September 11, 2001 changed the course of American history and left an immeasurable impact on millions of lives.
As the anniversary approaches, I wanted to look back at the Vedic astrology surrounding that morning. Not to suggest that astrology can explain away tragedy or that planetary placements caused what happened, but to explore the remarkable symbolism present in the sky at the time.
When we examine the chart of the United States, several placements immediately stand out.
Mars and Ketu on the U.S. Ascendant
The United States is commonly analyzed in Vedic astrology using a Sagittarius Ascendant at approximately 8°.
On September 11, 2001, transiting Mars was at approximately 7° Sagittarius and Ketu was at approximately 9° Sagittarius.
In other words, Mars and Ketu were sitting directly over the U.S. Ascendant.
The Ascendant represents the identity, body and physical experience of the individual or entity being charted. For a national chart, it can be viewed as representing the nation itself.
Mars is associated with aggression, conflict, violence, courage and attacks.
Ketu is associated with separation, loss, detachment, sudden disruption and things being severed from what they once were.
Having Mars and Ketu together directly over the Ascendant of the United States creates an extraordinarily intense symbolism for a moment involving an attack on American soil.
Rahu and Jupiter in the 7th House
The other major signature was occurring on the opposite side of the chart.
Rahu and Jupiter were transiting the 7th house of the U.S. chart.
The 7th house is associated with open opponents, adversaries and forces confronting us from outside ourselves.
Rahu is often associated with foreign influences, outsiders, disruption and circumstances that feel unusual or difficult to contain.
Jupiter is expansive by nature. It magnifies and increases whatever it comes into contact with.
Their conjunction can therefore create a powerful amplification of whatever themes are being activated in the chart.
And in this case, that conjunction was occurring in the house of open adversaries.
The Moon, Rahu and Jupiter in Ardra
Perhaps the most haunting symbolism is found in the nakshatra.
Rahu and Jupiter were transiting Ardra, and that morning, the Moon was also in Ardra.
Ardra is sometimes referred to as the Star of Sorrow.
Its symbolism is connected with storms, destruction, grief and profound transformation. Ardra is ruled by Rudra, a fierce form of Shiva associated with the storm and the destructive forces of nature.
Its primary symbol is a teardrop.
The Moon represents our collective emotional experience, the public and the emotional atmosphere of a moment. Having the Moon moving through Ardra, while Rahu and Jupiter were also there, adds another striking layer to the symbolism of that morning.
The imagery of a nation experiencing shock, grief and collective sorrow is difficult not to notice when looking back at the chart.
Astrology and History
None of this means that the planets caused September 11.
Astrology is not a substitute for history, and planetary symbolism should never diminish the human beings and families at the center of this tragedy.
But one of the reasons I find Vedic astrology so fascinating is that when we look back at major moments in history, we can sometimes see an extraordinary correspondence between the symbolism of the sky and the themes being experienced here on Earth.
On September 11, 2001, we see:
Mars + Ketu directly over the U.S. Ascendant.
Rahu + Jupiter in the house of open adversaries.
The Moon, Rahu and Jupiter connected with Ardra, the Star of Sorrow.
These placements don’t tell us why the tragedy happened.
But they offer a striking astrological snapshot of the atmosphere surrounding one of the most consequential days in modern American history.
And perhaps that is one of the most interesting things astrology can offer us: not an explanation for human tragedy, but another lens through which to contemplate the timing, symbolism and profound transformation surrounding the moments that change history.
Leave a comment