It’s human nature to want to make meaning of events.
Some events are so big, so incomprehensible, that we can’t wrap our heads around them. We need tools, framework, lenses to help us understand.
Astrology is one tool I use to make meaning of events, especially events that leave me reeling, like this week’s attack on Israel.
I’ve been studying astrology for the past few years, mostly by learning how to work with my own chart and follow the transits in the sky. When Israel was attacked, its mirror to certain planetary aspects immediately stuck out for me.
In this essay, I’m going to do my best to break it down and share my insights.
The Astrology of the Week
This week started with a square from Mars in Libra to Pluto in Capricorn. Mars was conjunct the south node and on its way out of Libra. Pluto, was about to station direct, creating an intensification of its energy.
At the same time as Mars/Pluto square, Venus was entering Virgo, a place it struggles, and applying to an opposition with Saturn.
Tonight, Mars will move into Scorpio, one of its home signs. This brings another energetic shift.
And Saturday brings us the week’s highlight: a new moon solar eclipse in Libra — the first of this eclipse cycle. During the eclipse, the sun and moon will be square to Pluto.
Eclipses were historically viewed as ominous signs: during an eclipse, one of the luminaries is blocked. It creates unstable energy — like having a power outage.
The “Weather” of This Week’s Astrology
What does all this mean?
I like to think of astrology as providing a “weather forecast.”
When the weather forecast calls for rain, you pack an umbrella and maybe change some of your outdoor plans. You expect it’s going to rain, but you don’t know how much rain you’ll get, how hard, or for how long.
Having prepared the best you can, then you try to go about your business of living life.
Sometimes you get a nice surprise: it doesn’t rain at all.
Other times, you get torrential rains and massive flooding that destroys property and maybe even takes some lives.
Even before the attack, this was setting up to be a stormy week.
It’s a week defined by squares and oppositions — the two hard aspects — involving the two “malefic” planets, Mars and Saturn.
We have two squares to Pluto, the planet of death, rebirth, power, and things that are buried deep in the subconscious — what we put into our shadow.
All of this punctuated by an eclipse: an event that reveals what’s in shadow and creates instability in power and energy.
What this astrology told me as I looked ahead was that this was going to be a week that might bring up issues related to power and control. I knew we might be facing limitations or restrictions, and that boundaries could be essential. And that there was potential for something that was deep under the surface to explode in an unanticipated way.
I didn’t know it would play out so literally.
As Above, So Below
Astrology doesn’t “predict” what’s going to happen. It’s a mirror.
As the saying goes: as above, so below.
Sometimes the “so below” is subtle. And sometimes it’s so obvious that it is impossible to ignore.
You know which one we’ve got here.
On October 7, as Mars was applying to the square with Pluto — an aspect that is often described with language of war — there was an act of war when Hamas brutally attacked Israel in the worst act of terrorism and war inflicted on Jews since the Holocaust.
I won’t go into the gory details here. I’m assuming you’ve read the news.
As a Jewish person, this is personal to me. My grandmother is a survivor of the Holocaust. I have close family and friends who live in Israel.
On one hand, I have been overcome with fear, anger, and grief. On the other hand, life must go on. We cannot allow events to paralyze us.
The Astrology of the Attack
Current Transits
Here is my lay-person take at piecing this even together through the lens of astrology.
Mars in Libra, a sign of harmony and unity, can be heroic in its effort to keep the peace. But sometimes heroic efforts fail.
If you’ve ever shared a room with someone who tried not to disturb you in the middle of the night while they looked for something in the dark, you know that feeling: the quieter they try to be, the more noise they make, until you’re like: Just turn on the damn light. It will be less disturbing.
Pluto in Capricorn speaks to power dynamics, especially within hierarchical government structures. Pluto also represents what is hidden and contained beneath the surface.
Issues of power and control? Check.
Issues that had long been simmering under the surface, coming up in a violent way? Check.
Acts of war? Check.
This is all based on the planets in the current sky.
The next level is to see where this falls in the chart of the person (or country) being impacted.
Transits to Israel’s Chart
A natal chart is a chart cast for the time of birth. It shows the map of the sky at the moment someone was born, or a country was formed. As events happen in the person/country’s life, we can look at how the planets in the current sky are interacting with the planets in the natal chart.
The most common time for Israel’s birth is given as 4 pm on May 14, 1948. Based on this time, we get the following:
I’m going to keep this simple and focus on the sun, moon and rising sign placements.
- Sun at 23º00’ Taurus
- Ascendant at 23º03’ Libra
- Moon at 4º21’ Leo
Here is a chart showing the natal chart (inner wheel) compared to the current sky (outer ring) at the time of the attack:
Here are two insights I had on the attack based on Israel’s natal chart:
(1) Clash Between Identity and Foundation
Using whole-sign houses, the Mars/Pluto square was happening from Israel’s first house in Libra to its fourth house in Capricorn.
The first house is the house of identity; the rising sign represents the mask we wear to the world. The fourth house represents home, foundation, and our security.
More specifically, both Mars and the south node were conjunct Israel’s ascendant. The south node is the point where eclipses happen, and marks a place of release or shedding — something that needs to be let go.
Its wealth, vibrant start-up culture and increasing acceptance in the Middle East could not forever mask a fundamental Israeli instability. Now the shock to its self-image is so great that, after the initial rallying to the flag, Israel could be projected into a period of profound social and political turbulence.
This is the first house: self-image. The masks it wears.
This blow to Israel comes at a time of deep internal unease. Dismay that the Israel Defense Forces, the revered institution at the core of the nation’s security, could allow such a multipronged Palestinian assault to happen — and then appear slow to react — has been compounded by a widespread sense that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was fatally distracted.
Capricorn is the place where we see issues related to governments and hierarchical structures. Issues relating to the government, the army, and the country’s security are all fourth house issues.
(2) A Time of Big Changes
The second notable aspect is that Uranus, currently at 22º of Taurus, is conjunct Israel’s natal Sun, at 23º Taurus.
This is a longer-term aspect not directly implicated by this week’s events, but it creates the container for it.
Uranus is the planet of unexpected surprises and radical change. The Sun represents our core reason for being. In a person, transiting Uranus conjunct the natal Sun brings a time of upheaval and change; a feeling of being uprooted from what is stable.
It’s not a fun time, especially for natives with Sun in Taurus.
What Comes Next?
As I said, I don’t use astrology to predict. I find it most useful to observe the patterns and how they play out. But with an eclipse this weekend that is conjunct Israel’s ascendant, I’m focusing my prayers on peace.
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