The culture clash that was inevitable after Qatar was handed the 2022 World Cup has turned into a smash with one of the country’s ambassadors describing homosexuality as “a damage in the mind”. Sepp Blatter, former FIFA head, also admitted publicly that it had been a bad decision with murmurs of political pressure from the French and allegations of corruption in the voting process.
Qatar is an absolute monarchy with an appalling record for human and women’s rights, for mistreating migrant workers, more than 6500 of whom have died since Qatar was granted the World Cup. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar under Islamic Sharia law and is punished by imprisonment.
Western ambassadors such as David Beckham have been heavily criticised for taking large sums of money to give a veneer of respectability to the event. See previous post David Beckham: 25 October 2021.
It kicks off at 7pm on 20 November and runs until 18 December. The start chart is a curious mix of confident and successful with a Scorpio Sun trine Jupiter sextile Pluto – though with an over hopeful, scandal-prone Neptune thrown in for good measure.
Though there’s also a high-tension Saturn square Uranus as well. And more problematic, a volatile Mars in Gemini on the focal point of a strained Yod to Pluto sextile Sun. There’s no real chance of major unrest since the authorities will no doubt deal firmly with any who step out of line. But resentment will simmer.
The ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, 3 June 1980, is a Sun Gemini square Mars Saturn in Virgo and trine Pluto so fairly rigid and austere in his attitude. He took over on 25 June 2013 when there was an insular and controlling Water Grand Trine/Kite of Saturn in Scorpio trine Neptune trine Sun opposition Pluto. That chart looks emotionally ramped up until early December with perhaps a restive population and disappointments in January 2023. 2024/25 through till 2027 look to be more on a downhill slide with tr Neptune square the Jupiter then the Sun on one leg of the central Grand Trine.
Qatar itself, 1 September 1971, has an inward looking 4th house Sun Venus and controlling Pluto with a dogmatic-beliefs Mars in Aquarius in the 9th. It looks upbeat through 2023 with tr Pluto sextile the Jupiter and trine Pluto.
Sport and money – bad combination.
I can’t believe the English Premier League is playing today and a couple more games tomorrow. Heat acclimatisation takes two weeks and building teamwork takes practice. These opening games are going to be a bit of shambles I suspect. They’re usually dull draws anyway
@Jane, Netflix’s “FIFA Uncovered” truly has Prince William’s stance on this covered. He was heavily involved in promoting the UK 2018 bid, that was notoriously wan by Russia. There is footage of him when the result was announced, and he was livid. He also has lot of Cancer, and while Scorpios are credited for holding crunch, I think Cancer is the sign that acts on their crunch in the most effective way (Cardinal Water). Since he also is a football fan, I think that he is very much on a mission to destroy FIFA corruption that led to this.
Thanks Solaia! I’d so love to see FIFA cleaned up from top to bottom, the corruption scandals so far have failed to make a dent. I agree about Cancerians, having had two Cancerian grandfathers. They both would just hold on tightly to whatever it was they wanted to change or confront, and had the patience to wait for the right moments. I hope Prince William can find a way, probably behind the scenes, to shine some much needed light.
Is there a particular reason you chose 7pm for the World cup chart?
The opening match seems to kicks off at 7pm local time. Actually 8 days and almost 30minutes away according to the countdown clock as I post this!!
Ironically, the Qatari state broadcaster, Al Jazeera, never ceases to point the finger at western nations for so called ‘human rights abuses’.
Oh my goodness.
Another male Sun in Gemini autocrat. Enough!!!
Will Pluto in Aquarius finally wipe them out by square?
In the meantime, it will be fascinating to observe how the Mars retrograde in Gemini affects them all. Unfortunately, the ones with early and very late Suns may escape unscathed.
Apologies to any decent male Geminis out there. There must be some. (A recent post here may have alluded to that?) But the autocrats, wannabe autocrats, liars, and Jekyll-and-Hydes are capturing the headlines. Several of that ilk have played a role in my life. Beware the superficial charm!
Oops, Aquarius trines Gemini. More false hopes. Apologies>
Statistically, male Sun Geminis would make up about 1/24th (1/12 of the zodiac x 1/2 for an approximate equality between the two sexes) of the world’s population. So there must be a few decent ones in that 🙂
@Unmystic Mom, my dear kid brother. Scorpio rising, so won’t seek public eye, and with his own issues, but I think truly one of the kindest people I’ve known.
Life-affirming yes. Thank you both Solaia and Unmystic Mom.
Thanks so much Marjorie.
It will be interesting to see how a retrograde Mars in games-playing Gemini manifests, or not. Prince William, president of the FA, is not attending. In the unlikely event of England or Wales reaching the final, I imagine they might send someone for symbolic reasons. I’ve noticed less over-excited advertising this time too. Sport and mega amounts of sometimes shadowy cash are indeed a bad combination as you say. On a simple astro level, I thought about how sporty ‘warrior’ Aries squares onto corporate banker Capricorn. Scorpio, another sign where Mars is often found in sport, opposes security and money orientated Taurus, while squaring show-businessy Leo.
@Jane, Netflix’s “FIFA Uncovered” truly has Prince William’s stance on this covered. He was heavily involved in promoting the UK 2018 bid, that was notoriously wan by Russia. There is footage of him when the result was announced, and he was livid. He also has lot of Cancer, and while Scorpios are credited for holding crunch, I think Cancer is the sign that acts on their crunch in the most effective way (Cardinal Water). Since he also is a football fan, I think that he is very much on a mission to destroy FIFA corruption that led to this.