When will Hong Kong get better?

A question that I am frequently asked by friends in Hong Kong is: When will we be able to move out of this social and political predicament which has been going on for so many years and is rapidly deteriorating? I think the progressed chart of the city will shed some light.

Progressions, like transits, are a forecast technique in astrology, but a major difference between progressions and transits is that, transits are far more direct, with its effects more quickly felt, and they often manifest in the form of actual events. But progressions show a background influence which shows the gradual re-orientation of a person’s focus and this change may or may not have been precipitated by any concrete event. Significant re-orientations are indicated when planets, by progression, change signs, houses or go from direct to retrograde (or vice versa), etc.

For example, if a person's natal Sun is in Aries, when by progression the Sun moves into Taurus, she may experience a subtle shift in her life goal. Instead of focusing so much on the search for new challenges like before, as typical of Aries, she may become more content to let things stay as they are (Taurus). But this does not mean she will suddenly turn into a Taurean as if by birth. This only means when looking out for challenges, she may, for example, become more aware and appreciative of the wisdom in living in the here-and-now – than what she used to be.

The natal Sun of the Hong Kong SAR is in Cancer in the 4th house, indicating the goal of people living in this city is very much about finding a safe and stable shelter (hence the importance of housing). It also implies a strong nostalgic and sentimental urge, with fond memories of the past recalled as the “golden age”. I think this very much explains why the city’s colonial days are so often missed after the Handover in 1997.

Hong Kong's Sun will, by progression, enter the 5th house in May 2017 and will go further, into Leo in August 2019. For those who have been complaining about the lack of progress made by the city on many fronts may see the light at the end of the tunnel at last. These important progressions suggest the city will take on a more extroverted focus. Rather than constantly looking backwards and lamenting the loss of the "good old days", the city will take on a more buoyant and confident self-image, with the focus shifting towards the creation of new possibilities and the expression of a grand vision. A possible outcome of this is, the creative and entertainment industries and professions/businesses that aim at children are likely to be boosted further.

Venus is in Leo in the 5th house in Hong Kong's natal chart, suggesting the city expresses itself very much through its core values which are so often proudly proclaimed, but sometimes it also means expression for expression’s sake, rather than aiming at any practical purpose or outcome. The same applies to the community's handling of its relations to other cities or areas. With progressed Venus moving into the 6th house in February 2018 and into Virgo in May 2020, the way the city manifests its values will take on a more pragmatic tone, aiming more at productive outcomes and most importantly, there will be a greater willingness to consolidate the core values by seeking to achieve some concrete results first, however minor those may be. That would also suggest people are more ready to go into details, to perfecting the method of execution to make the whole process smoother and more efficient, rather than considering such things as too humble or unimportant to get bothered about (as is likely to be the case with Venus in Leo).

It is also good news that progressed Sun will conjoin natal Venus from December 2020 to February 2023. Especially around January 2022, there could be an alignment of the city’s sense of purpose with its core values.

On the whole, I am cautiously optimistic about the city’s future. If the Sun represents the central goal of the birth chart and the other planets are supposed to help in achieving that goal, a progressed Sun in Leo combined with a progressed Venus in Virgo seem to be a pretty good combination. This suggests a more self-assured identity, coupled with a greater readiness to be pragmatic in expressing what it holds dear. I think this sounds more likely to get the city move forward.

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Where on Earth? Astrocartography and relocation astrology

Have you ever been to a place where you feel particularly relaxed, excited or tense, even if you've never been there before? Many factors may account for this, like the scenery, traffic, culture, climate, people, etc, but it seems true that different people do experience different places differently. For example, while we may enjoy a particular holiday destination very much, our family or friends who are travelling with us may not.

The technique Astrocartography (ACG) was invented in the 1970s by the American astrologer Jim Lewis, showing literally where on Earth we will experience a particular aspect of our innate potential most acutely – be it pleasure, mental stimulation, eye-opening opportunities, competitiveness, discipline, etc by mapping our birth chart on the world atlas.

