Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is currently at a critical stage in its history, with the result of a general election still undecided, but which looks like it may bring to an end the rule of Robert Mugabe, that has brought the country to ruin. The whole world is watching.

Zimbabwe came into being at 00.00 hours on 18 April 1980 in the capital, Harare. The Sun conjunct IC in Aries reflects the war (Aries) over who ruled the country (Sun) that are at its origins (IC). The Sun is also opposite Pluto in Libra, emphasising the power struggle out of which the country arose. But it was also genuinely a struggle for fairness and justice (Libra), as a tiny minority of white people ruling the country were eventually displaced.

Unfortunately this Sun opposite Pluto is Zimbabwe's future as well as its past, and aptly describes the malevolent dictatorship that has arisen under Robert Mugabe. (cf Iran, which also has Sun in Aries opposite Pluto in Libra.) The Sun is also in a Grand Trine with Mars and Neptune, reflecting the ease with which violence and deception has become part of this regime. The economic meltdown that Zimbabwe is currently experiencing, for example, is described by Mugabe as a necessary pain that the country has to go through in order to shake off the western powers trying to control the country.

What has been disastrous for the country are the so-called ‘land reforms’ which began in 2000. The idea for a long time had been that more of the white owned farms needed to be run by skilled black people, but the way it was done was haphazard and brutal, with farms often ending up in the hands of Mugabe’s cronies. The farms had been the source of Zimbabwe’s wealth. Many of them are now inoperative, hence the economic meltdown and widespread famine.

2 years after the ‘land reforms’ started, Uranus crossed the country’s 2nd House (wealth) cusp, reflecting the economic instability that was coming in. Uranus will remain in the 2nd House for another 3 years, so whatever the outcome of the current Presidential election, it is going to take several years for the country to at least start to reach some sort of economic stability. The trouble is, Neptune will soon be entering the 2nd House, reflecting a possible economic miracle, but also the possibility of further meltdown. The only way the country can get back on its feet is through stable government, that will bring back the tourist industry, and that can address the difficult task of getting the farms run competently again, but without going back to the old unfairness of having them predominantly white-owned. Neptune will be in the 2nd House until 2024: 16 years does not seem at all unrealistic as a time-scale for getting the country back on its feet.

Progressions come into their own when considering the charts of countries, because they can be used to describe the long phases that a country will go through, particularly if you are using the planets from Jupiter outwards. The rise and fall of the (second) British Empire, for example, is described by the Direct Prog Pluto cycle in the 1801 Chart which lasted from 1755 to 1957.

At any rate, Zimbabwe’s Progressed Sun is currently at 25 Taurus. It first came within a degree of opposing natal Uranus in 2005, reflecting the political (Sun) instability (Uranus) that intensified as the economy went into freefall. Since then the Prog Sun has also opposed Prog Uranus, and will finally be a degree away from both of them in September this year. So the political instability of the last few years will finally be coming to an end.

At present the results of the election are being withheld, probably as a ruse by Mugabe to somehow try to hang on to power, and there may be a run-off between himself and Tsvangirai over the Presidency. One way or the other, the astrology seems to be saying that Mugabe will be out of power by September, if not sooner, because he is the ongoing cause of the political instability, and that instability is coming to an end.

At the same time, unless Zimbabwe goes through some sort of rebirth, it will still have Sun opposite Pluto in its chart, so it is likely to continue to have some sort of ‘strongman’ in charge, like much of Africa. Even South Africa seems to be headed that way with Jacob Zuma having become head of the ANC, and quite likely to be the next President.