Saturn/Pluto, a New World Order, Putting 911 and the London bombings in an astrological perspective

Many of my UK readers wrote asking for a better understanding from an astrological perspective of the tragic bombings in London that took place July 7, 2005.

911 (September 11, 2001) and the bombings in London on July 7, 2005 came at critical times in the development of a 35-38 astrological cycle that began in 1982. This article will help put these events in perspective.

Please bear in mind that astrology is a neutral reality paradigm. It is mathematical in nature. Is it "good" or "bad" if I say 1 plus 1 = 3? It is neither. It is inaccurate.But the astrological language is akin to musical notes, also ruled by Uranus, and this melody is especially sad. We must supply the emotion in our heartfelt interpretation. We participate in the reality paradigm with our feelings as humans.

On July 13, 2005 Bernie Ebbers, former CEO of WorldCom, was sentenced to 25 years in jail, the harshest sentence yet rendered as a result of the scandals which occurred under Arthur Levitt's watch at the SEC. Read my astrology article about WorldCom, Ebbers and other Wall Street experiences here: HARVESTING THE SEEDS OF A NEW WORLD ORDER. The crisis in the US economy that occurred just as 911 did (bankruptcies of Enron, WorldCom, etc.) is also part of this cycle.

On July 17, 2005, the first case against Saddam Hussein was sent to trial. It involved killings in 1982 of some 150 men and youths from Dujail, a town 35 miles north of Baghdad that was the scene of an assassination attempt against Hussein earlier that year.

In July 2005, China shocks many in the US as the China National Offshore Oil Co. bids to buy Unocal. CNOOC was established in 1982.

This calls attention to a much bigger issue ... since 1982 China has been a major supplier of nuclear weapon and ballistic missile technology to developing countries around the world and also during this time period, has entered into an increasingly acknowledged symbiotic economic relationship with the US whereby the US gains cheap goods and cheap mortages in exchange for guaranteeing China high employment and regime stability. This becomes a delicate matter if the US tries to force China to devalue its currency.

In 1982, a Joint Communique of the United States of America and the People's Republic of China was issued declaring that the United States of America recognized the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China, and it acknowledged the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China.

A New World Order began in October 1982 when Saturn and Pluto conjuncted in Libra. You began a new world order in your own life at that time, too. This event takes place every time Saturn and Pluto begin a new relationship with one another. [click here to review important world events for 1982.]

This particular cycle, which is 38 years long, brought a crisis in ethics and culture to the stock exchange at its halfway mark on July 30, 2001, within a few days of Harvey Pitt's taking office as Chairman at the SEC (August 3, 2001).

The Moon's orbit around the Sun each month gives us a visible and familiar example of the phases that occur in any relationship between two planets. We become acquainted with this cycle each month and can apply what we know to orbits between other celestial bodies such as Saturn and Pluto.

Any cycle between two planets, including this one, has these features which you'll recognize from the more familiar Moon cycle that occurs each month.

Degrees:
30 semi-sextile
60 sextile
90 first square waxing
120 trine
150 inconjunct
180 opposition
210 inconjunct
240 trine
270 final square waning
300 sextile
330 semi-sextile
360 culmination and beginning of new cycle

SEE ROB HANDS ARTICLE BELOW TO FILL IN DATES FOR THESE ASPECTS INTHE CYCLE, CLICK HERE.

As always, semi-sextiles, sextiles and trines are positive, easy flowing times. Squares are challenges,oppositions are midway points and the inconjuncts are crisis points. 911 came at the halfway point. It is an inconjunct after the midway point which has brought us these recent events, the London bombings and Ebbers' tough sentence.

The reason these two events may represent an increasing complication to the crisis of the cycle is that Ebbers is by far the harshest sentence imposed on accounting fraud perpetrators and the London bombings are particularly cruel in that they involve homegrown, internal terrorists. The US 911 event led to tightening controls on travel and immigration. But how do you control the comings and goings of your own country's citizens? And how do you deal with the greatest anguish of all, when the bosom of your own family becomes a vipers' nest? This presents a further challenge to protecting a nation from within.

In August 1982 the longest bull market in American history began. That same year Bernie Ebbers founded LDDS, the company that morphed into WorldCom and the biggest business failure in history.