If we want to find out where we should consider moving to for, say, attending university (presumably for intellectual development? Or for the job prospects after graduation?), we can use the appropriate astrology computer programme to draw up our ACG by inputing detailed birth data. 

As an example, below shows the ACG of the US President Barack Obama (born on 4 August 1961, 7.24 pm, Honolulu in Hawaii):

Each of the coloured lines represents where Obama will experience the energy of a particular planet in his chart most intensely. For example, if he is looking for a place to promote his vision and optimism to the public, or to make an important speech or announcement, areas along the lines marked with Jupiter (the planet for personal vision, success and optimism) or Mercury (the planet for communications) should be considered – and in any case since the two planets are closely opposite to each other in his birth chart, if a place has got one planet prominent, it will be so for the other planet.

If we look closely at his ACG for North America, the town Springfield in Illinois where Obama declared candidacy for the 2008 presidential election fits the bill perfectly: Mercury is right on the IC, with the MC/Jupiter line not far off! An excellent location for articulating his grand, sweeping vision for the country and he did so by evoking the words and deeds of an historical figure that he clearly identified with - Abraham Lincoln.

To take an even more detailed look at how Obama is likely to experience his own energy in Springfield, we can draw up a relocation chart which uses the same procedure as in generating a birth chart – the only differences are, we relocate his birth place from Honolulu to Springfield and take into account the time zone difference:

As noted previously, Mercury and Jupiter are placed on the IC-MC axis. Another important feature is, Venus rules the relocated chart and this gives more emphasis to the watery grand trine formed by Venus, Neptune and Chiron already present in his birth chart. This suggests in Springfield, Obama’s outlook is coloured more by compassion for the under-privileged or those who feel dismayed at the state of things in society. In fact, in his speech he did talk about how families were struggling financially because of the economic meltdown, the war in Iraq and the rising healthcare costs.

Obama's case is good for illustrating the use of ACG and relocation astrology, for it shows how different parts of the birth chart are highlighted or activated in a location other than the birth place. If someone wants to move to somewhere else for a specific purpose, ACG and relocation charts are tools to show where he or she can start checking out first.

Want to get your own ACG and relocation chart? Click here!

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An astrological chronicle of aurora trip

For someone living in the subtropic in Asia, going to the deeply snowy Arctic region to see the Northern Lights (also known as the aurora borealis) is an exotic experience. Sounds very much like Jupiter-Uranus, right? In fact, the planning and undertaking of my trip to northern Norway to see the aurora coincided exactly with the squares of the two planets - and something more…

Before even deciding to do the trip, whenever the Northern Lights were mentioned, I would immediately recall the fascinating BBC documentary that chased the lights with actress Joanna Lumley several years ago. As magnificent sightings of the lights were reported in the media from time to time last year, in August 2013 I decided to plan for an aurora trip set for February/March 2014 - just when Jupiter in Cancer was exactly squaring Uranus in Aries!

Both planets are known for their audacity, adventurousness and independent spirit: Jupiter in Cancer longs to seek freedom by going nostalgic or to widen horizons in the comfort of something familiar and "home-like" while Uranus in Aries is bold and urges to make personal breakthroughs – putting the two together actually means "searching for thrills, breaking new grounds through something or somewhere comfortable"!

This eventually translated into my choice of destination: Though the lights can be spotted in Alaska (the US), Canada, the Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland and Russia, I chose Norway because it has got the mildest winter compared to other Northern Lights destinations. Well, one may seek thrills, but it couldn’t be thrilling (other than chilling) in a temperature of minus 20 or even 30 degrees Celsius!

We flew to Oslo on 23 February 2014 and a few days later boarded a boat that would take us from the south to the north of Norway, along the coast. Jupiter and Uranus formed an exact square again on 26 February, coinciding with extensive media coverage of extremely high aurora activities, with sightings reported as far south as southern Wales in the UK. Even my friends and family in Hong Kong had got wind of it and texted me in Norway to see if I had spotted the aurora.

