November 12, 2001
The International Islamic Front
In 1998 Osama Bin Laden decided to go pan-Islamic instead of Saudi or Arabic.
He formed the International Islamic Front (IIF) for Jihad against Jews and
the Crusaders and included radical Muslim leaders from Egypt, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh. The group, an alliance of Bin Laden's Al Qaida and several other
terrorist networks, announced their arrival by declaring a Holy War against
America.
The Jihad fatwa (or declaration of war) was published by the London-based
Al-Quds Al Arabi on February 23, 2001, and a chart set for 5:00 am* can be
used to astrologically track the group's actions. The natal horoscope for the
IIF features a Sun-Mercury-Jupiter triple conjunction in Pisces, reflecting
its religious center, with these planets squaring Pluto, adding the element
of fanaticism.
The inner dynamics in this horoscope represent the IIF's celestial
fingerprints, or astrological signatures that can be used to track and
perhaps even forecast terrorism. The clearest example of this is the
Jupiter-Pluto connection, especially under hard aspects. The simultaneous
attacks on the American Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania occurred at 10:35 am
on August 7, 1998 as transiting Pluto was forming its closest square to the
IIF Mercury-Jupiter-Sun conjunction.
Then, the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole on October 12, 2000 (12:15 pm, Aden,
Yemen) took place as transiting Jupiter and Pluto were exactly opposite each
other, and squaring the IIF's fateful lunar node axis. The September 11, 2001
attacks occurred as transiting Jupiter and Pluto were forming an
inconjunction to each other (150 degrees) while lining up with the U.S. Sun.
Jupiter has recently turned retrograde and will soon be returning to another
dangerously close inconjunction aspect with transiting Pluto.
Vladimir Putin, The Man with the Secrets
Russian President Putin visits the United States this week for an important
summit with President Bush. The two leaders are scheduled to discuss the Bush
administration's plans to build a nuclear missile defense system, and how
that can be done without breaking the 1972 ABM Treaty.
Vladimir Putin was born with his Sun in diplomatic Libra (October 7, 1952;
9:30 am; Petrograd) located on the doorstep of the secretive twelfth house.
His Mercury-Saturn-Neptune conjunction is also in Libra and deeply hidden
away in the twelfth house. Tony Blair and George W. Bush both have their Suns
in the twelfth house and this influence gives a politician practical insights
into the fears and unconscious desires of the collective.
In Putin's case his twelfth house planets easily translated into a career in
secret intelligence since he has Scorpio Rising with the asteroid Vesta
sitting right on his Ascendant. Vesta in Scorpio shapes the personality into
a highly devoted specialist in intelligence operations. With his chart ruler
Pluto found in the tenth house of career and public reputation, Putin rose
quickly to become the Russian KGB chief.
With transiting Juno, the partnership asteroid, conjunct Putin's Pluto during
this summit meeting, we can be assured that the two Presidents will publicly
affirm their partnership status. Meanwhile the Moon passes through Putin's
twelfth house, and the two leaders will have plenty of secrets to mull over.
Putin's preliminary interview with Barbara Walters last week emphasized the
possibility that Al Qaida may have suitcase bombs stolen from the Russian
nuclear arsenal (more on this next week).
Paul McCartney's Concert for NYC
On October 20 Paul McCartney and friends (Mick Jagger, Elton John, Eric
Clapton, David Bowie, and many more) staged the "Concert for New York City."
The fundraising event grossed $30 million in becoming the most successful
event in the history of Madison Square Gardens. On November 13 the single
"Freedom" will be released, with proceeds going to the Robin Hood Foundation
for victims of the 911 terrorist attack.
Paul McCartney was born an expressive Gemini (June 18, 1942; 2:00 pm;
Liverpool) with his Sun conjunct sentimental Jupiter in Cancer, and squaring
musical Neptune. This combination dominates his horoscope, especially since
Neptune is also conjunct the meticulous Virgo Ascendant. The care-taking
asteroid Ceres fills in this dynamic by opposing Neptune and squaring his Sun.
Ceres is uniquely placed to connect McCartney to the New York tragedy. Ceres
in Pisces is naturally sympathetic to victims and the underprivileged, but
found in his seventh house of partners, he most often expressed this capacity
through his cause-oriented wife Linda. With her passing, McCartney has become
more identified with his own charitable spirit.
Ceres is located at 29 degrees Pisces, the location of the current progressed
U.S. Midheaven (for more info, see the note at the end of NewsScope October
6, 2001). At the time of the October 20 benefit, the karmic north node was
near McCartney's elevated Sun, and exactly squaring his Ceres. This unique
moment spotlighted the songwriter's personal connections (nodes),
organizational ability (Sun in 10th), and his heartfelt sympathy for New York
City (Ceres in Pisces).
Reader feedback is welcome. Email: [email protected].
* 5:00 am is to be taken as an approximate time of birth until further
rectification can determine a more precise birth time. According to personal
correspondence with Al Quds, the paper is published in the "early morning."
However, this 5:00 am time does seem very close with the severe Capricorn
Moon Rising, (square Saturn), and vengeful Chiron in Scorpio at the MC.
Advanced astrologers who progress this chart to September 11, 2001 will
notice a progressed New Moon squares Pluto.
Those who deploy the four major asteroids will discover that Vesta,
symbolizing the devoted follower or secret organization, plays a highly
significant role in this chart, and provides a second "fingerprint."
