Revisiting History: The New Moon of June 3, 1989

by Marilyn Muir, LPMAFA

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The Universal New Moon chart for June 3, 1989 is cast for Greenwich, England. The degree of the New Moon, 13 Gemini 12, was part of a interesting quincunx between two mutable stelliums. Uranus/Neptune/Saturn all retrograde in Capricorn quincunx Sun/Moon/Jupiter in Gemini with Venus late in Gemini, outside normal aspect range but part of the Gemini stellium. All planets in a stellium are considered conjunct. All the planets listed were in the first/seventh – a powerful, angular axis. This grouping was joined by Pluto retrograde in Scorpio completing a tight Yod or “Finger of God” from the eleventh house. Six of the eight bodies ranged from 12 to 17˚. Venus and Uranus were in a wide but applying out-of-sign opposition. Only Mercury and Mars were not a part of that massive complex; however retrograde Mercury was tightly square the lunar nodes. Mars was on its own with only a wide but mutually applying sextile to that retrograde Mercury.

That was the generic pattern for that New Moon. It was not an eclipse because the nodes were not in position. Why choose a simple New Moon for this article? This New Moon reverberated across the world with five major events. There may have been more, but these adequately illustrate the activations of a not-so-simple New Moon.

The Beijing, China massacre had a two-day intense focus on June 3^rd and 4^th.
The Hercules Gunpowder Plant exploded in Kenvil, New Jersey on Jun 3^rd.
Ruhollah Mostafavi Moosavi Khomeini, the Ayatollah of Iran, died on June 3^rd.
An IFA train explosion occurred in the Soviet Union on June 4^th.
A large and public, but definitely not peaceful, demonstration at the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant took place in New Hampton, NH on June 4^th.

The charts we will use for those events will be simple relocations of that New Moon. Once you have established the generic GMT correctly, reset the existing chart at the new longitude and latitude and you have a chart specifically applied to that location. Be aware if you cross the International Dateline as dates may change.

The Beijing Massacre

Student demonstrations built up over several months and the Chinese government retaliated by killing and arresting thousands of pro-democracy protestors. Chinese troops and tanks entered Tiananmen Square slightly after 1:00 AM on June 4^th. One incident report timed it at 1:09 AM so this event chart has 28 Aquarius 17 rising with the lunar North Node at 28:55 Rx in the first, square Mercury in the third at 28 Taurus 15 Rx. The chart shows Aquarius of freedom of citizens and the nodal karmic implication of a new lesson in human freedom as the thrust (north node) versus establishment (south) governed by Leo, and seventh house (open enemy) and the grand show of force (Leo) against unarmed students and protestors.

The event Gemini New Moon (stellium) chart was straddling the third/fourth cusp and the Capricorn stellium was fully in the eleventh house, Mercury was in the third. Venus was in the fourth. This made it homeland (fourth), communication and young people (Mercury and the third), plus groups and public, social activities (eleventh).

The New Moon actually followed this event about four hours later with 26 Taurus 05 (conjunct malefic fixed star Caput Algol) rising conjunct Mercury retrograde at 28 Taurus 14 in the first house (Mercury conjunct malefic Fixed Star the Pleiades). Mercury of communication and the young demonstrators were brought to the Ascendant with three of the four Gemini planets in the first (public), and with Venus of social unions in the second house of value systems – all illustrated visibility. Also, the Capricorn stellium across the eighth and ninth houses illustrated the international scope and effect of the demonstration (ninth) as well as the tragic overpowering of the students by the Chinese military in such a brutal way (eighth) and made this a moment for the history books. Who can forget that young man standing in front of the tank as it advanced on him? He did not waver. He died for his cause as the world watched. That brave young Chinese man of that moment symbolically defeated the whole of the oligarchy of a Communist nation.

The Hercules Gunpowder Plant explosion

The Hercules Gunpowder Plant in Roxbury, NJ had four successive explosions beginning at 5:06 AM, again about twelve hours ahead of the June 3^rd New Moon. This was not the first explosion/ problem with this plant (see September 4, 1940 explosion). As it was early morning, there was much damage and a few injuries, but no reported loss of life. 5 Gemini 09 was rising along with the Moon at 6 Gemini 42 in the first. The whole of the Gemini stellium was angular, with the ruler of the chart Mercury 28 Taurus 18 RX in the 12^th. My research showed many unanswered questions even all these years later. The Capricorn stellium was solidly in the eighth of destiny, inevitability and catastrophe.

What does the New Moon chart for Roxbury show us? The Gemini stellium is solidly in the eighth house of catastrophe and destiny. The Capricorn stellium is in the third of communication and immediate neighborhood. That Mars that seemed quite disconnected in the generic New Moon chart is very specific here, at 22 Cancer 04 in the ninth, conjunct the Midheaven at 23 Cancer 54. Can you see gunpowder, explosion, fire???

