Chain of Destiny and the Middle East

By : N. C. Syminghton 05/23/2002

The purpose of this article is to show the links in the horoscopes of the countries that comprise what we call the Middle East. They reveal a common thread that runs through all the horoscopes of the countries discussed, including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, and Iraq. Because of the United States involvement, it too is part of the "chain of destiny" for this region of the world.

This is only one perspective on the national horoscopes of the above countries. There are many other connections among their astrological charts that are worth exploring and writing about. For now, I want to focus on what I see as the strongest factors that inextricably bind these countries and peoples together in a shared destiny that affects the entire world. (See the end of the article for horoscope data.)

Several astrological components can, at times, represent fate and fateful occurrences - the planets Saturn, Pluto, and the 12th house come to mind. However, one element, or tandem, that most astrologers always employ in connection with the idea of fate is the nodal axis, specifically the lunar (or Moon's) nodes.

Exact interpretations of the lunar nodes vary, but the basis for them revolves around circumstances that are beyond our control. As an axis, the north and south nodes represent where we are going and where we have been.

Astronomically, the Moon's nodes are not planets but two points, exactly opposite each other, where the Earth's orbit and the Moon's orbit intersect. In "Vedic astrology", predominant in India and most of Asia, the nodes are referred to as shadow planets. One reason is because wherever the lunar nodes locate by zodiac signs is where eclipses will occur, when the Sun passes through the two signs during the year.

For example, if the north node is in the zodiac sign Gemini, then the south node will be in the zodiac sign Sagittarius - exactly opposite Gemini. When the Sun moves through Gemini from late May until early June, eclipses will occur. When the Sun moves through Sagittarius from late November to late December, eclipses again will occur.

In a solar eclipse, the Moon is in between the Earth and the Sun in such a way as to obscure the light of (or cast a shadow over) the Sun for a short time. A lunar eclipse always occurs when the Moon is full and has the Earth between the Sun and the Moon where the Earth blocks the Sun's light from reflecting off the Moon, thus darkened for a period of time.

The lunar nodes are therefore intimately connected with eclipses - showing where they can occur at any time. Astrologically and to many cultures past and present, eclipses hold a special significance. They represent an anomaly in the visible order of life. A total eclipse of the Sun or Moon is an unusual event to witness, precisely because the usual flow of the day or night is disrupted.

Eclipses, among other things, are a change from what is expected and of the routine that we rely upon. They remind us not to take everything for granted and to pay attention. Symbolically and in reality, they are a darkening (an eclipse) of the light, which is why, throughout the ages, many have considered them ominous, portending malevolence. For those who depend on continuity for their security, eclipses can be unsettling.

The lunar nodal axis is the agent for eclipses; it represents them. Wherever the axis is found in a horoscope, it implies the presence of an eclipse - a darkening of the light.

In looking at the horoscopes of the major players (countries) in the Middle East, a remarkable pattern emerges. Of the eight countries considered, including the United States, five of them have Pluto in aspect to the nodes of the Moon, and the other three have Mars in aspect to them. Pluto as the god of the underworld (darkness) and Mars as the god of war certainly present a powerful threat.

While the connection of Mars and Pluto to the lunar nodes in all eight horoscopes is significant for what it symbolizes, it is even more so when you consider this: Pluto in aspect to the nodes (by 2 degrees or less) occurs for a 3 month period every two years - or 8% of the time; for Mars it typically is much less.

Here is one more notable feature. The horoscope used for Lebanon is for November 22, 1943. Pluto is in conjunction with the north node. For Syria the horoscope is April 17, 1946, and Pluto is in 45-degree aspect to the north node (which is the next major aspect after the conjunction). Jordan's horoscope is May 25, 1946 and has the same 45-degree aspect as Syria. Israel, May 14, 1948, has a 90-degree aspect of Pluto to the north node (which is the next step in this harmonic series of aspects). The year 1950, or when Pluto makes a 135-aspect to the north node, is skipped. It is of interest, however, that the Korean War began on June 24-25th, 1950 during the time window of this aspect. Finally, the horoscope used for Egypt is July 23, 1952 where Pluto is 180 degrees, or in opposition, to the north node.

