by Marilyn Muir, LPMAFA
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
(Note: This is a 2021 re-write and correction to an earlier article.)
At the time this article was written, the USA experienced the 65th anniversary of the testing of the first atomic bomb on July 16, 1945. Within three weeks of that date (yes, three weeks only), bombs were deployed to Japan for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The anniversary for the atomic bomb that reduced Hiroshima to rubble is August 6th. The anniversary for the Nagasaki bombing is August 9th. I cannot explore the philosophy or humanity of the acts themselves in this article. That would require many books and has been argued for decades. Instead we will explore the events that coalesced into that point in history from an astrological standpoint. This will be a teaching article, so put on your thinking cap.
There is always a chart that begins a process, and all the charts that belong to that process should be associated by common degrees or patterns. For example, a family comparison might show common degrees or common patterns that can be triggered within the family. My best teaching example was a Moon/Pluto conjunction extended family… everyone had it! I will start this series of charts with the first chain reaction obtained by scientists that eventually led to the development and deployment of the atomic bomb. There might have been an event… and therefore a chart… that predated the first chain reaction (fission) but such material is classified and unavailable.
Remember that every natal chart is essentially a transit chart frozen in a moment of time, but is labeled as a birth chart. Each important event in any series should be naturally connected to subsequent events in some meaningful way (tight aspects, patterns / resonance or triggers). For research on such tragic events, I try to stay within 5˚ orbs for hard aspects only: conjunctions, oppositions and squares as activators. However, when there are several close aspects such as stelliums or groupings such as T-squares or grand squares, the orb can get naturally elongated. Tighter orbs are stronger and more immediate.
The first nuclear chain reaction occurred December 2, 1942 at 3:25 PM CST in Chicago, Illinois (considered the birth of the nuclear age). The primary aspects are:
- The Sun / Mercury / Venus stellium 10:04 – 14:06 Sagittarius in the 7th house opposed Saturn / Uranus 2:15 – 8:57 Gemini in the 1st house. Saturn / Uranus rules the Midheaven 2:25 Aquarius. This single aspect pattern involves five out of ten planets, half the available energy for this event, plus a dominant angle.
- Malefic fixed star Caput Algol was rising (25:01 Taurus) with Mars 21:06 Scorpio conjunct the Descendant and both square the true nodal axis (28:37 Leo / Aquarius). Algol is considered to be the most malefic fixed star in our system and Mars relates to war and weapons.
- Pluto 7:07 Leo, co-ruler of the 7th house widely opposes the Midheaven 2:24 Aquarius. The development and eventual use of atomic energy has been agonized over for decades. The decision to use the weapon fell to President Harry Truman who had to live with that decision and action for the rest of his life.
- The Moon/Neptune tight conjunction 1:21 – 46 Libra emphasizes both imagination and the mystery of the project. Security and secrets dominated the research, testing, and application.
This event was followed naturally by the testing of the first atomic bomb which occurred as mentioned on July 16, 1945 at 5:29:21 PM MWT in White Sands Trinity, New Mexico.
- Two and a half years after the first nuclear chain reaction, Mars is located at 25:13 Taurus / Capul Algol. Mars is in the 11th house less than one minute on the clock from ruling the cuspal Midheaven at 29 Pisces 46 (with Aries intercepted in the 10th). This was the moment Mars took over rulership of the goal and objective.
- Test Saturn at 15:37 Cancer is conjunct the 14:40 test Ascendant and close applying to the Sun at 23:33. Test Sun is conjunct chain reaction Jupiter at 24:34R Cancer, mutually applying.
- Test Moon 14:39 Libra is exactly square (1 minute) the tight test Ascendant / Saturn conjunction. Both the Moon and Saturn are co-rulers of the test chart.
- Neptune has moved only 2 degrees past its chain reaction position.
- Pluto has also moved only 2 degrees past its chain reaction position.
- Venus/Uranus are widely conjunct in Gemini 9:13 – 15:35 activating the chain reaction stellium by opposition.
- The Ascendant / Descendant axis is at 14:40 Cancer/Capricorn, having just passed over the cardinal 13 critical degree.
