What’s going on in Singapore, astrologically speaking? (A long overdue post)
As a Western Astrologer, one of my biggest fascinations is to be able to read charts of countries and nations, specifically the country which I am born and bred in. I’m sure some of us have seen writing by American astrologers about the current Pluto Return or the January 6th Insurrection- essentially doing a deep dive into the natal chart of the United States.
What is always disappointingly missing is a deep analysis of Singapore’s natal chart (possibly because we don’t have enough Astrologers to do that kind of work). So today, I’m going to dedicate some time to analyze, present, and talk about Singapore’s natal chart- specifically the planetary energies happening for Singapore in 2022.
Growth, Hope and Optimism in Routine, Service and Work: Transiting Jupiter in Pisces enters Singapore’s 6th House
The first key energy for Singapore this year is that of Jupiter in Pisces entering the 6th House since February. Jupiter in Pisces is one of the most powerful and benefic energy. Where it touches, you can expect things to grow, good things to happen and for hope and optimism to be pervasive.
6th House is traditionally related to work and service, duty and routines. As such, a country’s 6th house would naturally relate to its workforce. Because the 6th house is also linked to the themes of health and sickness, I’d expect this to also relate to the health situation in Singapore and the medical industry. With this indication, some of the things we can look forward to this year is hopefulness when it comes to returning back to work, as well as a more positive outlook with regards to COVID-19 in Singapore. Seems like the workforce is getting healthier with a greater sense of possibilities when it comes to work.
Of course, in 2022, we also hit a new record number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore. However, because of our leaders’ decision to get us on track towards living endemically with COVID-19, we also had a high vaccination rate. This, in my view, is possibly why the COVID-19 Phase Advisory remains relatively stable with little tightening measures.
(Update: as of 24th March 2022, the Prime Minister just announced a new set of advisory which loosens overall restriction in various aspects of Singaporeans’ lives including greater quota to the number of people gathered socially, border reopening, returning to work in office, and easing of mask-wearing. This is certainly part of the hope and optimism from the Jupiter transit).
A Dose of Uncertainty in the Bigger Picture: Transiting Neptune in Pisces ‘Squaring’ Singapore’s Jupiter in Gemini in the 9th House
Strictly speaking, this particular transit has been going on since 2021 and its effect is continuing in 2022.
Jupiter, as I mentioned before, is about growth and expansion. Situated natally in the 9th House, this energy is activated in matters regarding the ‘bigger picture’ such as higher education, philosophy, politics, law as well as international matters. Neptune, on the other hand, is a rather ‘messy’ energy. Wherever it hits, things get messy and unclear, with little control and boundaries.
What we can expect from this transit is that the big picture direction of Singapore- what is ‘right’ for us- is getting a dose of messiness and uncertainty. This is especially so in matters of international relations- as very recently demonstrated by Singapore’s sanctions against Russia and the backlash of Russia including Singapore in their list of ‘unfriendly’ countries. I’m assessing uncertainty in this simply because Singapore has historically remained neutral in world conflict and does not act for or against another country.
Not only does Jupiter in 9th House relate to our foreign policies, it is also about the certitude of our laws. We already saw quite a bit of that Neptune effect in the constant changes of the COVID-19 Phase Advisory in 2021 when the rules about social gathering keep changing. Because Jupiter also rules the 3rd House in Singapore’s chart, I’d also expect a lot of uncertainty in matters such as the communication of governmental policies, relationships with our ASEAN and Asia neighbors as well as any situation at the grassroot level.
The good news is that transiting Saturn would also create a nice and neat ‘trine’ with Singapore’s Jupiter this year. A ‘trine’ is a harmonious and easier energy to work with, so I’d expect the dose of uncertainty to be grounded by the energy of structure and planning brought about by Saturn. Because Saturn would also trine Mars in Singapore’s chart as well, my sense is that we will see more purposefulness in the way forward despite the fuzziness. Since transiting Saturn is in the 5th House for self-expression, hobbies and leisure, I would expect that the purposefulness would involve the tourism industry. Hence, I believe that the gradual opening up of our tourism industry is imminent.
Expecting the unexpected: Transiting Uranus in Taurus triggers Singapore’s natal Sun in Leo in 11th House ‘squares’ Neptune in Scorpio in the 2nd
This is the single most important piece of transit to look at. It will start from late May of 2022 all the way to end-April 2023. Before we dive into what this transit is about, it’s important for us to understand the natal tension in Singapore’s chart, the Sun-Neptune Square.
From rags to riches- The story of ‘Singarella’: Sun in Leo in the 11th House squares Neptune in Scorpio in the 2nd House
With the Sun in Leo, the identity of Singapore is meant to be loud, proud, kingly, and noble. In the 11th House, this is the king who finds his purpose amongst his communities, friends and associates.
