Memphis sanitation strike

[Jim Eshelman]

February 12, 1968, estimate 7 AM, Memphis, TN
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_sanitation_strike

The primary event leading up to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. - the reason he was in Memphis at all - was the Memphis sanitation workers' strike, a gigantic event for the city. Had Dr. King not been murdered near the climax, it is this strike that would be remembered is the major civil rights and civic event of the period.

The inaugural date was February 12, when, following the Feb 1 accidental crushing deaths of two sanitation workers brought all accumulated grievances of the African-American Public Works employees to a head. There's a long story - see the Wikipedia link above - but, basically, Memphis originally agreed with the demands and then went back on the agreement, primarily because the mayor rejected the City Council's vote.

Anyway, beginning February 12, most workers didn't show up. There is no explicit time, but we can use, say, 7 AM as an approximate time for the beginning of the work day. One major event was a March 28 march that turned into a riot, the shooting of one man by police, and a mayoral curfew. (That might be a separate event worth examining.)

This entire period is dominated by a Jupiter-Neptune square in space that I've always felt was representative of that phase (filled with inspiration and community cohesion) of the civil rights movement, which also tied into Dr. King's murder.

A Pivotal, Violent, Passionate Year in Memphis
The Memphis Capsolar had Neptune 2°55' from Ascendant, Mars 3°54' from IC, Jupiter 4°14' from MC. The ecliptical and (especially) mundane aspects among these three (focused especially through the Neptune) tells the story of the year. For people-vs.-government confrontation and, especially, for "turning point" quality, Moon opposed Sun mundanely (0°25').

The January 28 Caplunar had Mars 1°11' from EP-a - both the crushing deaths and the raising emotional temperature in general - with Jupiter closely setting. Then the February 11 Canlunar - the night of the union meeting calling the strike - had Sun exactly setting ("government" issues) and a telling Mercury-Jupiter-Neptune mundane T-square more widely foreground. (The new message was peaceful: Moon opposed Venus in mundo.)

For the night of the meeting and reaching into the next morning when the strike began, CapQ MC crossed Uranus - more the night before. Interestingly - and, I think, reflecting the positive intent - were transits to the Capsolar: Jupiter was within 1° of Capsolar MC opposite Mercury on IC. Venus opposed Capsolar Venus that morning. - CanQ had transiting Sun and Jupiter on angles. Transiting Jupiter squared Cansolar Moon worldwide.

[Jim Eshelman]

One major event was a March 28 march that turned into a riot, the shooting of one man by police, and a mayoral curfew.

The Capsolar is the same for this event as for the former.

The March 22 Caplunar is dormant, but had a worldwide Moon-Mars square. The critical chart for this, I think, was the March 16 Liblunar: If we were to use a strict 3° line, it would be dormant also, but I think we need to allow it was effective:

Eris on MC 2°18'
Mars on MC 3°04'
Moon on IC 5°21'
Saturn more widely culminating
-- Mars-Eris co. 0°47' M
-- Moon-Mars op. 2°16' M

If we don't count this, we still get the exactly angular Mars in the prior Canlunar: Mars on Nadir 0°56'.

For the day of the march that became a riot, CapQ Moon had moved into orb of opposite Capsolar Sun - an aspect that would still be active and pivotal in Dr. King's return to Memphis and assassination - plus CapQ Asc squared transiting Mars. Duplicating this, CanQ Asc conjoined transiting Mars and (even more closely) opposed Cansolar Mars. At noon:

4°22' Cap - CapQ Asc
4°25' Ari - CanQ Asc
4°36' Lib - Cansolar Mars
6°16' Ari - t Mars