Date of death Ayatollah Khomeini

I did not locate the time of death for the Ayatollah Khomeini, so we will use the Tehran New Moon chart as it is the center for Iran and its leadership. The Gemini stellium is in the fourth house with Venus in the fifth house. The chart rulers are Saturn and Uranus of the Capricorn stellium, solidly in the 11^th house. The Pluto that turns the simple but massive quincunx into a Finger of God Yod is in the ninth of religion, higher beliefs and aspirations. It was time for him to transit out of this physical life. With my ongoing study of Karma and the two ruling planets retrograde I do believe he had walked this way before and will probably get to work on that lesson again in the future. For those who are interested, Rodden gives the Ayatollah’s birth as May 17, 1900, at 1:00 PM in Khomeyn, Iran. It is marked DD, which means it is not reliable. Two notes…the Rodden Ayatollah chart Ascendant is 26 Taurus very close to the Mercury of the New Moon chart at 28 Taurus 14, square the lunar nodes at 28 Aquarius/Leo 54. The Rodden Ascendant is 12 Virgo 48 opposed the New Moon Sun/Moon/Jupiter conjunction.

UFA Train disaster, Soviet Union

The Ufa train disaster occurred because a leaking liquid natural gas pipeline near the railway tracks created a “highly flammable cloud” that was ignited by wheel sparks from two passenger trains on adjacent tracks that were headed in opposing directions. The explosion was massive, the carnage huge, 575 or more people dead with more than 800 injured. Many victims were children. The trains were transporting vacationers to/from a Black Sea holiday resort. The explosion occurred at 1:15 PM local time near the town of Asha, Soviet Union on June 4, 1989. I had to use Ufa, Russia for coordinates, so there is some play. Many contributing causes were listed. References were in Russian; details are confusing.

The event chart gives 20 Capricorn 40 rising with Mars on the descendant at 22 Cancer 03. The applying Gemini New Moon is in the fourth house almost exact: 12 Gemini 49 to 13:10 and Jupiter and Venus are in the fifth house of pleasure (vacation). Mercury at 28 Taurus 15 Rx is conjunct the fourth house cusp at 29 Taurus 07 (the fixed star Pleiades). Chart ruler Saturn is part of the retrograde Capricorn stellium and is contained within the twelfth house. The description of the gaseous cloud certainly reflects Neptune conjunct the chart ruler in the twelfth and also conjunct Uranus of explosions close by. The Yod to Pluto (the masses) in the ninth house to me reflects all those souls leaving this physical existence for the spiritual realm.

The New Moon chart for Ufa places the New Moon Gemini stellium still in the fourth house, with Venus remaining in the fifth. The Capricorn stellium straddles the twelfth cusp with the Pluto leg of the Yod slipping into the eighth house. There was very little change between these two charts because the two charts reflect only 23 minutes of Moon travel or about 46 minutes of clock time.

I would note the train explosion and the gunpowder explosion are naturally grouped as are the huge mechanical beasts of the train explosion and the Beijing tanks. The public demonstration of Beijing is naturally grouped with the next example, the demonstrations at the Seabrook Nuclear Plant in NH. The stand-alone event is the death of the Ayatollah.

Seabrook Nuclear facility demonstrations

The Seabrook Nuclear Facility demonstration took placed over a prolonged period of time. It was a festering community problem and under a cloud of discontent for years. It was difficult to determine a beginning time for this event. The most impactive time was when some of the demonstrators swarmed the fences to get inside the nuclear facility, which really set off the authorities and caused 687 arrests. The New Moon chart should give us the impact and the layout for the activating energy.

The rising point for the New Moon in Hampton, NH chart is 22 Libra 56, with Venus ruling, located at 28 Gemini 54 in the ninth house of advertising, promotion, publicity, which was a primary benefit to the demonstrators. This was not only a community effort, but it encompassed many who definitely opposed the building of any nuclear facility, a rallying point. Mars is conjunct the Midheaven within about 5.5 degrees and rules the Descendant. This was definitely conflict of specialized interests, but there was no specific difficult aspect between the two sides so it did not end up as a war event. The balance of the Gemini stellium is in the eighth of destiny, karma, and getting caught up in situations that might be larger than one’s self. That eighth house is overloaded with four planets there, including Mercury. Communication was a strong factor further demonstrated by the Capricorn stellium situated in the third house…loud, boisterous, flamboyant, but communication nevertheless. Just after the New Moon, Pluto was rising towards the Ascendant. I was glad that whatever that potential offered, it did not explode into rage or force while Pluto was on the rising point.

Amazing what a simple New Moon can produce. And they say this stuff doesn’t work!

Published in AFA Today’s Astrologer May 2017, vol 79#5, republished with slight editing.

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