Here is a look at the predictive annual horoscope for the United States each year to get a sense of what lies ahead for the next 12 months.  This year looks interesting, especially on the economic front.  Based on this horoscope, I do not think we are as far out of the housing/debt crisis as we would like to believe.

Prediction 1: Financial Fallout from Housing Crisis

There will be a new wave of major financial consequences from the housing boom of the last decade,and this topic will dominate the news in 2011 and early 2012. We will see substantial debate anddemagoguery about the American real estate and banking connection. Unfortunately, we as a nation are still not done paying for the financial excesses of past years. Farmers, especially, will be heavilyaffected by the financial difficulties we are facing. Credit may well tighten up again this year, and  the mood of the nation will be somber and sad.
The Saturn-Moon conjunction in the 1st house indicates a serious tone in the public discourse; in individual horoscopes, it can indicate depression, and we see a similar feeling, just on the macro levelfor the United States in 2011. The official message will be one of optimism, as shown by Mercury conjunct Jupiter in the 7th house, but the mood of the people (and the reality) will be significantly less happy.

Saturn is well-placed in the horoscope, as it is in the sign of its exaltation, Libra, but it is retrograde. The old astrologers say that Saturn in Libra indicates a time of great building of houses; with the planet beingretograde, however, this building up is reversed, and we see an overabundance of buildings. This will not be a good year for the housing market, and indeed, we are seeing even the best housing marketsexperience drops in price in late 2010. The United States horoscope is experiencing a Saturn return this year, indicating a time when the accounts are coming due for the country’s finances. Saturn rulesthe nation’s second house of money, and his return to its place in the United States nativity indicates closing of one chapter in our financial history, with a final accounting before the new cycle begins.

Jupiter in the national horoscope indicates the banking industry, as well as farming, and real estate.Jupiter and Saturn are opposed in the 1st and 7th houses, showing the housing business being negatively impacted by public pessimism and an unwillingness of buyers to pay, as they wait for lower prices. Inother words, we will see housing prices come down further this year. The housing crisis will continue tobe a drag on the banking industry as well. Oppositions of planets from the cardinal signs indicate “huge evils,” as Jean-Baptiste Morin, the 17th century astrologer, writes.

Many of the evils described by Saturn – debt, inability to pay, insolvency – are related to the common people’s desire to be placed on an equal footing with great men, as the old astrologers have it. The Moon is with Saturn in the 1st house; the Moon signifies the masses and the common man, while Saturn represents the rich and powerful. With the two planets together, the poor wish to be the same as the rich, and as we can see, they are willing to bankrupt themselves to be seen as such.

2011 Aries Ingress Horoscope

Prediction 2: Sex Scandals

Not that there is ever a dearth of sex scandals, but this year shall be particularly notable for hidden vices coming to light. Guido Bonatti writes that Saturn in Libra oriental (as it is in this horoscope)shows the “desire of shameful, criminal men.” In the natal U.S. horoscope, Saturn is occidental,bringing “infamy…upon fornicators, and those abusing shameful sexual intercourse.” These are challenging configurations for public figures, so expect to see lots of public shaming in 2011.

Prediction 3: Public Health Concerns

With Saturn in the 1st house in Libra, we can expect to see health problems that especially affect the poor. Bonatti says that especially “slaves” will be harmed, so likely we will see people at the very lowest strata of society be subject to health concerns of a Saturnian kind. Saturn brings illnesses having to dowith the cold humors, such as tuberculosis, colds, flus, edema, and so on.

Prediction 4: Trouble for the President

2011 will not be an easy year for the U.S. President; there will be lots of contentions between him and his opponents. He might face health challenges as well this year. With the malefic South Node on the midheaven, and the ruler of the 10th house of kings being the Moon conjunct Saturn, we can see that he might have a number of things on his mind, namely people who rise up against him. There could be significant protests this year against his policies, for example.

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This is the last article in Gryphon Astrology’s series on Iran.  It took me nearly two years to write this article, not because it was so complicated – the signs are very simple and clear – but because I hesitated to make such a serious prediction.  I believe that 2014 will bring great conflict in Iran, up to and perhaps including regime change.

