TENSE AUTUMN AHEAD

We live in interesting times and this autumn will be no exception. The coming transit station of Jupiter at 23° 10’ Capricorn will be interesting for the fact that it will connect into the charts of many important countries, including the USA, Israel, Iran, UK, India and Russia, suggesting some international tension at that time.

On July 31, 2009, transit Jupiter re-entered the sign of Capricorn in retrograde motion. On September 10, Jupiter will be 25° 00' Capricorn. It will then reach 23° 10' on October 12, when it goes direct and reaches 25° Capricorn again on November 16. During this transit, Jupiter will closely influence planets in the horoscope that are at 22° - 25° Capricorn, Virgo, Taurus or Cancer.

Regarding what the influences will be, we first look to see if Jupiter is a functional benefic or functional malefic planet in the chart - and this depends on the rising sign. In addition to that, we may note that as Jupiter is debilitated in the sign of Capricorn it loses strength and its expression changes. A debilitated Jupiter "...makes a person selfish and divests the native of the power to adhere to the social norms/morality" as per Astrologer & Author V.K. Choudhry. In full strength, the energy of Jupiter manifests by representing the religious and divine things in life, top executives and a cleansing influence. The power of Jupiter as a functional benefic to positively influence is therefore reduced at this time. However, its power to harm through afflicting aspects as a functional malefic planet (as the ruler of 6th, 8th or 12th houses) is increased in such a weak state.

In the article Ties that bind: Israel-USA (March 27, 2009) the placement of the 2nd lord in the most effective point (MEP) of the 7th house ruling foreign matters was highlighted. In both countries the 2nd lord is at 23 - 24° in the cardinal and negative signs of Capricorn or Cancer. In the 20° Cancer rising chart of the USA, the 2nd lord is the magnificent Sun at 23° 44' Capricorn in the MEP of the 7th house, accounting for the unrivalled power of the USA among the family of nations. In the 20° 56' Capricorn rising chart of Israel the 2nd lord is the planet Saturn and it is located at 23° 17' Cancer also in the MEP of the 7th house. Israel also enjoys a status among the nations, but it is linked to its ancient heritage and is of a stern even contracting nature.

As for the transit station of Jupiter, we may note that in the case of the USA, Jupiter is 6th lord of conflict, financial (in)stability and health matters. This energy will place a strain on the 2nd house indications of wealth, status and relations with neighboring countries. As Sun is the general indicator of the leader of a country, the strain will also affect the US President and top leadership. Moreover, the Sun is quite strong in the SAMVA USA chart and transit afflictions thus normally produce a temporary strain rather than a setback. For Israel, Jupiter becomes 12th lord of losses and far awy places. These indications will place a strain on the 2nd house indications. As Saturn is the general indicator of working people, losses or developments in other countries may materialize that place a strain on the general population. Moreover, as Saturn is reasonably strong in this chart, its indications are also fairly durable. As for the timing, the transit Jupiter becomes exactly conjunct natal Sun in the SAMVA USA chart on September 25, 2009, while in the case of Israel the exact opposition aspect takes place on October 5, 2009. The transit chart shown is for October 10, 2009.

Interestingly, there are other aspects going to be felt at that time. In the SAMVA USA Chart (Perpetual Union) chart, transit Ketu will exactly aspect natal Juptier at 4° 25' Scorpio/H5 on September 20. As transit stationary Ketu, which rules over sudden and violent things, has been aspecting natal Jupiter since the summer, this means that significant tension has built up and some violent acts, including increased US military casualties in the war against the Taliban and Al-Queda in Afghanistan, a mass murder at a Gym in early August, along with political turbulence over President Obama's health care reform. This energy can have some further manifestation when the aspect becomes exact. We can also recall that the USA is running the Venus-Saturn period, highlighting the influence of transit Saturn as 8th lord of obstacles and endings. In early October, transit Rahu at 3° Capricorn/H7 will aspect transit Saturn at 3° Virgo/H3. This transit suggests some setback to easy gains or increased problems. Fortunately, neither planet is stationary when the aspect takes place, so the influence will be felt for a brief period and with less intensity. Some manifestations of the transits in the Autumn for the USA may be increased concern about the fiscal position of the Treasury, strain over the exorbitant cost of the bail-out in the banking system, increased inflation concerns as Jupiter, the indicator of monetary policy, afflicts the planet ruling wealth. As the contact takes place in the 7th house, the foreign policy dimension will be acutely felt. A foreign conflict may likely weigh on the US President at that time. The financial dimension of foreign policy may become important at that time, as the lord of financial (in)stability and wealth combine in the house of foreign policy.

