Asteroid-World Spring 1986
Zip Dobyns
The enclosed “Update” was at the printers when the news broke about the explosion and fire in the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl in the Soviet Union. Also, the “other” birth time for Judith Resnik arrived along with the birth time for Michael Smith, two of the Challenger astronauts. The astronaut data is thanks to Fran McEvoy in Massachusetts. She has in hand the birth certificate for Judith Resnik with time listed as 6:32 A.M. EST. The chart seems very reasonable with 3 Taurus rising, close to the Ascendant in the takeoff and explosion of the Challenger, with transiting Pluto opposite though not as close as for the shuttle takeoff. Michael Smith was born in Morehead City, NC, on April 30, 1943, at 12:30 PM EWT. Among the appropriate aspects were progressed MC just in orb of a conjunction with Uranus and progressed Pluto just in orb of a conjunction with the natal Ascendant. Progressed Antivertex had also reached a conjunction with natal Pluto, progressed Ascendant was square Uranus and progressed Mercury and trioctile natal Atlantis. Progressed Atlantis was trioctile Vesta and octile the progressed north node of the Moon. There were many other appropriate aspects including progressed Part of Death square natal Mars in Pisces in the 8th house and progressed local Part of Death (in Cape Canaveral) conjunct the progressed Sun. Natal Atlantis was at 26 Aries 33 conjunct the natal MC in Cape Canaveral which was 27 Aries 6. Moira, one of the Fates in Greek mythology, was also on that local MC. Solar Arcs were also fitting, especially directed Mars square Pluto, but Judith Resnik’s solar arcs are still quite weak. I plan to look at some of the less used aspects since the traditional ones seem inadequate.
We still have no time for the Chernobyl accident, though a Soviet diplomat told Congress it occurred on Saturday, April 26, and that the fire was put out on Wednesday. Satellites saw helicopters dropping what looked like wet sand on the reactor, and confirm that the fire is probably out though there is no knowledge whether radiation is still being omitted. The wind patterns are currently blowing it back over the USSR. A Los Angeles Doctor, expert in bone marrow transplants, has flown to Russia to assist in treatments for people exposed to radiation overdoses. Armand Hammer, one of our big businessmen who has maintained friendly ties to the Soviets, persuaded Gorbashev to accept assistance. Normally, they refuse to admit problems or insist they can handle them without aid, so it was truly exceptional when they asked both West Germany and Sweden for advice in putting out the fire in the graphite core of the reactor.
I suspect that at least one of the major incidents was early Saturday morning with the transiting Moon going through the late degrees of Scorpio. The horoscope for the original nuclear chain reaction in Chicago on December 2, 1942 at 13:23 CWT, has had appropriate aspects for every nuclear accident and major incident for which I have data, and Atlantis is always involved. In spite of that consistent experience, I was still blown away when I calculated the chart for Chernobyl and found natal Atlantis (29 Leo 49) on the natal Ascendant (0 Virgo 2)! Progressed Atlantis is at 27 Leo 38 retrograding very slowly and the natal MC of the chain reaction chart in Moscow is 27 Taurus 10. A speculative chart for Gorbachev (born March 2, 1931 near Stavropol) puts his progressed MC at 26 Taurus with 23 Cancer rising at the midpoint of Pluto and Mars. If that birth time is accurate, his Ascendant in Chernobyl would be 18 Cancer conjunct Pluto and opposite progressed Vesta. The rising Mars fits the large red birthmark on his forehead, and his general appearance fits the Cancer as well as the Pisces Sun. At this point in the drama, it looks as if his May-June stress (Mars station on his progressed Saturn and maybe Descendant and Halley’s Comet station opposite his natal Sun) may be related to the nuclear disaster.
The Mutable Dilemma Update & Newsletter April 28, 1986
The Pisces Mutable Dilemma went into the mail just before my spring trips to Kansas and Oregon. A letter from Serafin Lanot arrived just days after the mailing with news that new information uncovered in the Marcos’ Manila residence gave different birth times for both Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. Rather than wait until the Gemini issue to correct the birth charts, I decided to send an interim newsletter to subscribers. Another reason for a newsletter is the heating up of the Libya confrontation. It now seems very likely that the potential crisis for the U.S. which I have been anticipating for May-June 1986 will involve Libya in some way. Additional astrological material collected since the writing of the Pisces 1986 Mutable Dilemma continues to indicate a time of challenge during these months just ahead. But, as often noted, details are always an educated guess. I had considered that one reasonable guess involved Reagan’s health. I still think it may be an issue in the year ahead, but recent events point to political and military actions as more visible in the immediate future.
