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The Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlevi, a dictator/king supported by the United States, was ousted from Iran in 1979 and replaced by the Ayatollah Khomeini, an Iranian Islamic activist, politician, and religious leader. Under the shah’s rule, there had been a modernization of the nation with a major rise in income, an improvement (freeing) of women’s rights, and a stronger emphasis on the educational system. Iran was a modern nation under the shah’s rule, that looked much like a European state. But after the Ayatollah’s, (the Muslim religious leader’s) son Mostafa was killed, anti-shah demonstrations began to occur. Meanwhile, the shah came down with a serious cancer diagnosis, and his wife encouraged him to leave the country to seek medical assistance in France or another European country. With opposition to the monarchy, the military in disarray, strikes occurring, and inability to deal with the civil unrest, the country was collapsing. Although the shah granted amnesty to religious leaders living abroad and allowed them to return, including the Ayatollah, hoping to soothe the situation, this only facilitated what was to happen next. In January of 1979, with the military ready to abandon him, and Western leaders holding meetings about how to “handle the situation in Iran,” the shah boarded a plane to leave the country, and within hours, nearly every remnant of the shah’s dynasty was destroyed. By February, the pro-Khomeini forces had gained control.

The date of the revolution is therefore the current birth chart of Iran, with some adjustments for constitutional changes. Looking at the original natal chart, February 11, 1979, this speaks of the country as a triple Aquarius (at the midheaven)—Sun, Mercury, and Mars. To have the Sun and Mars at the Midheaven of a country in Aquarius speaks of its revolutionary nature, whatever we may think of the forces that took over. Also, consider that Aquarius’ old ruler was Saturn, a repressive, oppressive, and depressive force, much like fundamentalist Islamic factions use. Venus in Capricorn reinforces that strict kind of “love.” Neptune in Sagittarius is indicative of a world religion, which indeed Islam is—a fundamentalist one, OR of one of open and accepting beliefs. We know on which side this group falls, considering the repressiveness of Iranian society, especially for women. Jupiter and Moon in Leo in the house of communication let us know that the Ayatollah’s word is law. The Ayatollah may not say he is a king or dictator but acts as one. He is the mouthpiece of the nation, “my way or the highway.” Saturn and North Node in Virgo at the 4th house cusp can also attest to the severity of the regime. Virgo is pretty negative and tears things down to rebuild. That is what happened. Progress was torn down in the process of removing the monarchy, to be replaced by a religious sort of monarchy. Pluto in Libra trines the Sun in Aquarius, making rule of law easier, and there is a grand trine between the pain point, Chiron in Taurus (usually money & resources & security), Venus in Cap, and Saturn in Virgo. There is an earthy, nuts and bolts energy to this regime. Better follow the rules, or you won’t be loved. (go to prison?)

The constitution came into existence in December of the same year. In this chart, the Sun conjuncts Neptune in Sag in a wide orb (fundamentalism), Uranus and Mercury in Scorpio (sudden secret councils), with four planets/points in Virgo, including Mars conjunct Jupiter, indicating a complete rebuilding of both civil and spiritual as well as military society. Here, the grand earth trine is Venus in Cap, Chiron in Taurus, and Jupiter/Mars in Virgo. Moon is now in Gemini opposing the Sag/Neptune Sun. This shows that the country is still emotionally divided between past and present. The Moon reminds us that the women are still there, longing for their freedom.

Astrologers say, as is the leader, so goes the country. So how did the country go from being open and progressive and becoming a major world power to becoming a repressive society? The Shah’s chart shows him to be a super Scorpio, Sun, Moon, Mercury & North Node predominant in the chart; yet, he was a super-Virgo too: Saturn/Mars/Venus together. Saturn can be repressive, and Mars & Venus together love to battle. Virgo battles would be negative, wanting to destroy and rebuild. Truth be told, he did do that and raised up the economic level of the country as well as the military. He had a Jupiter/Neptune in Leo, probably attesting to his monarchic rule in his solar 10th house, but also a Uranus in Aquarius in his solar 4th, indicating unrest at home. His pain point was in Aries, the pain of being a leader, and his North Node in Scorpio indicated how he needed to get control of the physical in this lifetime to be successful. In some ways, he planted the seeds for what later battles have come, as those that remember the freedom during his reign long for that, even perhaps while being devoted to their faith.

