by Marilyn Muir, LPMAFA
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
On February 11, 2018, a Russian Antonov regional jet took off from the Domodedovo Airport in Moscow. Seven minutes later, radio connection and radar indicators disappeared. The jet carrying 71 people had crashed in the village of Argunova about fifty miles southeast of Moscow. Trouble was realized about five minutes in, and the crash occurred within one minute – the plane descending at 3,300 feet per minute. This was a remote, snow-covered site and it took time to reach. The wreckage and human remains were very scattered due to the intensity of the crash. There was an eyewitness report that there was observable fire during the descent, but official reporting focused on the fiery and explosive crash itself. Dutifully, I kept a careful record of whatever data was available, but little changed and I stopped paying attention. Russia is not very forthcoming with detail, so what I have now is essentially what I had then. This week the file resurfaced. What could I learn astrologically by studying this crash?
I chose three charts: the take off, the crash based on that take off, and the stand-alone event. This was only seven minutes of time, with minute changes in the available charts.
- Takeoff Feb 11, 2018, 2:21 PM UZ2, Moscow, Russia
- Crash of that plane at 2:27 PM UZ2, Moscow, Russia
- Event of crash at location: 2:27 PM UZ2, Argunova, Russia
When reading each chart, it is like you are reading all three at once. What stands out? Note: because we are reading a tragedy, I will focus on hard aspects. There are sextiles operating as well, so perhaps time showed mercy.
Take off 22 Cancer 48 rising: the Ascendant/Descendant axis is closely applying to the square of Uranus 25 Aries 15 late in the tenth house. Uranus rules the eighth house of catastrophe and destiny and the ninth house of long-distance travel. Intended destination was Orsk, about a thousand miles from Moscow. Uranus was square Pluto on the Descendant a few minutes before take off. I will come back to Pluto on the Descendant square Uranus in a moment. Malefic aspects.
Chart ruler Moon 4 Capricorn 26 conjunct Saturn 5:51 with Saturn as the Moon’s ruler, very strong Capricorn-flavored aspect. Chart ruler conjunct malefic.
Take off Midheaven 19 Pisces 41 is co-ruled by Neptune and Jupiter. Neptune 13 Pisces 09 is squared by (wide but applying) Mars 9 Sagittarius 44. Malefic aspect.
Jupiter at 22 Scorpio 13 squared (separating) by Sun 22 Aquarius 41. If you include the karmic north and south lunar nodes, Jupiter widely squares the nodes, Sun and Mercury. Mercury is widely applying to the Sun/Jupiter square at 18 Aquarius 05. Even though some of the T-square is separating, indicating issues in the past, Mercury is keeping the T-square alive in the present.
Six minutes later, not much has changed; however, the Ascendant/Descendant axis is just 1¼ degrees from perfecting its square to Uranus. Just prior to take off Pluto was right on the Descendant. The differential is 3˚45’ of arc, with the Descendant being the faster moving point. That would be the rough equivalent of eleven minutes of clock time prior to take off. What went on just prior to take off that would have triggered the Descendant/Pluto conjunction square Uranus and had impact on the tragedy to come? Back to the news stories… and there it was. The pilot refused traditional de-icing of the plane. Why traditional? Because this was winter and this was Russia, known for its cold and icy winters.
The crash, using the Moscow coordinates, gives an Ascendant of 23 Cancer 54, the Moon has moved two minutes closer to Saturn, but the Ascendant\Descendant axis is now only 1˚21’ apart and applying. This angle is showing the triggering aspect in real time.
What about the event chart, same day and time but relocating it about fifty miles away in Argunova? To me, it is astounding that this Ascendant is 23 Cancer 53, 1’ of arc difference. The Midheavens have an arc of 1˚20’ apart due to being fifty miles downrange. Jets fly really fast! Cause and effect show up the same.
The Ascendant/Descendant axis and aspects show one part of the event, initiation: Pluto on the Descendant square Uranus, with the axis itself as trigger to the event plus the chart ruler Moon conjunct Saturn. The Midheaven rulers show another set of aspects at work. Mars square Neptune (fire and ice comes to mind), with the Fixed T-square involving co-ruler Jupiter, Nodes, Sun and Mercury showing the outcome. The Ascendant shows what has been set in motion and the Midheaven shows the mission and the end result of that mission.
What about the sextiles I mentioned earlier? Six minutes from take off to tragedy, possibly a minute or two of panic and fear followed by immediate obliteration – a minimum of human suffering??? Personally, I would see fire and explosion as part of the concluding aspects. Also, this plane came down “near” not directly into the middle of a rural town… lives spared?
I want to issue an invitation for some work on your part as reader. So much more work can be done… I am particularly interested in Arabian Parts, malefic fixed stars and malefic asteroid contacts and what they might contribute to our understanding of this tragedy. You can reply to me at marilynmuir.net with your contribution to understanding this tragedy.
Published in AFA Today’s Astrologer May 2020 vol 82#5, republished with slight editing.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.