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The Dot Com Bomb

by | Aug 6, 2000 | Adrian's Articles 2000

About two years ago I wrote about a possible recession, but my fears about a decline in the Western economy turned out to be unfounded. People in Europe and the USA have never, it seems, had so much income to dispose of. House prices have risen quite dramatically in many areas, and anyone who had held off buying property for fear of recession, would have made a mistake. We have prospered. Not that there wasn’t a recession. In early 1999 even as respected a magazine as The Economist talked about it; it’s just that Europe and the USA escaped its consequences completely. Brazil, Russia, and the whole of Asia underwent a very serious recession indeed, but, whilst they lost out, the West won.The Saturn/Neptune square

The idea of a recession was not just prompted by the entrance of Saturn into Taurus, which might be thought to have indicated a focus on the economy and resources, and shortages in this area. It was the drawn-out square from Saturn in Taurus to Neptune in Aquarius – a signal for poverty and suffering – which was the indicator of recession. It was wafted in through the smoke clouds over Indonesia as Neptune entered Aquarius in February 1998, for those who can remember the ecological disaster of the burned out rain forests at that time. Those smoke clouds presaged the coming chaos and dissolution in Indonesia, just as on a larger scale they showed a cloud over Asia. Almost all the financial institutions in Asian countries crashed at this time, but those of the West bounced happily along.

The Internet

Indeed the expansion of Western economies was fuelled by the new technological playground of the Internet, and particularly those darlings of investors, the dot.coms. A new phenomenon had arisen – the rise of the small investor. It was the Internet itself which had made this possible. Access to information, which had at one time been only for the privileged few, suddenly became accessible to anyone with a phone line and a computer. Amateur enthusiasts were now looking at exactly the same screen images as the bright young men on the floors of the Wall Street stock market. New money started flowing into the market from these small investors, and this fuelled the Internet boom. This too was an expression of the entry of Neptune into Aquarius – it harnessed the dreams of ordinary people to get rich through new technology. And with Uranus having entered Aquarius as early as May 1995, the means to do this was already in place.

The Bubble Inflates

Having got it slightly wrong with talk about a recession two years ago, at least as far as we in the West were concerned, about a year ago I focused on the Jupiter square to Neptune. This is a classic inflationary aspect, associated with bubbles and their bursting, particularly when Jupiter is in Taurus. This aspect took place twice in the last half of 1999 and finally on March 16, 2000. There is no doubt whatsoever that the inflationary enthusiasms of this aspect have been channelled into speculation into Internet companies. Every detail about these companies conforms to the hyperbole of Jupiter/Neptune. The characteristic of these companies is that most of them have never made a profit, and those that have, have made very little. But investors are enamoured of their potential, and see them as the beginnings of a massive future. After all, the first television set was written off as wildly impractical, and nobody made any money out of televisions for years.

The Last Fool

People with Internet ideas are wildly looking for venture capital with a view to making their Internet site so popular that it can be floated on the stock market. And indeed, when such a company is floated, so many people want to invest in it, that the share price hits the roof, making the humble owner of the website a multimillionaire. On paper at least. Everybody wants to be in on it, because when a share price rises so fast, there is really a lot of money to be made. People plan to sell as the price goes up, well knowing that the edifice can crash. The hope of the speculator here is that someone even more foolish than themselves will buy the shares off them at a higher price. And there is no shortage of fools. An example of this kind of stock flotation is the infamous lastminute.com, which is going to be floated at the end of March at a probable valuation of £1 billion. The ridiculous thing is that it will never ever really be worth this sum, and everyone knows it. This site is a clearinghouse for airline tickets, which you can buy at the last minute, and recently they have added other products to their portfolio. In actual fact, the name “last minute” is singularly appropriate. The idea really is to sell your shares at the last minute, before you lose a fortune! So, as this company is floated on the stock market, the final square between Neptune and Jupiter is taking place. What more do you need to know about inflationary bubbles… except when is it going to pop?

Get Rich Quick

What seems to happen with Jupiter/Neptune is that there is a kind of collective madness, or collective dream. In England and the USA one of the most popular programs is Who wants to be a millionaire? which is a quiz program with questions getting progressively more difficult as the prize money goes up. Millions are riveted to the screen, and – here comes the confession – I am amongst them. Of course I’m just watching it as part of an astrological study…

An Old Story

As the collective madness takes hold, everyone colludes with the dream, and nobody wants to spoil the party. Robbing people of a dream is the sin… it takes away the happiness. It’s an old story. In the 1630s Dutch investors forced the price of a single tulip bulb to amazing heights – one investor pays 400 kilos of cheese, four oxen, eight pigs, 12 sheep, a bed, and a suit of clothes for a bulb – because a new-look bulb could be expected to generate a fortune. Europe had only just discovered how tulips could be bred to produce wonderful new coloured varieties, which were extremely sought after throughout Europe – the 17th century equivalent of a dot.com. After years of speculation the price of tulip bulbs crashed in 1637 at a time when there was a Jupiter/Uranus conjunction squaring Saturn, rather like the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction squaring Uranus in May 2000. Hundreds of investors lost their fortunes in this crash.

The South Sea Bubble

In the early 1700’s the new horizons were the colonies, and investors placed their money in distant overseas enterprises. The South Sea Company was one of these and at the time of the South Sea Bubble shares soared to over £1000, before crashing. This happened with a Saturn/Neptune opposition from Scorpio to Taurus, with Jupiter semi- and sesquisquare. In the same year the French Mississippi company which was based on a colonisation in America also collapsed. Both collapses nearly brought down their respective governments.

The Wall Street Crash

The most famous financial collapse was October 29th 1929, when Wall Street’s Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted, and $30 billion disappeared from the market… about the sum the First World War cost America. It should be remembered that economic experts of the time claimed that there would be no serious repercussions, and indeed the market rallied in 1930, only to crash in June 1930, when a long decline began. USA placed import duties on foreign goods against the advice of all economic experts, and this protectionism actually initiated the disastrous decline that affected the world. Real panic started in 1931 when Austria went bankrupt, followed by all German banks closing for several weeks. Over two thousand American banks closed in the same year, and in Britain the pound was devalued. Everyone in the Western world was affected by this collapse, with millions joining the unemployment queues, and production coming to a near standstill. By July 1931 the Dow Jones industrial average was down to 41 points from a high of 381 in September 1929. Looking at the planetary movements in the early thirties, it can be seen that Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus combine in a complex T-square. Jupiter in Cancer opposes Saturn in Capricorn (similar to the Berlin wall collapse of 1989 – this pattern repeats every 60 years in the same signs), and both square Uranus in Aries. It was of course also at this time that Pluto was discovered, and the whole process of crash and depression is certainly related to this planet making its mark at this time, especially as it made its long-running square to Uranus. This was certainly fertile ground for the fascist movements, which really started building up steam in the thirties.

The Planetary Pattern in Year 2000

I am not suggesting that a similar crash will happen in the year 2000, just because the pattern of tension between Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus – which happened with the Depression in the early thirties and with the Tulip investment debacle – repeats itself. But some major economic realignment will happen, if only because of the momentous line up of all seven inner planets in Taurus on May 4, 2000. The aspect to watch out for is when Jupiter, flush from its heady profits when it squared Neptune in March, meets the lightning of Uranus, on May 20, and the heavy earth of Saturn on May 28. This distended balloon of illusory hopes, meets the thundercloud and hurtles to earth. The shares in the basket carried by this balloon are Internet shares, because they are the shares that everybody placed their millionaire hopes on when Jupiter squared Neptune.

Dot Com Logic

As Jupiter meets Saturn, it seems obvious that another kind of economic sense will prevail. It’s not that the Internet does not represent the future – it does. But people have projected their greed onto the profits which can be made, and the dot.com bubble is an expression of this greed. Investors are not betting on long-term profits, but on making a short term killing, in a process that can be likened to a game of musical chairs, where every one runs for safety just before the crash, leaving those left standing in financial ruin. But why should this worry the great majority of ordinary people who are on the outside? The problem is that the rise in popularity of Internet companies which earn little, (with a work force that number, at most, a few hundred), has pushed out solid performers (like food manufactures and retailers) who employ thousands of people and really do earn hundreds of millions of pounds. Investors in Internet companies are making paper profits, and that means that large investment companies are having their hands forced, as their customers demand similar profits. Money is pulled out of traditional companies, rendering them vulnerable to take-over, and poured into Internet companies. This means that the average person’s savings and pensions are actually getting channelled into high-risk ventures.

The Consequences

When the Internet bubble bursts, then a lot of ordinary people will suffer. When the South Sea bubble burst, investors naturally wanted nothing more to do with investing overseas, and this had enormous repercussions for world trade. Similarly, in the thirties when a country’s financial institutions got into trouble, they adopted protectionist habits, which affected everyone. Loss of faith in the Internet at this point could similarly set back development for years, stifling many young and brilliant minds that are in a position to improve the quality of life for ordinary people world-wide. The Internet is the great democratisation factor of our times, making a level playing field for people of all races and cultures. But the gigantic bang when the balloon bursts will affect financial institutions so profoundly that even normal business activity will be affected. Of course, investors did eventually regain the courage to finance overseas developments, just as protectionist barriers were also eventually removed. Nothing will keep the Internet from flourishing, but it is in for a bumpy ride in the short term.

Sources:
The People’s Chronology , James Trager published by Henry Holt The Guardian, 12th March 2000 . Will Hutton

Adrian Ross Duncan

 

The Demise of Microsoft

by | Aug 6, 2000 | Adrian's Articles 2000

Boom to Bust In my last article, I referred to the different planetary cycles associated with the dramatic growth of the Internet and particularly the Dot Com boom which culminated in March 2000 with the final square of Jupiter in Taurus to Neptune in Aquarius. It was at this time that grossly inflated Internet shares hit the market, with companies who had never made a profit floating for millions of dollars, only to crash just days later. The shares of the British Internet company lastminute.com , for example, were at half their launch value only one week after launch. Jupiter in Taurus square Neptune in Aquarius simply highlighted the get-rich-quick dreams of the vast numbers of new shareholders that have appeared over the last few years, as the Internet has made investment in the Stock Market accessible to ordinary people. Statistics show that over 70% of people who plan to vote in the next American election own stock, making market forces an incredibly important political factor. Such is the power of the current build up of planets in Taurus… particularly the coming Saturn/Jupiter conjunction.