With the natal ‘square’ to Neptune in the 2nd House, this kingly and noble identity is at tension with a sense of uncertainty in its resources, assets, finances and values. Especially because Neptune is in the sign of Scorpio, the story of not having clear resources takes on an even more intense and ‘crisis’ flavor. This relationship between Sun and Neptune reminds me of the typical narrative of the Singapore story: that we have no natural resources and we need to open our doors to the world, make friends, and trade deals in order to survive.
While Neptune represents uncertainty, it also represents the magic and glamour of a dream. In the 2nd House, this dream is a financial and resource-driven one. In some way, Singapore is living that dream- from a third-world nation floundering for survival, it is now a prosperous financial hub.
Because this is a tension between the signs of Leo and Scorpio, the proud and ardent nature of its expressiveness is always at odds with a fear and obsession over the lack of control and of crisis. There’s always a fear that the shine would one day disappear and fade into nothingness. This, I think, explains the psyche of Singapore very well: because there’re all these possibilities of what might happen one day, we must always be prepared. We must sacrifice some of our liberties and parts of our expressive selves so that we may preserve these financial dreams that we have, these securities that we have which are already here.
Shake-ups and Revolution: Transiting Uranus joins the fray
Uranus is the planet of shake-ups, revolution and change. Because it is triggering the natal ‘square’ between Singapore’s Sun and Neptune, one of the things we can expect is a revolution in Singapore’s identity, especially this particular ‘rags to riches’ narrative.
There are a lot of possibilities to this, but I think the most fundamental change is its identity with regards to its fellowship to the world at large, especially amongst its friends and allies. Because the natal Sun in the 11th House is also about future plans, I’m also certain that the future plans and trajectory of Singapore, on which its purpose and identity are based, is getting changed and shifted altogether.
Singapore’s Sun in Leo loves attention, colours, fun, and is easily excitable. Transiting Uranus in the sign of boring Taurus guarantees that this shine of Leo would be dampened so that it may become more pragmatic and down-to-earth.
What is a greater call for concern is that the energy of transiting Uranus comes in from the 8th House, which traditionally orients towards death, crisis, and transformation. It’s also about joint resources, taxes, inheritance and investment, so I can already see that this would involve the investment arm of Singapore- the sovereign wealth funds of GIC and Temasek Holdings. The way Uranus tends to act is that it is often sudden, unexpected, and destabilizing so I would expect upheaving changes and news from that space that will rock the very identity of Singapore. The government recently announced a hike in the Goods and Service tax, carbon tax, personal income tax, and these are certainly in line with this upcoming transit, but given its unpredictable nature, I wonder what else would show up. Is it some kind of major investment and movement in the banking industry? Has it got to do with our Central Provident Fund- the pension and savings plan of working Singaporeans? Or would this be triggered by Russia as a retaliating move against Singapore’s sanctions? Let’s wait and see.
Because the energy is from Taurus which is thematically about the natural world as well as sustainability, one of the things which I’m wondering is whether Singapore is going to rev up its investment in renewable energy. I’m definitely also hedging my bet on plans of greater large-scale urban farming plans in Singapore to safeguard our food security since this has been coming up in recent years. Remember when I said the Neptune in Scorpio in the 2nd House of Singapore’s chart talks about us “not having clear resources”? That, I believe, would be challenged in a game-changing way in which we start to realize that there are resources that Singapore has that we can leverage on and it is possible to create some level of sustainability and security as opposed to the Scorpio crisis and survival narrative when it comes to our finances and resources. There is also news about Singapore exploring the tapping of nuclear energy by 2050– which definitely is certainly a shake-up of an unexpected nature
How history repeats itself: A closer look at past Uranus shake-ups
Another thing I really love to do as an Astrologer is to map past events with Astrology. I believe that in understanding what happened in the past, we will have a greater understanding of what’s happening at the moment and what is to come.
As such, May 2022 will certainly not be the first time that Singapore’s Sun is hit by a challenging transit from Uranus. Prior to the coming one, Singapore has had two other major hits from Uranus: between April 1999 to December 2000 and January 1978 to September 1979. Let’s examine these periods individually and see what came up then.
Modernizing the Singapore identity- April 1999 to December 2000
During this period, transiting Uranus was triggering the same ‘Singarella’ combination from the sign of Aquarius- a sign that’s linked to community, the people, modernity, technology and the sciences- in the 5th House (self-expression, creativity, recreation and hobbies). The following are the few key events that were really the hallmark of this transit:
- Thumbdrive was invented in Singapore.
