When the atom was split for the first time on Dec. 2, 1942 (3:25 pm CST, Chicago), a rare conjunction of Saturn and Uranus was rising in the due east. Saturn represents structure and authority; Uranus (the planet after which Uranium was named) represents energy and the breaking of strcuture. The east, or "ascendant," represents what is really happening, or arising, at any given moment. And so it was.
Saturn's position in this chart was 8 Gemini 57'. A Sun-Mercury conjunction in Sagittarius opposed this conjunction within a few degrees, and, located as it was in the Seventh House, indicated the beginning of mankind's long-term relationship with nuclear energy and the nuclear crisis.
When next Saturn and Uranus formed their rare conjunction, it was 1986, and the world witnessed the terrifying disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine (April 26, 1986 at 1:26 am, -4:00, 51N17, 30E15, 23 Sagittarius 28' rising). Once again, Saturn-Uranus was rising in the east, the most prominent position in a horoscope. Saturn was precisely, that is, within 19 arcminutes, of exact opposition to its position at the splitting of the atom, located in the Chernobyl chart at 8 Gemini 57'. This, among other alignments involving nuclear issues and these degrees, has led some astrologers to describe this narrow zone of Gemini-Sagittarius as "the nuclear axis."
When the nuclear accident in Tokai, Japan occurred last week (Sep. 30, 1999, 10:35 am JST, Tokai, Japan), Pluto (the planet after which Plutonium was named) was at 8 Sagittarius 13' and rising in the due east, while the Moon was at 8 Gemini 35' and setting, exactly in the due west. Note the exactitude of these degrees, remembering that there are 360 in the astrological wheel, and all the planets move at very different speeds. Once again, the nuclear axis was prominent, highlighted by the three most important astrological indicators: plantary position, proximity to the horozin and the angle of the Moon, all of which, in this case, were exact. Remember that Pluto's orbit is about two and one-half centuries, and that its opposition to any natal Saturn is extremely stressful and even more important, it happens but once every several human lifetimes.
Whatever the ultimate meaning of these aspects may be, one thing is clear: that last week's nuclear accident was in direct relationship to the splitting of the atom, not just because without one the other would have been impossible, but also on an esoteric level where the inside of our apparent reality is mediated. Though only astrologers are in a position to see the alignments, the focus was thrown back on the origins of the nuclear crisis, the splitting of the atom itself. The question has not been asked loudly enough, or clearly enough: What is the impact of the destruction of matter itself? This may seem like an "academic" discussion now that it's already been done and nuclear energy, nuclear war and medical radiation are booming industries. But the study of ethics is never a waste of time, and can impact the ways in which we use technology and guide our ideas about developing technologies where there is still a chance to shape history (genetic engineering, for example).
Nuclear energy is the power that holds matter together. We do not understand reality enough to be casually playing with its most basic elemental force. We make too many misakes, and as a species, we are not yet honest enough. And our objectives are suspect as well. In our culture, we struggle with materialism, that is, the religion of material things and the worship of stuff. Some call it greed. We know more about stuff than we do about people, and we love stuff more than we love people. Stuff is not evil, but it can manifest as such when it distracts us from more important things or becomes a total obsession. And indeed, materialism has killed many and robbed many more of life's greater joys. And now we are confronted with the very essence of what binds matter, which we forced out of inner space and into the realm of energy, were it is very dangerous and, in effect, contagious.
It is poisonous. A little goes a long way. A single gram of plutonium can induce cancer in a million people. A gram is the weight of a paper clip. Can you imagine that? One nuclear accident turns the world into a global village when radiation from Russia turns up in Wisconsin cheese. We like to think we can control radiation, but this is obviously not the case. We can control it partially and temporarily, but not forever, and not under all circumstances. And, it turns out that in most situations radiation is put to work either as a conquering force (nuclear bombs), which is also a booming business, or as nuclear power, another capitalist venture designed only to make money. There are plenty, hundreds, of alternatives to nuclear energy. We live in sight of the greatest nuclear reactor ever created, a star we call the Sun. The methods for easy access to this energy are all sitting in the storage rooms of the patent office and in the secret files of the corporations that do business using messy energy, and to whom we are selling out the future of the planet so that they can enjoy their profits and not have to worry about this terrible notion of unlimited, clean, free energy. We have seen this story many times over in this century. One version is told in the history of PCBs, and another is told in the history of dioxins. But it's always the same thing -- profit for the few above the well-being of people or the sanctity of the planet.
There is plenty of room on this web page for contributions about solar power, and I welcome your individual experiences and articles on the subject. But for now, we need to think about this phemomenon of nuclear power and whether, as the Atlanteans before us faced the devastating effects of their technology, we are not looking at what, unless we act, can someday end the planetary experience on Earth.++
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If you are curious about the history and effects of the nuclear issue, I recommend two resources. One is called The Atomic Cafe, a documenary available at many video rental places; and American Ground Zero: The Secret Nuclear War, probably available on special order at most book stores. (My copy is stashed away, and I will post the author's name when I can get it.) Searching "nulear" in the free Rachel database will also provide some startling information. For astrologers seeking additional information about nuclear charts, contact chad@PlanetWaves.net. Nuclear ethics are often explored more honestly in science fiction than any other media. Dune by Frank Herbert has some worthy considerations.
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