At the inconjunct immediately prior to the halfway point, 6-11-98 to 8-11-2000 [Saturn in Taurus inconjunct Pluto in Sagittarius], these interesting events took place:

8-11-2000 to 6-5-2003: At the halfway point, [Saturn in in Gemini opposite Pluto in Sagittarius] exact opposition on August 3, 2001, these timely events occurred:

The present inconjunct has been occurring 6-5-2003 to 7-17-2005 [Saturn in Cancer inconjunct Pluto in Sagittarius]. These are the critical events:

FYI: What is the SEC? According to ABC News Online: The Securities and Exchange Commission is the nation's top regulator for the stock and financial markets. Its mission implores it to protect investors and insure the functioning on public markets. Congress created the agency in 1934 to enforce securities laws it passed in the wake of the 1929 Stock Market Crash. Joseph P. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy's father, was the first chairman of the SEC. The SEC has five presidentially appointed commissioners and a staff of just 3,100.

The New York Stock Exchange - Saturn in the 9th house indicating a potential problem with ethics [there are various charts for the NYSE]

Charts reflecting the Evolution of the New York Stock Exchange since its creation in 1792

Robert Rubin - Secretary of the Treasury (1995-1999); assistant to Sanford Weill (1999-present)

911 also came at the halfway point. Here is some astrological perspective on events leading up to 911 and the recent bombing in Britain which came at the inconjunct point in the cycle (crisis point). We will also take a look at what was happening in the Arab world in 1982 which might have put this in motion.

For a long term reading of the current energy, you began a cycle in 1982 (as did the US economy) that created a fundamental new order in your world. Try to sense it intuitively, as though you laid a new foundation for your house that year.

There was a halfway mark in 2001 (911 in America) and at the moment (July 2005) another crisis point is ending as Saturn makes an inconjunct to Pluto for the last time before moving toward more harmonious aspects in years ahead. Things should smooth out soon, maybe one last "twist" this month. Think chiropractor adjusting your spine!

Can you recall an event, inner or outer, from 1982 that changed the landscape of your life? That was about the time my mother became terminally ill. It ended an era for me.

Here is an excerpt from Rob Hand's article on the Saturn-Pluto opposition which took place in 2001. This article ran in The Mountain Astrologer magazine.

The solar system before the outer planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were discovered in modern times with the use of telescopes.
[My illustration from clipart.com]

Let’s start with Pluto. This is a planetary energy that many astrologers regard with some dread. I think this is partly due to its modern association with Scorpio and thereby the 8th house as well. I am strongly influenced by traditional astrology, so I do not consider Pluto to rule Scorpio - or any other sign, for that matter. I use only the traditional planets as sign rulers. I do think that there is some affinity between Pluto and Scorpio, but affinity is not the basis of traditional sign rulership. Traditional sign rulership has more to do with how the signs reinforce, positively or negatively, the essence of a planet – hence, the term "essential dignity."

Pluto is about power, but not just any kind of power. It is the power of the transformations that result as things come into being and pass away. To say that Pluto rules change is true but too weak. To say that it rules power is also true but too broad. Pluto is specifically powerful, often indicating seemingly inevitable change and transformation. The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote a work traditionally entitled De generatio et corruptio, which means "On Generation and Corruption." This is very close to the heart of Pluto, with one major difference: In Pluto’s case, it would be more accurate to say "On Corruption and Regeneration," because that is usually the sequence that we see in connection with Pluto. Things pass away and then something new comes into being. We have times when things seem to reach a level of stability and permanence; then there is a period of decay, when they begin to break down and go wrong. We may desperately try to hold on to the status quo, but we seem to be up against a relentless force that will not be stopped. The harder we try to hold on, the more ruthless the energy of change becomes, and change gets out of control. After a while, the rate of breakdown slows, and things come together into a new pattern. It also seems to be true that the more easily we let go of the things that want to pass away, the more readily and rapidly the new patterns come into being. I have often described the basic pattern of Pluto as "Death and Resurrection." (It is oddly appropriate that I should be writing this on the weekend of Easter 2001, because the story of Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection is a classic Plutonian cycle.)