Three weeks later on August 6, 1945 at 2:45 AM, the Enola Gay (airplane) took to the skies from Tinian Island, Pacific Islands, carrying the first atomic bomb that was to be deployed several hours later as a weapon on Japan. At the controls was Captain Paul Tibbets leading his fourteen-man crew. More on Captain Tibbets to follow.
- The Enola Gay flight has a strong stellium (Venus / N Node / Ascendant / Moon / Saturn 1:26 – 18:11 Cancer) which triggers (conjunct) the N Node / Ascendant / Saturn / Sun of the test chart.
- The flight Neptune 4:21 Libra opposes the flight Midheaven 6:19 Aries; secrecy, stealth, camouflage. From the chain reaction to the test and this flight, Neptune has moved only three degrees.
- The wide flight Mars/Uranus conjunction 9:03 – 16:29 Gemini that rules the flight Midheaven (goal and objective) triggered the chain reaction Gemini / Sagittarius 5-planet opposition and stellium.
- The Sun/Pluto conjunction 9:57 – 12:55 Leo triggers the chain reaction and test Plutos. Remember that from test to deployment was only three weeks, so the outer planet positions cannot change much. Note: You should read every aspect individually and not discard aspects without first learning what you can from them.
A few hours later, with the Enola Gay flying north and east towards Japan (look at the longitudes from each chart, they are on the other side of the International Dateline from the USA) at 8:15 AM Japan standard time, the first atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima and the world was forever changed.
The fallout and radiation consequences were not known (only three weeks between testing and application) and what followed was catastrophic. I cannot judge or philosophize in this article – my job is to teach you the astrological connections and triggers. The planets will not have changed much in the small time difference between the Enola Gay take off and bombs away at Hiroshima, but the layout of the planets in the houses has changed dramatically.
- Look at the Mars/Uranus conjunction 9:12 – 16:29 Gemini exactly on the bombing Midheaven 16:30, the chain reaction Gemini/Sagittarius stellium, and the test Venus / Uranus (9:13 = 15:35 Gemini). That Mars ruled the bombing 8th house of catastrophe.
- Look at the flight Cancer stellium (Venus / N Node / Ascendant / Moon / Saturn 1:26 – 18:11 has moved to 1:42 – 18:12) and is now completely into the bombing 10th house (objective).
Three days later (most planets will not have moved much, so the overall combinations and triggers are still in play), Nagasaki is obliterated by the second atomic bomb. The Nagasaki bombing itself was August 9, 1945, 11:05 AM Japan standard time. I did not locate the take off time for that flight.
- The Moon 28:47 Leo has moved to conjunct the chain reaction North Node 28:37 and square the chain reaction Mars / Ascendant / Descendant axis and the test Mars. Note: Since that flight would have taken a few hours, the Moon would have been in earlier Leo degrees as it moves about one degree every two hours on the day’s clock.
- The Nagasaki Ascendant/ Descendant axis 24:04 of Libra / Aries squares the chart Midheaven 26:22 Cancer also squares the chain reaction Jupiter 24:34 Cancer and the test Sun 23:33.
- The Mars/Uranus conjunction 11:16 – 16:36 Gemini is now in the 8th house of catastrophe.
These are the event dates themselves, but other charts may be included to fill out the story, such as President Truman’s natal (he gave the command) or the pilot of the Enola Gay who dropped the Hiroshima bomb. I have chosen Capt. Paul Tibbet’s chart even though I could not locate a birth time. I cast a sunrise chart, which should give us enough material to see potential connections. Official sunrise at his place of birth was 6:53:35 AM CST on February 23, 1915 in Quincy, Illinois. Note: You may find slightly different sunrise times for the first edge (limb) of the Sun visible on the horizon or the center of the Sun on the horizon, a couple of minutes possible).
- The questionable Tibbets Midheaven 15:34 Sagittarius is also the chain reaction Sagittarius stellium opposition Gemini that has shown up continually through the other charts.
- The questionable Tibbets Moon 19:20 Gemini is also on that axis. This position is questionable because we do not have the time of birth (1˚ every two clock hours).