The Jupiter/Saturn conjunction

As Jupiter in Taurus, which for a great many people simply manifested as greed, approaches Saturn – conjoining it on May 28 2000 – there will naturally be major adjustments in money markets. One of the consequences of the volatility of high tech stocks in this period will be the movement of investment money to safer stocks in long-established companies. This would be the dominant tendency as a result of the Saturn/Jupiter conjunction in Taurus, which emphasises security and reliability. The question then arises: how will the market develop in the long term as a result of this movement? Personally I am not in any way an expert on investment, yet it would seem to be possible to draw a number of conclusions from the planetary cycles which are on their way. As a rule, planetary patterns in the heavens may reflect certain economic trends on Earth, but specific countries and specific companies will not be affected unless theses patterns make strong contact with the country or company charts. Using astrology to work the stock markets on a professional basis is in reality a very complex affair, and would require years of study, and excellent knowledge of the “first trade” charts of companies.

Communication Transformation

See graph of this planetary cycle

The most eye-catching planetary cycle in the near future is Saturn’s approaching opposition to Pluto as it comes into Gemini. Unusually in the year 2000, Saturn conjoins with Jupiter only once (often a triple conjunction takes place), and they then both proceed into Gemini, with Saturn – but not Jupiter – retrograding back into Taurus until its final entry into Gemini on April 20, 2001. One of the areas this new emphasis in Gemini is going to affect is communication, and obviously this will have a profound effect on Internet activity, where we can expect a number of restrictions. Before this happens Jupiter in Gemini will oppose Pluto, at which time it is quite possible that there will be an extraordinary expansion of unbridled Internet activity, with government institutions desperately trying to find ways of applying limits. In Europe the Jupiter transit through Gemini will probably be connected to much easier, and much cheaper access, with major competition between telecom companies to provide fast, and perhaps almost free access.

Irresistable Force meets Immovable Object

It is the limiting and controlling of this enormous expansion which will be Saturn’s major concern in the 2½ years it is in Gemini from April 20 2001 until June 4 2003. The great significance of the Saturn/Pluto opposition is that it happens so close to the Ascendant/Descendant axis of the USA… first on August 1, 2001 (12.37°) , then on November 2, 2001, (13.48°) and finally on May 26, 2002. (16.35°). (Previously I pointed out that this opposition will have great significance for Denmark, whose constitution was created with Sun at 14.37° Gemini opposition Moon in Sagittarius. 2002 is therefore a year of great political and constitutional change for Denmark). Quite obviously this will correspond to a significant crisis in American affairs, and consequently something of a crisis for the rest of the world. This can be connected to a great variety of things, but this article will concern itself mostly with economic developments and the Internet.

Pluto, Saturn and Eclipses

The crisis will be fairly long-term, as the opposition stretches over many months. The whole process is significantly exacerbated by the nodal cycle. With the North Node conjoining Pluto/Saturn opposition during the summer of 2002, powerful eclipses will focus attention on the very difficult transformation process Saturn/Pluto represents. One area which will be affected is Trade. As the opposition falls on the USA’s Ascendant/Descendant access, then it is quite likely that some kind of trade war will start, and that America will erect barriers to trade with the rest of the world… or retaliate against countries who they perceive as erecting barriers. The Saturn/Pluto cycle is approximately 35 years in length, and has to do with battles of power and will, as the forces of upheaval and transformation are met by the force of inertia. It is at these times that threats of ultimate force are used. Faceless and remote powers which are normally hidden in society – for example the military, the police, and the tax authorities – tend to exert a stronger than usual influence at this time.

The Conjunction Phase

The last conjunction was in 1983 in Libra, when Europe and America set up Pershing missiles to counter the threat of SS20’s from the Soviet dominated countries of the time in an indelicate balance of power. This happened in the last degrees of Libra, and as both planets moved on into Scorpio, the new economic eras of Reaganomics and Thatcherism started, resulting, in the UK at least, in the crushing of Trade Union power, and a whole new set of political realities, which at the time seemed rather cruel. This process was accompanied by violent demonstrations amongst ordinary people.

Limits on Communication

The opposition will bring issues that arose at the conjunction into the fore again. One of the areas where this might happen is in a painful economic readjustment due to the new economic realities which take place this summer in the aftermath of the 7-planet conjunction in Taurus. There is a strong likelihood of repressive laws, because of Pluto’s Sagittarian influence, and these laws will limit the ability of ordinary people to communicate. One of the areas in which this new draconian influence will manifest is in the field of encryption. There has already been conflict between Internet users and various governments, because new encryption programs have made it possible to transmit information which secret government bodies have not been able to decipher. They have responded by attempting, without much success, to make these encryption programs illegal. In the months around the summer of 2002, there will high-profile legal cases which will almost surely result in the Internet Service providers exerting far greater control over what passes through their servers, much to the fury of ordinary users. It is during this time that the Internet will also probably suffer from its first major viral attack. Today the Internet is absolutely crucial for most of the world’s business dealings, and even a few minutes of shutdown means the loss of billions of dollars. Hackers find this a major challenge, and recently a young Canadian managed to shut down the internet portal Yahoo! for several hours, costing the company millions.

A Tax on Internet Transactions

With the Saturn/Pluto opposition there will almost certainly be far greater emphasis on security, and this will result in new limitations for ordinary Internet users. The most important development with the Saturn/Pluto opposition will however be taxation. Governments around the world, and particularly in Europe, will agree on universal taxation policies which will affect everyone trading on the Net. This will be experienced as extremely invasive by the Net community.

High Tech Crisis

During Saturn’s transit of Gemini, it will oppose its natal position in many of the horoscopes of major electronics companies which were formed in the computer boom of the 1980s. Companies like Compaq (Saturn 2°47 Sag), Oracle (Saturn 9°40, Mars 21°50, Uranus 22°18) and Microsoft – as well as a good many others – will go through a period of downsizing, restructuring and struggle. The most important of these is of course Microsoft, against which judgement was given in April 2000, as a long anti-trust case (brought by the US government) came to its conclusion. Though there is a process of appeal which will now take place, the end result is clear: Microsoft will be split up into at least 4 different entities. I base this prediction on the fact that Saturn in Gemini splits into two, and Pluto in Sagittarius doubles it! At the time of the judgement, Bill Gates (born 28 Oct 1955, 22.00 PST +8, Seattle, WA, 47N36 122W20) has vowed to fight the judgement, and he and other Microsoft executives are convinced they can prevent the break-up of the company. They will not be able to do this, and the future will see the world’s richest man getting marginalised in the coming years, and the behemoth Microsoft splitting up into an OS division (Windows), and Office division (with their popular Microsoft Office suite) a browser division (Internet Explorer) and perhaps a Communications division (with extension of broadband and cable as well as wireless communications for the next generation of personal organisers.)

The First Trade Horoscope for Microsoft

See chart for the first trade

Microsoft’s chart is typical of many horoscopes of high-tech firms, with a conglomeration of planets in late mutable degrees. In this case the powerful emphasis on 22° makes this degree a very sensitive spot for market fluctuations. So, when Jupiter zooms over this degree on June 7, 2001, it might be a very good time for sudden expansion (or perhaps even earlier when Mars crosses 22° Gemini on April 4, 2001). Personally I wouldn’t bet on it, but it is probably the last time an expansion can occur for Microsoft before the break-up. It is noticeable that Pluto’s transit over Microsoft’s Descendant and Saturn coincided with the American’s governments proceedings against the company, so the Jupiter transit over the Descendant in March 2001 probably refers to developments during the course of Microsoft’s appeal. The Descendant would seem to represent the enemies of Microsoft here, and Saturn’s position in the seventh is therefore formidable, especially considering that it is on the USA’s Ascendant. In reality Bill Gates has upset the American people, and it is foolish of him to think he can win. The eclipse at 19.54 Gemini on June 10, 2002, will be close to Microsoft’s Sun square Mars/Uranus and Bill Gates’ nodal axis and this is the key period for the collapse.

The First Trade chart for Microsoft is quite enlightening. Obviously the fact that the ruling planet Mercury was both retrograde AND in its fall in Pisces had no serious effect on its market performance. (Though some would claim that the system itself is weak and unreliable!) As Mercury progressed retrograded to conjoin the Sun and square Mars/Uranus it rose to completely dominate the world… though it certainly came to alienate many people in the process. It is in 2002 that progressed Mercury finally goes direct, signalling the major turning point for the company. Probably the fact that the Sun squares Mars/Uranus in the birth chart shows the explosive potential of a split-up. There are going to be fireworks. The tough times will come as Saturn contacts 22° in June 2002, and finally stationing at 22°08 Gemini on February 22, 2003, at which point it is my guess that Microsoft shares will be at their lowest ebb… probably a great time to buy! At this time – with transit Neptune making a two-year conjunction with Microsoft’s MC – the company will be confused and rudderless, and the leadership weak.

Bill Gates

See chart of Bill Gates

This will not worry our friend Bill too much. He has already been through the bad times and taken the consequences. When his progressed Ascendant crossed Pluto in 1999, whilst MC progressed opposed Venus and Saturn, he was put under enormous pressure to change and did so. Though still chairman of Microsoft, he pulled out of the day-to-day running of the company in 1999 to concentrate on development. There are those that argue – and Gates himself is among them – that he has truly been of service to the world in making computers intelligible and useable. Many people might claim that accusations of misuse of power, monopoly practices, and the crushing of opponents are unfair. Was Gates not merely embodying the spirit of success and competition enshrined in the American spirit? Actually no.

When you look at Gates’ chart, it is not difficult to see that here is a man who wields economic power mercilessly – the Jupiter and Pluto in 2nd house Leo, square Venus and Saturn in the 5th in Scorpio. There can be no doubt that it was the character of the man himself which provoked the American government into action against Microsoft. When the first judgement went against Microsoft on April 4, 2000, not only did shares in the company slump, but it also added to the general malaise amongst technology and internet shares. Because Mutable signs are so sensitive for these companies, the transit of Saturn through Gemini will bring repercussions for many of them, and we can expect something of a recession in this area. The dot com euphoria is now officially over, and difficult waters are ahead for those who want to make their fortunes on the Internet. It is during the next three years that the weak players will be separated from the strong, and the survivors will come to dominate the future market of wireless communication, which will weave telephone and internet into a seamless world in which all will have cheap access to everyone and everything.

