Royal astrologer casts Thai king's horoscope ahead of coronation
Royal astrologers and members of the Royal Thai court participate in a ritual ahead of the coronation to inscribe Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn's name and title, cast the king's horoscope, and engrave the king's official seal at the Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand April 23, 2019. Thailand Royal Household via REUTERS
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's royal astrologer cast King Maha Vajiralongkorn's horoscope on Tuesday in an important ritual to prepare for his elaborate coronation ceremonies next week.
Saffron-clad Buddhist monks chanted as the horoscope for the king's reign was cast on a golden plaque.
Senior Royal Thai family member Admiral M.C. Pusan Sawasdiwat (R) attends a ritual on behalf of the King Maha Vajiralongkorn to inscribe king's name and title, cast the king's horoscope, and engrave the king's official seal at the Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand April 23, 2019. Thailand Royal Household via REUTERS
The three-hour ceremony included the inscription of the king's name and new royal title on another golden plaque, and the carving of the king's official seal.
Thai culture is steeped in astrology and other forms of divination, and many Thais go to fortune-tellers for everything from guidance on career and love to setting dates for important life events like weddings and business ventures.
Astrology in the royal court, involving rigid rituals and precise calculations, is a world away from commoners' divinations.
Senior Royal Thai family member Admiral M.C. Pusan Sawasdiwat (R) attends a ritual on behalf of the King Maha Vajiralongkorn to inscribe king's name and title, cast the king's horoscope, and engrave the king's official seal at the Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand April 23, 2019. Thailand Royal Household via REUTERS
Court astrologers traditionally make predictions about the future at every important transition in the nation's history.
Court astrologer Chatchai Pinngern cast the horoscope of King Maha Vajiralongkorn in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which is attached to the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
Neither the horoscope, which notes planetary alignments based on precise details around a person's birth, nor its interpretation were made public.
Royal astrologers and members of the Royal Thai court participate in a ritual ahead of the coronation to inscribe Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn's name and title, cast the king's horoscope, and engrave the king's official seal at the Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand April 23, 2019. Thailand Royal Household via REUTERS
King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 66, was not present for the ceremony but sent a royal representative.
The ceremony also saw the inscription of the king's new name and title on another golden plate, and an engraving of his royal seal which is an auspicious symbol that is said to show the sovereignty and the majesty of the king.
The royal horoscope and the other two items will play essential roles in Vajiralongkorn's main coronation events on May 4, as they will be presented to the king by Thailand's chief of Brahmins, along with other royal regalia.
Royal astrologers and members of the Royal Thai court participate in a ritual ahead of the coronation to inscribe Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn's name and title, cast the king's horoscope, and engrave the king's official seal at the Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand April 23, 2019. Thailand Royal Household via REUTERS
The coronation ceremonies from May 4 to 6 will be the first the country has seen since Vajiralongkorn's father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, was crowned on May 5, 1950.
King Bhumibol reigned for seven decades before he died in October 2016 at age 88.
Royal astrologers and members of the Royal Thai court participate in a ritual ahead of the coronation to inscribe Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn's name and title, cast the king's horoscope, and engrave the king's official seal at the Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand April 23, 2019. Thailand Royal Household via REUTERS
(Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panarat Thepgumpanat; editing by Kay Johnson and Darren Schuettler)
FILE PHOTO: Lertviroj Kowattana, permanent secretary of the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, dressed in a traditional costume, greets Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn during the annual Royal Ploughing Ceremony in central Bangkok, Thailand, May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Athit PerawongmethaFILE PHOTO: A royal official holds an ewer containing sacred water collected from all provinces in Thailand, during a procession to deliver it from Wat Suthat to the Grand Palace, to be consecrated for the upcoming coronation ceremony for Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok, Thailand, April 19, 2019. REUTERS/Athit PerawongmethaFILE PHOTO: Royal officials take part in a procession to deliver sacred water collected from all provinces in Thailand from Wat Suthat to the Grand Palace, to be consecrated for the upcoming coronation ceremony for Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn, in Bangkok, Thailand, April 19, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
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