Obtaining accurate birth data for famous people is a continuing struggle for astrologers. Another small error in the recent Mutable Dilemma involved Christa Mcauliffe’s place of birth. Our L.A. newspapers gave her birth place as Framingham, MA., but later information says she was born in Boston. The differences are not sufficiently great to call for a whole new chart, but her correct angles are MC-2 Aquarius 3; Ascendant-24 Taurus 59; Antivertex-25 Aries 16; East Point-6 Taurus 39. Progressed angles are MC-8 Pisces 9; Ascendant-3 Cancer 14; Antivertex-21 Taurus 37; East Point-11 Gemini 48. The natal and progressed Placidus eighth house cusps (for those working with the Part of Death) are 20 Sagittarius 25 and 22 Capricorn 33. The major aspects to the angles which were mentioned in the Mutable Dilemma article have not changed.
Two birth times have been published for Judith Resnik since our Pisces issue of The Mutable Dilemma, so it must be considered “dirty data” to use Lois Rodden’s term. If we can confirm either of the times, we will print the chart. In the meantime, for those who want to experiment, the initial data was April 5, 1949; 10:25 PM EST; Akron, OH; 41 N 5; 81 W 6. The Secondary Progressions had appropriate aspects, but the Solar Arc Directions for the explosion were the weakest I have ever seen for such a dramatic and drastic event. I do not have the alternative time (supposedly both times are from birth certificates!) so have not yet checked to see whether it provided more appropriate aspects.
The revised charts for Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos are included. We no longer have the asteroid Philippina conjunct the IC in Ferdinand’s chart, but it remains opposite Pluto and octile Uranus in lifetime progressed aspects, as well as octile Pallas and within a 2 degree square to the MC-IC in Manila. The progressed mean north node of the Moon also remained conjunct Philippina all of Marcos’ life up to about 10 years ago, so the asteroid was certainly prominent in his chart. Progressed Philippina had been semisextile Uranus through the last several years. Remember that when we move from a natal aspect of inner conflict to a progressed one of potential harmony, we may still be challenged by life circumstances unless we have learned to resolve the initial conflict in our natures.
In Ferdinand’s original chart Mercury was conjunct both Psyche and America, and the new chart puts them exactly on the IC and square the East Point. So Marcos has ended up with a home in the U.S., however reluctantly. His progressed Moon was conjunct natal Philippina when he decided to hold the election which proved to be his undoing. The Moon was conjunct the natal mean north node of the Moon, square natal Pallas (so often a key to politics), and quincunx Neptune for the election. It had reached a square to natal Vesta in the tenth house while holding a quincunx to progressed Neptune and was just coming to a quincunx to progressed Jupiter (a yod) when the final alienation from his people and his departure came in late February. A progressed yod often marks a major change in the life, whether in work, home, relationships or other areas. Through the late spring and later in the early fall this year the Moon will quincunx natal and then progressed Saturn as Marcos faces the legal battles over his finances. Newspaper reports currently suggest that he might try to regain his power with the help of remaining supporters in the Philippines.
Other interesting asteroid positions included natal Aten (an Egyptian Sun God), Fantasia, and Nefertiti conjunct Ferdinand’s natal Ascendant. One wonders whether his wife’s influence was similar to Nefertiti’s influence on Ikhnaton? Another of my recent experimental pastimes has been putting natal and progressed positions for Halley’s Comet into the charts of world leaders who have fallen or might fall from power. Ferdinand Marcos had natal Halley at 22 Leo 17; progressed retrograding at 23 Leo 53. Long orbit comets remain in a limited part of the zodiac except for their brief passage into our solar system close to the sun. I was fascinated to note that Marcos’ progressed Sun squared Halley’s Comet when Cory Aquino’s husband was killed. That martyrdom provided the turning point which put Ferdinand out of power and Cory in. Transiting Halley was at 16 Aquarius on Election Day, so forming a quincunx to progressed Saturn during the vote-counting days immediately after the election, offering another clue to his potential for a separation from power.
