Iraq: Matibhramana yoga

Article Published in The Jyotish Digest Editorial for Jan-Mar, 2003; written March 2002. That old Iraq of 1932 is now history…

Chart 1 : Iraq Rasi chakra

Historical perspective

Historically, Iraq was a part of the Ottoman Empire before becoming a British protectorate. Then she became a kingdom and finally a totalitarian state. Saddam Hussein became its President in 1979 and ruthlessly maintained power through political purges not even sparing members of his own family. Strife, which is better understood as the effect of Kali, is an inherent part of Iraq as a debilitated Mars in the lagna and Saturn in the seventh house is a classic combination for Matibhramana yoga (madness). Under such evil directions of the warring Mars and Saturn, peace is the casualty, as a strange kind of madness shall seize the nation causing the leaders to hanker for war or to do such things that will bring wars, destruction and ruin on the people.

The four quadrants indicate the four major directions of the regions. The first house Cancer indicates the north and with debilitated Mars involved in Matibhramana yoga in it, this is going to be the major trouble spot that will not yield to peace. The Kurds in the north yearn for independence and will fight tooth and nail to achieve it.

The tenth house Aries indicates the eastern direction and being empty does not show major problems although the influence of the Kurds is bound to be strong as Mars is the lord of Aries.

The seventh house Capricorn indicates the southern direction. Saturn in strength in Capricorn shows that the Shi’ites are involved in a mass movement (Saturn) of sorts and look to Iran (Saturn is 7th & 8th lord – foreign influence) for support.

The fourth house Libra is the western direction and is strong with the Lagna lord Moon in it aspected by the fourth lord Venus. This shows that Iraq will draw its strength from the western region. The conjunction of Venus the 4th & 11th lord with Jupiter (9th lord) and griha karaka Ketu promises expansion of lands and properties.

The War machine

Chart 2 : Rudramsa

The Rudramsa (D-11 chart) is examined to see military activities, strife and general unrest and the mandooka dasa gives the timing of such incidents. Whichever house the frog (mandooka) shall leap into, in such a region there shall be strife and problems.

Libra is the tenth house of the Rudramsa and like the lagna and eighth house is indicate of Brahma or longevity. The dasa of the tenth house is not good for the nation and, like the mandooka dasa of the lagna or eighth house, it shows defeat in wars or losses due to the same causing crippling damage to progress and peace in the region. While the sign indicates loss to Iraq, its lord Venus indicates losses to the enemies resulting in a no-win situation.

With the advent of Libra dasa, Iraq entered a phase of wars with neighbors. Saddam’s expansion of the state’s military apparatus and all the news reports of possible nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and delivery system programs gave sleepless nights to neighbors. Such fears prompted Israel to attack Iraq in 1981 in an effort to set back Iraq weapons development program. In the 1980’s Iraq fought a long, bitter struggle with Iran which resulted in a meaningless stalemate, depleted the economy and stagnated growth in the region.  While the war effort with Iran made the Iraqi military the dominant force in the region, it created a war machine that could not be chained down.

Examine the military in the Rasi chart: the military would eat heavily into the economic resources of the country as the 12th house from Arudha Lagna in the Rasi chart is Virgo with the exalted Mercury in it indicating the strong military and Virgo is the third house of the chart showing the defense establishment. Led by the Republican Guard (Sun conjoins Mercury) it is the strongest in the region. The entire wealth of the nation (Sun as the second lord) would go in maintaining this huge force. The måityupada (A8) is in Sagittarius and is aspected by Virgo (war machine) as its lord Jupiter has also conjoined the second house of wealth indicating borrowings and loans to add to the wealth for military purposes. Thus, Iraq borrowed heavily from its oil-producing neighbors like Kuwait to pay for the Iran war.

The Gulf war

The Rudramsa dasa of Leo, which is the eighth house (debts, disease) with Saturn (lagna lord-self) and Ketu (uncontrolled, unforeseen) in it started in 1987. Kuwait had loaned considerable sums to Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war. Unable to meet repayment commitments, Iraq claimed that it had saved the region from Iranian hegemony and desired to renegotiate or even cancel the debt. Kuwait refused and the inevitable was to happen. Kuwait was in many ways a thorn in the path of Iraq. It lowered oil prices by rapidly increasing production beyond ‘agreed’ levels thereby cutting into Iraqi oil revenues causing consternation and anger. This event happened in Virgo antardasa.
Table 1 : Mandooka dasa of D-11 chart
Maha Dasas:
Sc: 1932-10-03 (0:01:00) – 1940-10-03 (1:16:21)
Vi: 1940-10-03 (1:16:21) – 1949-10-03 (8:40:00)
Cn: 1949-10-03 (8:40:00) – 1956-10-03 (3:41:16)
Ta: 1956-10-03 (3:41:16) – 1964-10-03 (4:56:11)
Pi: 1964-10-03 (4:56:11) – 1973-10-03 (12:15:22)
Cp: 1973-10-03 (12:15:22) – 1980-10-03 (7:21:25)
Li: 1980-10-03 (7:21:25) – 1987-10-04 (2:23:20)
Le: 1987-10-04 (2:23:20) – 1995-10-04 (3:37:44)
Ge: 1995-10-04 (3:37:44) – 2004-10-03 (10:58:46)
Ar: 2004-10-03 (10:58:46) – 2011-10-04 (6:00:20)
Aq: 2011-10-04 (6:00:20) – 2019-10-04 (7:16:49)
Sg: 2019-10-04 (7:16:49) – 2028-10-03 (14:35:01)