So, we come to Saturn. The planet Saturn is not usually considered a force for change. It is often seen as resisting change -- as being conservative, stubborn, even reactionary. These are qualities of Saturn, to be sure, but that is not the complete story. Saturn has to do with our experience of what underlies all order and structure. It is the principle of mechanical law, the order of the physical world. In this, Saturn is different from Jupiter, which is more about the kinds of laws that are created and negotiated among human beings. In the ancient world, particularly in religious philosophy, Saturn was associated with the laws that one becomes subject to as a result of incarnating in the physical universe. Saturn had, therefore, a strong connection with the kind of fate that was the result of physical law -- predetermined fate. Using the language that is more popular with modern astrologers, Saturn has a strong connection with karma -- the operation of cause and effect.

From this, it is clear that Saturn does have its own kind of energy for change (here, Saturn is again obviously being considered in relation to Jupiter): Saturn rules changes that have to do with shrinkage or getting smaller or changes that involve hardening [emphasis mine]. Jupiter is about expansive change -- growth -- and often represents things becoming less hard and more flexible, at least up to a point. The Saturnian kind of change just described is particularly relevant to the historical and mundane manifestations that come with Saturn-Pluto combinations. I will call this kind of Saturn-Pluto change the "shrinking transformation."

What we have here are major metamorphic changes represented by Pluto coming into open conflict with the lawful and orderly systems represented by Saturn. There are at least two possible ways of reading this combination. First, the Saturn-Pluto combination represents crises that come about as the normal, lawful, and predictable manifestations of Saturn are challenged by the need for deep and fundamental changes in the system, which are indicated by Pluto. It is as though we were driving down a well-defined road with a clear objective, and either something that we did not anticipate is forcing us onto another road or the road itself is being transformed. Second, Saturn-Pluto change is likely to impose some kind of restriction on our freedom of movement or upon our resources. This is our "shrinking transformation." As of this writing, we have begun to see changes of this kind. I will discuss these later in this article.

What we have to look forward to may become more evident when we examine the historical record of Saturn-Pluto aspects in the 20th century, leading up to this trio of oppositions in the early 21st century.

Saturn Conjunct Pluto (3 passes): October 4, 1914 to May 19, 1915. This is the first conjunction of the 20th century. It occurred just after the beginning of the First World War, but in August 1914, when the War began, Mars passed both Saturn and Pluto by square. As we shall see, this situation was similar to the interactions of these three planets at the beginning of World War II.

[My note: T. E. Lawrence was sent to Egypt in December 1914 (during his first Saturn Return) to work with military intelligence on Arab matters defending the Suez Canal. Click here to skip ahead.]

The First World War was the breakdown of what had become the normal political arrangement of the 19th century. Empires that had existed for hundreds of years were overthrown, and likewise royal dynasties. New nations also came into existence. This is clearly a Saturn-Pluto crisis, involving the destruction of an existing order and the creation of a new one.

Saturn Square Pluto (1 pass): October 9, 1922. This aspect was not accompanied by anything very remarkable except, perhaps, for one thing: There was a brief period of economic recession in the United States just after the end of World War I, right before this square. However, the situation was much more serious in Europe, with rampant inflation in Germany and social unrest in Italy that led to the rise of Mussolini. Here again, the symbolism of massive restructuring is evident in the history of the time; with the postwar economic woes, we have a clear instance of the "shrinking transformation" mode of the Saturn-Pluto combination.

[My note: Sir Winston Churchill and Lawrence made a final adjustment to post-war Arab world in March 1921, giving Feisal the throne in Iraq and his brother the throne in Transjordan. Skip ahead.]

Saturn Opposition Pluto (3 passes): February 17, 1931 to December 13, 1931. This opposition occurred during the early period of the Great Depression, when conditions were already very bad and rapidly deteriorating even further. This was a worldwide phenomenon and one of the factors that led to the triumph of Adolf Hitler and Nazism in Germany. Again, we see major structural changes and one of the most dramatic examples of a "shrinking transformation."

Saturn Square Pluto (1 pass): March 26, 1940. This square occurred just after the beginning of World War II in Europe. However, right before September 1939, when the War actually began, Saturn came within a few minutes of arc to the square before turning retrograde, and Mars made a triple pass in opposition to Pluto and square to Saturn, during the same period.