Other aspects included progressed Apollo (another Sun God) and progressed America conjunct each other, square Marcos’ natal Mars in the first house and natal Juno in the seventh house, while the progressed Manila Antivertex in Aries in the tenth house completed a cardinal grand cross; a beautiful portrait of a power struggle. All aspects are exact within a one degree orb. Most of the local Manila angles are within a fraction of a degree from the birthplace angles, but the Antivertex changes dramatically for places close to the Equator. For those who share my fascination with Atlantis, its natal position was 19 Scorpio 25, conjunct the heliocentric south node of Mars, octile Philippina, square progressed Uranus, trioctile Pluto; all aspects with one degree orbs. Since Pluto remained in orb of the square to Pallas, the latter was also part of the network of aspects. Progressed Atlantis at 27 Sagittarius was square progressed Vesta and natal Chiron in Pisces in the ninth house, marking an issue over faith and ethics.
If the birth times for the Marcos are now accurate (there is always that question for prominent people where you lack a reliable recorded time), Ferdinand’s Ascendant is conjunct his wife’s natal Sun. Imelda has a strong Scorpio-Taurus emphasis fitting her incredible collection of clothes and concern with money. Saturn in the second house suggests a lesson in handling the material world or possessions and pleasures. Imelda’s Philippina (9 degrees Leo in the ninth house) was less closely aspected in her natal chart, but its progressed position had remained prominent for many recent years forming squares to her Taurus-Scorpio factors. When the end of the power came, progressed Philippina was square her conjunction of progressed Juno (mate) and natal south node of the Moon (a lesson usually learned through relationships) in Scorpio in her first house.
Imelda’s natal Atlantis (with its potential for the abuse of power) was in Leo square her natal Moon. Her progressed Atlantis was trine Saturn and trioctile Uranus with progressed Pallas; all in fire signs and fixed houses except that Atlantis was in the tenth house. The total configuration offered a further emphasis on personal desire (fire) and power (fixed and tenth houses.) Imelda’s natal Halley at 11 Leo and progressed at 13 Leo just added to the squares in fixed signs for the money and power issues, and in mutable houses for the faith and ethical issues. Much more might be said, but as long as readers have the charts, you can try your own favorite techniques on them.
My article on Halley’s Comet in the last Mutable Dilemma included its aspects to Reagan’s horoscope whenever the comet was in an astronomically significant position such as changing direction (as seen from earth), crossing the Earth’s orbit, closest to earth, etc. I discovered that there will be one more Halley conjunction with the Sun as the comet moves on out of our solar system. On September 17, 1986, the Sun and Halley at 24 Virgo 38 will also be conjunct Reagan’s Washington, DC MC (assuming I have his accurate birth time). My source, a large paperback book called Mankind’s Comet by Ottewell and Schaaf, considers these dates, the first Halley-Sun conjunction on February 5, 1986 and the second on September 17, to be the “formal” beginning and end of this “apparition” or appearance of Halley. In the last Mutable Dilemma, I neglected to mention that Reagan’s Washington Antivertex is conjunct his Atlantis at 23 Capricorn, hence also involved when Halley passed beyond one AU from the Sun on March 20, 1986. I also omitted the aspects to Reagan’s chart in the 0 to 1 Libra Halley station which lasts from late October 1986 into early January 1987. Some of the aspects have wider orbs than the ones formed on the rest of the significant dates on the Halley orbit, but should probably be included to complete the picture. They include quincunxes to Reagan’s natal Chiron (exact) and Venus at one and three degrees of Pisces and to natal Saturn and progressed Sun (exact) at zero and one degrees of Taurus. Halley will also widely square Reagan’s natal Mars at three degrees of Capricorn and form a trioctile (exact) to Reagan’s natal Sun at sixteen Aquarius. The yod (double quincunx) certainly suggests separations and a new path in some form.
