ISIS rebels declare an Islamic caliphate.

Yesterday may prove to be quite a significant day in the Middle East. Confident because of the gains they had made and at the start of the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, Ramadan, the leaders of ISIS (the Islamic state of Iraq and Syria) declared the formation of a caliphate, effectively a pan Islamic state covering the area that ISIS has captured. I mentioned this very possibility on my Facebook page because of the movement of Jupiter onto the star of Pollux a few weeks ago. Pollux is a dark influence and it suggested to me the rise of a new damaging ideology. Now Jupiter has progressed onto the star Procyon, a star of taking the initiative and of taking the opportunities while they are there, and indicating the change or progression of one state to another. This duly has happened as the planet of faith linked up with this star. The connections of the outer planets to the stars always tell the story and they have again this time. Jupiter in visual Astrology is known as “the pretender to the throne” and now we have a new one in the form of ISIS, and in particular it’s leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. It is interesting to look at the timing of this announcement a bit more closely so that we can track the progress of this dangerous development in this most volatile of world regions.

Changes at the Vatican as Francis I starts to reform the Curia.

The honeymoon is over at the Vatican and changes are now starting to take place. The number two position in the Vatican hierarchy has recently changes with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone who was quite a controversial figure in the corridors of power there being replaced by the much younger 58 year old Archbishop Pietro Parolin. This is just the start as Francis I wields the axe and is determined to streamline and reform the Curia, the administrative heart of the Catholic Church. If you look at the transits to the Vatican natal chart, then all is clearly revealed.

Pope Francis I – The astrology of the first Pope from the Americas.

As I began writing this article, on the TV behind me Pope Francis I was being officially confirmed in his position at his inauguration Mass in St Peter’s Square in Rome, he received the Fisherman’s ring the sign of his authority over the Roman Catholic Church and his reign as Pope began. I have to confess that Jorge Bergoglio was not a name on my radar when I was considering who might take the reigns at the Vatican, and I am guessing he was hardly considered by anyone, except the most important people at the conclave which elected him, the 115 cardinals who were eligible to vote.

Who will be chosen as the new Pope and as head of the Roman Catholic Church?

With Pope Benedict now retired as Pope, the first to do so in 600 years since Gregory XII stepped down in the year 1415, the cardinals have now all convened  in Rome, the conclave has begun to select a successor, and a new Pope will emerge before the start of the Easter celebrations. This episode probably caused consternation in the Catholic Church and in the Vatican City, as it was an unprecedented set of circumstances and a decision that I guess no-one was expecting. Now the big questions is who will come out on top. Lets have a quick look at the Astrology to find out who may do so…

Pope Benedict announces his resignation

Pope Benedict has announced his resignation as Pontiff at the end of the month citing his old age and inability to carry out his papal duties as the main reason. It will naturally start a great amount of speculation of who will be voted in by the cardinals as his successor in the coming weeks. Joseph Ratzinger to give the Pope his real name has been the leader of the Catholic Church since he was elected in 2005 following the death of his predecessor Pope John Paul II.

Justin Welby – The astrology of the new Archbishop of Canterbury

Just a couple of days ago, Justin Welby was ordained as the latest Archbishop of Canterbury, taking over the post from Rowan Williams who has held the position since December 2002. Justin is the former Bishop of Durham and a rising star in ecclesiastical circles and yet he admitted that his nomination to the highest post in the Anglican church was a complete shock. He now takes over a church which has seen declining numbers attending to church as Britain becomes a more sceptical and secular society in general.

Cardinal Sean Brady – Hiding a nasty secret

The whiff of  sex scandal has been hanging around the Catholic church for as long as I can remember. Right now the Catholic population of Ireland are transfixed by the the possibility that the Primate of All Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady knowingly covered up for a known paedophile under his jurisdiction, Father Brendan Smyth who was jailed for 15 years for the sexual abuse of several children.