The Ayatollah Khomeini’s chart looks like a seesaw, just to show his all or nothing attitude. Sun and Mercury were in Taurus, but he had 3 planets in Gemini, and opposite those were 5 points in fundamentalist Sagittarius, with Saturn in Capricorn tagging on the end, overshadowing his Sag Moon. This guy probably had a rough upbringing. His Mars was in Aries, so we know he was a fighter, and his Venus was in Cancer, so we know he did love his family and country, but I think he would be a severe parent to have. The energies of the two leaders’ charts couldn’t be more different. But the Ayatollah’s chart is quite strict and extreme. The Ayatollah died in June of 1989, and currently, the new Supreme leader of Iran is the Ayatollah Khamenei.

Ali Khamenei is a super Aries with Sun, Saturn, Moon, Mercury all there. Interesting how these leaders all have Mercury front and center, acting as mouthpieces for their beliefs. He is having a Uranus return in Taurus right now, meaning he is nearing 84, and at 84, the spirit starts to disconnect from the body. His Jupiter/Venus in Pisces do attest to his strong, undeniable faith in Islam. Mars is in Capricorn which will also give him severity, and his pain point Chiron is in Cancer, meaning he needs to learn how to feel—probably why Jupiter is trying to make his Venus do that. Neptune in Virgo is also a more severe form of spirituality, but I am sure he believes he is being of service to his people (as Virgos must) by holding to the stricter law of Islam.

When the Shah was overthrown, transiting Uranus was also front and center in the Shah’s chart, as well as a Saturn Return, a Jupiter return, and transiting Mars hitting his Uranus. Yes, it was time for him to go. Bye bye, Shah. As for Ayatollah Khomeini, in 1989 when hedied, transiting Jupiter crossed his Pluto, and Jupiter often releases the soul from the body, with transiting Uranus on his Saturn, and transiting Chiron on his Venus, plus transiting Saturn/Neptune opposing that Venus. Bye Bye, Rudy.

As I write this (April 7, 2024), news is reporting that Iran may attack Israel, and Israel is threatening back, which of course puts the United States in the picture, like it or not. So, will they do it? (As we now know, on the evening of April 13th, they did.) Will there be a wider war?

If we look at Ali Khamenei, one can see he is in the mood for war. The Solar eclipse contacted all of his Aries planets, and for anyone who watched, he gave his Ramadan speech, with a rifle at his side. Chiron in Aries is crossing his Moon and Saturn in Aries—which makes me wonder if his leadership is in jeopardy, and he feels pressed to the wall to do something. Mercury crossed his Aries Sun when he made his statement to the west about attacking allies—and the USA threatened back. With that Jupiter/Uranus conjunction coming in mid-April, that could be the danger point. I always worry about someone who feels their back is against the wall. They’ll take desperate actions. I am hoping that the Mercury Retrograde means it’s all talk, no action, but the planet pile-up is rather challenging, still… (and so, they did do it, after all.) Thus, the question becomes, how does that sit against the chart of Iran?

Using the revolution chart, there is a T-square with transiting conjunction of Jupiter/Uranus in Taurus, opposing the birth Uranus in Scorpio, and squaring the Aquarian triple identity of Sun/Mars/Mercury. This is indeed concerning that not only does Ali feel pressured, but the country itself wants to make a statement about its strength and capabilities, as the 14th strongest world military, 13thin terms of overall strength, and 7th in terms of active military personnel. Due to embargoes, they have learned how to make their own weaponry and thus have a solid industry of arms-building, thus claiming the most diverse missile arsenal in the region, 5th in hypersonic missile industry, and 6th in world missile power. This gives them a formidable advantage, should they choose to go to war with Israel, and subsequently, Israel’s allies.