Alas, we didn't! We didn’t even try to look at the sky at night, for we hadn't yet reached the aurora zone! But Lady Aurora didn’t disappoint us. In fact, she showed us what seemed impossible was possible: Experts would tell you clear skies are vital to seeing the lights, but when we saw the magnificent lights, it was actually raining! How that was possible still eludes me today…

The phrase "aurora hunt" or "aurora chase" is often used to describe trips to see the lights and this surely carries a strong Jupiterian connotation, but the lights by nature are extremely elusive, i.e. as Neptunian as you can get, just like the mirage in the desert. One may go here and there to chase for the lights, but when, where, for how long and in what way they appear is unpredictable, despite the use of modern technology in forecasting.

In my trip, I saw the lights on three different nights, twice on boat and once on land. Though knowing the lights to be so elusive and so much depends on weather conditions, during the six months of preparations I somehow never doubted I would see them. I felt sure I would… Was this a reflection of the trine that Jupiter was having with Chiron in Pisces, alongside the Jupiter-Uranus square? Jupiter-Chiron indicates a strong inner faith that can withstand trying outer circumstances. With Jupiter in Cancer in a trine with Chiron in Pisces, there is a search for "home" or faith in the benevolence of mother nature, and the process is a healing one: One unconditionally accepts going with the flow and being "at one with the universe", even if outer conditions seem to challenge the basis of one's faith.

Admittedly, it does take a lot of Saturnian energy to plan an aurora trip, but once you are there, just place yourself in the care of the universe to show you what it has got, and the aurora has been called "nature’s best show".

(Originally published in Writing Corner on the website of the Faculty of Astrological Studies, London in May 2014)

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A case study of leadership: HKU new chief

Peter Mathieson, formerly a dean at Bristol University in the UK, is the first non-Chinese Vice-chancellor of the University of Hong Kong in 41 years. Despite some highly publicized criticisms of his appointment, querying his qualifications to lead the university, he formally assumed office on 1 April 2014, punctually at 9am.

Below shows the birth chart of his tenure: 

Two of the most frequently cited criticisms against him are: He does not speak Chinese and his academic standing is not "good enough" to be HKU's head, especially compared with his predecessor Lap-chee Tsui who is a world-renowned geneticist.

These two points are strongly reflected in the chart, with a Mercury-Chiron conjunction across the 10th and 11th houses - a sore point in the vice-chancellorship: Mercury refers to intellectual ability, including academic and linguistic capabilities. Chiron means "hurts" that can never fully be remedied, almost like some "inborn deficiencies". When Mercury and Chiron are combined, it suggests an "incurable intellectual wound", as it is always rejected by others, despite whatever efforts the individual may put in to gain acceptance for his intellectual ability. When all attempts to gain recognition have been proved futile, the individual would, hopefully, eventually learn to cherish the uniqueness of his own intellectual achievements, rather than trying to seek outer approval. This would release a tremendously healing energy.

Another creative way of handling this Mercury-Chiron conjunction is, like what Mathieson himself has said, to listen more. So rather than doing the talking himself, he could let others do it, fitting in very well with the essentially reticent nature of a Mercury-Chiron conjunction (in the withdrawn, gentle sign of Pisces!). 

(Source: HKU website)

However, the dominant theme of the tenure chart is undoubtedly the T-square: Jupiter in Cancer opposes Pluto in Capricorn across the 2nd-8th houses, with the Sun-Uranus conjunction in Aries in the 11th house at the apex. This is an explosive configuration and the Sun's placement in this bunch of social and transpersonal planets means that Mathieson's tenure is likely to be a very high profile one, whether he wills it or not, as it is driven by forces beyond personal control. His leadership position is especially prominent among groups (like students' associations?) and in Hong Kong’s larger social and political context. In fact, this high "visibility" of the tenure seems to be the result of an ambitious drive to expand the university's resources (Jupiter in 2nd) and an intense fear of "infiltration" from external sources (Pluto in 8th).