The God of War

The traditional authors (Masha’allah and Morinus) write that a year with similar characteristics as 2014 will bring wars, seditions, captivities, the fall of cities, anger of Princes, murders.  Violent illnesses, deaths of the young, fires, and looting.  This combination brings hot spells and wars.  The year 2014 will bring serious upheaval for the country’s leadership.

What brings such terrible things to Iran?  No other than the god of war, Mars.  In 2014, Mars will fall on the Ascendant of the Aries Ingress horoscope.  This is the chart cast for the first second of the first day of spring; the beginning of the astronomical (and traditional Persian!) new year.  The tenor of this horoscope predicts major events for the specific location where the horoscope is cast.  More than this, however, Mars will be in the sign of its detriment, Libra.  This is a highly unpleasant Mars, very possibly bringing destruction from the air (Libra is an air sign).

Mars’s malevolent influence is emphasized still further: there will be a total lunar eclipse on April 15, 2014, that falls on the very degree of the Ascendant of the Aries Ingress horoscope set for Tehran, Iran.  Eclipses are malefic influences in the political arena, bringing upheaval and shocking events.  This Mars is spring-loaded, as it were, ready to pop at any moment.

Finally, the secondary progressions of the year indicate changes in the government, likely with drama and violence.  The progressed Sun (the symbol of the leader) conjoins the malefic South Node in the 12^th house in 2014, and the progressed Midheaven (the point associated with the government) will conjoin Mars in early 2015.  The influences of these aspects will be seen through 2014.

Also important is the horoscope for the Ayatollah Khomeini’s return to Iran in 1979.  This horoscope has strong indications for what has been happening in the country since the beginning of the current regime.  The 1979 horoscope has Aries on the Ascendant; with Libra (the opposite sign) on the 2014 Ingress Ascendant, there may well be violent opposition to the regime that year.

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Prince William’s Wedding Horoscope

The royal wedding horoscope is set for April 29, 2011, 11:00 am, British Summer Time, London, England.  You might wonder whether this horoscope has been elected; I believe that it is a time set by an astrologer.  In fact, I believe that Charles and Diana’s wedding was also astrologically elected.  Looking at the horoscope for William and Kate’s wedding, I suspect that the astrologer was working with significant time constraints and was making the best of a challenging astrological configuration.

Prince William’s Son?

The ruler of the 5th house of children is Mars in Aries; a masculine planet in a masculine sign.  Jupiter is strongly placed in the 10th house, and closely conjunct Jupiter in Aries, another masculine planet in a masculine sign.  It is clear that the intended effect of the chart is to get at least one male child, which is the #1 goal of any royal marriage.  However, there is some misfortune for the child – Mars is a malefic planet representing violence and strife.  Yes, Mars is in its own sign, Aries, but a malefic is what it is – at its best, it brings a little evil, rather than a lot.  Mars rules the 6th house of the children’s health, so that could be one difficulty facing the children from this marriage.

Good for Prince William…Not for Kate

The horoscope is strongly configured to favor Prince William as much as possible, but is rather unfavorable for Kate.  It may be that given the time constraints, the astrologer (presumably paid by the royal family) could only strengthen the significators of one party to the marriage, and that would be the prince.  Kate’s happiness and well-being, whatever good personal characteristics she may have, is not nearly as important to the royal family as that of William.

Prince William is shown by the Sun, both because it rules the 1st house of the husband, and because Sun is the general significator of husbands in marriage charts.  The Sun is strongly positioned in the 10th house at the top of the chart, so William will be very much in charge in this relationship.  The Sun is also in Taurus, a fixed sign, so he will want to stay in the marriage and will insist on getting his own way.  The good news is that the Sun is received by Venus, so William is generally liked by Kate.  The Sun is conjunct the malefic star Hamal, which brings violence, danger, and head injuries.  Other than the fixed star, however, the Sun is in decent shape, and William should largely benefit by the marriage.

