Mundane Astrology: Afghanistan Open Post

[ecosophia]

As I think all but my most recent readers know by this point, I'm an astrologer (among other things), and the specific branch of astrology I practice is mundane astrology -- the branch that predicts the future of nations rather than individuals. Most of what I do focuses on the traditional tools of ingress and eclipse charts, but I'm also interested in foundation charts, and the foundation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan yesterday in the wake of the humiliating collapse of the US puppet government there offers a fine opportunity to test the traditional lore. 

That test will be especially interesting because the foundation time of Afghanistan's new government was very obviously elected -- that is, they sat down with a good astrologer and chose the date and time so that it would give them the best available foundation chart. The guy earned his fee, and close study of how he did it is one way to learn some tricks about timing your own actions by the stars. 

Since this is a topic of immediate interest to a lot of people, and since I have a habit of putting up the occasional open post on my astrology accounts, I've made this one visible to the general public. You can read it on either of my two platforms: 

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Patreon

Comments

Direct Link

[slithytoves123]

Here's a direct link to the SubscribeStar post: https://www.subscribestar.com/posts/403409

I assume you didn't link it because they don't make it obvious how to get to it. You have to click on the "..." button on the post then click "Copy Link" (if you just want to paste it) or "Show" (to go there).

Re: Direct Link

[ecosophia]

Thanks for this. You're quite correct -- I don't claim to be particularly good at navigating internet gimmickry.

[(Anonymous)]

Very interesting, it certainly looks like they picked the time carefully. So do you think it likely that the Afghan astrologers also use Placidus? You reckon they use the traditional rulerships therefore with Saturn as ruler of Aquarius, but you still have Neptune as ruler of Pisces rather than Jupiter. That would possibly make the narcotics issue less serious in their eyes if they don’t assume the same.

[ecosophia]

Since I have no way of knowing what house system they used, I simply used the one I'm familiar with, and interpreted the chart on that basis. As for Neptune, it's very likely that they treated Pisces as ruled by Jupiter, in which case they might be blindsided by the drug issue.

[brendhelm]

My suspicion is that they would calculate using Alcabitius houses, which unfortunately my software doesn't support. I checked all the quadrant-house systems it does support, though, and none of them move any planets to a different house (even with equal-house they stay put, though whole-sign moves some around).

[(Anonymous)]

John,
Since we are on the subject of foundational charts, what insights, if any, do you see from the US foundational chart regarding our current states of affairs, the next few years or decade, potential for secession, etc.? Maybe progressed charts are more appropriate? Or, maybe the ingresses and eclipses are more significant?
Thank you,
Will1000

[ecosophia]

That's a subject that will take multiple essays to discuss, since there's a lot of dissension around which chart to use. I focus on ingresses and eclipses because there's no question which one to use!

So about the astrology...

[slithytoves123]

Alright, I've had a chance to have a good look at the chart itself.

1) How does it change the reading if they did wait until noon or a little after? I know some astrologers count planet within a few degrees of the next house cusp as being in the next house, so it might not change that much, but it seems like putting the Sun in the 9th would be good for their religious agenda, or might lead them to becoming known for their universities. (Bear in mind I have no real knack for astrology.)

2) Does the North Node play a significant part in a foundation chart? If so, there's arguably (fairly wide orb -- about 8 degrees) a second grand trine between it (7 Gemini 31, in the 7th house), Saturn, and Venus. In a natal chart (though remember by caveat on my lack of talent in astrology) I've seen the North Node used as an indication of the person's life purpose or destiny (contrasted with their fate, that is, the karmic influence from their last life, which is represented by the South Node). If so, its participation in the grand trine seems very good, and strengthens the positions Venus and Saturn even more. In Gemini in the 7th, it seems like it might be an indication that they'll find themselves playing two other powers (*cough* Russia and China *cough*) against each other for their own benefit, and coming out ahead.

3) While I think you've convincingly argued that Pluto is on its way out, I don't think we're quite done with it yet, so it's worth noting that Pluto is 24 Capricorn 49 and retrograde, giving a separating sextile with Neptune and a 2-ish degree inconjunct with the Sun. Pluto is particularly opaque to me, so I have no idea what this means, if anything at this point.

4) One astrology program I use -- Astrolog -- has the Sun square the ascendant, Pluto sextile it, and Neptune trine it. This gives the Ascendant, Pluto, and Neptune a pattern whose name and significance I can't remember. No idea what any of this means!

5) Finally, the Part of Fortune is 7 Aries 57, putting it in the 5th house sextile the N. Node to one side and Saturn to the other (that pattern again) and opposite Venus with about 4 degree orb. To me this suggests that they could find themselves benefiting from a high birth rate and/or becoming a major center for vice: gambling, prostitution, etc. The placement in Aries and opposition to Venus suggests that this will involve patriarchal values, if not outright misogyny, and will face a lot of pushback and resentment from the women of the country. However the wide orb and strong placement of Venus offers hope that its impact on their rights and wellbeing will be minimal. (EDIT: I just noticed this might tie in with the drug issue you saw in the chart.)