Al Qaeda – Can the terrorist organisation survive the death of Osama Bin Laden?

I decided not to look at Osama Bin Laden as we never had a confirmed date of birth for him. It was reported that he was born on 10th Mar 1950 but that was never substantiated. However we do have a starting point for Al Qaeda which was Osama’s creation and baby, and is an organisation that exists on in his own image. Al Qaeda was formed on 11th August 1988 after a meeting between the main principles including Bin Laden in Peshawar, Pakistan.

The chart is focused around the Uranus/Saturn and Neptune conjunction of the late 1980’s. Saturn and Uranus sit in faith based Sagittarius and mystical religious Neptune is widely conjunct in conservative Capricorn. This conjunction is opposite Venus in emotional Cancer. The Neptune Venus opposition which promotes the idea of a social ideal, this ideal is based around a revolutionary yet conservative and religious philosophy. The notion of the ideal is squared by a very aggressive Mars in assertive Aries on one side of the opposition and Pluto in transformational controlling Pluto sits powerfully in it’s own sign of Scorpio at the point of a wedge formation on the other side it. To achieve the ideal, Al Qaeda would use force (Mars) and resort to destruction (Pluto) to achieve it’s aims. Jupiter in Gemini encourages the organisation to export and communicate it’s religious philosophies wide and far and square to Mercury the organisation will have many plans on the go at any one time. Here is the idea of franchising out to more specialised groups around the world. The Sun, Moon and Mercury all sit in showy, proud, stubborn Leo. Al Qaeda likes to be in the spotlight, likes to make a show of any action it does. These three planets show a huge amount of arrogance, showing the pride before the fall if you will. As with Seve Ballesteros who I wrote about yesterday, this is a very fiery chart, however if you cut off the oxygen, the fire will soon extinguish. We find Mercury trine to Uranus so technology including the internet would be used to connect to it’s followers. Pluto squares to the Moon and this indicates extreme emotional intensity, even obsessional tendencies and the Moon is trine to aggressive Mars so Al Qaeda will confront any difficulties it has in a no nonsense forthright approach, using direct action.

Put all this together – an organisation hell-bent on a hard-line revolutionary religious ideal, one who wants to be seen and heard and will spread the word with emotional words and actions, and one which would resort to force, death and destruction if necessary.

Last week when the Americans acted to to kill Bin Laden, the Al Qaeda chart was under huge stress. All three corners of the natal t-square were being affected by difficult transits. Mars opposed by authoritarian Saturn putting a stop to the Al Qaeda military command. This was mirrored by the transiting North Node conjunct to natal Saturn, which indicates the loss of an authority figure. Natal Venus was being squared by transiting Uranus, so the financial arm of Al Qaeda was being cut off and most devastating of all natal Neptune was still conjunct to transiting Pluto affecting the Ascendant or the very essence and body of the organisation. This is the religious ideal and ethos I talked of earlier being either completely destroyed or entirely restructured in a new way, causing confusion, disarray and the end of the dream for many in the group. When Pluto moves round to square natal Mars at the point of the t-square next year, then one has to think that Al Qaeda military command will be crushed completely. Pluto is remorseless and will destroy all in it’s path. Just look how the financial institutions in the world were immediately affected by Pluto as it rolled into Capricorn in October 2008 – that transformation will carry on for the next 20-25 years!! One thing that is certain after Pluto has rolled through there will be a vacuum that will need to be filled. Maybe in time, Neptune in it’s own sign of Pisces will see the rise of a new spiritual leader to replace Bin Laden. One hopes too that this leader will have a gentler more moderate message. Neptune in Pisces is non combative and far more gentle than the Neptune in Capricorn era which gave rise to the financial clout and the hard line conservative views that Osama Bin Laden and his band of mercenaries had. One can only but hope…

The Dalai Lama – Tibet’s spiritual leader decides to leave politics to the politicians

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has announced that he will move aside from his political role so that a new younger elected leader can take up the position. He explained in Dharamsala, the exile base of the Tibetan government that he had been considering stepping down for many years and that now he felt the time was right for change.

