Burma's leading woman leader takes center stage, she is on the verge of international stardom. Speaking openly and critically of the military leadership in late 1988 and the first half of 1989, Suu Kyi was finally placed under house arrest on July 20, 1989. At the time her progressed Sun and Pluto were conjunct, transiting Pluto was at 12º Scorpio (squaring the junta's Venus in Leo, squaring Burma's natal Venus, and opposing her ownVenus). Also, transiting Saturn was conjunct Burma's Sun and opposing her own Saturn.
The acceleration of eventsoccurred as the outer planets activated the 12º of fixed signs, which once again is the case now in 1999. With Suu Kyi a martyred figure under house arrest, the National League for Democracy won a landslide victory (88%) during the election of May 27, 1990. The military, which at first promoted the election, reneged on its support, and threw out Parliament, arresting and torturing many of the newly elected members in the process.
Over the next few years, Aung San Suu Kyi achieved international recognition for her plight. She was given several European awards recognizing her for her human rights stand in her writings and speeches. Then on October 14, 1991 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while still detained. After many protests by global leaders everywhere, the military finally released her on July 10, 1995, although her speech and movements are still (as of this writing) severely restricted.
The Challenge of Democracy
What prospects are there for change in government in Burma? This month (November 1999), Saturn and Uranus make their second of three squares at 13º Taurus and Aquarius. This degree is very near Burma's Pluto, located at 14º Leo. Throughout 1999 Burma's Pluto has been under siege from the outer planets Saturn and Uranus, showing the urgent demand for radical change in the status quo. In a fascinating manifestation of Burma's natal potential, the challenge to the junta comes in the form of a woman. Pluto is opposed in this horoscope by Venus in the equal-rights sign of Aquarius. Aquarius more than any other sign promotes democracy movements, and transiting Uranus on Burma's Venus is the activation of this impulse.
Since 1988 the leader of the pro-democracy movement has been Aung San Suu Kyi, herself the daughter of a General who was assassinated on July 19, 1947. Ms Suu Kyi was born on June 19, 1945 in Rangoon, Burma (time unknown, set for 12 Noon). With her Sun in Gemini, she is a natural writer and communicator, and since she has Uranus at 14º Gemini, opposite the Burma Ascendant and Jupiter, her speeches and writings have naturally focused on democracy and human rights.
Suu Kyi's chart shows her intensely ambitious drive for power, undoubtedly inherited from her father's military background: she has Mars square Pluto in fixed signs giving her tremendous perseverance and willpower. Mars-Pluto aspects aren't inherently ruthless or mean-spirited, but they do bring tremendous resourcefulness and drive to win, no matter what the costs. Nelson Mandela has a Mars-Pluto square, and Mohandas Gandhi had Mars opposite Pluto. Mars-Pluto people are the doers, the shakers, and the indomitable troublemakers. As we shall see, Burma's de facto chieftain, General Khin Nyunt, has Mars opposite Pluto, so these two Burmese leaders are deeply committed foes.
Suu Kyi's Venus at 12º Taurus resonates strongly with Burma's Venus at 12º Aquarius. In other words, when Burma's Venus archetype awakens, Suu Kyi is there to fill the bill as a national woman leader opposing the dictatorship. Burma's Venus opposes Pluto; Suu Kyi's Venus squares Pluto. Suu Kyi's personal authority and earthly power is symbolized by her Saturn in Cancer. This Saturn is exactly opposite Burma's Sun in Capricorn, so again she naturally opposes the standing regime.
Burma's national politics took a sudden turn on July 23, 1988 when the acting dictator General Ne Win stepped down, triggering a widespread pro-democracy movement. At the time Saturn and Uranus were conjunct at 27º Sagittarius, exactly opposing Suu Kyi's Sun. The Saturn-Uranus conjunction triggered revolutionary democracy movements around the globe, most notably in apartheid South Africa, the Eastern European communist bloc, Beijing's Tiananmen Square, and the Soviet Union.
In Burma tremendous rallies were held on August 8, 1988 (selected for the numerologically favorable combination of 8-8-88). Suu Kyi reached national prominence on August 26, 1988 when she addressed half a million people during a mass rally for democracy. On September 18, 1988 the military cracked down, re-establishing itself as the sole authority. The National League for Democracy was founded six days later (September 24, 1988) with Aung Sang See Kyi as the General Secretary.
General Ne Win is 87 years old now, and has severe medical problems. Observers say he hasn't much longer to live. His passing will mark a major change in Burma's political climate. His likely successor will be General Khin Nyunt who was born on October 11, 1939 (in Kyauktan, Burma, time unknown, set for Noon). Gen. Nyunt has been one of Burma's top leaders since the September 18, 1988 takeover, and was responsible for arresting and later releasing Aung San Suu Kyi in his official role as Head of Military Intelligence.
© All the material on this page was written by Michael O'Reilly, NeptuneCafe's resident astrologer.
Senior General Than Shwe (born February 2, 1933) is the current ruler of Myanmar, serving as Commander-in-Chief
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note: General Nyunt was deposed in 2004 by General Than Shwe