Kate is represented by Venus, because she is the woman in the relationship, and also by Saturn, ruler of the 7th house of spouses.  Venus is in bad shape in the wedding horoscope; she is in its detriment in Aries, and opposite Saturn.  Venus is in the 10th house, so the issues in this marriage will be well-documented and made very public.  Saturn, Kate’s other significator, is in the 4th house of endings, specifically “how the marriage ends” – Kate may well suffer in the marriage; will it end prematurely?  I think there is a strong possibility of this.   Kate is going to have to deal with some tragedy; Saturn rules the 8th house of death – a situation troubling for her, but not necessarily a negative from the royal family’s perspective.  Remember, the paying client (here, the royal family) always gets the better end of the electional chart, and it looks like Kate is getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop in this chart and marriage.

Not Much Happens?

The odd thing about this horoscope is that the Moon is placed in the cadent 9th house, and is void of course (not within orb of aspect of another planet).  Given that the Moon shows the flow of events in this marriage, the marriage looks oddly directionless.  Does nothing happen in this marriage?  The Moon is also weak because it is waning, and is located in the terms of Mars, which is a malefic place for her to be.  The medieval astrologer, Sahl bin Bishr, says of the void of course Moon that it represents “futility and annulment, and turning back from [one's] purpose, and the impediment of that same purpose.”  Annulment is not what you want to see in a marriage chart; void of course for the Moon represents isolation, and the lack of a meaningful connection made – again, perhaps the last description for a horoscope of a relationship.

When to Get Married: Lessons Learned from the Royal Wedding Horoscope

From William and Kate’s wedding chart, we can see there are a few things to avoid when choosing your wedding date and time.  For best results and to ensure the strongest possible start to your marriage, I recommend that you have an astrologer choose your wedding date.  The royal wedding horoscope shows us what not to do:

1.  Avoid the Moon void of course.  You do not want a marriage in which nothing happens, or that forces either of you into isolation!  This is easy to avoid, as the void of course periods typically do not last very long.  Do not place the Moon in the malefic or cadent houses (houses 3, 6, 8, 9, 12) – no need to borrow trouble.

2. Make sure the planets symbolizing both the husband and wife are strong.  If you want an equal marriage, in which neither party suffers disproportionately, strengthen the Sun, Venus, and the rulers of the 1st and 7th houses.  Both of you deserve to be happy.

3. Avoid the malefic planets (Mars and Saturn) predominating in the horoscope.  This rule has exceptions, for example, if the malefic rules both partners’ charts, but it is best not to try this at home.

If you are interested in finding the best time to marry, contact me to discuss your priorities for your marriage, and to learn how astrology can help you bring out the best between the two of you.

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The lunar eclipse of July 7 will intensify the current US debate regarding an overhaul of health care, and this time will also emphasize the trouble in which much traditional media find itself. there may also be additional discussion of the government accessing private citizens’ data, and also a highly publicized cutting of social services for the public, in the name of reduced funds.

The lunar eclipse will happen just above the horizon in Washington DC, at 9:21 AM GMT, July 7. The French astrologer Jean-Baptiste Morin said that locations where the body being eclipsed is angular will see the strongest effects from the eclipse. In Washington DC, the lunar eclipse has the Moon in the seventh house, and above the horizon, so it will be visible as well as angular. This eclipse is especially important because the Moon, which is being eclipsed, was the ruling planet of the U.S. horoscope for this summer. The ascendant of the lunar eclipse horoscope will be in the sign Cancer, which is the sign most prominent for the summer horoscope for the United States. This means that the lunar eclipse will bring to bear some of the effects promised in the Summer 2009 horoscope for the United States. Many of the issues below were highlighted for the U.S. for this summer, and this lunar eclipse, due to the similarity between this horoscope and the summer horoscope, will activate these topics and make them more apparent and intensely debated.

The Lunar Eclipse and the US Healthcare Debate

The chattering classes, especially in July and early August 2009, will be all abuzz about the impending Congressional bills regarding an overhaul of American healthcare. This battle will be fought very much in the press, and in the court of public opinion. A health care bill will be passed this summer, but Pres. Barack Obama will not get everything that he wants in the bill. It will be very difficult to get the bill through in the form that he envisions, and his ability to dictate the terms of the bill will be hobbled by the fact that there is not enough money to pay for the changes that he wants. the resulting bill will be an improvement on the existing state of things, but it will likely be far short of a major change from the current system.

