I’ll be honest: when I first saw the headlines about Waco, David Koresh and the Branch Davidians popped into mind as fast as the words “9 dead” caught my eye. I covered that story with an article on Koresh for Dell Horoscope in 1993. It took place on the 28th of February, just two days after the World Trade Center was bombed, another hot potato I covered. I don’t think you forget things like those when they’re still so fresh in your mind even after 22 years.

But we’re no longer in Waco 1993. This is 2015, and today, three biker gangs had a shootout in Waco, leaving 9 or 10 dead and 17 or 18 injured, depending on which news coverage you may see. There was a second incident about 2 hours later; but since it’s related, it seems irrelevant to have two separate charts for the same incident.

Apparently all of the tensions had started on Thursday, the 14th of May; but then local and state police had been concerned about rising tensions and had been watching the three gangs for about the last month. Somewhere along the line, the riff moved from tensions over a parking space to tire irons and chains to the guns. At least 30 of them with at least 100 rounds being fired. As I understand it, police also ended up getting involved in the gunfire, perhaps making the afternoon resemble something along the lines of a modern day gunfight at the OK Corral.

Lynda Hill in her 360 Degrees of Wisdom: The Sabian Oracle, writes of the Ascendant-Jupiter 10-minute partile conjunction at Leo 15, pointing to the chaos and scores of people on the scene. While the majority of the description doesn’t seem to fit, pay close attention to the Caution at the of the Sabian Symbol development:

“A STREET PAGEANT MOVING ALONG A STREET PACKED WITH PEOPLE

“Commentary: The ‘Street Pageant’ is seen ‘Moving Along a Street Packed With People’. People really enjoy a ‘Street Pageant’ or a carnival, they get together to celebrate their community, even if they aren’t directly involved in what’s being celebrated. Just watching the ‘Street Pageant’ can inspire fun, joy and even a sense of pride as people come out to watch and enjoy.

“Oracle: It may be a great achievement, or an anniversary event, that has spurred this ‘Street Pageant’. A large celebration can bring the community together and create some type of recognition for what has been accomplished. Most people will contribute to and support this display and share in the festivities. However, there will always be those who grumble about something; a lack of parking, too much noise or garbage being strewn about. Ignore the grumblers and go for it, you and others deserve the fun and the rewards. You are either in the ‘Pageant’ or watching it—what does it feel like to you? Are you celebrating and enjoying the fun? Are you feeling a little out of your depth and at the mercy of the people around you? Is there disagreement over the values of what’s being celebrated? If things get out of hand in this situation, you may feel like you’re pressed in and can’t get out. There can be a feeling of being walled-in by people. Whatever is true put on a happy and expressive face and go out and enjoy what’s going on. If people let down their barriers, they will find it easier to relate to others they may have never seen or interacted with before. This can create a wonderful feeling of unity as people join in and come together as one.

“Keywords: Demonstrations of joy. Spectacular shows of solidarity. Ticker-tape parades. Community celebrations of victory or faith. Food and drink stalls. Mardi gras and gay pride parades. Being a participant or an observer. Having a following. Gaiety and spectacle. Performers, musicians, magicians. Street stalls. Traffic management. The mob. Lots of people. Cul-de-sacs. Carnivals.

“The Caution: Egocentric displays. Blowing one’s trumpet. Closing off some areas of life, overplaying others. Problems with neighbors or people. Displays with little warmth or genuine communal feelings. Feeling like sardines in a can. Noisy neighborhoods. Loud music that annoys. Disruptive behavior. Hooligans and louts. Looting. Lack of privacy and quiet. Garbage on the street. Barriers between people.”  © Lynda Hill 2004, shared with permission of Lynda Hill and my thanks.

The Eastern dominance with Jupiter conjunct the Leo Ascendant and squaring the Midheaven tells so much of the story, especially when we focus on the fourth quadrant–where we look for what is shown to the public. Of course, where the emphasis also fell above the horizon, the public saw just about everything. In fact, one man hid behind a truck because he was just out there, unable to get back inside to safety or to get to his vehicle.

What stands out about the square from Jupiter to the approaching New Moon is the presence of escalation and expansion. Even though Jupiter is the slower planet, the massive number of deaths (proportionately, 27 people dead or injured out of perhaps 100 at the most as near as I could figure from the news is clearly a huge percentage!) points to the enormity of the event as it took place. And Uranus’ trine to Jupiter didn’t help matters either.

