Out of the Eclipse Season and Into Conflict in the Middle
Last months eclipse cycle is over, but the effects will linger until the next eclipse season begins in April, 2024, at least. Hamas’ horrific attack on Israel pre-dated the eclipses by a mere week, close enough to implicate it in the eclipse season. Next spring, we'll have the conjnction of Uranus in Taurus and Jupiter in Taurus - both very near the Sun of the national chart of Israel. Closely following that, the next eclipse season begins. I'd keep my eyes on those dates in Spring, 2024, for more key developments.
At the time of the attacks, Mars, God of War, had just entered Scorpio, a sign that can be ruthless and vengeful. A member of Netanyahu’s leadership circle said it was a “time for extreme cruelty”, which sounds a lot like Mars in Scorpio. The fixity of Scorpionic revenge also speaks to Hamas’ repeated vow to wipe Israel off the map.
This situation reminds me of how White European settlers pushed native Americans off land they wanted. I could easily see Netanyahu saying the only good Palestinian is a dead Palestinian, much as General Sheridan said “the only good Indian is a dead Indian.” That seems to be the homo sapiens way from Neanderthals being pushed out by homo eretcus, to the present day.
Hamas is using their own people as human shields, allowing the full might of the Israeli army to be unleashed on civilians in hospitals in the southern part of Gaza. The Israeli army had ordered an evacuation to the southern part of Gaza (on an impossibly tight schedule, the UN warned). The South was expected to be safer. But Israeli bombing has stepped up there. Refugee camps were bombed. The largest hospital in southern Gaza has been a death zone for civilians, victims of both Hamas leaders who headquartered under the hospital and Israeli occupiers.
The Sun of today’s chart, representing those in power, is conjunct that volatile Mars and sextile Pluto, ruler of Scorpio. Saturn (powerful and wealthy men) is conjunct the Moon in Pisces (in mundane charts, the people) and in a friction laden relationship with the Sun/Mars conjunction and Uranus in Taurus (which sits at the Sun of Israel’s National chart).
I think the Saturn/Moon fusion, as well as Chiron in Aries fused with Eris (a dwarf planet that represents angry, unheard populations) and conjunct the North Node in bellicose Aries speaks not only to the price of the war in human suffering, but a likelihood that the war might expand.
So many Palestinian civilians are dying. They can’t get out. It is like shooting fish in a barrel to get to the terrorists beneath the ground. I’m not faulting anyone. Hamas makes no secret that they are willing to let their civilians die if that is the cost of destroying Israel. And I applauded the creation of the Israeli state as a refuge after the horrors of World War II and centuries of violent pogroms. But I find Israel’s approach rather heavy handed. Isn’t there a better way to strategically and surgically strike at Hamas without killing children and bystanders? Just because they don’t know who the enemy is, it does not justify wholesale, indiscriminate slaughter. And, by the way, Palestinian deaths are over 11,000 people, many more losses than Israel suffered.
It seems to me that both parties are wrong and both groups (not Hamas, but Palestinians caught in the cross-fire) have a right to exist. Millions of Jews agree. Far-right Netanyahu ultimately holds the power of life or death, just as the US did after Custer’s defeat at the battle of the Little Big Horn. Indians won that battle, but lost the war. Unless Hamas is rescued by another power, they simply cannot defeat Israel. Netanyahu has the power, but I do not trust his machismo, far right group to find the best way to get the hostages released and achieve peace. They seem far too concerned with appearing to be tough guys.
Two wrongs just don’t make a right. Hamas is a terrorist organization willing to sacrifice swaths of their own people. Israel has been accused of war crimes. Is this approach necessary? Is there another way? Right now, it doesn’t seem there is an appetite for governing Palestine by Israel, although Netanyahu has indicated Israel would keep the land occupied and take control of security measures.
Some have compared Palestine to an open air prison. Netanyahu campaigned on a far right promise (like Trump) that only he could keep Israel safe. Yet, he provoked Palestinian people with giving them no hope and taking their land on the West Bank. I’m not defending Hamas, but there is a difference to me between Palestinian civilians and a terrorist group like Hamas. And if Hamas was offering the only employment and money for Palestinian youth, isn’t it similar to the drug lord in South Chicago offering hope and money to youth at risk?
Once Mars is out of Scorpio in about four days, we may see some attempts at hostage negotiation.