World War II, like World War I before it, involved yet another massive restructuring of major historical patterns. It was, in many respects, the completion of what had begun in World War I. The result of these changes was to lead us into the next phase, which was the replacement of strife and tension between wholly European powers with strife and tension between two nations that were not part of the old European group -- the U.S. and the USSR.

Saturn Conjunct Pluto (1 pass): August 11, 1947. A new Saturn-Pluto cycle began. Around this conjunction, the process described in the previous paragraph was completed. The Cold War began on a grand scale. There was also a worldwide recession just before this combination. This was also the period when the modern "intelligence" apparatus, such as the CIA, came into being.

Saturn Square Pluto (3 passes): December 27, 1955 to October 7, 1956. This was the middle of the Eisenhower era in the U.S. The Cold War raged fairly intensely, but the economy in this country was quite prosperous. However, in the Middle East, Egypt’s President Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, which had been controlled up to that time by the British and the French. In October 1956, the Israelis invaded Egypt, and the French and the British bombed the Suez Canal. This event was the "Suez Crisis." Also, in October 1956, the Hungarians rose up against the Russian-supported Communist regime in an effort to install a more liberal, nationalist government. This revolt was put down with great ferocity in November by Russian tanks. Here again, we see the struggle between the forces of long-term change and the powers that would keep things running in a more or less predictable manner. In the case of the Suez Crisis, the forces of the old order ( France and Great Britain) were overthrown; whereas, in Hungary, the forces for change were defeated by the Communists.

Saturn Opposition Pluto (3 passes): April 23, 1965 to February 20, 1966. This combination was made more intense by the fact that Pluto conjoined Uranus much of the time while it was opposing Saturn. This three-planet configuration is a sign of revolutionary upheaval. There was no significant economic crisis, but this summer was extremely turbulent in the U.S., with race riots in the major cities. This was also the beginning of the most polarized portion of the 1960s, involving the New Left, the Generation Gap, and the entire ideological conflict between certain elements of the generation that fought in World War II and the generation called the "baby boomers." The Vietnam War "escalation" became significant during this time. Here, we see the principle of Saturn-Pluto as the transformation of basic societal structure or laws. After the aspect reached perfection in February, the "Six-Day War" broke out in June 1967, when Israel defeated virtually all of the surrounding Arab nations and took over the territory that it now holds on the West Bank and the Golan Heights. The tensions that led to this war were well established during the period of the Saturn-Pluto opposition.

[Nancy's note: 1965 began the second great wave of Arab immigration to the United States primarily Muslims from Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen, and Jordan, click here. In the Arab world, 1965 saw the emergence of a truce between so-called “progressive” and “reactionary” Arab regimes. The Arabs were able to convene their first three summits in 1964 and 1965.]

Saturn Square Pluto (1 pass): May 28, 1974. In the fall after this aspect came the Yom Kippur War between Israel and the Arabs; this led to the Arab Oil Embargo and the resulting economic crisis in the U.S. -- the first major energy shortage. The economy of the time was characterized by the term "stagflation." Prices continued to rise, but there was little of the economic vitality that normally characterizes periods of inflation.

Saturn Conjunct Pluto (1 pass): November 8, 1982. This was one of the less severe Saturn-Pluto crisis periods; it consisted mainly of economic stagnation just before the economic boom of the late 1980s. It was mainly a period of brutal but regional wars. The Iran-Iraq War raged throughout this period, with severe loss of life on both sides. The USSR had in Afghanistan what many people regard as its Vietnam War. The disillusionment that resulted from this war was one of the factors that led to the breakup of the Soviet Union in the late ‘80s. Both these wars lasted considerably after this aspect and began somewhat before this aspect.

AT THIS POINT I WILL BEGIN TO ADD SOME INFORMATION TO ROB'S ARTICLE ABOUT US-CHINA RELATIONS WHICH ARE COMING TO A CRISIS POINT IN 2005 OVER THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE CHINESE NATIONAL OFFSHORE OIL COMPANY (CNOOC) CAN BUY UNOCAL. THE DEEPER ISSUE IS THE SYMBIOTIC ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE TWO COUNTRIES BASED ON THE SO-CALLED Tiananmen-Texas BARGAIN

In 1983, U.S. intelligence discovered that China had given Pakistan the design of a tested nuclear weapon.