The Dalai Lama was born in Sining in northern Tibet on 6th July 1935 at 04.38 hrs, making him a Sun Sign Cancerian, a double Cancerian in fact with his Ascendant in the same sign and his Moon can be found in analytical Virgo. The Sun is conjunct the Ascendant, he is very sensitive and passionate to the needs of his family, the ones he loves and his nation, Tibet. If their security is at all threatened, he will fight for it tooth and nail in their defence, in his own quiet, unassuming way. The Sun is one part of a kite formation. Saturn in Pisces conjoins his midheaven opposite Moon/Neptune . Trine to Saturn and sextile to Moon Neptune completing the kite is the Sun/Ascendant and faith orientated Jupiter.

This kite has all the hallmarks of a spiritual leader. The Saturn in Pisces conjunct Midheaven shows faith leadership and an authority in the politics of spiritual affairs, the Sun shows the devotion to his people and nation, self confidence and it is in a leadership position in the first house. The Jupiter in Scorpio describes a man who’s faith goes deep into his soul, he feels it with passion and emotion – there is nothing superficial about his faith. The Moon and Neptune in Virgo is a very spiritual combination. It shows a need for faith in his life; here is a gentle spirituality, someone who is reserved, a pacifist, rather timid and needing of retreating into his own thoughts and beliefs. This gentle side of him is at complete odds with the requirement shown by his 1st house Sun and Saturn conjunct the Midheaven to lead. I believe that he does it out of duty to his people and nation in the knowledge that he was “anointed” their chosen one, however if given the choice he would have pulled away far earlier.  

To complete the picture, let’s look at the other planets. Pluto is powerful in the first house. It shows a great determination and a need to be in control of his own destiny, however at some point in his life there would be a major change in his circumstances, literally having to discard his past and make a fresh start; true enough in 1959 he had to flee into exile in India after the Tibetan uprising in the March of that year, as transiting Saturn was exactly opposite his Ascendant and trine natal Uranus and his natal Moon/Neptune.

The Dalai Lama’s Uranus is in the 11th house. Here is the need to promote social change by humanitarian or more rebellious action, something he was in the middle of during 1959, and ever since from the his base in Dharamsala. Despite his gentle air, behind the scenes in his home he will be energetic, forthright and very focused with Mars in Libra in the 4th house square the Sun and Pluto. He is certainly someone who has a finely tuned sense of balance and justice, and will always need to cooperate with others in his actions, this is someone who is certainly not a loner. The Dalai Lama despite his gentle side does like the limelight, Venus in showy Leo in the 3rd house confirms this. A lover of beauty, colour and elegance, he will want to feel special. Here is a very loyal, warm-hearted man with a very active, curious, if restless mind. He will have an aptitude for understanding unusual concepts and a flair for languages. With Mercury in the 12th house, he will not enjoy public speaking so much, and any study that he would do would need to be of an imaginative nature rather than having just factual content which is something that would rather bore him.

The transits of today exactly show why the Dalai Lama is giving up his political role. As he would know (as he studied Astrology as part of his training) Pluto is today exactly opposite his ascendant, trine his Moon/Neptune and Uranus, the same position Saturn was in when he was forced into exile, he knows that his life path would undergo another transformation. The transiting Saturn/Jupiter opposition is square his natal Sun almost signifying a changing of the guard, out with the old and in with the new – watch this cycle every 20 years or so. Around 1990 it was Eastern Europe which saw the same influx of new leaders as the communists were forced out, this time as the oppositions get into swing it is North Africa’s turn.

Tibet’s spiritual leader has realised that the fight for independence for his beloved nation in this day and age needs to be spearheaded by those elected by the people. He will still show the spiritual guidance, and I am sure with his Mercury in the 12th provide communicate encouragement and advice aplenty, this time from behind the scenes.