Mundane Matters – Eclipses
Looking into the Heart of Darkness
18 November 2006
Taken from Astrology Quarterly Summer 2006
Eclipses are one of the most spectacular astronomical phenomenon
and have struck fear into the heart of mankind since the beginning
of human history. Imagine watching a solar or lunar eclipse without
understanding astronomical the process. God just put out the light!
We only put out the light for a reason, what reason might God have
for this?
This trepidation would have been increased for those who thought
symbolically as the Sun represents God and the Moon represents the
Goddess. If these are imperilled then what chance do the little
people have?
Solar symbolism also represents Kings, leaders, governments and
authority so eclipses would be especially significant for them.
In a more symbolically aware world, eclipses could be seen as a
direct comment from the divine on the King’s performance.
Eclipses can be read in several ways. If you consider the lunar
cycle from new moon to full moon and back to new moon as being symbolic
of the breath; a waxing phase: the in-breath, a waning phase: the
out-breath, you could consider an eclipse to be a hiccup or cough.
Still part of the ebb and flow of energy but providing an emphasis
at a particular point.
Eclipses can be considered in many different ways but this article
will consider how they can be used as part of the transiting environment.
Viewing them as part of a Saros series and regard to the length
of duration of the eclipse will be dealt with in a future column.
You can consider the eclipse as a stand alone mundane chart in
the same way as you would an ingress chart. To do this, cast the
chart of the new or full moon for a specific location and read the
planetary positions and house rulerships as found at that location.
A planet conjunct an angle would bring that particular flavour
to the top of the pile, especially if it is tightly aspected to
other planets or the eclipse itself. The idea is that planetary
configurations exist in the zodiac but only when they are brought
down to earth do they have possible outlets. Angular planets are
one of the most obvious ways of judging this. Astro*Carto*Graphy,
or other non copywrite astrolocality techniques, makes these immediately
apparent.
Delineating the house rulerships and receptions will give you
a flavour of possible events and circumstances for that location.
If you have a chart for the location, for instance a country or
institution, or for someone who would be involved at that location
you can use standard synastry techniques to relate the eclipse to
that chart.
A direct hit of the eclipse to a point in the chart under consideration
would be more significant contact. Use tight orbs; 1° going
to 2° with other contacts. Use mainly the conjunction and opposition
and if another aspect is made reduce the orb and lower the weighting
in your interpretation. The case study highlights slightly wider
orbs but should be read together with transits and progressions.
Once you’ve put all the information together you can begin
evaluating which are the important factors and which are incidental.
Where I think you can get most mileage for the least amount of
sweat and tears is to use eclipses as another layer on top of the
transiting and progressing points. This combination of long (transiting
planets from Jupiter out) and short term (lunations) cycles can
show things being brought to a head and allow you to judge the timing
with reasonable accuracy.
As always, you need to consider the nature of the chart you are
examining: not all Jupiters are the same.
The progressed chart can also have eclipses. These are difficult
to judge. Prudence Neusenk has presented material based on her personal
experiences of progressed eclipses at the Lodge and cautioned me
against a cookbook approach. There are many subtle considerations
and this is certainly an area worthy of more research.
Case Study – Rwandan Genocide
First, start with the potentials of the horoscope in question.
The chart is for legal independence of Rwanda; as with many legal
charts the Sun is in the fourth house. Looking for headline characteristics
we can quickly come up with the following:
- Sun in Cancer: this is a tribal/ethnic organisation, notions
of ethnic identity are legally enforced.
- Mercury and Moon in Gemini in 3rd house: there are two main
tribes and historical problems with neighbours.
- Jupiter in Pisces in 12th ruling the 9th house: there is a
colonial legacy (9th) which has left one group in power and one
out, also problems with corruption (12th).
- Sun trine Neptune trine Jupiter: ties of blood and fellowship.
- Saturn square Neptune sesquiquadrate Moon, square Venus: government
can split the people, government is not what it seems. Contact
to Mercury could indicate use of propaganda.
- Mars square Uranus: potential for violence and extremism.
Rwanda is a former Belgian colony. Under colonial rule the Tutsi
tribe were the favoured ethnic group. Although a minority they were
given preferential treatment in regards to employment and education.
The Tutsis tended to be tall and elegant with fine facial features
and were considered by the original colonisers of the area to be
“black Europeans” and a people that they could do business
with. The Hutu appeared more stereotypically “negro”.
Historically, Tutsi were nomadic cattle owning people and the
Hutu were farmers. Cattle have long been associated with wealth
in central Africa and the Tutsi formed the wealthy upper-class of
Rwandan society.