Adrian Ross Duncan

 

Putin & The New Russia

by | Aug 6, 2000 | Adrian's Articles 2000

After the demise of the Soviet Union, there has been some difficulty establishing which horoscope is the most effective for the newly reconstituted Russia – for, if the chart for the Russia Revolution signalled the onset of Communist rule, how can this chart still be used when communism has been sidelined? On the other hand, the symbolic start of the Russian Revolution, with the storming of the Winter Palace was such a powerful moment that it can scarcely be ignored.

The Russian Revolution Chart
See chart for the revolution

The revolution horoscope has proved to be an extremely effective tool for mapping the evolution and disintegration of Communist Russia. With Virgo rising, it hints of a “workers” regime, and might even suggest an element of enslavement of the people, with Mars in Virgo conjoining the Moon at 28 Leo in the 12th house. The Venus/Pluto opposition conjoining the Nodes from the 4th to the 10th houses could be seen to describe the depletion of resources, and the continual upheaval through various drastic land reforms, and mass movement of peoples, not least to Siberia. The Saturn/Neptune conjunction – so often significant in communist history – is in the 11th house, and constellates with Sun and Mercury in Scorpio and Uranus in Aquarius to form a very powerful T-square. The Sun/Mercury conjunction in Scorpio and the 3rd house, clearly shows the secrecy and power of the ruling elite, and the total manipulation of communication, as well as the dominance of the KGB. And the retrograde Jupiter in Gemini on the MC square Mars and the Ascendant suggests the importance of ideology and theory as part of the governing ethos. Indeed, no one can deny that this is a magnificent horoscope for Russia in the 20th century, and one which the astrologer only very reluctantly puts aside.

The Fall of the Soviet Union

The story is well known, and predicted by many an astrologer in the 70’s and 80’s; Barbault and Teissier in France, Tyl in USA and, most accurately, by Michael Baigent (Note 2) in Britain. As Pluto transited the 3rd house Scorpio Sun and Mercury, perestroika transformed communication in the wake of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe, and then, with the Saturn/Neptune cycle repeating itself for the second time since the revolution (the first was with the death of Stalin)… and with all the elements of the massive T-square reconstituting themselves as a grand conjunction took place from 1989 to 1991… the Soviet Union collapsed, and a new Russian state was formed.

The Moon in Leo

Extraordinarily, it was precisely at this time that the progressed Venus in the revolution chart went stationary retrograde at 28.30 Aquarius within 9 minutes of arc of opposition to the revolution Moon. This focus on the degree of the Moon strongly suggests that the symbolic moment of the storming of the Winter Palace is accurate – by this time the people were fed up and impoverished, and they simply needed self-expression and contact with the people of the world. When Jeltsin replaced Gorbatchev after the August 1991 coup, the communist party organisation was officially dissolved, and a few days later, on September 5 1991, the USSR was abolished. At this time Jupiter was at 28.31 Leo, conjoining revolution Moon and opposing progressed Venus.

The New Russia

See chart for the new Russia

One can imagine the euphoria of the people of the Soviet empire at this time, as each state detached itself from the yoke of Mother Russia, and declared independence one by one… from Uzbekistan on August 31 to Armenia on September 23. Subsequently there were a number of constitutional changes which took place for Russia, but the two most significant moments were the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on December 8th in Minsk at 14.17 EET, and – more powerfully perhaps – the raising of the Russian Flag over the Kremlin on Christmas Day. It is this horoscope which has to be seen as the new chart for Russia, but this does not mean that the old chart does not “work”. Consider for example the ongoing war in Chechnya, which has taken place with Uranus activating the oppressive Sun/Saturn square in the revolution chart. The brutal and indiscriminate bombing of the Chechnyan people shows that the blind imperialist force inherent in the Scorpio/Leo square is manifesting quite strongly. In the same period it is difficult to see what the significant transits are in the new Russia chart.

Echoes in the New Russia chart

Indeed, at first glance it is hard to work with this chart. The 25° Leo rising does connect with the revolution Moon, and the 3° Virgo Moon is almost exactly on revolution Mars. The Venus/Pluto opposition from the 4th to the 10th is now an exact conjunction in the 4th – and indeed this has shown itself in the dire economic situation for the average Russian during the 90’s. The Mars/Jupiter square repeats itself – again in Mutable signs… obviously there will be a lot of bickering about principles, ideals and practicalities. Saturn in Aquarius has escaped the rays of Neptune, and indeed, Russia is no longer a communist state. Embodied in this new chart is the dream of Uranus and Neptune, trine Jupiter in Virgo (still in detriment) in the 2nd. One could imagine a valuable cultural renaissance with this exciting influence. There is an enormous dominance in Earth with an exact Sun/Moon trine, and this suggests that the size and resources of Russia will carry them through all difficult times.

Dissolution and Revolution

The meaning of the Sun/North Node conjunction is more of a mystery. What is happening here is that the nodal axis is “grounding” the forces of the rare Uranus/Neptune conjunction, showing that the new Russia was born out of the dramatic dissolution which saw the birth of the New World Order. This could explain the general atmosphere of dissolution which continues to plague Russia, and the weak health of its founder, Jeltsin. When Jeltsin bowed out at the end of 1999, paving the way for his protégé Putin, the impression is created of a new, stronger leader, who, though ruthlessly playing the Chechen war to his own advantage, conformed to the ideals of a Russian people who have traditionally preferred very strong, if not brutal, leaders. The heritage of the Tsars is not an easy one to shake off – a fact that Stalin was quick to capitalise on. Putin was elected with a large majority on March 26, 2000, with Uranus 19.25 Aquarius… an exact Uranus return to the Revolution chart Uranus at 19.49 Aquarius! Further emphasising the Uranus theme, Putin himself has his own Uranus in Cancer opposing the new Russia Uranus at 13.19 Capricorn.

President Putin

See chart of Vladimir Putin

Curiously, Putin’s progressed Sun runs into a square to Uranus, then a conjunction to Neptune, rather like the progressed Sun of New Russia. Obviously for Putin there are unconscious associations with Russia, in terms of an early childhood of dissolution and unpredictable change. Apparently his two brother died young, and he was brought up as an only child in a communal apartment shared by several families.(Note 4) He was illegally baptised into the Russian Orthodox faith… a religious heritage strongly indicated by the powerful 12th house in his chart. It is fascinating to note that he carries the Saturn/Neptune “communist” signature here, showing that his deepest nature is idealistic, and quite willing to embrace self-sacrifice for a higher cause. A Sun in its fall in Libra and the 11th, conjoining an exalted Saturn on the 12 cusp, shows a man whose individuality is subsumed by the collective, and totally in its service. As indeed he was.

Putin the Spy

From 1975 to 1990, he served as a KGB agent in East Germany, before returning to St. Petersburg to become deputy mayor. Let no one be under any illusions: Vladimir Putin is a master spy… no slur on his character intended. With Scorpio rising and a Pluto/South Node conjunction precisely on the MC, it’s simply his job and skill. He knows how to maintain a cloak of invisibility, whilst maintaining a total grip on power. On top of this, his information-gathering Moon in Gemini conjoins the 8th house cusp… one can almost see the hidden microphones. It is clear that the Putin the world sees – if the world sees anything more than a shadow – is rarely going to be the real Putin, whoever that is. How could it be, with such a self-effacing Sun, subject to the iron discipline of Saturn?

Secrets and Lies

In addition, the Putin the world hears is Mercury/Neptune in the 12th – and this is not an aspect renowned for clarity of communication. Putin says what is expedient to say under the prevailing circumstances. With Mercury sextiling the two Ascendant rulers, Mars on the one side, and Pluto on the other, we see portrayed a man skilled at interrogation, and with the ability to unearth information whilst the other person is off guard. There is of course great psychological skill here, but Putin will only tell the truth selectively. This is the man elected to rule Russia. It is not the horoscope of a person who would thrive in a Western democracy, because westerners would be suspicious of the secrecy, and the lack of joy, humour and charisma.

Putin and Russia’s soul

Apart from the Mercury aspects, there are no notable positive aspects in the chart, which seems both very Saturnian – note the Moon semi – and sesquisquare the Sun/Saturn square Uranus – and extremely Plutonian. However, it is a horoscope which suits Russia, and conforms rather splendidly with both the Russian charts. He embodies the Russian soul in the repeat of the revolution Saturn/Neptune/Uranus configuration. He has Venus in Scorpio as in the new Russia chart, and in harmony with the Venus/Pluto configurations of both charts… showing his capacity to deal with corruption and economic reform. He has the Mars in Sagittarius of the new Russia chart (and on the Galactic Centre, no less) – and indeed this Mars is trine his Pluto, giving him the ability to wield enormous power, survive under threat, and win against the odds. But the main reason he has been chosen by the Russian people is because his Ascendant is exactly at the mid-point of the new Russia Sun/Moon trine.

Putin and Power

He embodies in the unshakeability of his Scorpio Ascendant (and its strong Mars/Pluto trine) the desires of the Russia people for a superman who can drag them out of their economic quagmire, and restore some of their former self-esteem. He will try to do this economically, and he will undoubtedly try to do this militarily. If Putin survives, he will go on to transform the army, for, with Pluto transiting new Russia’s Mars in 2003 (and his own in 2006), the Russian army will be totally reconstituted, with the present system of conscripts being abolished, and a new voluntary system of professionals inaugurated. This will end an appalling tradition where barely-trained recruits are used as cannon-fodder in places like Afghanistan and Chechnya.

Election Day

Putin was elected on March 26, 2000, as Pluto passed over new Russia’s Mercury, and whilst Mercury in Pisces squared Pluto. This was not a day when people were particularly interested in the truth… and as the Sun at 6° Aries that day sextiled Neptune at 6° Aquarius, this was an expression of the dream of the Russian people for a strong leader who could save them. He possibly might, but as this was also the time of the Jupiter/Neptune square, reflected elsewhere by the last puffs of air in the dot com bubble, it is equally likely that their dreams will come crashing down to earth. What is noticeable about the election day is that Mars in Taurus was moving to join Jupiter, unfortunately showing the ascendancy of greed and corruption. As Putin was elected with his progressed Moon at 23° Aquarius, precisely opposing his Pluto and trining his Mars, it is not difficult to imagine many deals being done behind the scenes. Perhaps that is the only way to get things done in present-day Russia, but, with his spymaster training, he was the man to do it.