From 1982 to 1987, China secretly sold India at least 130 to 150 tons of "heavy water." Heavy water looks and tastes like ordinary water but is used to operate reactors that make plutonium.

In 1982, China sent at least 50 tons of heavy water to Argentina, enough to help build a few atomic bombs per year if Argentina wanted.

[Source: Testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy, Trade and the Environment Subcommittee on International Security, International Organizations and Human Rights and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific by Gary Milhollin, Director, Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, May 20, 1993.]

Nancy's note: This is where we pick up the thread with the article HARVESTING THE SEEDS OF A NEW WORLD ORDER, my article on the condition of the economy in 1982 and the results throughout the rest of this cycle in great detail.

Saturn Square Pluto (3 passes): March 20, 1993 to January 2, 1994. This was right after Bill Clinton was elected president. The depressed U.S. economy was a major issue during his campaign. During the period of this aspect, the economy was still in trouble. The war nearest in time was the Gulf War, but that took place back in the first Bush administration and cannot plausibly be linked to this aspect, although it did involve the Middle East and oil. Yugoslavia’s breakup occurred during this time -- further evidence of the Balkan connection with Saturn-Pluto.

[Nancy's Note: BY 1993 CHINA HAS BECOME THE PRIMARY SUPPLIER OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND BALLISTIC MISSILE TECHNOLOGY TO THE DEVELOPING WORLD.]

In early 1992, U.S. officials said that China had delivered about 30 tons of ingredients for making solid missile fuel to Syria, and that China planned to send 60 more tons soon afterward.

In September 1992, China agreed to sell a 300-megawatt power reactor to Iran, and has also considered selling a 25 to 30-megawatt research reactor. Each of these reactors would give Iran its first access to bomb quantities of plutonium, the nuclear weapon material that destroyed Nagasaki.

[Source: Testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy, Trade and the Environment
Subcommittee on International Security, International Organizations and Human Rights and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific by Gary Milhollin, Director, Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, May 20, 1993.]

In 1994, Beijing first pegged the yuan to the dollar and then allowed it to crawl upward by a small fraction of 1 percent each trading day. This resulted in a total increase of 3 percent in 1994 and smaller increases thereafter. [Source: NY Times]

This brings us to the present group of aspects, where Saturn opposes Pluto from August 5, 2001 to May 26, 2002....

Rob goes on to pretty much predict 911. It's a famous article that makes all astrologers proud. Not the event but the prediction. You can read the whole article HERE.

In this context, it is enlightening, though tragic, that 911 occurred at the halfway opposition point and the bombings in Britain occurred at the inconjunct of this cycle.

Looking back to 1982 then, in the Arab world, what were some of the events at that time.

WATCH PBS' THE EMERGING MIDDLE EAST - click here. Watch an interactive map which shows the modern Middle East emerging from the Ottoman Empire.

Fahd, already the major spokesman for the Saudi regime, became even more active as Khalid's health steadily deteriorated. This visibility and experience stood him in good stead when Khalid died after a short illness on June 14, 1982; Fahd immediately assumed power and Abd Allah, head of the national guard, became crown prince. One of the first problems that the new king faced was a 20 percent drop in oil revenues, as a result of a world oil surplus that developed by 1982.

Recently at the crisis point, Syria and Lebanon are having it out in diplomatic terms.

In March 1982, the US government officially began engaging Saddam Hussein by removing Iraq from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The official reason was to recognize Iraq’s improved record, a claim that a Defense Department official later rebutted in stating, “No one had any doubts about [the Iraqis’] continued involvement in terrorism. . . . The real reason was to help them succeed in the war against Iran.” There is an article entitled Inverse Engagement: Lessons from US-Iraq Relations, 1982-1990 by Douglas Border in Parameter magazine HERE.

Involved in war with Iraq since 1980. Starting in 1982 with Iranian success on the battle field, the U.S. made its backing of Iraq more pronounced, supplying it with intelligence, economic aid, normalizing relations with the government (broken during the 1967 Six-Day War), and allegedly also supplying weapons. [wikipedia]

Iraq offered a cessation of hostilities in 1982, but Iran's insistence from July 1982 onward to destroy the Iraqi government prolonged the conflict for another six years of static warfare.

In 1982, the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council composed of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates] gave Bahrain $1.7 billion to help improve its defenses.

