September 14, 2005

Katrina post mortem: Ingresses

Solar ingresses are sometimes useful tools to analyze mundane charts. In context of hurricane Katrina, we can see that the sidereal Lahiri ingress charts appear to describe the event well.

The last solar ingress before the storm occurred on Aug 16 2004 12.27.13 CDT at New Orleans when the sun entered Leo. Here are the key measurements:

Ascendant 16 Libra 34
Mars 16 Aries 34

IC 20 Capricorn 33
Neptune 22 Capricorn 03

What better picture of violence and destruction through water can one wish for? Mars (violence) is precisely angular while Neptune (water) is less than two degrees away from the 4th house cusp signifying land. This is a stunning chart.

Unfortunately, because it is cast for New Orleans is means that one would have had to have consulted it beforehand in order to make a correct prediction of the coming disaster. Unless one was a New Orleans-based astrologer, it would be quite unlikely that you would bother to look at this chart.

Another excellent New Orleans chart is the Capricorn ingress chart cast for Jan 13 2005 6.10.42 pm. This is another severely afflicted chart. Here are the measurements:

Ascendant 11 Cancer 19
Mercury 11 Sagittarius 28
Venus 11 Sagittarius 27

Rahu 3 Aries 43
MC 4 Aries 15

Ketu 3 Libra 43
IC 4 Libra 15

Moon 18 Aquarius 14
Mars 19 Scorpio 26

Sun 00 Capricorn 00
Saturn 29 Gemini 57

The breadth and depth of the afflictions here are almost unparalleled. The presence of two benefics, Mercury and Venus, so close to the sensitive cuspal point of a malefic dussthana house weakens them both. The nodal contact with the MC/IC destabilizes the chart completely when the Sun and Moon affliction by the two great malefics Saturn and Mars round out the planetary slaughterhouse here.

We can also note that transit Saturn 11 Cancer had moved into exact conjunction with this ascendant at the time of the hurricane.

Usually, ingress charts are more useful when they are cast for a capital city which astrologers will consult as a matter of course. While the these two ingresses are not as powerful for Washington, DC, at least the Sun's ingress into Aries does show quite a bit of tension.

Here are the measurements for the chart cast Apr 13 2005 1.38.21 EST:

Asc 29 Cancer 39

Mars 23 Capricorn 29
Neptune 23 Capricorn 19
MC 23 Aries 08

Moon 29 Taurus 12
Pluto 00Sagittarius 30

Sun 00 Aries 00
Rahu 28 Pisces 57

The Mars Neptune conjunction stands out here just as it did with the Leo ingress for New Orleans. What's more it is angular here by virtue of the square aspect it makes to the MC. The luminaries are also both closely afflicted here just as they were for the Capsolar chart. This is clearly a difficult chart and foreshadows the losses from water that Katrina brought upon the Gulf coast.

What is also fascinating about this chart is that at the time Katrina struck on August 29th, Mars at 22 Aries was exactly conjoining the MC and squaring the ingress Mars-Neptune conjunction.






---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.714 / Virus Database: 470 - Release Date: 7/2/04

September 03, 2005

Bush v. Katrina

These are dark days for President Bush.  He has been widely criticized for his handling of the rescue effort after hurricane Katrina from both sides of the political spectrum.  His already low approval ratings are certain to drop further in light of the public perception of incompetence and lack of concern for the plight of the Katrina's victims.  It may turn out that hurricane Katrina may be able to reveal the Bush administration's shortcomings more effectively than the Democrats every could.   His current problems can be seen in his horoscope.
 
Transit Saturn is very close to his ascendant, just two degrees away.  This is rarely a good time for any person and speaks to the sense of isolation he is experiencing.  We may also surmise that the Saturn ascendant affliction in his chart represents something of the destruction in the US generally, since the president's chart is a proxy for the nation as a whole. 
 
At the time of the hurricane, transit Mars was exactly quincunxing his chart ruler Moon.  The Moon is important not only because it is Bush's chart ruler but it also serves as his 3rd level dasha lord and so the Moon will be more sensitive to transit influences.  He is currently running Saturn-Jupiter-Moon.
 
Transit Jupiter was also conjunct the Moon, which may be a favourable influence at times.  However, the problem with this contact is that Jupiter rules the 6th of conflict and health (this pertains both to Bush himself and the country).  Also Jupiter's dispositor natally and by transit is Mercury and transit Mercury fell at 25 Cancer.  This was subject to the malefic rays of natal Ketu at 26 Scorpio.  This linkage with malefic Ketu transformed the Jupiter conjunction with the Moon into something less than positive.
 
Most obviously, however, the transit Jupiter was conjoined with transit Ketu within 3 degrees.  This projected a negative influence on Jupiter and promoted Jupiter's more malefic side.  Naturally, Moon was also conjoined this malefic Ketu.
 
Other measurements also point to problems.  Secondary progressed Moon 21S29 is contraparallel natal Saturn 21N02.  This is a very difficult energy to handle and usually accompanies a time of loss and separation. 
 
Secondary progressed Mars 6S04 is also parallel natal Jupiter 5S56.  Although this is a very slow moving progression and introduces a violent Martian element to daily life over a period of months, the tightness of orb here strongly implicates it in the overall picture of affliction and the Katrina disaster.
 
 
 
 

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.714 / Virus Database: 470 - Release Date: 7/2/04