A secretive fundamentalist religious organisation wielding enormous power at the heart of American politics is the scary conspiracy story, much of it based on fact, which is highlighted in a Netflix five-part documentary series. It’s based on the 2008 book The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power by American journalist Jeff Sharlet. In it he says the Family or Fellowship fetishizes power by comparing Jesus to “Lenin, Ho Chi Minh, Bin Laden” as examples of leaders who change the world through the strength of the covenants they had forged with their “brothers.
A year after the book’s publication, sex scandals of prominent political members of the Family and accusations that it was illegally subsidizing the rent of members of Congress and involved in the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which would have imposed the death penalty for homosexuality in Uganda, pushed it into the national spotlight.
What is noteworthy astrologically is that it was started in 1935 by a Norwegian preacher who held breakfast prayer meetings, which spread across the US and later presidents took up. At that point tr Uranus had just moved into Taurus to which it has only recently returned for the first time; and tr Pluto was in last decan Cancer so not dissimilar to now with Pluto half a zodiac on and in hard aspect to the fanatical, demagogic (rabble-rousing) US Mercury opposition Pluto. There was also the neurotic, creative Saturn opposition Neptune which Ebertin describes as a struggle between the lower and higher nature.
The founder Abraham Vereide claimed to have been directed in a vision by God to shift his Christian ministry away from the “down and out” and toward the “up and out.” He then evangelized among wealthy and politically powerful individuals who shared his concerns about socialism and other “subversive” forces. In The Family’s eccentric theology, the world is run by “key men” who have been chosen by God to rule over the rest of us, in imitation of Jesus, who they believe to have been a muscular leader interested only in power.
Doug Coe took over and was for decades the highly discreet almost invisible driver of the early vision until he died in 2017. He is on videotape idolizing fascist rulers of the twentieth century and spreading a “covenant” in which Christian fundamentalism is popular because of its similarity to the Nazi brotherhood.
Coe was born 20 October 1928 in Oregon, and was a late Sun Libra with a Half Grand Sextile of Mercury in Scorpio opposition Jupiter, sextile/trine Neptune and Mars – a persuasive speaker. He also had a Yod of Mercury sextile Neptune inconjunct Uranus – suggesting a catalyst for change, a trailblazer, who was intolerant of convention, even lawless at times. He also had a seductive Venus in Scorpio opposition Node square Neptune in Virgo hinting at a shapeshifter, with a chameleon-like tendency to insert himself into situations without causing waves.
Abraham Vereide was born 7 October 1886 so was another Sun Libra conjunct Jupiter Mercury square Saturn in Cancer; with the signature Neptune Pluto of his generation trine Venus with Pluto in an innovative trine to Uranus – he’d also be seductively charming with a Libra Sun and Venus trine Pluto Neptune. More significantly he has a ruthlessly ambitious Mars opposition Pluto square North Node – tying him into the zeitgeist.
Seriously scary stuff – there’s nothing worse than religious zealotry being twisted to cosmeticize power-hungry greed and elitism, never mind condoning private sexual misbehaviour while preaching morality in public.
https://newrepublic.com/article/154763/familys-big-secret-hiding-plain-sight
There is saying about faith in the bible which has, throughout the centuries come to mean wealth and evil power usually of men.
“To them that has it
they shall be given even more, and to them that has not, it shall be taken away even more so.”
All religious books are against women that I have read and the poor. Money is the only human god. Unfortunately.
How do you let it go if you have it to become one of the poor.???
Money is indeed the root of all evil on earth. I cannot see that ever changing.
Thank you Marjorie, very intriguing and disturbing. It’s easy for us in Europe to overlook the deeply entrenched religious roots of the USA. Another strand of their complex and troubled history surfacing it seems. This article from the New Yorker “Frat House for Jesus” (2010) offers some insight into Doug Coe, and just how deeply religion and politics have been interwoven in the US. Wonder what else Pluto’s return in the US chart might reveal? There are also the Masons to consider……
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/09/13/frat-house-for-jesus
There are many of us in the US who have researched the influence / “guidance” of religion on the early New England settlements. Propertied women/widows were found guilty of witchcraft and other “unwholesome” sins just to bring the money back into mens’ pockets.
The list is as long as Trump’s sins.
While The Fellowship’s work certainly goes against the Founding Fathers’ ideals about the separation of church and state, this article does paint a much more benign (even favorable) view of the group. According to the 2010 New Yorker profile, it’s not only inclusive, but beneficial to bi-partisan cooperation. Of course, when a religious group forms such a tight-knit alliance with powerful member of society all over the world, you have to take any article that glosses over Coe’s admiration for Maoists’ & Nazi’s blind devotion with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Fundamentalism is the core shift that has rotted. I felt a pull to this and another prescient vibe today over calling people stupid. The link is evoltion is evaluative over time of all the untoward bumps along the way to be exposed so thanks for the zeroing- in low down. Who cares anymore? Though, I hope we don’t t assume(I have Saturn oppo Neptune alone means he heard wrong from God–My message also involved the rich…it seems by your tale here something else tempted this away.
Same fear in India as religious dogma envelopes the country. Women r nothing but slaves though it is not in Hindu religion but Who didn’t distort religious books for power?
Fascism seems to be covering the globe.
Any thoughts how long it will last?
Another north node in Gemini (Coe), in the 5th house no less. What is that, a double Peter Pan? Look at how Pluto dominates the moon. Does that translate into a need to control women? Seems to be in line with Evangelical-/fundamentalist-Christian ideology and Coe’s obsession with developing a belief system that would allow men to kill their mothers, as per the New Republic article.
Has anyone seen the documentary? Any word on Coe’s relationship with women in his life?
Thanks for this Marjorie. Kind of makes sense now why Trump is cozying up to the fascists of the world, doesn’t it? He is fulfilling their deranged messianic plans. Wish people on both the left and right would wipe the crap out of their eyes and see we are all being played by a bunch of vindictive, sinister criminals.
This is sad 🙁
I always feel this sorts of people are stupid in their hearts.
Thanks Majorie for this.Just watched it on Netflix, very scary whatever happened to the concept of the separation of Church and State.