Uranus/Pluto and Conflict in the Middle East

The recent Scorpio Eclipse on November 13th has engaged the charts for both Israel and Palestine setting the stage for the next Act of the Uranus/Pluto square activity in the Middle East.  The Eclipse was conjunct the Sun in the chart for the proclamation of independence of Palestine (November 15, 1988; 0:40 AM UT) and opposite the Sun for the Israeli declaration of Independence (May 14, 1948; 4 PM 2E; Tel Aviv).  Uranus and Pluto sit on the angles of the Palestinian chart.

And as Mars, the planet of war and aggression has moved into Capricorn it will once again engage the revolutionary and rebellious Uranus/Pluto square.  Every time Mars triggers this square, violence escalates somewhere in the world.  The combination is explosive, and is not a positive omen for an area of the world that has always been a potential powder keg.  In areas of the world where tension already exists, this combination can be a catalyst for great upheaval and even deadly violence and destruction.  Writer Lara Aburamadan poignantly describes what it feels like to be “Trapped in Gaza” (the New York Times), in a world of “worn-down concrete”, where the “rebar protrudes, like pipe cleaners or a broken femur.”  

“Each day here lays bare the ugliness of war, and for my siblings and me, each scene of the movie starts the same: we are trapped.  And that is where our story begins and ends.”

Pluto in Capricorn is showing us where power has become overwhelmingly leveraged or abused.  Uranus engenders the seeds of revolution, and even the fall from power of those in high places redistributing the power.  Pluto in Capricorn lays bare the underlying problems existing in seats of power, and Uranus challenges these for stability.  When the radical warrior Mars enters the picture it does not just ignite anger and violence out of nowhere.  It only ignites powder kegs that were ready to explode... all that was required is the flame.  It manifests in the areas that are most vulnerable and fertile for such violence, such as we have been seeing in Gaza.

Upheavals, and even wars do occur during Uranus/Pluto cycles.  But also a lot of good reforms can and do take place during these cycles as well, allowing revolutionary and new solutions for change to transpire.  Examples of this were Gandhi’s Salt March, and Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s non-violent civil rights marches.  However, here in the United States where Israel is supported in its “right to defend itself”, Congressman Ellison alone emerged as a single dissenting voice in Congress calling for dialogue and negotiation to help save lives in the region.  Egyptian-led forces are presently attempting that dialogue, even as Israel continues to bombard the area.  At least 50 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza including many children, and more than 400 have been wounded according to medical officials, thus far.

photo by Majdi Mohammed/AP

Mars approaches its exact square to Uranus next Friday the 23rd (explosions, aggression and violence), and then joins Pluto at the nadir of the Palestinian chart on the 27th of November. It does not bode well.  Mars will also sextile Saturn which may serve to consolidate some power behind the Palestinians as Pluto, the planet of death, rebirth and reformation, is engaging their chart in a very powerful way.  President Morsi of Egypt has vowed to stand strong with the people of Gaza, while also influencing Hamas to temporarily end its rocket fire on Israel, even as Israel continues its air strikes.  Israel has vowed to stage a ground invasion, which is likely to bring the level of the conflict closer to that of a war.  In preparation for this, Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak has authorized the call-up of 75,000 troops, and amassed thousands of troops and tanks all along the Gazan border in recent days.  President Morsi has warned that a ground invasion by Israel will have “repercussions” across the region.  This would not be a good thing under the current weather.

photo by Jack Guez/AFP

In and of itself, Pluto sitting at the nadir of the national chart is indicative of an old order passing, and a new beginning about to transpire.  Unfortunately, Mars currently joining Pluto just deepens the will and a desire to survive against all odds, that leads people to resist even the most powerful and apparently insurmountable of obstacles.  This is an aspect of domination, control, and physical violence.  It is also an aspect of reformation, exposing the dark underbelly of a society where stark inequality of power has created just such a potential for violence to occur in the first place. 

There are bound to be huge changes in the infrastructure of Palestine over the next several years as Pluto and Uranus continue to engage in this struggle for new and emerging paradigms to be born.  The diplomatic activity in Cairo actually is illustrative of Hamas‘ rising influence in contrast to the weakening Palestinian Authority, since the Arab Spring brought Islamists to power, already changing the paradigm.  In the mean time, may we pray for the safety and well-being of the people in this region, and that an equitable and peaceable solution finally be negotiated.  The nadir of the chart can also be indicative of “the end of the matter”.  May it be so before too many lives are sadly lost.

The previous periods when Mars was engaged were in August 2011, when the London riots occurred; in July of 2012 when a mentally deranged man entered a movie theater in Colorado and opened fire on a packed audience; and currently November 2012 where we see the escalation of violence in Gaza.  Since the inception of the Uranus/Pluto square we have seen many uprisings in the Middle East including Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria, with unrest in Jordan and Saudi Arabia as well.  We have also seen the manifestation of extreme weather events: droughts, monster storms, flooding, and fires, as well as the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.  This is indeed a time of great unrest and instability, calling for new strategies and solutions.   

Pluto in Capricorn: 2008-2024
Uranus square Pluto: 2011-2015
Mars square Uranus opposite Pluto: Aug 3-13th, 2011
Mars opposite Uranus square Pluto: July 14-21st, 2012
Mars square Uranus conjunct Pluto: Nov 19-30th, 2012
the next hot spot to watch:
Mars conjunct Uranus square Pluto: Mar 19-30th, 2013