Using the constitution chart, a transiting Saturn/Mars in Taurus opposes the birth Saturn in Scorpio, and within a few months, Saturn will retrograde, so if Iran does decide to let loose on Israel or on U.S. forces, they will find themselves in a longer world of hurt. And the world will hurt, too! Transiting Jupiter/Uranus will oppose this chart’s Uranus/Mercury, meaning if they choose to “make a statement,” it will be heard and will be met with a severe response. The greater fear is that this will bring their allies Russia, South Korea, and China into the fray, but truly, Russia’s forces are depleted by the war in Ukraine; yet, as we know, North Korea has long been spoiling—and practicing—for a fight. As the more volatile member, that’s a pretty dangerous partner. And Putin has been making nuclear war threats, so the situation is extremely uneasy, to say the least.

The question is, will they get into it? 

As of today, as I write this, one week later, we know that they did. Late on the evening of April 13th, Iran launched approximately 300 drones and missiles towards Israel, supposedly in response to an April 1st attack by Israel on an Iranian embassy complex in Damascus, Syria, killing seven foremost Iranian leaders. U.S. forces as well as those of Great Britain, Jordan, and France intercepted many of these drones and missiles that had been launched not only from Iran but also from Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Why did Israel attack the embassy in Iran in the first place? That, we do not know. At the time of this writing, no one was declared dead from the drone strikes in Israel, and I have also heard the number of drones launched from Iran being reduced from 300 to 100. So, news from the region is vague, at best.

There are several things that can come of this. I do think Khamenei is feeling hawkish. He is such an Aries, and this Aries eclipse may have emboldened him. In some ways, when I see his chart and the transiting Chiron in Aries on his birth Saturn, I almost feel like he thinks he needs to fight back to save face. After all, the Chiron Aries represents the pain of leadership and almost dares us to take risks to heal our pain. His birth Saturn in Aries connecting with Chiron says, “I am compelled to take action to prove our—and my—leadership.  So, let’s get it on!” This is the conundrum of dealing with Aries problems. Aries is impulsive and quick to anger, especially if one’s ideals feel besmirched or challenged. Also, let us remember that many warrior Muslims feel their duty is to fight and even die for their faith, and that those killed in the process are not only heroes but martyrs who died defending it.  Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (ally of Iran) recently lost three of his sons in an attack by Israel in Gaza. Haniyeh’s answer to that? “The blood of my sons is not dearer than the blood of my people,” he told Al-Jazeera TV. He also lost many other grandchildren and extended family in earlier Gaza strikes.

Transiting Saturn & Mars in Pisces marching together towards war-like Aries is an apt symbolic planetary expression of these very sentiments. Transiting Pluto in Aquarius (transformation by revolution) opposes Iran’s birth Jupiter in Leo. The Persian Lion roars. Transiting Saturn & Mars in Pisces conjunct Iran’s South Node (we have been here before and fought for our faith before) is trine Iran’s natal Uranus. This makes upheaval in order to “get control of something” easier to do—not that war is easy, but the energies present now in the planetary universe facilitate fighting and upheaval.  Plus, Scorpio is a sign that needs to learn how to finesse energy. What is too much? What is too little? Indeed, that is the question. How much of these activities are enough to make your point, Khamenei?

The same may be said of Benjamin Netanyahu, of course. When will you stop, Bibi? What will it take? How many dead? Until you, like Hitler, have done your best to wipe out an entire nation of people? I am not speaking of Iran here, as you know.  I AM now wondering, now that I know what started this new fiasco, what was Israel’s and Netanyahu’s reason for bombing the Syrian embassy? Again, I ask the question over and over, what are you expecting to happen? Why? For what are ALL OF THEM doing this? I think of Marvin Gaye’s song “What’s Going On?” “Brother, brother, brother, there’s far too many pf you dying.” Yes, we have to find a way to stop this. Will we?