Again, astrology's not really my thing. I just wanted to toss these thoughts out there for discussion.

Re: So about the astrology...

[ecosophia]

All these are good points for discussion. I don't claim that the specific set of considerations I use are all-powerful or even better than anyone else's, and I'd encourage others to make their own interpretations of the chart and see who gets what right.

Trines etc.

[(Anonymous)]

How fast do the relative positions of the planets change? The fortune-enhancing grand trine includes the Moon, which moves around the planet relatively fast, but not nearly as fast as it appears to. To get this opportune pattern, did they have to pick the exact day? The exact hour? Or would anytime a few days either way have done it?

Re: Trines etc.

[ecosophia]

The Moon moves 12°-15° a day, and the house cusps change one degree every four minutes on average, so they had to pick it to within much less than an hour.

Re: Trines etc.

[slithytoves123]

Lets see... the Moon has to travel the 360 degrees of the Zodiac is about 29 days, which works out to a little over 12 degrees a day. Since the Moon is a luminary, you can use a wider orb than usual - out as far as 8, 10, even 12 degrees. Since the orb can be to either side (normally you'd want applying but in the actual chart the Moon is separating), that gives a window of 36 to 48 hours for each individual trine, though less given that it needs to be trining both Uranus and the Mercury-Mars conjunction.

Obviously the Sun conjunct midheaven was the driving force for the exact time, but at a glance the grand trine started the day before and lasted until at least well into that night.

[(Anonymous)]

It's really fascinating that you reached these conclusions, because as a practitioner of Persian astrology I also saw much the same thing; but my method of interpreting it is radically different than yours. Same territory, different map...

[ecosophia]

I've had the same experience with Vedic astrologers, who use completely different approaches but get much the same results. Clearly our different methods are allowing us to glimpse the same underlying objective reality.

Religious tension

[(Anonymous)]

I find it interesting that the chart shows religious infighting as one of their biggest obstacles, since a few political analysts had been speculating that before the 19th. Maybe there was nothing the astrologer could do.

Is there any indication of whether the religious disputes will be coming from inside or outside the regime? China has apparently been courting Afghanistan lately (what a coincidence!) and they haven't been known for being particularly kind to Muslims.

Re: Religious tension

[ecosophia]

I think he gave them the best chart he could within the narrow time frame available. That's very common in electional astrology. The disputes will be internal, because Jupiter is in the 4th -- if it involved outside sources, I'd expect to see the 7th or its ruler involved.

[(Anonymous)]

Interesting.

I think this chart highlights just how dire the US 2021 inauguration chart is. Also wouldn't astrology be slightly taboo in Islam? They obviously used an astrologer but they wouldn't like it to be known that they did?

I know an astrologer who did natal charts for some women in the UAE and the whole thing was done on the down low.

[lincoln_lynx]

From what admittedly little I know, Islam's relationship with astrology isn't hostile, but complicated. They see the planets as servants of Allah and reading them as interpreting his Will. Simultaneously hubristic but nonetheless tolerably religious.

[(Anonymous)]

In a very strange way, this reminds me of Germany's situation after WWII. Germany was accepted once it had decided to distance itself from its past. Perhaps the Taliban has realized that acting as a base for extremism is really unpopular with the rest of the world, and it could just as easily be China or India that drops a few bombs next time.

The opium production is worrisome, as the effects of it in the US has been devastating.

Jon

[ecosophia]

If the Taliban settles down and pursues a good-neighbor policy, as this chart suggests they will, my guess is that everyone but the US and its client states will treat them like an ordinary government within a short time.

[(Anonymous)]

Abu Rayhan al-Biruni would be proud. The whole subject is full of emotional landmines for me, though. I have seen my friends come back with bodies mutilated by the fighting there, never mind the psychological toll. Are the Taliban not the enemy any more? Is it okay to wish them success in bringing much-needed stability to the tribes? Mainstream news is covering up the streets full of bodies that nobody bothers to pick up, and it worries me that we are not far off from seeing that here some day. Meanwhile Taliban are posing with ice cream cones in order to troll Biden. Am I allowed to laugh with the murderers? Is this inner conflict the result a misguided allegiance to a country not long for this world?

[ecosophia]

Understood -- it's a very bitter and complicated situation.

Roman equivalent divination

[(Anonymous)]

I have a divination system that puts the USA on Roman Empire 1:1, is a first degree polynomial so I imput a date and get the Roman times, now we are in the correspondence of 214.5 in times of Caracalla, the push of Trump corresponded to Geta being murdered by Caracalla. I actually have my system only of for around 3 years, 2 at the time, and didn't dare to make some public predictions.

