Introduction
     This, Part II of The Timeless Mideast Bottleneck  follows Part 1, Ancient And Enduring Karmas.  If you have come to this Forecast without first reading Part 1, please go to #53 Part I -- The Timeless Mideast Bottleneck -- Ancient And Enduring Karmas

     Part II considers nation charts for current major players in today's Mideast --  Israel, Iraq (old and new), Saudi Arabia and Iran.  Iran's chart was not originally selected;  its addition reflects Iran's model for an Islamic fundamentalist government.  In the ever-changing Mideast, charts for other countries, such as Pakistan or Turkey, could be additional future choices.  However, because some nation charts are not available, and several hours is needed to calculate and interpret each chart, it is impractical to consider every alternative.  

     Each nation chart is presented in its own Forecast section because the file for all of Part II is too large for e-mailing and printing.  There's no particular reading order for the nation chart sections on Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia -- but the Iraq section should be read last as it containing conclusions for the entire Forecast.   Because the nation chart analyses are highly compressed interpretations to provide specifics on the thesis in Part I, the Synopsis Of Key Points is omitted. 

     Birth data for these nation charts was primarily taken from Mundane Horoscopes of Nations,  http://www.dominantstar.com/tra_nationspage.htm  This website references the Book of World Horoscopes for authenticity.

Saudi Arabia's Vedic Chart 
     Saudi Arabia's chart birth is calculated for the Saudi's capturing capital city Riyadh from the Turks at dawn.  However, not only is dawn again an obvious estimation, but the use of local mean time results in varying charts.  This is explained in Starcats.com  http://starcats.com/saudi_opec.html  

     Saudi Arabia's oil riches, are of course, its defining attribute, readily been seen in the ninth house of wealth in Cancer (the home).  The Moon (the home and life benefits) rules the ninth house of wealth and is placed in the fifth house of investments and past life credit.  Simple put, this means great investment wealth from past life efforts -- a birthright.  The ninth house in Cancer also receives a tremendous aspect (glance) from wealthy Jupiter, made even more potent for Jupiter ruling two houses of wealth and because Cancer is, Jupiter's exalted sign.  Additional aspects from the Sun (government and career) Mercury (business, goals and hidden wealth) and Mars (self) inflate wealth further.  As these aspects come from the third house of desires, Saudi Arabia greatly craves and covets its oil.  That warrior Mars rules the first house of the self and the sixth house of enemies and warfare means. Saudi Arabia defends its wealth; Mercury's influence brings this defense in a wily and shrewd manner by using money and clever diplomacy.

     The country's religious orientation is again found in these two houses  --  the ninth house is religion and the fifth house religious-mindedness and spiritual knowledge.  Because the perceptional Moon is the oper- able planet, Saudi Arabia is passionate about its beliefs.  It is interesting that Saudi rulers are known for their indulgences in expensive art, sports, their investments and love of gambling, for these all relate to the fifth house as well, and because this is Pisces, ruled by an injured wealthy Jupiter, they overindulge to the extreme.

     Saudi Arabia's chart indicates paternal kingship for the Moon ruling the ninth house of the father and being placed in the fifth house of royalty.  Kingship is cemented by the royal Sun ruling the tenth house of government and being placed in traditional Capricorn.  Royalty governs as a traditional father oversees the family because authoritative Saturn rules the fourth house of the family and is placed in the second house of early childhood and domestic harmony  -- bringing responsibility for the family nation's happiness.  Saturn's toughness makes governance autocratic, inflexible, merciless and (again) paternalistic.  The configuration also brings a passion for money, which this selfishly desirous Saturn shares only within the royal family.  We can see the oil revenue here in the fourth house being the home and fixed assets, Saturn representing old things under the earth and the second house being income.  

     There is a fly in the aristocratic soup, however, in the Sun being conjunct wealthy Jupiter.   Capricorn is Jupiter's fallen sign, and it is further injured by being less than one degree from the Sun, which burns Jupiter.  All of Jupiter's significations are thus badly injured, and because Mercury and Mars are also conjunct Jupiter, the wily shrewdness stated above is applied to Jupiter's significations.  Jupiter is religion, resulting in distorted Islamic views.  Jupiter is wealth, causing greed.  Jupiter is children, bringing miscreants like Osama Bin Laden and fourteen of the 9-11 hijackers.  Jupiter is wisdom, causing bad and foolish choices, especially with regard to Mercury's friends and groups.