Virgo has the Ghatika Lagna (GL: power, position, hegemony) and aspects the sixth house with Gemini with four benefic planets in it. Virgo would cause shock to the enemies and tend to paralyze them from reacting. Note that while the mandooka in houses 1, 8 & 10 is bad for the nation, the same in houses 6, 11 & 3 is bad for the enemy. Signs aspecting these houses tend to disfavor them when having the mandooka.  Such an advantageous position was to last from 01-Jun-1990 to 30-Jan-1991) being the period of Virgo Rudramsa mandooka dasa.

Table 2 : Mandooka Le MD: 1987-10-04 (2:23:20) – 1995-10-04 (3:37:44)
Antardasas in this MD:
Ta: 1987-10-04 (2:23:20) – 1988-05-31 (14:29:12)
Ge: 1988-05-31 (14:29:12) – 1989-01-30 (6:43:04)
Cn: 1989-01-30 (6:43:04) – 1989-10-03 (14:40:12)
Le: 1989-10-03 (14:40:12) – 1990-06-01 (2:47:46)
Vi: 1990-06-01 (2:47:46) – 1991-01-30 (19:03:50)
Li: 1991-01-30 (19:03:50) – 1991-10-04 (2:58:30)
Sc: 1991-10-04 (2:58:30) – 1992-05-31 (15:10:59)
Sg: 1992-05-31 (15:10:59) – 1993-01-30 (7:14:08)
Cp: 1993-01-30 (7:14:08) – 1993-10-03 (15:14:47)
Aq: 1993-10-03 (15:14:47) – 1994-06-01 (3:32:46)
Pi: 1994-06-01 (3:32:46) – 1995-01-30 (19:30:26)
Ar: 1995-01-30 (19:30:26) – 1995-10-04 (3:37:44)
In Virgo antardasa, the Virgo pratyantara dasa started on 2-Aug-1990 and exactly on that day at 1.00 AM, Iraq marched into Kuwait and took over the country in four and half hours! This incident was exactly like Adolf Hitler’s conquest of Austria and the rest of the world was left debating on rights and wrongs. Like all the planets in Gemini in Rudramsa with its leader Mercury in it, the rest of the world rallied behind the United States, but real action (Operation Desert Shield had more teeth than bite) was not forthcoming in spite of UN resolutions simply because the Virgo antardasa was not over.

Virgo antardasa ended on 30-Jan-1991 and exactly on that date, Iraq made the big mistake of attacking the US ally – Saudi Arabia. The antardasa had changed to Libra and this is the tenth house in the Rudramsa indicating that the time had come for Iraq to taste defeat. President Bush took some hard decisions. The pratyantara daça of Virgo in Libra dasa finished on 19-Feb-1991 and the next pratyantara daça of Cancer from 19-Feb-1991 initiated the real war. The air raids crippled Iraq and the ground war started on 23-Feb-1991 to be swiftly won within four days.

Present period

The present period of Gemini mandooka dasa from 1995 – 2004 is very favorable for Iraq as can be seen from the fact that the world has rallied in favor of Saddam in spite of some evidence being brought forward by the United States. Such a favorable position is to last only till 31-Mar-2003 as the favorable Pisces antardasa, which damages enemies, is ending.

Aries is knocking at the door and the God of War is crying for blood. Our message to Saddam Hussain in such a scenario can only be ‘the ides of Mars hath come’. Jaimini teaches that the real obstruction to the evil one shall come from the compassionate sign Cancer (the seat of Siva, worshipped on Mondays). Just like Operation Desert Storm, this Operation Desert Shield (Iraq cleansing war Operation) is expected to occur in the sub-sub-period of Cancer between 23-Apr-2003 to 16-May-2003. Incidentally, a perfect Rudra yoga occurs on the 23 April 2003 when the Moon and Mars conjoin confirming that a very swift action would follow shortly after on the darkest night.

Om tat sat