Putin's Masquerade   

The chart of Vladimir Putin and the Story of Krittika  

Last month I wrote an article about Ukraine. As a follow up to that article, and in the light of the recent annexation of Crimea by Russia, this month I would like to say a few words about Putin.

Putin's Moon is located in Taurus, in Krittika nakshatra. The deity from Hindu Mythology that rules this nakshatra is Agni, deified fire.   There is a story that helps to understand this nakshatra, and therefore the results expected in Putin's chart at this time.  

Once Agni, deified fire, developed a crush on the seven wives of seven saints. In order to seduce them, he waited until each of their husbands went out to do his prayers. Then he masqueraded as each of the husbands, seducing each of the wives, one at a time. This strategy worked with six out of the seven wives. The six ladies, who were sisters, then collectively gave birth to the god of war, Kartikeya.

For those of you who are interested in the astrological reasoning, Putin's chart is running the major period of Saturn, and the sub period of the Sun, from  November of 2013 to October of 2014. Since his Sun is in Hasta nakshatra, a nakshatra ruled by the Moon, this period causes the results of the Moon to be expressed, along with the results of the Sun. In October of 2014, he moves into the sub period of the Moon, itself, which continues the results promised by his Moon until May of 2016.  

I never cease to be amazed at how the symbolism and mythology of the chart are reflected in real life. Putin is clearly interested in building a Eurasian Union. In the process he has been using carrots and sticks to lure the countries surrounding Russia away from the influence of the European Union and towards an association with mother Russia. He has changed his rhetoric so that his speeches now seem to promote the ethnic pride of all Russian people, rather than simply talking in economic terms. He is clearly "seducing" the "seven sisters" around Russia. In the case of Crimea, he has waited until the husband (Ukraine) is caught off guard, and has "had his way" the first wife. Who will be next?

This pattern is not new. In fact, there was a war in Crimea which took place in the 1850s. For over 200 years previous to that war, Russia had been expanding in a southerly direction toward the Black Sea. Warm water ports in that region did not freeze in the winter, and were important for the development of Russian trade and also for the development of its navy. This expansion first caused a conflict between the Russians and the Ukrainian Cossacks, and then between the Russians and the Crimean Tatars. Russia eventually conquered these groups and gained possession of Ukraine. This meant that the Ottoman Empire had lost its buffer zone against Russian expansion, so Russia and the Ottoman Empire became at odds with each other. The conflict with the Ottoman Empire also presented a religious issue of importance, as Russia saw itself as the protector of Orthodox Christians, many of whom lived under Ottoman control.

It is interesting to look at the astrological patterns that took place at the time of the Crimean war. When Britain entered the war, Rahu and Saturn were in a conjunction in Krittika nakshatra.   Over the past five years, I have been talking about this conjunction because it is currently taking place from January, 2013 to July, 2014.   In a talk given in India in 2010, at the International Conference on Mundane Astrology, I pointed out that this conjunction has repeated every eleven years. Each time it has happened in the last 200 years, the world has gone into some sort of turmoil. During that talk, I put up the chart for 1854, the time that the Crimean War began, and pointed out that Krittika nakshatra is a nakshatra related to the seduction of seven sisters by Agni. I showed how this was reflected in the events that took place at that time. Russia "seduced the seven wives' (the surrounding territories in Ukraine and Crimea).

Even though, this time around, the conjunction is not taking place in Krittika, it is quite interesting to see the uprising in Crimea once again occurring under the influence of a Rahu/Saturn conjunction. It is also interesting that the Russian President's chart is fully expressing the energy of Krittika along with a reenactment of the myth.  

In the myth, Agni is successful in seducing six out of the seven wives. Together, they collectively give birth to Kartikeya the god of war. The Crimean war is said, by historians, to be the war that gave birth to modern warfare. It was the first war that made use of the modern technologies of the time. Again, it is fascinating how, after his military action in Crimea, Putin made the comment that the operation showed how the Russian military was technically up-to date and powerful.  

It is natural to wonder what Putin will do next. As mentioned earlier, his chart suggests that at least until May, 2016, he will continue to try to bring more of his neighboring (former Soviet) countries into a closer alliance with Russia. After that time, he goes into a Mars period (May, 2016 - July, 2017) which is much more aggressive, indicating the potential for more aggressive military actions at that time. In any case, Putin's Moon, as well as his Mars, will inevitably move Russia and its neighbors, in a more collaborative, and at the same time, possibly more aggressive direction in the next several years.

Note: In writing this article, I am not expressing any personal  or political opinion about  Russia, Ukraine, Crimea, or the conflict that is going on there at the present time. Also, none of the comments in this article should be taken as a judgment on the moral, ethical, or political character of the situation in Crimea. It is not the job of astrology to make political commentary. It is only a description of how the astrological symbolism and mythology may be playing itself out in the events taking place in that part of the world.