The overall feel of the T-square suggests, given the need to expand on one hand and the fear of control (and even "abuse") from others on the other, the tenure would be marked by a highly unorthodox and non-conforming leadership style (almost "rebellious") in social and political issues - to manifest the pride that the HKU community feels of itself! (the Sun rules the Leo IC)

However, despite all the independent-mindedness shown in the chart, I don't think Mathieson's leadership would be as overbearing or aggressive as suggested, for Mars, which rules Aries where the Sun and Uranus (and the Moon) fall, is weakly placed - in Libra and is retrograde. This could suggest indecision when assertiveness or competiveness is called for - and actions are only most readily taken when balance and justice have to be restored. Moreover, the 10th house (i.e. the public image) is also occupied by Venus in Aquarius and Neptune in Pisces – and both planets are known for their "softness".

In response to some senior staff who had openly declared he was not good enough for the job, Mathieson pledged he would "strive to convince them that I am worthy of the position". The chart does show this to be another theme in his tenure: Venus' placement in the 10th usually indicates a very popular leader - but in this case, the planet also squares Saturn in the 6th, showing exactly his strong urge to PROVE his worth to colleagues. In fact, staff relations are likely to be the area that he would need to work the hardest over, and so is the red tape. As Saturn is in Scorpio in the 6th, eventually there could be a streamlining of administrative procedures and structures. How much effort he puts into this area would have a significant impact on his public standing (Saturn co-rules the Aquarian MC) and whether the university, in his own words, can "reach new heights" (Saturn also rules the 9th in Capricorn). But in any case, with Saturn in Scorpio in the 6th, he definitely would need to work extremely hard indeed. No wonder he said he would work "tirelessly"!

Some people may prefer universities not to get involved in the whirlwind of politics - but judging from Hong Kong’s chart, that doesn't seem to be possible.  

Hong Kong's higher education sector is represented by the 9th house in Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter in Aquarius in the 11th - literally meaning that higher education is intertwined with the city's social and political situation. Expansion of the sector is closely linked to the urge to explore more about social egalitarian concepts or technological innovations for society. This also implies social research or research that involves hi-tech is favoured - but this conflicts with the need of the Hong Kong community to feel fiscally secure, for it would need to be sure that public money is well-spent and can produce something tangible! (Moon in Taurus in 2nd house squares Jupiter in 11th)

Academic freedom has been the talk of town recently, as there seems to be a tightening up. This is indicated by the square that transiting Saturn is making with Hong Kong’s Jupiter in January, April to May and September to October this year. Actually, this reflects the deep insecurities (hence resistance) that the Hong Kong community has about a full merging with the Mainland, as Saturn is transiting Hong Kong’s 8th house and this transit won't end until December 2015…

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Joy to the world

A public frenzy has been going on in Hong Kong over the giant exhibit "Rubber Duck" created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman. It would be hard to name another piece of public art which has been so enthusiastically received by the city.

Students of psychotherapy would know what we like or dislike reflects our inner world, for it must have touched a part of ourselves that we love or hate. So what has this Rubber Duck exhibition triggered off in the collective psyche of Hongkongers?

The duck was formally unveiled around 11.30am on May 2. Its birth chart made a number of extremely tight aspects (within a one-degree orb) with Hong Kong's: The Ascendant conjoined the SAR's Venus in Leo in the 5th house, Venus squared Jupiter in Aquarius in the 11th house, and the MC-IC axis squared Neptune in Capricorn in the 11th house.

These suggest the Rubber Duck's looks exactly correspond to Hong Kong’s aesthetic taste (owing to its sheer size and bright, yellowish colour?) and is thus deeply appreciated. It has also touched off the city’s egalitarian social aspirations. The aim and source of inspiration for this exhibition have set off the city’s commercialized idealism and romanticism - as shown by the wide range of "ducky" products bought and sold (Neptune in Capricorn)?

Hong Kong's Uranus is particularly strong, for it is in its own sign and house (i.e. in Aquarius and the 11th house). This points to a highly dynamic, unpredictable social and political scene. No wonder since the Handover, Hong Kong has been called "The City of Protests". 

