Dateline July 19, 1996. Eugene, Oregon. It is now a little over two days since TWA Flight 800 exploded and crashed over the Atlantic Ocean sometime between 8:31PM and 8:47PM EDT on Wednesday evening, July 17, 1996. This initial report will help you understand the astrological patterns of that time and the greater perspective -- the connections between this crash and the very crucial First Powered AirFlight by the Wright Brothers (December 17, 1903, 10:35:30AM EST, Kitty Hawk, NC). [See accompanying color charts for the TWA Explosion and the Kitty Hawk Flight.]

This year has been filled with major challenges and disasters regarding air travel. I have been sleuthing all this for many months and here are the essential ingredients to what is going on.

Mars, Saturn and Uranus

When "air travel" by humanity was born - the dawn is the First Powered AirFlight on the date and time mentioned above - Mars and Saturn were conjunct in early Aquarius (with the Part of Fortune - path of "ease" and "success"; also connected to the Moon's expression -- sandwiched in between). These are the two traditional "malefics" - from ancient and medieval times. They were said to bring tragic circumstances, violence, death, etc. Their conjunction - approximately every 2+ years - was definitely NOT considered a favorable time. [I don't want to get into all the details right now concerning the December 17, 1903 chart, but it is important to say that Mars-Saturn united in the 12^th house has a lot to do over the decades with the massive death caused by airplanes in all the wars in this century. While the "airplane" has been a great gift to humanity, it has also rained death, poison, destruction and horrific nuclear horror on human beings and Spaceship Earth.]

Now ... Mars and Saturn were not only conjunct when "air travel" was born and with the Part of Fortune, but these two planets were located in the 12^th house of mysteries, the unknown, "imprisonment," karmic factors, etc.

Starting on January 11-12, 1996, Uranus - considered the ruling planet of Aquarius - entered its home sign (for the first time since 1912-1919) for a 7-year cycle.

On April 3, 1996, when Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown's plane crashed in Bosnia, transiting Uranus precisely (no orb!) crossed the Mars placement from the Wright Brothers' first powered flight of December 17, 1903. [Plus -- Ron Brown's natal Pluto was exactly opposite at 4+ Leo!]
I wrote about this (Astro-News Flash! within Planet Earth Magazine on America Online) and conducted much research concerning this link between transiting Uranus and Mars from December 17, 1903 - understanding the link as one of explosiveness, extremes, shocking events, violence and upheavals.

In early May 1996, Uranus made a station at 4+ Aquarius (slightly past the exact placement of Mars from December 17, 1903). I saw that on June 13, 1996, Uranus - moving retrograde - would recross the precise position of Mars from the Wright Brothers' first flight. I was waiting and watching to see if there might be a major airline disaster. Unfortunately, my fledging theory-projection proved correct.

On June 13, 1996, a Garuda Indonesian DC-10 experienced an explosion and fire while on a runway in Japan. Three people died and over 100 were injured. While the News Media in America did not play up this tragedy like the crash that killed Ron Brown and 34 business leaders in Bosnia, it was reported on CNN several times over a 48-hour period.

Thus, by June 13, 1996, I realized that Uranus transiting Mars from December 17, 1903 was clearly a factor bringing up explosiveness and death related to air travel by humans. [Note: On January 14-15, 1997, Uranus will once again recross the First Powered AirFlight Mars precisely at 4^ 5' Aquarius. Also - between February 1997 and December 1997, transiting Uranus will cross the First Powered AirFlight Saturn three times. Uranus only makes these conjunctions every 84 years - a rare cycle. So ... we will have to watch those times very carefully.]

Uranus Discovered on March 13, 1781

Before leaping into the alignments at the time of TWA Crash, it is also crucial to remember that the discovery chart for the planet Uranus must always be noted when "Uranian events" (shocks; revolutionary happenings; sudden upheavals; topsy-turvy conditions; explosions; etc) occur. I cannot present this chart now (although it has appeared several times over the years in Planet Earth Magazine), but amazingly enough, on the evening that Uranus was discovered by Sir William Herschel in Bath, England, Mars and Saturn were also in a close conjunction! This time they met in Sagittarius. Thus, Mars and Saturn were united when Uranus was discovered and they were united when the First Powered AirFlight occurred. And remember that when the Wright Brothers changed history with their first powered flight, the Sun and Uranus were conjunct within about 1^. On the very next day, when the world found out about it, a New Moon (Sun-Moon union) happened at 25^ 48' Sagittarius - exactly with Uranus to the minute of arc! Sun, Moon and Uranus all lined up with the heart center of the Milky Way - our Galactic Home.

Nevertheless, when Uranus was discovered, this strange, eccentric planet which revolves around the Sun "on its side," was located at 24+ Gemini. Why is this so important? The discovery degree of a planet is a permanent, active, vibratory FORCE within the zodiac. 24+ Gemini is always spewing forth revolutionary and explosive qualities/energies - because Uranus was found there and astrology has so much to do with beginnings, births, starts and discoveries. [Note: When Israel was founded on May 14, 1948, Uranus was back at its discovery point - 24+ Gemini!]