This nearly nine-year period from November 1943 to July 1952 is a half-cycle of Pluto to the nodal axis, when five countries in the Middle East marked a new beginning in their histories - starting in Lebanon and ending in Egypt with Israel in the middle. Dates that begin a new life, a new business, or a new country are crucial in determining each one's character and development. The fact that these five countries begin in step with Pluto to the nodal axis from conjunction to opposition is extraordinary.

The United States, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq are the three countries that have Mars in aspect to the nodes. In the U.S. horoscope, Mars is 45 degrees from the north node; for Saudi Arabia, Mars is 135 degrees from the north node; for Iraq, the aspect between them is 180 degrees. All three of these aspects are less than 1.5 degrees apart. (Iran does not have Mars or Pluto aspecting the lunar nodes, but it does have Neptune closely squaring them. This shows that Iran's destined role in this regional drama is quite different, like it is in another world altogether. It functions more behind the scenes and can undermine stability, yet also may be less extreme and militant than its neighbors.)

In some astrological circles, Pluto is considered a higher octave of Mars, meaning that there is a sympathetic vibration between the two. Before Pluto's discovery in 1930, Mars traditionally ruled Aries and Scorpio. Now, most astrologers consider Pluto as the ruler of Scorpio. Pluto's influence is deep and intense - often unconscious. It drives a person or a country to extremes with an uncompromising and unflinching commitment. Whereas Mars is usually upfront and impulsive in its aggressiveness, Pluto is more secretive and persevering.

Both Mars and Pluto are forceful. Mars tends to flare up and then die down and flare up again; Pluto will take it to the max and sustain it. Pluto represents unbridled power, and Mars is antagonistic. Combined with the fateful quality of the nodal axis, these ingredients are a recipe for a prolonged war that can go the limit. The threat of a nuclear conflagration is real when seen from this perspective.

The countries with Mars in aspect to the nodal axis - United States, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq - serve more as the instigators of fateful events; they tend to initiate actions that can darken the light. Those countries with Pluto in aspect to the nodal axis - Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Egypt - are where the extremes of destiny are played out. Their roles are to sustain whatever is initiated - thereby sustaining the eclipse of the light.

This certainly paints a bleak picture that seems to offer no way out, and the ongoing events in this region of the world have exhibited the negative qualities that are inherent with Mars, Pluto, and the lunar nodes. While this combination symbolizes fate, it also represents destiny. The connotation of these two similar words is distinctively different.

Fate implies something over which we have no control and often is perceived negatively, and while destiny also implies something foreordained, it is usually considered positive. The destiny of the Middle East, and the eight countries described here, is not only to forever transform the region but also the world. The connection of Mars, and especially Pluto, to the Moon's nodes in a country's horoscope signifies acting out a destiny that is much larger than any country itself. Such countries are agents for change that affect us all.

Eclipses, and therefore the lunar nodes, remind us to take nothing at face value and to doubt whatever seems constant. They symbolize a lack of clarity where confusion reigns, and the way is lost. Yet out of the shadows of this misapprehension, the light returns. It always does. The Sun shines again, and the Moon's full glow reappears. This is the destiny of eclipses and the nodal axis, and this will be the destiny of the Middle East. After a sustained period of darkness (Pluto aspecting the nodes) the Sun emerges from the shadows to renew life. It is a process of transformation that goes on year after year and millennium after millennium.

This is not about religion, even though the war being waged there says otherwise. It is about the light within all of us - especially within the peoples of that region - waiting to re-emerge from the depths of darkness. How long that darkness will last and what extremes this region must endure before the light reappears is difficult to predict. But the light will return, because it always has. This is the fate and destiny of eclipses and their agent - the lunar nodes.

Biographical Data:

• Lebanon (November 22, 1943)- celebrated as National Day, the date of independence from France
• Syria (April 17, 1946) - date of independence from France
• Jordan (May 25, 1946) - date of independence from United Kingdom
• Israel (May 14, 1948) - declaration of statehood as British withdrew from Palestine
• Egypt (July 23, 1952) - marked a bloodless coup that established a republic. Celebrated as National Day.
• Iraq (July 17, 1958) - overthrew the monarchy earlier in July and on this date declared a republic
• Iran (February 11, 1979) - victory proclaimed in the Islamic revolution, following the overthrow of the Shah
• Saudi Arabia (September 23, 1932) - founding of the modern kingdom; celebrated as National Day
• United States (July 4, 1776) - declaration of independence

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