In recent weeks, transitting Saturn has been squaring Hong Kong's Uranus, reflecting a suppressed rebellious urge which feels trapped and has nowhere to go. Interestingly, the Moon of the exhibition was exactly conjunct Hong Kong's Uranus, showing the duck's evocation of old memories provides a (timely?) release point for these suppressed feelings which have been boiling inside.

With Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune there, the 11th house is the most packed in Hong Kong's chart. It highlights the social and political themes for a place. As the chart of the Rubber Duck exhibition aspects so closely with all these three planets, it is not surprising that it has been the headline news in local media, taking the place of many other controversial political and social issues.  

The magic of this "duck" lies in its resonance with Hong Kong society's collective wish, perhaps best summed up by its creator Hofman on his personal homepage: "The Rubber Duck knows no frontiers, it doesn't discriminate people and doesn't have a political connotation. The friendly, floating Rubber Duck has healing properties: it can relieve mondial tensions as well as define them."

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Hong Kong's Year of the Snake

I think a major difference between the Western and Chinese cultures is, while people in the West seem to believe more in themselves in effecting change, Chinese people tend to think individual fates are determined more by external circumstances and so there is more emphasis on acceptance of "destiny" or the givens in life. Perhaps that explains why psychotherapy was first invented in the West while a more deterministic approach to the occult arts is still so popular in Chinese societies.

It is impossible to say which is more superior, as both have their strengths and weaknesses. In any case, as indicated by astrological symbols, real and fundamental change is inevitable across the globe and Hong Kong is no exception. 

The political storms in the last couple of years are reflected through the square by transiting Uranus (in Hong Kong's 1st house) with Pluto (in the 10th house). This means our society is undergoing a revolutionary change in terms of both our approach to the world and our aspirations (and relationship with those in power). This radical process will continue in the next several years. 

However, since the fourth quarter last year to end-2014, transiting Saturn (in Hong Kong's 8th house) will be in mutual reception with Pluto (in 10th house), suggesting a strong potential for fundamental, structural changes in a less painful way. This will be especially true for Hong Kong's on-going merging with the Mainland: Full merging will be halted or slowed down, with resistance to full merging fortified as well, since Hong Kong will press for far greater control in this process.

Meanwhile, transiting Neptune in Hong Kong's 12th house will be in a trine with transiting Saturn as well, implying that this "resistance" to full merging will not be as rigid as imagined. There is even a great possibility for Hong Kong to come up with a solution that combines both realism and idealism, particularly between May to August this year.

Astrologically, the first day of the Year of the Snake for Hong Kong began at 3.21pm, 10 February 2013, with the New Moon falling exactly on Hong Kong’s natal Jupiter in Aquarius in the 11th house. Any aspirations (political or social) based on egalitarian or humanitarian principles (Universal suffrage? Animal rights? Same-sex marriage?) will enter a new cycle. The transiting nodal axis (across Hong Kong's 2nd and 8th houses) was also squaring Hong Kong’s Jupiter on the Chinese New Year Day, indicating that all those political and social aspirations would be triggered off because of a conflict between what Hong Kong sees as rightfully hers and the merging with the Mainland (which will mean giving up some of what Hong Kong sees as distinct and separate from the Mainland).

The need for an emotional grounding (or the concept of "home") is likely to be expressed through a confrontational, aggressive approach (transiting IC on Hong Kong’s natal Mars in 7th house), seeing the "enemy" as outside of oneself. Skeptics would interpret this as meaning one tries to find an enemy to fight against to make oneself feel good and solid! 

However, as I have repeatedly mentioned in this blog, the greatest problem that Hong Kong people as a collective must learn to tackle is a lack of confidence in outlook on life, as indicated by Saturn in Aries in Hong Kong's 1st house. We as a society must learn to adopt a "can-do" attitude, rather than complaining how external problems or circumstances have blocked us from our goals. No doubt there are mountains to climb and hurdles to cross, but if we maintain a "defeatist" attitude, however high or low the mountain is, we would not be able to climb it - or even attempt to climb at all. This is why Hong Kong so far is still embroiled in internal strife, making little progress in the last 15 years since the Handover. 

