Syrian Turmoil as a Global Mirror

 Chart for the Syrian Arab Republic

April 17, 1946 - Damascus (noon)

Syria has been having a lot of political problems for a very long time. Tales of brutalities, and of late atrocities, have emanated from Syria for years now.

 Map of Syria

With Uranus’ March 2011 entrance into Aries, Syrians took their cue from Egyptians and others, accessing social media as their way to provide a global window on their world. The Syrian government has done all it can to clamp down on such exposure, but video and Tweets and other bits of at least awful – if not frankly damning - evidence has gotten sent out.

That ingress of Uranus into Aries is all about our asserting ourselves. It’s about finding out who we are and becoming known to others, whether that happens because we finally stand up for ourselves…or maybe because something happens to reveal our true nature.

BLOG on URANUS entering ARIES

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Or at least facets which have been hidden up until now.

In the case of Syria, its national Mercury stands at 0 Aries 29. So Uranus was pretty quick to roll over that point. And as it did, Syrian voices – on both sides – rose up in a clamor.

That it has become louder just lately (prompting reactions from various heads of state including President Obama) would seem quite in keeping with the 11 Gemini solar eclipse having either ‘set off’ or ‘blacking out’ (depending on how you think of it) the national Uranus at 14 Gemini. With Uranus in this chart stand Rigel/Kallisto (I’ll teach you how beastly I can be!)… and asteroid Hel with Aldebaran on the other – which is arguably ‘how difficult it really is to have integrity.’

From either point of view – citizen or leader -  that last would seem to be distressingly true, too.

That Saturn is taking its June 2011 station at 10 Libra and therefore conjunct Byblis/Ixion is – one hopes – a ‘turning point’ in some process where national forces feel entitled (Ixion) to do and defend something unspeakable (Byblis). That the June 15 lunar eclipse at 24 Sagittarius conjuncts a South Node (the easiest ting to do) which stands conjunct Sisyphus and Ras Alhague however…?

Lunar eclipses are always emotional high points (for good or bad) and they always bring one ‘back down to Earth’ (earth=reality). In Sagittarius, this is a particularly edgy point and though one would expect the ‘flash point’ of any lunar eclipse to be rather right on the day there is astrological theory to suggest that as the South Node is at 22 Sagittarius and the lunar eclipse is at 24 Sagittarius, a ‘flash point’ may precede the eclipse by two days – making it June 13th (UT/+0) instead of June 15.

 Al-Hamidiyah Souq

photo credit: Bernard Gagnon (March 2010)

Ras Alhague has a bad reputation. When used to the good it is a ‘strong reaction’ which is made for the good or so that things can ultimately heal – as when a difficult/dangerous (painful, costly, etc.) surgery is undertaken so that ultimately the life is saved.

Unfortunately, here we have Ras Alhague positioned with Sisyphus. And Sisyphus is all about those who have the opportunity to do good choosing not to do good at all.

LINK to Daykeeper Journal Article

on Sisyphus, Damocles and Typhon

Together, this doesn’t suggest a South Node/lunar eclipse combination likely to indicate anything particularly nice.

That the July 1st solar eclipse at 9 Cancer hits Syria’s Mirzam/Sappho, Alhena, Niobe, Scheherazade, Sirius and Hybris…? Mirzam represents the ‘bringing of a message’ whether or not anything is done with, or about the information. Mirzam/Sappho is thus a universal message.

Alhena speaks to ‘one’s purpose’ whether that be the destiny of courage or the mark of Cain.

Niobe is pride – pride which is ultimately self defeating. Where we see Niobe energized we see pride and braggarts who think they ‘have it all’…only to have that ‘all’ taken away from them.

Scheherazade is a teller of tales. The attempt is to enchant and to save your own skin.

Sirius is a star which speaks to ‘small actions which lead to large consequences.’ When we operate Sirius well, we recognize that even the smallest of efforts count. Because Sirius stands so close to Alhena we become aware that the degree of our true intent or focus, whether for good or bad, is a good deal of the energy which lies behind charisma.

Last in line here is Hybris. Having run across information which links this Greek term to what we think of as ‘entitlement,’ one would wonder what the difference is between Hybris and Ixion until you read the whole of the tale about Ixion and realize that one (Ixion) is a Plutino and that Hybris is an asteroid.

LINK to ARTICLE ON IXION

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Hybris is thus moments when we meet up with our own entitlement (and whether we are “entitled to”) where Ixion’s form of entitlement is either part of our ‘fantasy nature’ or something thrust upon or enticed out of us. Beyond that, Hybris – by virtue of being an asteroid - would seem to indicate ‘moments’ we can get past where Ixion seems to lead to or indicate long term problems.

Well…except in the case of a solar eclipse. Remembering that solar eclipses act very much like transits which last three full years, this evocation of Syria’s Hybris (along with everything else) seems to tell us that the course Syria is currently on is going to continue being various shades of very difficult for some time to come.