Iraq tries to hold Kuwait responsible for the drop in oil prices in 1982. Kuwait claimed they tried to help overcome this crisis by decreasing oil production and income but lost their share in the market. There were ongoing conflicts over Al-Ramliya oil field (Al-Ratqa in Kuwait) whose geological layers extend along the Kuwaiti and Iraqi territories.

March 21, 1982 official designated by Ronald Reagan as Afghanistan Day, to commemorate the valor of the Afghan people [Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979] and to condemn the continuing Soviet invasion of their country.

By 1982, the Mujahdeen controlled 75% of Afghanistan, having held off the Soviets.

In 1983, U.S. intelligence discovered that China had given Pakistan the design of a tested nuclear weapon.

Meanwhile, from 1982 to 1987, China secretly sold India at least 130 to 150 tons of "heavy water." Heavy water looks and tastes like ordinary water but is used to operate reactors that make plutonium.

Discussion of Saturn Return as it effects India, Pakistan, Israel and Palestine, CLICK HERE.

So now we can see some of the ways the New World Order was shaping up in 1982. It fits the description of contracting resources, the oil shortage.... Obviously we became more involved with both Iraq and Afghanistan in that year as well.

Let's take a look now at T. E. Lawrence's role in the face of the Middle East today.

From T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia's) masterpiece, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, here are the various Arab leaders who cooperated with the British to fight the Turks in World War I. [illustrations from clipart.com]

In December 1914, during a crisis defending the Suez Canal during World War I, the Director of Military Operation in London wrote to the General Officer Commanding in Egypt, "I am sending you out this week ... a youngster, 2nd Lt. Lawrence who has wandered about in the Sinai peninsula, and who came in here to help in the map branch."

Thus it was that T. E. Lawrence was sent to Egypt to work for military intelligence on Arab matters.

Feisal was born in 1885, the third of four sons of Sharif Hussein bin Ali, Grand Sharif of the holy places Mecca and Medina and ruler of the Hejaz Arabs.

Empowered by the belief that he was descended directly from the Prophet Mohammed, Feisal grew into a worldly, confident and charismatic individual, imposingly tall and strikingly handsome.

Lawrence and Feisal first crossed paths when the young English captain traveled to Arabia in October 1917. Lawrence had instructions to find out what assistance the Arabs required with their somewhat stalled Revolt, and find a man who could lead their forces.

The Sharif of Mecca, was the obvious choice but Lawrence found him inflexible and stubborn. It was Feisal, the Sharif's third son, who made the greatest impression.

Lawrence later wrote in his memoirs: "I felt at first glance that this was the man I had come to Arabia to seek - the leader who would bring the Arab Revolt to full glory."

On June 10, 1916, Grand Sharif Hussein raised his rifle on his balcony in Mecca and fired the first shot of the Arab revolt (against Turkey).

LAWRENCE'S DEDICATION OF THE SEVEN PILLARS OF WISDOM TO SELIM AHMED: "I loved you, so I drew these tides of men into my hands and wrote my will across the sky in stars to earn you Freedom, that seven-pillared worthy house, that your eyes might be shining for me when we came..."

Alec Guinness as Prince Feisal, Peter O'Toole as T.E. Lawrence,
Omar Sharif as Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish from the movie Lawrence of Arabia.

After entering Damascus victoriously in 1918, the war being over, Feisal was devastated to learn of the Sykes-Picot agreement giving France the right of administration over Syria and destroying dreams of a united Arab nation. Lawrence felt his pact with the Arabs had been betrayed. He was caught in the middle.

Lawrence returned to England and began to campaign there for Feisal and Arab self determination.

At the Paris Peace Conference, January 18, 1919, Lawrence attended as Feisal's translator. Not trusting the British or French, they appealed directly to President Wilson. Their demands were ignored. France was to govern Syria and Lebanon, Britain would have Palestine and Iraq. [click here to read academic paper]

In March 1921, Churchill and Lawrence adjusted this agreement with the Arabs. Feisal received the throne of Iraq, his brother Abdullah, the throne of Transjordan. Churchill later described Lawrence as one of the three best men he had ever worked with. Lawrence felt this settlement more equitable.

