The Israelis know what it is like to be faced with overwhelming power, with little means of resistance. On April 19 1943, a young 23-year-old, Mordecai Anielewicz, issued a proclamation calling for the Jewish people in Warsaw to resist being sent to death camps. With just a few weapons, 750 fighters kept the might of the German army at bay for nearly a month in the Warsaw Uprising before being overwhelmed… a mythic feat, which has gone over into Jewish history.Jenin
The resistance of Palestinian fighters in Jenin was scarcely as magnificent, though it will certainly be the stuff of myths for the Palestinian people in the years to come. The slaughter and secret disposal of the bodies of hundreds of fighters and civilians by the Israeli army is not of the same magnitude of what happened in Warsaw. When the Jewish fighters were finally overwhelmed. 56,000 Jews were captured and 7,000 shot on the spot, with the remainder deported to concentration camps. The Warsaw ghetto was totally flattened by shells and bombs, but in Jenin, only the central swathes of the refugee camp were completely flattened – though bulldozed sometimes with whole families still within (Note 1)
Later comment:
The United Nations issued a report into the Israeli incursions, which concluded that no widespread killings had occurred. (But Amnesty International points out that as UN officials did not actually visit Jenin, the report was no substitute for a thorough and impartial investigation. While early Palestinian claims that hundreds of people were massacred have now been discounted, Amnesty believes that over 50 Palestinians were killed in the fighting in Jenin, and at least another 80 in Nablus, many of them civilians. Women and children were among the dead.)
The Israeli People
Israel’s chart shows Libra rising, with its ruler Venus in Cancer, which is quite a soft and kind influence, with strong values about home and family. This Venus position is exactly the same as the USA’s Venus position, and shows the strong transatlantic bonds, not least financial, between the two countries. They are a kind and generous people. By no means all Israelis are happy about current developments in their homeland. One Israeli helicopter gunship pilot refused direct orders to fire a missile at a Palestinian house because of the risk of civilian loss of life. (Note 2). There has been widespread condemnation of the use of such gunships within Israel, as well as of firing on ambulances, preventing medical help and access by red cross organizations in series of actions by Israel, which contravene international regulations. A group of Israeli officers have formed an organization, which refuses to do duty on Palestinian territory, and Israeli peace organizations lobby hard against their right-wing government, but the fact remains that 70% of Israelis support Sharon in his attempt to root out terrorism.
Axis of Evil
This is a period in which communication seems crippled, with the extraordinary demonization of enemies. The declaration by George Bush against the “axis of evil” could hardly be a better testimony to the power of the current Saturn/Pluto opposition. It fell last year at 12 and 13 degrees Gemini/Sagittarius, right on the USA’s (Sibley) Ascendant. The USA – and specifically the people of New York, whose twin towers collapsed into dust on September 11th 2001 – has reacted by declaring a war on terror. And Sharon seized the opportunity to declare his own war on terror. This war is the war between Saturn and Pluto. One represents the established power of the state (and its business aspects – Gemini), the other the power of terror, the suicide bomber, the religious fanatic. As is always the case with Pluto, it has the power to create vast upheaval quite out of proportion to its size. Witness the atom bomb.
State Terror
Pluto is also the planet of the disempowered, who use every available method to ensure continued existence. However hard you try, you cannot eliminate Pluto. The forces used to destroy Pluto are the forces of Pluto itself, which then grows in power. Perhaps that is why it becomes increasing difficult to distinguish between the terror “out there” and State terror. This is the paradox of the current situation, which is starkly expressed in the Sharon/Arafat power battle. What seemed a simple equation with the USA versus bin Laden crusade, seems more complicated in Israel. The more Sharon tries to humiliate and crush Arafat, with the mighty display of force and the besiegement and destruction of Arafat’s compound, the more sympathy – and therefore strength – Arafat gains. As usual, Sharon is winning the battle, but losing the war. The damage to Israel is vast. As Gerald Kaufman, the veteran Labour MP who is Britain’s most prominent Jewish parliamentarian says: “It is time to remind Sharon that the Star of David belongs to all Jews and not to his repulsive government. His actions are staining the Star of David with blood.”
The May Planetary Lineup
The astrology of the current situation in the Middle East is not designed for negotiation or peace. Looking at the graph of the third and final Saturn/Pluto opposition, it can be seen how the Moon’s nodes retrograde to trigger eclipses, with the major one on June 10th falling at 19.54 Gemini on USA’s Mars (21.29 Gemini). All this is triggered by Mars and Venus, which also transit Gemini in May, bringing total communication breakdown, but at the same time enormous international pressure for dialogue. It looks dire for the USA, whose ignominious behavior is crowned at the time of writing by Powell’s failed mission. Whilst Israel busies itself with concealing civilian casualties in Jenin – Bush says the Palestinian Authority “must act on its words of condemnation against terror” and calls on Arab states “to step up to their responsibilities”. (Note 4) The rage against Bush – not just in the Arab world, but also in Europe – is palpable. It’s obvious that the current Intifada was provoked by Sharon himself, with his visit to the Temple Mount in 2000, and his policy of encouraging settlements on Palestinian land in a strategy of occupation and encirclement.
