Spiritual Forum

Newsletter by Phillip Lindsay, March 15, 2014  

I have been asked a few times about the astrology of Flight MH370. At the time of its disappearance, I was on an island in Thailand, adjacent to the Andaman Sea, due to fly out a few days later to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, after abandoning the idea of renewing my Thai visa in Malaysia. Hence, my interest was piqued from the beginning.

With so many theories of how or why Flight 370 disappeared, and with an unprecedented search now entering its second week, it is timely to have a brief look at the astrology of the situation. Notwithstanding, also the fact that Pisces is a sign of mystery and imagination, supplying plentiful factors in this unusual story on the Pisces full moon period.

The first reference for these kind of incidents is the departure chart of the flight. The following factors stand out, in order of importance, from a traditional astrological perspective.

1. Moon in Gemini. A fast moving body in a sign related to transportation, fast communincations and actions, creating fickleness and instability. Gemini can be most skillful at the art of deception. The Moon is also 'angular' meaning that its conjunction to the seventh house cusp of relationships, opposite the ascendant, gives it much power.

2. Moon square Neptune in Pisces. An 'ultimate' aspect that can create illusion, deception, lies, mystery and confusion. Neptune is also angular, sitting on the fourth house cusp of the home and family. This is a close orb aspect which makes it powerful, yet both planets sitting on angles heightens the importance of its interpretation.

3. Mercury in Aquarius square Saturn in Scorpio. Mercury as ruler (or dispositor) of Gemini, is placed in the Geminian third house of the departure chart. Often when it is retrograde, there are transport strikes and delays.

Mercury was not technically retrograde at the time, but it was only one week into its direct phase. Quite often Mercury can still "feel" retrograde up to three weeks after it has gone direct, due to the fact that it has not returned to its regular daily motion. Now that the post retrograde period approaches (March 20), more breakthroughs are possible. Mercury is in Aquarius, the sign that rules aviation, technology and the digital world

When it is taken into account that Mercury also squares Saturn, then an even greater stress is placed upon difficulties with communications, little or none, slowness etc. - such as the transponder turned off, no mayday signals, confusion and conflicting reports from the authorities, a multitude of theories as to what happened, falling into three main categories:

1. Mechanical-Technological - looking "less likely" now.
2. Hijacking or sabotage - looking "more likely", due to analysis of new data.
3. Pilot error or personal issues - stronger possibility, due to "idiosyncratic motives that cannot be ruled out".

Saturn (the Lord of Karma) is in Scorpio, a sign of mystery, in the somewhat obscure twelfth house of secret enemies, danger, clandestine affairs, 'self-undoing', fate and karma. This Saturn position strengthens theories about someone creating a deliberate sabotage.

Data analysis today indicates that there were "strong indications of sabotage", "human intervention" and "someone did turn that airplane" (CNN):

1. The plane was manually turned in another direction. Several course changes.
2. A "sharp change" in altitude to 46,000 feet (then an "erratic dive"), well above the normal operating level. (Discounted by some aviators.)
3. The transponder was manually turned off.
4. Manual disconnection of satellite system, not only requiring specialised knowledge but also knowing how to acccess below deck to do it.

4. Sagittarius rising. Could relate to some impulsive act based upon misplaced beliefs or ideologies. Sagittarius ruler, Jupiter in Cancer in the eighth house, opposite Pluto in Capricorn, could certainly magnify and exaggerate a personally emotive situation, or idealism related to some personal quest. Sagittarius also rules vast expanses - of ocean in this case, a daunting prospect for the huge air and sea search underway.

5. Sabian Symbol Degrees
Some of the Sabian Symbol degrees yield some interesting themes and so, without speculating too much:

Moon: "Around a closed-down factory, strikers mill defiantly." There have been increasing problems between the airline andmaintenance unions recently.

There was recent wing damage due to a slight collision on the ground. Boeing also made recent warnings about the "skin" of the plane subject to rupture and possible cabin decompression, causing unconsciousness. (Very Neptunian.) The airline was also having greater financial losses that may have led to some cost-cutting on maintenance.