President Obama’s political opponents are very much aware of the power of public opinion, and they will use all of their considerable media influence to shape the debate.  Prepare for a blitz of attack advertisements following this lunar eclipse.

The Decline of Newspapers and the Power of Technology

American newspapers have not been doing well financially, as they find they cannot compete with online media outlets. There will be renewed attention to this situation, and some traditional media will embrace or merge with Internet or other electronic news formats.  The idea of branding will be especially important, in that a well-known media or Internet brand will change dramatically, or even close down entirely.

A new and noxious electronic virus may be making the rounds and getting public attention as the lunar eclipse nears.

Swine Flu Regains the News

There will be additional attention to matters of public health, which this summer likely means the swine flu. The flu will continue to grow in strength, and the media and public hysteria will grow in step with the spread of the illness.

To find more astronomical data about the July 7 Lunar Eclipse, visit the NASA Eclipse Page, and download the July 7 Lunar Eclipse fact sheet (pdf).

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The 2009 Iran election is over, and the people had filled the streets in protest.  Now, there is a minor lull as the authorities have cracked down violently on the protesters.  What will happen next in this stalemate?

Astrological omens indicate that the action is not yet over, and indeed, may just be beginning.  The summer of 2009 will bring violence and bloodshed in Iran, specifically violence involving the government committed in the name of Islam.  Women will be very important in these events, particularly women from Iran’s ruling class.  The rulers will display their enemies’ injured bodies as public deterrents, perhaps ensuring that images of death get out to the public and the world.  The astrologer Masha’allah said that in years where Mars governs and is in the 10th house, the king will “put his enemies in a gibbet.”  Among the president’s enemies will be those from his own circle (from domicile of significator of the president).  There will be great conflict among the clerics, and also contention between the common people and the clerics.

The horoscope for the summer promises serious conflicts, with Mars aspecting Saturn out of the Midheaven, indicating the weakness of the ruler.  The horoscope for this summer in Iran is below:

Mars governs the horoscope, as it is at the top of the chart, and it is about to enter the 10th house, the house of the king.  However, it will be shortly overtaken by Venus, and then trine Saturn.  This is likely indication that the violence (perpetrated in the name of Islam, as it is a Venusian religion, and Mars is in Venus’s sign) will be done with the help of the government and of the people (paramilitary groups?), and that the current rulers will harm their enemies.  Mars is in Taurus, the sign of its detriment, indicating violence and harm to the rulers.

This horoscope is similar to the Capricorn Ingress of 1978, presaging the exile of the Shah, who fled the country in early 1979.  In that horoscope, Venus was in the Midheaven in the sign of her detriment.

End of July (around the Solar Eclipse of July 22, 2009, which will be visible in Iran) indicates possible changes in leadership in Iran this year.  There will be more on this eclipse later, but for now, suffice it to say the eclipse shows difficulties for the existing government.

The horoscope for 2009 promised violence and death this year in Iran, particularly the deaths of young people, indicated by the Mercury-Saturn opposition out of the 8th house of death.  Again, Mars was prominent in the 7th house.

Interestingly, the Iranian regime is having its own Saturn return, a time said to be difficult for individuals and organizations alike; Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile in February 1979, when Saturn was at 12 Virgo.

Regardless of the short-term outcome, this summer’s events plant the seeds for a much more serious showdown in Iran several years from now.

P.S.: Late last year, Gryphon Astrology did a seven-part series on the astrological history of revolution in Iran.

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This Full Moon is in 17° Sagittarius and it looks to be a very interesting month indeed. In astrology, the Full Moon is thought to bring forth the potentials promised by earlier horoscopes.  The Full Moon chart will only do something if an earlier horoscope promises it. Before we talk about the effect of this Full Moon on current events, let’s talk about a few of the characteristics of the Full Moon chart that will be effective worldwide.

Saturn at 15° Virgo squares the luminaries, creating a configuration all in mutable signs. Because two of the signs are ruled by Mercury, we look to it to get additional information; it is moving very slowly in Taurus, having just come out of retrograde motion, and it is conjunct the malefic fixed star Algol. Mercury is also square Jupiter in Aquarius. Jupiter receives the moon by rulership, so we can see that the Mercury-Jupiter square will be important during this Full Moon.

