by Marilyn Muir, LPMAFA
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Yesterday afternoon seemed innocent enough until I turned on the news about 4 pm. The horror of a mass shooting was underway at Fort Hood, Texas, erupting on my television screen. The chaos produced by such a horrifying event evaporated as authorities asserted control, locked everything down, out, in, every direction known to man, in an attempt to stop the killing, find the perpetrator(s), help the victims, supply the media with information, and more. One of my first thoughts was, “How do you attack military personnel on a military base in broad daylight?” Then rationality spontaneously appeared in my brain. Just because they are the military and it is a military base on our own soil, they might not be armed as they go through their daily duties. Can you imagine a military base on our own soil, with everybody armed to the teeth, hoping that everyone possessing a gun was in a good mood? Of course, they were not armed. Who was? The killer.
As of what I know at this writing (all from television news sources), the suspect appears to be a lone U.S. military officer, a Major, and of all things, a psychiatrist who treated soldiers for stress related to military duty in wartime, our returning Afghanistan and Iraq battlefront soldiers. He was awaiting deployment to Afghanistan in late November, a place he did not want to go. But soldiers don’t get to make those choices. Television news was filled with speculation and questions about him. Was he distressed about deployment, so overloaded on war stories from treatment of his patients, or was there something more sinister afoot? In these trying days, terrorism tends to leap to the front of our minds. It is too early to know as of this writing, because the man has not even been questioned and at this stage of the game, he is a suspect only. We don’t know who he is or what might have prompted his behavior. I have NO reliable information on him so I am not entitled to an opinion. This story will unfold naturally, but between now and then there probably will be much speculation and the rewriting of history. Listen and learn but keep your powers of discernment turned on and know that the answers will continue to change up to and beyond the moment of clarity. Just because we come to a conclusion, it will not stop the speculation. Remember it is just that… speculation. All I have to work with for this article is the event itself.
Astrologically, everyone may want to set a chart for 1:30 pm (approximate) on November 5, 2009 for Fort Hood, TX. By itself, that chart can’t tell you much. That was a moment in time that was dire, but that same moment existed around our globe without such tragic results. What made this moment in time so different for Fort Hood? I needed a birth chart, so I searched Fort Hood’s history to see if I could pick out its moment of birth. I think I found the day, but did not locate an exact time. With a little more searching, I might be able to locate it, but I can get an approximate chart without it. I prefer exact. I don’t always get what I want.
Fort Hood was started when the U.S. was in the middle of World War II. We were fighting the German blitzkrieg. We needed a huge location to develop and test our own weapons and to train the operators. Texas was known for a lot of open space. The base of operations for a new Tank Destroyer Tactical and Firing Center was announced by the U.S. War Department on January 15, 1942 as Killeen, Texas. Completion was set for August 15, 1942, and initial occupation of the site in camp form did occur by mid-August. The official opening occurred September 18th. I chose September 18, 1942 as the appropriate birth date for the facility because that is the official date stated for the opening of the base and it was fully functional at that time. It was ready to do and provide what it was created for. The time between the announcement of the selection of the site and the official opening was nine months, an amazing coincidence. I see the date of choosing the site as conception, the period of gestation as the intermediate stages including the camp atmosphere as the base was completed, and the official opening as birth. Now we need the time of day.
In what I was able to access, I did not find a time of day. As time progresses, we may be able to access that as well. If so, the chart would be more accurate and reliable, but we can make do with a generic chart for that day. Official openings usually occur during the daylight hours. If there were any ceremonies, probably mid-day would be normal. I chose corporation chart rules, a noon mark chart. A corporation’s time of birth is determined by when the state body approves the corporation charter and declares it legal. Most legislative bodies meet between 8 am and 4 pm. If I have to guess at a time, I will choose the middle of that period, or noon. If by chance you have a date stamp on the corporation charter, use that; but if the date stamp is not available, use noon. It is not perfect, but it is a decent ballpark. The angles and the house spread may be wrong, but the ten bodies themselves and the Node will be reasonably accurate, with the Moon having a range of plus or minus 2 degrees. Good ballpark! In addition, a noon mark chart will put the Sun in the 10th house, a good location for the identity mechanism of a business entity. That is the chart I chose for Fort Hood. Ideal? No. Reasonable? Yes. As I did in my previous research and articles on the country and the presidencies, I will read only conjunctions and oppositions, tight orbs of influence because I do have limited space in this article.
The Fort Hood chart has four planets in the 10th, three in Virgo, one in Libra, plus the North Node is also in the 10th in Virgo and it is adjacent to the speculative Midheaven. Let me repeat that. Virgo (practicality, reality, down to earth detail and discernment) is on the Midheaven (goal, mission, accomplishment). The Node (new avenues of relating, cross-cultural and moving towards the future in nature) is joining it closely (strong). Venus (social and financial values and relating) is next, also in Virgo (service, detail oriented, punctual). This is the chart of a base dedicated to the development, testing and training of equipment. The Sun (identity of that which has been started) is next, also in Virgo. Close by at the very end of Virgo is Neptune (spirituality, imagination, hidden from view activities). That fits this scenario. Much of what goes on here are closely held secrets or military intelligence. Last but not least is war-like Mars, which has just crossed over into Libra, not Mars’ most comfortable sign. We did not start World War II (aggressive quality of Mars). We would have preferred not to be involved in war-like activities (Libra), but Germany did not allow a choice. If Germany defeated Europe, we would be the next target. We had to act and not just defend and justify. The best defense is a good offense, so we went to war.
