Achieving an outright victory in a war that increasingly seems unwinnable may spur Netanyahu onwards. But Trump, as ever, gets spooked by the markets plunging, with his smash n’ grab raid turning into an expensive stalemate, costing US lives and threatening the economy.
A former head of Iran research for Israel’s defence intelligence agency, argues that the previous Iranian leadership, now largely dead, were “cautious, calculating” actors. They had reportedly signalled that Iran was prepared to significantly dilute the country’s stock of enriched uranium, a critical component in the development of nuclear weapons. In his view, “US negotiators appeared to struggle to fully grasp the technical and strategic implications of this offer.”
Netanyahu’s banner-waving for warfare as the only answer obscures the fact that Hamas is still entrenched in Gaza and the assassination of the Hizbollah leadership in 2024 did not end the Lebanese militant group’s threat. His recipe for perpetual war against a backdrop of rapidly declining international support for Israel, including in the US is a formula for disaster.
A growing belief is that the biggest long-term strategic threat to Israel is not Iran — but the potential loss of the American support on which Israel relies. Israel’s brutal campaign in Gaza in the wake of Hamas’s October 2023 attacks has led to a change in sentiment.
Scouring around for a chink of hope in the swamp, several astro-thoughts.
The 2025 Inauguration Trump Second Term chart, starting on a do-or-die-determined, ruthless Mars opposition Midheaven Sun Pluto square a 6th house Libra Moon always did look as if it would peak in its bullying approach in February/March this year as the Progressed Moon moved to square the Sun Pluto and Progressed Pluto by mid May this year and will lessen in effect thereafter. Before then the Trump Administration will be facing an extremely anxious April with two Neptune midpoints catching a hard square from tr Uranus bringing crises, sudden upsets, weakness, mourning and even more indications of confusion and off-the-wall meanderings from fantasy land.
Trumps’ natal chart through April also indicates weakness even illness caused by anxiety, alongside excitability. His birth time being exactly accurate tr Uranus will also square his Ascendant in April.
Trump’s relationship chart with Netanyahu has been showing their joint power drive being undermined through March; but it is late May to mid August which will be most noticeably undermining and disappointing for their association with tr Neptune opposition the composite Venus and square the composite Saturn, which repeats into 2027 – so there will be a distancing.
The USA/Israel relationship chart has been undermined since tr Neptune Saturn moved into Aries opposing the composite overly-hopeful Jupiter Neptune and square the Mercury Venus from late this month to late May – and that lessening of friendly feeling extends into early 2028. Where it reaches total rupture point will be around 2029/30 as tr Uranus squares the composite Sun and opposes the composite Uranus Sun.
The Iran attack, 28 February 2026 9.45 am Teheran, which launched on an intense Moon opposition Pluto will clear that aspect which comes exact by progression in early August this year. This would coincide with thoughts about the 12 August Solar Eclipse which – “brings a time of breaking out of a negative, hopeless situation into positive phase with more options. A worry will disappear as solutions appear that need to be grasped.”
None of this is decisive but I would hazard a guess that Trumps’ stomach for this foray does not outlast April if it even gets that far. Late May to August will be critical for a US/Israel fall out and general disarray with tr Neptune at 4 degrees Aries square Netanyahu’s Uranus for high-anxiety and it also squares the Israel Venus for emotional discontent.
Muddle and mayhem. Deranged Don wrapped in his Superman fantasy allied with Netanyahu obsessed with destroying Iran – both in different ways entirely unrealistic. I have long thought that Israel was walking itself up a cul-de-sac. However sympathetic about the Jewish people’s terrible history of persecution, there is no mileage on stoking up yet more blood feuds in a region where memories are long.
It’s ironic that if “A growing belief is that the biggest long-term strategic threat to Israel is not Iran — but the potential loss of the American support on which Israel relies”, then Israel seems to have exacerbated this, because both the American left and right wings are increasingly in accord regarding Israel’s role in the war; except for a few well-placed in government religious fanatics (Hegseth and Graham among them) who are treating the war in Iran as well as in Gaza (and now Lebanon) as some sort of modern Crusade. A war of religion or of oil, same difference.
There is a tricky set of planetary aspects coming up in April.
