A portion of this article was posted in 2019. Memorial Day in the U.S. is a time to celebrate the fallen heroes who died to keep us free. In World War II American soldiers proudly served in a military which liberated Europe from the stranglehold of the Nazis. In those days the U.S. was a beacon for freedom in a world torn apart by war.
Since World War II, the righteousness of American involvement has not been so clear, and it can be argued that little has been accomplished despite the loss of lives and treasure. In the 20th century these wars were designed to stop the spread of communism, but the Korean War ended in a stalemate. The 20-year involvement in Vietnam resulted in the loss of nearly 60,000 American lives and the ultimate reunification of Vietnam under Communist rule. The Iraq war which targeted a country that had nothing to do with September 11th killed somewhere around a million people, depending on the source. Meanwhile the Saudi family, with known ties to the September 11th terrorists and the murder of journalists, is in business with the Trump family.
Today once again we find ourselves in a global conflict with no exit strategy. Somewhere around 3500 Iranian lives have been lost with no real explanation. Morale in the military is at an all-time low.
The astrological chart of the U.S. features Mars, the planet of war, in Gemini and in the 7th house of open enemies. Mars in Gemini can be unfocused, without a clear objective. Mars in the 7th house defines itself through war, and there is always an enemy lurking about to be attacked. Sometimes that enemy is within and the country tears itself apart from inside as we have seen over the past few years.
Confusion falls under the auspices of Neptune, and Neptune has been transiting the U.S. chart for the past few years: First in opposition to Neptune in the U.S. chart and then, most recently in opposition to the U.S. Midheaven, the reputation and leadership of the nation. Nothing describes the current administration which operates much like the wizard Oz behind the curtain as this Neptune effect.
The transit of Neptune to the U.S. Midheaven just ended in March but Neptune isn’t finished. For the next few years Neptune in Aries will form a challenging square to the U.S. Venus, and then Jupiter before finally squaring the Sun in 2030. Questions of alliances (Venus) and erosion of confidence (Jupiter) will likely dominate the political landscape as we rebuild from the wreckage of the U.S. Pluto return/Trump era.
My father in law died in 2024 at the age of 96. Dick served in World War II and towards the end of his life his wartime experiences became more and more significant to him. Although he never saw combat, the significance of serving the country in an important war, perhaps the last war in which right and wrong were fairly clear, never left him and turned out to be one of his most cherished memories.
Dick loved wearing his WWII Veteran hat. Everywhere he went, people thanked him for his service. Veterans of more recent wars have not enjoyed this respect thanks to the moral ambiguity of these wars, placing a horrific burden on veterans. Although the number of homeless veterans has decreased, as of 2023 there were over 35,000 veterans without housing.
Honoring these veterans means more than placing a sticker on your car that says “support the troops.” On this Memorial Day perhaps we can do something to actually help those who served by making a donation to an organization such as the ones listed on this website.
Leave A Comment