- Speaker’s Corner was first opened– this was a space which permitted the gathering of a large crowd over any socio-political issue (Singapore’s version of a peaceful assembly). This space facilitated the birth of the Pink Dot movement for LGBTQIA issues about a decade later. (I’ve also analysed the chart of Pink Dot. You can read about it here.)
- Plans to boost life sciences in Singapore
- The Renaissance City Plan was first started during this period. which aimed to transform Singapore into a modern arts Hub and later give rise to greater arts funding in order to develop the arts in Singapore, as well as top of the line performing arts venue like the Esplanade- Theatre by the Bay. This sprung up because the government of Singapore recognises the need to invest further in arts and cultural capabilities in order to enhance innovative capacity and measure up against other regional and global cities.
The major question that Singapore contended with during the turn of the century was how we can cope and move into a knowledge-based economy- how Singapore can revolutionalize its identity and its value in some way so that we are still relevant and remain neck-and-neck with the rest of the world.
Crises, Disaster and Transforming the Singapore identity- January 1978 to September 1979
During this period, transiting Uranus was triggering the same ‘Singarella’ combination from the intense and crisis-inducing sign of Scorpio. It affected this combination via conjunction with Singapore’s Neptune- meaning that its destabilizing and upheaving energy was conflated together with Neptune’s uncertainty, magic, glamour and dream in the 2nd House (which is about assets, finances, value, money).
- Spyros Disaster. This was an explosive incident at an oil tanker that was docked at Jurong Shipyard. It was dubbed as the ‘worst post-war disaster in terms of lives lost’. This incident had a major impact in enhancing safety procedures and protocols at all workplaces.
- The 1978 flooding of Singapore which was the worst flooding of Singapore to date. There were actually two flooding incidents: one in November and the other in December producing at least S$10 million worth of damages. (On a side note, the image of Neptune is that of an overwhelming ocean with no end in sight. That’s what flooding looks like as well!) The flooding certainly propels plans to improve the drainage and flood management systems of Singapore.
- Automated Teller Machines first introduced in Singapore. It’s hard to think about this as a big deal now but it actually transformed how banking is done in Singapore.
- Approval of construction of Raffles City: This was the single largest commercial development built in that time and was the most expensive thus far at a whooping S$600 million. It was also one of Singapore’s first mega developments with offices, mall, two hotels and a convention centre under one roof. It was so successful that the model was later exported to China.
The major shifts during this period seem to signpost critical developments of Singapore which really propel us away from a Third World nation in the direction of the First World– no longer surviving but thriving.
1978 and 1979 was also the period in which founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew articulated his worries about Singapore’s political future as he was uncertain if the second-generation of leaders are able to make the cut due to their inexperience in the difficult struggles of the immediate post-independence period. This brings me to my next big segment about the upcoming Uranus transit: if it’d involve our ‘succession plan’.
Transiting Uranus ‘Square’ Sun: An unconventional succession plan?
The Sun, in a natal chart, is the single most important planet in a person’s chart. It also represents the inspirational and powerful figure or person in our life who really inspires us before we ourselves embody that role. By extension, the Sun in a country’s birth chart is not just about the country’s identity, but also the leader of the country. In Singapore’s case, this is the role of the Prime Minister.
The lack of a clear succession plan in Singapore is an open secret: the current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is retiring soon and there isn’t a clear next-in-line for that job. Because Singapore’s Sun is getting a ‘square’ from transiting Uranus, one of the questions which I’ve been pondering as an astrologer is if it will affect this succession plan.
Based on the placement, I’m speculating that this issue would be called into play this year. Because it’s getting a transit from Uranus, I’m willing to bet that it’d be somewhat unexpected and sudden. Since Uranus would impact the Sun from the 8th House, which is about death, crisis and transformation, I’m really wondering if something unsavory would happen to the current PM in question and the torch needs to be passed on to someone else very suddenly. (Touchwood!)
If this particular transit is indeed about leadership succession, I suspect the next person in line would be tried and tested; someone ‘safe’, grounded and pragmatic (it fits the Taurus theme). Since there is a ‘unexpectedness’ to this, I’m wondering if it’d be someone that no one is expecting– perhaps a 3rd Generation minister like Tharman Shanmugaratnam?
Of course, these are all speculations. Let’s check in again when the time comes.
A shake up to our image and value: Transiting Uranus trining Singapore’s Pluto and Venus in Virgo in 12th House
At the same time when transiting Uranus is forming a tense relationship with Singapore’s Sun and Neptune, it’s also forming a nice little ‘trine’ to Singapore’s Venus and Pluto.
As mentioned before, a ‘trine’ is a more harmonious relationship that operates with ease rather than resistance. Let’s take a look at what this could mean.