The upcoming Full Moon at 12 Libra on 2nd April is occurring close to Donald Trump’s natal Chiron at 14 Libra. Saturn at 5 Aries will be opposing his natal Neptune at 5 Libra and sextiling transiting Pluto at 5 Aquarius. The Full Moon will oppose the Islamic Republic of Iran’s 1st April 1979 natal Sun at 12 Aries.
There follows a lot of activity in Aries. Mars enters the sign on 9th April and conjuncts Neptune at 2 Aries on 13 April.
Mercury having turned Direct enters Aries on 15 April. The following day the Sun conjuncts Chiron at 26 Aries. Mercury then conjuncts Neptune at 2 Aries on 17 April just before a New Moon at 27 Aries. On the 19 April Mars conjuncts Saturn. On the next day the Sun enters Taurus, Mercury conjuncts Saturn and then conjuncts Mars .
The month ends with Venus conjunction Uranus at 29 Taurus on 24 April before entering Gemini 3 hours later. Uranus itself enters Gemini on 26 April.
The upcoming Full Moon at 12 Libra on 2nd April is occurring close to Donald Trump’s natal Chiron at 14 Libra. Saturn at 5 Aries will be opposing his natal Neptune at 5 Libra and sextiling transiting Pluto at 5 Aquarius. The Full Moon will oppose the Islamic Republic of Iran’s natal Sun at 12 Aries.
There follows a lot of activity in Aries. Mars enters the sign on 9th April and conjuncts Neptune at 2 Aries on 13 April.
Mercury having turned Direct enters Aries on 15 April. The following day the Sun conjuncts Chiron at 26 Aries. Mercury then conjuncts Neptune at 2 Aries on 17 April just before a New Moon at 27 Aries. On the 19 April Mars conjuncts Saturn. On the next day the Sun enters Taurus, Mercury conjuncts Saturn and then conjuncts Mars .
The month ends with Venus conjunction Uranus at 29 Taurus on 24 April before entering Gemini 3 hours later. Uranus itself enters Gemini on 26 April.
I think this period the time the full impact of the Neptune/Saturn conjunction will become fully manifest. My guess is that the full economic ramifications of the current conflict in the Middle East will be apparent by the end of the month. The charts will all bear examination but that triple conjunction of Mercury/ Mars/Saturn looks particularly powerful.
With regard to the conflict in the Gulf I think the Iranians have got Trump quite literally over a barrel but need to be careful they don’t close off his escape route from the war. If they leave the US President with no way out then they risk that his volatile and vindictive nature will go into full revenge mode which could have unpredictable and catastrophic results for everyone.
Thanks, Hugh. Regarding the line-up in Aries which has the potential to cause so much disruption, I mentioned on Marjorie’s oil article that on March 26, the conjunction of Chiron and Eris becomes exact and will be squaring Trump’s Cancerian Venus, which rules his midheaven.
I am fascinated by that Eris Chiron conjunction and can’t quite get my head round what is means – conflict and catalyst meets old unhealable wounds which is supposed to teach us??? what? Interesting that it collides so closely with Trump’s chart.
Eris is also about setting traps. The apple sent to the fairest one to sow discord so that eventually she could bring on a war. (either it is Greek or roman mythology)
I can’t remembered the name but an Islamic group seem to have a 3rd April Birthday. Majorie had wrote about before some time back
Interesting that Eris squares Trump’s Cancer Venus VF. Aphrodite is given Eris’ Apple of Discord, as a prize for being the most beautiful, which angry, uninvited Eris hurled into the wedding party. Aphrodite then bribes Paris to choose her by promising him Helen, which sparks the Trojan War. Venus rules apples and orchards symbolically, and has the pattern of the pentagram of Venus in its centre when you cut one open.
Eris is quite hard to untangle in the myths, being either the daughter of Night (Nyx) or Zeus/Jupiter, and Hera/Juno. Mars/Ares could then be her brother, and it is his astrological time of year, with added Saturn and Neptune (also father and son). Zeus and Hera even used Eris to create discord from time to time.
I like this Aesop fable though, and if Chiron is present as a teacher, perhaps it might be one of his lessons?