Neptune: "Officers on dress parade." Bear in mind that Neptune is in hard square aspect to the Moon, hence putting together the Sabian meanings for the two planets may create a third meaning. The immediate association here is the crew, the pilot and officers. The Malaysian police said that they were being investigated, but this was denied by a government spokesman. The first officer was discussed in the media regarding his invitation of two female passengers into the cockpit recently. At the age of 27, he would be on his progressed Moon return. (No data available.)

Mercury: "A woman disappointed and disillusioned." This may not necessarily be a relationship interpretation, but a possibility in the crew that led to some other impulsive action. It may also be connected to the fact that the Moon (woman) is on the seventh house angle (relationships, marriage). This Sabian is connected to the one for Mars below.

Saturn: "Crowds coming down the mountain to listen to one man." This Saturn symbol is part of another aspect, the square of Saturn to Mercury, hence the two Sabians can be linked. The following speculations could all be driven by a relationship issue, as per the Mercury symbol. The symbol sounds like Moses on the mountaintop, a powerful leader who made some sort of decision or espoused some popular rhetoric. Or, an airline executive, whose decision created a compromise in safety standards. Or, a pilot or co-pilot who may have had some personal problems.

Sun: "In a huge tent, a famous revivalist conducts his meeting." This is connected to the previous Saturn symbol, indicating a religious undertone. Malaysia has well known religious fundamentalist problems and it must be painfully aware of this fact, in the glare of world media. So far, most the media are mostly refraining from stating this very sensitive issue. Nevertheless, some terrorism experts dismiss the possibility that someone like Al Qaeda would choose Malaysia, opting instead for a Western target.

Mars: "A man in deep gloom. Angels unnoticed, come to his help." Perhaps depression in some leader, as mentioned in the Saturn section above - and consequent actions. Mars also rules accidents, violence, explosions.

Venus: "An unexpected thunderstorm." There's an obvious literal interpretation (or missile), or someone having an emotional "thunderstorm".

Uranus: "A flock of wild geese". Literally, a bird strike rendering malfunction in all engines, though highly unlikely. Uranus rules aviation, is the dispositor of Mercury in Aquarius.

Jupiter: "A clown making grimaces." Ruler of the Sag ascendant and plenty of speculation here - an individual from the crew or a hijacker. The clown is a Mercurial trickster symbol, Mercury is the ruler of this troublesome Gemini Moon.

Pluto:  "An ancient bas-relief carved in granite." Wide open to interpretation, but might literally refer to a geographical location where the plane crashed or landed.

These last three planets are important as they form a T-square to one another, part of the imminent 2014 grand cross in late April.

The Pulau Perak Chart

This chart is based upon the last known radio contact by the Malaysian military with an unknown object that might have been Flight 370. It is included here because the USA and other sources are "convinced" that the plane continued for another four hours, due in part, to signals still being monitored from its engines.

Pulau Perak is a tiny island west of Kuala Lumpur, in the opposite direction to the original flight path. This chart is based upon the 2.40 am time for that last radar sighting, plus the co-ordinates of the island. (It may or may not be relevant that a Malaysian army helicopter crashed-landed there on December 22, 2013.)

Note that the rising sign is now Capricorn, with Pluto, the planet of mystery and subterfuge, conjunct the Ascendant. In fact, at 2.20 am, Pluto was exactly conjunct the ascendant, indicating that this may have been a critical moment in whatever was unfolding at the time, e.g. disorientation due to technical and mechanical factors, pilot suicide or hijack situation etc.

In this age of advanced technology, NSA surveillance etc, it beggars belief that a 777 plane has eluded discovery. If certain themes are put together from the preceding analysis, then the reader can draw their own conclusions of what might have happened.

There is for instance, a strong leaning toward a hijack and/or some "idiosyncratic" factors with some of the flight crew. Yet, it is still very much in the realm of speculation and jumping to conclusions, which can be very unfair by implicating innocent parties.

Pisces is closely connected to the feelings - running very high for the families of the passengers. Flight 370's disappearance has focused the entire planet with an acute awareness of this drama and the 269 lives whose fate is unknown. It might well be a prelude to a something else unprecedented, waiting in the wings ...

Phillip Lindsay © 2014

Website: http://www.esotericastrologer.org/ZodiacSigns.htm