Current and Future trends

In this period of his life, Putin has his progressed sun within minutes of arc of a sextile to his progressed Mars, suggesting that this is the greatest period of executive power in his life. Perhaps that’s why he rose to popularity through war. This should make him a winner for many years to come, although there one or two events on the astrological horizon which show challenges ahead. The progressed Moon from the new Russia chart is about to join the progressed Sun in the 29½ year New Moon cycle. The profound significance of this is that it is to be a progressed New Moon eclipse at 13.51 Capricorn – exactly on progressed Uranus at 13.55 Capricorn. It’s difficult to get a more dramatic new moon chart, though it is mitigated by the trine to Jupiter.

The Crisis Year of 2002

This happens in March 2002, and as Uranus rules new Russia’s Descendant, one could imagine a surprising development in Russian’s foreign relations followed by a dramatic expansion. This could be a major alliance, and it could be a reconstitution of the old union in a new way. It is also likely that some technological advance revolutionises Russia’s image. Bearing in mind that 2001 to 2002 are years dominated by the nodal conjunction with a series of Saturn/Pluto oppositions at 12°, 13° and 16° Gemini/Sagittarius, both on new Russia’s Mercury, and the USA’s Ascendant/Descendant axis, it might seem that a crisis situation in America plays some role in the revolutionary changes to be expected in Russia at this time.

Crisis in Russian/US relations

This could be a nadir in the USA’s foreign relations, and it may coincide with a break in communication with Russia, possibly because of economic differences. How powerful these changes in 2002 are for Russia depends a lot on how significant the new Russia chart is. Some Russians astrologers prefer the Minsk agreement chart several weeks earlier (Dec 8, 1991, 17.45 GMT Zone 0. 37E35 55N45), but this would be equally dramatic because of its Sun/Mercury conjunction at 16° Sagittarius. It’s a difficult period to decipher. Oddly, Putin has progressed Sun opposite his Gemini Moon in 2001, just as the USA has progressed Sun conjoining its Aquarian Moon in 2002. It is as if the people of both continents are mobilised at this time, and public issues press themselves dramatically on the leadership.

A Turning Point for Mars

It’s a curious thing, but as mentioned earlier, the demise of communism coincided with the revolution Venus turning retrograde by progression. Between 2002 and 2004, revolution Mars will do the same thing at 3° Libra, square the Node/Pluto conjunction of 1917. Whilst this coincides with the transiting Pluto on new Russia’s Mars, and therefore with the reconstitution of the Russian armed forces, there could be a deeper significance. What is sure is that here is another turning point for Russia, and a surprising one. It could herald a new 30 year cycle of development for Russia dominated by technological advance. Some upheaval can be expected in 2002, with some startling alliances. These developments will most probably take place under the increasingly dictatorial rulership of a secretive Rasputin (sorry, Putin), dedicated to the renaissance of a new Russia….if he manages to negotiate the earthquakes of March 2002.

Note 1. Horoscopes for Russia from Book of World Horoscopes by Nick Campion.
Note 2. In Mundane Astrology co-written with Nick Campion and Charles Harvey.
Note 3. Source AstroDatabank : Matthew Quellas quotes Stef de Groot, webmaster of the President Vladimir V. Putin website, “The time of birth was from his official Soviet birth certificate, as you inquired.”
Note 4. I am indebted to AstroDatabank for this biographical information.

Adrian Ross Duncan

 

Lost in a Time Loop

by | Aug 6, 2000 | Adrian's Articles 2000

Mercury is up to its tricks again. After the New Moon at 5° Libra, which took place September 27th, Mercury slips into Scorpio, where it will be from September 28th to December 3rd – over two months in this secretive and powerful sign. It’s been there before of course, every year Mercury will transit each of the 12 signs, locked in as it is to its tight orbit around the Sun. Seen from the Earth, which has a much wider orbit, Mercury and the Sun always seem close together, and in the geocentric horoscope, it is never more than 27° from the Sun. Just occasionally, when it is furthest away from the Sun, it can be seen with the naked eye from Earth, just after sunrise, or just before dawn. As it circles the Sun, once every 88 days, seen from the Earth Mercury appears to move backwards approximately three times during the course of the year, against the backdrop of the fixed stars, for a period of about 22 days.Vote on the Euro

See chart for the Danish referendum

The significance of Mercury and the September new moon is that only hours afterwards the people of Denmark vote on whether to accept the Euro as their unit of currency, and abandon their own independent currency – the kroner. The reader may be curious to know that I am writing this article on the morning of the 28th of September, only hours after the polls opened in Denmark, and I expect to be finished with the article as the polls close. This is a “live” article. This referendum is crucial for the whole of Europe, and particularly for the United Kingdom, which is fighting its own battle of doubt concerning the Euro, which in recent months has become weaker and weaker in relation to the dollar.

The Mercury Cycle

When the polls open, Mercury is at 29.37 Libra, when they close it is in Scorpio… something changes, but what? Is the Euro cast into a fresh crisis with a Danish NO, or will a Danish YES confirm the inexorable rise of the state of Europe? Opinion polls are completely undecided, with a slight majority in favour of those who say no. To understand precisely what is happening it pays to examine the amazing and fascinating cycle of Mercury. When Mercury goes retrograde, it will invariably meet the Sun in a short-lived conjunction, with each going their separate ways. Mercury will then turn and during the course of the next two months it will catch up with the Sun and conjoin again for a longer period, with Mercury travelling at its maximum speed of 2° a day, whilst the Sun moves along at its standard 1° a day.

Loopy Mercury

Of course all this “means” something astrologically – both in real time and in progressed time (a day for a year) – and an astrologer can spend years trying to work out quite what. There are several significant phases. When Mercury reaches the degree at which it will later go direct, this is the start signal. Whatever happens from now on is fated to go through a repeat process. In other words transiting Mercury will pass over any horoscope for any event in this period three times. Whatever process that event was supposed to set in motion can simply not be accomplished in one stroke. A process of reconstruction and change has to take place. In the progressed horoscope around up to 38 years of the life will elapse whilst the individual goes over crucial issues.

Denmark Must Vote NO

The crucial significance of the Danish single currency referendum is that not only does Mercury change sign at this time, it enters the degree at which it will later go stationary direct at 29.56 Libra on November 7th, which just happens to be the day of the USA presidential election. So, with the Danish referendum Mercury enters a loop, and will “restart” from the same position 42 days later. So here is the conclusion: just follow the loop. If there is a referendum as Mercury enters the loop, something will happen in the “42 day” period of time which is quite isolated, then it will restart at the end of this period, once again at 29° Libra. If Denmark says yes, then that’s it… they’re in, full stop. They are not going to hold another referendum then go out. Therefore they MUST say no. Then there will be a period of time, which the 42 days will symbolise, during which the Danes will wander in Scorpio, greatly confused, then they will return and vote again. The Danes will say No, but later they will say Yes. Because the Mercury in Scorpio loop is dominated by the square to Neptune it will be an unhappy saga.

…and Vote YES later

When will they go in again? Obviously not 42 days later, but 42 months is a possibility, which would be at the end of March 2004. In April 2004 Mercury goes retrograde at 1.53 Taurus, so perhaps there is a move to enter the Euro at the end of the loop which is 21 Aries. That’s a bit of a long shot, but it is a sure thing Denmark will vote to enter the Euro at some not too distant point.

Detective Mercury

When Mercury goes retrograde, then it simply cannot cover any more new territory for a long while. Just before going retrograde, there is a sensation of nothing happening, it grinds to a halt. People tell extraordinary stories about this period. In the progressive horoscope, it is often a period of weeks, months and even a year or two, where they suddenly find they can make no progress at all, even having to abandon projects. One programmer I hired at a time when his progressed Mercury went retrograde, conjoining Neptune and sextiling Pluto in his birth chart, just managed to finish a Japanese language version of my software products (that was the conjunction to Neptune… picture language), but abandoned the next project just before completion. One of the main functions of Mercury retrograde is to uncover lost material. When this takes place in Water signs, there are often secrets, spies, silences which must find a voice. There is this sense of someone saying “Hey, wait a minute!”… then going back to uncover what is really going on behind the scenes. One of the best things to do in this phase is to stop what you are doing and review it. It’s the best time to go into old archives, or redo something, or sort out what you need and what you don’t. It’s a brilliant time to clear up databases for example.

Mercury stations and meets the Sun

Transiting Mercury will go retrograde on October 18th at 15.47 Scorpio. This is really a tough station, partly because it is close to the eclipse degrees of Mars (16.51 Scorpio on August 11th 1999), and also because it is just before the square to Uranus at 16.55 Aquarius. It is as if Mercury is terrified of meeting Uranus and backs off. In real life this could show someone backing off from an extremely dangerous confrontation (… but it will come again on November 25th). Mercury retrograde then meets the Sun about 12 days later. What is happening here is that some information is integrated into the consciousness, but as they are going in opposite directions, there is an element of unwelcome news. But the Sun has now harvested necessary information, and armed with this information is likely to take executive action. It is also possible that the Sun will now be compromised by the knowledge Mercury brings.

Alchemy

In February 2000 when Mercury retrograde in Pisces (squaring Pluto) conjoined the Sun, there was a curious mixture of symbolical meanings: – A Danish artist made an installation with goldfish in blenders, encouraging visitors to make fish soup
– In Rumania, flooding from goldmines polluted the Danube with arsenic killing vast numbers of fish.
In October this year, the conjunction takes place on the 30th at 7° Scorpio, squaring Neptune at 3.50 Aquarius. It’s possible there are some severely compromised presidents and royalty at this time. The retrograde Mercury cycle here is characterised by the square to Neptune which takes place three times. Mercury in Scorpio is all about secrets, and the tendency is for them to come up to the surface.