Auda Abu Tayeh, a powerful Bedouin warlord, was the "real Arab hero" who fought with Feisel and Lawrence.

Abd el Rahman
This man Lawrence chose for a bodyguard .
He was a runaway slave from Riyadt.

7.14.2005 Hi I have read a lot of astrology sites on their views on the recent powerful lineups and the London bombings and some are good in various ways but no one else has had the helpfulness to show us with such clarity what is happening on the chart and explained so insightfully what is happening in the psyche It makes perfect sense with what is happening to those around me Thanks Nancy

A thought. You mention ARAB symbolism Well so far it is 4 Pakistanis and a Jamaican. Do not assume! I also read a good article in a USA mag on line [What makes suicide bombers tick] that said statistically a high percentage of suicide bombers are in fact secular left wing nationalists that want to defend their bit of space and not religious fundos at all.

Instead of Arab, you are correct, I should use the term "Islamic culture" which would include Pakistan and also anyone who is attracted to a Jihad for any reason. Certainly they are as varied as any set of criminals. By the way, Pakistan is also experiencing its second Saturn Return in Leo now along with India. [See link.]

No country in the world, no people, are more responsibly and therefore more Saturn-ly linked to India and Pakistan and to the Middle East than Great Britain, Churchill being the primary architect for this part of the world as it exist,s politically speaking today, for good or ill and I will always have a hard time thinking ill of as great a spirit as Sir Winston Churchill.

It is interesting to contrast the second Saturn Returns of India and Pakistan. India is becoming some kind of international WunderKind, the "golden child" of British divesting of colonialism where Pakistan is the bad boy in the back of the room ?

Discussion of Saturn Return as it effects India, Pakistan, Israel and Palestine, CLICK HERE.

Some of the turmoil recently occurring in the Middle East may be seen as a creative struggle to give birth to the self determination of these native peoples, a Leo issue. These nations, experiencing their second Saturn Returns, are trying to give themselves second birth.

Some of you may be doing the same. You may be reacting to the way your parents designed your life or the way you think God designed your life by discovering there may be a better way for you. In this case, your task during the Saturn Return (first or second) is to give birth to yourself through what very well may be a mighty struggle.

The birth of Islam reminds us that the Muslim religion was founded in 610 and is six centuries younger than Christianity. If we compare the Muslim religion in 2005 minus 610 years, we look at what the Christians were doing in 1395.

As a final point to ponder, Christianity was founded in 0 CE, Judaism well before that, also Buddhism and Hinduism. The Muslim religion, founded in 610 CE is the new kid on the block. Religions mature just like wine and people. What was happening in the Christian religion (in "Christendom") when that religion was 1395 years old? That's how old the Muslim religion is, 1395 years old.

Here's an interesting timeline from pbs that leads up to the 1395 CE timeframe so you can get a sense of developing trend s.

ALBERTUS MAGNUS (1206-1280)
[The teacher of Thomas Aquinas. In the tradition of Pythagoras, emphasized the essential unity of science and mysticism.]

THOMAS AQUINAS, Saint (1224-1275)
[Dominican monk and the greatest Catholic theologian and philosopher. Late in life, he had a mystical experience which caused him to question his scholastic past. Works: Summa Theologica, De Anima, others.]

ECKHART, MEISTER (1260-1327/8)
[Dominican monk. One of the most important early German speculative mystics and the first of the so-called "Rhineland" mystics. His Sermons were in German, the academic works in Latin. Works: Sermons, Parisian Questions and Prologues. Selections in English are available. Influenced by Pseudo-Dionysius.]

The Italian poet Dante Alighieri begins The Divine Comedy, a complex poem of an imaginary journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, in 1307.

King Philip the Fair of France orders that Pope Boniface VIII be forced to stand trial over the issue of papal supremacy. Boniface is seized and taken to Rome, where he dies humiliated just weeks later.

The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, a military order established in 1113, purchases the island of Rhodes in 1306. The order remains there until 1522.

Philip the Fair of France seizes the phenomenal wealth of the Knights Templar, justifying his actions with falsified charges against the military order.

The Babylonian Captivity that witnesses the transfer of the papal seat from Rome to Avignon, France, begins in 1309 when anarchy seizes Rome and many in the city turn against Pope Clement V. The papacy remains in Avignon until 1377.

