West Fetilizer plant explosion

[Jim Eshelman]

'Tis the season of explosions!

Last night (4/17/13), a "massive explosion" at a Texas fertilizer plant killed 5-15 people, resulted in hundreds of casualties (and four missing firefighters that responded), and forced the evacuation of about half of nearby West, TX. It shook houses 50 miles away and measured as a 2.1-magnitude seismic event, according to the United States Geological Survey.

NY Times gave the time as "just before 8:00 PM." CNN gave "about 7:50 PM," so I'll use 7:50.

The chart for the presumed minute of the explosion is very precise in its indications. The Sun-Mars conjunction had become exact at 3°14' Aries, and was setting (Descendant 2°10' Aries). Venus, though, was equally close to the Westpoint.

[Jim Eshelman]

CAPSOLAR
The current Capsolar for West is hardly unpleasant - though it does potentially shows emotional separations. And, in any case, the Capsolar itself has to cover an entire year, so we usually see the events in its transits and progressions.

Venus is partile conjunct the Descendant, in Class 1 conjunction with Pluto and square to Uranus. (In fact, the Uranus-Pluto midpoint hits 12°31' Spoke, with Venus at 12°17' and the horizon 11°41'. Venus is the anchor, though.)

Mercury reached 11°02' Pisces at the time of the explosion, square the horizon and conjunct ingress Uranus. Unless some mercurial cause is determined, this probably just means that all of the nation's news resources were suddenly focused there.


ARISOLAR
The April 14 Arisolar is more explosigve:

Uranus 14°30' Pisces
MC 15°05' Pisces
Ur/Pl 15°35'

The Sun-Mars conjunction is also within orb of the Zenith, but isn't the main focus. Transiting Moon at 27°51' Gemini was exactly conjunct the Arisolar Ascendant, 27°35' Gemini.

I'm not used to the Arisolar's progressions being a primary factor, but it's hard to miss the SQ Ascendant at 0°20' Cancer while the Arisolar Sun and Mars are at 0°00' and 0°44' Aries, respectively - their midpoint being 0°22' Aries.


CANSOLAR
The Cansolar has emerged as almost as important as the Capsolar, and seems to be lasting a full year. The first thing one notices is that last summer's Cansolar had an Ascendant in West of 13°58' Capricorn, and t. Saturn for the event was 14°04' Libra.

We'd expect a strong Saturn for this event (and don't see it elsewhere). The property damage was massive, a senior citizen's home caught in the blast is being felt as especially tragic, etc.

Also, I think these explosions in Boston, Bangalore, and West are a primary expression of the Cansolar's progressed Mars-Pluto square - currently 0°00' orb. (This also ties in with other news events, such as the inability to get a major gun control bill passed right now, the ricin attempted attacks on the White House and at least two Senators, etc.) But the Cansolar's progressed angles (by the SQ rate) contribute nothing at all.


LUNAR INGRESSES
The Caplunar April 3 set a potentially explosive (surprising, eruptive) tone with Uranus moderately near the Descendant. The Arilunar April 10 reinforced this with Uranus less than 2° from the Midheaven (and, of course, squared by Pluto). The Canlunar hadn't yet come in - but these lunar charts tend to be effective about a day in advance - and it, too, has Uranus about 2° from the meridian (this time, the IC). - The Canlunar occurred this morning at 12:08 AM CDT.


CAPSOLAR SQ
This one is disappointing. The one technique that most successfully shows these events produced... nothing. Unless, of course, you look at it for Washington, DC instead of the for the site. Then it produces t. Pluto 23' from the Nadir.

This is a damnably frustrating characteristic, which, however, we are seeing quite often: Local events of national importance show for the nation's capital better than they show for the site.

[Jim Eshelman]

The fire department was called at 7:29 PM Central for a small fire at the plant. The blast occurred at 7:52 PM Central
The plant on the east side of town was located at 31.816104,-97.08812

[Jim Eshelman]

Thanks.

This doesn't change any of the really important stuff - the ingresses and their quotidians. It does affect the event chart. At 7:52, the Descendant was 2°36' Aries. Mars was 32' and Sun 37' above the horizon in altitude (essentially the same in PV).

[Jim Eshelman]

Jim wrote:

'Tis the season of explosions!

Jim, isn’t this current partile Sun-Mars conjunction somewhat a longer drawn out partile conjunction than a normal Sun-Mars conjunction?

[Jim Eshelman]

Law enforcement (ATF&E) has now determined and disclosed that the fire (which led to the explosions and thus the death) was intentionally set.

They have not said whether they have a suspect, but insist they're "on the right track."