The immaculate curation: Singapore’s Venus and Pluto in Virgo in the 12th House
Natally, Singapore’s Venus and Pluto are bunched up together in the 12th House. Venus is related to the themes of beauty, love and aesthetics. Because it is bunched up together with Pluto, the idea of love, beauty and aesthetics often take on an extremity and intensity. Having both planets in the sign of clean, neat and orderly Virgo means that beauty, love and aesthetics takes on the nature of being well-pruned, clean, curated and to some extent, controlled- often to an extreme. Because they are situated in the 12th house, this influence and control is often underlying and unseen unless we really take a step back to see what’s really going on.
A different look?– Transiting Uranus ‘trine’ Venus.
Because Venus also governs the idea of value (hence, money) and its combination with Pluto rules both the 2nd and 8th House, incoming changes to the wealth and finances of Singapore– a theme which we have explored in earlier sections of this post- is cemented and augmented by more astrological data. So this part we already know.
What’s new here is the fact that the affected planet, Venus, rules the 1st House in Singapore’s natal chart. The 1st house is about physical appearances and the ‘looks’. This potentially means that the upcoming Uranus ‘trine’ to Singapore’s Venus would reshape the way Singapore brands itself and the way it shows up to the world. So this is big! I wonder what this could mean.
What has my interest slightly piqued is the fact that both planets that are being ‘trined’ by Uranus are in the 12th house- which, as I previously mentioned, is very much about what is hidden and behind the scenes. I wonder if the jolting energy from Uranus would reveal and surface what is in the undercurrent that previously remain unseen.
In Summary: The Uranian Transits
With Uranus making quite a bit of a stir in Singapore’s chart, one thing I am absolutely certain of is the arrival of great upheaving (perhaps also upsetting) changes. Changes that would rock the boat but would ultimately progress Singapore forward. Some of them would be easy, especially if it pertains to the way Singapore looks and shows up in the world with its underlying curation and control. On the other hand, changes involving the way Singapore shares itself meaningfully to the world- its identity and purpose- are going to be challenging and paradigm-shifting.
Would those of us living and residing in Singapore be affected? I would say: in some way, yes.
Should we worry? I would say, no. As long as we observe what’s going on, respond with consciousness rather than react instinctively, we would be able to deal with whatever changes that’d come our way.
Most difficult part of the year: September 2022 to March 2023- The Mars Retrograde
I’ve actually mentioned this a couple of times on my channels and with my clients: we are going to experience a Mars Retrograde this year. One of the hallmarks of a Mars Retrograde is that things will be slow and frustrating. Expect do-overs. Expect any movement during this period to go really slowly and frustratingly.
Because Mars would retrograde in the sign of Gemini, planets in mutable signs like Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces would be severely affected. Singapore has a lot of key positions in these signs.
Conflict and Clashes in the Bigger Picture- Mars Retrograding in Gemini in Singapore’s 9th House
Because this Mars Retrograde will happen in the 9th House of Singapore’s chart, I’d expect upset and frustration to any assertions and actions taken in the area of religion, higher learning, law, politics as well as international relations. Any movement or action taken during this period in these domains would be foiled and made difficult. Mars is a conflict planet as well, so I’d expect drama in the political arena: domestically and internationally. Here are some possibilities of what could happen:
- Some kind of fighting and bickering between the majority PAP government versus the Workers’ Party Opposition
- Religious conservatives in Singapore having a sort of tension and standoff with the LGBTQIA and progressive activists of Singapore
- Perhaps, this may also be the period when the Russian government take some action against Singapore?
- Possible confusion, frustration and slowing down of border reopening procedures and efforts etc.
- Singapore’s navigation of the way forward is hampered and slowed down in some way.
These are some speculations that I have based on what’s going on at the moment. #5 resonates the most for me simply because of the upcoming changes to Singapore’s identity (the Uranus transit).
Another point to note is how this retrograde would interact with the other planets of Singapore’s chart. Singapore has planets opposing each other in the sign of Virgo and Pisces. So on one hand, the Virgo in Singapore demands situations to be clearly defined and well sorted out, but the Pisces opposition is looking to transcend clearly defined categories and lines- to just ‘let it go’. This Mars Retrograde coming in from Gemini would activate the middle ground and question if we are overdoing either and arbitrate a balance based on relevance. I’m wondering what this could mean for Singapore.
It’s also worth noting that, while all of the above is happening, Mars Retrograde would be hitting Singapore’s North Node- an abstract point that indicates the karmic future of Singapore. It would certainly call into question: Are we, as a nation, moving in the right direction or not?
These are my analyses of the transits for Singapore in 2022 and beyond. Does any of them surprise you? Drop me a comment and let me know what you think! Share with your friends as well!
