NewsScope for November 13, 2001

The International Islamic Front

In 1998 Osama Bin Laden decided to go pan-Islamic instead of Saudi or Arabic. He formed the International Islamic Front (IIF) for Jihad against Jews and the Crusaders that included radical Muslim leaders from Egypt, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The group, an alliance of Bin Laden's al-Qaida and several other terrorist networks, announced their arrival by declaring a Holy War against America.

The Jihad fatwa (or declaration of war) was published by the London-based Al-Quds Al Arabi on February 23, 1998, and a chart set for 5:00 am* can be used to astrologically track the group's actions. The natal horoscope for the IIF features a Sun-Mercury-Jupiter triple conjunction in Pisces, reflecting its religious center, with these planets squaring Pluto, adding the element of fanaticism.

The inner dynamics in this horoscope represent the IIF's celestial fingerprints, or astrological signatures that can be used to track and perhaps even forecast terrorism. The clearest example of this is the Jupiter-Pluto connection, especially under hard aspects. The simultaneous attacks on the American Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania occurred at 10:35 am on August 7, 1998 as transiting Pluto was forming its closest square to the IIF Mercury-Jupiter-Sun conjunction.

Then, the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole on October 12, 2000 (12:15 pm, Aden, Yemen) took place as transiting Jupiter and Pluto were exactly opposite each other, and squaring the IIF's fateful lunar node axis. The September 11, 2001 attacks occurred as transiting Jupiter and Pluto were forming an inconjunction to each other (150 degrees) while lining up with the U.S. Sun. Jupiter has recently turned retrograde and will soon be returning to another dangerously close inconjunction aspect with transiting Pluto. (Editor's Note: WolfStar uses a Scorpio rising U.S. chart.)

Vladimir Putin, The Man with the Secrets

Russian President Putin visits the United States this week for an important summit with President Bush. The two leaders are scheduled to discuss the Bush administration's plans to build a nuclear missile defense system, and how that can be done without breaking the 1972 ABM Treaty.

Vladimir Putin was born with his Sun in diplomatic Libra (October 7, 1952; 9:30 am; Petrograd) located on the doorstep of the secretive Twelfth House. His Mercury-Saturn-Neptune conjunction is also in Libra and deeply hidden away in the Twelfth House. Tony Blair and George W. Bush both have their Suns in the Twelfth House and this influence gives a politician practical insights into the fears and unconscious desires of the collective.

In Putin's case his Twelfth House planets easily translated into a career in secret intelligence since he has Scorpio Rising with the asteroid Vesta sitting right on his Ascendant. Vesta in Scorpio shapes the personality into a highly devoted specialist in intelligence operations. With his chart ruler Pluto found in the Tenth House of career and public reputation, Putin rose quickly to become the Russian KGB chief.

With transiting Juno, the partnership asteroid, conjunct Putin's Pluto during this summit meeting, we can be assured that the two presidents will publicly affirm their partnership status. Meanwhile, the Moon passes through Putin's Twelfth House so the two leaders will have plenty of secrets to mull over. Putin's preliminary interview with Barbara Walters last week emphasized the possibility that al-Qaida may have suitcase bombs stolen from the Russian nuclear arsenal (more on this next week).

Paul McCartney's Concert for New York City

On October 20 Paul McCartney and friends (Mick Jagger, Elton John, Eric Clapton, David Bowie and many more) staged the "Concert for New York City." The fundraising event grossed $30 million in becoming the most successful event in the history of Madison Square Garden. On November 13 the single "Freedom" will be released, with proceeds going to the Robin Hood Foundation for victims of the 911 terrorist attack.

Paul McCartney was born an expressive Gemini (June 18, 1942; 2:00 pm; Liverpool, England) with his Sun conjunct sentimental Jupiter in Cancer, and squaring musical Neptune. This combination dominates his horoscope, especially since Neptune is also conjunct the meticulous Virgo Ascendant. The care-taking asteroid Ceres fills in this dynamic by opposing Neptune and squaring his Sun.

Ceres is uniquely placed to connect McCartney to the New York tragedy. Ceres in Pisces is naturally sympathetic to victims and the underprivileged, but found in his Seventh House of partners, he most often expressed this capacity through his cause-oriented wife Linda. With her passing, McCartney has become more identified with his own charitable spirit. (Editor's Note: McCartney's current fiancee Heather Mills is also highly involved with charitable work.)

Ceres is located at 29 degrees Pisces, the location of the current progressed U.S. Midheaven (for more info, see the note at the end of NewsScope for October 9, 2001). At the time of the October 20 benefit, the karmic North Node was near McCartney's elevated Sun, and exactly squaring his Ceres. This unique moment spotlighted the songwriter's personal connections (nodes), organizational ability (Sun in Tenth), and his heartfelt sympathy for New York City (Ceres in Pisces).

*5:00 am is to be taken as an approximate time of birth until further rectification can determine a more precise birth time. According to personal correspondence with Al Quds, the paper is published in the "early morning." However, this 5:00 am time does seem very close with the severe Capricorn Moon rising (square Saturn), and vengeful Chiron in Scorpio at the MC. Advanced astrologers who progress this chart to September 11, 2001 will notice that the progressed New Moon squares Pluto.

Those who deploy the four major asteroids will discover that Vesta, symbolizing the devoted follower or secret organization, plays a highly significant role in this chart, and provides a second "fingerprint."