October 8th, 2001
Nancy Lubar Sommers, LCSW
With American bombs now dropping in Afghanistan, the Muslim world is simmering on the brink of considerable upheaval. Violent demonstrations from Indonesia to Palestine are bubbling up from the disgruntled and propagandized masses. But nowhere is the danger of mass uprising greater and more potentially lethal than in Pakistan. This country, which borders Afghanistan on the South, has a significant percentage of population sympathetic to the fundamentalist Taliban and greatly antipathetic to America. In addition, Pakistan is one of a small number of countries with nuclear weaponry at its fingertips. Whoever controls Pakistan controls these potentially catastrophic devices, and a fanatical fundamentalist, virulently anti-American regime at the controls would be a disaster.
There are several astrological indications of the current turmoil in Pakistan, most of which suggest considerable upheaval through most of November. In the birth chart for modern Pakistan (noon, 8/15/47 in Karachi) the Sun at 21 Leo is currently receiving an opposition from stationary Uranus at 21 Aquarius. This is symptomatic of tremendous disruption and ferment, with the possibility of sudden and sweeping changes. It can indicate brilliant and sudden moves by the ruler to consolidate his power as well as a generally unstable and difficult situation. This transit remains very strong through late November and finishes with the powerful Mars/Uranus conjunction between November 24 and 26, 2001.
In the chart of President Pervez Musharraf's siezure of power (noon, 10/12/99 in Karachi) we find an ongoing battle between the forces of repression (Saturn) and the forces of disruption (Uranus). The square between these two planets in the 10/12/99 chart is within one-degree orb by tertiary progression during the last several months of 2001 and almost all of 2002. This struggle reaches a fevered pitch during the period from late September 2001 through the first half of January 2002, during which it is intensely activated. From late September through October, the tertiary progressed Sun is square natal Uranus. This adds greatly to the incendiary atmosphere of change, upset, and ferment, as well as increasing the power and authority of the president. Musharraf is likely to strongly dominate the situation, imposing sudden edicts that further his goals.
By approximately October 19 the tertiary progressed Sun reaches opposition to the tertiary progressed Saturn remaining in effect for a month. This implies that obstacles and difficulties become more formidable for the president. I feel that this period from late October through late November is the most dangerous for any radical shift in power in Afghanistan. Once past the Mars/Uranus conjunction of 11/24 through 11/26, the chances of major transformation become much dimmer.
The increased Saturn influence for Musharraf (noon, Aug 11, 1943) goes from late October through late November and then returns with greater strength from mid-December through mid-January, when the tertiary progressed Sun opposes natal Saturn in Musharraf’s seizure of power chart. Also beginning in mid-December, Musharraf (born 8/11/43 in Delhi, India) will have transiting Saturn square his own natal Mercury and conjunct his natal Uranus. These continue through late March. Taken together we see Musharraf struggling from late October on to keep a tight rein on his power. It is possible he will become somewhat unpopular during this period. These are planetary aspects that suggest he will be having a very difficult time, feel somewhat thwarted, and have an uphill battle on many fronts. Whether this implies an actual loss of power is unclear, but he will feel limited and somewhat restricted from late October through March.