2020…and yet more unexpected events unfolding…
Aside to Tom Yum, Chatuchak, glorious temples, floating markets and massages, another widely known fact is that Thais had always revered their monarchs historically from the period of King Chulalongkorn to King Bumibhol, a monarchy spanning some 800 years of history. Even more impressively, it is the only country in South East Asia that never had been colonised by Western powers. For a long time, any criticism of the monarchy is widely known to be condemned and punishable by long prison sentences. With this turn of events, the months of protests leading up to the emergency decree issued on Thursday represent the biggest challenge in years to Thailand’s establishment, which is dominated by the military and royal palace. Thai protesters even jeered and held up the three-finger salute as a motorcade passed carrying the queen through Bangkok. Hence, the recent calls for royal reforms are particularly sensitive in Thailand, where such explicit displays of protest are considered taboo and unheard of…until now. So…
What unfolds for Thailand upon this protest?
CURRENT OUTLOOK (Ace of Pentacles)
The Ace of Pentacles, like the other Aces of the Tarot, represents new beginnings, opportunities, and potential — and as a Pentacles card, these new beginnings correlate to the material world: current foundations, finances, wealth, career, physical health and manifestation of goals. The visual portray the action of ‘rising’ from the sea, which depicts the Thai peoples current sentiments and the recent pivot in not longer keeping quiet but rising’ against the current governance at hand, fuelled by their views of injustice in material and practical matters.
SITUATION (Ten of Wands)
Ten is a number of completion, and Wands is representative of action, desire, passion and communication. As reported in the media, one can see the Thai people reaching a boiling point, and have now decided to take to the streets in communicating they’ve ‘had it’. The Ten of Wands speaks of burden and the feeling of being stuck, and it’s symbolic of breaking out of this current ball & chain in getting the reforms they are now demanding. Even going to the point of ignoring the long time taboos and laws of criticising the monarchy.
OBSTACLE (The Tower)
With the Tower, we can expect sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, awakening…However, it won’t be easy to see the change so desired in manifesting. Expect prolonged periods of unrests & upheaval by the people, seeing more intensified protests in time to come, while the monarchy and military government expediting action in trying to stop the escalation. It does not bode well for both sides.
HOW IT UNFOLDS (The Fool)
The change and reform that the Thai people is fighting for will eventually manifest, and the people will get their desires met. The Fool is a card of beginnings, a new sense of naivety and forging a path ahead towards a new dawn, but with little concrete plans and “come what may”. Stay tuned to the news to watch this unfold, and 2020 being such an unexpected year in itself, I wouldn’t be surprised if the unexpected really happens, possibly spelling an end of 800 years of Thai monarchy at hand and/or other extreme changes which we’ll never foresee.
OUTCOME (The Magician)
The Magician marks and seals the manifestation of the intense desire & action of the people’s sentiments in getting what they want and what they fought for. That is, total reform and change. Following up from the Fool card, it marks a new begging of new resources, thoughts, strategies all alchemised and sync ‘magically’ together in this new beginning. Thailand is in the destined time to move forward on to greater things, and this door has swung open for them to take the path.
Woah. What else 2020? What else…?
