Syria – Three of Assad’s inner circle killed in bomb blast.

Reports out of Damascus today say that 3 of the top members of President Assad’s inner circle were killed by a suicide bomber. President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law, Deputy Defence Minister Gen Asef Shawkat, as well as Defence Minister Gen Daoud Rajiha and former Defence Minister Hassan Turkomani were caught up in the blast severely weakening the hold of Assad over an increasingly militant and unsettled Syrian population.

The bomb blast occurred close to 10.00 in Damascus as Mars, Uranus and Pluto were approaching their closest connections in the rather deadly cardinal t-square formation that has been tightening in the past few days. In relation to the Syrian natal chart, the effects of the t-square is quite obvious. Mars, the trigger in all this was making a trine to the disruptive Mars/Uranus conjunction in the 8th house of death and destruction. The fact that Mars is passing through the Syrian 12th house was indicative that the bomb was by all reports a suicide effort, the 12th house is the house of sacrifice and was detonated by a hidden enemy who infiltrated to the Baath Party Security Centre. Mars was also sextile to natal Pluto/Moon conjunction in the 10th house so aimed at the people at the centre of the power base who control the country. Notice that these are soft or easy aspects allowing the action to happen.

It also interesting that transiting Pluto is at the point of a forming Yod connecting those who crucial conjunctions activated by the Mars contacts that I just highlighted. The Syrian Sun at 9:21 Capricorn (Assad) is still under pressure from transiting Uranus, the planet of revolt and revolution and although I thought he might go earlier when Pluto previously contacted this point, it looks as if this is a wearing down process which will eventually see Assad ousted at the latest by the end of the year as Pluto contacts the Sun again in December 2012.

There are a number of fixed star connections which are active right now for Damascus at 33 degrees North which back up the mood of the people :-

Heliacal Rising Star
Alhena - Rising 18 mins 22 secs before Sunrise – “People can be carried away with a mission or a cause”

Moon - The Emotions of the People
Rising when Mirfak is Rising orb 00 mins 36 secs – “A yearning to be absorbed in a struggle, political or military”

Mercury - Business and the Media
On Nadir when Ankaa is Rising orb 00 mins 50 secs – “A solution comes to a long-term problem”

Jupiter - The Type of Action which is Favoured by this Period of Time
Setting when Zosma is Culminating orb 00 mins 04 secs – “The weak and victimised are assisted and become strong”

Saturn - The Law and Civic Order                                                                                                                            Rising when Pollux is Culminating orb 00 mins 02 secs – “People's lives altered by a disaster, or the actions of an aggressive group”

Uranus - Public opinion, Public expectations
Rising when Canopus is On Nadir orb 01 mins 04 secs – “A single-mindedness in the mood of the general public” Rising when Fomalhaut is Rising orb 01 mins 15 secs – “A collective desire”
Setting when Alhena is Culminating orb 01 mins 16 secs – “Protest, parades, meetings and marches”

Pluto - The Crises or the Changes that Occur
Setting when Alnilam is Rising orb 00 mins 01 secs – “A polarizing time, us versus them”
Rising when Altair is Rising orb 00 mins 03 secs – “Believing the end will justify the means”
On Nadir when Vindemiatrix is Rising orb 00 mins 23 secs – “A cyclone, literally or metaphorically”