Democracy in Retrograde

plus Azmin Ali reveals himself as a horse girl.

First, thank you, everyone, who has signed up for this newsletter! I can’t believe what started as a drunk Twitter thread is now a newsletter. I’m thinking this will be a monthly thing, maybe with further updates when something astrologically and/or politically significant happens in between.

Ok, let’s get into it.

As I write this (2nd of Feb), Mercury is entering its pre-retrograde shadow. What does that mean? First, what is Mercury in retrograde? It’s when the planet Mercury appears like it’s moving backwards to us on Earth. Here’s an explanation of the science behind this. Mercury is associated with travel, communication and technology. So in astrology, it means there’s potential for miscommunications and technological breakdowns. I always tell people to back up their files before Mercury goes into retrograde.

Mercury will go into retrograde on 16 February and continue until 9 March. So what does it mean for the Yang Berhormats (or Yang Berhormats in a Great Malayan Novel) who control Malaysia’s destiny?

First, let’s check in with the contenders in the battle to be the next Prime Minister of Malaysia. Did you know that Mahathir is a Cancer, Anwar a Leo and Azmin a Virgo and that these seasons are all successive in the Western zodiac? I feel like there must be some significance in that, even if I’m not sure what it is yet.

While people tend to be alarmist about Mercury in retrograde, it can also be a clarifying time. Untrustworthy people will reveal themselves, secrets and lies come to light. Perhaps, this will be a good time for both Anwar and Azmin to root out supposed allies in their respective camps.

For example, whoever the hell told Azmin Ali it was okay to let everyone know he was a horse girl. What am I talking about? These damn videos Azmin Ali keeps posting of himself horse riding, complete with music! Azmin Ali supporters unironically retweet them, but there are plenty of quote retweets and replies asking why he thinks it’s okay to show off an expensive and elitist hobby.

Though Azmin is not alone in his love of horse riding. The OG horse girl in our midst is, of course, our current Prime Minister (please do not arrest me under the Sedition Act for merely stating facts). Yes, an official video titled “Dr Mahathir menunggang kuda” exists. In fact, Dr Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim once used to enjoy weekend horse rides before Anwar fell out of Mahathir’s favour during the first Mahathir Prime Ministership (isn’t weird that this is a thing at all?). So maybe being a horse girl is essential to being Prime Minister? Let’s see if the frequency of horse videos increases.

There will be a full moon in Leo on 9 February. For a Leo like Anwar, this is a good time to commit to goals and ambitions (what could that be?). Though a degree of organisation is required to manifest the fortune and qualities that this full moon in Leo holds. And guess which sign is all about organisation? You guessed it, Virgos. The full moon may bring healing for Virgos and clarify situations and relationships that were murky or unstable. A good time for Azmin to solidify who his real friends are.

Globally, we’re facing a novel coronavirus. So who better to have as Health Minister in a time like this than a Capricorn? Capricorns are very driven, disciplined, dutiful and leadership-oriented. Wonderful qualities for a Minister of Health, particularly when facing a global health emergency. Generally, people have a positive opinion of the Ministry of Health and Dr Dzul post-GE. The government’s handling of the coronavirus is a rare show of messaging unity from the PH government.

However, this retrograde might be more trouble for Capricorns than others, so Dr Dzul should take care that media and comms stay on point. On the positive side, he can look forward to Mars entering Capricorn on 16 February. Mars is the ruler of Aries and represents “energy, action and desire.” This would be a good time for the minister to debut new initiatives and programmes.

Okay, that’s all for this (longer than expected) first issue!

A big, big thank you to the amazing Charis Loke for both naming this newsletter and creating the logo.

Credit also to Alexandra John for coming up with “Democracy in Retrograde”, which was a contender for the newsletter’s name and ended up being the perfect title for this first issue.

And thank you to Michelle Yesudas who was key in pushing me to make this newsletter happen, came up with the initial names, and also gave me some advice about security. <3

I consulted Chani Nicholas and Astro Style for my analysis.