Civilization Under Attack : September 11, 2001 & Beyond - Softcover

"Twin" Events
Stephanie Clement
This book focuses on terrorism and the aftereffects of terrorism, but its immediate focus is on the two, or twin, attacks on two seats of power in the United States. The first attack, on the twin towers, hit at the heart of New York City's financial district. The second attack, on the Pentagon, struck at the heart of our military and political power base--Washington, D.C.

One of the most fascinating things for an astrologer to consider is why two entities, twins, for example, often lead such different lives. This has been, in fact, one of the arguments used to invalidate astrology. Skeptics will ask, "If astrology can define an individual or an event, then tell me why twins, who are born at nearly the same time, can lead such different lives?"

The answer is: A person has the free will to act on his or her thoughts and desires in a manner that is in alignment with individual core beliefs and values. While the same astrological influences appeared in everyone's lives on September 11, a great many things were different. In astrology, the exact time and location of birth is unique to an individual, like a fingerprint is unique. And, in the same way that we are not drawn to every person we meet, neither are we drawn to respond to other influences in the same way as everyone else. We respond according to those characteristics (astrological, as well as acquired) that distinguish one person from another. And, even within the limitations of genetics and environment, we have free will.

Not everyone has secretly plotted during the past months, or years, to kill people and destroy property. Instead, they gathered ripe fruit, tended to household business and gardens, worked on projects, and accomplished critical thinking and problem-solving tasks. Millions of Americans were engaged in the various facets of these creative processes at the same time as a few terrorists were dedicated to and engaged in their destructive activities.

So what do these terrorist acts have to do with the astrology of twins? In my research on twins #1 I found that there is often a set of events that happen to the first-born twin and then to the second. There is a second set of events that happen to the second twin and then to the first. Then there are events that happen to one twin and never occur in the life of the second twin.

Here is an example: After one twin fell and injured her head severely, the mother worried that the second twin would have a similar accident. I was able to reassure her that the second twin was safe. The reason: The energy reflected in the chart of the injured twin would never appear the other chart--the astrological influence was past before the second twin was born.

Given the remarkably short time between most twin births, this was surprising. However, the same effect occurred between the four plane crashes on September 11, 200l. Nothing could have prevented the hijackings, given the current state of airport security. What did change dramatically were the results. The World Trade Center towers were completely destroyed, but thousands of people escaped from the South Tower before it was hit and eventually collapsed.

The plane that struck the Pentagon and the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania both are believed to have missed the obvious primary targets of the White House and the Capitol. The effective time had passed. How do astrologers know this? Astrologers use the time of take-off of a plane to assess the events of airplane flights--the take-off time is the "birth" of that flight. The times of the four take-offs on September 11 were within twelve minutes of each other.

Throughout this book you will read about events based on the times of the crashes. This is because the crashes themselves are major events, and each event has its own "birth" chart. By analogy, each partner in a marriage has a unique birth chart, but a chart for the marriage time is used to track the marriage itself. The outcomes of the four flights are reflected in the take-off charts. In fact, because the four flights were part of one terrorist plot, the first take-off time will accurately reveal the events. The subsequent take-off times are comparable to the birth times of second and subsequent infants in a multiple birth.

The charts for the two crashes at the World Trade Center, the first at 8:46 a.m. and the second at 9:03 a.m. fall well within the normal interval between twin births. (There is disagreement in the media about the exact times of these crashes. Astrologers are leaning toward the two times mentioned here, but the authors of this book have used different times in their writing. There is always a question about whose clock was most accurate as well.)

As you will notice when looking at the charts at the end of this chapter, several planets are in different sectors. Astrological charts are divided into twelve sectors, or houses. Each sector is like a room in a house, and is suited to different kinds of activities of the chart. The planets that move into different sectors are Mercury, Venus, Saturn, and Pluto. I'll explain more about this later, but first let's look at the placement of the Sun in these charts and what that means in the attacks.