Danger for Chirac

When Mercury squares Neptune, then secrets on film become most significant, and this brings to mind the fate of Jacques Chirac. He will have transiting Pluto on his MC during this period, whilst Neptune is square his own Venus at 3.04 Scorpio. Recently a video turned up exposing his role in corruption several years ago, and claiming that he received a large sum of money as a direct kick-back. He may desperately try to bury the threatening scandal now, but the coming two-month transit through Scorpio almost guarantees the most damaging revelations.

Mercury and Karma

Mercury goes stationary direct Mercury has gathered all the material which it was fated to do. It must now move forward. At last true progress can be made. It will now traverse territory which it has already been over twice, but this time armed with deep experience and knowledge. In the progressed horoscope there is generally a positive feeling when direct motion finally comes. They can move forward again, and with great strength and power. There is a sense of fullness and completeness. However, in the progressed horoscope Mercury retrograde often shows individuals picking up past karma. What this karma is depends on the nature of the sign Mercury is in, and especially on any aspects Mercury makes. One client with natal Mercury in the 5th house retrograding into the 4th, had a handicapped child when Mercury stationed, but in square to Pluto in the 8th. The harshness of the aspect dictated the nature of the karmic burden. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, and in this case it launched a career in psychology for the person in question. In real time, when Mercury turns direct, whatever there was to uncover has now been uncovered. Nothing more can be uncovered.

Whoops…. prediction confirmed!

In the present retrograde cycle, Mercury will go stationary direct just dipping back from Scorpio into the last degree of Libra. Not only does the loop close here, but it happens on the border of two signs. As I write now, the first results from the Danish referendum have come through. Exit polls show 47% Yes, and 53% No. It might not look much, but in Danish terms it’s a big margin.

So here comes the next one…

See chart for the US election

Emboldened by this little predictive success, I will now make the next prediction. On the exact moment of the start of the US presidential election, Mercury retrogrades out of Scorpio and during the day stations at 29.56 Libra, closing the loop. Whatever happens now will be a continuation of what happened when Mercury entered the loop “42 days” ago. Whatever went on before this election moment will now be sealed in the loop. What happened in this loop of time was 8 years of Democratic rule. What happened before the loop was that the Republicans had been in power. Before the time loop was George Bush. After the time loop… George (W.) Bush. In terms of the time loop, it does not make sense for Gore to simply continue the work of Clinton. He is consigned to oblivion in the loop. Just as Denmark will continue with its commitment to Europe and the single currency after their period of isolation in the loop, the US will continue with the Republicans, where they left off 8 years ago. America is simply at a later stage of the loop.

Mercury breaks free

The final stage in the Mercury retrograde period is when Mercury reaches the degree at which it went retrograde. Whatever was prevented from happening when Mercury went retrograde, is now free to happen. Whatever was being put off can now take place, in the secure knowledge that all the necessary information is now at hand. Fresh fields beckon… it’s an exhilarating new prospect. In the progressed chart it is the end of landscapes which have been so familiar they are almost boring… it’s like going to a new school. There are completely new things to learn and new experiences to be had.
– In the present case however Mercury must now meet the square to Uranus which it so hoped to avoid. It is unfortunate thing, but squares between Scorpio and Aquarius are the most difficult to handle, probably because the two rulers are Pluto and Uranus, which in difficult combinations have always been historically associated with terror. Now Mercury meets Uranus, but it is bolstered by its difficult wanderings. Truths have been uncompromisingly unearthed, and though this has been a traumatic process, Mercury is not scared any longer. So when it squares Uranus just at the new moon in Sagittarius, we can expect a new start. As the new moon falls at 3° Sagittarius, activating one of the most sensitive areas of France’s many national horoscopes, it would seem that this is the time which earlier revelations will damage Chirac, despite efforts to cover up whilst Mercury was retrograde.

Summary

These are my personal conclusions about the current Mercury cycle. Being in Scorpio, we will enter a two month period where the deepest secrets will be exposed creating scandals in different areas of the world. Because Mercury squares Neptune, there will be lies and cover-ups. (Not that that is the best course of action with a Mercury/Neptune aspect. Quite the opposite, it is all about expressing difficult truths with honesty and clarity.) The video tape episode with Chirac will explode, as Mercury oscillates between squaring Neptune and squaring Uranus, with the finale on November 25th. George Bush will be resurrected in the figure of his younger clone, er… George (W.) Bush, after a last month of election campaign which sees secrets and lies being uncovered. Denmark will say NO (I’m cheating here, I’ve just heard the final result!), but will without a shadow of a doubt vote in to the Euro within 8 years and perhaps in the Spring of 2004.

 

Postscript:
Astrologer Arlette Gurtler made me aware of the fact that as Mercury entered Scorpio, it meant there could be an immediate reception to Mars in Virgo. The Danish people, (ruled by Mercury) saw the chance to regain their dignity through voting for their home country … Mercury returning to the sign it rules, Virgo. This could certainly create a much for favourable outcome for the Danish No, but will not prevent them coming in to the single currency later on.

Adrian Ross Duncan

The Millennium Bug

by | Aug 6, 2000 | Adrian's Articles 2000

The Human Calender Some words about the Millennium might be appropriate at this point in history. So we all know that the Millennium begins on 1st January 2000, right? But what does the universe care about that? The calendar is a purely man-made phenomenon, and our dates and times have very little to do with the actual universe. Indeed all the major cultures have their own calendars, and it is only because of the technological domination of these cultures by the West that our calendar, and therefore the start of the millennium has any significance at all. Part of the problem of constructing a horoscope is indeed this conversion of our artificial time to a universal time. This problem has been acute throughout history, as mankind strives to make the calendar concur with the actual progress of the Earth around the sun. This is achieved by the use of the Leap Year and periodic adjustments of the calendar (when for example Pope Gregory removed 11 days in 1583).

The New Year Chart

So when we make a horoscope for the New Year, it ought to have no real significance, except for the fact that several billion people make it mean something by going out and getting drunk. Yet it has significance, if only because governments make it so through planning significant events to start at the beginning of the new year. The 10th degree of Capricorn gains unique power because of this. For example, the creation of the United Kingdom on January 1st 1801 naturally has the sun at this degree, just as the introduction of the Euro on January 1st 1999 also had. When there is an emphasis on that degree, one can expect major political convulsions, as for example in November 1989, when there was a Saturn/Neptune conjunction at 10° Capricorn opposite Jupiter at 10° Cancer. This was the time when a million blows of hammer and chisel dissolved the wall that split Germany and separated East and West. Similarly, when Uranus squares Pluto at 10° Capricorn in the year 2013, there will be similar more violent convulsions, probably centered on China and Western governments.

A Virtual Being

But there is one event on January 1st 2000 which makes the date profoundly significant – because this is the date on which a little virtual monster will be born. Nothing can stop it from coming, it will arrive at the stroke of midnight in all countries of the world, and – born in full vigor and with all the poison of a baby serpent – it will immediately strike. The horoscope for this Bug is the same horoscope as for the new year, which is the horoscope which sets the tune for the century, and indeed the horoscope which sets the tune for the Millennium… the next 1000 years. It is at this point that calendar and universe meet and breed the Millennium Bug. And the bug can be seen quite clearly….. The Chiron/Pluto conjunction The nature of the Bug is the conjunction of Chiron and Pluto in Sagittarius in the 3rd House. It is glaring. Pluto is associated with the world of computers, because their very nature in Plutonian: the binary world of zeros and ones, reflecting the stark yes/no world of Pluto, and the principle of computer power doubling every other year (whilst they cost half the price) reflecting the whole atomic principle so characteristic of Pluto, with its associations to the splitting of the atom, chain reactions and nuclear power.

The Nature of Chiron

Chiron, which in fact is a comet-like asteroid orbiting every 51 years between Saturn and Uranus, is in precise conjunction with Pluto at 11 degrees Sagittarius in the Bug’s horoscope. This is the first time there has been a Chiron/Pluto conjunction since Chiron was discovered in 1977. The last conjunction was in 1941 – the actual year of the discovery and development of Plutonium. Astrologers associate Chiron with wounds and healing, but on a technological level Chiron is also connected with sterile environments and the development of the silicon chip. Thus the combination of Pluto and Chiron in Sagittarius in the third house, shows the upheaval that will come in the world of information and travel as clock hands join at midnight on 31st December 1999.

The Specter of the Bug

Many people think that the power of the Millennium Bug has been exaggerated. Indeed when British MP’s were told in 1995 of the potential destruction that could be caused by the Bug the House collapsed in scenes of hilarity. Just to remind readers – the so-called Bug is a consequence of early computer programs adopted wholesale by the computing and banking world, and actually configured in older chips and hardware, in which the year was represented by two digits instead of four, due to the fact that space was at a premium in early computer systems. These chips and hardware are still running the financial works, and even hospitals (elevators, advanced life-support machines, databases etc) are still reliant on calculations made with the 2-digit system. So when those digital clocks roll over at the stroke of midnight year 2000, many computers will suffer from the illusion that the clocks have turned back , and the year is 1900. There are many areas in which this can have horrendous repercussions, not least in the world of finance, where whole systems of interest-calculation can be thrown into disarray, not to speak of what could happen on the different world stock markets.

A Hard Year

Note that the horoscope for the Millennium Bug, which is also the horoscope for the next millennium, actually spells out what we can expect. With the Moon in Scorpio opposite Saturn in Taurus in the 8th, it is quite obvious that economic hardship will be a result, and will certainly reflect the quality of the year. Note also, that Neptune conjunction the South Node at 3 Aquarius is also square the Saturn/Moon opposition, and that this is a signature for suffering and great discontent for populations worldwide. As China’s Moon is a 3 Aquarius, there is every likelihood that this period will see a dissolution of authority in China. I do not know how much the Bug itself will be responsible for this, or if the scenario is exacerbated by a general world slump as a hangover from the eclipse of 1999, which is quite likely.

The New Century

As a horoscope for the century, the Bug heralds the role of information and Virtual Reality, which Pluto/Chiron in the 3rd House represents. This century will be one in which economic power rests in the hands of powerful organizations, and one in which populations are distracted by rather violent forms of entertainment, as shown by Mars in Aquarius sextile Jupiter in Aries. And meanwhile Pluto/Chiron will enable people to create worlds of virtual reality which they may choose to inhabit as they please. The digital world, and the digitalization of the mind, will make knowledge redundant, and play dominant. You can choose any reality you want, but it sure won’t be reality.

