Jupiter in Leo - Internationalism & Iraq

Jupiter's in Leo from July 16th through August 11th 2015.

What's highlighted when the planet of growth, expansion, luck, hope, optimism and expanded horizons enters the proud, stubborn, loyal, generous, kingly sign of the lion?

Hype; exaggeration; melodrama; idealism; confidence; fixed viewpoints; spotlight on authority (especially after Saturn in Scorpio comes out of Retrograde on July 20th). It’s also great for creative expression and acts of immense generosity, so long as there's an appreciative audience.

Want some clues to how Jupiter in Leo might affect you? Look to the House Jupiter in Leo travels through in your chart (get your free chart at alabe.com) and any planets or angles it hits along the way. And think back to the last time Jupiter was in Leo - August 2002 through August 2003. What happened?

Jupiter in Leo is also about fixed ideas around wisdom and knowledge; religious faith (including fanaticism); morals and ethics; law and justice.

It also puts a spotlight on internationalism and globalism. See these themes reflected in events from Jupiter’s last transit through Leo:

·       Switzerland, traditionally a neutral country and Timor-Leste (East Timor) join the United Nations.

·       NATO invites Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members.

·       The enlargement of the European Union with the announcement that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members

·       The International Criminal Court held its inaugural session in The Hague.

Iraq will be a country to watch closely while Jupiter is in Leo.

Jupiter’s last transit through Leo (August 2002 through August 2003) marked the period of the Iraq disarmament crisis and the subsequent Iraq War. 

During this transit, Jupiter made three hits to Iraq's natal Uranus at 10 degrees Leo in the 1st House, between Sept 02 and May 03. In Mundane (the astrology of countries and leaders), the 1st House signifies the country and its people as a whole, its ego and national identity.

Additionally, Jupiter in Leo Squared Iraq's Neptune at 2 Scorpio in the 4th House in August 2002. The 4th represents the land a country occupies, its regular people (vs. its elite) and politically, the opposition to the ruling regime. 
 

Here's a timeline of events:

·         In August, a group of Iraqis opposed to the regime of Saddam Hussein took over the Iraqi Embassy in Berlin for five hours before releasing their hostages and surrendering.

·         In November, The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a resolution, forcing Saddam Hussein to disarm or face "serious consequence." Iraq agreed to the terms and the UN sent in its weapons inspectors

·         In Feb 2003, an estimated eleven million people around the world took to the streets to protest against the looming war with Iraq, followed by the largest coordinated worldwide vigil in March as part of the global protests against an Iraq war (that internationalism theme again). British Cabinet Minister Robin Cook resigned from government over plans for the war with Iraq.

·         In March, Iraq was invaded by an American and British led coalition,  without United Nations support and in defiance of world opinion. Shortly afterwards, The Arab League voted 21-1 in favor of a resolution demanding the immediate and unconditional removal of U.S. and British soldiers from Iraq.

·         In April Baghdad, fell to U.S. forces.

·         In early May, President George W. Bush declared that major combat operations in Iraq had ended.

·         In July, the US military attacked a compound in Iraq, killing Saddam Hussein's sons.

·         It was in December of 2003, with Jupiter moved into Virgo, that Bush announced the capture of Saddam Hussein.

This is all important because Jupiter in Leo is about to hit those same points in Iraq’s chart again and already Iraq is in the news.
 
The toppling of Saddam Hussain’s government in 2003 marked the start of years of violent conflict with different groups competing for power. This is now coming dramatically and violently to a head, with current events directly linked to those of the early 00's. This year has seen the ascendancy of Sunni rebels led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) with reports that thousands have fled amid reports of atrocities and Iran and the US have offered their assistance.

We can also expect new questions to be asked and new doubts raised over what happened back then, particularly around the UK's involvement. The 1801 UK chart has Jupiter in early Leo and Saturn later in Leo, so we are looking at a Jupiter return for the UK this month, but will possibly see the country's luck turn when Jupiter hits the UK's Saturn in around a year's time (it almost hits it at the end of this year before Jupiter turns backwards - so we will no doubt get a taster then). I wouldn't be surprised to see talk of British troops going back into Iraq before this year is out. Certainly there will be a new sense of purpose in the UK generally.

The US Sibley chart has the North Node (destiny/lessons/the mission/key relationships/significant meetings) at 6 Leo in the 8th House (financial relations with foreign countries). Jupiter will hit that point in August this year. Jupiter will also Conjunct Obama's Leo planets - Mercury and Sun in the 6th  (national services including the army and the navy) and the Uranus and North Node in the 7th (foreign affairs, relations with other countries, open enemies) and the DC in Leo. This is of course the first time Jupiter has crossed those planets and points since he has been in office, so these transits will be interesting to observe.

The 2014 transit timings for Iraq are as follows:
 
Jupiter in Leo, travelling through Iraq's 1st House squares Iraq’s 4th House Neptune in late July (as stated, the 4th represents the land a country occupies, its regular people and the opposition to the ruling regime) 
 
In September, Jupiter conjuncts the 1st House Uranus (which describes, along with Cancer rising and Mercury in the 1st, the country and its people as a whole, its ego and national identity).
 
Iraq is also taking a battering from the Uranus-Pluto squares, with Uranus currently hovering around the MC (upset of the status quo, rebellion, overthrow of the government etc).

The Iraq chart is below - click to enlarge

 

Of course, Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction were never found and it’s now widely accepted that the dossier on Iraq’s weapons capability - used as justification for the 2003 invasion - was at best ‘sexed up’, at worst a lie. Google Iraq September Dossier to read more. It’s of note that the dossier was published just after transiting Jupiter in Leo squared Iraq’s Neptune. As Jupiter in Leo prepares to square its Neptune again, it would be wise to be wary of what we’re told about the situation in Iraq.

Finally, a couple of other fascinating events from when Jupiter was last in Leo:

The Human Genome Project was completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to an accuracy of 99.99%.

In August 2003, the highest temperature ever was recorded in the UK - 38.5°C (101.3°F) in Kent, the first time the UK has recorded a temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Astroair News

This is my first Astroair article in a while. Life has been busy. With two big book projects on the go (hopefully both will be published next year), it’s left me little time for blogging. However, I post regular updates on the Astroair Facebook page. Please like it. Here’s the link.

Saturn is now half way through its transit of Scorpio. To mark the occasion, my ebook Saturn in Scorpio: Your Guide Through the Dark is now half price on Amazon. Go straight to your local Amazon site to purchase, or click here to find out more about what’s in the book 

You can also purchase a Pdf version of the book direct from this blog via paypal.

May your cosmic journey continue to be interesting and full of joy.

With love,
Mandi