Myanmar mystics divine future after ill-augured election

The answer is hidden in the alignment of the stars, the occult flame of black magic candles and sacred geometry visible only to the third eye -- if you believe the country's spiritual soothsayers.

"The question most people ask is clear. When will Myanmar prosper?" said astrologer Linn Nhyo Taryar.

Five years ago, Myanmar's future seemed more certain. The country had enjoyed a decade-long democratic experiment after a history of hermetic military rule.

But a 2021 military coup toppled the government, triggering civil war and precarity -- from regular internet outages to life-or-death combat zone crises.

December 28 presents fresh uncertainty, as voting is set to start in a phased election being rejected by rebels and criticised abroad as a ploy to rebrand military rule.

Myanmar has a rich culture of fortune-telling, and many believe the future can be discerned by mystics.

The poll's outcome, some reckon, could even be swayed with "Yadaya" -- magic rituals thought to steer fate.

"People struggling with trouble turn to fortune-telling and Yadaya, seeking the power and belief derived from it," said Linn Nhyo Taryar.

"What people really want is a safe and secure life and future," the 30-year-old told AFP.

- Dissident divination -

Linn Nhyo Taryar's past has been anything but safe and secure, thanks to his prophesying profession.

The ritual of candles arranged atop knives set out in a star pattern earned him two years in Yangon's Insein Prison -- notorious for alleged brutal rights abuses -- for "causing fear or alarm" and inducing others to attack the state.

Post-release he lives in self-exile in Bangkok, communing online with clients back in Myanmar.

Myanmar's culture is profoundly influenced by Buddhism-inflected supernaturalism.

Astrologers consult a national zodiac, palm readers ring pagodas, would-be alchemists attempt to transmute mercury into gold and SIM card companies advertise dial-a-diviners.

"They treat a whole host of maladies," said Thomas Patton, a professor at New York state's Union College who has studied Myanmar's mystics.

"In Myanmar, I think it's tied with its lack of development," he added. "There's not much else to fall back upon."

"You have an entire landscape of uncertainty and vulnerability and you have this 1,000-year-old tapestry of spells and medicines and occult knowledge that just has seeped into the Burmese consciousness."

- 'Nightmares of the past' -

But mysticism also holds sway behind the closed door of politics.

Previous military ruler Ne Win changed the rules of the road, requiring vehicles to swap driving lanes -- supposedly the result of misconstrued astrological advice to shift his left-wing regime to the political right.

An avid numerologist, in 1987, he issued new currency in denominations of nine -- a digit considered auspicious, but bewildering shoppers with mental arithmetic.

Demonstrations forced Ne Win's resignation, but Myanmar's military chain of command continued to Min Aung Hlaing, also rumoured to be motivated by superstition.

With ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi jailed incommunicado and her party dissolved, analysts suggest the month-long poll will prolong Min Aung Hlaing's rule under a civilian banner.

But the country's most popular horoscope forecasting the Buddhist new year starting in early 2026, touted by street vendors nationwide in recent days, contains clashing portents.

"They are likely to be well and gain special privileges wherever they are," it says, advising Yadaya practitioners to leave buttered rice at a home Buddha shrine.
Mystic vigilance
In Yangon, Min Thein Kyaw has read the cards.

"Myanmar holds good potential for the coming year," proclaims the 73-year-old. "However, for any prediction to fully succeed, three factors must align: time, place and the individual."

But in tumultuous Myanmar, even clairvoyants urge caution.

"There are also many things that need to be watched out for. Vigilance is key," says Min Thein Kyaw.

"Just as every individual needs to possess mindfulness, morality and wisdom -- people in power must also possess these."

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