The World Trade Center bombing happened at a unique astrological moment. Pluto is opposing Saturn, but, more importantly when Pluto, for the first time in U.S. history, has crossed the ascendant and entered the U.S. first house (according to the 12 degree Sagittarius rising chart cast for July 4, 1776). This puts the Saturn - Pluto opposition along the ascendant - descendent line of the U.S. chart.

Pluto is in Sagittarius, which rules religion and philosophy. With its intense, polarizing, all-or-nothing nature, Pluto’s energy can be extreme. Hence, religious extremism occurs when Pluto acts on Sagittarius. When Sagittarius modifies Pluto, it broadens Pluto’s focus so people can take a broader view of reality and their religious and philosophical understanding.

The Pluto-Saturn aspects show the relationships of fate, destiny, and reality to the everyday structure and inertia of society. The opposition makes the structure face up to reality and adjust to the reality (often painfully). The last two oppositions were in 1965/1966 with Saturn in Pisces and Pluto conjunct Uranus in Virgo and 1931 with Saturn in Capricorn and Pluto in Cancer.

The location of Saturn is what the establishment is trying to control, to defend while Pluto shows where the turmoil and transformation is originating. Saturn can also represent a natural place of blockage which frustrates the intense needs of Pluto. In 1965, the establishment was trying to control drugs and religion while the threat was coming from people who were trying to live their lives outside the boxes, outside the cubbyholes. People felt like they were being mollified and co-opted — the opposition was formless (Saturn in Pisces).

During Saturn - Pluto oppositions, the established governments are often far-removed from the "people". From distance comes paranoia and egoic misunderstanding. Often the opposition represents a period of fervent nationalism with nations feeling blocked by other nations and people feeling blocked by their government. How the governments are acting is based on the Saturn placement while the "people", the "masses" is often based on Pluto.

Further, the Saturn - Pluto opposition is a reaction, a change of direction, or a blockage of what was occuring during the prior Saturn - Pluto conjunct. A perfect example of this was the opposition of 1898.

In late 1898 the opposition was the opposite of what it is today — Pluto was in Gemini while Saturn was in Sagittarius. This was a time of inflamed public sentiment, the end of the frontier (both for the U.S. and for the Europeans), the Dreyfus case, the Boer war in South Africa, the British-French standoff in Fashoda, the Spanish — American war and Cuba, and the start of Zionism. The closing of the frontier was, of course, Saturn in Sagittarius which resulted in furious, frustrated public opinion inflamed by yellow journalism (Pluto in Gemini). The secret treaties and power juggling which resulted were also Pluto in Gemini.

The prior conjunction was Saturn and Pluto in Taurus in 1883. This was the start of a great land rush (Taurus) by the European powers to take over the globe. When the opposition occurred in 1898, they had run out of world to take and they started to bump into each other. This ultimately led to World War I in 1914, the next conjunct (in Cancer).

In 1931 during the depths of the depression, the establishment was attempting to hold on to traditional ways of managing (Saturn in Capricorn) in the face of starving people, often homeless and rootless (Pluto in Cancer), without any way to have an effect or get a long-term job (Capricorn). Hitler’s takeover of German politics happened during the opposition.

It could be easily stated that the depression was an outcome of World War I. Further, Hitler’s rise during this time was definitely a result of World War I.

The next conjunction was 1947, which was the start of the cold war. We wanted to "contain" (Saturn) Russian power (Pluto, the conjunct was in Leo).

In 1965 there were outbreaks of violence in Selma, Alabama during a procession of Martin Luther King, the Watts riots, Lyndon Johnson was elected president and scaled up the war in Vietnam. The Saturn opposed Pluto pattern of frustration and anger against the established way of things with outbreaks of violence shows in this year also. However, in 1965 Pluto was conjunct Uranus so the people were much more revolutionary.

In 1982 with the Saturn Pluto conjunct in Libra (when we started our involvement in Afganhistan!), Reagan had just been elected and started a new means of combatting Russia, which, together with internal Russian problems, resulted in the destruction of the Soviet Union completing the cold war started at the prior conjunction. This opposition is the outcome and blockage of what was started in 1982.

Since Pluto is violent and polarized and Saturn in opposition is a roadblock, we see that there is often extreme frustration resulting from the constriction of Saturn blocking and inflaming Pluto. The Saturnian blockage may be a natural occurrence (the end of the frontiers) or a rigid opposition from entrenched governments or society. The needs of Pluto coming into opposition create violent antagonisms and polarization.

At this time, the bombing of the World Trade Center by foreign, religious fanatics through airlines (Pluto in Sagittarius) has created an extreme blockage of travel (Saturn in Gemini). We are trying to control this through words and airport security.

As Saturn crosses our ascendant, the bombings have united us and transformed the way we see the world. Local papers, and people, ask, "why do they hate us?" The quick fix is a war on terrorism, but the ultimate fix will be to go back to our founding philosophy and extend freedom to people in the Middle East and elsewhere rather than uphold economically beneficial dictatorships or economic disenfranchisement.

In no way do I condone what happened here — it is horrendous and criminal. However, the best way to fight terrorism is with economic justice that destroys the base of the terrorist uprisings. The root of this wave of terrorism comes from a country, Afganhistan, which is so destroyed by war that there is nothing worth bombing!

As is natural for Pluto crossing our ascendant, we are re-thinking who we are as a country. Our self-image is changing. We are fearful to travel (Sagittarius) and, instead, are keeping to local trips (Saturn in Gemini). This is a blow to the airlines, who are ruled by Sagittarius.