The fall of the House of Assad has turned the spotlight back on the mafia state in Syria which crushed dissent for decades, killed countless hundreds of thousands and wrecked a country rich in natural resources, with an ancient history and a strategic position on the Mediterranean.
Hafez Assad, 6 October 1930, described as “a cold and calculated political and security operative” – a Mars, Pluto, Jupiter in Cancer trine Venus in Scorpio which was opposition Algol; with a Libra Sun opposition Uranus – took over in 1970.
He was succeeded by his second son Bashir ably assisted in his kleptocratic dictatorship by his brother Maher and wife Asma — a London-born ex-JP Morgan banker. Maher, head of the army’s notoriously brutal fourth division, ran weapons, oil smuggling, alcohol and sales of the illegal amphetamine Captagon. Asma consolidated control over the aid sector, a huge — and rare — source of clean cash into Syria.
Summarised from a previous post on Asma – “a greedy profiteer who amassed billions for herself and her family out of the bloodied ruins of starving country. She controlled the economic levers consolidating the Assad’s grip on Syria, shaking down the rich merchant class (imprison in hotel and extort a la MBS in Saudi) and even – horrifyingly – crafting a corrupt humanitarian assistance system, monetising NGOs and the aid sector which takes in international money. The economy is teetering on the brink of collapse and what little still exists appears to be controlled by Asma Assad and family across multiple sectors, including real estate, banking and telecommunications. “For any new business to get done today, Asma [and her people] take a cut,” says a relative.
Wives of dictators tend to get an easy ride in the media but her chart, 11 August 1975 with its Mars, South Node and Algol clustered in late Taurus was always an ominous sign. Her Leo Sun falls in his husbands 7th for a good partnership with her controlling Pluto in his 8th as she pulled the economic strings. Her Mars Algol fell in Bashir’s 4th conjunct his IC so she’d be a dominant force in his home life.
Not surprisingly her life is in turmoil with tr Uranus conjunct his Mars South Node and Algol through till mid 2025. With her Solar Arc Venus conjunct her Uranus for an upset – and a high-risk, acutely frustrated and trapped 2025 ahead of her.
Indications on Bashir’s relationship chart with Putin (birth data being accurate) hints at a deteriorating association as tr Neptune Saturn move into Aries and oppose the composite Sun and square Saturn; with muddles and disappointment in 2025/26.
Skipping across a few other wives of strongman rulers, some of whom went on to succeed them, Taurus features widely and, on some, Algol.
Imelda Marcos, 2 July 1929 2.30pm Maluso, Philippines, was a Sun Pluto in Cancer with Venus conjunct Ceres, Algol and North Node square Mars Neptune in Leo.
Eva Peron, 7 May 1919 5am Buenos Aires, Argentina, a determined and acquisitive Sun Mars in Taurus with confident Jupiter Pluto in Cancer trine Uranus.
Grace Mugabe, 23 July 1964 Harare, Zimbabwe, a Sun Leo with Jupiter in Taurus conjunct Algol and widely trine Pluto.
Farah Pahlavi, widow of the exiled Shah of Iran, 14 October 1938, is a Sun Libra, with Uranus South Node in Taurus trine Mars Neptune in Virgo – and Ceres conjunct Algol.
Catherine The Great of Russia, 2 May 1729 2.30am, came to power after overthrowing her husband King Peter. She, like Eva Person, was a Sun Mars conjunct in Taurus in her case sextile Saturn and inconjunct a yod focal point Pluto. With her Pluto square Jupiter.
Forget the weaker sex – these relationships are either folie a deux with two sociopaths meeting their twin or as may be the case with the Assads, the wife being the stronger half. The relationship chart between Asma and Bashir has a chained-together power-couple Jupiter and Saturn trine Pluto plus a one sided, can-be-cruel Mars square Saturn. It’s a toss up which of them had to suppress their identity to make it work.
This post raises troubling questions about the perennial question of evil in the world. Evil is hard to pin down astrologically as in life. The usual suspects are the sign of Scorpio (with its opposite number Taurus thrown in), Pluto, the 8th house and Algol. But these can show up in the charts of good persons dedicated to the fight against evil, for example police detectives or spies. There may be other astrological indications such as an afflicted Pisces or Neptune with religious connotations.
I have often said that my toxic mother has given me an intimate knowledge of evil. That is because my Pluto in the 8th is conjunct the Leo Moon (a drama queen) square Saturn in Scorpio conjunct the Black Moon. Chiron and Mercury are inconjunct the Moon and Neptune is exactly sextile. This was almost lifelong psychic combat for spiritual survival. Thankfully, the Saturn-Pluto square and the Capricorn Sun provided resiliency. My Sun was square the Suns of both my parents, who were in opposition.
