| 911 is a number with some very fateful qualities. For everyone in the Unites States it has for years been the number to ring in the case of an emergency. It was in fact on February 16th 1968, (when the Moon was exactly between Uranus and Pluto and opposite Mars… certainly an astrological emergency), that the first call was made. As fate would have it, the worst terrorist attack in history then took place on 9/11 2001, creating a state of national emergency and the war on terror. Just 911 days after the destruction of the twin towers, an extreme Islamist group struck again, this time in Madrid. With over 200 dead, and several thousand injured it was an event, as the Spanish newspaper El Mundo wrote: “… like no other in our history. 15,000 people have required psychological help, 100,000 fewer people are travelling on suburban trains, blood donations have doubled and so have the number of newspapers and flowers bought each day”.The Spanish Election So it was that terror came to Europe, linked to the Spanish support for the US-run coalition in Iraq. Its effect was dramatic: in the subsequent election just 4 days later the pro-Bush José María Aznar’s conservative party lost to the socialist party of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero as the people of Spain voiced their discontent. Anger at the manipulation of the post-bombing news, as well as their profound dissatisfaction with the fact that Aznar – just like Blair and Berlusconi – completely ignored popular opposition against the Iraq war, brought a complete reversal. Zapatero subsequently condemned Bush and his coalition for their conduct of the Iraq war and of the postwar administration, and has promised to bring Spanish troops home. This has enormous repercussions for Europe, and indeed some commentators have been quick to point out, that this is the first time al-Qaida have succeeded in influencing an election. With terrorism duly encouraged, the likelihood of further attacks in Europe seems likely to increase. Europe has tasted the trauma, which all Americans experienced back in September 2001. The question now is whether the US-Europe anti-terror coalition can hold together, or whether the coalition’s preemptive policies, so doubtfully applied in Iraq, will simply exacerbate confrontation. The balance of power has been changed through what some call Zapatero’s appeasement, and Spain will now align with France and Germany, who are against Middle East intervention. The pressure is now on both Bush and Blair, both of whom face re-election in the not-too-distant future. Madrid Terror Click here to see horoscope for terror attack Pluto and national trauma See Horoscope for Sun/PLuto opposition in June This occurs with Saturn at 13.22 Cancer extremely close to the US Sun at 13.19 Cancer, and of course George W Bush’s Sun at 13.47 Cancer. The actual opposition at 20.54 Gemini/Sagittarius falls almost exactly on the US Mars at 21.23 Gemini, so it seems almost certain that mid-June will be a time of severe tension for the United States, and obviously a time of high alert for terrorism. Uranus culminates on the MC on USA’s East coast on the April 19 solar eclipse, which could indicate unexpected developments on the Eastern seaboard in the subsequent months. The Madrid explosions – a series of 10 that took place at staggered intervals from 7.39 to 7.46 for maximum impact – started with the Sun exactly rising on the Ascendant, and Pluto culminating in square on the Midheaven. Mercury in Pisces had squared Pluto just days earlier, and by the time the last bomb had exploded was exactly on the Ascendant. This is reminiscent of the World Trade Centre explosion (note 1) which also had Mercury on the Ascendant (at 14 Libra… exactly on the US Saturn). The emphasis on Pisces in the Madrid bombing could reflect the religious aspects of the attack; it certainly reflected the desperate mourning scenes that took place in subsequent days. Whilst the Saturn/Pluto opposition was a central feature of the World Trade center attack in 2001, the opposition is no longer there in 2004. One aspect highly symbolic of terror is though: the ongoing quintile between Pluto and Uranus, which in Madrid is 23′ of arc from exactitude. Another deadly aspect of the Madrid attack is the position of the Moon in Scorpio conjoining the nodal axis (square Neptune) and opposing Mars and Venus in Taurus. This powerful opposition between a Moon and Mars in fall