The Capricorn Moon indicates that emotions had to serve a purpose, be responsible, and controlled. An aspect which occurs about every 45 years was stamped into this chart with Saturn (the past) and Uranus (the future) conjunct in Gemini (intellectual development and communication). This is a time of bridging between the past and its traditions and the future and new paradigms, and that signifies important periods of time in the world’s history. The Fort Hood 7th house of partnerships and alliances is the seat of this Saturn/Uranus conjunction (uniting), and we were part of the Allies who were fighting the Axis nations.
Interestingly enough, I can see the Fort Hood natal connections fit quite easily into the USA Declaration of Independence Virgo Rising chart I use as the basis for my chart work for the country and its presidents.
- Fort Hood’s Venus (value systems) is tightly joined (conjunct) to the USA Ascendant (coping skills and personal projection).
- Fort Hood’s Sun (identity) is holding hands (closely conjunct) the USA Neptune (spiritual essence, secretive actions).
- Fort Hood’s Moon (emotions, reactions) is in conflict with (opposition) the USA Venus (value systems) and Jupiter (expansion, cultural values). This base was developed as a response to the threat of domination by a powerful, aggressive nation. It was not something we as a people would want to do, but it was something we had to do… conflict!
- Fort Hood’s Jupiter (expansion, cultural values and impact) is right on (conjunct) the USA Mercury (communication and decision making), setting off the powerful USA Mercury/Pluto opposition (powerful communications for good or for ill).
- Fort Hood’s Saturn/Uranus conjunction mentioned above sits on the USA Midheaven (goals, ambitions, world stature) and Uranus (independent, unique, forward seeking).
- Last but definitely not least, Fort Hood’s Pluto (power) sits directly on (conjuncts) the USA North Node (cross-cultural and international relating).
Did Fort Hood fit into the jigsaw puzzle we call our nation? Absolutely.
Why the massacre on November 5, 2009 at this base? We must move this chart ahead in time by progressing (day-for-a-year measure) for Fort Hood to the day of the event. Does anything explain what happened here?
- Fort Hood’s progressed (current) Saturn/Uranus joining (conjunction) is even tighter (stronger) to each other and to the USA Midheaven/Uranus joining explained above.
- Fort Hood’s progressed (current) Sun (identity) and Venus (value systems) are at odds with (opposed) both the natal and progressed Saturn/Uranus tie, but closest to Uranus (unexpected events).
- Fort Hood’s progressed (current) Moon (emotions) is right on (conjunct) its speculative catastrophe and death point (8th house cusp).
- Fort Hood’s progressed (current) Jupiter (expansion, cultural values) is right on the Descendant/Ascendant axis of actions involving “others.” Any aspect on an angle tends to be quite critical in nature and effect, and does set off the USA powerful communications for good or for ill right on the money (tight conjunction).
- Fort Hood’s speculative progressing (current) 8th cusp (death, catastrophic events) is right on its natal Node (karmic implications).
- Fort Hood’s progressed (current) Neptune (spiritual essence) is right on (conjunct) its natal Mars (aggression, assertion). This has a couple of twists to which to pay attention:
- Progressed (current) Neptune is in the progressed (current) 8th house of catastrophic events.
- This event is a culmination of something with a longer history because this aspect is slightly past exact. It strikes me as a matter of time… when, not if a catastrophic event would occur.
What about the energy of the day as it relates to the Fort Hood charts or the USA chart?
- Diurnal (day) Ascendant (moment of impact) is 6 Capricorn 39, very close (conjunct) to the Fort Hood Moon (emotions and reactions). If the official opening of the base were closer to 8 am, it would be on the money (conjunct).
- Diurnal (day) Node (karmic impact, cross-cultural relating) ties are strongest to the Fort Hood progressed Jupiter (expanded and cultural values) and the speculative Ascendant/Descendant angles (coping skills and partnership skills) and to the USA powerful Mercury/Pluto opposition (powerful communications for good or for ill).
- Diurnal (day) Moon (emotions, reactions) is right on (conjunct) the USA Mars (assertion/aggression) and the Fort Hood catastrophic or death 8th house.
- Diurnal (day) Jupiter/Neptune (philosophy, religion, inspiration or delusion) is right on (conjunct) our USA Moon (the people, emotions, reactive, we are the universe of man).
- Diurnal Saturn (responsibility, discipline) is right on (conjunct) the Fort Hood natal Mars (assertion/aggression) and the Fort Hood progressed (current) Neptune (deception, illusion). This is a more important aspect than it first appears. Fort Hood was born with a Saturn/Uranus conjunction (described above). When transiting planet(s) assume their original relationship in the sky OR the axis to that original relationship (opposition), a resonance can occur. Even if it does not touch degrees exactly, all charts that can resonate will do so. The original aspect was a conjunction. The current Saturn/Uranus opposition that is giving the world a fit, the battle between conformity and change) is triggering that natal potential. That current Uranus (unexpected events) is right on the opposition (conflict) to the USA Neptune (spirituality, illusion and delusion). This is a spiritual test for the whole of the USA and not just Fort Hood. This also implies spiritual or religious overtones.
If you look only at the day of the event, you miss so much. You must first look to the birth chart, its progressions and the effects of the day upon those two charts. Fort Hood cannot be separated from the country it serves. Look to the birth and progressing USA charts as well. Once we have clarified the information on the shooter who is only a suspect at this time, we will be able to enlarge our understanding of this tragedy.
Published on EZine online November, 2009, republished with slight editing.
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