Often referred to as the Fall of the Berlin Wall, its 20th anniversary was celebrated this week. It seemed to me that such a momentous event - often associated with the end of Communism - must be connected to the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction. It is this cycle which corresponds to and warns of great changes in mundane affairs. The conjunction pertaining to these events is that of 19th February 1961 when Jupiter and Saturn met in Capricorn, just one of the greater cycle within the Earth triplicity. Clearly, in Capricorn, Saturn is the stronger of the two being in its own sign and Jupiter in its Fall. I don't intend to explain the characteristics of these conjunctions or go very far with its interpretation because I did that in my article in The Tradition journal (Issue 2) where I examined the recent financial problems. Suffice it to say that, in this case, Jupiter can be taken as freedom and Saturn as the opposite, and because Saturn is the stronger it is this planet which will prevail in this conjunction. Notable also is that Jupiter is currupted in Capricorn and thus any freedom or mercy it might offer are niggardly, mean and hardly worth having; indeed, the modern term of "negative freedom" seems very apt. The whole Earth series has the nature of control and organisation which I demonstrated in the aforementioned article, so here we have a continuance of those, and narrow-mindedness, or simply narrowness, a 'pinching-in'. The construction of the Wall is also recognised as the beginning of the Cold War, and nothing describes coldness better than Saturn, particularly when in Capricorn.
Following the partitioning of Germany at the end of the Second World War, Berlin found itself isolated within East Germany which was controlled by the Russians. Berlin itself was divided between the British, Americans, French in West Germany and West Berlin, and Russians in East Germany and East Berlin, but Berliners moved between the two halves of the city for reasons of work, family, entertainment and so on. East Germans moved into the West in their tens of thousands with little hindrance, and it is reported that the numbers grew so fast that the Communist authorities decided to act. It is hardly surprising that they chose to do this as their skilled workforce was disappearing in huge numbers. The order to close the border was signed on 12th August 1961 at about 4pm and "just after midnight" the first barrier eas erected between the two parts of Berlin. Needless to say, this caused great fear among Berliners: those who were visiting the East overnight could not return; West Berlin was ostensibly cut off from its allies and supplies; they were under siege.
This chart is erected for the time mentioned above, when the fortifications around West Berlin, the "wall" being just a part, were begun. (A small change to the time makes little difference to the resulting astrology.) I remember the grave concerns about the capacity of West Berlin to survive and be re-supplied. I chose to look for its delineation to the rules of besieged towns as this seemed to be the most descriptive of the time. It is clear that the city would survive as indeed it did, and beyond that it thrived beyond all expectations. On page 379 of Christian Astrology, William Lilly recites the rules for this eventuality: The ascendant and his Lord are for the querent, and those that doe or shall besiege; the fourth house shall signifie the Towne, City or Fort besieged. or to be besieged, the Lord thereof the Governour; the fift house, Planets therein, and his Lord the Ammunition, Souldiery and Assistants the Governour and Towne may expect to reli[e]ve of assist them:
The Gemini Ascendant and Mercury signify the Russian authorities of East Berlin and East Germany; the 4th house has Leo on the cusp and so is ruled by the Sun, thus Leo describes West Berlin, and the Sun, its governor. The 5th house, vital in this matter, has a Mercury ruled cusp with Mars therein. This identification between the besiegers and West Berlin's assistants is strange, but there were many strange alliances made throughout the Cold War. However, Mars is the strongest planet in this chart and in Virgo describes those assistants as noisily belligerent and potent. Notice that Mars is in trine to Jupiter and Saturn in this chart and also to the previous conjunction itself. Although a dangerous time, there is little that will happen in terms of standard, 'hot' warfare. Mercury, the besiegers, is on the 4th cusp, the enemy within. It is combust - obliterated by the city it besieges. The Sun, representative of West Berlin absorbs its besiegers, Germans themselves.
...have regard to the Lord of the fourth; if he be in the fourth strong and fortunate, and not Retrograde or Combust, or besieged of the Infortunes,
The Sun is the ruler of the 4th and it is relatively strong and fortunate in its own sign (the Sun can never be especially fortified in the usual sense), it cannot be retrograde, but it is slow in motion which can be taken as the equivalent, but its slowness is slight. It receives nor casts any aspect, it is isolated, but unmolested and such isolation can be interpreted as a good thing in this particular matter.
...or if Jupiter or Venus or the North Node be therein, and no reception between the Lord of the Ascendant and fourth,
The North Node is present in the 4th house, the Sun does receive Mercury in one sense, but this is by sign and so it is more properly disposing of Mercury.
then the City, Fort or Towne at that time surrounded or besiged, shall not be taken or delivered to the Army now besieging it; nay if there be both a Fortune and an Infortune in the fourth, the Towne shall not be taken,
This seems clear-cut: West Berlin will not be taken.
