Bradley forecast of JFK's death

[Jim Eshelman]

On the old site, on April 14, 2015, Donovan Kinsolving posted the following complete text of Leslie McIntyre's (aka Donald Bradley) U.S. forecast for November 1963 in American Astrology's "Tomorrow's News" section. I believe it is the only example of an astrologer predicting JFK's assassination in print in advance.

Here in its entirety is the column printed in November 1963 American Astrology Magazine, "Tomorrow's News" under the by-line of "Leslie McIntyre, Nebraska".

Try to recollect all of the keywords and key ideas connected with Mars and you will have made your own forecast for the first half of November. This is because Mars is exactly on Washington's Ascendant at the moment of Full Moon on the 1st. To worsen matters, the frenetic planet throws a square to Uranus, which can only mean a period of bombast and disorder, of risky saber-rattling and pesky behavior on both the foreign and domestic stages. Some sort of unexpected military action is pointed to, and we rise to the occasion with a steely-nerved confidence and daring.

That the lull in the cold war is just that, a lull and nothing more, is iterated in the U.S. horoscope which shows a progressed Moon-Mars opposition exact at this time, on the heels of which a Moon-Neptune square "matures." In the past, such configurations have coincided with personal danger to our head of state, all the more so in this case in view of the grievous attack by Saturn on the President's natal trio of Mars, Mercury and Jupiter, along with Uranus square his Sun (and son, too). November is obviously fraught with perils of several varieties.

The armed forces are much in the news in one way or the other, for when Mars dominates the current picture the public instinctively becomes concerned with the defense setup. Some major deficiency in our defense system will be hastily remedied this month when realization of the weakness creates a flap in political and Pentagonal circles. Apart from its direct link to things military, the powerful Mars influence incites much social unrest of the sort that erupts blindly into retaliative violence. The few scattered local elections will be notably exciting and newsworthy because of this Martian element in the vicinity of city halls and precinct polls. Of course, Mars also indicates an upsurge in the tolls from fires and explosions, as well as an increase in highway carnage.

Uranus in the 9th implies both alarm and applause from new court rulings, with the Mars-type voices in furious disagreement. But the good aspects to the Luminaries are evidence enough that the decisions are constructive and that the majority of people, who never get heard from because cool reporters patronize noisy hotheads, are attuned to the American concept of Ultimate Justice.

In the March 1964 magazine, Bradley's "Powwow Corner" column had a more extensive write-up about Kennedy's assassination from several approaches. It feels a bit strange, reading Donald Bradley writing as Garth Allen commenting on the methods used by himself as Leslie McIntyre. I can reproduce this section as well; is there some word-count limit before I start violating copy-write laws?

[SteveS]

Jim, DC’s mundo 11/1/1963 Full Moon Chart is even more impressive, IMO.
Mars-Pluto dominating the angles (Paran) for the sheer "stunning/shocking" brutality” of the assassination.
A tight Moon/Mercury = Saturn T-square.
Lesson here: We need to pay more attention to DC's Full Moon charts.

[Jim Eshelman]

Lesson here: We need to pay more attention to DC's Full Moon charts.

This one was unusually good. New Moon and Full Moon charts are the foundation of most Tropical mundane astrology and occasionally they are splendid.

But not very often.

After we had a good grounding of SMA, I went back and reviewed some of the data sets against New Moon and Full Moon (syzygy) charts. For the most part, they didn't have much to say - especially in terms of a specific location.

Here's where I tested them against fires: https://www.solunars.com/viewtopic.php? ... 066&p=5692

I forgot that last summer I had started to look at them (and then, I guess, just forgot and went no further): https://www.solunars.com/viewtopic.php? ... 14&p=48648

Somewhere here is an article by Bradley reviewing the miserable failure of these charts for the deaths of U.S. presidents.

Nonetheless, we could start looking at them, too (especially now that I've backed off writing full monthly U.S. forecasts for a while, freeing up a dozen hours a month) if that grabs your interest.

[SteveS]

I understand where you are coming from Jim, I never paid them any great attention either. I will start scanning them on a yearly basis only noting the "outstanding incident" ones with angular partile aspects or paran formations. This may help us as a better screening process, and when we isolate one---we can hone-in on the stack of DC SMA charts.

[Jim Eshelman]

Oh, one more thing about that November 1, 1963 Full Moon: It had expired by the of the assassination. Full Moon's are historically treated (across the whole history of astrology) much as we treat demi-lunars, as the mid-month chart - either as a valid chart on its own for two weeks or as the junior chart under the month-long New Moon. In any case, the new synodic month begins with the New Moon as its master chart.

The November 1 Full Moon, as you say, was brutal: Mars 0°11' past Asc, Pluto 1°29' past MC, an almost partile Mars-Pluto square - and more.

Then the New Moon came in November 16, six days before the murder. This one was not so impressive: Though Mars was the only foreground planet, it was 5.5 degrees from IC. It closely squared a non-foreground Pluto. Same symbolism, not tightly expressed. One can still say from these two half-month charts, though, that Mars was the persisting theme of the entire month for the U.S. (the way Bradley opened the month-long forecast).

[Jim Eshelman]

I understand where you are coming from Jim, I never paid them any great attention either. I will start scanning them on a yearly basis only noting the "outstanding incident" ones with angular partile aspects or paran formations. This may help us as a better screening process, and when we isolate one---we can hone-in on the stack of DC SMA charts.

That may not be the right way to read them, though. Historically, the best ones have been marked by partile aspects to the luminaries and other tight aspects with no particular attention to the angles. That's what I meant by them seeming not to speak to any particular LOCATION - the angles aren't usually what makes the impressive ones impressive.