Sharon – the General
With Aries rising close to his Jupiter/Uranus conjunction, Ariel Sharon is a man who believes in action. Apparently his nickname is “the Bulldozer” for his ability to crush the enemy. With Ascendant ruler Mars exalted in Capricorn he is an excellent strategist, and the sextile to Uranus shows his ability for unpredictable, surprise moves. To understand the brutality of Sharon, it is necessary to look at his 7th harmonic chart, where the natal Uranus at the midpoint of Pluto/Saturn configures with Sun, Moon and Mars to make a truly murderous combination Beneath the surface, his Piscean Sun conjoining retrograde Mercury in the 12th shows a sensitive and secretive nature, probably with inner worries about dissolution. When he hears threats of Israel being swept into the sea, he takes it literally, because that is his greatest inner fear. Though I know nothing about his childhood, the period when progressed Mercury stationed opposition his Neptune from the ages of 5 – 16 (spanning the 2nd World War and Holocaust) must have imbued a sense of loneliness, disillusion and isolation in him. He is probably incapable of seeing himself objectively. Curiously his progressed Mars – now currently at 25.49 Pisces – “leads” and opposes the progressed Mars of Israel now at 24.28 Virgo. He will always drag Israel into war.
International Judgement
The major transit in Sharon’s life right now is the passage of Pluto over his Saturn at 18.21 Sagittarius in his 9th house. This culminates in January, June and November 2003. It will result in international opprobrium, with the real likelihood of him being indicted in an international court of law. (Quite apart from the war crimes case prepared in Belgium against him for the Shatilah massacre in 1983). Sharon himself only believes in biblical justice. He has his roots in an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, and has nothing but contempt for soft-hearted liberals. Nevertheless this transit will almost certainly result in an ignominious fall from power (Saturn rules his MC), which will come sooner (in 2002) or later (2003). It’s possible that the June 2000 eclipse on his Saturn will be enough to precipitate an early fall. Of course the current military madness is related to the transit of Uranus opposite Israel’s Mars at 28.18 Leo, exact on 28th April and 10th July 2002, and 9th February 2003. With this influence it is sure that suicide bombings will continue unabated, and just as sure that Israel will continue a policy of intervention and oppression – a policy that will undoubtedly succeed, as Saturn sextiles Israel’s Mars (and trines Uranus) at the same time.
Yasser Arafat
Birth data for Sharon’s old enemy and possible nemesis, Yasser Arafat, is disputed. I have previously worked with a Virgo birthdate, but came across a chart used by astrologer Joyce Hoen which seems rather descriptive. Note 6.
The death of his mother when he was 4 would correspond to Pluto’s transit of his Moon, just as the Moon/Pluto rising in Cancer also corresponds to a man desperately seeking roots for himself and his people. Living as he currently does amidst the ruins of Ramallah is an apt depiction of this astrological influence. It is interesting too that the Mars at 18.43 Virgo in this chart configures in exact square to Sharon’s Saturn, and reflects the present military catastrophe. His current virtual imprisonment in Ramallah may be shown by the Neptune transit opposing his Sun, which finally ends in December 2003. Amidst the ruins of Moon/Pluto luck smiles constantly on Arafat. He was the sole survivor of an air crash, which would seem to reflect the Jupiter sextile his powerful Sun/Uranus trine. It will be interesting to see if there is confirmation of this chart when Jupiter conjoins his Sun (and Israel’s Pluto) in September 2002. His fortunes could turn at this time.
The Future
Current planetary transits seem to indicate that the situation in Israel will be explosive for at least another 10 months, but that a change will arise when Uranus finally leaves Aquarius and enters Pisces in March 2003, a time when we’ll see Sharon, if he is still in power, shuttling hectically to Washington and back. Sharon will never make an agreement that lasts, because of the extremely weak position of his Mercury opposite Neptune. He will say anything to pursue his agenda, and will lose all credibility. Israel will remain undefeated and on top for many years – indeed her existence will never be seriously at risk during the whole of the 21st century. Only when Neptune activates her Sun square Saturn and Mars from 2005 to 2011 will her ability to maintain a protective shield be undermined. She will never be able to prevent her borders from being porous, and military methods will be completely bankrupt in these years, which means there is actually hope that peaceful methods will gain a foothold. Finally a turning point will come when Israel’s progressed Venus turns direct in 2007 – exactly on her natal Uranus in Gemini. The future of the State of Israel is coexistence together with the State of Palestine.
Adrian Duncan 19.04.2002
1. Guardian online: www.guardian.co.uk Brian Whitaker Thursday April 18, 2002
2. Guardian online. Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem, Thursday April 18, 2002
3. Guardian online: Ian Black in Brussels, Ewen MacAskill and Nicholas Watt Wednesday April 17, 2002
4. Guardian online: Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem and Julian Borger in Washington Thursday April 18, 2002
5. Isaac Starkman quotes Ariel Sharon’s mom in MH 10/1986, “about one hour after sunrise”. (LMR calculates sunrise as 6:36 AM EET.) Starkman rectifies the time, using over 25 events, to 5:49:19 UT, ASC 12Ari02.
6. The time of 3.a.m and the date of 4th August in Jerusalem was given by Arafat himself, but a birth certificate has been found stating 24th August.