The next chart is for the time that restrictions along the border were relaxed, and is when the first gate in the Wall was opened and East Berliners began to pass the checkpoints. The BBC news broadcast of the following day defines it as "just after 9pm", I have left it at 9pm, but a few minutes later and Leo rises. Either way we have an end or a beginning. The Moon is very late in Pisces and on the cusp of the 10th house again signalling change. From double-bodied Pisces, the Moon moves into the single sign of Aries and applies to square with Venus, a difficult peace and reunification.
But of far greater impact is that Jupiter and Saturn are mutually applying to the opposition, that halfway point between the last conjunction and the next, the border of change.
And so the world turns.
Following the partitioning of Germany at the end of the Second World War, Berlin found itself isolated within East Germany which was controlled by the Russians. Berlin itself was divided between the British, Americans, French in West Germany and West Berlin, and Russians in East Germany and East Berlin, but Berliners moved between the two halves of the city for reasons of work, family, entertainment and so on. East Germans moved into the West in their tens of thousands with little hindrance, and it is reported that the numbers grew so fast that the Communist authorities decided to act. It is hardly surprising that they chose to do this as their skilled workforce was disappearing in huge numbers. The order to close the border was signed on 12th August 1961 at about 4pm and "just after midnight" the first barrier eas erected between the two parts of Berlin. Needless to say, this caused great fear among Berliners: those who were visiting the East overnight could not return; West Berlin was ostensibly cut off from its allies and supplies; they were under siege.
This chart is erected for the time mentioned above, when the fortifications around West Berlin, the "wall" being just a part, were begun. (A small change to the time makes little difference to the resulting astrology.) I remember the grave concerns about the capacity of West Berlin to survive and be re-supplied. I chose to look for its delineation to the rules of besieged towns as this seemed to be the most descriptive of the time. It is clear that the city would survive as indeed it did, and beyond that it thrived beyond all expectations. On page 379 of Christian Astrology, William Lilly recites the rules for this eventuality: The ascendant and his Lord are for the querent, and those that doe or shall besiege; the fourth house shall signifie the Towne, City or Fort besieged. or to be besieged, the Lord thereof the Governour; the fift house, Planets therein, and his Lord the Ammunition, Souldiery and Assistants the Governour and Towne may expect to reli[e]ve of assist them:
The Gemini Ascendant and Mercury signify the Russian authorities of East Berlin and East Germany; the 4th house has Leo on the cusp and so is ruled by the Sun, thus Leo describes West Berlin, and the Sun, its governor. The 5th house, vital in this matter, has a Mercury ruled cusp with Mars therein. This identification between the besiegers and West Berlin's assistants is strange, but there were many strange alliances made throughout the Cold War. However, Mars is the strongest planet in this chart and in Virgo describes those assistants as noisily belligerent and potent. Notice that Mars is in trine to Jupiter and Saturn in this chart and also to the previous conjunction itself. Although a dangerous time, there is little that will happen in terms of standard, 'hot' warfare. Mercury, the besiegers, is on the 4th cusp, the enemy within. It is combust - obliterated by the city it besieges. The Sun, representative of West Berlin absorbs its besiegers, Germans themselves.
...have regard to the Lord of the fourth; if he be in the fourth strong and fortunate, and not Retrograde or Combust, or besieged of the Infortunes,
The Sun is the ruler of the 4th and it is relatively strong and fortunate in its own sign (the Sun can never be especially fortified in the usual sense), it cannot be retrograde, but it is slow in motion which can be taken as the equivalent, but its slowness is slight. It receives nor casts any aspect, it is isolated, but unmolested and such isolation can be interpreted as a good thing in this particular matter.
...or if Jupiter or Venus or the North Node be therein, and no reception between the Lord of the Ascendant and fourth,
The North Node is present in the 4th house, the Sun does receive Mercury in one sense, but this is by sign and so it is more properly disposing of Mercury.
then the City, Fort or Towne at that time surrounded or besiged, shall not be taken or delivered to the Army now besieging it; nay if there be both a Fortune and an Infortune in the fourth, the Towne shall not be taken,
This seems clear-cut: West Berlin will not be taken.
The next chart is for the time that restrictions along the border were relaxed, and is when the first gate in the Wall was opened and East Berliners began to pass the checkpoints. The BBC news broadcast of the following day defines it as "just after 9pm", I have left it at 9pm, but a few minutes later and Leo rises. Either way we have an end or a beginning. The Moon is very late in Pisces and on the cusp of the 10th house again signalling change. From double-bodied Pisces, the Moon moves into the single sign of Aries and applies to square with Venus, a difficult peace and reunification.
But of far greater impact is that Jupiter and Saturn are mutually applying to the opposition, that halfway point between the last conjunction and the next, the border of change.
And so the world turns.