Adrian Ross Duncan

 

Salman Rushdie

by | Aug 6, 1999 | Adrian's Articles Prior to 2000

The Man One of the most fascinating characters of our time is the Indian author Salman Rushdie, born in Bombay on 19th June 1947 and now living in hiding somewhere in the United Kingdom under the protection of the British state. Salman Rushdie is a magical author whose grasp of so-called reality brings the reader into a world in which everything is possible and where the imagination is supreme. I have heard, but I do not know if it is true, that Rushdie was a copywriter who made a fortune from creating a slogan for cream cakes. The slogan was “naughty but nice”. The wonderful thing about this slogan is that consumers are being given permission to enjoy themselves – it becomes permitted to break the rules for the sake of pleasure. For, if there is one thing that runs through the books of Salman Rushdie, it is a tolerance, acceptance and compassion for the ordinary human being, whose lot in life is, generally speaking, rather hard. Another theme which can be discerned from the writing of Salman Rushdie is his contempt for those who have sold their souls for power.

The Individual and the Nation

Not only is Salman Rushdie a great novelist, he also has a wonderful sense of the nature of time and the significance of the moment. In his first major success, Midnight’s Children , the opening paragraph describes the main character’s fictive birth in this way: “I was born in the city of Bombay … once upon a time. No, that won’t do, there’s no getting away from the date: I was born in Doctor Narlikar’s Nursing Home on August 1 5th, 1947. And the time? The time matters, too. Well then: at night. No, it’s important to be more … On the stroke of midnight, as a matter of fact. Clock-hands joined palms in respectful greeting as I came. Oh, spell it out, spell it out: at the precise instant of India’s arrival at independence, I tumbled forth into the world”. During the book Salman Rushdie shows he is fully aware of how significance is embedded in every moment of time, and appreciative of the fact that the birth of the individual and of the nation are part and parcel of the same energy – a central theme for the whole concept of astrology. Those children born closest to midnight at the time of the independence of the Indian nation somehow encapsulate the fate of that nation during the course of their lives. Salman Rushdie was actually born remarkably close to the time of Indian independence, so there is perhaps some correlation to the fate of both Salman Rushdie and India.

The Fatwah

At any rate, in the month of February 1989 – in a remarkable parallel to the central idea of Midnight’s Children , in which the historical development of India is a secondary yet causative theme in the life of the central character – riots in England, Pakistan and India left several dead and hundreds wounded as a result of the launch of Salman Rushdie’s book – The Satanic Verses – which was alleged to have blasphemed the Muslim religion. At the same time, Salman Rushdie’s life as a hunted man began. On February fourteenth 1989 the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued an Islamic death sentence – fatwa – on the novelist and Salman Rushdie has been on the run ever since. The death sentence, which technically extends to anyone who even owns the best-seller, cost the life of the novel’s Japanese translator who was stabbed to death in 1991 – and its Italian translator was wounded during a knife attack in the same year.

The Chart

Looking at the horoscope of Salman Rushdie, the planetary positions powerfully show the theme of writing. If we are to accept the data from an Indian astrological magazine, Salman Rushdie was born at sunrise just four hours after a new Moon in Gemini. This new Moon was in precise conjunction with Uranus, and even more precise semisquare to Pluto. The connection with Pluto and Uranus emphasizes the theme of terror embodied in this time, and the provocative nature of Salman Rushdie himself. Obviously Salman Rushdie was destined to shake up the intellectual community with his writings. He is a revolutionary whose job it is to communicate ideas from a completely new angle. It was at this time that Sony Corporation had its beginnings – another example of the revolution in communication that happened at this time. Also, in an interesting parallel to the fatwa, at the time of his birth in America, alleged Communist sympathisers in Hollywood were rounded up and forced to reveal any connections with the Communist Party. And those that refused – the Hollywood Ten – were sent to jail. America certainly had its own capitalist equivalent to the fatwa at this time. Other indications which are favourable for writing in the horoscope of Salman Rushdie are the conjunction between Venus and the North Node – also in Gemini – which shows, through the trine to Neptune in Libra, the capacity to communicate in a lyrical and poetic way. Venus and the Node in the 12th house indicates the creative and lonely exile of Salman Rushdie, and the precise sextile to Saturn may also show the difficulties and restraint which must be involved in all his relationships, now that he can rarely show himself openly.

Death degree

Mercury, the planet which traditionally represents the power of communication, is placed at 21 degrees Cancer in trine to Jupiter in Scorpio and in a precise sextile to Mars in Taurus. It is a very curious thing that the twenty-first degree of Cancer and Capricorn are associated, directly or indirectly, with warped values and murder. Mass murderers have throughout history had a tendency to have significant planets placed on this degree, as has been well-documented by astrologer Dennis Elwell in his book The Cosmic Loom . Considering the placement of Mercury for Salman Rushdie, it is interesting then that the writings of Salman Rushdie have been so profoundly associated with death.

Mercury’s Journey

Mercury makes an extraordinary journey in Rushdie’s progressive horoscope. Starting at 21 Cancer, it goes stationary retrograde around the age of 12, fatefully returning to the 18th degree of Cancer where it trines Jupiter at the ill-reputed degree 18 degrees Scorpio (associated in horary astrology with ill-fated Serpentis ). The retrograde Jupiter in Scorpio likewise makes a retrograde journey in the progressed horoscope, and Mercury makes rendezvous twice with this planet – the last time being when both are direct in 1988 with the release of The Satanic Verses. With this “fortunate” trine – the fated meeting between the writer Mercury and the religious fanatic Jupiter in Scorpio – Salman Rushdie made his name internationally.

The Fundamentalist Weapon

At the time of the fatwa in 1989 the planet traditionally associated with death, Pluto, was at the 15th degree of Scorpio. Some astrologers call the fifteenth degree of the fixed signs the Avatar degree – it is the point at which a planet has the greatest power. Looking at the horoscope for noon on February 14 1989 we can also see that Mars is at 15 degrees Taurus – in exact opposition to Pluto. The significance of this opposition can hardly be underestimated. This was one of the most murderous days in this century – aptly reflected in the riots of the time. The opposition of Mars and Pluto in so potent signs shows amongst other things the inhumanity of the inexorable will of the Iranian fundamentalists of the time. One could perhaps be tempted to have an understanding attitude towards pious Muslims who were offended by Rushdie’s work, but the horoscope for the fatwa has all the signatures for extremism and religious intolerance. The Sun squaring Jupiter from Aquarius to Taurus, shows a bigoted fixity of opinion, and this square makes a stressful midpoint pattern with the Neptune/Saturn conjunction in Capricorn showing the influence of religion on matters of state. This fatwa pandered to the populism of Moon in Gemini trine Venus in Aquarius, and is simply a work of evil-mindedness. The Mars/Pluto opposition falls on the Mars/Jupiter opposition in the horoscope of Salman Rushdie, and of course Mars in opposition to Jupiter reflects the struggle against religious fanaticism (Jupiter retrograde in Scorpio) which has always characterised Salman Rushdie. Unfortunately, by presenting the wife of Mohammed as a prostitute, Salman Rushdie gave expression to the subsidiary sexual theme in this opposition with the appalling consequences this was to have subsequently in his life.

Progressions for 1989

That 1989 would be a fateful year for Salman Rushdie was clearly shown by the progressions at that time. Apart from the aforementioned progressed Mercury trine Jupiter, the Sun progressed was now at 6.40 Leo, precisely on the Saturn in his horoscope. Over the course of the next few years the progressed Sun would go on to make a conjunction with progressed Saturn. 1995 must have been the year when the trials and tribulations connected the death threat were at their highest. At this point Saturn progressed had reached Pluto progressed and the Sun progressed was in conjunction with both making a triple conjunction which would have been crushing for the soul, but obviously gave Salman Rushdie an almost superhuman power. There can be no doubt that there were concrete threats to his life during this period.

Rushdie – the Symbol

It is the fate of Salman Rushdie to have become more than simply a writer, he has also become a symbol – a symbol of the rights of the individual to express ideas and opinions in the face of intolerance and fundamentalism. Thus the symbol of Salman Rushdie has become more important than the author Salman Rushdie. He is a living challenge for democratic governments to manifest the their support for human rights in the face of economic and security pressures. In November 1996 the government of Denmark was nearly toppled because of the uproar in the intellectual community when the visit of Salman Rushdie was cancelled because of fears of repercussions from Islamic fundamentalists.Salman Rushdie performs in the literary world the same kind of function that the Dalai Lama performs in the spiritual – both reveal the cowardice and lack of principle amongst some government leaders and the courage and sense of principle amongst others. There can be no doubt which course of action is honourable yet political leaders persist in letting political or economic issues decide over matters of principle for short term gain.

Adrian Ross Duncan

Is Astrology Reality

by | Aug 6, 1999 | Adrian's Articles 2011, Adrian's Articles Prior to 2000

The client A middle-age woman, who had spent most of her life alone, visited me one day, and the consultation was dominated by her fantasies about being followed by strange men and a general sense of being persecuted. She had Pisces rising on the Ascendant, with Neptune in exact conjunction with the Descendant, which, according to astrological theory, would tend to induce fantasies in relation to other people. When she left at the end of a rather difficult session – as she was obviously something of a borderline case – I decided to go shopping. After some minutes I opened my door to leave my office, only to find the client talking to herself on the stairs. Acutely aware that it might seem like I was following her, I smiled weakly and closed the door again, waiting until I saw her depart in the direction of the bus stop. I then left, taking a new route into town so as not to pass the bus stop, and after about 20 minutes brisk walk I arrived at the town square. As I entered the square the bus drew up and my client got out, virtually bumping into me. She took one look at me, abruptly turned around and walked rapidly in the opposite direction! Were the stories of being followed that this lady told true, or not?

