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The Celestial Wheel
World societal, economic and political forecasting since 2002
May 16, 2006
Doug Riemer Back To: Celestial Wheel Archives |
#66 The Risk Of A Bird Flu Pandemic
May 16, 2006
Introduction
The January 12, 2006 In-depth Celestial Wheel, #65a Planetary Karmas For The First Half of 2006
Part I -- World Transit Chart, predicted the Bird Flu virus would evolve into a pandemic. To refresh readers' memories, following are applicable excerpts regarding transits -- where the planets are in current skies, which dispositions describe global planetary karmas:
January 1 to February 5 ...Saturn and Ketu also both afflict the 6th house of illness and enemies. This results in infighting among public and private relief groups, especially in regard to health issues, and gives a subject to the predicted public emotional upset -- criticism of ineffective government. The Bird Flu, a chest area illness, is an obvious health concern. Its progression to a pandemic will likely not occur until the summer -- even though governments have been hog-tied by Saturn/Ketu since last May in controlling its spread and devising protective measures. If and when the virus mutates to become communicable among people, a pandemic would result. April 4 to May 24 Although Jupiter (In Libra) continues to restrain the Bird Flu, the 6th house of illness is so afflicted that the disease must progress -- becoming more contagious and spreading geographically. May 25 to July 12 Since Saturn/Ketu continues to disallow effective Bird Flu preparations, pandemic risk is further increased. |
This natural zodiac chart (starting at Aries) shows the current house/sign dispositions of these three disease-causing planets. Saturn is death. Worldly Rahu is toxic. Otherworldly Ketu dissolves, making it disintegrating influence. {See the essay on Rahu and Ketu at the end of this Forecast.) Regarding affected houses, the forth house (Cancer) is the chest, the sixth house (Virgo) is acute illness and the tenth house (Capricorn) is the masses.
As shown, toxic Rahu aspects deathly Saturn in the fourth house of the chest. In turn, Saturn aspects disintegrating Ketu in the sixth house of acute illness. Not shown are Rahu, Saturn and Ketu all aspecting the tenth house of the masses. |
Transit positions of Saturn, Rahu |
{Note: All planets throw aspects -- energetic glances -- seven house/signs away. Aspects equal about one third of the planets' power. However, as some planets also project additional special aspects, such as Saturn aspecting three and ten house/signs away, aspect positions are not readily seen without knowing these rules.}
These planets have been in these house/sign positions since late May, 2005 and continue there until the very end of October, 2006, when all three transit (change) house/signs. This positional longevity causes their influences to accumulate. Further, malefics are most harmful when they are overly strong or weak, and as they simultaneously become Sandhi (weak) at the edge of the house/signs, there's a second influence for harm in October 2006.
{Note: As the eighth house is death, and the twelfth house is hospitalization, these too must be considered in following analyses. Also, some faster moving planets are important timing indicators: Mercury is the ruler of the sixth house. Infectious disease Mars rules the eighth house of death. The Sun symbolizes the body.}
Twentieth Century Pandemic History
There have been three influenza pandemics during the twentieth century, as per the below listing, which includes deaths in the U.S. for severity comparison. {Accurate global mortality rates are not available.}
1918 Spanish Flu 550,000
1957 Asian Flu 70,000
1968 Hong Kong Flu 34,000
Medical advances and improved communications mitigated mortality in the latter two pandemics. Today, however, population growth and worldwide mobility {spreading contagious disease much faster} offset disease controlling advantages. {See Pandemics and Pandemic Scares in the 20th Century)
The critical factor for these previous pandemics is when mass infections and deaths began - to enable calculating pandemic charts and then comparing these with current and upcoming planetary transits. Also, note that three twentieth century pandemics hit in the fall: September of 1918, October of 1957 and December of 1968, giving an additional timing factor.
Twentieth Century Pandemic Charts
The September 1,1918 Spanish Flu chart has deathly Saturn in the fourth house of the chest. Saturn aspects the sixth house of acute illness. Disintegrating Ketu also aspects the sixth house. Toxic Rahu is in the eighth house of death, from which is aspects Saturn in the fourth house of the chest. Mars, Ketu and Saturn all aspect the tenth house of the public. This configuration is uncannily congruent with these planets now -- shown in the first chart, above. Additionally, sixth house ruler, Mercury, is combust the Sun and moves into the sixth house later in September.
The October 2, 1957 Asian Flu chart has deathly Saturn in the eighth house of death, from which it aspects the tenth house of the public. Sixth house ruler Mercury and the Sun (body) are in the sixth of acute illness, where they are afflicted by infectious disease Mars. This chart, killing 70,000 in the U.S., is obviously not as virulent as the 1918 Spanish Flu chart, which killed over one half million. Nor is it as harmful as the 2006 transit chart, shown above. Most notable is the absence of any Saturnian influence upon the fourth house of the chest, which, in signifying the lungs, relates to a flu pandemic.
The 1968 Hong Kong Flu chart has deathly Saturn and toxic Rahu in the twelfth house of hospitalization. Saturn aspects the sixth house of acute illness. Rahu aspects the fourth house of the chest. Disintegrating Ketu and infectious Mars are in the sixth house. Mercury, ruler of the sixth house of acute illness, is in the eighth house of death, as is the Sun - the body. Again, this chart is not as virulent as either the 1918 pandemic chart, nor 2006 planetary dispositions-- especially as Saturn again does not influence the fourth house of the chest. |
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This historical chart review of the three twentieth century flu pandemics:
Confirms the planets and houses which symbolize flu pandemic
Points to Saturn's influence upon the fourth house of the chest determining pandemic virulence.