- There is a Uranus/Mars conjunction 12:54 – 19:00 Aquarius in this personal chart which will resonate whenever Uranus/Mars is conjunct in the sky, such as the time of the flight and the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings: 9:12 – 16:29 Gemini Hiroshima and 11:16 – 16:36 Nagasaki.
- If you have paid attention to the multiple stelliums in these charts, you will see that Captain Tibbets had one in Pisces (on the Ascendant because this is a sunrise chart). I do not trust the Ascendant or Midheaven positions completely. Keep reading.
Note: Commonality between charts can be found by degree, by aspect, by house position, and by resonance. Commonality is what brings us together or ties us together with others or events.
One last teaching point: I have researched and rectified the multiple charts for the U.S. This last comparison will be to illustrate that the U.S. chart also must tie to these events. My U.S. chart of choice is July 4, 1776, 9:36 AM LMT, Philadelphia, PA.
- The U.S. Midheaven / Uranus 8:52-54 Gemini on the chain reaction, et al, Gemini / Sagittarius pattern.
- The U.S. Cancer stellium Venus / Jupiter / Sun / Mercury 2:43 – 24:20 Cancer conjunct chain reaction Jupiter 24:34, the test stellium of the North Node / Ascendant / Saturn / Sun 9:04 – 23:33 Cancer, the Enola Gay stellium Venus / North Node / Ascendant / Moon / Saturn 1:26 – 18:11, and both bomb drops: Hiroshima Venus / North Node / Moon / Saturn 1:42 – 18:13 and Nagasaki Venus / North Node / Saturn 5:13 – 18:35, and Tibbets’ Pluto 00:13 Cancer.
- Look at the U.S. Nodal axis 6:35 Leo/Aquarius on chain reaction Pluto 7:08 Leo,
test Pluto 9:22 Leo, Enola Gay (with the Sun) 9:57 – 12:55, and both bombings Pluto 9:58 – 10:03. - Look at the U.S. Mercury/Pluto Cancer / Capricorn opposition 24:20 – 27:33,
which connects specifically with the chain reaction Jupiter24:34, the test Sun 23:33
and all four Nagasaki angles: Midheaven 26:22 Cancer, Ascendant 24:04 Libra, and axis partners. Puzzle: I do not see this specific connection to the Hiroshima chart. - Look at the U.S. Moon 22:37 Aquarius to the chain reaction North Node 28:37 (wide), the test Mercury 19:21 Leo, the Nagasaki Moon 28:47 Leo (wide), and the Tibbets North Node 26:29 Aquarius.
These are only a few of the hard connections, and there are always more. Food for thought…
- World War II forever changed Japan’s history…and its chart. If you wanted to do more research, you might be able to locate Japan’s chart for that pre-bombing era. If you can find the pre-war Japan country chart, add it to this stack of information. I would love to have a copy of what you find. All I have for Japan is January 3, 1868, 11:55 AM LMT, Tokyo, but I do not know how accurate this chart is. It came from my Japan 2011 earthquake research.
- If you want to compare President Harry Truman against these charts, his birth data is May 8, 1884, 4:00 PM CST, Lamar, Missouri. Note President Truman’s Gemini stellium. I have inserted his figures in the aspect spreadsheet. Again, I would love to receive a copy of what you find
The following chart for Japan is speculative.
If you want to see how I put together the research for this presentation, please look at the aspect spreadsheet that accompanies this article. When there are multiple charts, I assemble all the info I want to study on one spreadsheet and then color code the connections so I do not have to aspect multiple times. I find this method quick and easy to assemble and use.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_(nuclear_test)
http://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Nuclear:_First_Atomic_Test
Newly released photos of the devastation caused by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
I previously published this article in the AFA Today’s Astrologer vol 79#1. Astrologer Mark Penfield, who had personal knowledge of the event, corrected me. I wrote a revision for that AFA article in 2017, should you encounter that earlier version. This is the new corrected copy. I thank Mr. Penfield for his discerning eye. He had remembered that the explosion took place in the dark morning skies. While I understand how the error occurred, I am chagrined that I made the error and apologize to astrologers everywhere. I got to meet Mr. Penfield on the phone, and that was an honor.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.