Despite these physical differences there was never a cut and dried
division between the two groups. Being known as Tutsi became a marker
of wealth and it was possible to become a Tutsi after sufficient
material resources had been acquired, rather like western affluent
people might join the golf club as a mark of their social status.
In the real world, the physical distinctions between the two groups
are less distinct than the propaganda would like. It was in the
1930’s that ethnicity was listed on all identification documents.
From that point the movement between the groups was stopped. What
had been notionally economic and class related was now locked in
place.
As the movement towards independence progressed, the Belgians
recognised that Tutsis minority were marked as the ruling class
under the colonial regime and could not form the basis of an independent
government and began to back the Hutus. Independence was gained
in 1962 with the Hutu majority forming the government. This developed
into a one party state and in 1974 President Habyaniara took power
in a bloodless coup and remained president through to the start
of the massacre in question although the state was never entirely
stable.
The neighbouring state of Burundi has the same ethnic make up
but in their case the Tutsis retained power after independence.
Uganda borders Rwanda to the north and many Tutsi refugees from
the incidents around independence took refuge there. A further Gemini/3rd
house/Mercury issue is the dominant European language: Rwanda speaks
French; Uganda speaks English. To attempt to sum up the whole situation
in an article of this size is futile. There are so many factors
which I can only hint at.
Rwanda with transits and progressions for 1 October 1990
In 1990 the Tutsi based Rwandan Popular Front, hereafter referred
to as the RPF, launched an attack from Uganda. Their aims were to
bring true democracy to Rwanda and to establish ethnic equality.
Stated aims did not centre around revenge upon the Hutu but on a
new way of working together. For a very eloquent summary of the
RPF aims and objectives I recommend Fergal Keane’s Season
of Blood: Rwandan Journey.
While the Hutu government had never rehabilitated the Tutsis in
the eyes of the people, this attack provoked a new wave of propaganda
against the Tutsi and moderate Hutus. Portrayed as economically
exploitative, holding vast wealth and privilege, it didn’t
matter that this bore no relation to the actual position of Tutsis
and had not done so for some time.
Transits and Progressions:
Transiting Pluto square natal Venus
Transiting Jupiter conjunct North Node
Transiting Uranus conjunct MC, opposite Sun
Progressed Saturn conjunct North Node
Progressed Moon conjunct natal Sun
Progressed Ascendant square North Node
Eclipses over this period:
- Mar 1988 Solar Eclipse
13 Pisces conjunct Jupiter
- August 1989 Lunar Eclipse
24 Aquarius conjunct Uranus, square Mars
- August 1990 Lunar Eclipse
13 Aquarius conjunct Saturn, opposite Venus and North Node
The points which the eclipses touched – Jupiter, Mars and
Venus - could be brought together to suggest an atmosphere provoking
an urge for justice, possibly against foreign enemies, questions
of national identity, issues around resources and relations with
neighbours and their vested interests. Put over the underling transiting
conditions which focus on the Sun, Venus and North Node you can
see some very powerful forces in action, focused on the leadership
of a society and its values.
The on going propaganda campaign concentrated on casting the RPF
as Tutsi rebels and ignoring their own agenda so increasing the
polarisation between the government – the good guys –
and the rebels – the bad guys. As with all propaganda campaigns
there is no room for grey areas and moderate Hutus found themselves
being grouped with the RPF and labelled as Tutsi sympathisers.
Mid October 1990 saw systematic elimination of many Tutsis and
moderate Hutus in a forewarning of the massacre to come. By 1991/92,
the situation has progressed to establish a multi party state and
the President was obliged to end his monopoly and new parties began
to appear. Early 1992 saw the arming of the youth movement, a standard
tactic of totalitarian regimes and an effective way of growing a
militia schooled in your way of thinking.
The major transit was still Uranus opposing the Sun.
Eclipses over this period:
- January 1991 Lunar Eclipse
9 Leo conjunct North Node, opposite Saturn
- June 1991 Lunar Eclipse 5
Capricorn conjunct MC, opposite Sun
- June 1992 Solar Eclipse
8 Cancer conjunct Sun, opposite MC
- December 1992 Lunar Eclipse
18 Gemini conjunct Mercury
The propaganda used by the government had been extremely effective
and the divisions between the two groups were widening. Attacks
by militia and other groups were also effective.
During 1992 the RPF made good progress and in July a ceasefire was
called.
The second half of 1992 saw Saturn returning to its natal position
bringing all the concerns usually found at that age. Saturn rules
fear and this fed into the atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion.
Transiting Pluto was now squaring natal Mars bringing out the natal
Mars Uranus square and all its potential for violence and instability.
