Victory in Europe Day yesterday brought back a flood of wartime memories from the older generation with stalwart words of hope from the Queen.
Unconditional surrender in Europe was signed on 8 May 1945 at 9.20pm in Berlin when Jupiter in Virgo was conjunct the Midheaven and trine a Taurus Sun; and there was a tricky Neptune opposition Moon Mars in Aries square Saturn in Cancer – so elation mixed with anger and sadness. Saturn had moved through two signs during the course of the six year way starting at zero degrees Taurus in a tough, warlike square to Pluto in early Leo. A Jupiter Saturn in Taurus conjunction with Uranus in later Taurus came together in 1940 for the Battle of Britain and the London blitz when Britain was under punishing attack from the Luftwaffe and the refusal to give way ultimately became Germany’s first major defeat.
In May 1945 the Germany chart had the transiting Taurus Sun exactly conjunct the 8th house Pluto with tr Jupiter in trine, so the surrender was both restrictive and a relief. The Solar Arc Uranus was in a jolting square to the Germany Sun; with the hard-edged, aggravated Solar Arc Saturn square Mars moving to hard aspect the Germany Jupiter in the immediate aftermath denting confidence and enthusiasm.
The UK chart had tr Jupiter square the 3rd house Mercury exactly at VE Day bringing a celebratory mood. But that apart the mood was sombre with hints of the austerity and difficulties to come with tr Saturn conjunct the Midheaven and Solar Arc Venus. The early war years had seen the tr Saturn square tr Pluto hammering on the UK 8th house Mars which is always a sensitive and disaster-prone point in the UK chart.
France, 21 September 1792 3.30 pm Paris, delightfully had their Solar Arc Uranus exactly conjunct the Ascendant as the occupation was lifted with tr Pluto square the Solar Arc Moon – which rather verifies that start time. During the war years tr Neptune was moving through the France 8th house conjunct the Virgo Sun.
What’s intriguing looking at the war leaders charts is that Churchill, Hitler, Roosevelt and Truman all had marked 8th houses. Normally the 8th house is seen as tricky to handle for an ordinary individual life, but it appears frequently in public figures charts who have a (probably) unconscious ability to project an aura out to the public at large.
Hitler had the super-ambitious Neptune Pluto conjunct in his 8th and he, for all his less-than-appealing looks, had a mesmerising effect on large crowds.
Churchill also had Neptune and Pluto in the 8th though not conjunct. Franklin D Roosevelt had Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter in Taurus in his 8th. Harry S Truman who took over in the spring of 1945 had a Taurus Sun Neptune plus Pluto Mercury in Gemini in his 8th. JFK had Mars, Mercury, Jupiter in Taurus and Gemini Sun in his 8th.
The 8th house is traditionally associated with strong ancestral links, hooking the individual back into previous generations; and often allowing them to see below surface reality to what lies beyond rational awareness. Clearly it also gives them the strength to bear tremendous weight and the projections of millions.
They had strong Natal Plutos!
Marjorie, is there anything astrologically that would explain the horrendous evil of Nazi Germany — which started with savage repression of its own Gentile and Jewish citizens in the 1930s? The murdering of six million Jews for merely existing, the starving to death of five million Russian POWs and the re-introduction of torture-by-government to Europe are just the Nazis’ largest crimes. Up until the ’60s, there were theological and philosophical discussions of the demonic influencing this ghastliness, although I doubt humans needed supernatural help to be so depraved. Subsequent eruptions of extreme evil such as the Rwandan genocide — which caused a member of B’nai B’rith to say, “Nazis come in all colours” — the al-Assad regime in Syria and the sickeningly sadistic murders committed by competing drug cartels in Mexico underline the mystery of human evil, so any insights that you can provide will be appreciated!
Thanks Marjorie. A profound anniversary, and another example of individuals placing the stamp of their personalities and choices on history. I was intrigued to see a 12th house Uranus in the charts for Hitler, Roosevelt, and Truman. In Hitler’s case I wonder if it signals his mysterious ability to influence large numbers of people, despite his personal appearance and rather unappealing voice (not to mention his appalling beliefs). Was he acting as a conduit for part of the zeitgeist? Does a 12th house Uranus act as a radio receiver in some way?
I’ve always thought his ability to persuade/hypnotise his audience was due to his Pluto in the 8th boosted by Neptune – quite a heady combination.
Churchill and Truman have Pluto in the 8th too. I’ve looked at other charts including Mussolini and Vladimir Lenin who both had Uranus in the 8th. JFK and Stalin have Jupiter there. I’ve never really thought about the 8th house as being particularly political, and rather look to the 9th – but of course it’s all about power and collective resources and with an outer planet there, the ability to tap into the underlying and sometimes hidden desires of the collective, whether for good or ill.
Correction: Lenin and Stalin have Uranus in the 8th. Mussolini and JFK have Jupiter.