The Full Moon chart set for Washington DC is below.

General Trends

Using Morin’s method of determining the ruler of the chart, we see that Saturn is the indisputable ruler of this Full Moon horoscope. Obviously, this does not bode well, because Saturn is a malefic, and it brings unpleasant things like illnesses, poverty, exalts, panics, disasters, and death. It is configured in the 12th house, so we will expect respiratory diseases (Saturn in the Mercury sign), and the revelation of secrets and scandals, things to do with prisons, charities, the homeless, and large animals. It is disposed by Mercury in the eighth house of death, and it is on Algol, so there is a strong determination to violent death in this Full Moon chart. Because Mercury is the planet of communication and speech, it signifies a revelation of secrets or scandals, quite possibly of a sexual or financial nature. Mercury is disposed by Venus conjunct Mars in Taurus. The 12th and eighth houses dominate here, indicating some kind of tragedy. The prison/torture scandal will gather momentum.

Bad, But Not Terrible…

However, let’s remember that this Full Moon horoscope only be effective if it is linked to another, preceding chart. The Aries ingress horoscope set for Washington DC is below.

It also has a strong emphasis on the 12th house, with Venus and Mars ruling it, and in mutual reception. The similar 12th house emphasis again speaks of imprisonment, secrets, and scandals. However, Saturn is not involved as a ruler in this chart, and therefore some of the worst effects in the previous paragraph will not be seen in Washington DC or by extension, the United States.

In other words, it is a positive that there isn’t great similarity between the Aries ingress and the June 7 Full Moon chart. A good rule of thumb is that the more similar the two charts are, the more likely it is that the Full Moon horoscope will bring forth its full promise.  As a result, I would expect only those characteristics of the Full Moon chart that coincide with that of the Aries ingress to actually occur this coming month. So there may well be the revelation of secrets and scandals, and issues having to do with prisons. But at least for the US, the worst will not happen.

…For Most Locations

Locations that had Saturn ruling the Aries ingress will not be so lucky, however, and there we would expect some of the worst effects (death, tragedy, etc.) to occur during this Full Moon.  Unsurprisingly perhaps, this is the case in India and Pakistan, where more suffering will certainly ensue. There, Mars is on the seventh house of war, and Saturn is on the ascendant. In these locations, the full unpleasantness of Saturn will likely manifest this coming month.

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I read about the Air France flight that disappeared over the Atlantic this morning, and my immediate thought was: “Are the Air France plane and its passengers okay?” I am sure that being an optimist is somewhat laughable in the situation, but I do think that good things can happen, and perhaps the passengers and crew escaped the worst.  I cast a horary chart for my question, below, because I genuinely want to know what became of the Air France flight.

I used William Lilly’s horary criteria from Chapter 26 of Christian Astrology: “Of a Ship, and Whatever Are in Her, Her Safety or Destruction.” This should apply to more modern conveyances as well, and an airplane would certainly be very similar to a ship in this situation.

As I discussed elsewhere, for horary questions that don’t directly concern me, I like to doublecheck the radicality of the question, and make sure that it is appropriate. Here, we have a horary question about transportation by air, with Mercury ruling the hour, and Gemini rises, so because of the planet-sign agreement, we have a very radical horoscope.

• Because in this horary question, I identify with the flight and the people on it, and am concerned for their well-being, we must give the plane the Ascendant, its ruler, and the Moon.
• Mercury is in its second station in the 12th house in Taurus, on the malefic fixed star Algol.
• The Moon is just inside the fifth house in Virgo, within orb of a trine to Sun in Gemini. Its last aspect was a trine to Mercury.
• The Ascendant is with the fixed star Aldebaran, which is of the nature of Mars and therefore malefic. The Sun is just inside the first house, and therefore will be important to our judgment. It rules the fourth house.

Lilly says that if we find out the Lord of the Ascendant in the eighth house, in any “ill configuration” with Lord 8, 12, 4, 6, or the Moon combust or under the Earth, the ship is lost and the men drowned, unless there is mutual reception. If there is reception, the ship was wrecked, but some of the men escaped.

