Iran and Syria, two for the price of one. And what about Israel, does that make a three ring circus or what? How does that saying go, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Well I think they have that expression in the Middle East, don’t you?
I thought it would be enlightening to look at the Solar Returns for all three countries listed above, and I got the data from many sources, by checking and cross checking, including the Astrological Lodge of Great Britain, the CIA’s website, etc. I can do a Solar Return for Israel since I have an exact time of it’s incorporation as a country, it’s birth as it were. The Solar Return, I find, tells us a lot about the year to come, and since Israel’s begins in just about 3 months or less, I think it is a pretty accurate way to predict how the future for this year will unfold.
Iran’s time is of course somewhat suspect since I am relying on the time of the announcement of the new Islamic Republic over state radio, still it will have to do, and it is better then nothing, for the Moon and the planets will be accurate. I would not count as much on the ascendant, etc. except as a good reference point. Syria’s time is the most suspect of all, since I need to use midnight as it’s incorporation time since the day itself begins then and I have no other time to go by. Still it lets us know the same as for Iran, and that is a start.
For Israel, (May 14, 1948, 4:00 pm, Tel Aviv) Mars and Uranus are conjunct that’s the first thing I see and in Pisces, a sign of sorrow. They are located in the 7th house of one’s open enemies since the 18 degree Leo ascendant puts them there and not in the 8th house, although they are only 2 degrees away from the 8th house cusp, so it is a question mark as to where they are going to impact the most. Certainly the 8th house is drawn into the equation. Israel may very aggressively go after anyone or anything they consider to be a threat to themselves and their citizens.
Neptune is conjunct the 7th house cusp exactly and directly opposite the ascendant. I think Israel is very confused right now over who they are and what kind of country they hope to be. They may also not be able to tell who their friends or enemies are in any real concise clear way.
The Moon is at 1 degree of Leo, emphasizing the Leo ascendant and not far away from being conjunct to Saturn. When Saturn moves on later this summer in mid-July from Cancer into Leo that may be a time we see Arial Sharon leave the scene of Israeli politics.
One last thing, the Sun is in the 10th house and again this underscores the Leo ascendant and Leo Moon. Sun in the 10th house of how others view us, coupled with the other Leo emphasis, may proclaim Israel as very egocentric at this time, considering itself above all others and feeling very threatened. That is a common theme I am picking up in all these three charts, each country feels threatened and each country feels the need to defend itself against any and all comers.
Not a good place to be in spiritually or physically. With natal Pluto and Saturn conjunct the SR ascendant, that may just become a reality, and may express itself both outwardly and inwardly, either by Israel striking out or by being attacked themselves.
Now that we are moving on to Iran, (April 1, 1979, 3:00 pm, Tehran) with the timing suspect, nevertheless the SR ascendant is in Scorpio at 17 degrees and that is not the best place to have an ascendant in this turbulent time. The Moon is in Sag and conjunct Pluto the ruler of the ascendant, need I say more? Considering the fact that this is an exact conjunction at 24 degrees each, even if the time is off the Moon and Pluto do connect this day, and will for the year that the charts energy manifests itself.
Jupiter is opposite the Sun, Mercury and Venus perhaps showing the grandiose miscalculations that may be being developed by the Iranian authorities, and its bellicosity at this time. With natal Uranus on the SR ascendant I wouldn’t think that was a good idea, not for them, not for the world.
Could Iran blow up this year? It’s possible, either internally or externally. This is one powerhouse of a chart for the year to come, which starts, Solar Return timing, in about a month or so.
Now on to Syria (April 17, 1946, midnight, Damascus). Syria’s SR chart looks the least “busy”. It has the least powerful blasting aspects as the other two described above previously. Its ascendant, again using the 12 midnight time for the beginning of the day of its Independence is 26 degrees of Taurus, which is conjunct the fixed star Caput Algol, the most malevolent star in the heavens, the one heralding beheading. This placement can cause violence to be expressed within us toward someone else, or be seen as being expressed by someone toward us. But again this is not by any means as accurate a time as the other two charts so I don’t put all that much credence to it.
The Moon though is at 21 Cancer so it is likely this is the correct placement. It is conjunct Saturn and the theme of self protection, home, family, country and defense rings through this chart like the previous two. Perhaps, as in Israel, the titular head of the country may be changed.
Natal Mars at 27 degrees of Cancer is brought into the mix, and with Saturn dampening down the more militant aspects and the Moon increasing the emotionality of this aspect it is hard to say how it will play out; Mars and Saturn together can in certain circumstances due to sign and house and other aspects either tamp down anger or build it up and then outward. It can have an effect of slowing or repressing the anger and usually that is the case, but if it is coupled with a ‘trigger’ that can make it all the more potent for the slow structuring and refusal to yield quality it can bring to an individual, or country.
Out of all the charts Iran’s is the worst; in addition to all the above difficult and explosive aspects they also must contend with natal Mars and Mercury squaring SR Pluto, a transit that lasts a long time, since Pluto is so slow moving.
In the murkiness that is the Middle East right now and with all the volatile aspects going on both in our own and other countries, we may be in for a few tsunamis of the world political stage, one way or another.
BY ISABELLE GHANEH