Dateline: Sunday December 14, 2003 3:05PM PDT Eugene, Oregon -- Special Report… I am writing this just about 6 hours after President Bush announced the capture of Saddam Hussein -- a capture that occurred last night (Saturday Dec. 13) at approximately 8:30PM Baghdad Time. Saddam was near his hometown of Tikrit and apparently one or more family members gave the tip to the U.S. military where to look for the former leader of Iraq. He was found completely disheveled and disoriented in a small cellar or "spider hole" by a farmhouse. He had a pistol with him, but did not use it and not even a shot was fired in taking him prisoner. News reports have indicated that he was found with around $750,000 in American $100 bills. He may even have been asleep when found in a military action code-named "Operation Red Dawn."

For background on this story, you should examine Parts XIII to XVIII in my terrorism series on this web site. [Scroll further down on the Index Page.] Part XIII contains charts for Iraq and Saddam Hussein. Part XVI has the horoscope for when Saddam Hussein gained power in Iraq (July 16, 1979). Much further down on the Index Page is a story on Saddam Hussein himself.

To view the chart for the capture of Saddam Hussein, click on this link:

To view the solar chart (time unknown) for Saddam Hussein, click on the following link:

Of course, a first question is how will Saddam be tried? This could occur through a new Iraqi tribunal, an international court (like the World Court at The Hague in The Netherlands) or via a U.S. military court. For the U.S. to try and execute him might create a gigantic wave of terrorism far into the future. Just capturing him has been a major political coup for President Bush and his administration. This will be "milked" for all its worth in the coming 2004 presidential election. Can you imagine the ads by the Republican Party during the summer and fall of 2004? Barring a scandal of titanic proportions for the executive branch of our government, an economic collapse next year throughout the country or some unforeseen event or health crisis afflicting President Bush, he is now a virtual shoe-in for re-election and four more years as the leader of the nation.

The chart for Saddam Hussein's capture can be examined in and of itself. It can also be compared to Saddam's natal horoscope. His birth time is unknown and therefore a solar chart or sunrise type map is presented. Many other comparisons can be made. The following are some preliminary remarks as food for thought right now. Depending on what happens down the road, I will present a Part II for your study and research.

The time used for the capture is 8:26PM and the place is Tikrit. However, the time may be very slightly different and apparently the farmhouse where he was captured was about 9 miles south of Tikrit in the small town of AdWar. Nevertheless, we see approximately 8 degrees of Leo rising. [Note: By the way, this is President Bush's rising sign and degree placement! Coincidence or destiny?] As a start, this makes enormous sense. Leo represents royalty, kingship, ruling authority, and Hussein thought of himself as "The Lion of Baghdad." Saddam Hussein was not only THE tyrant of Iraq (the Ace of Spades in the specially designed deck of cards of Iraqi outlaws), the former president of the country, a modern-day Saladin, but envisioned or imagined himself as the fulfillment of all the ancient leaders of this part of the world. The Moon is rising at 15+ degrees of Leo. This placement is a power point in the zodiac, often considered a "gate of the avatar," in esoteric astrology -- along with 15 degrees of Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius. The Moon in the sky closely trining Saddam Hussein's natal Moon in mid-Sagittarius shows the ease with which he was taken by troops finding his hiding place. If you check out the horoscope from Part XVI of my terrorism series -- the chart for Saddam Hussein taking power in Iraq on July 16, 1979 -- you will notice a potent Mercury-Jupiter union at 14 Leo. The Moon was just passing over this point when he was found alive. Amazingly, transiting Saturn at the capture -- located at 11+ Cancer -- was also exactly conjunct the Venus placement from Saddam taking power in Iraq. Saturn has always been considered the main planet of fate and destiny -- usually in a negative manner via fear, doubt and limitations. Venus is a key money planet since it rules Taurus. The fact that Saddam was found with $750,000 in what everyone is describing as a rat hole is an astounding symbol. When Saddam Hussein was born, Venus was retrograde in Aries -- thus, moving in the opposite direction to the Sun's motion. As my mentor in astrology Dane Rudhyar pointed out decades ago, it is rarer to be born with Venus retrograde than any other planet. That's because -- relative to its orbit -- Venus spends less time retrograde (six weeks every 18+ months) than any other planet.

