Astroworld

There is, however, one serious omission in Vedic astrology - Uranus, Neptune and Pluto have no place in the system. This is a lack that cannot be remedied by augmenting the characteristics of the moon’s nodes, as has been suggested by several Vedic astrologers. The discovery of electricity and the birth of the United States of America (Uranus), Karl Marx and Das Kapital (Neptune), and atomic energy (Pluto) are just some of the countless precise markers for the emergence of these planets into human consciousness and it is our loss if we do not take them into account.

These brief comments will provide some context as we next examine Saddaam Hussein’s chart in order to fix his ascendant. It seems to be in doubt as there are no reliable records of his time of birth. I have rectified Hussein’s birth time to 5:35 am on April 28, 1937 based on his character and personality as well as some important events in his life. Now this is sure to send up howls of protest from others who have a different time of birth; for my part, I can only set out my reasons for rectification and ask for your indulgence.

The first thing that stands out in Saddaam’s life story, if you’ve read it, is his sense of uniqueness as a person and absolute conviction of his destiny. He considers himself the re-incarnation of Saladin, who was also born in Tikrit, but was a Kurd. This suggests that the best place for the Uranus/Sun conjunction would be on the ascendant because it captures a deeply felt sense of special-ness that goes beyond mere egoism. He often acts on inspiration with the conviction that he is being led onward by providence. The Moon/Mars conjunction in his 8th house emphasizes this theme further and exaggerates all emotions although they are rigidly contained by his iron will. The psychological manifestation of these placements would be flights of mania and grandiosity, followed by a plunge into the depths of darkness, all leading to profound transformation, the realm of the 8th house. In short, however practical and grounded the individual would like to remain, life interferes and brings the ups and downs necessary to produce the appropriate experiences for the growth of the soul.

For example, there is no question that Saddaam is a supremely rational actor but feels his opponents have confounded his judgment and deceived him time and again. Reagan sold guns to Iran and Bush cheated me out of Kuwait would be his lament. And if we are to believe Ross Perot and the transcript of April Glaspie’s interview with Saddaam on July 25, 1991, he made a fatal mistake in his reading of President Bush the Elder’s signals. He went and grabbed the whole of Kuwait instead of the part that he was expected to annex. And what ruin that slight misjudgment has brought to the Iraqi nation and people! What a colossal failure he has been in the end! This surely, is the most hideous and macabre realization of the Sun King’s (Louis the XIV of France) exclamation – L'etat c'est moi (The State is me).

Let us then put Uranus/Sun on the ascendant for Saddaam Hussein.

Next, consider the MC which is well known to represent the impact an individual has on the world, her/his entry in the record of humankind, her/his story. The IC represents one’s home and castle, a sanctuary from the cares of the world. If we choose a birth time of around 5:35 am for Saddaam, Jupiter moves precisely to the MC, and Pluto to the IC. President GWB’s Saturn falls on that Pluto and so Bush constricted (Saturn) Saddaam’s power (Pluto) at home (IC). Then he went and toppled Saddaam’s statue (MC) and capped his entry in the aforementioned record of humankind.

So we put Jupiter/Pluto on the MC/IC axis and find a most extraordinary chart.

The Sun, which is a supreme benefic for Aries ascendant because it is the ruler of the prime trine, the 5th house, and a strong friend of Mars, ruler of the ascendant, is exalted in the 1st house. The fifth house lord is better than the 9th lord Jupiter here because it suffers no blemish, whereas Jupiter is also lord of the 12th, a “bad” house in Vedic astrology. The 5th house is the house of prarabdha karma, merit from previous lives that will fructify in this life. The efforts made by this man are mysteriously leveraged a million-fold by the universe and have an impact far beyond what anyone expected. Saddaam’s rise from the time he was first chosen by the CIA in the late 1950s was meteoric. By the time he was 30, he was very close to the top and in the 1970s was the de-facto ruler of Iraq although he timed his bloody coronation (remember that large hall where he puffed on a cigar and condemned some of his oldest comrades to death?) for the conjunction of Rahu and Saturn in Leo on July 17, 1979.

This brings up a fascinating detail in the saga of this fatherless, impoverished child who rose to become the Sultan of Baghdad. I have no doubt in my mind that Saddaam not only makes extensive use of astrology but also has one of the finest astrologers in the world working with him. Saddaam formally assumed power during the Rahu/Saturn conjunction in Leo. (Rahu is the moon’s north node in Vedic astrology.) This conjunction occurred again in Taurus on June 6, 2002. His reign was over and deep in his bowels, he knew it. (Maggie Thatcher also fell under the same aspect when Michael Heseltine wielded the sword that dethroned the milk snatcher. - she took the milk away from school children!!!).

But, it might be asked, why didn’t his sons prosper? Why did they die such a violent death? To which the answer must be, that they did grow up in extra-ordinary wealth and luxury and did live extravagantly. Their every whim and fancy was indulged and they were limited only by their respective temperaments – Qusai was not showy or violent, Udai was, and that was all there was to it. And to say that they met a violent end is to depreciate the fact that a quick clean birth and a quick clean death may be the most fortunate “bookends” any life could have, and whatever one may say, it was all over in seconds.