One of many potentials with a yod can be health issues or departures through death, whether personal or involving associates. I had originally thought that the May-June aspects in Reagan’s chart might foreshadow such possibilities for him personally. After the Libya bombing, it is obvious that the deaths of others are at least equally possible. Readers know that I have found some value in several house systems in astrology, and that a repeated message is especially important. Calculating Reagan’s local chart in Washington, DC for the four house systems I find most useful presents such a dramatic repeated emphasis. For many years, his progressed Saturn remains in a square to his Placidus Part of Death. For two years, his progressed Sun is square his Koch Part of Death. For about two years, his progressed Ascendant is conjunct his Regiomontanus Part of Death. For two months, around May-June 1986, his progressed Moon is conjunct his Campanus Part of Death.
Halley also has some interesting contacts with the chart of our Vice President, George Bush. When he was elected V.P. in 1980, Bush had his progressed Sun conjunct progressed Halley. Transiting Halley was conjunct his natal 10th house Sun on the second term inauguration day, January 20, 1985. Progressed Moon will be opposite his natal Halley in the spring of 1987 when our Declaration chart has progressed MC and progressed Moon in a yod to natal Uranus-MC, with transiting Neptune on the P MC, transiting Pluto on the P Moon, transiting Saturn opposite natal Mars and P Atlantis, and transiting Uranus square P Neptune. All of these periods look like major turning points: May-June, 1986; mid-October 1986 to January 1987; spring 1987.
Probably most astrologers already know that transiting Mars will make a station and go retrograde early in 23 degrees of Capricorn. In the last Mutable Dilemma I mentioned that the asteroid Libya was conjunct Halley’s Comet in 22 degrees of Capricorn at the Vernal Equinox. I have since discovered many additional mundane charts which further emphasize that area of the zodiac. The February 1986 Mars-Saturn conjunction chart in Washington has an MC of 22 Capricorn. The chart for the April 5 W. Berlin bomb in a disco, used as the justification for the bombing of Libya, had an East Point of 22 Capricorn. The April 10 U.S. nuclear bomb test which broke the moratorium on nuclear testing which had been offered by Russia had a 22 Capricorn MC. The Titan missile explosion at Vandenburg Air Base in California on April 18 had a 21 Capricorn Descendant.
And we have still only started! The February 1986 Mars-Saturn conjunction chart calculated in Tripoli Libya had the West Point in 22 Capricorn. Mars will be retrograding in that degree at the Cancer Ingress chart in June 1986, and it will return to that degree for the Libra Ingress chart in September this year. Looking back, Franklin Roosevelt’s Bank Bill which put a temporary moratorium on the U.S. banks in 1933 had an IC of 22 Capricorn. Pluto was 21 Cancer. Social Security became legal with the true south node of the Moon at 21 Cancer. Looking at individuals, Gorbachev has natal Saturn at 20 Capricorn; progressed Saturn at 23 Capricorn (conjunct Reagan’s Washington Antivertex and Atlantis). Cory Aquino has Pluto at 22 Cancer. Ferdinand Marcos has progressed Philippina at 21 Capricorn while Imelda Marcos has natal Philippina at 22 Cancer. This is just a small sample of the charts which could be cited. It is common for power-people and for political event or mundane charts to have planets or angles in the area from 18 to 24 Cancer-Capricorn where we find the nodes of Pluto (always), Saturn (much of the time), Jupiter and Vesta (fairly often). The April 1986 eclipse at 19 Aries and the May-June station of Mars are just more confirmation for the importance of this period in our handling of issues concerning power and aggression.
In addition to the emphasis in many charts on the area of the Mars station, there are many other charts with factors close to the Halley station. I mentioned several of the most important horoscopes in the Pisces Mutable Dilemma. Mark Lerner, who publishes the astrological newspaper “Welcome to the Planet Earth,” writes that Kadafi announced the military Coup at 6:30 AM local time from Bengazi, Libya. ASC Publication’s International Atlas reports that Libya’s time was two hours later than UT on the date of the Coup, September 1, 1969. A chart drawn for that data puts the Ascendant in 10 Virgo! The traditional time celebrated by Mexico as the beginning of their struggle for independence (5 AM on September 16, 1810 in Dolores) produces an Ascendant of 11 Virgo and an MC of 11 Gemini. Saturn is at 9 Pisces 35. The Aries 1986 Ingress in Washington has the East Point at 10 Virgo. The same chart calculated in Tripoli has an MC of 10 Virgo. In all relocation charts, the Tripoli MC will be the Washington EP symbolizing our potential power struggle. The first war for the U.S. after winning independence from England was against the “pirates” of Tripoli.
