Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the man who has inspired millions, whole generations, with his bravery, compassion, humanity and his wonderful smile, finally died last night at his home, in his own country, the country he helped free from the clutches of the “Apartheid”.
Perhaps by the almost childlike idea, that by having been born on the same date as this incredible human being, and by the fact that he was also born in the same year as my father, I had a special connection with this man who at the end of the sixties, with the world revolutionary movements, a little like now, except that a lot more idealistic and romantic, representing the struggle for freedom not only of the ‘white’ domination in an African country, but the struggle for domination established by a dominant and corrupt class of individuals, rather as it happens now.
Since I had knowledge of its existence that was at the end of the 1960s, when he was already imprisoned on Robben Island, but that never, by being very young at that time, really having taken consciousness of his greatness until the 1980s, when living in London, Jerry Dammers song “Free Nelson Mandela” and recorded by the Group The Special A.K.A, began to resonate worldwide, in some way, making us aware that with
music and peaceful methods, simply by getting together to sing and to expose to the world the fact that young people also had a voice, gave us a sort of intoxicating power. It was in 1988, when newly arrived in Spain, on a trip to pick up my things from my apartment in London, the concert at Wembley, to celebrate 70 years of Mandela, took place, and like millions of young people, we sang and we celebrated the birthday of the man who had become the symbol of the unbreakable spirit in the fight for what is right.
If we look at the chart of this man, here with the progressions (in green) and transits (in red) for the time of his death, we can see the Moon in the 12 House in Scorpio, with the Lunar node in the ASC, just above the horizon, also in the 12 House, which helps us understand what “the dark den of horror and sorrow” of the 12 House, that traditional astrologer were talking about, really means and especially for Nelson Mandela. Yet, he managed to turn it into an extraordinary path to wisdom. Venus in Gemini in the DC, opening the door to Vesta (dedication and concentration in a life path) also in Gemini and Jupiter and Pluto in Cancer in the 7th House seems to describe his deep desire for peace and harmony in his relationships with others. with Marte in Libra, but in the 11th house, its revolutionary spirit through peaceful methods, had its maximum challenge, when he realized that without some action, his message was ignored by the violent apartheid.
With the Sun in the House 8 in Cancer in Trine to the Moon in Scorpio in the House 12, Mandela made
very good use of its 27 years imprisonment (a full Saturn cycle), studying incessantly and preparing for his actions at the time when he would be released, something that I don’t think that doubted even for a second. If we look at transits for 1962, when was imprisoned, Saturn at the beginning of Aquarius had just passed the opposition to his natal Sun and in direct opposition to natal Neptune (ruler of his 4th house), from the last steps in the second house,(which changed his residence for 27 years).
It was in 1990, when Saturn again in his 2nd House in Capricorn, this time in exact opposition to his natal Sun, that Mandela was finally released. This particular moment in his life and the progressions and transits of this time, is very important for all of us, because in it, we see Pluto in transit from Scorpio, passing by his natal 12th house Moon in Scorpio and he is actually released. I wonder how many astrologers would have perhaps seen this transition as his death in prison instead of his release. But, as always, that was not the only transit, Uranus from the 1st house, was opposing Natal Pluto in house 7, and Jupiter (his ASC ruler) was in his sixth return to its natal position also in the 7th house. And it was his relationship with the white President of South Africa at that time, F. W. de Klerk, who made what came after Mandela’s liberation, a reality that we all already know about. We can say without fear that this was his “Kairos” (or the right moment) for him to come out from prison and take the position that he had prepared for, for so long, overthrow the “apartheid”, call for elections, and become the first Black President of South Africa.
I think the lesson that this man leaves us all with, is that we can turn our adversity into triumph, if we have the guts to pursue our dream. That we should abandon our defeating attitude of “why bother?”, since “nothing will change” that hits many parts of the world, many young people, including where I live at the moment. His example was never more relevant than now, when we are living a chain of events that lead us to believe less and less in our politicians, those people we pay with our taxes, to manage our affairs. The disenchantment that many of us feel, often leave us paralyzed, thinking that whatever we do means nothing. What a sad place to be!!
Mandela turned the 27 years of unjust imprisonment into a passage to liberate his nation, instead of coming out of it, to take revenge and lead the people of his country into further despair and chaos. As the current President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma said: “We all saw in Mandela what we would like to see in ourselves” (love it!). The humanity, compassion and wisdom of Mandela helped him in his difficult task of forgiving his oppressor, since he was aware that revenge was not the solution. The solution was to FORGIVE and forget the pain of the past and focus on the NOW and the possibilities of the future. How many countries and human tribes need to apply those concepts today?. “Why settle for the world as it is rather than work towards what it should be” (Obama)(love that one too!)
It is important that we should not forget people like Ghandi and Mandela, as they are the living proof that major changes can be obtained peacefully, without bloodshed and/or building nuclear weapons. Without spending the public money to destroy us rather than to educate us and set us free. We cannot afford to ignore of men such as Mandela, since as Obama also said: maybe the only opportunity that we have to share our time on this earth with a man like that.
Desmond Tutu said: “Mandela was like a diamond, almost faultless”
Nelson Mandela live forever! and I know he will rest in peace.
