NewsScope for October 30, 2001

Mars and Neptune: Good versus Evil

Last week investigators discovered that the Daschle letter was laced with high-grade anthrax, reversing a previous determination that the anthrax was a common, garden-variety type. Then, federal post offices sorting mail for the White House, the CIA, the Supreme Court and the State Department were all found with anthrax spores.

As reported here two weeks ago, the Mercury station was conjunct the U.S. Saturn, making this an unusually serious and consequential astrological event. The week before October 22 government officials were assuring the public that everything was under control, and there's only a minute chance that anyone could get infected by anthrax. The tune changed on Monday (10/22) when two more postal workers died, and by the end of the week 12,000 more were receiving antibiotics. (Editor's Note: WolfStar uses a Scorpio rising U.S. chart.)

Another major planetary factor now is Neptune*, which is the natural ruler of bacteria and nearly invisible spores. Neptune also just reached a stationary point as it turned direct while squaring the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant, highlighting its current prominence in national affairs. Since Neptune is a dominant vibration now, the entrance of Mars into Aquarius last Saturday (October 27) takes on added significance.

Militant Mars is heading toward a conjunction with secretive Neptune (exact on November 5), accelerating concern over bioterrorism. Neptune also refers to spiritual awareness, and when combined with Mars, promotes the spiritual warrior (on either side) who knows he is fighting a glorious battle of Good versus Evil. This Mars-Neptune aspect resonates with the U.S. Mars square Neptune, inspiring a pervasive national sentiment that God is on America's side.

Saudi Arabia, Osama bin Laden's Roots

Last Thursday, ABC's Diane Sawyer interviewed Osama bin Laden's sister-in-law, the Swiss-born Carmen bin Laden. Carmen stated that Osama probably has the backing of at least some of Saudi Arabia's royal family. Saudi Arabia has nominally gone along with Bush's anti-terrorism efforts, but has declined to provide information on the 10 Saudi hijackers who participated in the 9/11 attack.

Saudi Arabia's national horoscope is set for when the warrior king Ibn Saud captured Riyadh on January 15, 1902 (sunrise, or 3:45 am GMT). The Sun's conjunction with religious Jupiter and stately Saturn in strict Capricorn reflect the nation's Wahabi faith, a puritanical sect of Islam. In 1936 the nation began its transformation from a desert monarchy into a powerful international player when oil was discovered as transiting Pluto opposed the Saudi Sun.

When transiting Neptune was conjunct the Saudi Sun at the beginning of 1996 King Faud experienced burnout. He passed his authority over to Crown Prince Abdullah, who remains in control today. Carmen bin Laden has an insider's view, and she reported nervously that a coup within the royal family is possible. Does the astrology reflect this possibility?

It does. The most severe stress in the Saudi chart is the Uranus-Pluto opposition, and transiting Saturn and Pluto are heading into this zodiacal zone (the progressed Sun is also hitting Uranus). To compound matters, transiting Neptune will be conjunct the Saudi Mars throughout 2002. As Carmen said about Osama's Saudi roots, "This is what makes him dangerous, because he has the backing of a lot of people there."

Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Al Qaeda's Mastermind

According to many accounts, Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant and chief strategist for Al Qaeda's Holy War is the Egyptian terrorist Ayman Al-Zawahiri. He has been indicted for his alleged role in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and is suspected of masterminding the September 11 attacks.

Ayman Al-Zawahiri was born with his Sun conjunct the war planet Mars in the outspoken, clever sign of Gemini (June 19, 1951; Cairo; time unknown). Educated and trained as a surgeon, Zawahiri was first noticed by anti-terrorist agencies in 1981 as he boldly ranted for Jihad while imprisoned for the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

The Sun-Mars combination in Gemini is afflicted by severe challenges from Saturn and Chiron, diverting a keen intellect into rationalizing religious fanaticism. Mars square Saturn is well known for pushing the individual into extreme tests of strength against established authority. The Chiron influence is filtered through the highly moralistic sign of Sagittarius, adding an explosive sense of outrage at perceived injustices.

Zawahiri helped build an international group of terrorist cells, a task astrologically facilitated by his Pallas, the political strategy asteroid, found in the networking sign of Aquarius. Pallas is given religious overtones by the favorable links to Jupiter and Neptune, but pushed into extremism by the opposition to Pluto. The transit of Uranus to his Pallas-Pluto link over the past two years cemented his radical vision into an elusive organization specializing in global terror.

*Following the October 9 NewsScope article on bioterrorism linking domestic terrorism with the transit of Uranus in the U.S Fourth House, several readers pointed out that anthrax and influenza are ruled by Neptune. According to this correlation, the 1918 influenza epidemic was timed with Neptune's transit over the U.S. North Node and square to the Scorpio Ascendant.

I don't disagree with this assessment at all, but would add that Uranus and Neptune cycles are nearly a perfect two to one ratio, so that one Uranus cycle of 84 years equals one half a Neptune cycle. These two outer planets work in tandem: when Neptune crosses the lunar node axis, Uranus is simultaneously passing through the U.S. Fourth House, leading to domestic bioterrorist incidences (Neptune). Neptune is now on the U.S. South Node, and Uranus is heading for the U.S. Moon. It's the special combination of factors that lead to these unique events that astrologers can monitor and anticipate.