Here, Mercury is in the 12th house, which is bad, and it is square Jupiter, ruler of the seventh and 11th houses, and it is also trine Saturn. The connection to Jupiter might indicate that some hope still remains, but more likely it might indicate that the plane had encountered some winds, because Jupiter is in the 10th house in an air sign.. The trine to Saturn in the fourth house, which is particularly malevolent in these types of questions, is rather disconcerting. Mercury receives Saturn by domicile and exaltation, but what we really care about is whether Mercury is received by Saturn, and being at 22 Taurus, it is not. With no reception, Saturn will not spare Mercury, and therefore, the Air France plane is not in good shape. Mercury is essentially motionless in second station, and in a fixed sign, indicating that this plane is not going anywhere.

The Moon under the Earth is a bad sign, and the fact that it had been void of course shows that no news had been available from the plane. The Sun is kind of a secondary significator in this chart, because it is placed in the first house. It, too, aspects Saturn, but by a square. Neither of them receives the other, which makes the situation serious.

The fixed stars in this chart look pretty grim, with Mercury on Algol and Aldebaran rising.

Lilly has a handy chart of parts of the ship assigned to the different astrological signs, and since we see Saturn in aspect to the Ascendant, the Sun, and Mercury; essentially all of our main significators, we can see that it is the “belly” of the plane that will have been affected, as that is the part of the ship associated with Virgo. It could be that the plane smacked down on the ground or water and broke from the bottom.

The Moon will aspect the Sun in about 13°, indicating that some news will be heard of the Air France plane in 13 hours or days from this chart (which was cast 6 AM Pacific time on June 1).

This is one of the charts where I sincerely hope I am wrong, but the testimonies look pretty serious indeed.

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There was a talking fish in a New York market a few years ago, issuing warnings in Hebrew to repent because the end is near. Many people interpreted it as an ill omen for the then-impending Iraq war. I find omens fascinating, but most of them verge on the ridiculous (yes, I speak of the grilled cheese Virgin Mary). This seemed just odd enough to warrant an astrological inquiry. After reading about the talking carp, I immediately wondered whether the story was true; the Guardian article mentions that it could have been a practical joke, but I had my doubts. So, I cast a horary chart, asking “Is the talking fish story true?“

Is the Horoscope Valid?

First, I checked the horoscope for radicality, the indication that the question was asked properly and not out of idle curiosity. Because this is not a story which involves me personally, I wanted to make sure that the chart was solid, and that the heavens were on board with this question, as it were.

The ruler of the hour is Mars, which is of the same nature as the rising sign, Leo. Both are hot and dry, and therefore the chart is radical. Moreover, Mars is in its own domicile in Aries, placed in the ninth house of religion and God. As is often the case with Mars, the lesser malefic, the story does not end well for either the butcher, who, in attempting to kill the fish, sliced into his own thumb and had to be hospitalized, nor for the carp, which was eventually chopped up into gefilte fish. If it was an omen presaging a war in distant lands, then Mars in the ninth house would take on another layer of significance.

Find the Fish

The carp is symbolized by the Moon, which rules all fish; Al-Biruni says that the Sun rules all large fish, and carp definitely counts as a large fish. Moreover, the Moon is in the terms of Mercury, so it is a large fish endowed with the gift of speech. Note that the Moon and the Sun are in mutual reception by major dignity; it is as though the fish had been suddenly enlightened, the heavens parted, and it spoke. The Sun, of course, represents divine inspiration.

But Did the Fish Really Speak?

William Lilly, in his Christian Astrology (p.192-194), has a few pointers on determining whether a rumor is true. Our horoscope, amazingly, hits all of the points mentioned by Lilly:

• Lilly says that the Moon in the Ascendant means the rumor is true; here, we have the Moon in Leo on the Ascendant.
• If Lord one is angular, the rumor is true; this chart has the Sun in the 10th house.
• If the angles are fixed, the tale is true; all the angles in our chart have fixed signs.
• The Moon angular makes the story true; we have already established that this is the case in our horoscope.
• If the dispositor of the Moon is angular and in a fixed sign, the story is true. The Moon’s dispositor is the Sun, and it is in Taurus in the 10th house.
• If the Moon is separating from a malefic and applying to a benefic that is angular, the tale is true. Here, the Moon separates from a trine to Mars and applies to a square with angular Sun.