Other charts include our Federal Reserve (December 13, 1913, 18:02 EST, Washington, DC) with natal Chiron at 10 Pisces, progressed Saturn at 11 Gemini, progressed East Point at 11 Virgo, in addition to several natal and progressed factors at 13 to 15 degrees of the mutables. The progressed Moon conjuncts Pluto during the next three months. Paul Volcker (head of the Federal Reserve) has his natal Sun at 12 Virgo. We can even look back to the May 30, 1984 eclipse whose path crossed North Africa to note that the eclipse fell at 9 Gemini 26, conjunct our Declaration of Independence Uranus-MC, opposite transiting Uranus at 11 Sagittarius and square an 8 Virgo Ascendant in Washington. Traditional astrology claims that a solar eclipse remains meaningful for three years and that it is especially important as a key to the geographic areas where it is visible.
In addition to the importance of Halley and Mars during May-June, 1986, the recent conjunctions of Mars with the outer planets all point to the importance of Pluto issues. Mars was conjunct Pluto on Christmas day, 1985 with Pluto-Mars-South node of the Moon on the West Point in Washington, DC, similar to a Descendant where we may cooperate or compete or fight. Mars was conjunct Saturn on February 17, 1986 with Pluto on the Descendant in Washington, DC. Mars was conjunct Neptune on April 9, 1986 with Pluto on the Ascendant in Washington, DC. The Mars conjunction with Uranus on March 13, 1986 missed a Pluto conjunction with an angle, but it was in its own eighth house octile Mars-Uranus in the tenth house, trioctile the Sun in the first house, and quincunx Venus and Chiron (a yod) with the latter opposed to a Saturn-MC conjunction. The Pluto emphasis certainly suggests that we are working on a lesson involving compromise and shared power or moderation. Reagan’s Scorpio rising has been showing increasingly as his progressed MC has been moving over his natal Ascendant.
One more note on the Libya confrontation brings in the Local Space charts which use the Horizon Coordinate System. Looking from Washington, DC at the moment of our bombing attack on Tripoli and Bengazi, Mars and Tripoli were together in our line of sight, with Bengazi within three degrees. In local space terms, for Washington observers, Mars was exactly conjunct Tripoli at the moment of the attack! Using Mark Lerner’s announcement time for the Libya military coup, looking from Bengazi where Kadafi made the announcement, Mars was conjunct Washington, DC. At the time of our attack April 15, 1986, looking from Tripoli where Kadafi is now living, progressed Mars in the coup chart is conjunct Washington. Does anyone still believe in coincidence or that there is only one “right” way to do astrology? There is always more material, but time and space run out.
A personal note: As readers are well aware by now, my personal interest is currently concentrated on the world. With my progressed New Moon coming in June and Social Security in August, I anticipate spending more time on mundane astrology and new techniques, especially the asteroids. I began my study of astrology at the preceding New Moon. I’m sure our readers are as bombarded as I am with requests for funds, and I do not want to add to the pressure which comes in every mail. But if any of our readers have a surplus of funds and can use a tax-deductible donation, I would appreciate any contributions to assist our efforts. Checks should be made to the Church; LA-CCRS. I do not want “hardship” gifts. I really mean “surplus” when I say that! I am thinking of putting out this kind of interim newsletter in between issues of The Mutable Dilemma for those who are really interested in the world and/or in the new asteroids. Then we could keep most of The Mutable Dilemma for the “people” focus which rated higher on the responses we got from our questionnaire. Perhaps the best plan is to send this update to all of our subscribers and to ask those who want to get the interim report in the future to write and request it. You do not have to send more money for it, but if you have a surplus, a donation will be welcome. I won’t guarantee how often the extra report will get out, but will send one when time permits and material justifies it. It looks as if the action in the world may continue to accelerate, and three months is a long time to wait to report on it. Plus, I have vastly too much material always, and each issue forces me to choose what will be omitted.
With best wishes to all of our readers. A still center and love and faith remain our best security in an increasingly crazy world.