Even if US Empire is in the corresponding beginning of 3rd century it is in worse shape, Caracalla made the baths in Rome, similar as Joe tries to push the infrastructure, to enrich the inner circle, but Joe is less effective. I think releasing COVID complicated the decline, Caracalla made all the subject of the Empire citizens to increase the tax base at the correspondence end of 2020 beginning of 2021, Joe made all western empire subjects to vaccines to increase the tax base one measure is inclusive the other is divisive.

I think a major problem will appear in the correspondence around Thursday, October 27, 2022, 218AD with a emperor that is one of the most unpopular in Roman times Elagabalus, so a new president will be either gay or woman or both. But very disconnected from the population and with terrible unpopular and outrageous choices (Kamala?) this will end only on 2024 which will see a rather more stable ruler but who will be betrayed by the beginning of 2028, around 2026 Russia, Iran and maybe China or both will become very aggressive on advancing on Europe. Following 2028 Us will be ruled by soldier rulers.

There are problems with the US Empire that might not see a revival and might not survive its equivalent of 3rd century is that its geographical separation from its Eastern side by an Ocean, and also that its military is less resilient and popular.

Re: Roman equivalent divination

[(Anonymous)]

Hey, I‘m feeling a bit sorry that nobody replied to your post. I found it interesting, to say the least, and will take note of your predictions!

[(Anonymous)]

It seems there is a movement among the woke witches to hex the Taliban, it doesn't go so well.

[ecosophia]

Yes, I heard about that. I wonder if the morons who are doing that realize that they're dealing with people who play with live ammo.

[(Anonymous)]

I heard that they chose 19th because it is the same day as Afghan Independence Day is celebrated as a national holiday in Afghanistan on 19 August to commemorate the Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919

[readoldthings]

The Grand Trine could be summarized in a sentence as "Scholar-warriors (Mercury-Mars) affecting revolutionary change (Uranus) on behalf of the people (Moon.)

Regarding the Saturn-Venus trine, I had the following thought-- "Saturnization" is an odd phenomenon in the history of religion whereby a religion previously ruled by another planet is forcibly migrated into Saturn's provenance. Rabbinic Judaism is an example, and Puritanism in Christianity is another. Modern "Fundamentalist" Islam is a Saturnization of what was once a Venus religion. If you look at it that way, it suggests that the Saturnization of Islam will proceed under the Taliban, but do so harmoniously.

The Sun-Jupiter opposition admits of a similar interpretation... As obviously Solar as Christianity seems, some older sources have it as a religion of Jupiter, including at least one Islamic source I've seen (maybe Al Biruni?) As Jupiter also represents kingship and wealth, the Opposition as a whole could be taken as "The triumphant government of the Taliban (Sun) triumphs over the Western Imperialists (Jupiter) who are now in retreat (Retrograde.)

Who knows if they or their hypothetical astrologer had any of this in mind, but it seemed work noting to me...

[(Anonymous)]

Interesting. Do you know if Hinduism has a traditional ruler in Western (and/or Arabic) astrology? I could see the current bend toward Hindutva/Hindu nationalism in recent decades as another example of forced Saturnization.

[stcathalexandria]

When I came to the end of my Peace Corps service in January 1994, our country was flooded with Peace Corps volunteers from Rwanda. The U.S. government had ended their terms of service early due to growing unrest in the country. They paid for them to fly anywhere they wanted and many had figured they might as well see other places in Africa before flying home. It was soon followed by removing all non-essential U.S. workers with USAID, Embassy, and various NGO's. The Rwanda massacre began in April. The U.S. government knew it was coming and took appropriate action to preserve American lives.

Whatever we have now is now in the U.S. for a government it is not focused on preserving American lives.

[(Anonymous)]

I suspect that most of the Americans in country are "contractors" for the MIC and are owed alot of money. No contractor, no problem. Cost cutting at its finest.
Gawain

The heroin lobby is pretty upset

[(Anonymous)]

It seems the heroin business disruption prospects upset a lot of people, and even made a lot retract the support from Joe Biden, if nothing else did. The Taliban seem to be keen o this one, they managed in the past, and the Northern Alliance practically the only one that could have continued a smaller percent of smuggle is cutting a deal wit the Taliban which may mean 0 opium out of Afghanistan. Is the birth chart compatible with a total total stop of heroin out of Afghanistan?

Blogger Says Stick A Fork In The PMC

[(Anonymous)]

Hi, JMG:

One of my correspondents just sent me this link and I thought the author brilliantly put their finger exactly upon what you've been talking about:

https://tinkzorg.wordpress.com/2021/08/16/farewell-to-bourgeois-kings/

The author says, in summary, "stick a fork in the professional managerial class, they are done. With this disaster in Afghanistan, their incompetence has become un-ignorable."

- Cicada Grove

Re: Blogger Says Stick A Fork In The PMC

[ecosophia]

I've seen that. Malcom Kyeyune is always worth reading and this one is even more so than usual.