Some people seem to think once a certain Chief Executive is removed, then things will start to improve. I do not agree. It is only when we have awakened to the fact that the true solution lies in ourselves, then a genuine improvement to our circumstances is possible.

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Stephen Lam's calling

The headline news for today is obviously the announcement by the Chief Secretary for Administration Stephen Lam that he will step down when the term of this administration expires on June 30 this year. He will go to Oxford with his wife to study theology.

Considering Lam's chart, this should not come as a surprise at all. His Sun is in Sagittarius, meaning that his life path is linked with the pursuit of wisdom and the understanding of universal laws, often through religion, the law and philosophy. Moreover, his Moon is in Pisces which is a sign closely related to the spiritual and non-materialistic. It is therefore no surprise that he is a devout Christian and wanted to study theology. Actually, given this Sun-Moon combination, it would not have been impossible if he had pursued a career in the church, instead of in the civil service.

Another astrological indicator for his decision to study theology is that, his Sun is now being squared by transiting Neptune. His identity and ego will be re-defined during this time and he will become even more receptive than usual to spirituality and other-worldliness. This represents a pretty long period of time in which his old self will be let go of, transformed and refined. The effects could be most deeply felt during April-August 2011, February-April 2012 and August 2012-February 2013.

Is there anything else in his chart that indicates why he has chosen to pursue a career in government and politics, and has become so successful in this that he serves as the right-hand man to Hong Kong’s top leader?

Although Lam is not well-liked by the public and generally not considered "very competent" or "outstanding", his chart reveals quite another matter. This should explain why he has been promoted by a series of bosses and was already a bureau head in his 40s.

His Sun (in Sagittarius) is conjunct Mercury and Saturn (both in Scorpio), all squared by a tight Jupiter-Pluto conjunction and are in a trine with Uranus. This indicates an ambitious personality, an excellent strategist who plans everything thoroughly, and capable of outside-the-box thinking. A very smart guy indeed!

However, why has he been dubbed by the Chinese media as a "human recorder" who constantly repeats the official stance over and over again? This is indicated by the T-square in his chart: the Chiron-Uranus opposition is squared by Mars-Neptune in Libra. This exactly means that Lam tends to fight (or defend his position) through an evasive and slippery approach. When Mars combines with Neptune, it is like adding water to fire. There is just smoke and nothing else is in there! This is especially so whenever he feels alienated, estranged or "wounded" suddenly or through others' disruptive behaviour (Chiron-Uranus opposition). In psychological terms, we can say this "human recorder" approach of his is his "defence mechanism" (i.e. psychological coping method) to whatever alienation he may feel under the circumstances.

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Psychoanalysis and Astrology

I saw the movie "A Dangerous Method" several days ago. It talks about the passionate relationship between the famous Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung and a Russian female patient of his, Sabina Spielrein. They started out simply as physician and patient, but became lovers later on.

However, what interested me most in the movie was Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis. He once had such a close, almost father-and-son relationship with Jung, but the two men later broke up over differences in professional orientations.

Freud's chart is very interesting because, except for Mars, all of the other planets are on the right side, and the 6th, 7th and 8th houses are especially packed. This means he needed to channel most of his energies to work/health matters, one-to-one relationships (marriage and in his case, the doctor-patient relationship) and yes, sex!

Another reason why his theory focused so much on sex was, his Ascendant is in Scorpio, with the ruling planet Pluto in Taurus in the 6th house (the house of health). Both Scorpio and Taurus are associated with sex, though on different levels - Scorpio is concerned with the emotional union while Taurus is with the sensual (and pleasurable) side of it.

Long, long before I got exposed to serious astrology, I had read a biography about Freud and I remember the biographer speculated that Freud had an extra-marital affair with his wife's sister. The biographer even showed that Freud eventually had to pay for an abortion for his sister-in-law. Freud was quoted as lamenting why he could never enjoy sex without any price tag attached.

His birth chart is extremely revealing in this: Mars (sex drive) opposes Jupiter (urge for freedom and adventure), both squaring Saturn (responsibility). This literally means that reckless, carefree sex would lead to responsibility for Freud!!!

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