and detriment from the 8th For those interested in midpoints, the all-important Sun/Moon midpoint at the Madrid explosion was at 18.58 Capricorn, semisquare Uranus within 9 minutes of arc. The Horoscope for Spain The horoscope certainly reflects the character of Spain as manifested in the period of the discovery of the New World. The country was created at a rare conjunction of Neptune and Uranus, whose position at 1 degree Sagittarius seems to reflect the distant horizons of America and the sudden sense of world expansion. Pluto, Mercury and the South Node sextiling this conjunction speak of transatlantic commerce and the spread of Spanish to South America. Two Uranus/Neptune conjunctions later a series of revolutions on the southern American continent led to independence in many countries of South America, including Mexico and Brazil. The 1479 horoscope for Spain shows Jupiter in Taurus exactly trining Venus in Capricorn at 21 degrees (the degree of the March 2004 Sun/Pluto square). This wonderful trine indicates the immense riches available to colonial Spain as it plundered the gold and silver of the New World. Even today Spain is the world’s 8th richest economy. It’s an immensely powerful horoscope, yet there are no clear transit triggers to it from the Madrid attack apart from transiting Uranus in square to the Uranus/Neptune conjunction. However, an examination of the progressions for March 2004 show that progressed Mars is at 1.12 Sagittarius – exactly on the Uranus/Neptune conjunction, and that progressed Moon is 15.42 Pisces – exactly on Spain’s Mars at 15.40 Pisces. King Juan Carlos Click here to see horoscope for inauguration of Juan Carlos This is a quite different chart to the 1479 chart, and reflects a quite different Spain. The main connection is once again the nodal axis, which falls exactly on the 1479 Jupiter and continues the theme of a traditionally Catholic country whose old colonial roots and riches have been ripped up by civil war from 1935-1939 – a trauma possibly reflected by the Scorpio North Node. It is interesting to see the two rulers of the Aquarian Ascendant in square to each other, with Saturn straddling the Descendant… the threat of authoritarian rule hung heavily over the new democracy. Mercury in Scorpio falls exactly on the Midheaven, with the Sun and North node in Scorpio on either side. This does not speak of a very transparent democratic government, and it is perhaps no surprise that Aznar’s party fell because of perceived secrecy and manipulation after the Madrid bombings. The Moon in Cancer is strongly placed in Cancer, showing a loyal and emotional people. Likewise Venus is strongly placed in Libra, and its alignment with the Jupiter/Pluto opposition indicates perhaps a passionate commitment to justice, beauty and the arts. Astrological signatures for the terror attack The 1975 chart for Spain has Mars very weakly placed: retrograde and in fall at 0.46 Cancer. At the time of the Madrid tragedy, Mars had progressed backwards to 20.59 Gemini, whilst Spain’s IC axis had progressed forwards to 22.01 Gemini. This clearly indicates not only Spain’s engagement in the Iraq war, but the danger of attacks on public transport on the home front. And note the position of progressed Mars and IC at 21 to 22 degrees; in an intricate weaving of progressions and transits, they connect to the Sun/Pluto square of the Madrid bombings (as well as to the 1479 Venus/Jupiter trine). The combination of progressed Mercury and progressed Mars clearly show Spain’s vulnerability at this point in time, although it would have been difficult to make a concrete prediction, at least with the tools I use. It is safe to conclude however, that at times of international tension, Sun/Pluto aspects bring periods of heightened risks from terror. Whether it is possible to predict where these risks may manifest is another question. It would seem that when Spain’s natal Mercury in Scorpio semisquare Pluto became precise by progression 28 years later, some deadly tragedy was unavoidable. However, the basic energy of Mercury/Pluto is control through withheld information. This is why the terrorist attack in Madrid and the fall of Aznar’s government were linked. The Spanish government was not open with its people, and ignored the voice of its people, and paid the price when the people voted. Adrian Ross Duncan 24.10.2004 Note 1. General Franco: 4 Dec 1892. 0.30 LMT El Ferrol, Spain 43N29/8W14 |