And then we were looking at this transiting T-square between 4th house Saturn in Sagittarius in opposition to Mars in the 10th in Gemini, squaring Neptune in the 8th house. Not only was it a warning sign of what was going to come, but Saturn in the 4th and Neptune in the 8th certainly didn’t speak well of the consequences of the shootout. The Sun was also making an out-of-sign opposition to Saturn at the time of the shootout, so you know punishments will be levied, and I don’t expect the court to take much mercy here.

Take note of the approaching New Moon in the 10th house. Jupiter may move more slowly than the Sun and the Moon, but this is not a time to think everything is done and over. In fact, I’d be inclined to say it’s definitely not. Just the later time makes me suspect that. Take note of the 30-minute partile quincunx from 1st house Jupiter to 6th house Pluto. You’re looking at the police action there as they moved in to ensure public safety. I’m sorry, but you’re not going to get me to call that a yod with Pluto at the eye, or finger if you prefer. From where I sit, you really need tight, tight orbs in a yod for it to be activated within 24 hours, pretty much simultaneously.

On the other hand, Mercury is quincunx (yes, I’m calling this two quincunxes to Pluto but not a yod). I just can’t justify it. Could there be more? Sure there could, but I’m going to adopt a wait-and-see attitude before counting those hens just yet. Mercury is also squaring Neptune which certainly can explain the chaos that took place. But it too was making a quindecile to Saturn, “social exchange linked to physical-world reality,” and certainly the environment where it was at a restaurant parking lot was indeed a social exchange.

Even though the timing wasn’t yet a New Moon, while the Sun was opposing Saturn, the Moon was making a quindecile to Saturn, pointing to what Ricki Reeves calls “physical-world reality linked to heat of passion” in her book The Quindecile–quite a fitting description for today because it was all of that.

Of course, we can’t forget that Pluto has been squaring Uranus for the last several years, but now it’s forming a T-square with Venus opposing Pluto and squaring Uranus. It appeared to be an anything goes kind of day.

Lynda Hill writes of the Taurus 10 Midheaven in her book and beautifully describes the scene as it took place in the aftermath of the warfare. Dead and wounded were everywhere as EMT services went into action to try to save lives or transport casualties to the hospital:

“A RED CROSS NURSE WITH WARM SYMPATHY

“Commentary: ‘A Red Cross Nurse’ is someone who can be called upon to help in an emergency. She is receptive to the emotional and physical needs of others. Reliable and caring, she brings healing and relief as she patches up what needs to be fixed. Making things better is her quest and her duty. Mostly, she carries out her duties without fuss or fanfare. That she does this ‘With Warm Sympathy’ implies that the ‘Red Cross Nurse’ is a kindly person, someone who can be relied upon for doing the right thing with care, attention to detail and the intention of healing. She needs to be attentive every time she is called upon, regardless of whether she is tired or has chores of her own to attend to.

“Oracle: It seems that there is a lot you have to do, but first you will probably have to provide help to others. There can be a great deal of inner healing achieved when helping others. Through empathy and sympathy we often learn about aspects of ourselves. How willing and able are you to give your time to help another, either physically or emotionally? How can you be expected to cope if you have too much to do? Perhaps you are in need of some help yourself. Things may not be easy or enjoyable and you may have to cross over into the “dark side” in order to bring light and love to the situation. Things may call for a more personal touch and approaching matters sympathetically rather than just clinically may be appropriate. Look at what’s occurring, and take into consideration people’s shortcomings. Sometimes others need care because they can’t cope with even the smallest things. There may not be many apparent rewards but the sense of care and healing that is invoked is often its own reward. Through showing ‘Warm Sympathy’ to those involved, a solution and a healing can be attained.

“Keywords: Unconditional and compassionate understanding and caring. Breaking down the borders between self and others. Always having to find reserves of energy. Looking after people’s physical, emotional, spiritual welfare. Giving and also receiving. Volunteer work. First aid kits. Bedside manners. Having a mission to fulfill. Having a shoulder to cry on.

“The Caution: ‘Fussing’ around and doing more than one needs to. Always butting in, even when it’s not necessary or wanted. Being a doormat and doing more than your share. Not caring how others are coping, even when it’s really necessary. Being officious and bossy. Feeling used.” © Lynda Hill 2004. My thanks to Lynda Hill for permissions.

What is it about Waco that makes incidents there so explosive? The summer isn’t even here yet, but it’s clear that Waco is already heating up.

Namaste, I love you.

©2015 Michelle Young