9/11 - looking back 20 years

[Jim Eshelman]

9/11 Attacks:
2001 Sep 11, 8:46 AM EDT, New York, NY (World Trade Center: 40N42'42", 74W00'45")

Twenty years ago (as everyone reading this already knows), one of the most important events in American history occurred – this generation’s equivalent of Pearl Harbor – which was also one of the most important mundane astrology events in decades. Its charts are phenomenally descriptive. They allowed us to confirm much that we thought was true about our science and learn or refine other things that have served us well since that time. These charts, I think, deserve a review today as mundane astrology’s tribute to the anniversary.

I wasn’t watching so closely in 2001. Early that year, though, I told a colleague that I was deeply worried about the Saturn-Pluto oppositions in August and November, and that late summer seemed very troublesome. Paranoia was creeping in by that point: Neptune in Capricorn seemed to undercut people’s security on many levels, placing a premium on fear; Pluto in Scorpio spoke of volatile force; Uranus in Capricorn with Neptune was already destabilizing concrete, structural, reliable things; and Saturn in Taurus has always suppressed comfort, peace, and collective compassion – it has historically seemed vengeful. All of this fed my broad unease; but the real focus was on that Saturn-Pluto opposition.

If I’d only bothered to look a little further, I would have seen so much more. (My life was unstable and complicated at the time.) It all stands as clear as a bright summer day in hindsight.

SETTING UP THE YEAR
Primary indication for the United States pointed to loss and human tragedy, a wounding of peace and shifting of alliances. These were all textbook-simple indications. I wasn’t paying attention at the time but, if I had, I would have used these or similar words to interpret the master Year chart for Washington, DC, the 2001 Capsolar (Jan 14, 2001, 9:32:18 PM EST). Its most angular planet was Pluto 0°04' from square MC. Venus near MC squared Pluto along the ecliptic (2°25') and Saturn in azimuth (1°59'). The basic reading of the chart comes from: (1) Venus prominent and heavily struck simultaneously by Saturn and Pluto. (2) Pluto as the strongest planet of the three, so that the primary feel of the event would be high-impact events of a severing, separating sort that stun the senses and halt the mind with their intensity.

This set the stage… but it wasn’t the best “show off” chart. That honor went to the Quarter chart, Sun’s Sidereal Cancer ingress (Cansolar) July 17.

THE CANSOLAR WAS DEVASTATING
The Cansolar defined this event brilliantly, displaying devastating, violent destruction, massive loss of life and property damage, and tear-ripping emotional stories. Few mundane charts have ever shown this level of impact so vividly. For both Washington and New York, Mars and Pluto conjoin on Descendant opposite Venus, Saturn, and (more distantly) Moon on Ascendant. Uranus is near Midheaven.

I suggest you calculate, and have before you, the Cansolar for both New York City and Washington, both as a horoscope and a mundoscope. The ingress occurred July 17, 2001, 2:40:03 AM EDT.

The simplest way to show the relative strength of these factors in both locations is to list the planets and respective Ascendants in numerical order:

12°11' Tau Moon
13°53' Tau DC Asc
16°01' Tau Saturn
18°00' Tau Venus
18°08' Sco Pluto
18°35' Tau NY Asc
20°24' Sco Mars

In the zodiac, the one partile aspect is Venus opposite Pluto (0°08'), echoing the strong Venus-Pluto in the Capsolar (see above). The other close ecliptical aspects among foreground planets are:
Venus-Saturn 1°59', Saturn-Pluto 2°07', Mars-Pluto 2°16', Venus-Mars 2°24'.

For New York, the closest planet to an angle (the only one within 1°) is Saturn, 0°17' from Ascendant. The two partile mundane aspects are Moon opposite Mars 0°38' and Uranus square Pluto 0°18': More than a decade before Uranus and Pluto were square each other in the zodiac, this mundane square showed the radical spirit tearing down iconic structures. Other close foreground mundane aspects include Moon-Saturn, Venus-Saturn, and Venus/Saturn midpoint 0°42' from Asc, Mars-Saturn.

For Washington, the closest planet to an angle (the only one within 1°) is Mars. The one partile mundane aspect is Moon opposite Mars 0°12'. Other close foreground mundane aspects include: Moon-Saturn, Venus-Saturn, and Mars-Saturn. (Pluto, though not foreground for Washington, supplements the picture by oppositions to angular Venus 0°09' and Saturn 2°08' and a conjunction with Mars 2°16'.)

Although the aspect mix is the same other than Uranus-Pluto, I see important distinctions between these two cities. The closest planets to the angles being Saturn for New York and Mars for Washington, we immediately recall the magnitude of loss in New York in contrast to the rapid call to war in Washington. Also, what was attacked in New York were enduring institutions of American financial strength (Saturn), while near Washington the attack was on the Pentagon, the supreme symbol of military strength (Mars).

THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME OF THE YEAR
Narrowing the time of greatest vulnerability pointed broadly to the last half of 2001. The Cansolar covered the quarter July 17 to October 17 and is responsive to major transits for an entire year.

For New York, transiting Pluto crossed Cansolar Descendant and transiting Saturn conjoined Cansolar Ascendant overlapping July 22 to December 4. July 22 to October 17 thus becomes the window of possibility for Saturn-Pluto events for NYC. For Washington, we get similar results but from the Capsolar: Transiting Pluto and transiting Saturn squared Capsolar Midheaven July 31 to November 24, the nation’s Saturn-Pluto window. In consideration of the Cansolar’s loud message, the primary event window is July 31 to October 17.

Even more importantly, for all locations the Cansolar’s angular 0°08' Venus-Pluto opposition progressed to exact (0°00'00") aspect on September 3. A couple of weeks either side of this date stood out as the most likely time of the year for Venus-Pluto themed events.

MARKING THE DAY
Several greater and lesser day-timing techniques pointed to a narrow time period centered on September 11, in both New York and Washington, showing concentrated events likely within a day or so. Here are the most important and straightforward factors.

In Washington, where the Capsolar primarily timed the event, Capsolar MC (19°25' Aqu) and Pluto (19°29' Sco) were aspected by transiting Saturn (20°00' Tau) and (wider but within the usual 2° orb) transiting Pluto (17°53' Sco). Then, moving about 1°/day, Capsolar Quotidian MC conjoined ingress Mars.

In New York, where transits to the Cansolar primarily timed the event, in addition to the precise Venus-Pluto progressed opposition the same week, transiting Saturn conjoined Cansolar Ascendant (+1°25'), transiting Pluto conjoined Cansolar Descendant (-0°42') and transiting Venus conjoined Cansolar IC (0°20'). The triplet of Venus-Saturn-Pluto defined the day extremely well, just as it already described the quarter and (for the nation) the year.

THE HOUR
On a day of no partile aspects, the final feather to tip the scale was, by itself, so innocent: Almost the moment Mercury rose, crossing lower Manhattan’s eastern horizon, all attention at 8:46 AM was suddenly drawn to a plane, flying unusually low, and seeming to head straight toward one of the World Trade Center towers…

Something we couldn’t have known in 2001, but we can know now, is that this was the exact moment Eris set. In the mundoscope for the minute the plane struck the tower, one obvious aspect dominates the moment: Mercury (0°29' below Asc) opposes Eris (0°21' above Dsc) within 0°08'.

[Veronica]

I was just looking at the chart of the moment.

It bears similar traits to times in my life when I have been personally robbed by people close to me, events/days that seem like they could be wonderful and tragic at the same time.

The United States natal chart seems to show the We were robbed of that which makes us alive, Our Citizens. At the very least.

Looking at the particular orbs seems to fill in the details leading up to and after very well.