“Aesop, Fables 534 (from Chambry 129) (trans. Gibbs) (Greek fable C6th B.C.) :
“Herakles (Heracles) was making his way through a narrow pass. He saw something that looked like an apple lying on the ground and he tried to smash it with his club. After having been struck by the club, the thing swelled up to twice its size. Herakles struck it again with his club, even harder than before, and the thing then expanded to such a size that it blocked Herakles’s way. Herakles let go of his club and stood there, amazed. Athena saw him and said, ‘O Herakles, don’t be so surprised! This thing that has brought about your confusion is Aporia (Contentiousness) and Eris (Strife). If you just leave it alone, it stays small; but if you decide to fight it, then it swells from its small size and grows large.’” theoi.com
In asteroid fun, I see that asteroid Zeus is at 25 Libra, opposing Eris and Chiron. Asteroid Hera, his wife, is 25 Leo. Venus at 22 Aries approaches the party. Pandora, not linked to the myth but to opening her box of all the world’s ills (but Hope stayed in the box), is also 25 Libra.
Zeus created Pandora, the first woman. He gave her the famous box, or jar, for a wedding present – warning her never to open the lid……I thought of this when hearing Trump making his bewildering remark about being sent a huge present from Iran on tonight’s news. Doubtless those betting on the markets ahead of important US announcements may also be able to offer him something.
Thank you for the asteroid info, Jane. Yes, Venus joins the Eris/Chiron conjugation on March 26th. The NO KINGS march is on the 28th.
Iirc, the one thing that remained in Pandora’s box was ‘delusive’ hope! You have to laugh at humanity’s desperation, otherwise you’d be in a permanent pit of despair.
“With regard to the conflict in the Gulf I think the Iranians have got Trump quite literally over a barrel but need to be careful they don’t close off his escape route from the war. If they leave the US President with no way out then they risk that his volatile and vindictive nature will go into full revenge mode which could have unpredictable and catastrophic results for everyone”
I think you have that backwards.
Iran has been attacking their Arab neighbors because no one likes them and see them as a threat, and I believe if Iran gets invaded by American troops then they would have no problem taking the entire Middle East down with them because Iran doesn’t feel as if they have anything else to lose.
Trump on the other hand is the typical Gemini trying to juggle way too many things simultaneously and further scattering his already dispersed energy
First he is busy trying to rig the midterm elections in the favor of his party so he won’t face a certain impeachment next year.
Secondly, he is still manipulating the markets to make money for his family. I don’t know whether this five day pause has more to do with someone convincing him that further attacking Iran would take this situation beyond the point of no return or was it a way for insider traders to earn a lot of money when the market bounced by.
Thirdly, he is getting pressure from multiple directions with Netanyahu, MBS and American Evangelicals who want him to finish Iran on one side and the rest of the world who understand the dire consequences of such a deranged action
Whatever Trump does it won’t turn out well because he has manipulated,scammed and lied his entire life.Unfortunately the rest of the world will have to be collateral damage.
@Roderick, this is how I see this, too. I am really thinking Israel and, through them, the US, have crossly overestimated the RGC’s rank and file’s willingness to recapitulate based on some successes Israel had in recruiting some Iranians. This is because Netanyahu’s and Trump’s deep corruption. Much like Putin and his posse, they simply are too corrupted themselves to even fathom people holding other values, might that be genuine belief, fear or the mix of two.
I’m hoping that one of the reasons “the Trump Administration will be facing an extremely anxious April” is because of the stock market manipulation they have been engaging in since the first bombing of Iran, as noted in today’s posting by Nobel Prize-winning economist, Paul Krugman. Seems as though Neptune, the planet of oil, inflation, intrigue, and stocks, is casting a smokescreen over the hidden exploitation of our markets by insiders—friends and family of the president.
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/treason-in-the-futures-markets
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/treason-in-the-futures-markets
Actually, has been manipulating the markets since he imposed his first tariffs last year.
Now he is using the war he started to manipulate Wall Street.
Someone finally got to Trump to make him understand that Iran will burn down the entire Middle East if America tries to take out its leadership through further air strikes or a ground invasion through Lebanon.
There also seems to be some insider manipulation of betting markets, polymarket, kalshi & co. Very immoral to allow or facilitate betting on war.