What an Event Chart Is and How It Works

In event charts, the Sun and Moon play very prominent roles. The Sun shows what the event is really about, and the Moon shows the action. The chart is somewhat like a play. The Sun is the overall plot, or theme. (The theme of Hamlet, for example, is about avenging the death of one's father.) And the Moon is the action that results from emotions and feelings. (The action in Hamlet occurs as Hamlet plots and schemes to get the proof he needs, as he builds his courage to take revenge, and, finally, as he takes action.)

An event chart is a chart set for the time of the event. Your birth chart is one kind of event chart--the event is birth in that case. In the chart of any event, the Sun's sign and location in the chart give an astrologer clues as to what the event is really about. In your birth chart, for example, the Sun sign tells what your personality and character are like. The Moon tells how your life is likely to unfold. This is true of the other planets as well.

Secret Plans Carried Out by Secret Followers
In the charts for the attack on the twin towers, the Sun is in Virgo. The following are generalizations about the sign Virgo, and as with or any other sign, they should be considered just that. Virgo is the sign of the follower. A Sun-sign Virgo may be following paths indicated by other factors in the birth chart, as well as the dictates of his or her own heart. Even the terrorists are following their own hearts when they devote themselves to their leaders.

Virgos are often willing to remain in the background, and that is especially true when the Virgo Sun is in the twelfth house. The twelfth house, for example, is suited to private, even secret activities. In the crash chart, the Virgo Sun may indicate that the planning was done by someone second in command to a more dynamic leader. This fact is borne out by an article filed by Joyce M. Davis of the Washington Bureau, which appeared in newspapers on October 15, 2001. Davis writes that Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was born in Egypt in 1951, is considered to be "the strategic genius who leveraged [Osama] bin Laden's largess into a well-organized terrorist campaign." Zawahiri is considered to be far more dangerous than bin Laden. He's the mastermind behind the concept of terrorist cells, and is very persuasive in recruiting people to do his work.#2

We've learned from other news reports about the degree of training and planning that was necessary to succeed in the hijackers' plan to commandeer four or more planes and fly them to their targets. Evidence collected from the terrorists' homes and cars indicate that they researched airlines, flight paths, take-off times, and multiple other factors in planning these attacks. The terrorists dedicated their lives to carrying out their mission by becoming trained pilots, determining how to carry out their individual roles, and accepting suicide as a part of their actions. Their extreme attention to the details of the attack is consistent with what we know about Virgo. Virgos are inclined toward idealism; they are sometimes aloof or hesitant to participate fully in life; and they tolerate solitude well. It is important to keep in mind, however, that these activities represent only some facets of Virgo; there are many other Virgo qualities one can develop. The terrorists identified with what some would call the dark side.

There is some question among astrologers whether the Pentagon was a primary target. #3 There is no question, though, that the World Trade Center towers were the terrorists target. The Virgo Sun is in the sector of the chart commonly identified with secrets, private activities, ambushes, plots, self-destruction, suicide, and treachery, in general. Traditionally, astrologers identify this area with secret or hidden enemies. It also has to do with the unconscious mind, the most hidden part of our psyches. The chart for the first crash reflects an action begun and carried out in secret by hidden enemies. The attacks were plotted in secret, perhaps years before they actually occurred.

Sign of the Twins
The Moon was in Gemini, sign of the twins, on September 11. It is often true that the events that occur while the Moon travels through the sign of Gemini involve two kinds of communication, or two kinds of action.

The Moon in Gemini indicates an intellectual quality. Emotions fluctuate--almost like they are blowing in a breeze. There is a restless quality, like a child who has just started to school and hasn't learned how to sit still. The Gemini Moon is more concerned with events and places outside the home.

The Moon on September 11 was waning (in the third quarter) as it was approaching the NewMoon that would occur on September 17. This phase of the Moon reflects a crisis in consciousness. Something pushes us, after the event, to germinate new attitudes and to revise the way we have been acting. #5 The changes will be based upon thoughtful consideration of all the information available. (Note that even while the United States attacked terrorist strongholds in Afghanistan, food and supplies were being airlifted to the Afghan people.)

