Bay of Pigs Invasion

The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful attempt by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade Cuba with support from US government armed forces. The objective was the overthrow of the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The plan, which was authorised by outgoing US President Eisenhower, was launched in the Spring of 1961, shortly after John F. Kennedy had assumed the US Presidency. The Cuban armed forces, trained and equipped by the Soviet Union, defeated the invasion force in three days. Relations between the USA and Cuba later went 'from bad to worse' during the critical Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. The failed invasion has also been linked to the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. The astrological dynamics are clearly seen in the SAMVA USA chart (Perpetual Union).

Historical background
In 1959, during the Cold War between the USA and the Soviet Union, Fidel Castro took power in Cuba in an armed revolutionary overthrow of the Batista regime, which was closely aligned with Washington. Castro’s success owed to the financial and military support of the Soviet Union.

On March 16, 1960, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the CIA to use their elite Special Activities Division to equip, train and lead Cuban exiles in an amphibious invasion of Cuba, to overthrow the new Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The CIA helped Cuban exiles in Miami to create the Cuban Revolutionary Council (CRC), chaired by José Miró Cardona, former Prime Minister of Cuba (Jan 1959). Cardona became the de facto leader-in-waiting of the intended post-invasion Cuban government.[1]

During the night of 14/15 April, a diversionary landing was planned near Baracoa, Oriente Province, by about 164 Cuban exiles commanded by Higinio 'Nino' Diaz. Their mother ship, named 'La Playa' or 'Santa Ana', had sailed from Key West under a Costa Rican ensign. Several US Navy destroyers were stationed offshore near Guantanamo Bay to give the appearance of an impending invasion fleet. The reconnaissance boats turned back to the ship after detecting activities by Cuban militia forces along the coastline.

The actual invasion began “at about 00.00 on April 17” with a force of 1500 Cuban exiles led by two CIA operatives. The defeated exile militias were airlifted late in the day on April 19th. The failed invasion severely embarrassed the Kennedy Administration and made Castro wary of future US intervention in Cuba. It has also been alleged that the failure of the US government to provide more military support doomed the invasion force of Cuban exiles, with the anger being directed at President Kennedy, possibly leading to a plot for his assassination. Another theory is that Kennedy ran afoul of the CIA due to his plan to break it up into smaller units in order to better control its undercover activities.[2]

Astrology of the event
The Saturn major period and Venus sub-period were operating from February 1960. The Cold War in full swing, indicated by the major period of Saturn, from April 1953 to April 1972.

In the first half of 1961, transit Mars, as 10th lord of the executive government and the general indicator of the military, was badly placed in Gemini and 12th house of losses. Mars is natally strong in the SAMVA USA chart, in the sign Scorpio and 5th house, receiving an aspect from natal Moon as 1st lord of self. These placements imbue Americans with a pride in their military power. The transit of Mars in the 12th house, however, tends to weaken the indications of this planet, including a sense of courage and expose the military to losses.

Natally, the planet Rahu, indicator of deception and manipulation, is conjunct the most effective point of the 10th house, from where it also afflicts the 6th house of conflict and 2nd house of status. This aspect has been associated with numerous covert actions of a military nature sponsored by the US government around the world. As Rahu's influence is deceptive, its uncovering may result in a crisis and setbacks to the international status of the USA. But life is full of contradictions. At the same time, the strong Sun as 2nd lord of status and wealth is placed in the most effective point of the 7th house of foreign policy. This placement in the SAMVA USA chart reveals the generally positive and powerful influence of the USA in the world at large.

Importantly, transit Jupiter, as 6th lord of conflict, was conjunct natal Mercury as 3rd lord of initiatives where it would remain stationary during the summer of 1961. Mercury, placed at 12° Capricorn in the chart, is also the general indicator of intelligence, including military intelligence. At the time of Eisenhovers decision, transit debilitated Jupiter was also conjunct transit Saturn. Such periodic aspects between the 6th lord and 8th lord are classic indicators of violence in the national life of the USA. The influence of transit Jupiter in the chart at that time was to impel the US government to undertake a covert initiative to enter into a conflict with the objective to overthrow a government seen to be hostile.*

As Mars was in the house of losses, the initiative turned into a fiasco. Soon afterward, recrimminations began and a conflict developed over the failed initiative. It is of interest that prior to the invasion, both transit 6th lord Jupiter and transit Saturn, as 8th lord of obstacles, transited over natal Venus, as 4th lord of communal harmony. As natal Venus is badly placed in the 6th house, communal harmony in the USA is sensitive to matters pertaining to conflict, as the Vietnam and Iraq wars and the attacks on "Pearl Harbor" and "9/11" show. These transits could have aroused popular sentiment against Cuba's new communist government.
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In authorising the invasion, President Eisenhover was likely yielding to strong pressure from the Cuban community in Florida to liberate Cuba by their own hand but with covert military support from the USA. The cosmic influences were not supportive of success in this case. Rather, the efforts failed, causing considerable strain in the Kennedy administration and the resignation of Allen Dulles, Head of the CIA, on November 29, 1961.[3]

Footnote
*) Interestingly, in the autumn of 2009, transit Jupiter is debilitated and stationary conjunct the natal Sun as 2nd lord in the chart, while transit Mars, as 10th lord, is in the 12th house of losses. The War in Afghanistan is not going well at the present time. Meanwhile, transit 8th lord Saturn in Virgo, under the afflicting aspect of transit Rahu in Capricorn, is in aspect to natal Jupiter in Scorpio, while the 6th lord is also afflicted by transit Ketu in Cancer. These aspects also bring up concerns about the tense situation currently between Israel and Iran, which US President Obama is hoping to resolve through peaceful negotiation.

References
[1] Bay of Pigs Invasion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Pigs_Invasion#Prelude_to_invasion
[2] Kennedy and the CIA
http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/jfk_cia.htm
[3] CIA's internal probe of the Bay of Pigs
https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/winter98_99/art08.html