In the Capricorn rising horoscope of Israel, the influence of Jupiter as 12th lord of losses and far away places strains the 2nd house indications, suggests some losses will be felt by Israel. The other planetary influences are not helpful to Israel at this time. The Mars-Mars period is operating since March 2009, and during this period we would expect setbacks to the indications of the 4th house, such as collective harmony, natural resources and real estate, as well as for the general indications of Mars, including those professions ruled by this planets, like the police and military. This is because 4th lord Mars is badly placed in the 8th house under the close aspect of 12th lord Juptier in the 12th house. This natal aspect is indicative of the frequent upset to the collective harmony in Israel from foreign hostilities and terrorist actions. In this regard we may note that in early October, transit Mars will move into the sign of Cancer, where it is debilitated. At that time, Mars will also be infant and conjunct transit Ketu, which is not a good contact for such a natally weak and afflicted major and sub-period lord. At the same time, transit 8th lord Sun will be moving into the aspect of transit Jupiter. Given these contacts there is likely to be heightened tension in Israel linked to the above indications, especially in the first half of October.

At the same time, we can expect the influence involving transit Jupiter to be felt earlier - and in fact, if we look closely at the news reports, we can see that already there are developments afoot in these countries.

Israeli prime minister convenes urgent security forum Friday
August 7, 2009, 2:36 PM (GMT+02:00)
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=6212

Pentagon to speed giant "bunker buster" production amid Iranian, North Korean nuclear concerns
August 3, 2009, 4:56 PM (GMT+02:00)
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=6207

US to Israel: Leave the military option against Iran to us
July 31, 2009, 3:58 PM (GMT+02:00)
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=6203

To this we can add that the 23° 42' Cancer rising chart for Iran is highly exposed to these developments. Jupiter as 6th lord is at 5° 30' Cancer/H1, with transit Ketu to become exactly conjunct this placement on September 5, 2009. Further, we can note that transit Saturn at 3° Virgo will be exactly afflicted by transit Rahu at 3° Capricorn on October 5, 2009. These difficult aspects will raise tensions significantly in coming weeks and months and may even result in violent clashes - although transit aspects in the summer of 2010 are more indicative of such a development. In this regard, we may also recall President Obama's meesage to Iran, that the he will look for concrete steps in Iran to meet the concerns of the international community with regard to its intentions concerning the development of nuclear weapons before the end of 2009. As such, the USA seems to have ruled out any military action before that time. That said, new information concerning the development in Iran could of course change the declared stance. In any event, the transits are difficult in the Iranian chart already this summer, and will remain difficult in coming months as well, as earlier discussed.

Even the 20° 44' Gemini rising chart of the Union of Russia and Belarus is not excempt from the tensions at this time. Its 7th lord Jupiter will become transit stationary at 23° 10' Capricorn and the 8th house under exact affliction from natal Rahu at 23° 20' Virgo/H4, which suggests the foreign policy initiatives will become beset by obstacles and endings while experiencing a crisis due to manipulations that upset the collective harmony.

In the horoscope of the United Kingdom, the transit station of 4th lord Jupiter in the 5th house will come under the close aspect of natal Ketu at 22° 59' Virgo/H1. This suggests that the communal harmony, real estate and natural resources in this country will come under strain at that time.

In the Taurus rising chart of India, natal 6th lord Venus at 22° 33' Cancer/H3 will become opposite transit stationary 8th lord Jupiter at 23° 10' Capricorn/H9. This suggests the strain of violent developments. However, we should note that this aspect never becomes exact, which reduces the strain from the transit. Nevertheless tensions or obstacles or endings involving inititiatives of the Indian government concerning conflict, financial or health issues could become prominent in the national life of India at that time, more so as the dual malefic Venus-Ketu period is operating and transit Ketu will be exactly conjunct the Moon as 1st lord of self at that time.

The contact of transit stationary Jupiter in the horoscopes of these countries indicates that significant tensions, even setbacks, will emerge in the international arena this fall.