Take the October 18, 1929 Full Moon: Mars is rising for NY and Washington but widely. The only thing least bit strong and bad in the chart is that background Saturn is trine-sextile the Full Moon. The October 7, 1987 Full Moon also has Mars as the most angular planet, closer this time (2.5°), but also has a middleground Venus-Jupiter opposition. When the market topped Feb 20, 2020 and the world started spiraling into COVID-19 times, though, we hit stronger marks: The February 9 Full Moon had Mars half a degree from EP along with a close Saturn-Pluto conjunction.

The Full Moon a week before Lincoln's murder had Neptune most angular in DC (1°08'), in 2°44' square to Mars - good symbolism, good strength, but notice that partile aspects weren't the key. - The Jupiter-Uranus opposition broadly foreground told as much of the story as anything else (this aspect of political insurrection was all over the event in several ways). The New Moon just before Zachary Taylor died also had Neptune most angular, but not at what we're used to calling close orbs. The New Moon before William Henry Harrison's death also had Neptune most angular (4°) but the New Moon was partile square Saturn (background). When Reagan was shot, the Full Moon again had Neptune most angular, this time 3°, with a strong Moon-Mars mundane opposition and many other things - rightly showing the commotion, the violence, and the eventual good news.

One of the best murder syzygies: When Bobby Kennedy was murdered in Los Angeles, the New Moon for Washington had Pluto 1°40;' from Dsc, Saturn 4°13' from Asc, and a 2°33' Saturn-Pluto mundane opposition. (Again, partile doesn't win.) But it wasn't perfect with a middleground close Venus-Jupiter square. A few months earlier when Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, the New Moon had Pluto 2°38' above Asc for Memphis (opposite Venus 1°22'); but the Washington chart had nothing particular to say.

The Full Moon for Nixon's resignation shows nothing important (there is a widely angular Uranus). However, FDR's death had Pluto 2°42' from IC. The Moscone and Milk murders, that rocked San Francisco hard, had the Full Moon along the meridian in SF, but Jupiter moderately foreground, too: One has to include the non-angular 0°36' Venus-Saturn sextile to think anything sad happened. (For Washington, the chart was inert.) Similarly the Full Moon four days before Gandhi was murdered also had the Full Moon right along the meridian for New Delhi, but this time Saturn was on Nadir - but not closely.

[Jim Eshelman]

Historically, these charts were praised for the way they showed World War I and II. The question is, how were they being read?

The December 3, 1941 Full Moon over Pearl Harbor, HI had Pluto 1°44' from Dsc. There are other complications in the chart, but this is clearly the strongest. Even more impressively, in Washington Saturn and Uranus are 0°12' and 0°50' from Asc, respectively, and in 38' mundane conjunction. Pluto is 2°30' off IC square them. Mercury is 3°17' above Dsc partile square Pluto. This is a great chart!

Moving to the other end of America's involvement in WW II, the July 25, 1945 Full Moon over Hiroshima, Japan had Saturn 3°00' from MC. Not as close as we're used to seeing in SMA, but clearly the primary marker of the event in this chart. (In Tokyo, Saturn was much further away.) In Washington, the same Full Moon had Jupiter 4°45' from Descendant - the right planet and not especially close - with Venus-Uranus conjoined on the edge of foreground.

You can check similar charts for the start and end of WW I and WW II in various countries. To do it effectively, though, one would have to calculate the same chart for many countries because the effects would be different. The Full Moon for NYC on 9/11 is OK, can be read as meaningful, but is pathetic compared to the Cansolar etc.; What is most impressive about it, though, is that the Full Moon squares the Saturn-Pluto opposition that was close at the time (Saturn pretty widely). England entered WW I under a New Moon with Venus closely angular (luminaries conjunct Neptune closely), not so good a chart. England entered WW II under the August 29, 1939 Full Moon that set the whole world in motion, but (other than the Saturn-Pluto square - background everywhere that mattered, but partile) it really doesn't show anything. The U.S. entered WW I under the March 22, 1917 New Moon with luminaries exactly square Pluto - perhaps showing the impact on the world - but nothing angular for Washington.

[SteveS]

I understand Jim, excellent analysis, thanks for this. I will stick to SMA for my best analysis for mundane stuff, maybe look at the Full Moon charts when I see SMA chart(s) that grab my attention. Speaking for myself, the most emotional effect I ever experienced personally for the Nation was indeed the JFK assassination, and I think the same for the majority of the people in the Nation. And, that Nov 1 1963 DC Full Moon mundo chart was an eye opener for me how it emotionally affected the people of the Nation as a whole.

[Veronica]

My worst memory.....in Kindergarten I learned about a man who seemed like an Angel sent to lift our nation, a man who liked to read and build things, who dreamed of true Liberty for all ....and he took his wife to see a show, and was assignated by cowards.
In a four year olds mind, thats pretty horrid stuff, sent a clear message of dont try to flip the tablets.

[SteveS]

Jim, just noticed this:

In 1963, two full moons occur close enough to perigee to qualify as "supermoons" by the most common definition of the term: those on 01 November and 30 November.

I have noticed a couple of times in the past, supermoons for DC seem to play a more important role when showing prominent chart symbolism on the angles in DC, but not sure if it would stand-up to rigorous testing.
Another example I remember, a really bad unusual winter storm in the Gulf on Mar 8 1993 produced the worst blizzard ever in the Southern States sweeping up the east coast causing havoc. Its the only time in my life I heard/seen "thunder" snow which was a white-out condition viewing from my front porch.

In 1993, two full moons occur close enough to perigee to qualify as "supermoons" by the most common definition of the term: those on 06 February and March 8, 1993.