Measuring Truth

One of the difficulties about ascertaining truth is to define the yardstick with which to measure it. Scientists have developed complex systems of measurements which have enabled them to map out the material world and describe its workings in intricate detail. Traditionally there has been a clearly defined division between subject – the inquiring mind – and object – outer reality. Though no more than a working hypothesis which is under constant revision, the belief system of science has functioned well. However, as science in the 20th century examines extreme states in the material world – sub-atomic particles and phenomena in the deepest reaches of space – the subject/object division begins to be undermined. On a simple level a researcher intent on a particular pursuit will automatically make choices which favour an intended result, and on a more subtle level in the sub-atomic world at least – the actual intention of the researcher can be scientifically shown to affect the outcome of the research. This means that modern science has now become aware that it must take the condition of the subject into account when measuring reality.

Cold Fusion confusion

On March 23rd 1989, the researchers Pons and Fleischmann claimed a world-shattering discovery at the University of Utah. The phenomenon of Cold Fusion was confidently announced to an astonished world. Instead of the several hundred million degrees normally considered necessary to fuse lighter nuclei into one heavier nucleus, thereby creating vast quantities of energy, these two researchers maintained that they had create fusion at room temperature. Initially this cold fusion process was apparently successfully replicated in France and in other laboratories around the world, yet at a subsequent federal conference in May, the process was discredited, and reports of successful replication dwindled. How could reputable scientists make such a mistake? It is an interesting fact that on March 23rd 1989 Saturn and Neptune were in tight conjunction, and this conjunction – which recurs in the heavens once every 36 years – lasted most of the year. Astrologers associate Saturn with form, and Neptune with dissolution, and on a more abstract level, Saturn relates to experienced fact and Neptune to fantasy and fiction. The conjunction occurred in the sign of Capricorn, which is connected with boundaries in the material world and the drive to overcome them (and on a more personal level the ambitious urge to rise in status).
As Saturn merges with Neptune an astrological picture arises of the fusion process, and the subsequent confusion about cold fusion, (- and loss of status for our two research scientists!). Was the whole thing fact or fiction? Such is the nature of Neptune – which casts its misty cloak around everything it touches – the truth may never emerge. Perhaps cold fusion really did happen, and can only repeat itself during the next conjunction of those representatives of the concrete and sublime, Saturn and Neptune? The important lesson of this event which shook the scientific world, was concerned with the nature of reality, the nature of illusion, and the difficulty of establishing objective truth.

As above, so below

The basic principle of astrology is that the smallest thing in the universe is subject to same process as the largest. The same rules apply for both, and indeed an action in one sphere will reflect an action in the other. That which affects us in our daily life reflects that which affects the universe. Furthermore time and the physical world are mutually interdependent. Astrology is unique in that it applies rules of correspondence between time and space, linking them to human character and history. Working with the concept of time and character brings an understanding of Fate – which in this context is in no way fixed, but interactive with character. If past actions create fate in the present, then so do present actions, putting the individual very much more in control of the time and its material consequences in the world than opponents of astrology might imagine.

Sensory Filters

Experience of the outer world is completely dependent on the physical senses and mental convictions of the individual. Apparent reality is entirely relative to the consciousness of the experiencer. Practising astrologers are well aware of how different psychological theories reflect the horoscopes of the psychologists who founded them. How literary themes reflect the lives of author. How films reflect the mind of the director. How actors choose roles reflecting their planetary transits. Every impression has to pass through the unique mental and physical filters of the individual. Considering the subjectivity of personal truth the most one can hope for in establishing truth is a broad agreement shared by as many people as possible about what standards to apply to reality.

The Battle for Truth

The more people who embrace a belief system the more power it has. That is why preaching was such an important part of the Christian religion. That is why defenders of the scientific model like the English professor Richard Dawkins and the American Carl Sagan invest so much energy defending the tenets of scientific belief and doing their utmost to discredit what they regard as the superstition of astrology. They understand that the real battle for truth is in winning the hearts and the minds of the people. Fighting for beliefs is essential to maintain power and influence. For astrologers the desire to defend their beliefs then is natural, though often misguided. Personal identity is often inextricably connected with the beliefs one embraces, and arguments are consequently infused with emotion, because a defence of beliefs often constitutes a defence of personal identity. It is normally the case that people cling to their beliefs during the whole of their adult life – especially if their work is centred around them. In the last analysis, great changes of thinking occur as old proponents of ideas lose influence and die, and proponents of new ideas come into prominence.

Unity in Duality

As we approach the millenium, and begin to integrate the philosophical consequences of the scientific discoveries of this century, a transition is occurring. Relativity theory shows the interactivity of subject and object, matter and energy, body and mind. The awareness of unity within duality is arising, and it is in this awareness that a meeting point can be found between the world of rational science and less-rational astrology. Astrology cannot be proved satisfactorily using methods of thinking founded on dualistic thought. But then there are aspects of modern science which do not respond well to dualistic logic either. Using old-fashioned scientific methods and demanding replication without consideration of the ever-changing cycles of time and its influence on the process, can lead both the modern scientist and the astrologer astray. Indeed, the successful practice of astrology is in fact dependent on the awareness of the interactivity between the mind of the astrologer and the object of his or her consciousness.

Subjective Truth

Astrology ascribes meaning to planetary events, and assumes that the energy which moves the universe has a kind of inherent intelligence. The astrologer maintains that there is a natural resonance between the evolving motion of the universe, and the development of the human soul. This is a very effective working hypothesis, and the astrologer who puts doubts about its effectivity aside and embraces the hypothesis wholeheartedly is rewarded by this intelligent universe. The clinical and objective approach of the sceptic will lead to very poor results in the interpretation process, whilst the enthusiastic believer will find himself in dialogue with a supportive universe, magically geared to his development.

The Consultation Moment

Consider the story mentioned earlier. I have clients daily and always uses the birth chart of the client in combination with the actual chart for the moment of arrival of the client. I find major correspondences between these two charts. One client born in January 1950 is a Capricorn with the Moon in Sagittarius and the Ascendant in Aries. The client arrives for the consultation in January 1996 with exactly the same combination of Sun, Moon and Ascendant. The chances of this happening are 1:1728. As if that were not enough Mercury is retrograde at 29 degrees Capricorn in both charts. This combination has only happened twice in the client’s life – at birth and during the day of the visit to the astrologer. Yet this kind of parallel is a normal occurrence in consultations.

The Unified Field

Astrologers – and indeed everyone else – create a world around them which reflects there methods for seeing the world. And the world responds intelligently. Events unfold in discrete harmony with the beliefs and conceptions of the observer. It is in the nature of things that events normally confirm convictions. Where the scientific approach to the consultation might see the client as the object, the non-dual approach sees the sensory and intellectual interaction of the astrologer and client as a unified field, which affects each individual equally. And in this unified field where consciousness focuses its attention on events, meaning arises. Objectifying astrology and trying to prove it removes the observer from the very field of consciousness in which astrology works so effectively. Conventional scientific methods may be effective at quantifying the stationary observable universe, but in the mysterious and invisible universe of consciousness – a world which has its parallels in the field of quantum mechanics – the concepts of relativity and paradoxes comes into their own.

Shared Reality

The truth of Astrology will be accepted when the majority of people embrace it as a part of their reality. Today we are very close to this happening, and in all probability future generations will accept the natural correlation between Man and Cosmos in much the same way as we believe in, say, psychology, today. The question is not whether astrology is objectively true or not, but whether astrology will become a generally accepted representation of reality or not? Whatever the case, it should be clear that what the individual experiences as reality is not objective reality. Individually-experienced reality did not exist before the individual experienced it and will not exist after – the individual creates his own private experience of reality. This is why shared beliefs are so important – the more people who agree to share a certain interpretation of reality, the more that reality is validated. This does not make that reality objectively true. Astrology is simply a very good basis for constructing reality because it is based on the observable planetary system of which we are a part.

The Magic of Astrology

Astrologers will be able to produce irrefutable examples of the effectiveness of astrology. Obscure predictions which have come true. Wonderful correlations from their own life. But their reality is based on the same rules as the lady client described earlier. They are being followed – by the interaction of the world with their own belief systems. It is perhaps more relevant to ask whether the system in question enriches their life, whether it harms or does good, than whether it represents truth. The world is vast, and the capacity to extract meaning from it unlimited. Astrology is one way – a very effective way – of doing this. So is astrology true? Not in an absolute sense, no, but relatively yes, of course. It is arguably more effective than any other system for mapping out the character of events and their significance in time. It is not an infallible system, but it has its moments. As when Michael Baigent predicted so accurately in 1983 in the book Mundane Astrology that the Soviet Union would experience from 1989 – 1991 “some basic restructuring of the nation…a change …with regard to the leadership and the style of rule. It would appear possible that this period will herald some new revolution in Russia which would restructure the country dramatically… the tight command structure will fail and the country will collapse back into the numerous autonomous states that it once was”. Yes, there are times when it feels like a privilege to be granted insight into the ancient art.

Adrian Ross Duncan

Israel – 60 years of History

by | Jul 6, 1999 | Adrian's Articles 2000

Whatever happens in Israel has a profound affect on the Western world. It is from this land that out cultural history springs forth, founded as it is in Christian teachings which have imprinted our consciousness for 2000 years. Many in the West held their breath when a united Arab world invaded Israel in a surprise attack of the Yom Kippur war in 1973-4, and breathed a sign of relief when Israel was able to counter-attack and push back the invading forces. Generally Westerners are uncomfortable about the displacement of Palestinians, but at the same time do not want to see the destruction of the state of Israel.City of Mystery

Jerusalem has always had mystical significance for the West, as wells as for the Jewish race and the Arab world. Here three of the world’s major religions meet, and the fault lines threaten constantly to shift, undermining world security. Traditionally the West has fought against the threat of Muslim domination starting with Pope Urban’s speech at Clermond-Ferrand in 1095, which launched the First Crusade, and reaching into modern times, from the Suez war in 1956 (a failed attempt to prevent Egypt’s ruler Nasser from nationalising the Suez canal) to the general current demonisation of Iran and Iraq today.

The Horoscope of Israel

See the chart of Israel

It is against this background that the survival of the state of Israel can be seen. Western powers will prevent it being destroyed. The horoscope for Israel shows the situation quite graphically. With the Taurean Sun placed on the 8th house cusp square Mars, there is a clear indication of the repossession of “other people’s property” by the Lion of Judah. The lands of Israel were wrenched from the Palestinian community just after the 2nd World War, under the tacit agreement of the British Government (who had previously administered Palestine) and the USA. Allowing Zionists to regain their long-lost home was a form of atonement for the sins perpetrated against the Jews in the first half of the 20th century.