Rwanda with transits and progressions for 6 February 1993
8th February 1993 saw the RPF violate the ceasefire. They claimed
that this was to halt the massacres which had continued against
the Tutsi population and anyone not fully on the side of the government.
There have been claims that this was a bit to force negotiations
forward but it played right into the hands of the government, allowing
them to claim that the RPF would not share power and that Hutus
would be endangered. There were also claims of assassination attempts.
Eclipses over this period:
- June 1993 Lunar Eclipse
13 Sagittarius square Jupiter
- November 1993 Solar Eclipse
21 Scorpio opposite Mars
The ceasefire incursion happened only 4 days from an exact progressed
eclipse: Progressed Moon conjunct progressed Sun conjunct progressed
node at 7 Leo conjunct the progressed IC and Mercury. Even more
significantly the eclipse path for this eclipse went straight across
central Africa. This could be said to have opened up the very heart
of darkness in the midst of an already unstable and negative situation.
This period also saw the growth of the civilian militia and their
increasing hostility to Tutsis. It became common to refer to them
as cockroaches.
Rwanda with transits and progressions for 1 October 1990
By the spring of 1994 peace talks were in place and it seemed
that the RPF had been successful. But on the 6th April 1994 the
President’s plane was shot down. Also on board was the President
of Burundi. It is still unclear who did this. Many have motives
but the most likely explanation in the light of the genocide which
was about to unfold was that hard line Hutus were responsible. Unable
to accept a peace settlement and the terms and consequences it is
very possible that they decided to eliminate him. Explicit, hard-line
propaganda was everywhere. Radio broadcasts would refer to Tutsis
as cockroaches and refer to their elimination. It’s now obvious
that plans for the massacre were in place as machetes were available
in vast quantities and the militia appeared to be organised and
ready to act when given the word.
The chart for the day gives Mercury conjunct Mars trine Pluto
and North Node which pick up the natal Mars: an easy flow of destructive
energy and communication. Venus and Saturn are tightly sextile picking
up the natal ascendant/descendant in a yod. This is a very excitable
and energetic trigger. Watch transiting sextiles to see what gets
picked up as this can be surprisingly powerful. The Venus Jupiter
opposition is straight across the 2nd/8th house cusps picking up
the natal Saturn Neptune square.
Eclipses over this period:
- November 1994 Solar Eclipse
10 Scorpio square Saturn,
opposite Neptune, square North Node
- November 1994 Lunar Eclipse
25 Taurus conjunct Mars, square Uranus
April 1995 Solar Eclipse 8 Taurus square Saturn, opposite Neptune,
square North Node
The killing ended at the end of May 1994 with the final resolution
coming on 13th June when the RPF captured the final significant
city. Astrologically this coincides with Mercury conjunct the Sun
while in its retrograde phase, Saturn conjunct natal Jupiter, Pluto
exactly opposite Mars and Moon conjunct North Node and opposite
Saturn.
Government forces escaped to neighbouring countries, continuing
their social structures and ethical focus. The legal process and
resolution of the situation were slow and inconclusive. There were
no eclipses which hit direct points until 1998. The legal process
did not proceed well and little progress was made. There seemed
to be no power and no access to information to conclude anything.
The legal process seemed woefully inadequate and not at all inclusive.
None of the processed which would lead towards the healing of a
society seemed to be in place.
None of the eclipses of the next few years hit any significant
points. It wasn’t until 1998 that the eclipses made contact
with the 1962 natal chart.
Eclipses over this period:
- August 1998 Lunar Eclipse
15 Aquarius opposite Venus
- August 1998 Solar Eclipse
28 Leo conjunct Uranus
- September 1998 Lunar Eclipse
13 Pisces conjunct Jupiter
January 1999 Lunar Eclipse 11 Leo conjunct North Node, square
Neptune, opposite Saturn
- February 1999 Solar Eclipse
27 Aquarius opposite Uranus, square Mars
- August 1999 Solar Eclipse
18 Leo conjunct Venus
- February 2000 Solar Eclipse
16 Aquarius opposite Venus
The resolution period was difficult. It wasn’t until 1998
that there was enough internal communication to show the people
that something was happening. It took a concerted effort to represent
the legal process on the radio before the people of the country
could accept and validate the process. Within days of the eclipse
of September 98 the first conviction was achieved. As matters progressed
through 1999, the legal process became more effective and the public
perception of that effectiveness increased.
A resolution to this amount of chaos cannot be achieved quickly.
It will take many more years but you can see from the above transits
progressions and eclipses how the longer cycles and shorter cycles
fit with the underlying natal pattern to illustrate passing events.
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