The Saddam = Stolen Millions equation is very fascinating and definitely connects with his birth during a challenging Venus time. Keep in mind that when Venus is retrograde, it is moving in COUNTERPOINT to the Sun's motion. While Mercury does this frequently -- three times a year, for three weeks at a time -- Venus going retrograde is a BIG DEAL that doesn't happen that often. And Venus rules Saddam Hussein's Sun-sign! Since we don't know his time of birth and therefore don't know his rising sign, his main chart ruler is Venus -- because it rules his Sun in Taurus. Note that transiting Venus at his capture was located at 20+ Capricorn -- closely opposing the Sun placement from July 16, 1979 when Saddam Hussein seized power in Iraq. Venus at 20+ Capricorn was also almost precisely squaring Saddam Hussein's natal Venus at 21+ Aries.

It's also very significant to focus on giant Jupiter -- the largest planet in the solar system. When Saddam Hussein was born on April 28, 1937, one of the most important alignments was a Jupiter-Pluto opposition -- from 26+ Capricorn to 26+ Cancer. His megalomania and extreme egotistical approach to life is found here. As he is captured -- looking completed aged, worn-out and exhausted -- Jupiter at 18+ Virgo is approaching a tense and frictional square pattern to Pluto at 19+ Sagittarius. The same two planets that describe a major facet of Saddam Hussein's personality at birth are once again forming a strong alignment when he is captured. Furthermore, when he seized power on July 16, 1979, Jupiter in Leo and Pluto in Libra were forming a constructive and productive sextile aspect of 60 degrees. Clearly, the cosmic picture at this capture -- regarding Jupiter (law/justice) and Pluto (extremism/underworlds/terror) -- are a remarkable example of dynamic astrology at work. It is also a fact that transiting Jupiter at the capture -- exactly placed at 18 degrees and 11 minutes of Virgo -- was squaring Neptune at 18 degrees and 14 minutes of Sagittarius from the moment he seized power in Iraq in the summer of 1979. That's a square pattern within 3 minutes of arc. Neptune is a planet that -- on the shadow side -- connects with confusion, chaos, nebulosity, illusions and deception. Saddam Hussein had been an elusive, ghostly, Neptune-like figure -- both in power and since the Iraq War began on March 19, 2003 when he went into hiding and on the run. In another remarkable example of astrology at work, we notice that the most recent Full Moon occurred on December 8, 2003 at 16 degrees and 20 minutes of Sagittarius-Gemini. Saddam Hussein's natal Neptune is 16 degrees and 24 minutes of Virgo. Thus, the main Iraqi criminal leader trying to escape the clutches of the U.S. military, seeking to evade his nemesis and fate, had just been hit by a lunation directly squaring his natal Neptune within 4 minutes of arc -- creating a temporary short-circuiting in his ability to camouflage himself in the maze of underground bunkers in the Iraqi desert.

You will notice in the capture chart that a big alignment concerns Mercury opposite Saturn -- from the sixth house (health/illness, but also the armed forces in mundane astrology!) to the twelfth house (mysteries, the unknown, places of confinement and retreat!). This seems highly symbolic of both the capture of Saddam Hussein and his fall from power. After all, when he seized control of Iraq on July 16, 1979, Mercury was almost precisely with Jupiter in the middle of powerful Leo -- a sign of rulership. And Mercury has a natural rapport with Jupiter as both planets rule the four mutable signs of the zodiac in traditional astrological analysis -- Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. For Mercury to be now with Saturn -- and in a precise polarity rather than a union -- represents Saddam Hussein falling into the enemy's hands (Saturn as a distinct rival to Jupiter) with the certainty of a future either in prison (twelfth house placement of Saturn in capture horoscope) or execution (and inevitable martyrdom -- negative side of the twelfth house -- by Islamic militants looking for a hero beyond the grave). It is also astounding that Saddam Hussein was born with a waxing, increasing trine of Mercury in earthy Taurus to Jupiter in earthy Capricorn -- with Mercury slowing down and ready to make a retrograde station just 2 days after his birth. As he is captured, Mercury in Capricorn is making a similar waxing, earthy trine to Jupiter in Virgo -- with Mercury slowing down and ready to make a retrograde station in just 4 days after the capture. The cosmos is showing a mirror reflection in the zodiac -- via Mercury and Jupiter (planets that rule transportation and communication) -- that links April 28, 1937 to December 13, 2003! We might even say that the U.S. military intelligence (Mercury/Jupiter) was able to utilize its communication powers to track down Saddam Hussein due to a rare reappearance of a planetary alignment. Thus, the higher wisdom of astrology is confirmed according to the ancient saying "as above, so below," what's true in the greater macrocosm is reflected in truth in the microcosm.