The connection with the TWA crash and explosion is that transiting Mars - at 24+ Gemini - was crossing the discovery degree of Uranus as the TWA disaster took place!

Keys to Understanding the TWA Crash

Now that we have set up the background, let's take a closer look at the time of the air explosion-crash itself.

The plane took off at 8:19PM with late Capricorn rising. This put Neptune (mysteries; illusions; sabotage; conspiracy; water; oceans) rising very close to the Ascendant and the USA Pluto placement (27+ Capricorn) also very close to the Ascendant. The USA Pluto vibrations brings up themes like the Underworld, bombs, hellish realities, extremist groups, hidden and invisible elements, terrorism.

While the exact timing of the explosion and crash are still a bit uncertain right now, the latest information reveals that at around 8:31PM or so, TWA Flight 800 disappeared from radar screens. By 8:47PM, eyewitnesses were reporting a plane having exploded, crashed and on fire near Moriches Inlet, NY.

The chart I am presenting (as of July 26) is for 8:31:12PM when the explosion or initial catastrophe appears to have occurred.

When the plane disappeared from radar screens, the Ascendant had just switched from late Capricorn to early Aquarius. The following is very important: As the flight exploded and crashed (sometime shortly after 8:31PM), Uranus at 2+ Aquarius rose on the Eastern horizon and the Mars placement from the First Powered AirFlight of December 17, 1903 (4+ Aquarius) also rose. Thus, both the transiting Uranus (shocks and explosions) factor discussed earlier in this story and the Mars (violence, bloodshed and death) zodiacal placement from 12/17/1903 were both at the strategic Eastern horizon (unique power zone) as the horror of TWA Flight 800 engulfed the skies and waters off Long Island.

[Update on July 26: Utilizing the time of 8:31:12PM, we also see the curious "X" crossing near the horizon. This "X" pattern is formed by Neptune having just risen closely opposing the Sun which has just set, and Uranus about to rise closely opposing Mercury about to set. This also puts both the volatile Uranus-Neptune midpoint and the energy-intensive Sun-Mercury midpoint within 1^ of the horizon! Add Pluto as the most-elevated body and almost precisely 60-120^ to the Ascendant-Descendant axis, and Mars 144^ (a Bi-Quintile aspect) away from the Eastern horizon, and a picture of "complex explosiveness" appears.]

There are other astrology points to consider. (1) Mercury and Uranus - both involved with transportation and together symbolizing "movement through the sky" - had just reached opposition (potential volatility and tug-of-war) earlier in the day. Their "electrifying" polarity was setting and rising as the explosion and crash occurred. (2) The transiting Moon does not seem to be in a disturbing location - 21+ Leo -- until we remember that the USA Mars (from July 4, 1776; 4:47PM EST; Philadelphia, PA) is at 21+ Gemini. Thus, the Moon (people; public; emotions; moods) was igniting the USA Mars (in an air sign) from a fire sign. Even though a sextile of 60 degrees is supposed to be productive and harmonious, it could suggest the ease with which a potential terrorist in Athens could hide a bomb on this TWA flight or how someone in a boat in the ocean could destroy the plane with a Surface-to-Air missile. [Note: We still don't know whether this was sabotage or not, but there are speculations right now about the scenarios just mentioned.] (3) Saturn (fear; limits; negativity; pessimism) was motionless and about to turn retrograde within a few hours at 7+ Aries. "Planetary stations" are always times of extremes - power shifts for good or ill. Note that Saturn's station was right on the sensitive "midpoint" between America's rising degree (7+ Sagittarius) and the USA North Node or destiny pointer (6+ Leo). (4) Months ago in the pages of Welcome to Planet Earth magazine, I wrote that the USA Progressed Tertiary placement for Uranus in July would be at 13+ Cancer - conjunct the natal Sun (13+ Cancer) for America. This had never happened before! When I wrote this (around February 1996; see page 31 of the Aquarius/Pisces WTPE, The Other Uranus), I indicated that America and our government should be prepared for shocks, surprises and upheavals (late June and July 1996). Tertiary Progressions are exceedingly strong and relate to the 27+ day Moon cycle around the Earth. [Each day after birth (in the ephemeris) equals 27.3 days of life. Tertiary Progressions will be discussed in our special Moon issue - see page 31 of the Gemini/Cancer 96 issue to order the Moon Magazine.]

The Future

If the newspapers give the birth date and year of the pilot of the plane, we will have a follow-up story on that - as the pilot's chart will help us understand more to this shocking puzzle. And keep in mind that there have been many other plane disasters and air travel difficulties in 1996. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) is under extreme pressure to run a much, much tighter ship and the public is growing restless and becoming scared about air safety.

Uranus in early Aquarius (crossing Mars, the Part of Fortune and Saturn from the Wright Brothers' first powered airflight) is the catalyst for this rude awakening and the drastic changes needed in America (and in all countries) to vastly improve air safety and security. Remember - we still have another Uranus crossing of Mars in January 1997, and three crossings of Uranus over Saturn (from 12/17/1903) in the time-period from February to December 1997.

Aviation, security and governmental officials around the world need to get their acts together - immediately.