One cannot help but draw the conclusion that the story is indeed true. If the heavens speak to us in signs we do not understand, we must try to unfold their meaning.

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Having examined the astrological indications for war in Iran in the late 1970s and 1980s, we will now look at what the next 12 years hold for Iran. The same sensitive points that presaged the 1979 revolution and the Iran-Iraq war should be activated again in the event of another war.

The Khomeini Foundation Horoscope

The horoscope for the moment of Khomeini’s Landing in Iran on February 1, 1979 is still valid for our purposes, because it begins the era of the Islamic Republic in Iran. We saw that the Mercury-Mars-Sun conjunction in Aquarius and Jupiter’s opposition thereto were activated prior to the Iran-Iraq war. We will keep a keen eye on this configuration going forward.

The 2000 Grand Conjunction

The Grand Conjunction occurs every 20 years, and foretells the fate of nations for the upcoming 20-year period. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Taurus was uncomfortably close to the malefic fixed star Algol, associated with the mythological monster, Medusa. Algol is a violent star of the first order. While the Jupiter-Saturn-Algol contact occurred around the world, in Tehran the Jupiter-Saturn-Algol conjunction fell in the seventh house of open enemies. It also squared the Midheaven of the conjunction chart, afflicting the King, or the government and Supreme Leader.

At least some portion of the years 2000-2020 will not be good for Iran’s government. We also note that Mars is just inside the 8^th house of death, and that the malefic (but royal!) fixed star, the South Scale, is on the Ascendant. Vivian Robson writes that Lucida Lancis is of the nature of Saturn and Mars, the two malefics, and is called The Insufficient Price. It causes “malevolence, obstruction, an unforgiving character, violence, disease, lying, crime, disgrace, and danger of poison.” Bad times for Iran, compounded by Scorpio rising, a malefic sign in mundane astrology.

Connections between the Khomeini and the GC 2000 Horoscopes

The afflicted Ascendant of the conjunction conjoins the Sun of the Khomeini chart by antiscion. This portends malevolent afflictions to the country, perhaps due to disease or generally harmful happenings (the Sun rules the Khomeini 6^th house).

The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction afflicts the Khomeini Mercury-Mars-Sun-Jupiter configuration by antiscion. This is a further indication of violence and mayhem.

However, the financial state of Iran during this 20-year period looks positive, at least for a while, due to – wait for it – Iran’s oil riches. Venus rules the Khomeini 2^nd house of the nation’s money, and the Moon rules the 4^th house of riches in the earth. In the GC 2000 chart, Venus and Moon are sextile in benefic houses, indicating oil wealth indeed. However, Venus is combust, indicating that the money will be hidden, perhaps by the government (the Sun’s light hides Venus) and in the 7^th house, may be spent on covert pleasures, as Venus conjoins the Khomeini 5^th cusp by antiscion. The fact that Venus is in the 7^th house indicates that Iran may not have control over its money at some point during this 20-year period, or it may spend it on 7^th house matters, such as war.

Next week, we will look at primary directions to the Khomeini chart to determine what will happen in Iran, during this 20-year period, and when.

—+++—

Read Part I of the Iran Series – The seeds of the revolution in the Shah’s Coronation and 1961 Great Conjunction charts.

Part II of the Iran Series – The revolution draws near: Eclipse hits to the coronation and 1961 Great Conjunction.

Part III of the Iran Series – The revolution is here and the Shah is deposed.  Aries Ingress charts for 1977 and 1978.

Part IV of the Iran Series – War comes again: the charts for the Islamic Republic and the 1980 Great Conjunction.

Part V of the Iran Series – War is Inevitable, but when will it happen? Using Aries Ingress charts to narrow down the year.

Part VI of the Iran Series – Narrowing down the time of the Iran-Iraq war and Khomeini’s demise.

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Last week, we narrowed down the possible dates for a war in Iran to 1980/1981, and for the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Khomeini we got 1988/1989.  This week, we look more closely at these years and find out which year is the relevant one.

