Cross-posted to
my own livejournal. Click on this link to get a good view of the chart.
I listed the time for the chart as 2 p.m. local time. I'm not sure if this is the exact moment of the levee breakage, so I can't say for sure about aspects between houses and ascendants and all that.
I can, however, comment about aspects between bodies-- planets and fixed stars-- so I will stick to that.
Special Importance: Moon Inconjunct Antares.
May in fact be the biggest factor in the New Orleans disaster, for the fixed stars have a special importance, being always in the same astrological sign position. They are especially significant when aspecting a highly mobile planet such as the Moon. The inconjunct or quincunx is considered a hard aspect, meaning the effects on the two bodies on one another are apt to be especially difficult or negative.
Antares signifies violence, destruction, sudden loss, obstinacy, and danger of fatality. The Moon signifies water, so its hard aspect to Antares obviously suggests a sudden, watery destruction. Being in Cancer, a water sign, couldn't have helped the Moon; adding too much water to an already overloaded (waterlogged?) situation.
But the Moon also signifies maternal protectiveness. The city's residents, struggling to evacuate and to survive, feel neglected and abandoned by their government and by a country that purports to have their welfare in mind... in short, they feel a sudden loss of the protection they had always taken for granted, both from the levees and from their government. Antares has destroyed, for New Orleans, the sense of protection conferred by the Moon.
The Moon can also signify, quite literally, the levees themselves: a means of protection, from water, for a vulnerable city... a kind of protection that almost strikes one as maternal. Further underscoring the city's vulnerability, and the maternal angle, many Americans look upon New Orleans as a safe haven for eccentrics and outcasts.
Antares also signifies dangers as a result of obstinacy-- the lawlessness and chaos going on right now is no accident. Most obviously this is seen in the shots some people fired at helicopters that were trying to help them!-- extreme, negative self-reliance.
Also, difficult Antares aspects can signify militarism gone bad: Many refugees have spoken of disrespectful and animal-like treatment at the hands of the military guards sent there to help them... also, of being impeded from helping other people by this military, even to save lives.
Additionally, there has been much emotion laid bare in this disaster-- not even 9-11 saw this much blatant losing of tempers and raw, frank feelings of abandonment and betrayal: witness the speeches of Anderson Cooper and Ray Nagin. Another influence of the Moon: emotions. Antares intensifies those emotions, often to the point of violence.
Sun Opposite Uranus
Dramatic and drastic change in life and lifestyle; with hard aspects, often violence. A lack of balance and cohesion in general; witness the lack of organization in the rescue attempts. Also signifies the nature of the city-- New Orleans being a home to people at least a little out of touch with the mainstream: artists of all types, visionaries, eccentrics and cultural bohemians.
Moon Square Venus/Jupiter/Part Of Fortune
Moon square Venus reveals social stress; for a person it means interpersonal anxiety, but for this event it is best revealed in the lawlessness and disregard for fellow man present in New Orleans as it struggles to recover. Self-indulgence-- the looting? Bitter and cynical view of social relations-- adding to the feeling of being abandoned by their own government, outlined in "Moon Inconjunct Antares", as well as consciousness that the refugees are predominantly black and poor. Obviously racism is still very much alive and well... it's just more subtle than it used to be.
Moon square Jupiter most likely signifies the rise in oil prices, and the resulting "time to wake up from the good times" mood all of America has experienced thanks to cheap oil. This country has grown apathetic from years of believing its government would take care of it, and this disaster spells out the truth that the people of New Orleans have been mainly on their own-- there was little to no good help from the institutions which they'd been counting on to protect them.
A special caution against the danger of turning to overzealouss religious attitudes as a way of coping! (Jupiter is the planet of religion and philosophy)
Moon Square Fortune signifies trouble in dealing with the public and with women-- the trapped residents have found the government extraordinarily callous, especially the poor women and single mothers.
The conjunction of Venus, Jupiter, and Part Of Fortune as a whole could signify New Orleans itself: beautiful (Venus), rich in history and in ideas (Jupiter), and up till now, very lucky (Part of Fortune). A badly aspecting Moon in a water sign and in turn badly aspecting a violent fixed star, meant that New Orleans' luck had run out.