I am afraid not. Bibi’s chart shows he feels pain for his people. That is genuine. Let’s say, he feels anger, and he may not be the only one. He feels emboldened by his partners that he can go to war in the ways that he has. The transiting North Node in Aries is directly on his birth North Node in Aries. He feels these actions of leadership are his destiny, and he feels comforted by having  these allies, but I see that the Jupiter/Uranus in Taurus in his house of partnership, in addition to his natal Neptune (THE FOG)—well, those things may have misled him. Is he seeing clearly? Does he know that his partners could withhold money from him if he doesn’t change his behavior? Yes, Israel has a right to defend themselves—against the October 7th attack—although he clearly has overdone it there—to the most tragic extreme. Yes, Israel has the right to defend themselves against Iran, but why did they attack the Iranian embassy in Syria? I will be searching for that answer. So, does Iran not have a right to do the same? But I have the same reaction—with such an extreme reaction as 100-300 missiles? What is the point here? Where does it end? And as another song from the 60s asks, “When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?”

In the next month, Israel’s chart has a “come to Jesus” moment—especially regarding money and partners. As Jupiter and Uranus conjoin in the sign of banking and money and land—there could be a distinct loss of money—or a sudden escalation. An escalation will happen if the U.S. and fellow allies decide to get into the tussle with Iran. One thing about the Iran invasion, Bibi has to turn and change positions—away from Gaza—and towards Iran, the bigger and clearly more dangerous target. By the middle of May, we will find out if Joe and company decide if they want to get a divorce from Bibi. There’s definitely something tense happening with Joe around July 14th—volatility is strong. Maybe he’s mad, and he ain’t gonna take it anymore? There’s a split up happening. He is in the mood for a revolution himself with that transiting Mars/Uranus opposition hitting hisnatal Uranus and opposing his Ascendant after running ragged across his Mars, Mercury, Sun, and Venus oppsition. Yikes! Or is he going to drop dead of exhaustion? For Bibi and Israel, there have already been threats of dire monetary consequences of they continue on their path of planned chaos and destruction. This is a warlike time—The Aries Solar eclipse and the lopsided astrological chart lean toward war. 

Indeed, if one looks at the USA’s chart, no matter which of the 3 or so you use, the prospect is the same: we are in the same position we were in, prior to the Revolutionary War (Pluto in Capricorn followed by ingress into revolutionary Aquarius), in the run-up to the Civil War (1st square to USA’s natal Pluto), in the run- up to World War II (Pluto opposite USA’s natal Pluto), in the run-up to Vietnam (Pluto again square USA’s natal Pluto). So here we are, past our 1st Pluto return, once again possibly headed into a war no one wins—added by the upcoming ingress of Uranus unto Gemini –which is not only a Uranus return for the States--but also another PAST indicator of upcoming war. These cycles are not jokes. There is a reason why we are told to study history so we won’t t have to repeat it. THE PLANETS PROVE IT. 

Sure, the United States is doing its Mommy Cancer Sun/Jupiter/Venus best to break up these fights between twins and neighbors. She’s trying. Corralling something that flows like water, or floods! though, is difficult to do—Saturn and Mars in Pisces. The U.S. has its own birth Chiron in Aries pain point being poked and nibbled right now by the dogs of war. As we have in the past, we will try to quell the rivalries, while getting in the middle of it. But when Mars and Jupiter in Gemini hit our Uranus in Gemini, we may have to choose sides. This looks like an expansion of both rhetoric and war machinery. Mid-August will see an escalation of words and emotions that could have dire consequences for the U.S. as well as the Middle East, as we try to cope with widening protests and outcries. Remember, Boomers, you ended a war by protesting. You DO have something to teach the youngun’s. Perhaps that should be the spirit of the New Revolution coming in 2026 and 2027? Just say no? Yes, just say no to war. 

From the words of Marvin Gaye, “Father, father, we don’t need to escalate/ War is not the answer, for only Love can conquer hate/You know we’ve got to find a way to bring some lovin’ here today…” Yes, we do.

By the way, have hope for Iran and its women. Iran also has a Gemini rising, close to that of the USA. They may go through their own revolution in 2026/2027. It ain’t over till it’s over.