Indicates current planetary dispositions will bring a pandemic comparable to the 1918 Spanish Flu.
When A Pandemic Would Occur
This transit chart for May 1, 2006 was first published in the April 30 Celestial Wheel Commentary to illustrate continued stress from these malefic planets. It is similar to the highly simplified 2006 transit chart, shown above. Added are contagious disease Mars and the aspects cast by Saturn, Mars and Ketu to the tenth house of the masses. It graphically and convincingly shows that all four disease causing planets are influencing the sixth house of acute illness: Rahu aspects Saturn, which in turn aspects the sixth. Mars aspects the sixth, and Ketu is placed in the sixth. |
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Since Rahu, Saturn and Ketu continue in their respective house/signs until the end of October, Mars' position is the single critical variable during this summer/fall period.
Transit Mars in the third house of Gemini afflicts by aspect both Ketu and the sixth house during its April 3 to May 23 passage through that house sign.
Mars will next travel through Cancer conjunct Saturn from May 24 to July 12. Then, Mars will continue to stimulate the flu virus to spread and mutate.
From July 13 to August 29, Mars will be in the fifth house of Leo, where it will not influence the sixth house. The Bird Flu virus will thereby not advance as quickly, but its relative quietude would be deceiving.
On August 29, transit Mars will begin to travel through the sixth house of acute illness.
This is transit chart for Wednesday (Mercury's day) August 30 shows contagious disease Mars newly transiting into the sixth house of acute illness, almost on top of Ketu. This signifies the date when the Bird Flu will become contagious. Confirming influences are sixth house ruler Mercury being combust (burnt) the Sun, benefic Venus conjunct malefic Saturn and the benefic Moon in its fallen sign of Scorpio in the eighth house of death. Only benefic Jupiter is unaffected. Further, deathly Saturn will be in the terrible lunar house of Ashlesha -- whose symbol is the poisonous serpent.
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Mars continues in Virgo until October 13, by which time infections would rapidly spread around the globe.
Next, Mars moves into Libra (October 13 to November 26), where it afflicts Jupiter and aspects the tenth house of the masses -- again joining Saturn and Ketu in harming that house. This suggests mass infections, especially during the last half of October. Here's why:
As explained above, Rahu, Saturn and Ketu will be finishing up their one and one half years of accumulating energy as they prepare to change signs at the end of October. Recall too that this house/sign change brings harmful weakness. Thereby, any pandemic would be in full bloom by the end of October. Finally, this fall timing is congruent with the previous three pandemics occurring during the fall.
Final Thoughts
Vedic Astrology is most essentially about probabilities seen in charts, for fate is about 70% of all karmas (actions) in the universe. Too, there are many different charts relating to any topic, and these cannot all be identified. Obviously, judgment is yet another variable, for even the finest astrologer can only perceive and appreciate some of the fated karmas in any chart.
Further, there's always uncertainty as to how these karmas will actualize, which always surprising in some way. For example, a pandemic won't necessarily issue from the Bird Flu virus. Currently, three other infectious diseases have popped up in the U.S.: Mumps in the Midwest, Morgellons disease in Texas and bubonic plague in Utah. Certainly, however, these three additional serious diseases confirm some type widespread infectious disease will beset the globe and the U.S. this fall.
Readers should thereby use the predictive information in this forecast as an alert to monitor reports about any and all infectious diseases.
The ideas expressed above are the result of several weeks of research, astrological analysis and introspection. They are not the final predictions to be offered in The Celestial Wheel on this vital topic. More observations will follow as events unfold during the summer and a greater understanding is gained regarding pandemics as symbolized by the planets.
Rahu And Ketu The Moon's Nodes
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Rahu, and its companion Ketu are unique planets to Vedic Astrology. These hard to understand Eastern symbols are basically intensifying influences. Malefics Rahu and Ketu, are the Moon's Nodes, the astronomical points calculated to pinpoint eclipses, and as they block the light, Rahu and Ketu are called the shadowy planets. That they normally move backward, called retrograde, is indicative of the Nodes' unique natures. A rich mythology underlies all of Vedic Astrology, describing the deep meanings behind complex Eastern symbolism. This ancient story tells how Rahu and Ketu became the shadow planets. Lord Vishnu, the creator and preserver, gathered the planetary gods together and offered them a vial of Amrita so they could live forever in the solar system. Lord Vishnu then left the room, and a shadow serpent crept in to drink from the vial. Alerted by the Sun and the Moon, Lord Vishnu quickly returned and cut the demon in two, but too late to deny the two pieces, Rahu the head and Ketu the tail, immortality. The shadow planets thus joined the solar system as great enemies of the Luminaries. Rahu and Ketu powerfully swallow -up the Sun and Moon in eclipses. Then the stars can be seen, revealing deep knowledge from the dawning of time.
Ketu, the mystical brainless bottom half, intensifies by dissolving materiality into spirit, creating insight and perception. Ketu is unconscious desires, and while it is a superlative mystical influence, its otherworldly energies can also bring the most devious and weird effects into the real world. Ketu is the past.
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