The First World War, Archduke Ferdinand and Sophie: a Wedding Anniversary 1914

With the outbreak of the First World War traditionally blamed upon the "spark" lighted by the June 28, 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and wife Sophie in Sarajevo, it is interesting to note that there are two planetary transits by conjunction to the Archduke's natal planets on this very day, the 100th anniversary of their double assassination.

They are transit Mars in Libra to natal Saturn (16Lib40 conjunct natal Midheaven 16Lib24) which spotlights obstacles (Saturn) in career and public status (MC) and describes the need to hurry (their driver took a wrong turn and when told he stopped the car--only once--next to the successful assassin--a coincidence? Apparently so.) The other current transit to the Archduke's natal chart is transit Saturn in Scorpio conjunct natal Jupiter 17Sco50 which denotes that the path he was taking was blocked--well, yes, assassination can certainly be described as a blockage, can't it? It hints that the Archduke should have been giving back some of the gifts and good fortune but perhaps he was hoarding them--or, at least there were those in need in society who would understandably feel it to be so. Divergence from tradition could have been part of the discontent as well with this transit (which I'm reading in the here-and-now as if it casts a light on circumstances of 100 years ago.) Whether the discontent was on the part of bankers isn't clear as of this writing but it could be since Jupiter's realms include banking, corporations, cabals, knighthood, ideology, religion, politics, the military, and other controversial fields in life.

Sun + Moon = Marriage

That momentous day in 1914 happened to be Franz and Sophie's 14th wedding anniversary and though this blogger is generally no huge fan of monarchies of any stripe, I feel the historically important couple deserves an expression of sadness here because few if any human beings should suffer such horror on what ought to be a happy day, or on any other day for that matter, political disagreements or not.

Now let's consider the Sun (male principle; husband) and Moon (feminine principle; wife) positions on their wedding day, June 28, 1900 to gain a small bit of insight into their partnership so tragically cut short. Though the hour of their nuptials is unknown, we find that the Moon during the 24 hours of that date remained in her own sign of Cancer with the Sun in Moon-ruled Cancer (5/6) as well--just as they are for today's New Moon @5Can30.

Immediately we sense that a double Cancer signature to their relationship denotes a family-oriented partnership full of nurturing, needs met, and contentment as kind hearts blend with romance yet with a streak of shrewdness mixed with clannishness.

The Water-Water nature of their marriage indicates lots of feelings, emotions, and creative imagination, even theatricality which would aid them with royal pageantry. Plus, a tendency is denoted to go misty with tears while 'drinking in life experiences'. However, reasoned objectivity may be sorely lacking and one may wish to speculate (one hundred years later!) that the ruling style of the Archduke could have used a portion of it rather than a boatload of emotional subjectivity. As for their marriage, perhaps they were sympatico and saw eye-to-eye to the point of never disagreeing with one another--is that possible? Since water tends to 'go with the flow', perhaps it is possible especially when The Family is placed upon the pedestal of both hearts.

Sun Cancer-Moon Cancer signifies a 'psychic sponge' tendency as well and on June 28, 1914, as they visited Sarajevo, the crowds appeared happy and perhaps elated to see the couple, as Sophie had remarked, and although those happy feelings the pair soaked up from the environment were genuine enough it didn't include several would-be assassins along the route taken by their car. With the Moon in critical Virgo that day, at least one man in particular, Gavrillo Princip, didn't share such happy feelings at all, in fact, for it was he who pulled the trigger shooting first Sophie, then the Archduke. This murderous act was subsequently used as justification for the outbreak of the First World War (WWI) to "end all war" and "make the world safe for democracy."

Yet few people in 2014 could fail to note that the absurd jingoistic slogans were only flimsy propaganda meant to lie populations into fighting what turned out to be a world war that led to World War II which then brought innocent people all over the world the horror of the 'abomination of desolation'--nuclear bombs.

And all so that wealthy old bald men could scam even more riches while viciously grasping the reins of regional, then global power. Their devilish plot continues...

~:~

For more info see Sun Sign-Moon Sign by Charles & Suzi Harvey.

Birth Data from church archives: Franz Ferdinand Habsburg December 18, 1863 @7:15 am LMT; ASC 18Sag56 ('18Sag' is traditionally known as a 'degree of royalty'--N. DeVore); Sun 25Sag53, Moon 5Ari38 ('a lust for power'; conjoins natal Neptune); Mercury 4Cap58; Venus 9Sco19; Mars 00Sag54 (conjunct natal 12th cusp of politics, Karma, Self-Undoing, and Secret Enemies); Jupiter 17Sco50 (as chart-ruler Jupiter makes no major applying aspects in the chart); Saturn 16Lib40 (conjunct natal MC--fall from grace, or a downfall); Uranus 22Gem55 Rx (conjunct natal Descendant of Partnership--a shocking separation; also conjoins US natal Mars); Neptune 3Ari18; Pluto 10Tau36 Rx; North Node of Destiny 26Sco10; Chiron 6Pis39; MC 16Lib24. Click the link in the first paragraph to read a brief bio; a view of his natal horoscope is linked there as well along with Sophie's general natal data; Princip's details are included.

Note that a Moon-Neptune pairing tends to support the above mentioned psychic ability and suggests that crises in life may be brought on by overindulgence and indolence (Ebertin.)