In any event chart, the Moon reflects the action. In this case, the Moon was in Gemini in the ninth sector of the chart.#5 The Moon in this part of the chart shows us that the event involves travel. We had four planes and their crews and passengers traveling across the country. We also had terrorists who had traveled from distant countries to hijack the planes. Finally we had the planes traveling to crash into targets selected by the terrorists. All of these things were directly or indirectly involved with the crashes.

Mercury Delivers the Message
I've discussed the emotional nature of Gemini, but for me, the key to these twin events is the planet Mercury. In astrological terms, Mercury reflects the nature of intellect (how we think), language, and communications. Named after Hermes in Greek mythology, Mercury was the "messenger of the gods," and as such he carried communications back and forth between mortals living on Earth and the gods. Any link between distant places establishes communication, so the airline flights themselves were a kind of communication. Mercury is the fastest of the planets, orbiting the Sun about three times a year. It accurately represents the nature of modern-day communication, which puts us in touch with reporters on the ground in Afghanistan in seconds.

In the hours following the attacks, Americans got two messages loud and clear. The first message was about safety. We understood that nothing is safe--not New York City, not Washington, D.C., not any location in the world, really. The second message was about power. We understood, for the first time, how powerful is the hatred of some individuals for Americans and our lifestyle, that they would go to great extremes to show us. We also learned the power of fear. Fear ground this bustling nation to a near standstill within mere hours.

Other messages and realizations have reached us in the weeks since the events. We are not willing to feel powerless for more than a few moments. Governments are working around the clock to find the best way to resolve the terrorist problem. Nations who haven't communicated with each other for decades are now expressing a willingness to sit down at the bargaining table and work out their differences. Individuals are making it their business to help others. The news media is spending large amounts of time informing the world about the issues behind terrorism.

Instead of being cowed into submission, the people of the United States and the world are saying, "Enough! We are thinking about our relationships, our alliances, and our lives differently. We want the world to be different." The United States government will take action. We can be proud that our leaders are giving careful consideration to our options before they act. They are enlisting the help of other nations. They are considering the innocent lives of millions of people in Afghanistan and other neighboring countries. They have focused on one target: terrorism. Our message to the terrorist organizations is clear: Don't think you can continue to act with impunity.

Venus and Social Consciousness
The role the planet Venus in astrology is to bring love, harmony, beauty, and friendship into the world. What, you wonder, could any of those qualities have to do with the World Trade Center attacks? As with all things, there is an alternative to the love we associate with romance, marriage, family, or the love of material possessions. There is a dark love that is experienced as greed, lust for power, and obsession that can lead to destruction of life.

We know that the hijackers fervently believed in what they were doing. Their love and devotion to their cause, their lust for power over Americans and the world, carried them into a deep obsession that ended in death and terrible destruction. They were drawn, as if by magnets, to the power centers of the United States.

We know the terrorists acted out of devotion to their cause to remedy a situation that their leaders find unacceptable. We know they lived together as units, or cells, in order to help each other in the most basic ways. The people who helped each other out of the falling buildings, the firemen and police officers who forfeited their own lives to save others, and the thousands of rescue workers who worked tirelessly to find survivors--they were all responding to the situation with love, devotion, and friendship. Where the hijackers and terrorist organizations are drawn to the dark side of love and friendship, the victims and survivors of the attacks responded from the highest expression of love one individual can extend to another.

When Venus moved from the eleventh to the tenth sector, she moved into one of the most powerful parts of the astrological chart. She took up a position of public awareness and individual responsibility. Greater maturity is being called for on the part of all the people involved in dealing with the aftermath of tragedy. We are being required to consider the larger social issues that have resisted solution until now. The movement of Venus, into the light of public's awareness, suggests a path for us to follow through these events. The power we're being shown is that of cooperation on national and multi-national level...