Let us turn now to President Bush, whose exact birth time is available

He was born at 7.26 am on July 6, 1946 at New Haven, Connecticut. In sidereal astrology, the 14th degree of Cancer is rising and his MC/IC axis straddles the 2nd degree of Aries/Libra. For Cancer ascendant, Mars is the yogakaraka par excellence, because he owns the 5th and 10th houses, a trine and the best quadrant. Moreover, some would argue that the 5th, and not the 9th, is the best trine because it is the house of prarabdha karma, merit from previous lives that will fructify in this life. These are the results that come without any seeming effort, like gifts with no strings attached.

This extraordinary Mars is strongly anchored at 16 degrees in the second house owned by his friend the Sun. At the moment Mars is conjunct transiting Jupiter and sextile transiting Saturn. On May 5, 2004 retrograde Jupiter goes stationary-direct at 15 degrees of Leo. This is an aspect of victory, not defeat.

The powerful natal Moon/Jupiter conjunction connects the ascendant and the ninth house and placed in the third house it gives courage and popularity with the masses. But this conjunction can also result in religiosity and bathos. There is emotional expansiveness in the so-called “spiritual” realm and a tendency to mania. Prejudices run deep and strong along with a belief in one’s own goodness. There is an imagined special connection to God that comes from dramatizing so-called “spiritual” and “conversion” experiences.

Mercury and Pluto on the ascendant do not define him as much as Sun/Uranus for Saddaam because his moon sign is more powerful than is the case with Saddaam. There is a strong parivartana yoga (mutual reception) between the 1st and 3rd houses – moon in mercury’s house and mercury in moon’s house, which is also an exchange of 1st and 11th lords when seen from the moon that makes it a force for good (luck?) in his chart. Also from the moon, Saturn the 5th lord is in the 11th house of luck along with the 2nd and 9th lord Venus and ascendant lord Mercury. Natal Jupiter trines Uranus and the Moon’s North Node, which is in direct motion. Node in direct motion is one of the most auspicious occurrences in Vedic astrology. The South Node will not harm President Bush.

These are all spectacularly lucky placements. Whatever one may say about George W. Bush, what is obvious from his chart is that he came into the world with a boat load of good karma.

I am sorry I cannot agree with Jim Shawvan’s interpretation; I may yet fall flat on my face a month from now but with the kinds of placements we have just seen, it is not probable. Is there danger to GWB, physically and politically? Yes, there is, but I think he emerges triumphant because he has the capacity to reverse himself. For instance, what if a copy of The Secret Gospel of St. Thomas should fall into his hands? He may appreciate the fuller picture of Jesus that emerges from this source and attempt to escape the stifling embrace of the false Christian courtiers who surround him so closely.

It is impossible to be born with the aspects he has and not have great potential. I think the coming days and months will test him and offer the opportunity to actualize that potential. This is especially so because his current PCSR (precession corrected Solar Return) has Neptune precisely on the ascendant – it can deepen spiritual insight or embroil one in illusion. If he sweeps his deck clean of all the rubbish that has accumulated on it, I would bet on the first possibility. The wild card is his health.

Looking briefly at his planetary and intra-planetary periods (dasa and bhukti, respectively) GWB is currently running the Jupiter bhukti (Nov 3, 2003 to May 15, 2006) of his Saturn dasa (May 17, 1987 to May 15, 2006.) This Saturn is what has brought him to the pinnacle and yet we hear how Saturn is going to destroy him. Not according to Vedic astrology as I understand it.

His 2004 PCSR has Uranus on the MC, his PCLR (precession corrected Lunar return) on October 13, 2004 has Pluto on the MC and Venus on the Descendant.

On Jan 20 2005, transiting Jupiter conjuncts his Moon and transiting Mars sextiles it. Transiting North Node is conjunct his MC and transiting Pluto trines it…we could list many more aspects pointing to a grand coronation.

One final twist and we are done.

Saddaam’s Vertex falls on GW Bush’s Natal Jupiter; his nodal axis falls across Bush’s nodal axis and is trined/sextiled by GWB’s Jupiter; Saddaam’s Jupiter/Uranus midpoint is exactly quincunx (150 degrees) from Bush’s Jupiter; …on and on and on. Again, the ties between these two charts go back to the beginning of time.

What does it all mean?

In my humble opinion, they will survive together or fall together, may be not at the same time, but it could become like father, like son. My bet is that they will both survive; Bush will be re-elected but Saddaam will not regain power. With apologies to Omar Khayyam -

And Lo! The Hunter of the West has caught
The Sultan's Turret in a Noose of Rawhide.

Let me conclude with an Americanism: I have no dog in this hunt.

Nevertheless, take everything I have said with a pinch of salt.

Lahiri_Ayanamsa (23:54)

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