When Would the Iran War Start – 1980 or 1981?

The 1980 Aries Ingress Mars is on Regulus, a fierce, bombastic royal star, conjunct the expansive North Node. This combination is quintessential warlike puffery; “I’ll see your gas weapons and raise you a few thousand foot soldiers!” This configuration occurred around the world, of course, but in Iran, we saw it in the Ingress 1^st house of the nation as a whole. Mars rules the Khomeini 1^st house of the Iranian people, so they will be deeply affected.

And, of course, they were, with the Iran-Iraq war resulting in 100,000 Iranian young men dead. Still, Mars in Leo has little essential strength – this was a war that Iran could ill afford. Just a year after the revolution, Iran obviously believed that it could quickly end the conflict and instill a much-needed shot of Iranian national unity in the process. I suspect that this is the reason the war ballooned to the unbelievable dimensions it did; Iran was still in the “Regulus” mindset, where creating and maintaining an image of military might became paramount. The 1980 Aries Ingress indicates that the border skirmishes of 1980 didn’t have to turn into a full-blown war. But the Mars in Leo egos on both sides simply would not back down.

The 1981 Aries Ingress looks much more serious; 1980 was the dress rehearsal, with everyone excited about the war. The 1980 Ingress was like the opening of Gone with the Wind, with Southern society folk excited about the prospect of beating the Yankees, with the young men parading around in their brand-new military uniforms. The Sun-Mars conjunction is right on the Khomeini Ascendant. Note that Mars is in its own fiery sign of Aries, so the war is in full swing, it is also combust, indicating that the Iranian people both could not see what they were getting into, and they were also afflicted by their ruler (the Sun). Though I cannot find data on this, 1981 must have been the year that Iranians began getting drafted in significant numbers, since the Mars-Sun conjunction is on the Ascendant, ruling the people.

The 1980 Jupiter-Saturn conjunction was on the malefic fixed star Vindemiatrix, associated with widowhood and regret. The Jupiter-Saturn-Vindemiatrix conjunction is still active in the 1981 Aries Ingress, and falls on the Khomeini 7^th house cusp of open enemies. The Moon in the Aries Ingress opposes the Khomeini Moon and Ascendant, and is immediately applying to oppose the Ingress Mars. Oppositions are particularly warlike, and this Ingress simply screams “war!” Finally, the 1980 Great Conjunction Mars opposes the Ingress Midheaven. When we see a planet afflicting the IC/MC axis, it afflicts the Asc/Desc axis by mundo aspect, so all four angles of the Ingress chart are electrified by this Mars.

Death of Khomeini

Last week, we determined that Khomeini would likely die in 1988 or 1989. The 1988 Ingress is suggestive of death; the Moon rules the turned 8^th house of death in the Khomeini chart, and applies to trine Saturn (the ruler of the King). Jupiter conjoins the Moon, however, so we might assume that Khomeini at least got a reprieve in 1988. The 1989 Ingress does not look as positive, however; Saturn is right on the 4^th house cusp of the grave in the Ingress. The Moon applies to trine Saturn – this time, there are no helpful interpositions. Moreover, the Moon is conjunct the Khomeini chart Saturn. Without a doubt, 1989 would be the fateful year for Khomeini. He died in June 1989.

Coming Next Week: Using the methods shown in all the previous parts of this series, we will start examining the 2000-2020 period for Iran and determine whether war is likely.

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Read Part I of the Iran Series – The seeds of the revolution in the Shah’s Coronation and 1961 Great Conjunction charts.

Part II of the Iran Series – The revolution draws near: Eclipse hits to the coronation and 1961 Great Conjunction.

Part III of the Iran Series – The revolution is here and the Shah is deposed.  Aries Ingress charts for 1977 and 1978.

Part IV of the Iran Series – War comes again: the charts for the Islamic Republic and the 1980 Great Conjunction.

Part V of the Iran Series – Early indications of war and Khomeini’s death.

Part VI of the Iran Series – When would the war begin?

Part VII of the Iran Series – The 2000 Great Conjunction and the Khomeini horoscope.

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