(15 November 2015) France is reeling after the second terrorist attack in less than a year killed 129 people and wounded 350 others in Paris on Friday. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks which it said were retaliation for France’s participation in US-led coalition against ISIS in Syria. Responding to the shock and horror of the event, French President Francois Hollande has called the attacks an act of war and has vowed to respond without mercy. It seems clear that there will now be an intensification of the West’s battle with ISIS as the ‘clash of civilizations’ appears to be entering a new and more violent chapter.
While I did not specifically predict this attack, I was not surprised when it occurred given the difficult condition of the horoscope of France this year. After the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in January, I had written that 2015 would likely be stressful for France and that the rest of the year would have an "ongoing sense of unease and frustration". Using the 1792 chart for the 1st Republic, I noted that the ongoing conjunction of Saturn to the natal Moon would likely correspond with difficulties and problems involving foreigners. The fact that Saturn was in a square aspect with Neptune would likely make this worse. The first January attacks had focused the debate about the position of Islam within France’s strongly secular society and had produced a lot of soul-searching on all sides. The Neptune influence on the Moon may have reflected a sense of confusion about the national identity while Saturn’s role symbolized suffering and disappointment from this realization that the French identity is coming under threat.
These aspects were front and center on Friday as Saturn (11 Scorpio) had moved to within two degrees of its conjunction with the Moon (13 Scorpio). In my initial post, I thought that the late summer or early fall period would be more noteworthy on this question of conflict and national identity due to the Saturn station to Mars and Rahu’s conjunction with the natal Sun-Rahu conjunction in Virgo. This heavy Rahu influence was further indication that France would likely "become more deeply entangled in conflict involving foreigners, either abroad or at home." I was off in timing but a couple of months but I realize now that the Saturn-Mars conjunction in August and September was significant. That was the time when France joined the war on ISIS alongside the US. Hollande formally announced joining the military mission on September 7th and the first airstrikes were carried out September 19th.
The role of Mars-Rahu
If I had expanded my scope a bit further, I would have seen that Mars would join Rahu and both would be hitting the natal Rahu and aligning with natal Mars in November. Aside from the ongoing Saturn, Neptune and Rahu (Node) influences, the triggering aspect for this attack was the Mars-Rahu conjunction in Virgo. Mars is usually implicated in violent situations just as it was in January’s attack when it was in a close square aspect with natal Mars — 2 Aquarius to 4 Scorpio. The natal Mars was again afflicted by the trine aspect of Ketu (South Node) within just one degree. Significantly, the France horoscope is currently running the Jupiter-Mars dasha period. This natal Mars afflicted by Ketu therefore increases the likelihood of conflict and military action during this Mars sub-period. The Mars sub-period began in April 2015 and will last until March 2016.
Interestingly, the time of the beginning of this attack was 9.17 p.m. when the suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the football match at Stade de France. At this time, the Mars-Rahu conjunction was exactly conjunct the 4th house cusp, or IC — the lowest point of the chart. Mars-Rahu combinations are volatile and often indicate violence and accidents and when this pair is angular (i.e. conjunct Ascendant, Descendant, IC, or MC), it is much more likely to correlate with sudden events such as the terror attacks.
That said, the angularity of the Mars-Node conjunction is not necessary for violence. But the more general point does seem to be true: that significant acts of violence are more likely when Mars conjoins either the North Lunar Node (Rahu) or the South Lunar Node (Ketu). The 9/11 attacks occurred when Mars was conjunct Ketu, the London tube attack on 7 July 2005 occurred when Mars was again conjunct Rahu, and Mars was again conjunct Rahu at the time of the the Madrid train bombing on 11 March 2004. (See charts below.) The nodes are indicators of disorder or instability while Mars denotes sudden exertions of energy which can often be violent. Mars conjoins each node about once a year.
While Mars is now separating from Rahu, I can see that the current window of instability may remain in effect at least until November 21st. On that day, the Moon will oppose Mars and thereby highlight the Mars-Rahu conjunction once again. The Moon sometimes joins the Mars-Node alignment in these sorts of events as evidenced in the 9/11 and Madrid bombing charts. While another attack is possible around this alignment, it could very well be some other Mars-type event such as an accident or perhaps a significant military action by the French government.
