Welcome Home, all US Soldiers!

Thoughts about Memorial Day May 28, 2012

by Jude Cowell

At NPR, Scott Simon's Remembering a Hero on Memorial Day gives a gentle and touching tribute to Vietnam soldier Leslie Sabo, who gave his all for his country 42 years ago--my generation. Click for the text, plus, the audio of Mr. Simon's report will be online around 12:00 pm et today and it's worth a listen if you missed it this morning.

The History and Astrology of Memorial Day is interesting coming as it did after the 'Civil' War when General John Logan, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, offically proclaimed it on May 5, 1868. The first observance was held on May 30, 1868, and of course, you recognize the Sabian Symbol for '1Sag':

"A Grand Army of the Republic Campfire"...REMINISCENCE:

Positive expression: accomplishment through the cultivation of and preservation of enduring ties with others;

Negative/(Unconsicous/Shadow Side--jc): superficial idleness and unhealthy veneration for the past.

(The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, M. E. Jones.)

Taking a look at planetary positions at noon on May 5, 1868, we see two significant conjunctions relating to our topic, the first at the Oxen Degree: Sun 15Tau26 conjunct Pluto 15:34, planet of death and regeneration. Astrological Sun signifies leaders and leadership but also the recognition and honor that Memorial Day brings. As a team, Sun/Pluto = rulers, those who strive for or crave power (such as empire-builders and conquerors), fighters, martyrs, and separation by force majeure such as war and violence. (Ebertin.)

The second conjunction has a wider orb: warrior planet Mars, strong in his own sign of Aries (18:12, with '19Ari' the Exaltation of the Sun degree) and compassionate if deceptive Neptune 15Ari54 joins Mars and brings to mind America's continually problematic Mars/Neptune square from 1776 indicating such things as deceptive actions, misguided and/or misdirected energy, and the fog (Neptune) of war (Mars.) Yet the planetary duo's potential for inspired action is what Leslie Sabo and other heros exhibit on behalf of their fellow soldiers and for their country even though they are 'lied into war' for dubious (money making) reasons by old white men, aka, war profiteers.

(Please understand that I cast no blame upon our valiant soldiers, but that's how I see the wars that Americans have been duped into fighting through the decades for all were begun by ruses and both or all sides are always financially backed by the same banking interests--simultaneously. I'm of the If Only No Soldiers Showed Up to Fight generation, remember--put the old global bankers in a ring and let them duke it out!)

Plus, Ebertin gives other implications for the Mars/Neptune combo such as "suffering harm or exploitation," "a desire to harm others," and "narrow-mindedness," all of which are activated during times of war.

Well, I've blogged myself into quite a grump when all I intended to do in this post was to remember and heartily thank all our veterans for their service this Memorial Day 2012. I think it was seeing those Sun/Pluto and Mars/Neptune conjunctions in the 1868 chart that riled me up. And after so many--too many--years of war, few will click to read this post anyway, I suspect. But if you did, please pardon my dissenting nature as a native Georgian and a Child of the Revolution! After all, a national Memorial Day wasn't agreed upon by the Southern states until after World War I for we steel magnolias can be something of a feisty bunch way down yonder in the South!

~:~

For further reading you may wish to try Civil War April 12, 1861 Midpoint Pictures and Hidden Hands. The first shot was fired at 4:30 am LMT with the *Moon at 15Tau36! And powerful, wealthy, subversive string-puller Pluto (the Hidden Hand) was at 8Tau34, the very degree of the Robber Barons' New Moon that times the generation's natal horoscope which may be viewed here where it was posted just last evening.

*Sun/Pluto = Moon: brutal suppression of the feelings (Ebertin): attempts to project power and persuasion (Tyl); determination to effect basic changes to the flow of life's events (Munkasey.)