I think this family history has provided me with an uncanny ability to detect dark leanings in others and in the world at large. Most people still underestimate the great evil that will be unleashed in the US on January 20. It will be a traumatizing experience for many who are not prepared. Everything has its purpose under the sun even when it appears to be blotted out from the sky.
Andre Cool it. Your Moon Pluto in the 8th might I respectfully point out tends to tip you into apocalyptic thinking. Being catastropherian is all too common in these febrile times but not helpful. Take a step back or three and deep breathe. Go walking in nature. This too will pass.
You should have added Rosario María Murillo Zambrana to that list power hungry women spouses. She’s the wife of Daniel Ortega and she has recently been declared “co-president” with the blessing of Nicaragua’s Congress.
I would definitely be curious to see what the astrology suggests for her.
Have you heard about Mirjana Marković?
There is also Elena Ceaușescu.
“Imelda Marcos, 2 July 1929 2.30pm Maluso, Philippines, was a Sun Pluto in Cancer with Venus conjunct Ceres, Algol and North Node square Mars Neptune in Leo.”
Imelda Marcos’s Sun/Pluto in Cancer, well aspected to Taurus Moon, might be the reason she ultimately managed to lift her son Bongbong, the ultimate dictatorial failson, to presidency. There is a stunning documentary depicting the family dynamics, “The Kingmaker” by Canadian director Lauren Greenfeld.
@ Solaia,
As the child of a retired US Naval officer and having been born in Hawaiʻi and growing up in the military town of Jacksonville, Florida, I’ve had a pretty big connection with the Filipina/Filipino American community my whole life.
Imelda Marcos and her late husband actually took refuge in Hawaiʻi in 1986 when my parents and I were still living there. I was still a child back then. So, I grew up hearing about her or reading about her and her family a lot.
Given her eccentric personality and the many controversies that have surrounded her for so many decades, I suppose I’ve always been curious and somewhat fascinated by her rise to power and the influence she continues to hold in Philippine society even at the age of 95.
For example, I shocked to learn some years ago that she was serving as an elected member in the Philippines House of Representatives – and she only recently stepped down (I assume due to her advanced age).
Here in the U.S. (especially in military communities), many, if not most, Filipina/Filipino Americans regard Imelda Marcos as a vilian. Whenever I talk to them about her, they never have a nice word to say about her. So, I assumed the attitude would be about the same in the Philippines.
I was unaware about Imelda Marcos having Sun Pluto in Cancer though…so, perhaps she comes across as caring, nurturing, and empathetic to a segment of the Philippines population?
And I do want to see the documentary “The Kingmaker” by Lauren Greenfeld. I read the reviews on it and even watched the trailer. It looks really interesting.
By the way, there’s another documentary about Imelda Marcos you might be interested in. It’s called “Imelda” and was directed by Filipina American filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz and released back in 2003.
“Imelda” aired as a documentary episode of the PBS docuseries, Independent Lens.
I highly recommend it.
@Chris an Solaia
In our family an “imelda” not Imelda is a woman with a vast collection of shoes, not necessarily all in good taste.
Don’t forget Melania Trump and her loaded second house on your list of Taurus first ladies.
Marjorie ZeroHedge are reporting an end to Syrian immigration and a mass deportation project back to Syria. Well I never. Things are happening quickly. What is the astrology that is propelling such a rapid set of drastic changes like this? Can you give us an overview of the planets moving all of these dynamics. You know from Biden to Trump, from Ukraine War to ceasefire, sudden shootings of CEOs to stop healthcare scams going on here in America. It is spellbinding. There must be astrology driving this. What are the future things we can expect? Great page by the way : )
@Shirley, mass deportation might not be needed, since many Syrians seem to be thrilled to return to the country. Here in Finland, a chief pf foreign ministry consular services had to tell in the news that he would not suggest people go back just yet. Then, obviously, there are younger people, who feel they need to stay at least for now, because they support their families back home.
And it is, obviously, different for Kurds. We also have quite a sizeable Kurdish community – mostly from Iraq, but many Syrians as well – in Finland. Their position in Syria looks pretty bleak right now.
good assessment, Solaia.
It’s been reported that Asma had a rough go of it with breast cancer and is now dealing with a particularly aggressive form of leukemia. So assuming Neptune is in the mix as well vis a vis her upcoming troubles.