There's so much more in this capture chart to study. However, we must take a look at Mars -- like Saturn a traditional malefic planet that is connected to war itself, anger, danger, volatility, bloodshed and the like. Mars is at 28+ Pisces and this is the zodiacal intercept of the fixed star Scheat, the beta star in the constellation of Pegasus. It has always had a very negative reputation in astrological lore and history. Mars was located in the eighth house of the capture map and this house relates to death-rebirth, transformation, metamorphosis and underworlds. Realize that Saddam Hussein was also found in what was called a "spider hole" underground -- a very Scorpio-like, eighth-house type reality. However, Mars at 28+ Pisces is astounding for another reason. If you go back to the horoscope for the start of the Iraq War -- March 19, 2003 and see terrorism series Parts XIV-XVI -- you will see that U.S. hostilities began during a Mercury-Sun conjunction at 27-29 Pisces. Mars transiting the Mercury-Sun placement of the war is totally appropriate for finding the one man who is the key to several decades of murder, violence and mayhem in Iraq. [Note: The Sun placement at the capture is 21+ Sagittarius. This is exactly opposite America's Mars at 21+ Gemini from July 4, 1776! It's also closely squaring America's Neptune at 22+ Virgo. Therefore, the Sun (core energies; light; soul; empowerment) for this startling event is going to set off much controversy and contention here in the USA. It shows the appropriate nature of the capture, but if he is tried in Iraq much of the "dirty laundry" between Saddam Hussein and our CIA and past governments may come to light -- creating confusion within the minds of many American citizens as the whole world sees a kind of exposure of the secret dealings between our leaders and Saddam Hussein in decades past when he fought against Iran and the Ayatollah Khomeini in the 1980s and we may have supplied him with some of the same weapons of mass destruction (biological and chemical agents) that we accused him of either making or hiding.]

If you go back to the July 16, 1979 horoscope, you will notice a fundamental T-Square triangle composed of a Moon-Ceres conjunction in Aries, Venus and the Sun in Cancer, and Pluto in Libra. The missing zodiacal influence to make this into a square in cardinal signs is Capricorn. At Saddam Hussein's capture, you will see the trio of Mercury, Chiron and Venus in Capricorn. These three celestial bodies have temporarily transfigured the T-Square triangle from July 16, 1979 into a Grand Cross or symbolic crucifixion in cardinal signs. In fact, transiting Chiron (the wounded healer; wounds and pains for our armed forces and the people of Iraq) at 16+ Capricorn was closely squaring the Pluto placement at 16+ Libra from July 16, 1979. When you look at Saddam Hussein's birthchart from April 28, 1937, you will see Chiron at 20+ Gemini. Transiting Pluto (the extremes of life; death-rebirth themes; terrorism; the underworld) now at the capture -- 19+ Sagittarius -- is closing in on the first ever opposition to Saddam Hussein's natal Chiron. Here we see a double-whammy at work -- Chiron now impacting Pluto from July 16, 1979 (Hussein in power) and Pluto now impacting Chiron from April 28, 1937 (Hussein born).