Under pressure from Philip the Fair, Jacques de Molay, the Grand Master of France's Knights Templar, is charged with heresy. He is convicted and burned at the stake in 1314.

Pope John XXII canonizes the famous Dominican theologian Thomas Aquinas in 1323.

In 1338, the Diet of Frankfort issues Licet juris, which decrees that the Holy Roman Emperor may be chosen without papal participation.

The Dialogues of William of Occam lays the foundation for modern theories on separation of church and state.

In 1378, the Great Schism begins in the western Church as two men, Popes Urban VI and Clement VII, create competing papacies in Rome and Avignon, respectively. It will last until 1417.

The Babylonian Captivity ends in 1377 when Pope Gregory XI returns the papacy to Rome.

As Spaniards seek to find the blame for the Black Death, many turn against the country's Jews. Seville and Barcelona experience pogroms in 1391. Many Spanish Jews convert to Christianity in the next few years.

In 1409, in an attempt to end the Great Schism, the Council of Pisa deposes both popes (Gregory XII in Rome and Benedict XII in Avignon) and elects Peter Philarges, who will reign as Alexander V.

The Great Schism that began in 1378 ends in 1417 when the Council of Constance deposes the three rival popes and elects as pope Otto Colonna, who will reign as Martin V.

Thomas à Kempis writes his Imitation of Christ, which, with the exception of the Bible, will be the most widely read book in Europe for the next 100 years.

On May 30, 1431, Joan of Arc is burned at the stake in the Old Market Square in Rouen after being found guilty of treason against God.

By 1441, African slaves are sold in the markets of Lisbon, Portugal. A trade is established that will, in the next five centuries, transport millions of African slaves to Europe and the Americas.

LUTHER, MARTIN (1483-1546)
[A well-known antipathy to mystics, but a foundation for mystical life in his theology of the heart, particularly in his early thought. Influences: Augustine, Theologica Germanica.

My own thoughts ... most religions as most people who mature learn that it is to no avail to proselytize. Perhaps the Muslim religion will come of age in another century, especially if it doesn't succeed in polarizing the western world and creating more religious backlash and wars for someone's "god". In a certain sense, does it surprise me that Dubya meets Jihad?

As Pluto moves through the last decan of Sagittarius, we will find a shift from religious conflict to something of a Capricorn nature instead.

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Important world events for 1982 ... look for developments in the weeks, months and years ahead.

Princess Grace of Monaco , 52, dies of injuries when car plunges off mountain road; daughter Stephanie, 17, suffers serious injuries (Sept. 14, 1982). On July 11, 2005 according to an AP Press release, Princess Grace's son Albert, a day before he formally acceded to the throne, told the French TF1 television station that he was "extremely shocked" at the way the existence of his nearly 2-year-old son was made public by the press. The child's mother is former Air France flight attendant originally from Togo. He also announced there night be other "nearly similar" claims.

1982 Michael Jackson releases Thriller, which sells more than 25 million copies, becoming the biggest-selling album in history. Acquitted June 14, 2005 on child molestation, conspiracy and alcohol charges.

Israel invades Lebanon, June 4, 1982. On February 14, 2005 former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri was killed by a bomb blast. On June 21, 2005 former Lebanese Communist Party leader George Hawi was killed.

Leonid I. Brezhnev, Soviet leader, dies at 75 (Nov. 10, 1982). Yuri V. Andropov, 68, chosen as successor (Nov. 15, 1982).

On August 17, 1982 Joint Communique of the United States of America and the People's Republic of China: the United States of America recognized the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China, and it acknowledged the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China. During the following time period, China became the leading supplier of nuclear weapon and ballistic missile technology to the developing world. During the 1980s and 1990s, China supplied billions of dollars' worth of nuclear and missile technology to South Asia, South Africa, South America and the Middle East.

In spring 2005, CNOOC bids to take over Unocal. [Source: Testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy, Trade and the Environment Subcommittee on International Security, International Organizations and Human Rights and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific by Gary Milhollin, Director, Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, May 20, 1993.]

In July 2005 China chose to adopt one of the world's most opaque currency policies, with a secret mechanism to reset the yuan's value each night, trusting in Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the People's Bank of China, who must manage the more discretionary policy put in place yesterday [rather than Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve.]