The Hajj Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca is due this year from August 30 to September 4th at Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It brings together hundreds of thousands of people and, if badly handled, can lead to major fatalities as in 2015 when almost 2500 were killed in a stampede.
When the 2015 tragedy occurred, Mars in late Leo was square Saturn; with Saturn on the focal point of a panicky, uncertain, over-hopeful T Square to Neptune opposition Jupiter. There were also high-tension, risky and devastating aspects to the Saudi Arabia chart at that time – tr Uranus square Saturn; tr Uranus square Mars/Neptune; tr Pluto square Mars/Pluto.
Mars has returned for the first time since 2015 to late Leo, and will be on the same degree on September 4th, when it is trine to Saturn and Uranus, so slightly similar. The Leo Eclipse occurs on August 21st and set for Mecca, does put Pluto conjunct the MC square Uranus on the Ascendant opposition Jupiter Descendant – so the mood will be tense with the possibility that religious differences will break out.
There are also tricky midpoints for the start of this year’s Hajj, involving Mars/Saturn, Mars/Pluto and Sun/Mars – so there will be some risk. But there’s nothing much showing up on the Saudi Arabia chart, so definitely less damaging for the host nation. They came in for heavy criticism in 2015, specifically from Iran who lost several hundred citizens. In the aftermath 28 officials were supposedly beheaded as being responsible for the disaster.