The Warrior Nation

The formation of Israel meant immediate war with Arab States, and the new Jewish settlers fought tooth and nail to carve out their little country. In this they succeeded, displacing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, taking possession of their homesteads. It is noteworthy that the Moon’s nodes in Israel’s horoscope are exactly square the Pluto/Saturn conjunction in Leo, showing a land born in upheaval, and constantly struggling for survival. The South Node in Scorpio shows their birth in destruction, the North Node in Taurus their dream of peace and prosperity. Gaining land in this way is nothing new. The United States of America (Note 1.) which also has the Sun very close to the 8th house cusp is the result of the colonisation of an expanse of land previously populated by indigenous people who were virtually wiped out by famine, disease and war through the concerted efforts of European settlers. At least the Jewish people did have what they feel to be a historical and religious right to the lands they “repossessed”.

Retrograde Mars

A closer look at Mars in Israel’s horoscope reveals that it had been retrograde prior to Israel’s declaration of statehood on May 14th, 1948. In fact it went retrograde at 7.36 Virgo on January 8th, journeyed all the way back to 18.06 Leo where it went direct on 29th March, to reach its position of 28.18 Leo at the rebirth if Israel. In other words it went back to (nearly) activate the Saturn/Pluto conjunction square the Node, before coming up to its birth position again. This retrograde wandering of Mars could be seen to represent the terrible trials of the Jewish people from the past, from the holocaust of the 2nd world war to the pogroms in history going back to the sack of Jerusalem in Roman times.

Victory Karma

Notice then, how triumphant the returning Mars is, placed as it is in a close trine to Jupiter, and on the Kings’ star Regulus (at 29° Leo). This Mars/Jupiter trine could hardly be stronger, with Jupiter in its own sign, and Mars supreme in Leo. It’s an unbeatable combination, and progressed Jupiter travels retrograde away from the trine, to rejoin the exact trine well into the next century. It is the Mars/Jupiter trine which has brought war, and brought victory. It was for example when progressed retrograde Jupiter exactly opposed progressed Uranus during the six-day-war in 1967, that Israel responded to unprovoked attacks by Egypt with air attacks and ground victories. The result was a humiliating defeat for Egypt. Later, when Palestinian guerrillas attacked Israel’s northern borders from Lebanon with rockets in 1978 when progressed Jupiter opposed natal Uranus, Israel responded by occupying southern Lebanon, and later (in 1982) completely drove out Palestinians from the country.

The Significance of Retrogrades

Israel’s chart is a study in the significance and meaning of retrograde planets in the progressed horoscope. Taking Venus (which is the ruler of Israel’s chart), it reaches 11.09 Cancer, turning retrograde in 1967 at the six-day-war in a long-term square to Neptune in Libra, an aspect which must have awakened the horrors of martyrdom for the Israeli people. Subsequently Venus moves backwards into Gemini in 1993, exactly as Mercury also does, bringing Israel and the Palestinian leadership under Yasser Arafat into dialogue for the first time.

Oslo

With the Oslo agreement (Note 2) in September 1993, the creation of an official Palestine presence commenced, and Arafat was able to move back to the West Bank and Gaza. In moving into Gemini progressed Venus opposes both radix Jupiter and progressed Uranus from 1998 to 2000, coinciding with the tremendous international pressure to implement the Oslo peace accords. Venus conjoined progressed Uranus late 1999 – an aspect which is simply not conducive to peace. It is far more likely that the land of Israel splits in two (the Gemini influence), with the formation of a separate Palestinian state. This is of course what Arafat has been threatening, and the last thing Israel’s government wants.

Two States Emerge

Venus continues its retrograde motion until 2011, where it goes direct at 24.38 Gemini… in exact conjunction with natal Uranus at 24.21 Gemini. Obviously this will be a dramatic period for Israel, and it would seem to be the time that Israel definitively splits into two. Bearing in mind that Uranus enters Aries in 2011, going on to make a long drawn-out square to Pluto in Capricorn well into the year 2013 (from 4° to 11° Aries/Capricorn), this indicates major change, especially considering that Israel’s ruler Venus is also at 4° in a cardinal sign. Progressed Mercury turned retrograde at 7.15 Cancer in the mid-1970’s, and following in Venus’ footsteps, returned to its own sign Gemini in 1993 (Arafat returns to his homeland after Oslo peace agreement).

The Current Situation

It is precisely here in the year 2000 that progressed Mercury turns direct at 28.18 Gemini, in very close opposition to progressed Uranus at 27.21 Gemini. Whilst this certainly reflects the hectic shuttle diplomacy of this period, it is not easy to imagine lasting agreements being cemented at this time. This aspect reflects the fragmentation and isolation of the different Palestinian enclaves, and the increased polarity between Jews and Arabs. But obviously it is a turning point in some way. A process which has been moving backwards since 1976 now moves forward. This could be an acceptance of the diversity of language, religion and culture in the region, and the need for a twin policy towards Palestinians and Israelis, on the positive side, or an acceptance that dialogue leads nowhere on the negative side. The progressed movement of Mercury in 2000 has been echoed by transits – particularly the momentous T-square of early October when Mars in Virgo, Pluto in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Gemini at 10° to 11° homed in on Israel’s natal Mercury at 10.22 Gemini in the 8th house. This was the time when negotiations which had been going on through the summer were exploded by the ill-considered visit of Ariel Sharon to the Temple of the Mount.

Ariel Sharon

See chart of Ariel Sharon

Sharon is no diplomat, and with Jupiter (together with Uranus) exactly conjoining his Aries Ascendant, he is a man who excels at battle and victory. Sharon is obviously a key figure here towards the end of the year 2000, as the Likud party manoeuvres to get in to an Israeli government of national unity to combat the current Palestinian uprising. At first glance it seems like getting a wolf in to guard the sheep.

Yet Sharon is a key figure for Israel, and was a hero in the 1974 Yom Kippur war where he routed the Egyptian army on the western side of the Suez Canal in a daring attack. His Moon at 25.35 Taurus (exactly on the ill-fated star Algol ) conjoins Israel’s Sun at 23.40 Taurus, making him totally bonded to his country. Of course, with the 20-year Saturn/Jupiter synod falling at 22° Taurus in May 2000, both Sharon and Israel were marked by the planets to play a significant role in world history at this time. Sharon himself has Sun in Pisces and Moon in Taurus, which at first glance seems both peaceable and idealistic. However, if he is still alive at 83, at the time of the Uranus/Pluto square, which falls on his Ascendant and MC, then it will not be peace that he will be advocating.

Ehud Barak

See chart of Ehud Barak

Ehud Barak has his Sun at 23.03 Aquarius, also constellating with Israel’s Sun, but by square aspect. With his Sun and Mercury squaring the Mars/Saturn/Uranus conjunction of 1942, there is no doubt that he is a hard man – a fighter – playing the role of a statesman. He was for example the leader of an assassination squad sent into Beirut to murder a leading Palestinian terrorist. It is probably unfavourable for Israel that his Saturn is so close to Israel’s Sun, and his period as leader has certainly been an ignominious one for the country. Nevertheless his Sun square Saturn and Mars echoes the same aspect in Israel’s horoscope… an unhappy combination for both.

Barak’s horoscope is also marked out by the Saturn/Jupiter conjunction, and during this period of Palestinian uprising (October 2000), he has a Jupiter return, opposing Pluto, on his Ascendant/Descendant axis. (If his birth time is correct). His Jupiter is exactly on Israel’s Mercury, so the Mars/Pluto/Jupiter T-square of October 2000 has also put him under enormous pressure, forcing him to transform or abandon his ideals and beliefs. Yet both Sharon and Barak have Venus in early Aquarius (5° and 7° respectively) and making harmonious aspects to Jupiter /Ascendant conjunctions. Generally this aspect is associated with both victory and peace, and it would not be surprising if they both were capable of delivering it, though it is likely to be a peace through victory rather than compromise.

Foreign Connections

It is a never-ending saga for Israel, and it is difficult to know if it can ever end harmoniously. There has been struggle in the area throughout the past millennia. The chart for Israel shows a country born in upheaval and fighting victoriously for survival. With the ruler Venus in the 9th house, it is the Jewish diaspora which finances and maintains its survival, mostly from America, whose own Jupiter/Venus conjunction at 3° and 5° Cancer is firmly placed on Israel’s Venus. As long as the USA is in existence, Israel will receive support from it, and will survive. It will survive through sheer doggedness (Saturn/Pluto square the Sun), through skill and bravery (Mars trine Jupiter), through outside help and through ingenuity.

What the Future will bring

There will be periods of crisis and tension in the near future. The Uranus square Sun in April 2001, July 2001 and January 2002, will certainly show leadership change and uncertainty. Uranus opposition Mars from March 2002 to February 2003 will bring explosive attacks from unpredictable directions, and sudden response. Every danger and threat will reinforce the self-perception of Israel as a country which can survive through the show of strength and military might rather than weakness. Israel leaves diplomacy to America (ruler Venus in 9th). The coming years are crucial. The significance of the Saturn/Jupiter conjunction is probably the setting of limits to the policy of “land for peace”. Progressed Mercury turning direct marks a turning point which may mean the abandonment of peace moves dictated by foreign pressure – Israel will want to communicate on its own terms, turning away from the “foreign” Jupiter/Uranus opposition which has exacerbated the fault lines running through the country. The Uranus transits show Israel going it alone, with little consideration for international pressure. This is the end of an era for Israel, and the beginning of a new period… for, with a progressed new Moon in September 2001 at 14° Cancer, the people of Israel will be struggling to redefine their security and needs. This is likely to lead to a policy creating a moat around Israel and reinforcing its protective shield. It’s not a happy picture for the Palestinian people.

Note 1: USA: (2nd Sibley variation) 4.07.1776 17.10.40 EST +5 Philadelphia 39N57 75W10 AS12.21 SG
Note 2: Oslo Peace Accord: 13.09.1993 11.41.26 EDT Washington DC 38N54 77W02 AS 18.46 SC

Adrian Ross Duncan