Mercury Opposite Neptune
A loss of a sense of reality in general. A distrust of one's own instincts, or in general that which one has always taken for granted before. Paranoid states, conspiracy theories, and high reaction to real or perceived social slights (especially the classism evident in who is left behind in NO!) Must leave behind false naïveté and all forms of self-deception; must choose more straightforward messages and ways to communicate.
Mercury Square Mars
Great mental energy for arduous tasks, but without the determination or strength to follow through on them. (the too-long delay in the rescue effort) Signifies grandiose but empty promises in general. Also, a danger from intolerance of beliefs and/or experiences not similar to one's own. Tactlessness, rudeness, lack of respect for others (more indication of lawlessness)
Mars Square Neptune
Inconsistent energies, swinging wildly from obsessive calls to action to almost total lassitude and apathy. Disturbed emotional currents and belligerent attitude toward those trying to offer help. Inner blindness; lack of understanding of what is truly occurring. Mass confusion and chaos, often with violent results. Disturbed sexual relations (the rapes). Confrontation with reality is the crying need.
Hard aspects to Neptune can signify drug and alcohol abuse; New Orleans is one of the top major cities for drug use and trafficking.
Mars Inconjunct Venus/Jupiter/Part Of Fortune
Mars inconjunct Venus signifies warped sexual relations (again, the rapes) and erratic emotional self-control.
Mars inconjunct Jupiter represents difficulties in establishing priorities-- many people have commented on New Orleans and Louisiana "not being top priority" for the government despite the direness of the situation. A danger of being too willing to offer one's own resources to others, and depleting oneself-- be generous but be careful when making those donations; don't mortgage your house. Also, a danger of being interfering when people want to be left alone; could indicate how the military is apprehending the disaster? A danger of being victimized by people who take advantage of a desire to help-- watch out for Katrina-relief scams; they are already popping up like weeds.
Mars inconjunct Part Of Fortune signifies, above all, problems with authority.
All in all this aspect is most indicative of a disconnect between the military's drive to help, the local government's drive to help, and the stranded people's drive to help-- right now there is very little coordination between all forces involved, and much "two steps forward and one step back"; to the delay and detriment of any real resolution of this mess.
Now, the good stuff:
Sun Trine Mars
Suggests that the unorganized, ineffective response so far will give way to something better managed. Good forecast for people putting aside their differences to solve the greater problem. A need for disciplined focus, clarity of purpose, and wariness of any sort of impulse. Absolutely beware of making snap or ill-thought decisions as a result of this! (meaning, don't mess with our federal disaster insurance and the estate tax??)
A hope for a genuine tolerance of others; at the very least a vivid illustration of the classism of being a New Orleans refugee.
Moon Trine Uranus
Motivation for an innovative solution to solve New Orleans. This could mean anything from a new city to better levees to a renewed spirit on the part of the country, to make government once again a true protector of its citizens.
There will be much scathing denunciation of power abuses in the near future. Much rebellion against a government that a people feels has failed them; due to the trine aspect this promises to be a nonviolent and potentially smoother rebellion/revolution.
Also points to using energy effectively in general, most obviously for oil and money. The beginning of the end of oil dependence?
Mercury Trine Pluto
A better ability to concentrate and focus; a more effective use of the mind in general. The public will demand better planning and thought in rescue mission from now on. Also a call to look beyond superficial manifestations of attitude, to see the truth about people on the inside: we could all have been in the same position the refugees are in now. Must keep a goal of greater social responsibility in mind.
Venus/Jupiter/Part Of Fortune Trine Neptune and Sextile Pluto
As a whole, this aspect suggests very strongly that New Orleans' beauty (Venus), cultural appeal (Jupiter) and appeal to the offbeat (Neptune) will not succumb to this disaster. A very hopeful message, even as greater questions are posed concerning the transformation of New Orleans the city, its protection, and its relationship to the federal government.