Indonesia's horoscope
The Horoscope of Indonesia
Indonesia has been in the news a great deal of late. It is a country made up of thousands of islands. Being surrounded by water, its geography has a strong association with Neptune, the planet that has rulership over oceans and coastal areas. Neptune is the modern ruler of Indonesia’s Pisces Midheaven and in Indonesia’s chart, Neptune itself is located at 17 Libra, in close proximity to the South Node.
Indonesia’s horoscope[1]is one of several national horoscopes for which there is an exact time recorded, which makes it useful for examining the effects of mundane influences in more depth and detail.
Indonesia was a Dutch colony until 1949, when after a long struggle, it gained independence when the Netherlands finally relinquished their sovereignty over the vast and highly populated region.[2]
There is a Cardinal Grand Cross in Indonesia’s chart. This is a dynamic combination that involves Uranus at 2 Cancer, opposing the Sun at 6 Capricorn, both squaring Mars at 0 Libra with Juno at 1 Libra, which oppose the Moon at 6 Aries. The Moon also lies close to the Nodal Axis. Sun/Moon/Uranus/Mars/Juno/Node is a potent combination signifying some unpredictable and potentially aggressive tendencies at work within the Indonesian national psyche.
Mars/Uranus is associated with the sudden release of energy and when combined with the luminaries in a Cardinal Cross, this tendency is magnified. The highly volatile energy of the Mars/Uranus square, in cardinal signs (both planets are in detriment) is a theme that has been repeatedly expressed in Indonesia’s history of brutal suppression of any group that seeks independence. It is also rather sadly ironic, given that Indonesia itself had to struggle so hard for independence and freedom from the Dutch. Perhaps this is a learned behaviour from the hundreds of years that Indonesia herself struggled to be free, or perhaps it has something to do with the fragmented geography of the region. But, whatever the reason, these energies are certainly symbolised in Indonesia’s national chart.
Using the military to suppress its own people has been a recurring theme that has been played out several times, in particular in the former province of East Timor which eventually, after a long and bloody struggle, gained its independence in 2002. Aceh is another province where there has been recent unrest and West Papua could well be the next region to make a bid for autonomy.
The explosive theme of Mars/Uranus is also in keeping with the geography of Indonesia, which is the location of many of the world’s most active volcanoes, including Krakatoa, not to mention the site of the recent devastating 2004 Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami.
Chiron is placed close to the Descendant, which suggests the capacity to inflict wounds on others, and/or to feel wounded by their encounters with other nations. Another point of interest in this chart is the Venus/Pluto opposition, which over recent years has been undermined by a lengthy transit of Neptune. Given that this aspect straddles the 9th and 3rd houses, this transit perhaps signifies a sense of recent insecurity or a feeling that foreigners and western influences are undermining their cultural values.
The Relationship with Australia
Interestingly, the Sun in Indonesia’s chart is making a conjunction to Australia’s Sun but this is where any similarity ends. Many of Australia’s planets are located in Indonesia’s 7th house, where Chiron resides, and where Australia’s Venus at 10 Sagittarius, and Uranus at 14 Sagittarius, make close contact, symbolising the raw wounds that can be unwittingly exposed through the interaction between our two nations.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Mars is situated on Indonesia’s IC which adds to the tension. Australia’s Pluto is within 5 degrees of Indonesia’s Ascendant too, signifying the potential for intimidation and issues associated with exerting power over one another. Australia’s Sun/Saturn conjunction also plugs into Indonesia’s Cardinal Grand Cross.
Indonesia’s Neptune sits close to Australia’s Ascendant, signifying the confusion that seems to be evident and a general feeling of uncertainty that exists within the relationship that is open to misunderstandings.
Still, as we are both Capricorns, we do share similar regional interests and goals. But who is the boss here? It is a difficult relationship that continues to be punctuated by issues; most recently the 42 West Papuan refugees who were granted asylum in Australia.
Transits
The lengthy mutual reception of Uranus and Neptune is triggering a number of points in Indonesia’s horoscope. Indonesia’s MC is 11.23 Pisces (ruled by Neptune) which places transiting Uranus hovering around that point for most of 2006, potentially leading to some rather surprising developments.
As Indonesia lies close to the equator, the Ascendant/Descendant axis in this chart is also 11 degrees mutable, so transiting Uranus will impact with respect to Indonesia’s relationships with other countries and its national persona. As we have already seen in the media, this is a highly unpredictable time when the potential exists for a sudden flare up of tension, fuelled by a tendency to over react. Hopefully, Uranus transiting the MC also signifies some conscious awareness of this tendency and the ability to take an enlightened and new approach to develop future opportunities, in a spirit of freedom.
Earthquake and Tsunami
The devastating Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami of 2004 took place as Indonesia was having a Solar Return, triggering Indonesia's Cardinal Cross. The Moon was approaching fullness and about to make a conjunction to Indonesia’s Uranus, also triggering the volatile Cardinal Grand Cross.
As the earthquake struck, transiting Jupiter was making a conjunction to Indonesia’s Neptune, in this instance symbolising the literal expansion (Jupiter) of the ocean (Neptune) into a massive and destructive tsunami.
Astrologers can sometimes overlook Neptune, or view it as being a rather passive entity, however the mythological Neptune was a violent and angry god, who was the traditional ruler of earthquakes. Today, many astrologers favour Uranus as the key planet associated with these sudden and devastating jolts.
Since earthquakes are a collective event affecting the masses, it is probably worth considering all three outer planets when using astrology to investigating earthquake activity, but don’t overlook Neptune, especially when looking at deep oceanic quakes, or quakes that generate tsunamis.
Schapelle Corby
The hysteria (Neptune) surrounding the Schapelle Corby case was an example of the powerful Neptunian cycle that is still within orb of Pluto and Venus. Corby was arrested on drugs charges (Neptune) in Indonesia after 4kg of marijuana (Neptune) was found inside her boogie board (Neptune). She maintains that she was set up and that she is victim (Neptune) of a group (Uranus) operating at Australian airports (Uranus). A witness in her defence was temporarily freed (Uranus) from prison (Neptune) in Australia in order to give evidence at her trial.
Uranus and Neptune again
Other recent events that have been in the news which symbolise the current Uranus and Neptune mutual reception, as these planets transit Indonesia’s chart include:
- The murder, by poisoning (Neptune) of an Indonesian community leader (Uranus) on a Garuda flight (Uranus) in November 2004.
- The Bali Nine drugs case (Neptune)
- Another major earthquake on the island of Nias and the subsequent helicopter crash (Uranus)
- East Timor Independence – 20 May, 2002
- West Papuan refugee asylum seekers (Neptune) who were recently granted protection by the Australian Government
- Illegal fishing in Australian waters (Neptune)
Future Trends
It will be worth watching events unfold over the coming years (2008-2012) when Indonesia’s Cardinal Cross will be activated by the transits of Uranus in Aries, Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Libra. This is likely to be a highly intense period in many parts of the world, but Indonesia could very well be in the news for a while yet. The partial lunar eclipse of June 2010 highlights Indonesia’s Grand Cross in spectacular fashion, while Mars makes a conjunction to the IC, and the MC of the eclipse chart falls exactly on Indonesia’s Neptune.
[1]Nick Campion, Book of World Horoscopes, The Aquarian Press, UK, 1988, pages 159-160
[2]Ibid