Could we have foreseen this capture a few months ago via astrology? Perhaps. Pluto made a direct station on August 28, 2003 at 17 degrees and 14 minutes of Sagittarius. Saddam Hussein was born with his Mean North Node of the Moon -- a key fate/destiny point in a chart -- at 17 degrees and 16 minutes of Sagittarius, an area that is also part of the Sun/Pluto midpoint structure at Hussein's birth! Pluto had not only made an exact station on his lunar North Node, it was virtually sitting on top of it from July to October (due to Pluto's super-slow motion as the outermost planet) as the U.S. military sought to find him going from one lead to the next, from one underground hideout to the next. On that same day -- August 28, 2003 -- Mercury made a retrograde station at 26+ degrees of Virgo. This was an exact hit on Saddam Hussein's natal Juno. The asteroid Juno is connected to empowerment or disempowerment in primary relationships. Certainly, with the former ruler of Iraq on the run in his own nation and a bounty of $25 million on his head, many of his old partners, relatives or underlings might be tempted to "spill the beans" on his whereabouts. As a confirmation of this hypothesis, note that in the capture horoscope Juno is located at 16 Sagittarius -- conjunct Saddam Hussein's lunar North Node. When it is negative in influence, Juno has to do with repressed rage and violence by the small, weak and dispossessed. Think of the 600+ U.S. troops surrounding the mud hut area where Saddam Hussein was found. Hundreds of fully-armed soldiers were encircling their hunted prey who was probably asleep in a fortified cellar about 6 feet underground in a completely weakened and vulnerable position. He was probably so surprised and weary, he couldn't put up a fight. Plus -- he had literally no where to go as the bunker was a dead-end with only one exit upward where the soldiers were located. [Note: Speaking of Juno and repressed rage, one or more car bombs have already exploded in Baghdad following Hussein's capture -- creating more carnage and death as the cycle of violence continues.]

Beyond the Jupiter-Pluto opposition at Saddam Hussein's birth, the major alignment for the former dictator of Iraq is a Sun-Uranus union in Taurus within 2 degrees. In terms of unpredictability, shocks, surprises and revolutionary activity, Saddam Hussein has always been notorious as an international "wild card," Uranian eccentric-radical figure. At his capture, Uranus was located at 29+ Aquarius. In his natal chart, there are two dynamic midpoint structures right here -- the Jupiter/Saturn midpoint and Mercury/Mars midpoint. Midpoint analysis is very helpful in understanding major world events like the capture of Saddam Hussein. For example, check out the following. When Saddam Hussein was born, Saturn (fate; fear; chief executive power) was located at 0+ Aries -- a sacred and special location as it is the starting point for the 360 degrees of the zodiacal circle. His natal Mars/Pluto midpoint was at 0+ Libra -- thus dynamically linked to his own Saturn. That puts all three malefic planets into contact at his birth! During the capture, the transiting Saturn/Pluto midpoint struck 0+ Libra -- precisely igniting the Mars/Pluto midpoint from Saddam Hussein's birth and his natal Saturn, too! This is extraordinary and again shows how mind-boggling mundane astrology is when you really look into the depths of the alignments. Even the transiting Jupiter/Saturn midpoint at the capture -- 14+ Leo -- is highly significant. You will recall that the Moon itself at the capture was just one degree from this placement. In addition, the Mercury/Jupiter conjunction when Saddam Hussein seized power in Iraq was at 14 Leo. Jupiter and Saturn are the largest planets in the solar system; their transiting midpoint should always be watched carefully. In this case, their mutual affect at 14+ Leo makes a lot of sense when reviewing why Saddam Hussein was finally found -- completely ending his reign of terror in this part of the world.

While there is much more that can be examined, this Part I is a useful beginning. It is doubtful that Saddam Hussein and what he has represented will go quietly into this good night. What will be crucial now is how and where he is tried. This will have vast ramifications for the U.S. military role in the Middle East and how Americans are viewed by Muslims around the world. It's a delicate situation and even Saddam Hussein while in custody may still have a few tricks up his sleeve since if he does get his day in court and the public hears the history of the past, extraordinary secrets may be revealed in the process. Stay tuned to this astrological web channel for late-breaking stories.