     Saudi Arabia's paternalistic and selfish royalty uses its wealth to benefit the ruling class, control the pop- ulation and to forestall or prevent distorted religious zealots from challenging its position in a most shrewd but Jupiterian foolish manner.  It has supported radical fundamentalism in Afghanistan and other countries, believing the fanatics won't return home to Saudi Arabia to wreck terror there  -- and those chickens are already coming home to roost.  The royal family is philanthropic in supporting Muslim groups of all kinds, believing that the masses will continue to be obedient under strict Islamic law.  

     But the government ignores the fact that some of these groups are led by messianic clerics who will sooner or later use this power to impose their extreme version of Islam upon the government.  Plus, the growing population of young people are in Islamic schools that often teach them to hate all infidels and destroy the royal family for their impure Muslim beliefs.  Since this Forecast focuses upon the Rahu and Ketu's serpent nature, the royal family's support of radicals abroad and at home is akin to feeding the snake to keep it placid, ignoring that this protective coddling allows the snake grow into a terrible serpent that can swallow its benefactors. 

     Looking at otherworldly Ketu, this tail of the dragon sits in warrior Aries and is aspected by Mars.  Mars/Ketu is best described as seething religious anger, which is the same combination that brought 9-11.  This, then, shows the constant undercurrent of religious violence within some Muslim groups, which cannot be bought off or controlled permanently.  With Ketu in the sixth house, Rahu is naturally opposite in the twelfth of loss.  This signifies losses, of course, but also imprisonment, like Martha Stewart who has this in her chart.  This Rahu also indicates the ability to handle tough characters, which the Saudi government has historically been able to do, although its primary tool of using wealth, as discussed above, is not a cure but a band aid, buying off the opposition.  For timely information on this topic, see The New York Times June 28 article, Saudi's In Terror's Shadow  http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/28/opinion/28MON1.html 

     Recall that this Forecast postulates that it is Ketu's gas and oil that brings now this clashing of ancient aggressive karmas.  Part I The Timeless Mideast Bottleneck -- Ancient Karmas concluded by stating,

     (Note: Saudi Arabia's planetary cycles from birth will not be reviewed in order to continue the focus upon the current period.  One comment, however, is pertinent.  The country was founded under Jupiter/Rahu/Sun, the birth of a country ruled by a greedy and basically rough royal group.  That is not the beginning of a durable nation state but rather one whose selfishness is sooner or later challenged through conflict.)

     Kala Sarpa has been explained in several Forecasts and was detailed again in Part I The Timeless Mideast Bottleneck -- Ancient Karmas.  If you've forgotten its meaning, please refer back to that Forecast's last page.  Saudi Arabia's Kala Sarpa Yoga is now activated in its current Rahu planetary cycle and also because transit Rahu and Ketu have been doing a reverse return since August 28, 2003.  This continues until February 22, 2005.  Reverse return means that transit Rahu crosses birthchart Ketu and transit Ketu crosses birthchart Rahu.  Part I described these eclipse points as, Rahu is like condensation and Ketu evaporation.  Since it is meteorologically impossible to have both occur at once, this gives a clue to how confusing and confused Saudi Arabia is now.  That Ketu with the Mars aspect in the sixth house of enemies brings the seething religious anger, Rahu's influence there must stimulate for aggression.

     Saudi Arabia's minor planetary cycle is the Moon, which began in December 2003 and ends in June 2005.  This puts a natural focus on the home and wealth, suggesting these to be the areas in which the Saudi's fate will play out.  Considering then that Rahu/Ketu activate the Kala Sarpa fate from August 2003 through February 2005, we can see an overlap of influences with the Rahu/Moon planetary cycle.  Further and increasing terrorist violence in Saudi Arabia is therefore expected, and it is entirely possible that its Kala Sarpa rise since the late eighties will be followed by the government's fall by early 2005. 

Saudi's Arabia Astrocartography
     A Moon line running through the country is auspicious in making the land feel like home and bringing tremendous wealth.

     A Venus line through Turkey and Egypt is favorable for relations, kindnesses and also business.  

     A Saturn line though India and up into China suggests problems with those major countries, although Saturn is also the income planet in the Saudi chart.  Oil sales would be profitable.

     Not shown is the U.S. map, which has a Ketu and Venus lines influencing Washington DC.  These combine to influence for weirdness in the relationship with the U.S. through the vehicle of Ketu's oil and gas.  There would always be dissatisfaction with the partnership and also an unhealthy narcissism.  Venus with Ketu, however, also brings the ability to cast spells (mesmerize), which Saudi Arabia has done so well with the U.S. government.